#9 hours not including the starting draft sketch

[konan720]

Look who spent 9 hours making a lethal company suit for herself, definitely not me an my dwindling sanity.

(Design may subtly change overtime)

[jackdawyt]

Today I’m breaking down the newly-revealed story of Dragon Age 2’s cancelled expansion that would’ve acted as a precursor to Dragon Age: Inquisition, planning the events of Dragon Age II’s sequel more accordingly, whilst giving our player-protagonist Hawke a good farewell.  

The DLC was called “The Exalted March” and was canned because of Inquisition’s scope, and the team’s shift to the Frostbite engine. Thanks to BioWare’s Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development book, we have an in-depth look at this cancelled Dragon Age II DLC with concept art and detailed plotlines to follow.  

I’ve already broken down the Dragon Age 4 related-secrets discovered in this book in my last news update, so I recommend you checking that video out for the latest on the next Dragon Age’s current project. With that said, let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at Dragon Age II’s planned, and unfortunately cancelled final-DLC.

“The Exalted March was a cancelled expansion to Dragon Age II meant to bridge the gap between the events of DA II and the planned sequel, Dragon Age: Inquisition. The expansion focused on the fallout from Kirkwall’s explosive finale, with Corypheus serving as the villain.”

“After the end of Dragon Age II, when Meredith turns into the big red lyrium statue, she basically infests Kirkwall and you end up with what actually ended up being the red templars taking over Kirkwall and being essentially Corypheus’s army, Dragon Age II cinematic designer John Epler says.”

“To stop him, Hawke recruited various factions, having to choose between groups like Isabela’s Felicisima Armada and the Qunari at Estwatch, forcing the hero to split loyalties and risk relationships in the process.”

“It was supposed to bring Dragon Age II’s story to an end,” lead writer David Gaider says. “And it was supposed to end with Varric’s death. I was very happy with that, because all of DA II was his tale. The expansion was supposed to start at the moment Cassandra’s interrogation of him ended in the present. And we finished off the story with Varric having this heroic death.”

“it tied things up and would have broken so many fan hearts, something the writers on Dragon Age notoriously enjoy. But between a transition to the new Frostbite engine and the scope of Dragon Age: Inquisition, the decision was made to cancel the expansion, work any hard-to-lose concepts into Inquisition, and in the process, save Varric’s life.”

“Concept art for The Exalted March explored new areas previously not depicted in the Dragon Age universe, with costumes that reflected next steps for familiar characters. Varric was going to war. What would he wear? With Anders (if he survived Dragon Age II), the plan was to present a redeemed Warden.”

“A character that vaguely resembled Sera in Dragon Age: Inquisition was first concepted for Dragon Age II’s expansion content.”

“The writers sketched out plans to end the cancelled Exalted March DLC with Hawke having the option to marry their love interest. This included alternate ceremonies for party members like Bethany and Sebastian if players opted not to wed. There was even a wedding dress made for Hawke. The assets found its way into Inquisition, donned by Sera If she marries the Inquisitor, or the Inquisitor if they marry Cullen. The dress can also be seen in an ambient NPC wedding after a chain of war table missions.”  

“The destruction of a Chantry was explored in concept art as it might have happened in Exalted March. This idea would carry to the beginning of Inquisition.”

While its bittersweet uncovering the story of this canned DLC, especially with the planned send-off having Hawke potentially marrying their love interest, and witnessing the explosion of the Conclave first hand as a cliff-hanger leading into the next game. I’m very grateful that BioWare revealed the development secrets of this cancelled DLC to the public.  

I respect Dragon Age II a lot, it’s a title that was given way too much flack by the mainstream considering it was created within 9 months of production, and had one of EA’s lowest budgets for its creation. Yet despite that, the game stands on its own two feet with a 40+ hour story, new protagonist and a roster of remarkable characters that join the journey.  

“Dragon Age: Origins had the longest development period in BioWare’s history. Dragon Age II’s was the shortest. Production of Dragon Age II officially lasted just nine months, while the team was still supporting live content for Origins.”

One of the biggest reasons behind Dragon Age II’s “different” narrative was the fact that the developers were working insane hours, with zero time for rewrites and revisions, meaning that the first drafts conceived for stories and characters were often the final outcome.  

In light of that, David Gaider felt that the cast of Dragon Age II were some of his favourite Dragon Age characters to date, he believed that the game had some of the best writing throughout the series.  

“As we were writing, I realized there was going to be no oversight – that everything was going to be a first draft. Because nobody had time”. David Gaider says. “I sat down with the writers and I said: ‘Look here’s the conditions we’re working under. A lot of what we’re putting out is going to be raw. We’re not going to get the editing we need. We’re not going to get the kind of iteration we need. So I’m going to trust you all to do your best work.’”  

In summary, Dragon Age II is a remarkable feat, and doesn’t deserve the harsh criticism in my opinion. I adore the characters, narrative beats, and lore introduced in Dragon Age II that have been fundamental to my personal enjoyment of Dragon Age.  

While, it would’ve been nice to have this DLC finalised for Dragon Age II. There are many fundamental aspects of Inquisition that would be completely different if this DLC wasn’t canned. For example, Varric would be dead, having no appearance as a companion in Inquisition... Just thinking about that as a reality - that’s not a world I want to live in at the moment.  

So, while it’s sad that this DLC never came to be, there are (at least) a couple things, like Varric’s life, that we can be happy about, regarding “Exalted March’s” cancellation.  

