#Boost program on Medium

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

Good News for New Writers & Bad News for Established Ones

But Both Can Be Winners with a Strategic Approach I am pleased that my new account, with 100 followers, now gets more visibility than my old account, with 101835 followers. Here is what new and established writers could do to adapt.  Today, I experienced a mix of emotions when I discovered that my new Medium account, created out of necessity after being targeted by scammers, organically gained…

[izicodes]

Writing About The Codeblr Community

Sunday 22nd October 2023

I am making an article about us! Well, about the coding community on here (#codeblr)!

I got advice from a frequent writer on Medium that I should write about something I am passionate about and to find out what exactly, she said "What topic would you talk about for hours in front of an audience?" and honestly it would be Tumblr, but more especially about the Codeblr community!

⬇️ Below for more information + how you can help! ⬇️

I've made some notes on what I want to talk about. It's still not complete as I made the notes around midnight last night so I was a bit tired whilst I was typing but I will take time to talk to people, plan the various topics I want to cover properly and get enough information!

🤔 What's my aim with writing the article?

To shed light to the community and the hard work everyone has put into their codeblr/studyblr blogs. From people sharing resources, to those who share their programming progresses. Someone asked me time ago about sharing their codeblr blogs on their resume/CV and on other social media platforms - if people can share their YouTube, Twitter, Instagram account on coding, why not their Codeblr blog? Your Tumblr blog is just as worthy as someone sharing on Twitter. Plus it's nicer and more welcoming here~!

Anyhoo, if you see your name in the list, I will ask permission to mention you! I won't force it or anything.

🔍 Questions for those who want to be involved!

I would greatly ask if anyone wants to be in the article, I would love to ask you about your own experience. I try my best to follow as many codeblr blogs as I can (because I love seeing that kind of posts on my feed). The questions if you want to answer (not all if you don't want to):

Why did you choose to share on Tumblr rather than the other more popular social media platforms?

Do you prefer it/Why do you like the Codeblr community?

How long have you been a member of Codeblr, and how active are you in the community?

In what ways has Codeblr contributed to your learning and growth as a coder?

Are there specific resources, tutorials, or discussions on Codeblr that have been especially beneficial to you?

Have you participated in any notable collaborations or group projects with other Codeblr members?

How do you view the importance of diversity and inclusion within Codeblr?

Have you observed efforts within the community to foster an inclusive environment?

✨ Thank you so so so much for reading, if you can't help then that's a-okay! Watch out for the article being posted on my Medium account - I'll make a new post on here when I do publish it! Fingers-crossed it's an actual good read~!

⤷ ♡ my shop ○ my mini website ○ pinned ○ navigation ♡

[teh-tj]

Greenbelt Maryland. Or, how America almost solved housing only to abandon it.

**I AM NOT AN EXPERT! I AM JUST AN ENTHUSIST! DO NOT TREAT MY OPINIONS/SPECULATION AS EDUCATION!**

During the Depression America faced a housing crisis that rhymes with but differs from our own. It’s different in that there wasn’t a supply issue, there were loads of houses in very desirable areas, but they were still unaffordable as people’s incomes collapsed causing a deflationary spiral. While the housing supply subtly grew and succeeded demand, people simply couldn’t pay the meager rents and mortgages. Herbert Hoover failed to manage the Depression, while his inaction is greatly exaggerated, his policy of boosting the economy with works projects and protecting banks from runs failed and the depression only got more pronounced in his term. In comes Franklin Roosevelt, a progressive liberal much like his distant and popular cousin/uncle-in-law Teddy. Franklin’s plan was to create a large safety net for people to be able to be economically viable even if they’re otherwise poor. These reforms are called the New Deal and they did many controversial things like giving disabled and retired people welfare, giving farmers conditioned subsidies to manipulate the price of food, a works program to build/rebuild vital infrastructure, etc. One of these programs was the USHA (a predecessor of America’s HUD), an agency created to build and maintain public housing projects with the goal of creating neighborhoods with artificially affordable rents so people who work low-wage jobs or rely on welfare can be housed.

In this spirit, the agency started experimenting with new and hopefully efficient housing blueprints and layouts. If you ever see very large apartment towers or antiquated brick low-rise townhouses in America, they might be these. The USHA bought land in many large and medium-sized cities to build “house-in-park” style apartments, which is what they sound like. Putting apartment buildings inside green spaces so residents can be surrounded by greenery and ideally peacefully coexist. Three entire towns were built with these ideas outside three medium-sized cities that were hit hard by the depression; Greenbelt outside DC, Greenhills outside Cincinnati, and Greendale outside Milwaukee. The idea was to move people out of these crowded cities into these more sustainable and idyllic towns. There were many catches though, the USHA planned for these towns to be all-white, they used to inspect the houses for cleanliness, they required residents to be employed or on Social Security (which basically meant retired or disabled), they also had an income limit and if your income exceeded that limit you were given a two-month eviction notice, and you were expected to attend town meetings at least monthly. While the towns didn’t have religious requirements they did only build protestant churches. Which is an example of discrimination by omission. While a Catholic, Jew, Muslim, etc could in theory move into town they also couldn’t go to a Catholic church, synagogue, or Islamic center without having to extensively travel. Things planned communities leave out might indicate what kind of people planned communities want to leave out. Basically, the whole thing was an experiment in moving Americans into small direct-democracy suburbs as opposed to the then-current system of crowded cities and isolated farm/mine towns. This type of design wasn’t without precedent, there were famously company towns like Gary and Pullman which both existed outside Chicago. But those lacked the autonomy and democracy some USHA apparatchiks desired.

The green cities were a series of low-rise apartments housing over a hundred people each, they were short walks from a parking lot and roads, and walking paths directly and conveniently led residents to the town center which had amenities and a shopping district. Greenbelt in particular is famous for its art deco shopping complex, basically an early mall where business owners would open stores for the townspeople. These businesses were stuck being small, given the income requirements, but it was encouraged for locals to open a business to prove their entrepreneurial spirit. Because city affairs were elected at town meetings the city was able to pull resources to eventually build their own amenities the USHA didn’t originally plan for like a public swimming pool or better negotiated garbage collection.