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Summary:  Marinette had replayed the video enough times. She'd know Adrien's voice saying those three words anywhere. (Set the same day as the episode Felix.  Reveal Fic.  Rated T for kissing, ignores Chat Blanc mostly because my heart can’t take the angst right now.)

~~~

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“I lo—”

Tikki’s tiny butt sat on the video’s pause button, freezing Adrien’s lips in a perfect o.  

“Marinette, you need to get ahold of yourself.”

Marinette was sure her complexion matched her kwami’s as she dropped her face onto her desk.  “I knoooooow.”

She was being ridiculous.  More ridiculous than usual, anyway.  But something about those words did more than just make her stomach flutter—it felt familiar, though it was probably just from her daydreams.  If he’d told her he loved her before, there was no way she’d forget it.

Her thumb instinctively moved to replay the last five seconds again.  Tikki flew into the small space between her and the phone screen, catching the digit between her arms.

“This is an intervention,” she said in her most authoritative voice.  Considering it was still two octaves higher than the average humans, it shouldn’t have had much effect, but Marinette hated disappointing Tikki.  She was her friend, the only one she could be completely honest with.

And Tikki was pretty good about being honest with her, too.  If the kwami thought Marinette needed an intervention, she was probably right.

“Fine.” Marinette spun in her desk chair, intending to pull out some butcher paper and start drafting a pattern in the few hours before patrol tonight.  It wasn’t likely that Hawkmoth would akumatize two people in one day—or four, considering it had been three for the price of one thanks to Felix’s stunt—but Chat had sounded a little desperate when he asked if they could still meet up.  She hoped he hadn’t planned another impromptu date.  She didn’t know if she could handle that after finding out that yet another one of her plans to confess to Adrien had fallen through, this time through no fault of her own.

Would he have said I love you back to her if it weren’t for his cousin’s interference?  They’d gotten so much closer lately, but…

“I’m not good with jokes.  The girl I’m in love with doesn’t like them, either.”

That she didn’t need a recording to replay.  It was embedded in her memory, like a deep splinter she couldn’t dig out.

He might say he loved her, as a friend.  But beyond that?  She was just setting herself up for disaster.

“Marinette?” Tikki asked.  “Do you need some help with the paper?”

She shook her head, almost whacking it on the desk leg as she scrambled for her supply box beneath.  “No, I got it. You can grab the measuring tape, though.”

She was finally going to mock up the pattern for an airy sundress she’d spent the last week sketching out. Nothing would take her mind off of her troubling love life like the single-minded focus of a personal project.

It worked a little too well, though.  Between drafting each piece, cutting the paper, pinning it to the cheap test fabric, cutting the fabric, pinning the pieces to each other—she barely managed to stop herself from starting the actual sewing when Tikki held up her phone.

On top of a group selfie of her, Adrien, Alya, and Nino, the clock showed 9:29.  Patrol started at 9:30

“Ack!  I’m going to be late!”  She jabbed herself at least ten times getting her pins all back in the pincushion.  Everything else could wait, but she didn’t want to swing in and catch one in her foot later.

“Tikki, spots on!”

By the time she swung across town to the Eiffel Tower, her bugphone read 9:35.  Record time, but still late. So where was…?

“Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his lady…”

The familiar tune was more downcast than Marinette was used to.  Sure enough, when she swung up a few crossbars to Chat Noir’s perch, she caught a flash of his forlorn expression before his usual grin took over.

“Hey there, Bugaboo,” his voice chirped as chipper as ever.  Had she been imagining his earlier mood?  Or maybe he’d just been worried she wouldn’t make it.  Silly kitty.  Regardless of whether or not she returned his feelings, she’d vowed to never stand him up again if she could help it.

“Any trouble on the way over?”  He asked.

“Only with myself,” she admitted, rubbing the still-stinging pads of her fingers.  She probably should’ve put some ointment on them before transforming; the suit irritated the little pricks further.  “Civilian me is still as much of a mess as ever.”

She’d hoped that by dropping non-identifying clues on how much she struggled in her daily life, Chat Noir would see through the perfect illusion he had of her and come to his senses.  Honestly, she should’ve known better.  It hadn’t worked the first ten times she’d tried, and now it only brought a wider smile to his face.

(That wasn’t why she did it, of course.  Even if it warmed her more than she wanted to admit, she only had feelings for one green-eyed blond.)

“The only mess you make is a mess of my heart, my lady,” he said with a wink that had her rolling her eyes.

“How do you even come up with those lines?” She asked with a stifled laugh—at how bad it was, not because he was actually funny. “The internet?”

“I’m paw-fended,” he gasped, claws spread in front of his mouth dramatically.  “I’ll have you know that everything I say is a one-hundred-percent Chat Noir original.”

“Of course.  I should’ve known.  Who else could drop that kind of cheese so seriously?”

“Only because I am serious, Bugaboo,” he reminded her.  As if she could forget.  Bantering back and forth with him was so easy; she hoped she wasn’t accidentally leading him on.  He deserved better than that.

He smiled as he bumped his shoulder against hers.  His voice bared his sincerity as he said, “Hate on my puns all you want.  It won’t change the fact that I love you.”

I love you.

Electricity shot up Marinette’s spine.  No.  No, it couldn’t be— 

I love you.

She’d replayed those words at least a hundred times (two hundred and fifty-three, but who was counting?) in the past day.  She’d memorized his exact inflection, the way he spoke from his heart, even if it was about all their friends and not her alone.  She would recognize his voice saying those three words anywhere.

Anywhere.  Including coming from her ridiculous, pun-loving partner.

“Ladybug?”  Chat scooted away from her, his fingertips digging into the backs of his hands.  “I’m sorry, I—I know you don’t feel the same way, you don’t have to—”

“Adrien?”

He nearly toppled off of the tower. Marinette caught him by the shoulder, holding him in place before he could lose his balance again, or run away, or—she didn’t know what he’d do.  She really should’ve thought this through.  They were supposed to keep their identities secret!  It wasn’t his fault, of course; she imagined if he’d called her Marinette while she was in the suit she would’ve had a much worse heart attack— 

“Who—who’s Adrien?”  Chat forced a grin.

“Oh, no.  You’re not getting out of this that easy.”  She fell deeper into Ladybug mode, still not letting her brain process that—that holy crap this was ADRIEN, Adrien who had just confessed his love to her—to her—!

“Ladybug, please, please don’t freak out, I’m sorry.” It was his turn to grip her shoulders as she tried to breathe.  His acidic green eyes were blown wide, the miraculous transformation hiding his normal soft chartreuse irises.  Still, how could she not have noticed?  It was him it was him it was him and she couldn’t unhear it, couldn’t separate his apologetic voice now from their time at the wax museum when she had almost kissed him and no, now that was even doubly embarrassing because it was CHAT, she’d almost kissed CHAT NOIR— 

“I’m not freaking out!  Why would you think I’m freaking out?”

Her eye twitched.  Her heart just about escaped her ribcage at the soft look of concern her partner was giving her.  Oh, this was bad.  This was very, very bad.

“I know you didn’t want to find out, and I… how did you find out?”  He asked hesitantly.  His hand left her shoulder to rub the back of his neck, and she barely restrained herself from tugging it back.  Or better yet, climbing into his lap and hoping he’d enfold her in his arms.

Bad.  Very, very bad.

“I… well, you see—haha look at the time!”  She sprang up and glanced at her obviously-watchless wrist.  “Looks like we’re too late to patrol tonight.  Oops!  Sorry Ad—Chat!  I’ll have to love you—SEE you later!  Bug out!”

“Ladybug!”  He scrambled to his feet, reaching for her arm before she could grab her yo-yo.  He was Chat and he was Adrien and he was touching her and even through both their suits she felt herself burning.  No, no, she could not be weird with her partner.  Not after she’d turned him down over and over and— 

Part of her wanted to cry.  But Chat—Adrien—had already beaten her to it.

“Please, LB.  Please, don’t go. if you have something against Adrien you can tell me, o-or you can not, but please just… don’t leave me.”  He swallowed hard, his voice thick with the tears already pooling around the lip of his mask.  “Not tonight.”

Tonight.  Today.  The anniversary of Adrien’s mother’s disappearance.

The anniversary of Chat’s mother’s disappearance.

“Oh,” she breathed, feeling like the worst partner—the worst friend in the whole world. She pulled him close, shoving all other traitorous feelings and desires aside, and focused on comforting him.  “I’m so sorry, kitty.  I’m not going anywhere, I just—panicked, that’s all.”

He laughed hollowly.  The sound curdled in her stomach, a sick parody of the cheery sound that usually rang from him.  But he had every right to sound that way, after what he’d been through. His mom was gone and she knew his home life was a wreck and he had so many of his father’s expectations dragging on him, and moonlighting as a superhero on top of that— 

How had he ended up being the carefree one out of their duo?

“You panicked because I broke the number one rule.  I gave myself away somehow.”

“No, chaton.  It’s not your fault.”  She rubbed soothing circles into the small of his back, trying to ignore how she could feel the toned muscles through the leather.  (His suit was much worse for her sanity knowing it was Adrien in it.)  “It’s my fault.  One hundred percent definitely my fault.”

He pulled back enough to stare at her, his head tilted sideways like he really was just an overgrown curious kitty, and her transformation from Ladybug into a puddle-bug seemed all too likely.

“I still don’t know how you did it.  Is this one of those ‘lucky charm’ connections only your brilliant mind can make?”

Marinette giggled into his shoulder, because maintaining eye contact was beyond her physical limit right now.  “Chat, the only brilliant thing about me is how brilliantly stupid I’ve been.”

“I’m still not following, my lady.”  His voice was still a little rough, but no longer dripping with desperation.

She kept up the soothing pattern on his back, just in case.

“I… er…”  There was no good way to say, oh, I recognized your voice because I’ve been listening to you tell me you love me all afternoon, only you weren’t even saying it to me and actually I’m a massive creep and you probably don’t want to be friends with me anymore, let alone be my partner and— 

“Shh, shh, breathe.”

—And now he was comforting her again.  It took her back to the first time they’d met—well, the first time Ladybug met Chat Noir.  She’d been so useless, and he’d been so ready to assure her that she could handle it.  From then on she’d somehow begun to take charge, but without that first push—without him—she’d never have gotten here.

And maybe… maybe leaning on him again wouldn’t be so bad.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her forehead resting against his chest.  He held her tight but refrained from any other soothing motions.  Of course he wouldn’t.  She’d brushed off too many of his physically affectionate gestures before.

“You have nothing to apologize for.”  It was a testament to how serious he was that he didn’t slip in a paw-pun there.  Honestly, she wished he had; she could’ve used the laugh right now.  “I trust you.  I always wanted you to be the first to know my identity, anyway.”

“Chat, I have everything to apologize for.”

She could hardly explain why without giving away her own identity, but she knew it was only a matter of time.  She’d rather have this conversation now than after she’d made a fool of herself—scratch that, she was already making a fool of herself, but it could be worse.  She could accidentally call him Chat in class.  She could boop his nose like she sometimes did as Ladybug.  Or someone could catch her doodling their wedding outfits in her notebook. She was really going to have to stop that, or Alya would wonder why she’d suddenly decided she wanted a “ladynoir” themed ensemble.

Great.  Five minutes into finding out Chat was Adrien, and she was still daydreaming about marrying him!  Get a grip, Marinette!  She hadn’t been this bad around Adrien in months, but connecting him with Chat had short-circuited her brain.  

“I’m not… I’m not like this, as myself.”  She pulled back and gestured down to all of her.  “And I don’t know that you’d still like me if you knew.  You never seemed to before.”

“Are you saying I know you?  Civilian you?”

He didn’t sound surprised.  Had she given herself away, too?  Her spastic reaction earlier did scream “Marinette.”  It wasn’t how she’d dreamed of revealing herself to her partner, but since when did her dreams regarding Adrien ever pan out?

“Yes.  You do.”  She hoped her voice sounded more confident than she felt.  Sure, she was thrilled (and confused and mortified) that Adrien was Chat Noir, but would he feel the same about her identity?

“Can I… can I guess who you are?”  Adrien-Noir asked, his voice fragile as glass.  His hands shook against her back. “If you don’t want me to, I get it, really.  But I… I think I know.  There’s no one else you could be.”

She pulled back, her eyebrows drawn in confusion beneath her mask.  “You’re that certain?  I was so—nevermind. I want to hear it.” Explaining how careful she was to mislead him would only confirm his suspicions, if he was even right.  For all she knew, he thought she was some stranger he knew from fencing or one of his other extracurricular activities.

One of his sly Chat-grins spread across his face.  Normally that would have her worried, but it was a relief to fall back into a familiar pattern.  

(Though how close he leaned in to her ear was new.  And was likely to make her burst like fireworks if she so much as breathed.)

“I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Fire spread through every inch of her.  She jolted in Adrien’s arms, cracking her head against his jaw and making him yelp.

“Sorry!  Oh my—are you kayo—okay?”  She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming.  Adrien said he loved her!  Marinette her!  And then she probably broke his jaw or something—!

“I’m fine—a-at least I think I am, if I was right?  About you being Marinette?”  He rubbed his jaw and smiled hopefully at her.  Yep, she was definitely going to be a puddle-bug.  He’d be scooping her off the side of the Eiffel Tower in a bucket.

She swallowed the giddy laugh bubbling up in her.  “I bet it would be really embarrassing if you weren’t.”

He laughed and scooped her up in a hug that lifted her feet from the metal beam.  “Marinette!  I knew it!”

Pressed close to him, she barely resisted the urge to wrap her legs around his waist and kiss his lips.  He was Adrien and Chat and him, and he was holding her and he loved her!  

The laugh finally escaped, breathless and smitten, as she laced her fingers behind his neck.

“You did.  Somehow.  I was so careful too—you have no idea how hard it is to split yourself and use that many miraculouses at once.  The illusion was perfect though.”  She frowned as she thought back on their fight with Kwamibuster.  “How did you find out?”

“I asked you first.”  He smirked. It was a face he made all the time, it had no right to be so cute now.  It was a just a curve of his lips, of Adrien’s lips—

“If I kissed you, do you think you’d forget about it?”

She slapped her hands over her mouth.  Had she—had she really said that?  To Adrien!?  

“Actually if you could just forget I said that too—”

“Not a chance, Buginette.”

She hadn’t thought his grin could get any wider, but she’d been wrong.  He held her tight, her toes barely brushing the ground. Still, she could escape if she wanted to.   

(She didn’t want to.)

“Chaaaat…”

“Thanks to Oblivio, I forgot the last time you kissed me.  There’s no way I’m forgetting again.”

She flushed as she remembered the picture Alya had taken of them.  Of course, it made sense now—she must have somehow learned Chat’s identity while they were under Oblivio’s influence.  How long had that fight taken?  Did she have a shorter or longer reveal-to-kiss timeframe this time? 

And then the full force of it hit her.  He wanted to kiss her.

Adrien.  Wanted to kiss.  Her.

She lost what little coherent thought she had left as she dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him to her.  Their lips collided roughly, and she felt him gasp before he melted into her.  

From there, it was all a blur.  Some distant part of her mind might have registered how she ended up with her legs wrapped around his hips, how he stumbled back into a crossbeam, how he held her so tightly she might’ve been crushed outside of the suit.  But all of that was faded against the single-minded desire to drown him in the love and desire and everything that she’d kept bottled tight for the past year.

She had no idea how long it was before he pulled back and breathlessly said her name.  “Marinette.”  Those three syllables in that voice had her losing her mind.  She was about to claim his lips again when he turned his head, making her miss and kiss his cheek.  Well.  That wasn’t so bad, either.  She peppered the side of his face, up to the edge of his mask, and he laughed.

“Marinette.  LB.  You can’t hide behind kisses forever.”

“Watch me.”

A kiss to the shell of his ear.  His nose. The sliver of his neck that wasn’t covered by his suit— she felt his legs wobble a little at that one.

“...I stand corrected.”

She giggled at the completely smitten look on his face.  She’d put that there.  Of course, Chat had looked at Ladybug that way before, but the fact that it was also Adrien beaming at her, knowing she was Marinette… All the puzzle pieces finally fit together, grooves sliding into place just as perfectly as she fit in his arms.

“Two can play at that game, Bugaboo.”

Oh.  Oh.  Sure, they’d practically been making out seconds ago, but the soft kisses he now littered across her jaw somehow felt even more intimate.  Their first kiss had been desperate.  These were slower, like he had all the time in the world—and they did.

He wasn’t going anywhere.  He loved her.

She practically groaned in disappointment when he finally lowered her back to the ground.  

Adrien just laughed.  “I had no idea you were so clingy, Princess.”

“I’m not clingy,” she pouted, stepping back from him to prove it.  “But if you think I am, fine.  See if you get any more kisses.”

Three whole coherent sentences.  Wow. After kissing Adrien, she expected to be a stuttering mess, but she was actually finding it easier to channel her Ladybug confidence.  Maybe it was the fact that for the first time, she knew he was as crazy about her too.

“Hey, hey, I never said that was a bad thing.”  He squeezed her tight again, a slight purr rumbling in his chest before he coughed.  

“I think we all know who’s the clingy one, anyway.”  She said, scratching the spot behind his ear until she coaxed another purr from him.  Bad idea.  She couldn’t spend all her time with her lips locked to his.

“Whatever you say, Marinette.”  His tail curled around her.  “So… as mind-meltingly amazing as kissing you was, I think I still remember a certain question I had.”

How she found out his identity.  Right. This had to be the biggest whiplash for him—her literally turning him down last week just to turn around and practically jump him. (Not that he was complaining, obviously.)

She bit her lip.  Lying to him would be impossible, even if she wanted to.  She’d promised a long time ago that she would never lie to him… except for when she had to hide her identity, but that was because Master Fu would want to reclaim their miraculouses if they revealed themselves.

...Which they just had.  Her gut twisted at that realization, which had been lost in her earlier excitement.  But Fu couldn’t just take their miraculouses, right? He was training her to be the Guardian.  Plus, after their fight with Feast, Marinette hoped he would know better.  

She was Ladybug.  Adrien was Chat Noir.  No one else could replace them—not to Paris, and not each other.  

She could deal with Fu.  But dealing with Adrien knowing just how obsessed she was?  That was a different terror entirely.

“Fine,” she sighed.  “It’s really, really embarrassing though.  You’re… probably going to think I’m a creep, honestly.”

Adrien blinked when she glanced up at him through her eyelashes, not daring to watch him directly.  “I won’t judge you, I paw-mise.”

She dropped her head in her hands and stifled a giggle.  At least they were back to puns.  She never thought she’d be grateful for that, but it eased her nervousness.

“You know how you, uh, sent a video to our class today?  To reply to the videos you never saw?”

“Yeah?  What about it?”

“Well… err…”  She was sure her face was challenging the shade of her suit, but he just blinked innocently.  “I may have… singled out the part… where you said, um…”

He was still waiting patiently.

“I took the part where you said ‘I love you’ and replayed it two hundred and fifty-three times.”

She wanted to shove her fist in her mouth.  She wasn’t going to lie, but she didn’t have to be that honest!

Chat stared.  Blinked.

...And doubled over laughing.

Well, this was it.  At least she’d gotten to kiss him once, right?  Hopefully he could forget this enough for them to still work together, because she’d never forgive herself if she ruined their partnership and Hawkmoth got their miraculouses because of it— 

“You—I can’t believe it.”  His arms had fallen while he laughed, but now he pulled her in again, practically crushing her to his chest.  “And here I thought I was the crazy one.”

“Please kill me,” she groaned.

“Never.”  He said with a kiss to her temple that shot lightning across her skin.  “I’m keeping you forever, Bugaboo.  No takebacks.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense.” She paused, searched his eyes for any trace of hesitance.  If anything, he looked giddier than ever.  “You’re not mad?  Or… weirded out?”

“Marinette, I play with action figures of us.  Sometimes they kiss.  I really have no room to talk.”

She gaped up at him.  The image of Adrien making toy versions of themselves kiss—okay, she had to cackle too, because it was too insane to process otherwise. They really were made for each other.

“You do have to promise me one thing, though,” he said, his voice sobering.

“What?” She asked before her brain could start catastrophizing again.

“You have to let me say I love you at least two hundred fifty-four times.  I can’t be beat out by a video of myself.”

He—he was serious.  Right when she was thinking it was impossible to love him any more, he said things like that.

“That’s a lot of times.”

“I guess I’d better get started then, huh?”

She punched his arm lightly and ignored how much she really really wanted to let him do just that. (Maybe with a few more kisses sprinkled between.) 

“Not yet, chaton.  You still have to tell me how you recognized me.”

“Technically I don’t think you finished,” he pointed out, to which she rolled her eyes.

“I’d heard you say ‘I love you’ so many times, I recognized your voice.  That’s all.”

“I would’ve told you I loved you as Adrien a long time ago if it would’ve made you see it.”  He chuckled.  “I wish I had a story like that.  I didn’t know for sure, I just thought… well, Marinette and Ladybug are the two most amazing girls I know, and… I think I hoped it was you more than anything.”

The soft grin on his face threatened to send her melting again.  He’d wanted her to be the girl he loved.  Of course his epiphany had come over something so sweet, rather than her completely embarrassing story.  

“That still doesn’t explain how you saw through me being Multimouse and Ladybug,” she said.  “You really do think with your heart more than your head, don’t you?”

“One of us has to.”  He winked, and she hid a lovestruck smile.  She couldn’t give him the satisfaction of melting at everything he did.  He was still her silly kitty, after all.  “I know it looked impossible, but if anyone could pull off the impossible, it’s you.”

She could pull off the impossible, which right now included resisting the urge to kiss him senseless again.

“You’re the one who’s impossible,” she said with a flick to his bell.  

“And you can pull me off anytime,” he blurted before covering his mouth.  “Uh.”

“Adrien, that doesn’t even make sense,” she said for the second time in the past five minutes.

His face flushed.  “I can’t be at the top of my flirting game all the time.  I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything, to be honest.  The cheesy pick up lines are kind of a coping mechanism.  Not that I’m upset, I’m not!  I’m so, so happy—It’s just—it’s a lot.”

“It is a lot,” she agreed, slipping out of his embrace to sit on the cold metal of the tower.  “Come on, sit with me.  Paris can take care of itself for one night.”

He grinned and plopped down beside her, hesitating only a moment before enfolding her in his arms.

“Thank you.  This means the world to me.”  He kissed the top of her head.  “Today was… well, you know. A year ago today my mom disappeared. I’m doing alright, much better than Father is, but still...”  He slumped against her, his chin resting on her shoulder, their cheeks brushing.  “It’s why I wanted to be with you tonight.  And then everything else—well, it’s better than I could’ve imagined.”

She was afraid it had been too much for him, dealing with their identities at such a sensitive time, but he did look much more relaxed now.  Despite his cousin’s earlier interference, she had managed to help him anyway.  That was the most important thing.

“I’m glad I could help.  I actually tried to tell you in the video Felix deleted… but I love you, Adrien.  And I’ll always be here if you need me.” 

He turned his face so their foreheads rested against each other, filling her vision with his bright green eyes.  The hopeful glow in them could’ve put all of Paris’s lights to shame.

“You love me?”

His breath ghosted over her lips, mingled with her laugh.  She’d said it.  She’d finally said it.

“Of course, minou.  What, did you think I kissed you because we’re just friends?”

“That happened?”  He blinked in fake innocence.  “I don’t know, I think Oblivio might have hit me while you weren’t looking.  You might have to kiss me again.”

She rolled her eyes, but she could only do the impossible for so long.  Their noses bumped as she kissed him long and soft and slow.  Could she ever get used to this?  Each kiss left her soaring higher than the last.

They broke apart giggling and flushed before Chat shyly asked a question.

“Did you mean it when you said you’ll always be here if I need you?  I can be a very needy kitty.”  His voice was all Chat Noir, but his face was the soft, open expression she was used to seeing from Adrien.  

He was worried about that?  But then, there were so few other people in his life who were just there, she realized.  No wonder he had coveted attention from Ladybug for so long.

“Always, Adrien,” she said softly.  “I know I can’t fix everything. Especially about your mom.”  She cupped his face in her hands.  “But being here?  That’s easy.  Never feel bad about needing that.”

“That’s all I want,” he breathed.  “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

He wrapped her in his arms again, and she hugged him back just as tightly.

“Me too, kitty.  Me too.”

[swordarkeereon]

Tech Review for Writers: reMarkable2

I got myself a piece of interesting tech this year in hopes it would get me from out in front of a computer screen more often. Meet the reMarkable2, a distraction free (i.e. it’s not connected to the entirety of the internet) e-ink tablet workhorse that’s easy on the eyes.

The reMarkable2 Tablet

First things first. The reMarkable2 tablet is not for everyone and your average person probably won’t find it the least bit useful. So let’s talk about why you don’t want this tablet first.

reMarkable 2 is not for you if: 

– You want an eReader.  eReaders have a VERY DIFFERENT function than the reMarkable2. Yes, you can read PDFs on a reMarkable, but it’s more for *marking up* a PDF and commenting in the margins of a PDF. Not just reading. eReaders like Kindles and Nooks often have built in dictionaries, ways to bookmark pages or passages of text, etc…  that the reMarkable2 doesn’t have. You can search your documents for specific phrases and words and also highlight things in a light gray, but if you’re just looking for an eReader, I suggest a Kindle.

– You want a full functioning tablet that you can put apps on and surf the web with- If you’re looking for a full functioning tablet, you’ve missed the whole point of the reMarkable2. The main point behind reMarkable2 is so you can go to your creative place (wherever that may be) and brainstorm, free from ALL distractions. You can’t stop to surf FB or your Twitter feed on a reMarkable2, thus making it more likely you’ll stay on task and get more done.

– You want something with color so you can highlight because what you really want is a fully functioning ebook reader or tablet. This tablet is really more of a no frills brainstorming and note-taking tool for entrepreneurs, professionals, academics, and creatives (including engineers, writers, musicians, possibly artists if they like to sketch in black and white) who use a lot of black pens and plain paper.

I bought the tablet for the following reasons (which I wrote down BEFORE I received the device):

– I wanted an electronic notebook (not a tablet). I’m one of those people who goes through 3 packs of sticky notes every month, and countless notebooks every year. I am constantly jotting stuff down to keep myself focused and on track while running my own business and helping out at the family business.  My notes can be anything from putting together presentations, classes, and meetings, to extensive to-do lists for the day. Sometimes it’s just me keeping track of sales figures. As a result, my desk is always filled with papers and notebooks and I’m constantly searching for shit. The electronic notebook cleans up all this clutter and helps me organize my brain. (Have you seen my brain!? It’s a mess in there.)

– I  like to write freehand, especially when I’m plotting the next book or writing a blurb, or even writing a chapter – and it must be distraction free. This is something only fellow authors will understand. The fact that the reMarkable2 can convert handwritten notes to text sent via email has me excited because, if I’m lucky and it works, I won’t have to go through and transcribe all my handwritten notes. It basically saves me time by eliminating a step. I can copy/paste the note from my email into the appropriate file on my laptop. This will also save me the clutter and weight of carrying countless notebooks.

– I am involved with projects that require me to sketch out ideas for marketing and/or artwork. I do have tablets that can do this, but nothing that does it *well*. The closest is my Surface tablet, which can do a lot of things, but it still doesn’t feel like paper or allow me the fine detail paper allows. I’m hoping this tablet is a bit more responsive in this area. – I am forever printing out rough drafts of manuscripts for markup – wasting a ton of paper and toner in the process. All because I can’t edit on a backlit screen. My eyes get tired and I miss too many errors. If I can transfer my PDF drafts to the reMarkable and mark them up there with minimal errors left over, I could save some $$. I am actually estimating that I could easily save the cost of the reMarkable2 in 6 months to 1 year’s time by not having to purchase the paper, pens, and toner I usually go through in that time frame.  Plus, these marked up manuscripts often end up in a stack on my office floor for 6 months to a year after publication. 

– I am forever having to read PDFs of laws and regulations for the family business, and while I usually use them on the computer, I sit in front of a computer 8-13 hours a day. I need a non-backlit screen for reading in the evenings just to give my eyes a break.  Yes, I imagine I could do the same with a Kindle paperwhite, but I may just want to jot some notes in the same way I’d mark up a paper copy. I’m still a pen and paper girl. I’m really hoping the reMarkable is my replacement for that (most of the time anyway).

reMarkable2 test to sample the pen styles.

Some considerations I took into account before purchasing:

A lot of customers complained that it took too long to receive the reMarkable or to get support. From all of the research I did, and in reading their website, it’s clear to me that this company caters to academia and businesses. I ordered my reMarkable2 on January 16, 2021, and had it in my hands by January 25, 2021. 9 days. I also ordered it and paid for it through my business. I don’t know if that’s actually why I got mine so fast, but I wouldn’t be surprised. That said, I do think the company should work a little harder to increase their customer service efficiency. 

With regard to customer support – the website clearly states it can take up to 10 business days for support to get back to you. And a lot of the things people seem to be complaining about have troubleshooting instructions on the website. Clearly people weren’t going to the website to try to look up their issue through the support FAQs, which likely would have helped them out sooner.  They were just contacting support immediately, and angry when they weren’t getting a response after 3 days, when it’s clearly stated on the website that it can take up to 10 days due to the fact that reMarkable is a small company. But like I said earlier – they would be smart to increase their customer service team.

reMarkable’s folios are a custom fit and really pretty, but a bit pricey. I made the tablet more affordable by skipping the upgrade on the pen, because a friend of mine got the eraser feature and she wasn’t digging it initially (she loves it now), and I purchased a relatively nice folio from Amazon for under $30 (with no magnets – research told me magnets can cause dead spots in the screen of the reMarkable2). You can also just buy a 10″-11″ tablet sleeve and it would work much the same. There are also universal tablet folios that will fit 10″-11″ tablets that are free of magnets and will likely work just fine. All for under $20 bucks — even a few in faux leather. Remember that a case should protect your investment, not just make it *look* sharp. 

Right out of the Box.

Right out of the box I set the reMarkable up and started using it for brainstorming. Here were my first impressions:

1. It really is pretty damn close to writing on paper.

2. You can rest your damn hand on the screen and it won’t fuck things up or make it wobble as with traditional tablets.

3. My handwriting actually looks like my handwriting and you have almost the same control with this as you would with real pen and paper.

4. The interface is simple and intuitive and anyone who uses computers and tablets day and in day out will have no issues figuring this out.

Now some thoughts on the features:

Handwriting to Text: As an author who likes to occasionally spend time writing the old fashioned way, one of the things that attracted me to this tablet was its ability to translate handwriting to text. No writer wants to have to transcribe their written notes and waste all of that time. So of course I tested it with my horrific handwriting, vs purposefully trying to be neat, and the reMarkable2 was able to convert my chicken scratch into actual text that I could read. I was able to turn the handwritten notes into a PDF, but I was also able to send the handwriting converted to typed text as the body of an email, where I was able to cut and paste it into any program I wanted. I took it further and wrote 1000 words (about 8.2 pages) longhand. It converted all the pages to text in one swoop and I was able to copy/paste it into my manuscript. While there was a little formatting and editing involved — it was a lot faster than retyping handwritten notes. WIN! 

Handwriting for conversion test.

Conversion successful

PDF Transfer, Markup, and Signature: Transferring PDFs to the reMarkable is easy. You simply download the app on your phone and your desktop, and you can take any pdf from either device and import it onto your reMarkable, which you can then markup. I sent myself a slew of PDFs that I had to read and markup. It’s amazing how much more focused I am on a screen like this. I really got the same experience with editing on a digital PDF as I did with editing on a paper copy. My only caveat is that I don’t have more space to make notes since the margins are a bit small on the screen and there’s no “back of the page” to carry notes over to. I can likely manage. Despite that – what a great experience. Goodbye manuscripts all over my office floor!  Hello being able to drag editing work with me wherever I go!    

You can also transfer your PDFs that don’t have an electronic signature option to the device, sign them, and send them back. Talk about HANDY since I do that a few times a month by default. This just eliminates the print/sign/scan. Now I just have to transfer it to the device, sign the document, and email it straight back to whoever sent it. 

Digital Planners may be something I look into for 2022 because reMarkable actually makes them feasible. I tried a tester digital planner, courtesy a friend, on my reMarkable and I have to say – it offers just as much satisfaction as a paper planner. Plus, you can SEARCH large pdfs. It won’t find search terms in your handwriting, but it will find it in your PDF. That’s definitely a handy feature when you’re working with 500 page PDFs. That said, the tablet saves your place (last page you visited) as you’re navigating a PDF, so no need to search for the place you left off. However, there is no way to bookmark multiple pages.