These three cities were regarded as a success by the USHA until World War II happened and suddenly they showed flaws given the shift in focus. These towns housed poor people who barely if at all could afford a car, so semi-isolated towns outside the city became redundant and pointless. The USHA also had to keep raising the income requirement since the war saw a spike in well-paying jobs which made the town unsustainable otherwise. During the war and subsequent welfare programs to help veterans, these green cities became de facto retirement and single-mother communities for a few years as most able-bodied men were drafted or volunteered. Eventually, the USDA would make the towns independent, after the war they raised the income limit yet again and slowly the towns repopulated. As cars became more common and suburbanization became a wider trend these towns would be less noticeably burdensome and were eventually interpreted as just three out of hundreds of small suburban towns that grew out of major cities. They were still all-white and the town maintained cleanliness requirements; after all they lived in apartments it just takes one guy’s stink-ass clogged toilet to ruin everyone’s day.

By the 1950’s these towns were fully independent. Greendale and Greenhills voted to privatize their homes and get rid of the income limit all together so the towns can become more normal. Greenhills, Ohio still has many of these USHA-era houses and apartments, all owned by a series of corporations and private owners. Greendale, Wisconsin property owners have demolished most of these old houses and restructured their town government so most traces of its founding are lost. But Greenbelt, Maryland still maintains a lot of its structure to this day. Greenbelt has privatized some land and buildings, but most of the original USHA apartments are owned by the Greenbelt Homes, Inc cooperative which gives residents co-ownership of the building they live in and their payments mostly go to maintenance. Because Greenbelt was collectively owned the House Un-American Activities Committee would blacklist and put on trial most of Greenbelt’s residents and officials. Though they didn’t find much evidence of communist influence, the town was a target of the red scare by the DMV area, residents were discriminated, blacklisted, and pressured into selling their assets. While Greenbelt did commodify some of the town, the still existing co-ownership shows the town’s democratic initiative to maintain its heritage. The green cities desegregated in the 50’s and 60’s depending on state law, Greenbelt was the last to desegregate under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, while discrimination persisted for years by the 1980’s the town would become half non-white, today the town is 47% black and 10% Asian.

Though these towns largely integrated with a privatized and suburbanized America, they do stand as a memorial to an idea of American urbanism that died. They were designed for walkability and were planned to be more democratic and egalitarian towns, with the conditions that came with segregation and government oversight. You can’t ignore the strict standards and racism in their history, but you can say that about many towns. How do you think America would be different if more cities had green suburbs that were more interconnected and designed for community gatherings?

[liesmyth]

I want to start running...any tips?

I WAS BORN TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. Thank you so much for asking! Unfortunately, I am a nerd about my hobbies so this got quite long.

Keep it simple ✨

Running is easy to get into; our bodies are built for it. Don’t stress over technicalities and just do what feels natural to you. My local races are full of 70-something white-haired pensioners who are kicking ass at it. Don’t let anyone tell you that running is meant to feel like dying, that’ll harm your knees, or that you absolutely need to have that specific smartwatch model to get into it. All you need is a solid pair of shoes, everything else is optional.

Medium effort is the way to go

The ideal aerobic running pace is a speed at which you’re able to hold a conversation, even if a bit winded. NO faster. If you’re able to sing along to your playlist or chat with a friend, that’s your ideal running pace. If you’re gasping or wheezing, slow down! You’ll get a bit faster as your lung capacity gets better, but that shouldn’t be a priority unless you want to train for a race. You get most of the health benefits of running just by keeping up a steady, sustainable, conversational pace.

Walking breaks are fine, actually

That’s the reason why I don’t love C25K as a beginner program — the way it’s structured sort of implies that walking breaks are something you should grow out of to become a more experienced runner. If you need to walk for a bit, go ahead.

If possible, jogging is preferable, just because the mechanics of even a glacial-pace jog are more similar to running than those of a faster power walk, so you might try switching to a jog after a bit of a walking interval. But walking is not a failure; there are serious marathon training plans out there that use walk/run intervals as a viable strategy.

(Related: picking up speed helps you keep going! If you feel like you are completely drained, try speeding up for a very short interval, then slowing back down. It’ll often give you an energy boost to keep going)

Run for time, not distance ⌚

Especially for beginners, I find that getting fixated on numbers can be counter productive, and the most important thing is to listen to your body. If you’re aiming to hit a certain mileage, you might get the urge to speed up at the end to get done faster. Instead, set yourself time-based goals and end every run with a cool down jog or walk.

SHOES!! 👟

Good running shoes are essential, and pretty much the only fitness-related purchase on which I’ll always support dropping money. If you get to the point where you’re consistently running 10 km (6 miles) each week, you’ll want to go to a running store — the kind of place where you’ll get fitted, and they’ll have you try on models and jog on a treadmill to evaluate your gait and let you know which characteristics your ideal shoe needs. I can’t stress enough how useful running store staff can be. They’re all running club nerds who LOVE getting new people into running, and they really want to help you find your ideal fit. Also get good running socks while you’re at it.

Be prepared to drop at least 100€ (or equivalent currency) but they usually have a great return policy if the model isn’t a good fit for you. Take care of your running shoes — maintenance, wearing them only for running, gentle cleansing etc — and the cushioning will last for quite a while (600km / 370miles at least). If you decide that you hate running, they’re still great for walking around. Once you find your ideal shoe model, it gets a lot easier to shop for it during end-of-season sales, or looking for online bargains etc. I love stocking on end-of-series shoes and rotating them so they’ll last even longer, and I buy online quite often! Just make sure your FIRST pair is fitted, for ideal injury prevention and joint health.

Injury prevention 💪

I’d love to still be running 10k races when I’m 70, but it takes some care to get there. When you run, you’re slamming your body weight up and down with every stride, and that might be hard on your joints if you’re not used to it. If you’re completely new to running, cap your runs at 15/20 minutes every other day. Do that even if you feel like you could keep going! If you have a good aerobic base already, you need to give your joints time to catch up with you lung capacity, and give your body time to recover. Do bodyweight exercises like lunges and planks and glute bridges to strengthen your core, legs, and hips. Dynamic stretches are great for warmups, and static stretches are better for cooling down. If you have the option, running on softer surface like grass or dirt is better than asphalt, which is better than concrete and pavements.