ePub Reading: suppose I could sideload books as ePubs, but I really have no use for this feature. If I want to read ebooks, I use my kindle or the Kindle App on my tablet or phone. Unless I start doing editing of ePubs or want to check out an ePub format for something?  I didn’t buy this as an eReader, and it is terribly lacking as an eReader. Where the reMarkable excels is as a tool for marking up documents. So my guess is it would be great for that if you have a lot of files in ePub format that you have to go over. You also can’t change font sizes for easier reading. You can zoom in and zoom back out to regular size. That’s it. (And this is another reason this is not an eReader.)

Storage: Storage is a little over 6GB (you do not pay for the reMarkable website cloud-sync). But even with about 15 PDFs (some of them really long) on my reMarkable at any given time, I was only at .38 GB. 

reMarkable2 Storage

File System: Like I said earlier – the system is highly intuitive and easy to use. I made folders for my most common notebook uses, then I moved the appropriate PDFs to those folders, and created any notebooks I needed for those folders.

Exporting: You can export as .PNG, .SVG, and PDF.  Handwriting to text can only be sent as text via the body of an email. This is actually great for writing because then you just have to copy/paste from your email into your Word Doc, Google Doc, or Scrivener.

Importing: Imports PDFs and ePubs.

Templates: The templates are great. I generally only use graph paper, plain, and lined paper myself. But I could see how a lot of these would be useful to people. The to-do list is a crappy template just because it requires you to hide your menu to use it (you can’t tick the the checkboxes until you do this). To hide the menu tap the circle in the upper left top of the menu bar. So if you want a partial page to-do list, you can easily make your own checkbox lists using the graph paper option. There are also dot pages for the folks into bullet journaling.

A small sampling of reMarkable2 Templates

Search Feature: You can search within a PDF, but not through your own handwritten text. You must be in the PDF to search it, otherwise you can only search for file names. You can not search across documents for a phrase or word. So if you’re looking for something with the same search capabilities as a laptop or possibly a tablet, you won’t find it here.

Zooming: You can zoom in on PDF documents and write on them while zoomed. However, you cannot change font sizes to make reading easier.

Battery Life:  On days where I used it heavily (about 4-5 hours), I was using around 15% power in a day because I didn’t put it in airplane mode. Three days of 4-5 hours a day use drained my battery to 50%. So me, as a heavy user, not in airplane mode, will likely get 6-7 days out of a single charge. Possibly more since clearly not every day will be a heavy use day. The device does go to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Pen:The pens are a bit pricey. I did not buy the expensive pen with the eraser and I’m okay with that. But $60 for a pen is still a bit — ouch. 

Pen Nib: I am expecting I will be one of those poor unfortunate souls who will be replacing pen tips every 3-4 weeks during heavy use. Luckily the pen itself doesn’t use batteries. The pen nibs seem reasonable in price, just be sure to order a new pack with your device and when you start that pack, order another as shipping times on those can take a week or two depending where you are and how efficient your mail service is. You don’t want to accidently run out and find yourself without a pen. Yikes.

Security: You can add a password to your reMarkable to keep prying eyes out. But if you’re like me and self-employed, that’s not really an issue. Your remarkable has Wi-Fi, yes, but you can put it in airplane mode to cut the connection. Plus, it only syncs to your cloud storage. There really aren’t any entry points for viruses or people hacking into your device. But then I’m also not a tech person. Let’s just say I highly doubt security will be a huge issue on this thing. Besides, anyone who wants to take a peek at my tablet would likely find themselves bored stiff, unless they like reading really rough first drafts of speculative fiction.  LOL

Backup/Download: You can easily transfer your files back to your computer by opening the app and simply exporting your finished documents, etc… to your computer, backup drive or cloud drive. You can also just email yourself a copy to make it super easy.

My Wishlist:

1. I wish I could add or append new, handwritten pages to an existing PDF. That would definitely solve the space issue. Now, I just make notes in a different file and jog back and forth between the PDF and the notes, which is a little annoying, but doable. One way to solve this issue would be to save all your PDFs to double spaced. It might make markup a little easier. I’ll try that with the next books to go under the editorial knife.

2. I wish there were cheaper alternative covers. My $17 cover looks great and protects my tablet. reMarkable could easily come up with a few additional low-cost choices here. The ultra professionals are still going to buy nice leather folios. 

(I may add to this list in the coming weeks, but right now these are the two main things jumping out at me.)

Overall Review Summary

For writers, reMarkable2 truly is a remarkable distraction free device that can help improve your concentration and organization, give you the freedom to write out longhand and convert it to text without the tedious re-typing, and help you mark up drafts with ease. This would probably serve prolific and professional writers more liberally than the writer who takes a few years to pen a book. Plus, it will probably save you a lot of printer paper, toner, pens and notebooks. For business owners/users – reMarkable will likely save you pounds of sticky notes and legal pads, and hours of time transcribing your notes. Plus, it’s a great on-the-go working tool for content creators and people who review a lot of PDFs. 

Have some thoughts on the reMarkable2? Feel free to leave a comment below!

[dangerdaysdiary]

From Cassie the Venomous... A Danger Days FAQ

You can find the original post on Cassie’s website here.

Frequently asked 'Danger Days...' Questions Answered!March 18, 2011Now that My Chemical Romance's Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is out, I'm finding more and more questions about it leading people to this site. I figured it would be beneficial to address some of the ones that are asked most frequently in one place for the benefit of all! I hope this helps! ORIGINAL POST:  November 24, 2010 @ 11:57 P.M. UPDATED: March 18, 2011 @ 9:47 P.M. ____ The Killjoys Fun Ghoul -Corresponding MCR member: Guitarist, Frank Iero -Raygun: Green with horror-style stickers attached to it -Symbol: A smiling face with one eye crossed out and a jagged mouth -Physical Description: Wears a yellow shirt with black-striped accents over which he wears a military vest. In the video for "SING," Fun Ghoul bears a scar on the right side of his face at his mouth. -Mask: Purple and green Frankenstein mask -Additional Information: ... Jet Star -Corresponding MCR member: Guitarist, Ray Toro -Raygun: Blue with red and white details and the text "BECAUSE I SAID SO" -Symbol: Star with a face and a lightening bolt rising from its left side -Physical Description: Wears an eyepatch on his right side. His jacket displays an American flag on its back. -Mask: Black astronaut-style helmet -Additional Information: The original name for Jet Star was "Raygun Jones." Kobra Kid -Corresponding MCR member: Bassist, Mikey Way -Raygun: Red with white details and a decal that says "deluxe" (his raygun was originally named "Demon-shark Deluxe"). -Symbol: the face of a hissing cobra -Physical Description: Wears a red jacket over a yellow-and-black zebra-print shirt -Mask: Yellow helmet with blue and red eye-like details that displays the message “GOOD LUCK” on its visor -Additional Information: In addition to his raygun, Kobra Kid can also be seen using a power glove in the video for “Na Na Na…." Mikey describes Kobra Kid as a "misunderstood" character with a "short temper" who "knows Kung-Fu." Party Poison -Corresponding MCR member: Vocalist, Gerard Way -Raygun: yellow with pink details and "Give Me Money" written in Japanese on its side. -Symbol: pill with an "X" beneath it -Physical Description: Wears a blue jacket with red details, a "dead pegasus" logo on the front and his Killjoy symbol on the back -Mask: yellow domino mask with blue circular details and clown-style eyes or a decorated "mousekat" helmet. -Additional Information: Party Poison was among the Danger Days... characters active on Twitter preceding the album's release. The Killjoys' names, which Mikey Way told NME are "themed after designer drugs," started as the names of their rayguns, but later turned into character names. The band has said that their Killjoy personas are not characters they are playing, but how they picture themselves in the future. Are the Killjoys Dead? Currently, as a result of the “SING” video, the Killjoys are presumed dead. However, a picture from Gerard Way of “Party Poison” in what appears to be an unzipped body bag (left) captioned “Killjoys never die” has many fans questioning how dead they truly are. UPDATE: April 10, 2011 Dr. Death Defying tweeted: that "there are four acceptable levels of dead after posting an ode to Party Poison, whom he called "dearly departed." More information will follow if the four levels of dead are explained further. Dr. Death Defying Played by Steve Righ? of Mindless Self Indulgence, Dr. Death Defying is the smooth-talking narrator who filters in-and-out of Danger Days…. He is a D.J. for 109 F.M., WKIL, a pirate radio station that operates in the Zones. He is recognized by his “Slaughtermatic Sounds” jacket, which also says “Jackals” and “Philly,” his aviator sunglasses and the bandanna he wears tied around his head. Dr. Death Defying uses an electric wheelchair because of an apparent injury to his left leg, to which an electric brace is strapped. In an hour-long video “listening party” hosted by the D.J., the character implied that he is a veteran, possibly of the Helium Wars, which have been alluded to vaguely. Show Pony and the Girl Show Pony, the character who can be recognized by his "NOISE" half-shirt, blue-and-white polka-dot tights & helmet and rollerskates is the companion of Dr. Death Defying, the narrator of Danger Days... (played by Steve from Mindless Self Indulgence). Show Pony is played by performer Ricky "Rebel" (Twitter | Reverbnation). Rebel opened for My Chemical Romance as Show Pony at the band's Hollywood album release show. The actress who plays the Killjoy girl in the videos, whose character name has thus far only been "the Girl," goes by Grace Jeanette. She, too, is an actress and a musical performer. The Girl's role in the Danger Days world appears to be a significant one; as, she was kidnapped by Better Living Industries for a stull-unknown reason. The Zones and Battery City

The Killjoys world centers around Battery City and its surrounding concentric Zones. The map to the left shows how the Zones are laid out in relation to the city. Utopian Battery City is central, corporate, clean and the center of manufacturing. It is where Battery Towers is located. Battery City, California is the setting for My Chemical Romance's "SING" video, to give you a better perception of what it looks like. The setting for the "Na Na Na..." video is in the Zones, which are a more lawless, desert terrain in which the Killjoys live, run and fully embrace their freedom. The Zones are dirty, wild and dangerous-- the opposite of Battery City. Geographic landmarks include: Route Guano, which is the road on which Gerard has said, "the shit happens." It is where Jet Star and Kobra Kid are "ghosted" by an exterminator in the Danger Days... track "Jet-Star and The Kobra Kid/Traffic Report." "The Getaway Mile," which may be a specific location, is mentioned in the song "Bulletproof Heart." There is also a place which Dr. Death Defying on Twitter called "Wolfblood Beach." Better Living Industries Better Living Industries (Also known as BLI, BL/ind, or BL industries) is the corporation that controls Battery City. The corporation strives to bring about structure in a post-apocalyptic world. It is known for producing emotion-eliminating medications as well as every other manufactured product one can acquire in 2019. BLI crosses over from the Killjoys world and into real life. The made-up corporation has its own  web site with products that you can actually purchase, a mission statement and a "Zone Report" in both Japanese and English.  Also, MCR takes it a step further by having changed the name under which their music is published to "Better Living Industries Music," which you can see in the liner notes of Danger Days.... BLI also overtakes the edited version of Danger Days..., whiting out the internal album art, taking away the lyrics and putting its smiling face logo (above right) all over it. The Danger Days: California 2019 Edition box set is packaged in a BLI box and the 3-song The Mad Gear & Missile Kid E.P. that comes with it is printed on a disc made to look like a BLI brand CD-R. Check out some BL/ind commercials and "Fact News" reports. Dead Pegasus Dead Pegasus is a 2019 oil company. Korse, Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W

Korse is an exterminator for BL/ind's SCARECROW Unit. In the videos, he is played by comic writer Grant Morrison. The "SING" video has raised speculation among fans that Korse could possibly a robot of some sort; as, he is seemingly "activated" in his chamber by the push of a button. Some also speculate, based on Gerard Way's character sketches and his indicating that Korse suffers from "Zone sickness," that he may stay in the  chamber shown in the "SING" video for medical reasons. Grant Morrison revealed to MTV that Korse is "intimately connected with the Killjoys and their secret history," which has yet to be revealed. The SCARECROW Unit of BL/ind is a sort of police force. Korse leads it, and The Draculoids are the other exterminators that appear to be of lower ranking than Korse. They're a "clean-up crew" for the Zones, getting rid of the things and people who do not comply with the monochromatic standards of Better Living Industries. The Mad Gear And Missile Kid

The Mad Gear and Missile Kid is My Chemical Romance's alter-ego band for Danger Days... Mad Gear is what MCR imagined the Killjoys would listen to in 2019. Fans who ordered the California 2019 Box Set received a bonus E.P. of the three tracks MCR recorded as The Mad Gear And Missile Kid: 1. F.T.W.W.W. (acronym for "fuck this whole wide world") 2. "Mastas Of Ravenkroft" 3. "Black Dragon Fighting Society" The genesis of TMG&MK came with the writing of "Black Dragon Fighting Society," which was originally recorded for the pre-Danger Days album the band "scrapped." "F.T.W.W.W." and "Mastas of Ravenkroft" followed as songs created specifically for TMG&MK. Gerard Way told Alternative Press that the MCR is interested in creating a full album as The Mad Gear and Missile Kid and that they would like to play shows as the alter-ego band on off-days of tours in the future. EVENTS in the Zones 2012: The Great Fires 2017: The Pig Bomb ?: Helium Wars

-- If there's something about which you are confused that you would like added to this post, let me know! Consider this a perpetual draft that will update as often as you, Reader, need it to. Also, please don't hesitate to submit corrections! I have compiled the information in this post using knowledge I've gained from interviews of the band by several sources. Suggested Reading to Expand your Killjoys Knowledge: The Twitter development of the Zones presented in a linear fashion. A full interview transcript series posted by Coup De Main Magazine. XoXo c.

[kalinahugtype2]

Interview with a Graduate

Abbey Hoerchner

1. Are you working on any big projects at the moment?

We have been working on our NBA All-Star Campaign - with a big push for social and web graphics to get votes for Giannis, Khris and Bledsoe. We also had been pushing “Let Pat Dunk” to campaign for Pat Connaughton to get into the dunk contest for All-Star weekend - this was through both graphics and even t-shirt designs. We are also already thinking ahead to what our Playoff look will be come April - it is usually an edgier spin off our our regular season look. Lastly, the Bucks have an Esports gaming team for the NBA 2K League (video game). They draft 6 players who get paid a salary, receive benefits, have their housing paid for, and fly to NYC each week for their games. I am currently designing the look for their Season 3 Campaign - this includes their Draft graphics, Gameday graphics progression (Matchup Motion Graphic, Starting Lineup Motion Graphic, Live Now Motion Graphic, Half-Time Score Static Graphic, Player Stat Highlight Static Graphic, Final Score Static Graphic, Victory Motion Graphic), any general announcement graphics, etc. that will end up on social media. 

2. What is your intent as designer?

I focus on capturing the attention of, engaging, and holding the interest of fans/followers. An obvious secondary intent is to efficiently and effectively organize information that is easy for the viewer to decipher. 

3. How do you use design to positively impact a community? 

At the Bucks, we had a large focus on building up the Deer District, the area around the arena, and getting the Milwaukee community to see it as a revitalized place that they want to spend time at. We focused on creating graphics that promoted the plaza, and highlighted the different restaurants and establishments, to ultimately bring people together. 

4. In what way do you think students at UWM can use design to strengthen the culture in Milwaukee?

I think there may be opportunities to showcase neighborhoods, areas, events, etc that aren’t always heavily promoted whether digital or print. I think using class as a time for research and production is great, however I wonder still if there is a way to push research, ideas, designs (especially connected with Milwaukee culture/geography) further into the public than within the UWM network. 

5. Is there anything you wish you had known prior to graduating?

Connecting with #8 below - the faster pace of design in the workplace would have helped my transition more immediately. I also work in Photoshop daily for actually creating digital graphics and I was not extremely efficient in that program, based on the high focus in upper-level DVC classes on InDesign and Illustrator. 

6. Do you have any tips and/or words of encouragement for current design students?