(If nothing of what I’ve said here makes sense to you, shoot me another ask, or look at some of the resources I’ve linked down below!)

Don't get bored! 🎶

I love running in groups. Running clubs are great. You can learn so much in a hands-on way from seriously experienced people, you can chat about gossip over a running job, and you can make some interesting friends. If you don’t have access to a running community, then personally I love just chilling on a run by myself listening to an audiobook or podcast or exploring a certain area.

Running form❓

Don’t stress about it. Just go out and move your body. Attempting to modify your ‘running form’ too quickly can do more harm than good. There ARE a few things you could pay attention to — I recommend trying to focus on one of these at a time for a minute or so, and alternate between them. After a while, it’ll start to feel natural to keep track of all of them:

1. Don’t slouch! But a slight lean forward is great.

2. Keep your shoulders pulled down and your upper back tense.

3. Swinging your arms in a way that helps with your stride is good, but I shouldn’t feel forced.

4. Even breaths, inhaling through your mouth and expiring through your nose.

5. Take turns to check with every part of your body, and relax them in turn: are your jaw and neck too tense? Are your fists tight?

6. Don’t overstride! shorter strides with quicker leg turnover are better than huge strides that feel awkward to you.

7. Use your glutes to drive up the motion of your legs, not just your quads. This can take a while to get used to, but it’s a game-changer.

8. ENGAGE YOUR CORE. This is a great skill to develop whether you work out or are just existing in the world — basically, let your inner abdominal muscles help you carry your weight forward. This is VERY intuitive once you know how to do it, but it’s hard to get a grasp of it if you don’t know what it means, so here are some resources about it.

an extremely fucking comprehensive article that improved my life and eased my big-boobs back pain

similar content but in video form

a running-specific form video

Personally, learning to do this made me feel like I unlocked a superpower. Go forth and brace.

Accessories and tips 🤓

Like I said above, the only thing I really suggest spending money on for real is running shoes. Everything else is details! However, I’m nothing if not wordy I have Thoughts about those details, too.

Run tracking: I suggest downloading Runkeeper if you want to keep track of your runs — it’s free, intuitive, and solid! If you decide to get into wearables, a low-level Garmin >>>>> anything else.

Self-care: use sunscreen and/or thick face cream as needed. Stop to sip at a public fountain if needed. Get a small fanny pack to hold your phone, keys, or lip balm if needed. If chafing is an issue, anti-glide gel is relatively affordable.

Outfits etc: I get all my running gear and clothes from Decathlon — they are in most countries and ship worldwide. I especially love this thermal shirt for colder weather

Safety: if you’re running on the road, make sure to run in the opposite direction from traffic and to wear something bright. If you run with headphones near traffic, keep the volume down, or get over-the-ear conductor headsets. I love shokz, they're fantastic.

Post-run snack: eating something small and carb-heavy within 30 mins of a workout is great for kickstarting recovery. I love dried fruit personally.

Various resources 📝

Routine basics: check out the r/running order of operations, which is a great “how to” guide to building a basic running routine. I also recommend that subreddit's wiki! Running programming gets exponentially more involved the more advanced you get, etc — if you ever have any questions, hit me up!

Dynamic stretching warmup: a quick leg swing workout to get your legs ready to go. If you’re feeling overachieving, here’s a lunge warmup routine and a how-to bodyweight squat video.

Cooldown routine! Check out Strength and Mobility, a great post-run quick cooldown routine that includes some bodyweight exercises to strengthen your hips and core. Video included.

that's all, folks! 🏃‍♀️

Sorry I got carried away! I love running. I love getting people into running. My mental health, cardiovascular system and my popping quads also love running. But FYI, some people hate running and that's also fine! If you decide it’s not for you, find something you like more. There are a lot of misconceptions out there and a lot of guilt-tripping and body shame-y rhetoric around exercising, especially aimed at women, and I want to make clear it’s all bullshit. Just have fun <3

[seat-safety-switch]

So-called motorcylists love to shove their beloved bikes away whenever there's a little bit of snow on the road. That's because motorcyclists are famously concerned with their public perception. They don't want to drive around town with wood screws run through their tires, shrieking profanities at stopped traffic before ripping a perfect 12 'o' clocker and driving across the iced-over multi-use-pathway, comfortable in their knowledge that the police will not and can not follow. Or it's because they don't have heated grips, and their handsies get cold.

Heated steering wheels are the single greatest innovation in cars in the last two hundred years. Unfortunately for me, they hadn't been installed into cars of the age I own. In the late 1970s, the newest innovation in steering wheel comfort was "maybe make them a little smaller, for the ladies." Seems like I was cursed to a lifetime of wondering if my thermostat was seized, freezing to death even through many layers of mittens and work gloves while waiting for the tow truck to arrive and clean up the commuters in front of me.

Of course, Plymouth also didn't equip this car with a lot of other modern features. For instance, liquid-cooled active speed laser and radar jamming was not available. Active pursuit drones pre-programmed with a seek-and-destroy order for all speed cameras were not yet on the market, unless you worked for the CIA. And also the good people of China had not figured out how to make $35 45-millimetre ball-bearing turbochargers capable of adding nearly four hundred horsepower to any engine strong enough to keep its guts on the inside when presented with one medium-sized jet engine's worth of boost. I had to add all those things myself.

Easy, right? Run some wires to a heating element on the steering wheel. There's just one complication: steering wheels turn. If I keep spinning the car left and right, eventually the wire will get tangled up and rip itself out, causing an electrical fire. Admittedly, that will also keep my hands warm, but the walk home after is inconvenient.

The original "engineers" who took a whisky-soaked gander at this car before slapping their secretaries on the ass had a solution, though. In every steering wheel, the horn button has the same problem. Unfortunately for me, the horn hasn't worked in this car since 1983, which complicated my attempts to reuse the wiring.