One tip would be to get comfortable talking about your work, be confident in why you did what you did and be able to clearly explain it. In the workplace you may have a client (in my case another department) that doesn’t really understand what we do or why we do it. In these cases, it is imperative to be able to clearly articulate design reasoning. Be thorough in the design process from ideation to final product - it will help you in the long run figure out what process works best for you to get the strongest design. Along with this, I would say to push the boundaries and explore the possibilities of a design. Go out of the box and you can always reign it back in after review/critique. There could be something you tried that maybe could work as an idea for a future project. I would highly encourage students to get a design internship while still in school (ideally one that you can get paid AND get credit). I stumbled upon my internship with the Bucks during my final semester of school. As a Women’s Soccer athlete at UWM, I knew I was passionate about athletics, so was intrigued about practicing design in a sports industry. I think for others who don’t know which specific industry they would like to practice in, getting internships while still in school and with different companies (whether sports, ad agency, other companies) will help you decide what specific industry you are passionate about. If you think you may be interested in Motion Graphics/Animation - take the class while still in school. I ended up finding this was the focus of design I became most passionate about, as it mixes up the creation of static graphics. While I was interning at the Bucks, I was also taking the Motion Graphics class at UWM. At that time, there was not anyone at the Bucks who knew the program, so I started elevating some graphics by using simple animation. After interning, I continued to grow my Motion Graphics skills and from there became a Multi-Media Designer, working in Adobe After Effects daily. Along with static graphics, I also create many animations that go on social media and a lot of content that runs on the LED boards inside the bowl during games (crowd prompts, matchups, sponsored content, themed animations, etc).

7. What do you feel are important resources to consult during the design process?

Specific to my role at the Bucks - I do a lot of visual auditing of other teams to see what they are doing. I don’t stay in the realm of the NBA, but look at football, soccer, baseball, etc. When I am doing my research, I am usually looking at their social channels. I also utilize Pinterest and Behance to start ideating. 

8. What are the differences between the professional design climate and the one created at UWM? Do you feel you were prepared for the changes?

I think UWM prepared me very well for a professional design career, especially when thinking about the very thorough design process we go through for each of our classes in school. I think this helped figure out a personal design process that works best for each individual (ie. I still like sketching ideas/layouts out, even if they are very rough….but there are other designers who go digital right away). 

One big difference that I had to get acclimated to was the fast pace for a lot of projects at the Bucks. This may be due to the professional sports industry. With some special player announcement graphics, we may have to create something within the hour. Some information design graphics may have to be done in a day. On the other hand, there could also be a logo design that you have a few days to ideate, sketch and digitize before reviewing.

  9. Beyond the finished product, what is the most important part of being a designer? 

For me, I think an important part is still getting the face-to-face contact with whoever you are designing a project for, especially when it is for another department. For many projects, we could sit behind a screen, design a few iterations, send via email and continue that process until a final design is approved. I am a people person and like social interaction during my work day, therefore if I am able to chat with the individual before starting, or take an iteration over to them to discuss in-person, I will! I think this offers me a better perspective on what their ultimate vision for the project is. 

[theultimatefan]

Shatner, ’Smallville,’ ’Sons of Anarchy’ Q&As Among Top Programming at FAN EXPO St. Louis, May 13-15

From celebrity Q&As to industry, cosplay, gaming, anime and entertaining, informative sessions from all areas of pop culture, FAN EXPO St. Louis presents its collection of nearly 150 programing panels and meetups during the event, Friday through Sunday, May 13-15 at America’s Center. There’s truly something for every fan and every taste every hour of the show into the evening throughout all three days of the convention, right until Sunday’s 5 p.m. finish.

FAN EXPO St. Louis celebrity guests like William Shatner (“Star Trek”), Guardians of the Galaxy’s Michael Rooker, the “Smallville” trio of Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum and Kristin Kreuk, “The Mandalorian” and Rocky standout Carl Weathers, “Clerks” cast members Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson and Trevor Fehrman, “Sons of Anarchy” trio of Ron Perlman, Theo Rossi and Ryan Hurst and others will conduct interactive sessions with fans, headlining the thorough slate.

On the comics front, fans will see dozens of informative, entertaining panels by superstar creators, plus “Sketch Duels” featuring a slew of talented artists.

Fans can review the entire event schedule at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpostlouis/schedule/. Most panels are free with event admission. Just a few of the highlights include:

Friday: • 4 p.m. Anime Screening “Otoboku Maidens are Falling for Me” (eps. 1-2), Theater 6 • 5 p.m. All About Editing and Proofreading: Basics you Need to Know, Theater 3 • 5 p.m., Let’s Talk Todoroki! Q&A with MHA’s David Matranga, Theater 6 • 5 p.m., Nolan North – Going to Space, Space in Portal, Secondary Theater • 5 p.m., The Batman and Psychology: The Darkest Knight, hosted by Dr. Travis Langley, Theater 4 • 6 p.m, Carl Weathers – Taking Care of the Kid, Secondary Theater • 7 p.m., Ghostbusters Trivia, HQ Stage • 7 p.m., LGBTQIA+ Representation in Anime, Theater 6 • 8 p.m, Smallville Nights Special Event with Michael Rosenbaum, Tom Welling and Laura Richter, Theater 3 (*requires additional ticket) • 9 p.m., Official Cosplay Kick Off Party, Start Bar, 1000 Spruce St., FREE with any FAN EXPO badge

Saturday: • 11 a.m., Marvel vs. D.C.: Battle of the Cinematic Universes, Theater 3 • Noon, Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Prince Zuko - Dante Basco Q&A, Secondary Theater • Noon, Happy Happy Joy Joy with Billy West • 1 p.m., Droid Building – 3D Printing vs Traditional Building, Creator Stage • 1 p.m., Stars of Smallville, Michael Rosenbaum, Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk, 1 p.m, Ferrera Theater • 2 p.m., Class Reunion! The Voices of My Hero Academia’s Students, Justin Briner, Luci Christian, David Matranga and Monica Rial. Ferrera Theater • 2 p.m, Ghosts of St. Louis: A Haunted City, Theater 4 • 3 p.m., 90s Disney Character Draft: Beyond the Mouse Podcast, Creator Stage • 3 p.m., Ron Perlman Talks Anarchy: We are a Motorcycle Club, Ferrera Theater • 4 p.m., Doctor Who: The Missing Episodes, Theater 4 • 4 p.m., Selling the Story: 21st Century Book Promotion and Marketing, Theater 3 • 4 p.m., Step Away from the Fryer – and Watch the Cast of Clerks, with Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman and Brian O'Halloran, Ferrera Theater • 4 p.m, Theo Rossi – The ‘Juice’ in Sons of Anarchy, Secondary Theater • 5 p.m., A Morphin Fandom, Theater 3 • 5 p.m., Sketch Duel: Ariel Diaz vs Cam Adams, Theater 5 • 6 p.m., FAN EXPO St. Louis Cosplay Contest, Ferrera Theater • 7:30 p.m., The Jay and Silent Bob Show featuring Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, Secondary Theater (*additional ticket required) • 9 p.m., Official FAN EXPO DJs & Drag Party at the Crack Fox Bar, free admission with any FAN EXPO St.Louis badge • 9 p.m., FAN EXPO Gaming Party at Start Bar, 1000 Spruce St., free admission with any FAN EXPO St. Louis badge

Sunday: • 11 a.m., Conversation with Supernatural’s Mark Sheppard, Ferrera Theater • 11 a.m., Millennial Memories of Anime and Cartoons presented by Anime Let's Talk Anime, Theater 6 • Noon, Nerd Life: Better Living with Comics, Theater 4 • Noon, William Shatner, Where No One has Gone before, Ferrera Theater • 1 p.m., Cosplay Painting and Weathering Master Class (*Special Ticketed Event) Theater 4 • 1 p.m., Michael Rooker – Pretty as an Angel, Ferrera Theater • 2 p.m., “Q” and A with Omnipotent John de Lancie, Ferrera Theater • 2 p.m., You’re Uravity! Q&A with MHA’s Luci Christian, Theater 6 • 2:30 p.m., Spray Paint Artist Derek Whitaker Demo, HQ Stage • 3 p.m, Oh Yeah Mario Time with Charles Martinet, 3 p.m. • 4 p.m., Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey: The Confusing and Often Infuriating Canon of ‘Doctor Who,’ Theater 4

FAN EXPO St. Louis will follow official government and local authority guidance as well as any venue or location-specific regulations. For more information on the health and safety measures in place, please visit fanexpostllouis.com.

[omniversalobservations]

Santa's Toy Monster Attacks (2011)

Merry Christmas, DA!

For my 2011 Christmas Card, I decided to go with a design involving Santa Claus sicking his toy monster on a naughty kid.

This piece was by far this most ambitious piece I've ever done. I looked back and saw that I posted my first draft of this piece in my DeviantArt scrapbook on June 29th, and I've just completed it finally on November 12th... Dang.

I am really proud of this piece, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

You can also view a progress video to see how this piece came together over on you tube: [link]

Thanks To: -- A Blanket of Snow by ~midnightstouchSTOCK (reference) -- frecklebrush by ~Dojang (PS freckle paintbrush) -- SNOW PS7 Brushes and IMG Pack by ~KeepWaiting (PS snow flake paintbrush) -- THe Valley of Childhood Toys by ~MGrigsbyArt (toy ideas... check this out. similar idea and AWESOME execution)

On the subject of the toys, after hours and HOURS of googling, wracking my brain, and soliciting ideas from friends and family I've incorporated the following 200 toys to make up Stanta's toy monster... Enjoy!

1. Adam Bomb (Garbage Pail Kid) 2. Aladdin (Disney) 3. Alf (Alf) 4. All-Star Snork (The Snorks) 5. Ang (Avatar) 6. Animal (Muppets) 7. Ariel (The Little Mermaid) 8. Atari Joystick (Atari) 9. Barbie (Mattel) 10. Barbie Dream Car (Mattel) 11. Bart Simsons (The Simpsons) 12. Baseball 13. Basketball 14. Batman (Batman: Animated Series) 15. Batmobile (Super Power Collection) 16. Battlecat (He-Man) 17. Beach Ball 18. Bebop (Ninja Turtles) 19. Bernie Kosar (Starting Line-Up) 20. Bert (Sesame Street) 21. Big Wheel Bike 22. Biker Scout (Return of the Jedi) 23. Brak (Space Ghost) 24. Bucky O'Haire (Bucky O'Haire) 25. Bumblelion (Wuzzles) 26. ButterCup (Powerpuff Girls) 27. Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story) 28. Cabage Patch Kid 29. Captain Planet (Captain Planet) 30. Castle Greyskull (He-Man) 31. Catwoman (Batman: Animated Series) 32. Cera (The Land Before Time) 33. Chatter Phone (Fisher Price) 34. Cheer Bear (The Care Bears) 35. Chip (Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers) 36. Cobra Commander (G.I. Joe) 37. Cookie Monster (Sesame Street) 38. Cooties (Milton Bradley Game) 39. Copper Kid (Silver Hawks) 40. Cowboy Boot 41. Cozy Coupe (Little Tikes) 42. Dale (Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers) 43. Donatello (Teenage Mutant Nija Turtles) 44. Doozer (Fraggle Rock) 45. Dr Zaius Bank (The Planet Of the Apes) 46. Dr. Zoidberg (Futurama) 47. Droll, the Bogglin (Bogglins) 48. Dump Truck (Tonka) 49. Edith (My dog) 50. Ernie (Sesame Street) 51. ET (ET: The Extra-Terrestrial) 52. Etch-A-Sketch (Ohio Art Company) 53. Figment (Disney's Epcot) 54. Foot Soldier (Ninja Turtles) 55. Gak (Nickelodean Toys) 56. Game Boy (Nintendo) 57. Gamorian Guard (Return of the Jedi) 58. Gargamel (Smurfs) 59. Genie (Aladdin) 60. Gizmo (Gremlins) 61. Glo Worm (Glo Worms) 62. Godzilla (Godzilla) 63. Great Garloo (Marx Toys) 64. Green 'Erin' Bear (Beanie Baby) 65. Gumbie (Gumbie) 66. Harry Potter Book (J.K Rowling) 67. He-Man (He-Man) 68 He-Man's Power Sword (He-Man) 69. Hello Kitty (Sanrio) 70. Huey, Dewey, & Louie (Duck Tales) 71. Hulk Hogan (WWF Wrestling Buddies) 72. Hypnotaod (Futurama) 73. Iron Giant (The Iron Giant) 74. Jabba the Hutt (Return of the Jedi) 75. Jack Skelington (Nightmare Before X-mas) 76. Jack-In-A-Box 77. Jem (Jem & the Holograms) 78. Kermit (Muppets) 79. Kermit With Stocking Ornament (Muppets) 80. Krang (Ninja Turtles) 81. Lady Lovely Locks (Lady Lovely Locks) 82. Laser Tag Gun & Chest Sensor 83. Leg Lamp (Christmas Story) 84. Lite Brite (Hasbro) 85. Little Foot (The Land Before Time) 86. Little Miss Sunshine (Roger Hargreaves) 87. Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear (Toy Story 3) 88. Magic 8-Ball (Alabe Crafts Company) 89. Max (Where the Wild Things Are) 90. Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 91. Micky Mouse (Disney) 92. Milton (Milton Bradley's Electronic Game) 93. Mojo Jojo (Powerpuff Girls) 94. Mr. Bill (SNL) 95. Mr. Bucket (Hasbro Game) 96. Mr. Potato Head (Hasbro) 97. Mr. T (The A Team) 98. Mumm-Ra (ThunderCats) 99. My Buddy Doll (Hasbro) 100. My Little Pony (My Little Pony Tails) 101. My Pet Monster (American Greetings) 102. Nerf Turbo Football (Nerf) 103. Nerf Vortex Football (Nerf) 104. Niddler (Pirates of Dark Waters) 105. NES (Nintendo) 106. Operation (Milton Bradley Game) 107. Optimus Prime (Transformers) 108. Orange 'Puzzle' Popple (The Popples) 109. Orcko (He-Man) 110. Paddington Bear Doll (Michael Bond) 111. Panthro (ThunderCats) 112. PeeWee Herman (PeeWee's Play House) 113. Peter Rabbit Doll (Beatrix Potter) 114. Pikachu (Pokémon) 115. Pink 'Pinky' Flamingo (Beanie Baby) 116. Pizza Planet Alien (Toy Story) 117. Play-Doh (Hasbro) 118. Poké Ball (Pokémon) 119. Polka-Dot Elephant (Rudolph Claymation) 120. Pound Puppy (The Pound Puppy) 121. Pull-a-Tune Xylophone (Fisher Price) 122. R2-D2 (Star Wars) 123. Rafiki (Lion King) 124. Raggedy Ann Doll (Johnny Gruelle) 125. Rainbow Brite (Hallmark Card Company) 126. Rancore (Return of the Jedi) 127. Raphael (Ninja Turtles) 128. Red (Fraggle Rock) 129. Red Ranger (The Power Rangers) 130. Red Rider BB Gun (Christmas Story) 131. Red Wagon (Fisher Price) 132. Ren (Pirates of Dark Water) 133. RoboCop Action Figure (RoboCop) 134. Robot 2000 (Millennium) 135. Rocking Horse 136. Rollar Blade 137. Rollar Skate 138. Rub-a-Dub Doggie (Ideal Toy Company) 139. Rubber Ducky (Sesame Street) 140. Rubber Shark (Safari) 141. Rubix Cube (Ideal Toy Company) 142. Sally (Nightmare Before X-mas) 143. ScrappyDoo (ScoobyDoo) 144. Sega Genesis Controller (Sega) 145. Seven Mystic Dragonballs (Dragonball Z) 146. She-Ra (She-Ra: Princess of Power) 147. Shredder (Ninja Turtles) 148. Simon (Milton Bradley) 149. Sister Bear (The Berenstain Bears) 150. Skeletor (He-Man) 151. Skip-It (Tiger Electronics) 152. Slimmer (The Real Ghostbusters) 153. Slobulus (Madballs) 154. Smurf (The Smurfs) 155. Snake Mountain (He-Man) 156. Snarf (ThunderCats) 157. Snoopy (Peanuts) 158. Snuggle-Soft Bear (Snuggle) 159. Soccor Ball 160. Sock Monkey 161. Sprite (Rainbow Brite) 162. Stacking Rings (Fisher Price) 163. Stay-Puft MarshmallowMan (Ghostbusters) 164. Stimpy (Ren & Stimpy) 165. Strawberry Shortcake (Hasbro) 166. Stretch Armstrong (Kenner) 167. Stuffed Wizard Doll (Delta Force) 168. Super Mario Bros. (NES) 169. Super Soaker 50 (Hasbro) 170. Superman (Superman: Animated Series) 171. T-Rex (Jurassic Park) 172. Talkboy (Home Alone 2: Lost In New York) 173. Tazmanian Devil (Looney Tunes) 174. Teddy Ruxpin (Worlds of Wonder) 175. The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein) 176. The Great Gonzo (Muppets) 177. Tickle Me Elmo (Sesame Street) 178. Toy Train (Hasbro) 179. Tricycle (Radio Flyer) 180. Troll Doll (Russ Toys) 181. Trunks (Dragonball Z) 182. Turtle Van (Ninja Turtles) 183. Twister Game-Spinner (Hasbro) 184. Two Alphabet Blocks 185. Ursula (The Little Mermaid) 186. Vampire Teddy (Nightmare Before X-mas) 187. Vegeta (Dragonball Z) 188. View Master 3D (Ideal Toy Company) 189. WALL.E (WALL.E) 190. Where the Sidewalk Ends (Shel Silverstein) 191. Wicket the Ewok (Return of the Jedi) 192. Wild Thing (Where the Wild Things Are) 193. Winnie-the-Pooh Doll (A. A. Milne) 194. Wolverine (X-men) 195. Woody (Toy Story) 196. Wooly Willy (Smethport Specialty Co.) 197. Yoda (Empire Strikes Back) 198. Zapper (Nintendo Gun) 199. Zero (Nightmare Before X-mas) 200. Zibbe Owl (Zibbes)

(Waldo is not included... Don't look for him)

Source: DeviantArt

#unofficial #Santa Claus #Star Wars #Stretch Armstrong #The Land Before Time #Popples #Sesame Street #Superman #Ren and Stimpy #Snuggle #Taz #Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer #Catwoman #Barbie #Muppets #Masters of the Universe #Bucky O'Hare #Last Airbender #Toy Story #Where the Wild Things Are #Strawberry Shortcake #Wall-E #Figment the Dragon #Futurama #Nightmare Before Christmas #Ghostbusters #ThunderCats #Hello Kitty #E.T. #Jem #Planet of the Apes #Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #Transformers #Peanuts #Chip 'n Dale #Raggedy Ann and Andy #Dragon Ball #Pokemon #My Buddy #Power Rangers #ALF #Peter Rabbit #Boglins #Batman #Space Ghost #WWF #Mickey Mouse #Huey, Dewey and Louie #Fraggle Rock #Iron Giant #Cabbage Patch Kids #A Christmas Story #Jurassic Park #Gremlins #Rainbow Brite #Mr. Potato Head #My Pet Monster #Winnie the Pooh #Madballs #PowerPuff Girls #Simpsons #Godzilla #Lady Lovely Locks #The Lion King #GI Joe #Scooby Doo #Captain Planet #Pound Puppies #Paddington Bear #Care Bears #Robocop #Wolverine #The Berenstain Bears #Snorks #Teddy Ruxpin #Troll Dolls #My Little Pony #Mr. Men and Little Miss #Glo Worm #Gumby #Mr. Bill #SilverHawks #Pee-wee's Playhouse #Aladdin #The Wuzzles #Little Mermaid #The A-Team #Mr. Bucket #The Pirates of Dark Water #The Great Garloo

[siliconecnzfirm-blog]

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS ABOUT STEEL DETAILING SERVICES AND ITS USAGE

Looking for comprehensive Steel detailing services? Well, here is where your search ends. In this blog, you will come to know what is Steel detailing services all about and what are its different types and uses. The services of steel details play an important role in the field of construction.

The process of steel detailing is used to develop structural steel shop drawings. This is for helping the steel fabricators and the steel erectors. Being a steel detailer they can produce the structures that are needed in the construction of industrial and commercial structures. The list of some of them is steel columns, trusses, beams, joists, etc and many more. The steel detailing companies closely work with the engineers, contractors and the steel fabricators to provide them effective designs of shop drawings.

TWO MAJOR TYPES OF STEEL DETAILING SERVICES

Moving further, below is the list of the two major types of Steel Detailing Services that are used by the steel detailer for having a design to be better and easy to understand. The two of them are “Erection Drawings” and “Shop Drawings‘.