Ultimately, I came up with what a rocket scientist would call "a compromise." A pair of bolt cutters and a map to the local truck-supply warehouse's storage yard soon provided me with a nifty diesel-fired interior heater, a roaring flame that consumes all and produces enough heat to make toast from three feet away. Ratchet-strapped to the place where the passenger seat used to be, it will keep my fingers warm, as well as my feet and every other part of my body. Sure, it's inconvenient having to continually refill it with stolen farm diesel, and I could have run the exhaust pipe out of the cabin a better way than through the rust hole in the floor. Once you get that heated seat feeling, though, you simply can't go back. If you'll excuse me, I need to get going: if I don't get to work in the next five minutes, my boots will melt again.

[noeldeyzel]

Noel Deyzel and His Rise on TikTok

Noel Deyzel and His Rise on TikTok

Introduction

Noel Deyzel has become a household name in the fitness community, thanks to his remarkable presence on TikTok. Known for his motivational content, fitness tips, and engaging personality, Noel has inspired millions worldwide. This article delves into his rise on TikTok, exploring how he leveraged the platform to become a fitness icon.

Early Life and Background

Noel Deyzel’s journey began long before he ever heard of TikTok. Born and raised in South Africa, Noel had a passion for sports and fitness from a young age. Initially pursuing a career in business, he soon realized his true calling lay in bodybuilding and fitness coaching. This transition marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, one that would eventually lead him to TikTok fame.

Discovery of TikTok

In the early days of TikTok, Noel saw an opportunity to reach a broader audience. Unlike other social media platforms, TikTok’s algorithm favored short, engaging videos, making it the perfect medium for his fitness tips and motivational speeches. Noel started by observing popular trends and understanding what type of content resonated with users.

Content Strategy and Growth

Noel’s content is a mix of fitness advice, workout routines, motivational speeches, and personal anecdotes. By participating in trends and challenges, he kept his content relevant and engaging. Collaborations with other TikTok influencers also played a crucial role in his growth. His commitment to posting regularly and maintaining high-quality content helped him build a loyal following.

Engagement with Followers

One of Noel’s strengths is his genuine interaction with his followers. He responds to comments, engages in duets, and often addresses fan questions in his videos. This level of interaction has fostered a sense of community, making his followers feel valued and appreciated.

Viral Videos and Breakthrough Moments

Noel’s rise to fame includes several key viral moments. Videos where he shared his personal fitness journey, transformation stories, and motivational messages resonated deeply with viewers. These viral videos significantly boosted his follower count and solidified his position as a fitness influencer.

Fitness Tips and Inspirational Content

Noel’s approach to fitness content is practical and motivational. He offers actionable fitness tips, from workout routines to diet advice, ensuring his followers have the tools they need to succeed. Additionally, his inspirational content, which often includes personal stories of overcoming obstacles, helps motivate his audience to pursue their own fitness goals.

Personal Branding and Merchandise

As his popularity grew, Noel developed a strong personal brand. He launched fitness programs, branded merchandise, and even an app to help his followers stay on track with their fitness journeys. This diversification not only enhanced his brand but also provided additional revenue streams.

Challenges Faced and Overcome

Noel’s journey to TikTok fame wasn’t without challenges. Initially, he struggled with gaining traction and faced criticism from skeptics. However, his resilience and dedication helped him overcome these obstacles. He also had to balance his personal life with the demands of creating content, a challenge many influencers face.

Impact on the Fitness Community

Noel has had a significant impact on the fitness community. His no-nonsense advice and motivational content have inspired many to take up fitness seriously. He has also helped demystify bodybuilding, making it more accessible to a broader audience.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Collaborations with other TikTok influencers and brand partnerships have been pivotal in Noel’s journey. By partnering with like-minded creators, he expanded his reach and introduced his content to new audiences. Sponsorship deals with fitness brands have also helped him monetize his TikTok presence.

Transition to Other Platforms

Recognizing the importance of diversifying his online presence, Noel expanded to Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms. This move allowed him to reach different demographics and share more detailed content, such as long-form workout videos and vlogs.

Future Plans and Aspirations

Looking ahead, Noel has big plans. He aims to continue growing his brand, launching new fitness products, and expanding his reach globally. His vision includes not only inspiring people through social media but also creating tangible resources to help them achieve their fitness goals.

Conclusion

Noel Deyzel’s rise on TikTok is a testament to the power of authentic content and genuine engagement. His journey from a fitness enthusiast to a social media icon is inspiring, demonstrating that with dedication and a clear vision, anything is possible. As he continues to evolve, there’s no doubt that Noel will keep motivating and inspiring millions around the world.

FAQs

How did Noel Deyzel become famous on TikTok?

Noel became famous on TikTok by sharing engaging fitness tips, motivational content, and personal stories. His consistent posting and genuine interaction with followers helped him build a large and loyal audience.

What kind of content does Noel Deyzel create?

Noel creates a variety of content, including fitness advice, workout routines, motivational speeches, and personal anecdotes. He also participates in TikTok trends and challenges.

How does Noel Deyzel interact with his followers?

Noel interacts with his followers by responding to comments, engaging in duets, and addressing fan questions in his videos. This engagement has helped him build a supportive community.

What challenges has Noel Deyzel faced on his journey?

Noel has faced challenges such as gaining initial traction on TikTok, handling criticism, and balancing personal life with content creation demands. His resilience and dedication helped him overcome these obstacles.

What are Noel Deyzel’s future plans?

Noel plans to continue growing his brand, launching new fitness products, and expanding his global reach. He aims to inspire more people through social media and provide tangible resources for achieving fitness goals.

[sincerely-sofie]

It took me a minute to finally get my notes straight so I could answer this— I hope it was worth the wait! I’ll give some bullet points of tips I use to help boost my production speed in addition to the strategies I use to try to keep characters consistent. Let’s get into it!

First up: How I draw faster!

Note that these mostly apply to digital art, as that’s my preferred medium.

If your art program has them, experiment with brush stabilization levels. My hands shake really bad, especially while I’m drawing, so I put a lot of effort into finding a stabilizer level that works with my need to control lines while also smoothing out the tremors in my hands. It’s made it so much easier to draw lines like I want to, and therefore lets me move on instead of redrawing the same line over and over again.

Creating templates for your art helps so much— setting up things like canvas size, color profile, DPI, background colors and images like the paper texture PNGs that I love to use ahead of time helps me get drawing faster, while I’m excited and inspired! Similarly, having a naming system for your art files is useful for speed as well as finding and organizing old pieces easier.

Having premade color palettes of local colors for characters is also super helpful for speed, as well as keeping characters on model :>

Personally, I use a single brush for lineart and rely on the selection tool and bucket fill for coloring when I actually bother to color things in. My lines are pretty loose nowadays, and the same goes for when I color things— I don't abide exactly by the lineart I draw, and get pretty messy with the selection tool and bucket fill!

I simplify character designs as much as possible— the standard design of a sigilyph, for example, is pretty complex. But I made Sen a lot simpler (and also forgot the spikes on her torso in this panel. Oops)

As for keeping characters on-model…

I’m very flattered that you feel otherwise, but I actually don't keep characters very on-model between different drawings— just look at the different ways I've drawn Ark below— however, I'm improving over time as I become more familiar with how I want to draw the characters! A big part of my process of keeping characters on model is drawing characters over and over to familiarize myself with how they should look through trial and error.

Learning common angles and poses I will draw characters in is very helpful for making sure they look consistent. As a bit of a downside, though, it makes wonkier angles stick out like a sore thumb! Drawing Ark with his head slightly angled downward was really hard, and I don't think I communicated it that well here:

I try to have the characters broken down into as many simple shapes that fit into each other as I possibly can, like Twig’s head (circle + rectangle snout + angled rectangle horn) Ark's hair (that weird bangs shape) and Dusknoir's upper body (beanbag shape / slightly elongated circle torso, arms coming out of his frill that comes in a very particular arcing line). This makes it way easier to draw characters quickly and consistently, because I can learn those lines and shapes and get the motion of drawing them into muscle memory.

Also, knowing the ways characters emote is like knowing cheat codes. Giving characters things like a signature comedic expression of shock or grin that they make when they're happy are very helpful!

The biggest tip I can give on the topic of keeping characters on-model (at least without model sheets— model sheets are THE way to go. Don’t be like Sofie and neglect those pieces of gold) is really just to practice. Build up familiarity with the shapes and proportions of characters, get a feel for how your hand and wrist moves to get the lines right.

[khalid-albeshri]

Reasons behind the fast economic growth of Saudi Arabia:

The rapid economic growth of Saudi Arabia in 2022, especially being the fastest-growing among G20 economies, can be attributed to several key factors:

- Increased Oil Production and Prices: Saudi Arabia, being one of the world's largest oil producers, benefited significantly from rising global oil prices and increased production levels. The rebound in global demand for oil post-pandemic, combined with geopolitical tensions that disrupted other oil supplies, contributed to higher revenues.

- Economic Reforms Under Vision 2030: The Saudi government’s Vision 2030 initiative aims to diversify the economy away from oil dependency. Reforms under this vision have encouraged growth in non-oil sectors such as tourism, entertainment, real estate, and finance, driving economic expansion.

- Investment in Infrastructure: Major infrastructure projects, including NEOM, the Red Sea Project, and the expansion of Riyadh, have attracted significant investments. These projects are not only boosting construction and related industries but are also creating jobs and stimulating the overall economy.

- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Saudi Arabia has seen an increase in FDI due to improved business regulations, economic reforms, and strategic partnerships with global companies. The Kingdom's efforts to create a more business-friendly environment have made it an attractive destination for foreign investors.

- Strong Private Sector Growth: Government initiatives to boost the private sector, including supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), have contributed to economic growth. Privatization of certain sectors and public-private partnerships have also played a role.

- Expansion of Non-Oil Sectors: Sectors such as tourism, entertainment, and technology have seen rapid growth, fueled by government support and increased consumer spending. Events like the Saudi Seasons, international sporting events, and cultural festivals have attracted visitors and investments.

- Labor Market Reforms: Reforms in the labor market, including Saudization efforts (Nitaqat program) and improved labor laws, have increased workforce participation and productivity, particularly among women and young Saudis.

- Fiscal Prudence and Debt Management: Saudi Arabia has implemented effective fiscal policies, including managing public debt and reducing the budget deficit, which has helped stabilize the economy and promote growth.

- Global Economic Recovery: The global economic recovery post-COVID-19 also played a role, as increased global trade and investment flows positively impacted Saudi Arabia's economy.

These factors combined to create a robust and diversified growth environment, contributing to Saudi Arabia's rapid economic expansion

#KhalidAlbeshri #خالدالبشري

[marcusrobertobaq]

All Amanda's orders and my theory on why Connor can evade things without breaking his program (cuz everything is part of his program)

Or "How Connor autonomous nature can be a problem in letting him escape his leash"

I don't care if someone already did that, i just wanna leave my shit saved somewhere public.

⚠️ A FUCKING WARNING: EVERYTHING HERE IS THEORY (AND HC). It's just assumption and MY OPINION.

and it's big like my dick

First of all Connor is basically an autonomous android.

Wtf is an autonomous android in dbh in my humble opinion?

The android can do whatever they want, choose and shift whatever they see fit as long as they stay inside direct orders from 'em handler. They can decide almost everything alone. Be aware we got a whole false sensation of freedom with Connor cuz he indeed got freedom (in this sense), but he's manipulated and conditioned as a way of keeping him on the right track.

What deviancy really is for a Connor model?

I see a lotta people saying Connor was a deviant from the start, what i totally disagree based on canon. But we know this model got a interesting relationship with the meaning of deviancy: is deviancy in the sense he can fight/disobey a direct order (like the other androids) or the fact he's starting to deviate from his original priority? Good luck finding out. But remember: Connor got the option to deviate in Crossroads.

Secondly, be in mind Connor's only handler is AMANDA. She's the only one that can really order him and he can't disobey (CyberLife is so ridiculous they let the AI do all 'em work). He can ignore everybody else if he wants (by %) as long as he's authorized or she didn't say anything about this topic in specific (his programming let him do that - at a cost sometimes).

So i gonna explain why I THINK Connor is inside his "program cage" THE WHOLE GAME UNTIL CROSSROADS.

⚠️ ANOTHER FUCKING WARNING: i gonna focus only in priority conflicting decisions, i don't care what happens with other options. I also won't care about cut content/context, let's work with what the finished game shows.