● Erection Drawings: This is the stage where the process of work is very much essential and must-have service. It is actually essential for the steel erectors who are in the actual field, and the reason for the same is to have proper guidance. It is related to how to check and erect the fabricated pieces and work on it. The process we can call as an erection layout service as well.

In the process of erection drawings, you will generally find the dimensions that include details and location of the steel members. This indeed shows some of the specifications that gives detailed information and other requirements too. To make the work complete with ease and comfort on the construction site it is necessary to have perfect and detailed information of drawings.

● Shop Drawings: The process of shop drawings is taken into consideration where you will find accurate and in-depth details of drawings. The service of shop drawings includes material specification, sizes, dimensions, and other required information. Therefore, in the process of structural steel detailing service, shop drawings are considered on-top.

SOME OF THE SPECIALIZATION THAT INCLUDES:

Taking it further, here is the list of some of the services in which the steel drafters are specialized in providing full-fledged services that are required in the field of construction. Hence, check for the list as stated below.

1) Structural Steel Detailing

2) Tekla Steel Detailing

3) Structural 3D Modeling

4) Steel Estimations Fitting Drawings

5) Steel Fabrication Drawings Services

6) Connection Sketches

7) 2D Drafting and 3D Modeling

8) Advances Bills of Materials

9) Drawing Indexes

Nowadays, thanks to the outsourcing companies who have made it easy for the clients to get their work done with ease and comfort. No matter wherever you are residing, these outsourcing firms are the best to provide you all the information and that too in-depth. They are also one of the firms who are best in providing CAD services as well as following the process of all the international codes and standards that are required.

WHY CHOOSE US?

By now we know that how important why structural steel detailing service is important. Now with this said let us make you know to select the organization who is best in it. Indeed here we are talking about Silicon Engineering Consultants Limited who is based in Auckland, New Zealand. They have the team who understand the needs of the clients and based on that start the work on the project.

Also, to know more about their services and offerings, you can get in touch with them over the call or can send email on info@siliconec.co.nz. Once they receive your requirement they will contact you within 24 business hours and will provide you with the best solutions for your needs and requirements.

[fatlier1-blog]

Weekend Picks: Center City District Restaurant Week, Philly Home Show, Eagles In The Playoffs And More

Cheers to the weekend, Philly!

There’s lots to look forward to in the city over the next couple days, including one of the year’s most popular events — Center City District Restaurant Week — which returns on Sunday for a 13-day run of fixed-price, three-course meals at beloved eateries.

Also on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles continue their path to the Super Bowl. The Birds face the Saints in New Orleans in the second round of the playoffs, so fans can stock up on snacks to watch at home or head to their favorite sports bar to see the game.

Over at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the weekend-long Philly Home Show, which features demonstrations, fan-favorite HGTV stars and more than 200 vendors, is back for its first of two consecutive weekends.

Arts lovers can sing along with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical all weekend long at the Academy of Music or head to the Barnes Foundation to say farewell to the museum’s Berthe Morisot exhibition (all weekend) and welcome a new Barnes installation from Pat Steir (Saturday).

And Philly Loves Bowie Week wraps up with themed drinks and a screening of Labyrinth at Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest (Sunday) and a major show at Union Transfer (Friday).

Turn the weekend into a winter getaway and book the Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package, featuring up to $218 in free perks.

Note: Due to the federal government shutdown, attractions in Independence National Historical Park — including The Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall — are closed. Many other attractions in Philadelphia’s Historic District are open regular hours. Tip: The exterior of Independence Hall still looks great in photos, and the Liberty Bell is visible through a window on the east side of its building. Click here for more info.

Follow Uwishunu on Twitter and Instagram for updates throughout the weekend.

Read on for our guide to this weekend in Philadelphia.

Philly Home Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center

More than 200 professionals and exhibitors offer advice and trends, plus HGTV and DIY Network host Matt Blashaw joins the first half of this two-weekend event...

Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package Winter Getaway

Book a Philly getaway for stays this winter and get up to $218 in free perks, including free hotel parking...

Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest

Visitors can skate on the Olympic-size ice rink, cozy up in the lodge and play arcade games at this delightful winter attraction, which also hosts a Philly Loves Bowie Week event on Sunday...

Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center

Demonstrations, petting opportunities and activities for all ages abound at the Philly stop of this national touring event...

Live Music, Comedy, Theater and Dance

Theater | Avenue of the Arts

Opening: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Academy of Music

This Broadway Philadelphia production tells the story of King's journey as an impactful musician, and includes hits like I Feel the Earth Move and One Fine Day...

Charlotte's Web at the Arden Theatre Company

The story of everyone's favorite spider and pig comes to life on stage in an adaptation of the classic E. B. White novel...

Ongoing Exhibitions

Exhibitions | Logan Square

Last Chance: Berthe Morisot at the Barnes Foundation

Morisot’s retrospective, closing Monday, highlights the talent and modern presentation of the only woman artist recognized alongside impressionists like Degas and Renoir...

Exhibitions | University City

Opening: Lens on Latin America at International House

This winter-long exhibition features innovative photos exploring political and cultural themes inspired by '60s and '70s Latin America...

Exhibition Opening: Mural Training Program at Eakins House Gallery

Fourteen young artists learning to adapt their skills to public-mural-making showcase their work in this exhibit, which runs through March 1...

Last Chance: Concurrents at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Visitors to the museum, which offers free admission on Sundays through March 31, can see works created by students in art institutions around the country...

More Must-See Exhibitions in Philadelphia

Philadelphia's museums and galleries showcase can't-miss art and display-worthy objects from around the globe and around the city...

The popular Philly Home Show brings experts in interior design, gardening, landscaping, architecture and home renovating to the Pennsylvania Convention Center over the next two weekends. (Photo courtesy the Philly Home Show)

Eagles Pep Rally at Comcast Center Plaza

From 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., fans can take photos with cheerleaders and former players, meet Swoop, enter raffles and get psyched for Sunday's game...

Sports | South Philadelphia

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center

Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and the Sixers battle John Collins and the Hawks at the stadium complex...

40 Winks at the Penn Museum

Kids 6-12 and their chaperones spend the night in the museum after an evening of games, crafts and flashlight expeditions...

Odeon Pope Quartet at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

An evening in the museum's galleries includes two performances by jazz saxophonist Odeon Pope and his quartet...

Live Music, Comedy, Theater and Dance

A Night of Stardust at Union Transfer

The grand finale show of Philly Loves Bowie Week offers a tribute to the star with 25 of his hits, plus a silent auction fundraiser for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia...

David Sedaris at the Keswick Theatre

The author and satire writer is on stage in Montgomery County discussing his work, including his latest book, Calypso...

Dan Blacksberg Residency Kick Off at Kimmel Center

Composer and trombonist Dan Blacksberg jump-starts the Kimmels' jazz residency with a performance described as a "musical playground" at this free BYOB event...

Bye Bye Liver: The Philadelphia Drinking Play at Yards Brewing Company

Part audience drinking game, part sketch comedy show, Bye Bye Liver begins its final run with this first of three shows at the Yards Brewing Company...

Iliza: Elder Millennial at the Merriam Theater

The late-night talk show host, author and comedian is on stage in Philly following the premiere of her fourth Netflix special, Elder Millennial...

Don't miss the last chance to catch the Barnes Foundation's acclaimed exhibit Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist, which ends its run on Monday. (Photo courtesy the Barnes Foundation)

Exhibitions | Logan Square

Opening: Pat Steir Silent Secret Waterfalls at the Barnes Foundation

Eleven new seven-foot-tall oil paintings connect with the artist's celebrated Waterfalls series, exploring the relationship between intuition and chance...

Festivals | South Philadelphia

Winterfest Live! at XFINITY Live!

Live bands, DJs, games and giveaways add to the fun at this festival that features 150 craft beers...

Exhibitions | Fairmount Park|(Sat, Sun)

Opening: Cents and Sensibility at the Please Touch Museum

Kids can learn to count and save money, play Investment Plinko and try other finance-focused hands-on activities at this new permanent exhibit...

Write the Revolution Workshop at the Museum of the American Revolution

Kids 9-13 get a lesson in storytelling with inspiration from National Book Award Finalist, Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge...

GayBINGO! at Congregation Rodeph Shalom

Philly's campiest drag queens add even more fun to this game of chance — this time with a theme of "Leather and Lace" — that raises money for AIDS Fund Philly...

Watson Adventures' The Munch Around the Market Scavenger Hunt at Reading Terminal Market

This spin on a Philly scavenger hunt takes explorers through the popular market to discover and enjoy tasty bites...

Live Music, Comedy, Theater and Dance

Amir K at Punch Line Philly

The MADtv reboot star and Academy Award-nominated actor has two stand-up shows on both Friday and Saturday...

Light of Day Foundation WinterFest at World Cafe Live

The annual multi-act rock tour returns to Philly for a night of music in support of research for treatment of and possible cures for Parkinson's disease...

Center City District Restaurant Week kicks off this Sunday at more than 125 eateries, including High Street on Market. (High Street on Market | Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia)

Center City District Restaurant Week

More than 125 Center City restaurants offer fixed-price three-course lunch and dinner through January 25...

A Snowy Bowie Skate at Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest

The waterfront ice rink gets the stardust treatment with a Bowie soundtrack, themed drinks, a screening of Labyrinth and more...

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Head to one of Philly's great sports bars to cheer on the Eagles as they continue their playoff run in New Orleans against the No. 1-seeded Saints...

Opening: Linvilla Orchards Indoor Mini Golf Season

Linvilla kicks off 2019 with indoor mini golf that includes fun environmental lessons created by The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University...

Write the Revolution Author Talk at the Museum of the American Revolution

This event for ages 9-13 focuses on the kid-friendly adaptation of National Book Award Finalist Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge...

Sensory-Friendly Mornings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Dimmed lights, low volume and fewer crowds make for a sensory-friendly 90 minutes in the galleries, where occupational therapists are on hand...

Free Crafts: Sock Puppets at Tattooed Mom

The South Street bar's weekly Craft Jawn event turns its attention to footwear, providing buttons, sequins and more for patrons to transform their socks while they enjoy half-off drafts... 

Live Music, Comedy, Theater and Dance

Hannah Trav at Good Good Comedy Theatre

Trav is next up in the comedy club's Good Good Hour, a monthly focus on local talent that gives a full 60-minute set to a rising comic...

Bantaba: The Circle of Celebration at Parkway Central Library

The Seventh Principle dance company blends traditional African and modern African-American music at this free performance...

Source: https://www.uwishunu.com/2019/01/things-to-do-this-weekend-in-philadelphia-january-11-13-2019/

[nazkanazar-kaleidoscopeworl-blog]

SUMMARY - MY VERY INTERESTING ROLLER COASTER RIDE IN GETTING MY RETAIL PROJECT DONE

Welcome aboard, as you have chosen my ride I will take you through some very important instructions which will enable you to read with better understanding. Please fasten your seat-belts as the ride is about to shoot out. The ride was called the retail project which was to design a showroom for the chosen brand and produce a number of deliverable as required. The final outcomes: firstly, to produce a stack of papers carrying the research part [ development pack], a simple representative of the million dollar idea was given as concept models, the volume and space was brought to life by an architectural model,A2 presentation boards to brief the entire journey and sample board to highlight the main materials of the ride.

I refer this project as a roller coaster ride for a number of reasons. Firstly, roller coaster ride is my favorite at all times because I love the Adrenaline rush that I experience after the ride – which was the success of accomplishment after the project. Further the adventurous part of it as to how the curiosity and tension mounts as you get closer to start the ride- as experienced when the deadline got closer. Likewise, I could list many similarities I found through my adventurous ride I took for 9 weeks.

The brief was introduced on  13th of May. I remember as to how confused and lost I was, as it required a number of deliverables. I followed by the lecturers’ requirements for each review date to be able to stay on track and get it done. I planned my days to make sure I had satisfying amount of work for the reviews conducted.

Firstly, I started off with the research about the brand Desigual. It was the first impression of their marketing tactics that made me fall in love with the brand. Eventually, that led to choose it as my project brand . As I proceeded researching I got more involved into how they carry out their marketing, their sense of respect to different skin, website presentation and so on. I wanted to present my sketchbook in a magazine style in which I included models of Sri Lanka in different rival dresses to stay in the context of the showroom location.

Furthermore, my point of interest towards marketing backed me up to do an in-depth analysis of the brand. This made me investigate various different aspects as well. I have included the marketing mix, five forces of theory, market segmentation, used primary and secondary research data for my conclusions and so on. The sketchbook also covers the draft plans and sketches to derive the final renders and plans. I have always included the short-listing process to make a clear connection of my development course.

It was challenging to filter the most credible and best sources of information out of the highway of information I had collected. Thereafter, jotting them down in an attractive manner was even tougher as it had to be something that they could easily absorb and understood at a glance. This was tough for the statistical data, the questionnaire results and numerical facts. It was because, I had to visualize the data in proportionate shapes to appeal better.

Secondly, I started on my renders for which I spent hours in front of the laptop to get an attractive outcome. I had to always keep looking at the development book as it carried the main elements that led to renders. That was the moment of realization to have everything recorded as it helps the final outcomes to be derived faster. This part of project tested my attention to previous lectures very well because, it did test all the knowledge that had already been taught. It took a lot of time to do mistakes and reverse as it was the very first attempt in doing many things at once. Unfortunately, all my time spent on render went to waste I had to redo as hand renders were required but it was part and parcel of it.

Meanwhile, I had to concentrate on having my materials been collected as per my render. Luckily, I had some backup materials which I had already collected through certain contacts, through exhibitions and so on. Therefore, I had to spend few less hours searching for the correct piece of sample. I would say this was an interesting aspect as it got me thinking like a real designer. For example: I had to choose what sort of carpet I needed which made me question the durability, the aesthetic aspect, the ability to maintain and many other aspects before I arrived at the final sample. The hunt for samples molded me to talk to people in a convincing manner to persuade them to lend samples, understand the variety of products available out there and be able to get the job done quick remembering I had various things to follow up with. It was an informative journey.

Thirdly, I started working on the model. I wanted to throw some colors for my model to be able to portray the brand Desigual at a glance.

All my work carry a dominant amount of the color red to be able to grab the eyes and strike the Desigual image right away.

Throughout my reviews, I had a lot of positive and negative comments that I received which influenced for the betterment of my work.

I have committed many mistakes due to the time span and the pressure of finishing the project. I learnt that research is one of the main component in any design as it allows you to generate more realistic and more suitable design ideas. Further, arriving at renders needs to be faster as many deliverables do depend on it example: the model and presentation boards. I had to do a lot of test prints to arrive at a convincing font size therefore, test prints did save a lot of money in my case.

In my upcoming projects, I will be able perform better as I have experienced as to what component carries the highest importance and how each deliverable is dependent on each other.