(red for direct order; orange for too vague; yellow for optional; green for train/line of thought; blue for priority confliction; mission % calculation: f for failure, s for success)

Unfortunately i ain't got much details about The Hostage and Partners original orders, so my theory:

The Hostage: taking Daniel alive consequently saving Emma (obviously if Emma dies means Daniel also dies).

Partners/The Interrogation: my guess is his orders were to find Hank (he needs access to the crime scene), find Ortiz's android and extract information about deviancy.

→ Waiting for Hank || On the Run

Order: find out what's happening (related to deviancy)

It's totally vague. Connor is totally alone here and it's like that most of the time. To make things easier, i gonna set a default line of thought:

He knows he was assigned to the police to have access to the deviants files, and he also knows he needs more information so he can report to Amanda and if possible apprehending the deviants so CL can study 'em. Best way of gettin information? Finding deviants alive and extracting information from 'em.

Why Connor CAN choose NOT running after Kara in the highway without breaking the program (both choices got equal weight):

He can be destroyed and doesn't catch Kara (decent f %);

Kara can be destroyed and he won't get anything (high f %);

Hank would start something if he didn't stay, making his job more difficult in the future (medium f %);

Nobody relevant ordered him to chase Kara across the highway;

He got a priority that is getting the deviants alive (and extract information for report) so he got software instability boost from this. Not a huge boost cuz Kara could get destroyed anyways.

→ The Nest

Order: Find the suspect (f or s) and extract information (not a specific time defined)

Why Connor CAN choose SAVING Hank without breaking the program:

Hank is a human and his pawn in the DPD (Connor can choose listening him if he wants, his program LET him do that);

89% is a high probability but the other 11% still exists, making his job more difficult in the future if he died (low %);

Not helping Hank (he survives) could make his job difficult in the future (medium %);

They could find Rupert again later (low %);

Nobody relevant ordered him to not save Hank, nobody said he can't;

But as consequence he receives a big instability boost cuz it's an urgent decision with low % of failure if he catched Rupert alive and Hank's 89% of survival is a high probability.

→ The Eden Club

Order: Find Anderson and investigate the new android related case, find information about deviants (f or s)

Why Connor CAN choose SPARING the Tracis without breaking the program (both choices got equal weight):

Nobody relevant ordered him to shoot the androids;

Killing the Tracis wouldn't give any relevant information for his next report (is a excuse he uses later);

Connor needed the deviants intact if possible (is a excuse he uses later);

He can find 'em again later (low %);

Again big instability boost cuz it's a urgent decision, had a low f % of his overall mission (dealing with the deviancy threat and finding a solution) and Connor was in a dangerous position (deviants are an absolute threat -> he can and should defend himself).

→ Meet Kamski

Order: talk with Kamski about deviancy

Why Connor CAN choose SPARING Chloe without breaking the program (both choices got equal weight):

Neither Hank or Kamski are relevant in Connor's handler system. He can disobey both;

He can prioritize Hank's wishes if he just wants get out of this situation;

Kamski could be lying (medium %) and playing with him;

Nobody relevant ordered him to shoot Chloe;

Big instability boost cuz it's a no-escape decision (or u gonna shoot or u don't) and had a high s % in fiding something that could help with his main mission.

→ Last Chance, Connor || Crossroads

Order 1: Find the deviants (wherever they're reuniting)

i gonna pretend we ain't got a plot hole here in case we don't probe Simon

Points of interest:

It's a specific place;

High % the leader is there;

High % more information will be found there;

Finding the deviants means CyberLife will be able to analyze 'em;

After this point the orders start to become more specific, where location and timing matters.

Points of interest:

Connor found Jericho;

Connor found Markus;

He's closer to Markus when he make the report;

He's alone with Markus;

No other threat to the mission detected;

Order 2: Deal with Markus (need him ALIVE) = Catch him, stop him

Why Connor CAN'T choose STOPPING Markus without breaking his program (both choices got equal weight if u have enough instability):

Amanda gave him a direct and specific order in that specific moment;

Connor is already too close to Markus - his main target;

There's nothing keeping Connor from approaching Markus;

There no ways or of evading this specific order or any external condition making the situation difficult;

All right now...

LET THE BONUS ROUND BEGIN 🤡

-> Night of the Soul || Battle for Detroit

Order: Destroy (kill) the leader of the deviants

Why Connor CAN choose NOT fighting Hank (if they're friends) without breaking his program:

Won't make him fail his mission of destroying the leader of the deviants (cuz he knows Hank won't do anything if he's friendly);

There are multiple ways of "destroying the leader of the deviants" without shooting from the rooftop;

Connor is attached to Hank (a human) and can give him some sorta priority;

Connor is far from the leader and there's a obstacle (Hank) in his way;

It's more efficient if he just get rid of Hank fast like this (or kill himself) than a whole fight (waste of time with decent % of losing sight of the leader);

Connor can still get closer to the leader and destroy 'em (what he does later in the chapter);

Why Connor can choose fighting Hank and SPARE HIM without breaking his program (killing Hank got more weight than saving him):

It's not his mission killing Hank (a human and somebody he got attachment);

Connor don't wanna kill Hank, only incapacitate him but the guy is a TANK and DOESN'T STOP. Connor models always execute 'em victims with a shot in the head;

Hank ain't considered a threat anymore if he got DEFEATED (Connor can continue with his task - well, that's what he thought);

He doesn't needa kill Hank to destroy the leader of the deviants if Hank is status neutralized - his mission won't fail;

If a Connor dies, CyberLife can send another one to finish the job;

The ideal scenario (and Connor's default option) is killing Hank and 100% removing him from the whole deal, but nobody ordered him to kill Hank;

Why Connor CAN'T NOT kill Captain Allen and his team if he choose to fight:

They're not relevant enough to the story (sad but true) neither for CyberLife;

It's a tactical unit (the motherfucking SWAT), not a single guy;

They gonna take Connor away from his mission ALIVE with no opportunity to get back (it's easier killing himself if he doesn't wanna kill anybody and let CyberLife send another Connor);

Why Connor CAN choose SPARING the Leader (failed revolution) without breaking his program:

It's literally over, doesn't matter if he kills the leader or not;

The army gonna find the leader and they gonna die anyway, and his mission gonna be complete in the end;

-> Other observations and doubts

I don't know why we got a option to not kill Markus during the speech (i don't remember if instability levels are a condition, probably not). Maybe it's cuz it's...over. The androids won and he just doesn't give a shit anymore;

Not shooting Markus in this section is considered deviancy but Amanda interjects directly, right in the moment, trapping the current Connor in the garden and resetting everything (V). This proves the red wall is just a illustration for the player, it doesn't exactly happens;

Instability stop being relevant after Crossroads;

In Crossroads, Connor lowering his gun down after alerting Markus already means deviancy, probably.

I don't know how and when exactly Connor starts getting attached to Hank. I used to believe he starts prioritizing Hank the more instability he gets (and that's why Hank's relationship status and instability levels are related to each other) but ain't exactly like that, I guess? Depending on how u play with Connor Hank matters but Lieutenant Anderson doesn't, know what i mean? Cops are always slowing him down in a couple of senses and they always show up at the wrong time. I assume Connor, even if on his right of killing Hank in hypothetical revenge method, still got attachment to him. The fact he "cares" kinda comes from him programming. His ability to get attached to people is a weapon.

The fact Hank is a human makes the whole thing more difficult. AIs can't directly order androids to kill humans, even if they're a nuisance - especially when the main justification for the mission is exactly "saving humanity". It's a valve of escape for Connor, even if the % is low, as long as there's a human he's attached to he can find evasion methods and not break his programming (not become deviant);

Connor in Hart Plaza Rooftop pretty much CHOOSE to finish his job, it's something he decided. He doesn't show any trace of doubts about finishing his mission. There's no reason for him to deviate at this point and if he had another oportunity to deviate (before the androids victory), he would (un)fortunately REFUSE. He chose putting the revolution down and saving the day;

Hank's not relevant for CyberLife at all so all the choices regarding to him after FBI took the case are up to Connor alone. Ofc he got his priorities but he got freedom to choose how to deal with him. But when he ain't got no choice, he just ain't got no choice. He can't just give up his direct order if ain't got a big reason to do it or if evasion methods still exists, giving him time to still accomplish it later cuz it's still open and with high % of success. Connor is unfortunately trapped in his own program;

If u read this til the end i just wanna let u know there are a lot of inconsistencies with this theory cuz i'm probably going against what the game really intended.

[frithwontdie]

Do white Americans owe reperations to blacks? NO!

In America, Reparations have already been paid. To the point that it’s beyond ridiculous. Whites have gone out of their way to artificially boost Nonwhites at every turn. Trillions of tax dollars and donations have been spent over decades trying to boost non-white achievements and social status. Also dept relief, Crt, affirmative action, first step act, donations for past wrong doings, school degrees, food stamps, welfare programs, etc.

Alot of whites and some jews through out American history tried to help blacks become a separate & self-reliant people (the pursuit of Booker T. Washington) through education.

The Freedman's Bureau (1865 to 1872) :

The Freedman’s Bureau (officially known as ‘The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands’) was created by Americans to feed and provide other life necessities to the Negro population of the South after the Civil War ended in 1865. However, well before the end of the Civil War, Americans organized all over the North various organizations to feed, clothe, educate and provide other needed necessities for the newly freed Negro people Note: according to W.E.B Du Bios, more than 50 organizations were active in relief capacity for the southern Negro by 1866.

"The First white people in America, certainly the first in the South to exhibit their interest in the reaching of the Negro and saving his soul through the medium of the Sunday-school were Robert E. Lee and 'Stonewall Jackson'. ...Where Robert E. Lee and 'Stonewall' Jackson have led in the redemption of the Negro through the Sunday-school, the rest of us can afford to follow. " - Booker T. Washington 1910

The Tuskegee Institute:

This icon of Black education was founded by the great Booker T Washington and was also the brainchild of an Alabama prominent banker by the name of George W. Campbell (White man). Another White man, an Alabama state senator named W.F. Foster, spearheaded the necessary funding for the Institute through the state legislature. The result was a yearly appropriation of $2000.

The following white Americans, all self-made millionaires, gave small fortunes - their own hard earned money - to this Negro self-sufficiency school over their lifetime:

--Andrew Carnegie

--John D. Rockefeller

--Henry Rodgers

--Collis Huntington

And,

--Julius Rosenwald*

--Anna T. Jeanes*

* Julius Rosenwald was an immigrant Jew and self-made millionaire.

* Anna T. Jeanes, a white woman, was not a self-made millionaire, but inherited her money from her husband.

Howard University

Howard University was chartered in 1867. It was championed by an American Civil War General, Oliver Otis Howard (November 8, 1830 – October 26, 1909), and the school hence bears his name. Howard University is also the ONLY higher education school ever to be directly funded by the US taxpayers (it still is).

Lincoln University

Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) was an exclusive college for Negroes and was created in 1854 by a white man named John Miller Dickey, who also became its first president. Lincoln University was originally named Ashmun Institute. The first Black president of the university was not elected until 1945.

Fisk University

Fisk University was an all-Negro college that was established by three whites, Erastus Milo Cravath, John Ogden and Edward Parmelee Smith in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1866.

Wilberforce University

Wilberforce University, located near Xenia, in Ohio, was an all-Negro college created by whites from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1856. It was named after a white man, William Wilberforce, who was an 18th century abolitionist.

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania was an all-Negro school established in 1837. A white man named Richard Humphreys had bequeathed $10,000 in his will (10% of his estate) in 1832 for the sole purpose of creating a place of education for the Negro race.

Atlanta University

Atlanta University was founded by whites associated with the American Missionary Association, in 1865. Around 1866, its survival then shifted to, and depended upon, the Americans associated with the Freedman’s Bureau.

In 1922, the Carnegie Corporation and the Rockefeller Memorial gave $25,000 each to create the Journal Of Negro History.

In 1924, George Eastman (Kodack Co.) gave Tuskegee Institute $1 million dollars.

John D. Rockefeller

Mr. Rockefeller donated almost $180 million dollars to the General Education Board, which was chartered by Act of Congress in 1903. Much of this money was spent supplying educational aid to the Negro people, specifically in the southern states (Mr. Rockefeller‘s $180 million translates to almost 2 billion dollars in today's dollars!)