I was able to exercise a number of lessons that I learnt in my semester. Each lecture had an influence on me to reach a better outcome. Example: I had a doubt regarding the exclusion of the back door which reminded that a fire exit is must in every building so, likewise there was an ample amount of influence in my work which was evident in every step I took.

In conclusion, this ride had its own obstacles, ups and downs which made it more fascinating. The driving force of living your passion takes over all the negativity in me which kept me strongly on track. It wasn’t an easy journey for me to start on this degree so, I consider every project as a platform to express my best.

[thousandmaths]

how to write a talk: a case study

I found out that I would be giving this Thursday’s combinatorics seminar talk on the Friday before... so I had very limited time, and I decided to try something different. That process left me with a lot of scrap writing, so I decided to use it to sketch my entire process from “know the results and only idle thoughts on the presentation” to a finished product. This is in part for other people who might be interested in the talk-writing process, and in part so that I can reflect on how to do better.

Parameters of the talk:

We have the room reserved for 80 minutes. 

But the talk doesn’t start until 4:40pm so it’s considered polite to finish in the usual 50 minute timeslot that an ordinary class would take. That leaves tons of wriggle room, so usually a talk can take the full 50 minutes and a bit more, with questions going for as long as seems productive.

Most of the audience are combinatorialists, but almost none of them are graph theorists (myself included, frankly). 

There are usually 1-2 undergrads, half a dozen grads, a few postdocs and occasionally a professor.

The basic structure of this post: after the introduction, there are three main parts. The first is fairly technical, where I give brief summaries of the talk in increasing length, commenting in-between on how I might expand for the next one. The second is much less so, since I am now at the stage where I’m preparing orally, and the notes are just records of key points of improvement.  The third section is similar, but focuses specifically on the spit-and-polish stuff carried out <36 hours before giving the talk.

------

The talk in one sentence:

We determined the expected matching polynomial for random lifts of cycle graphs (also go check out GRWC).

Words to define:

matching polynomial

graph lifting

“expected” in this context

The talk in one paragraph:

The matching polynomial of a graph $G$ is $\displaystyle \sum_{k\geq 0} (-1)^k \mu(G,k) x^{n-2k}$ where $\mu(G,k)$ is the number of matchings with $k$ edges. Instead of trying to compute matching polynomials, we can do something harder: for a graph $G$ we say that a graph homomorphism is $H\to G$ is a $d$-sheeted covering graph if the preimage of every vertex in $G$ is $d$ vertices in $H$, and if it is a local isomorphism. We were interested in computing the “average” matching polynomials for $d$-sheeted covering graphs, and we succeeded in doing this when $G$ is a cycle.

(also go check out the Graduate Research Workshop in Combinatorics)

Places to expand:

classical matching polynomials of the cycle and path

a bit of background on covering graphs

a little less terse definition of a covering graph

still pretty ambiguous what “average” means

explaining the formula for $\mathcal M_d(C_n; x)$

The talk in one page:

Recall that for any (loopless) graph $G$, a matching is a collection of edges where no two edges share an endpoint. We denote by $\mu(G,k)$ the number of matchings with $k$ edges, and we define the matching polynomial to be a variant on the generating function:

$$\mathcal M(G; x) = \sum_{k\geq 0} (-1)^k \mu(G,k) x^{n-2k}.$$ In general, matching polynomials are fairly difficult to get our hands on: the function problem of computing $\mathcal M(G; x)$ is #P complete. However, for some of our favorite graphs, we get some of our favorite polynomials; in particular we recover the Chebyshev polynomials of both kinds via $\mathcal M(C_n; 2x) = 2T_n(x)$ and $\mathcal M(P_n; 2x) = U_n(x)$.

Because of some concerns in spectral graph theory, matching polynomials were generalized by Hall, Pruder and Sawin in 2015 to $d$-matching polynomials, which have a fairly straightforward-looking definition: 

$$\mathcal M_d(G;x) = \Bbb E_\lambda \mathcal M(G^\lambda; x).$$

where $G^\lambda$ ranges over all $d$-sheeted covering graphs of $G$. These are essentially covering spaces in the topological sense that also respect the combinatorial structure. Formally, we say that a surjective graph homomorphism is $H\to G$ is a covering graph if it is a local isomorphism (that is, $f:N(f(v)) \to N(v)$ is a bijection for all $v$).

[ Technically, we cannot average over the (proper) class of all covering graphs; so we should instead average only over those on a fixed vertex set— we do not consider these graphs up to isomorphism. ]

I worked on questions related to $d$-matching polynomials with Garner Cochran, Corbin Groothuis, Andrew Herring, Jamie Radcliffe, and Ranjan Rohatgi during the summer last year at the Graduate Research Workshop in Combinatorics. We were able to explicitly compute the $d$-matching polynomial of cycle graphs in terms of Chebyshev polynomials:

$$ \mathcal M_d(C_n; x) = \frac{\mathcal M(P_{nd+n-1}; x)}{\mathcal M(P_{n-1};x)} $$

Rough draft of outline:

Introduction

Graphs and matchings

GRWC advertisement

Matching Polynomials

Definition and examples

Classical orthogonal polynomials

Graph Lifting

Definition

A model for graph lifts ($S_n$)

Generalizing to other groups?

$d$-Matching Polynomials

Definition

Background: Ramanujan graphs

“Warm-up problem”

Main result

Statement of result

Chebyshev aerobics

Statement of key lemma

Proof of key lemma

Things to learn:

Can you get Legendre polynomials? Well? Can you?

What’s up with the other groups?

What’s up with Ramanujan graphs?

------

Outline and notes after 3 preliminary runs:

(75-80 minutes on third run. Intro/1 should be shortened.)

Pre-written Text + Introduction

GRWC advertisement 

Define matchings and $\mu(G,k)$

Define matching polynomials

Matching Polynomials

Examples $C_6$ [pic], $C_n$, and $P_n$

Where are we going?

Covering graphs

Covering maps: Definition & Example [pic]

$d$-labelings; state space of covers [extend pic]

$d$-matching polynomials: Definition (& Motivation?)

Topological proposition & remarks

Results

“Warm-up problem” [pre-drawn pic]

Statement of result

Chebyshev aerobics and key lemma [pic]

Proof of key lemma [extend pic]

Comment on non-combinatorial aspects

Consider proving $A\cdot B = A\coprod B$. Do not mention isomorphism classes as an alternative state space. Do not do an example in Covering/3. Use the $\sigma$ in the old writeup for Results/4.

Regarding Covering/3/Motivation: I think it will be fine just to mention that this stuff gets used in spectral graph theory. You do need to know some of those details, though, since it should come up in questions if you do it right.

Intermediate stages:

Time spent 

Saturday: 9 hours. (Everything up to this point)

Monday: 2 hours. (Second timed run; talk is <65 minutes; a long interruption made it impossible to determine more precisely)

Tuesday: 3 hours. (Could not give full talk today; rooms were busy! Very nervous about the whole thing.)

We can completely remove the covering maps section. This could eliminate the pre-writing.

I’ve learned enough about the other groups to answer reasonable questions from Theo. It turns out that the finite complex reflection groups do indeed have a special role in the HPS proof. Also, I’ve learned enough about Ramanujan-ness to make a passing comment about them somewhere. I still have no idea if it’s possible to make the Legendre polynomials.

Also, any Cayley graph and any generalized Petersen graph can be written as graph covers! Wow! (Maybe do the ordinary Petersen graph as an example? Not the primary example though; you want a cycle with several edges.) Suddenly very excited about algebraic graph theory ;)

OH SHIT YOU FORGOT: You need to know how the “acyclic” polynomials came up in stat mech and then like chemistry or w/e.

Title and abstract:

Covers of Cycles and their Matchings

The matching polynomial is a variant on the generating function for matchings on a graph. Following new developments in spectral graph theory, these were generalized to “d-matching polynomials” in 2016 by Hall, Puder, and Sawin. In this talk, we will describe how to compute these polynomials for cycle graphs, stopping occasionally to observe the broader world of algebraic graph theory.

(submitted on Tuesday afternoon)

[ The title is kind of boring, but I couldn’t come up with anything better that was at all descriptive. ]

------

Final Push:

Time spent

Wednesday: 7 hours. (Ended on a high note!)

Thursday: 0.5 hour.

I wrote a mathoverflow question and Godsil himself said he doesn’t know of any answer to the realizability of Legendre polynomials. So I’m not going to sweat it.

I gave a full presentation (for the first time since Saturday, yikes!) and discovered that my Intro/1 was terribad. Polished that up. Also smoothed over some other joints, including the reveal in Covering/3. Could be happier with my concluding sentence, but it’s serviceable.

Finalized timings on Wed. night (44–60 minutes):

Pre-drawing & pre-writing: 5 minutes

Intro/1 – Covering/2: 20 minutes

Covering/3 + comments: 10 minutes (can be shortened to 4 or 7 min)

Covering/4 – Results/2: 15 minutes

Results/3 – Results/5: 15 minutes (can be shortened to 5 min)

Replicated twice with error ±1 minute.

This gives three natural points in the presentation to take a breather: evaluate speaking speed and facetime with audience. Ask for questions if you need a longer pause.

Woke up late on Thursday and ate a big breakfast. Taught my classes and then spent a half-hour doing a run-through of the talk “sans writing”: just stood in front of a blank board, recited the words, and tried to focus on eye contact.

Final Outline:

Each number represents approximately one blackboard. The breather points are denoted by **.

Preliminaries

Introduction; GRWC advertisement [pre-written]

Define matchings, $\mu(G,m)$, matching polynomials

Examples: $C_6$ [pic], $C_n$, and $P_n$

Main Definition

$d$-labelings; definition & example [pic] **

Remarks on covering graphs

$d$-matching polynomials: definition & motivation **

Results

Topological proposition; remarks

“Warm-up problem” [pre-drawn pic]

Two theorems for cycles **

A proof in three lemmas

Main bijection [pic]; combinatorialization progress

The Talk Itself:

In the end, I went through the longest version of the talk that I practiced, and it still finished in about 47 minutes O.O [ Maybe I missed a few remarks from Main/3/Motivation, and I definitely was less verbose in Results/1 than in practice. ]

We had a smaller crowd than usual. One of the postdocs (who I’ve talked with, and who I respect a lot) made quite a few comments during the talk and asked many pointed questions afterward. This was the first time that I’ve ever given a talk where I felt challenged by an audience member. I think I kept composed, but it did shake me quite a bit, especially since the smaller turnout was already was working at my anxiety that maybe the material wasn’t so interesting. But I was thinking about it afterwards, and it occurred to me that if he really thought it was trivial and boring, he probably wouldn’t have been so vocal.

Still felt like I botched the conclusion. But the Q&A went very long and maybe served as a de facto conclusion— I hope the audience interpreted it that way, since it was a much better ending, frankly :P

Concept to Q&A: 22 working hours.

Afterwards I went shopping, bought a bottle of rum, drank with my roommate and played Starcraft late into the night. Good day, all things considered :)

[2070readingreflections]

Reflection for 4/9

Reflecting on my previous works for this class, I am very proud of the improvement I have made since the first exercise. In my first exercise, I started with a basic sketch and transferred it to illustrator with limited knowledge of what to do to make it effective and aesthetically pleasing. As a result, I made few changes from my drafts to my final submission and had not adopted the design mindset of consistently looking for ways to improve and change previous works.

 I would say that my second and third exercises were definitely an improvement from the first on a few accounts. I had a better understanding of illustrator, for one, but I took a more “design-thinking” approach of looking around me for sources of creativity (finally settling on, for example, a framework of an Instagram post for my second exercise). I had setbacks on these exercises, for sure, including that I had uploaded my pictures for exercise 2 into illustrator incorrectly, which resulted in half of them being deleted when I attempted to save the project as a PDF. Because I had used so many photos, I was forced to spend more hours on my first draft despite my frustration.

 After I had spent so much effort on getting to this point, it was difficult for me to force myself to make major changes to my design. What am most proud of, however, is asking for help on my future designs. By trying different versions of drafts and asking for an unbiased perspective on my work (in office hours), I was able to consistently improve my ideas from my first mockup to my final. 

 Finally, I loved project 1 because it combined all of the thinking processes and strategies I had learned from every previous design into one. Combining all of these parts was challenging yet exciting for me, and for the first time I actually really considered empathy in my design choice. This new element proved surprisingly important in tying my whole piece together, as well as formulating a personal connection to my designs. Throughout this project, I cared much more about my designs (and endangered birds) than I could have predicted because of this development.

 I also wanted to touch on the readings for this week as I look to the next project. I found the Why, What if, and How (Berger) Reading very moving and encouraging. Hearing about how so many well-known successful products simply started from an idea… and even before that, a question… was fascinating and encouraging for me. In my next project (and beyond) I would ideally want to improve upon my “What if” skills. I have discovered the importance of the “how” throughout this class, and the proposal of many prototypes before a final product. However, I still withhold too much faith in my first idea and usually move straight from the “why” to the “how.” In my future designs, I hope to explore more of what this reading discussed in the middle stage: including “thinking wrong,” trying “smart combinations,” and letting questions “incubate” before creating my design.

[wikitopx]

All dressed up, but no idea where to go?

Check out our list of things to do at night in Sacramento - whether you’re a foodie, theatre buff, comedy-lover, karaoke star or cocktail enthusiast, we’ve got something for you!

1. Pizza Rock Sacramento

As their website says, Pizza Rock is pizza artisan meets nightlife energy - prepare yourself for a truly unique pizza experience! Pizza Rock offers a variety of gourmet pizzas, from the classics to the outlandish, served with hand-crafted cocktails and an extensive beer and wine list, in an energetic atmosphere. Their focus is on authentic Italian ingredients and organic produce, and all fresh pasta and Sicilian and Calabrese sausages are made on the premises. There’s also a DJ booth and cool lighting - this is much more than just a pizza restaurant! A great way to start your night out in Sacramento… or end it (Pizza Rock is open til 3am on Fridays and Saturdays!).

2. The Waterboy

Looking for a classy start to your evening, with some delicious and fancy food? Try The Waterboy on Capitol Avenue. They offer a seasonal menu inspired by the cuisines of northern Italy and southern France, with a full wine list and artisanal cocktails. The food is divine and the restaurant is very highly rated by locals and visitors alike. Dine on Seared Dayboat Scallops, Sonoma Liberty Duck, Steak Tartare, Gulf Shrimp, or a range of other delightful dishes. A great excuse to get dressed up and start your night out in style!

3. Sacramento Comedy Spot

Ready to laugh till your belly hurts? Good - it’s time to head to the Sacramento Comedy Spot! Northern California’s largest comedy school puts on shows six nights a week, including improv, stand-up and sketch comedy. They also host the Sacramento Comedy Festival in the fall, the Sacramento Improv Marathon in spring, and the Sacramento Stand-Up Competition in summer! With comedy to suit all tastes, you’re in for a hilarious evening at the Sacramento Comedy Spot.

4. Rock the Yacht Cocktail Cruise

Get on board the Rock the Yacht Cruise for amazing cocktails, great music and the best views along the Sacramento River! This 1.5 hour cruise boards at 8pm, and takes you and your friends along the river to see the city from a new perspective, to the backdrop of a local DJ spinning Top 40 music. You’ll return to the L Street Dock in Old Town Sacramento at 10pm, leaving the rest of the evening free for more partying! A great start to your night, partying in style.

5. Alive After Five Cruise

Not a night owl, but still want all the fun of a party cruise? No worries - check out the Alive After Five cruise along the Sacramento River! Boarding at 5:30pm at the L Street Dock in Old Town Sacramento, the cruise lasts an hour and a half, and you can enjoy cocktails, a great DJ, dance floors and comfy seating. Take in the views, get some amazing photos, and still be back ashore in time for dinner.

6. Sacramento Theatre

Get involved in Sacramento’s great cultural scene with a performance from Sacramento Theatre Company! The Company perform plays from a variety of genres - you’re bound to find something you’ll love! At the time of writing, upcoming shows include Shakespeare’s Comedy ‘As You Like It’, a dramatization of 'The Diary of Anne Frank’, American history play 'Kings of America’, and a cabaret performance of 'I’m The King of New York!’. Find the theatre on the corner of 15th and H Street.

7. Azul Mexican Food and Tequila Bar

Located in Midtown Sacramento and surrounded by bars and nightclubs, you’ll find Azul. The restaurant brings together authentic Mexican food and modern contemporary Mexican style in a sophisticated atmosphere, with local artwork on the walls and ambient lighting. Eat delicious dishes from different regions of Mexico, and enjoy some of the finest 100% agave tequila on offer!

8. Oishii Sushi & Karaoke Bar

Oishii Sushi means ‘delicious sushi’ in Japanese - and that’s exactly what you’ll find at this cool bar. Tuck into some amazing sushi, sip on excellent cocktails, and get your best Taylor Swift impression ready for the karaoke! A unique combination of Japanese food and karaoke fun, Oishii Sushi is a great place to spend your evening.

  9. Dive Bar

Don’t be fooled by the name: Sacramento’s Dive Bar is a self-professed haven of cool and class in the middle of one of the nation’s most eclectic cities. The tranquil bar serves a range of drinks from speciality cocktails to draft beers, and you can relax in plush leather chairs under dramatic chandeliers. Dive Bar has a vintage theme, but the most notable decoration is the huge aquarium above the bar, with a beautiful live mermaid or merman making the occasional appearance! An experience not to be missed in Sacramento.

10. Badlands

End your night at Badlands LGBT club, rated one of the best in the city! Dance the night away to the best DJs, under a huge sparkly mirror ball, or relax on the outdoor patio or in the VIP Mezzanine and Lounge! There are regular Drag events, including famous names from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’, and a variety of themed parties too. Open til 2am every night, it’s the best place to finish an evening in Sacramento.

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-sacramento-704152.html

[glamournews-blog1]

Vlada Tabachuk - Startup Fashion Week

Startup Fashion Week - Vlada Tabachuk

Vlada Tabachuk is an incredibly talented designer, she is based in Toronto and will be showing a full collection of unique apparel at Startup Fashion Week Runway Show on Oct 25.  She is an incredibly talented designer 

DO YOU DESIGN YOUR OWN CLOTHES, OR YOU HAVE GO TO LABEL?

I’ve always liked to up-cycle clothes I already had to give them a second life but I rarely make my own clothes from scratch. I’m not really a patron of one particular label and I don’t really subscribe too much to trends. I like to shop around for items that I could see myself wearing forever. 

 WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE YOU WANTED TO PURSUE A CAREER AS A DESIGNER?

I’ve always known this is what I wanted to do. My life has taken me on a lot of detours but I would always end up doing something fashion related. Once I made the decision to attend the Fashion Design Program at Ryerson University, I started to feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be and after graduation I just kept trying to start my own brand until my team with an investor found me and approached me.

 ARE YOU SELF-TAUGHT OR DID YOU STUDY FASHION DESIGN?

I started sewing things when I was still a kid and tried to learn new techniques as I grew up. The DIY movement and creation of YouTube really helped me learn but I never felt that I could learn as much on my own as I could in a design program so I decided to get a degree from Ryerson University.

 WHAT OTHER SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT?

I think the most important skills in any work are the ability to network, ability to multitask, and the ability to adapt. To me networking is how I get inspired by others and how I continue to educate myself in what I do. Being able to multitask is crucial because as a new brand I am always hit with multiple things that are ALL priority and nothing can be put off until later. Lastly, it’s very important to be able to adapt to any changes that have to be made to the original plan when issues arise. My biggest motto through the whole process of starting my own brand when things would not go according to plan has been “Make it work!” (Tim Gunn from Project Runway)  

WHAT ARE YOU BIGGEST FEAR WHEN GOING OUT AND STARTING YOUR OWN LINE?

I can’t say there was ever a big fear of failure or disappointment when I was starting the brand with my business partners. Not to say that it wasn’t scary doing everything for the first time like registering a corporation, building a business plan, making big financial decision, creating mass production product etc. but I was never afraid of it turning out differently from how I expected. It’s rare that anything turns out how you expect so I went in ready to adapt and fail as many times as I needed until we figured it out.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A DESIGNER?

My favourite part about being a designer is putting on some inspiring jams, spreading a clean piece of white paper on the drafting table and spending the following hours/days figuring out how a garment will be constructed, how every seam will interact with the fabric, how the construction and complexity will drape and interact with a body, how the construction will affect the costs and manufacturing time etc. It’s at this stage that I really get to submerge into my own mind and play with this giant puzzle of sorts.  

COULD YOU GIVE ME A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THE STEPS IN PRODUCING A COLLECTION...(FROM CONCEPTION TO THE RUNWAY)?

1. Come up with a concept and inspiration.

2. Do market and trend research.

3. Create a mood board that combines your ideas and what the market wants/needs for your collections season.

4. Sketch as many designs as are in your head following your moodboard as inspiration and consistency guide.

5. Choose your final designs and tweak them as needed to ensure they work together as a collection and that the construction of them will remain within your brand’s manufacturing cost bracket. 

6. Find your fabrics, trims, and hardware.

7. Create production documents necessary to create patterns for the garments.. 

8. Started creating garment patterns, testing each one out in muslin and then in actual fabric. At this stage some changes are often made to fabric choices and designs in order to improve the overall appearance and to decrease manufacturing costs where possible.

9. Once the patterns are created, additional manufacturing documents are created that include a record of material quantities per garment, costs, and specifications. They are used for the brand to communicate with manufacturers, calculate production costs, and come up with retail prices for the garments.

10. Create and order care tags, hang tags, size tags, and brand tags. 

11. Create double sample of each garment to use for photo shoots and promo while the manufacturer is producing the total quantity.

12. Plan and execute a look book shoot and create a stock of brand photos to use for social media and PR. 

13. PROMO! Reach out to your network to share news of your new collection; create exciting and interesting social media posts; go out and be seen/heard; reach out to media to make them aware of this awesome thing you just did and get them excited about your new collection.

14. Get ready for the runway: model try ons, runway moodboards for Hair and Make-up Artists, start stocking up on thank you cards and gift merch.

( I hope this isn’t too much! I tried to condense it to crucial steps.)  

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND?

Project 313 Apparel is a luxury street wear brand that is heavily inspired by techwear through it’s use of fabrics, fit, and function. I like to create items that stand out through small design details and manufacture them in fabrics that are both eco-friendly and unbelievably soft to the touch.  

 WHERE DO YOU GO FOR INSPIRATION?

I find the most inspiration just wandering around busy the streets and observing. Toronto is a fantastic city for that because of the vast diversity in architecture, culture, people, styles, tastes, music. I got design on my mind and my mind on design 24/7 so it’s never hard to find inspiration. I can look at any object and visualize an article of clothing that reflects it’s vibes or aesthetic so Toronto is truly a never ending supply of inspiration.

  WHAT ARE YOU FASCINATED BY AT THE MOMENT AND HOW DOES IT FEED INTO YOUR WORK?

I am currently obsessed with exploring untraditional and challenging construction techniques. I am a glutton for a challenge. Our launching collection called Order x Chaos for Project 313 Apparel features some complicated style lines that are unconventional for hoodies and tees. It was a challenge to create an odd hood shape that looks like it sits on your shoulders but I love how it turned out. 

  HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR CLIENT FEEL WHEN WEARING YOUR CLOTHES?

We want the Project 313 Apparel customer to feel like they are draped in luxury and comfort when they are wearing our clothing. It is important to us that our clothes inspire confidence and become an extension of self. I think there is nothing worse (clothes related) than being constantly aware of what you are wearing because of a bad fit, uncomfortable fabric, or restricted movement that’s why Project 313 Apparel provides style that allows it’s wearer to be free to move.

   HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?

I would describe my personal style as “always in transition”. Although I don’t generally follow trends and on average buy only 5 new fashion items every year, I am constantly trying to reinvent my style through finding new ways to wear the pieces I already have. So my style is essentially a rotation of basic with a few oddly patterned pieces. For example some of my favorites are: pants with floral water colour print from Banana Republic, a men’s button up with ice-cream pops I found at winners, a Clover Canynon pull-over sweatshirt with interior design CAD graphic. One day I will fully commit to funky patterns but for now I feel like my collection is just not big enough. 

 IF YOU WERE A SUPERHERO, WHAT KIND OF POWERS WOULD YOU HAVE?

If I were a superhero I would want the ability to clone myself like Dr Manhattan (without the public nudity) so that I could do more at the same time.  

 IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH SUPER VILLAINS NEEDS FASHION ADVICE?

If I had to pick one... Doc Ock is probably in the bottom 10. His costume is just a bit boring. He looks like a middle school math teacher, stuck on primary colors, who also forgot it was Halloween so he pulled together a last minute “zucchini” looking outfit. His outfit is just not fear inducing whatsoever so he would really benefit from a makeover. 

[suechoiart]

SU19 Internship_ Week 9+10

Next week is my last week! I want to spend some time talking about schematic design/concept design, where I’ve spent a lot of time this summer... But I’m going to start with a general overview of design phases! 

_ design phases / file organization 

Firma adopts the typical and standard approach to design phases, especially for scope of work and billing. Their file management for projects reflects this to a degree. The CAD folder, inside the project folder, is divided into the four typical phases: 

1- schematic design, 

2- design development, 

3- construction documentation, and 

4- construction administration

The fifth typical phase, bid & negotiation, happens outside of AutoCAD and relies heavily on correspondence, via emails and annotated PDFs (these typically live in the sent/received folders). 

I’ve been exposed to a lot of different projects in the 10 weeks I’ve worked with Firma. Today I want to focus on one project in the schematic design phase that Firma allowed me to try out ‘designing.’ For this project, the timeline for CD/SD was very short (1 business week), but otherwise went through important stages of 

_ finding a new project 

When new clients sign the contract, projects are added to the list of active projects. Most projects have been acquired through word of mouth: Firma does good work, and other industry people who are involved (e.g. contractors or architects) refer Firma to other potential clients. 

I’ve not been to a pre-client meeting, but when Scott drafts the contract, he already has a good idea of what the project focuses are. I’ve seen contracts for very standard residential plans to a very speculative eco-tourism project (where Firma would do the SD work mainly). Prior to writing the contract, Scott probably asks the right questions and listens to the client and figures out priorities. 

The project I want to talk about today is unique because, it just quickly happened. If I recall this correctly, on Monday, Scott mentioned the architects across the street had a school expansion project and that they wanted our input in the outdoor area. We started working on this pretty quickly, I believe before any formal contracts were signed. (Or that part happened very quickly after we started working.) 

((This was probably due to Scott’s good relationship with the architects- they bring us good work, we provide them good work- and being good people to work with seems to make a good relationship!)) 

PROJECT: NONDESCRIPT URBAN CAMPUS IN NASHVILLE

(They converted a bigbox store into a campus! How cool.) 

_ site visit 

(Sarah, Scott, and architect Ethan on Tuesday on site) 

One of the first things to do on a project is to visit a site. Nearly all of Firma’s projects are local, and most are within 20 minutes driving distance to the office (and most-of-most are about 10 mins away). Each visit lasts about 1.5-3 hours because it involves a couple of things: 

Site inventory: for some projects, we have an existing plan or survey either from the client or a contractor. While surveys are very accurate, sometimes they don’t include site elements that we need to know, such plant material. One survey we received did not have all trees on site, or ones that were demo’d. 

Measurement: Again, surveys do not include 100% of the information that we need. Sometimes the plan or survey that we receive do not have recent additions. Because plans are 2D, we occasionally have to measure height (we had to do it for this project). 

Site photos: We include a lot of existing photos in client presentations to orient clients and communicate our design intent. In addition to that, photos from site are great references for when..... Wait, what did that sidewalk actually look like? How is the existing canopy? ..... Nothing is a better reference than photo documentation. (Besides teleportation and time travel...) 

If the client is present (as for this trip- the architect), they will show us project focuses and constraints on site and everyone will brainstorm on the spot a few quick things. 

_ receiving / developing the base plan 

Base on the site visit notes, we create a base plan for Firma to sketch out designs. What this process looks like depends on what’s already available. Few scenarios: 

We create something from nothing. For the office building we rent from, we measured everything roughly by hand and I created a base plan in CAD. 

We update existing documents. For a residential project that Scott designed, the clients ended up doing some of the hardscape very loosely according to what Scott had designed; so we went and measured the site and updated the baseplan accordingly. 

We modify existing documents. For this school project, we received CAD files of surveys and other existing information directly from the client (architect). By making a copy, we ‘freeze’ (hide) layers of information we don’t need in our work, and sometimes update tree sizes. 

This school expansion project included a new property that the school had acquired, so we had to combine 2 surveys together into 1 document. Aside from that and the usual layer organization, there wasn’t a lot of work to be done. 

((side note: We originally received a CAD file that had all objects on 1 layer (likely exported from a modeling software); Scott advised us to request original CAD files where all the layer organization was already done from the architect.)) 

_ identifying goals and constraints 

As mentioned before, one desired outcome of the site visit is to physically understand site constraints and objectives. For this campus project, the focus was to extend the outdoor playing area from the existing property into the newly acquired property. The building footprint would stay relatively the same (the two buildings would stay separate). The new property had a lot of ‘back of the house’ that would be converted into the play area. 

The three big constraints for this project was: 

The connection (”transition space” in the diagram) was a 4-5 foot elevation drop.

The design would be a similar to the existing play space, since the purpose is to ‘extend’ it onto the new property. 

There would have to be an ADA path that connects the two separate levels. 

(First image: the existing play area; second image: the new play area. Scott and Ethan are standing in the space right above the dumpster, behind the fence.) 

When we came back to the office, Scott and Sarah immediately had precedents in mind: big slide(s)! With that in mind, I went into sketching and drawing, and researching slides. 

(Slide at Shelby Farms in Memphis. Source: Shelby Farms Park Conservancy & Memphis Daily News)

_ sketch 

Big marker -> smaller marker. Big moves getting more delicate and detailed. That’s the gist! 

I started with this basic bubble diagram on top of the base drawing. (This developed into the program diagram above.) This helped with getting a very rough sense of how big things should be / could be, and the purpose of each ‘room.’ 

I made a few quick iterations in scale and talked with Scott about the options. These drawings show different dropoff designs: the current building has parking spaces right in front of the building. I suggested that we just move the handicap parking aside, Scott drew a tighter diagram, and from there I drew with a smaller marker with some of our strongest options. 

This part of the process (Wednesday and Thursday) also involved research! I looked up typical slide specifications and used that to draw a general idea about where the slide would be, how long it would be, etc. 

_ illustrative drawing (me) 

So I did it! It took a lot of “this is the right one.....” sketches, but I put together a 1″ = 30′-0″ scale drawing with annotations for what’s what. It includes the slide and ADA path that was part of the goals/challenges. 

Biggest issue with the drawing? It...... doesn’t meet goal 2, where it was supposed to be the extension of the existing playspace.

The existing playspace is .... rectangles. 

_ Scott’s drawing 

So Scott took into consideration my drawing/idea, but tightened the concept in consideration with real considerations (bioretention area, dumpster). Scott also created this drawing at a big scale, 1″ = 20′-0″

_ presentation and annotation 

On Friday we had this scanned by sending it to a graphics shop and we put it into the computer. The presentation graphics were made that day along with a ‘narrative’ (site element descriptions) that spoke to specific design intent of the schematic plan. This is one example: 

4. Slide

Prefabricated embankment slide anchored to monolithic rock steps below; material to be heavy duty polyethylene resin, 12’ length; approximatedly 6’ vertical drop; assume 2 to 4 steps to access top of slide.

15. Sidewalk Connector

Existing asphalt parking spaces to be removed and replaced with turf, 5’ wide concrete sidewalk, 4’ wide tree planting strip, and concrete curb.

The #4 takes from a prefab product I found during my slide research. #15 formally writes out what was there before, and what we drew there. 

_ conclusion 

I’m really grateful that Scott and Sarah gave me this opportunity. This was a really quick and short exercise but a good one to get an idea of what the priorities are when it comes to schematic design!