George Peabody Education Fund for poor Southerners

George Peabody Education Fund was established by a white man named George Peabody, and was designed to help Negro colleges in the South at the turn of the century.

The Slater Fund

The Slater Fund was established by white, James Fox Slater, in 1882. Its primary purpose was to support southern Negro schools. Around 1915, this fund was worth about $1.75 million.

The Jeanes Fund (Jeanes Foundation)

A white woman named Miss Anna T. Jeanes, a Quaker, created 'The Fund for Rudimentary Schools for Southern Negroes’ in 1907 from the monies left to her by her late husband. The purpose of the fund was to help Negroes create teachers for their people. It was endowed at one million dollars (a staggering sum at the time).

The Southern Education Board: In or around 1900, whites created the The Southern Education Board. It's funding was initially provided by the Slater Fund and the Jeans Funds. Americans, trained in the area of farming, would go to rural farms (Negro and American) and educate them on better farming techniques. The Southern Education Board was also very concerned with the high southern Negro illiteracy, which was, in 1900, almost 50% (for southern Americans, around 11%).

Phelps-Stokes Fund

Established in 1911, a white philanthropist and self-made millionaire Anson Phelps Stokes created this fund for the purpose of improving Negro life through education. Its endowment was approximately $900,000.

Minor Fund

This fund was established by a white female, Miss Myrtilla Minor, in 1851. Its purpose was to provide aid to schools who would teach Negro girls to be teachers for their people.

In 1910, according to the US census, 50% of Negroes (about 4.8 million) lived in urban centers (all created by white males). That means there would be approximately 2.4 million Negro males living in the urban centers of America. About 1/3rd would be too young to work, so that means there were about 1.6 million Negro males of working age living in American-built cities in 1910. Of those 1.8 million Negro males, 350,000 (almost 20%!) worked in a factory job (all factory jobs for the Negro were supplied by White men i.e. not ONE factory job in America was created by a Negro male --so, concomitantly, no white man was employed by a Negro male in a factory job. Note: At this time in American history, you worked or you starved. (source: Chronological History of The Negro pg. 358)

Naturally, with whites, being so generous supplying jobs to black men, naturally, more black men were encouraged to come to the American-built urban areas.

Julius Rosenwald

Without question one of the most generous of the Euro race toward the black people was Julius Rosenwald (Jewish). Most of his charity was gifted through the Rosenwald Fund (depleted in 1948)

Cushing Fund

A white woman, Miss Emeline Cushing, established this fund in 1895 for the purpose of financially assisting colored schools.

Whites Create Special School - In Mississippi. - For Negro Boys To Own Land

Daniel Hand Fund

A white self-made millionaire, Daniel Hand, established the Daniel Hand Fund in 1888. It was endowed at $1 million dollars (two-thirds of Mr. Hand’s entire personal wealth!). Mr. Hand stipulated that all of the Fund would be directed toward Negro education in the former slave states. When Mr. Hand died in 1893, he bequeathed the rest of his remaining wealth to this fund.

Andrew Carnegie

Mr. Carnegie, when he retired, was considered the richest man in the world. He also became the biggest philanthropist in America and gave generously to Negro educational causes, which included giving $600,000 to the Tuskegee Institute in 1903.

Harmon Foundation

The New York City Harmon Foundation was established in 1922 by an white man named William Harmon (1862-1928). Its purpose was to aid and assist Negro art, artists, businesses, education for Negroes, farming needs, music, and other causes for the Negro.

Garland Fund

This White-male-established fund was used to help the NAACP through the Great Depression.

John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Mr. Rockefeller, Jr. built the Dunbar Apartments in New York City, a mammoth complex consisting of six buildings - 511 apartments - specifically to house low-income Negroes in Harlem. He also built and funded a bank in NYC solely for Negroes.

Katharine Drexel

Katherine Drexel was born November 26, 1858 and died March 3, 1955. She was an American female, a nun, philanthropist, educator and later canonized as a Roman Catholic saint.

"She became a nun, and took the name Sister Katharine, dedicating herself and her inheritance to the needs of [non-occupational ranking] Native Americans and African-Americans in the western and southwestern United States, and was a vocal advocate of racial tolerance. She established a religious order, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. She also financed more than 60 missions and schools around the United States, and founded Xavier University of Louisiana[1] - the only historically Black, Roman Catholic university in the United States to date."

The United Negro College Fund

In 1944 the United Negro College Fund was created. Almost all of the funding for its initial operation was provided by the General Education Fund and the Rosenwald Fund.

Mr. William Trent, a black man, in the course of his 20-year tenure as its first executive director, raised over $78 million for this fund, almost all of it coming from generous white liberal Americans (Senator John F. Kennedy gave all of the profits from his book ‘Profiles in Courage' to this fund).

Also American Jews also gave money to black people. Before 1950, it was mostly coming from the Rosenwald fund.

Minority scholarships:

Low income:

It’s open to illegal immigrants, too, but white people? Forget it. And when we learn that “800 Compton residents to get guaranteed income in two-year pilot program,” since Compton is only 2 percent white – yes, just 2 percent – white people won’t get that money.

Having to change the requirements of mental retardation, because too many blacks IQ's were that low.

https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/pdf/90s/99/99-MRI-MLW.pdf

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

How to Increase the Chance of Boosting Your Stories on Medium

Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Writers by an Experience Book Author, Editor, and Content Strategist Based on my decades of writing and editing experience, I summarized the critical success factors to increase the visibility of content on any writing platform, including Medium. Dear Fellow Writer, this is Dr Mehmet Yildiz, owner and chief editor of ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications on…

[entropyblog]

Greenbelt Maryland. Or, how America almost solved housing only to abandon it.

**I AM NOT AN EXPERT! I AM JUST AN ENTHUSIST! DO NOT TREAT MY OPINIONS/SPECULATION AS EDUCATION!**

During the Depression America faced a housing crisis that rhymes with but differs from our own. It’s different in that there wasn’t a supply issue, there were loads of houses in very desirable areas, but they were still unaffordable as people’s incomes collapsed causing a deflationary spiral. While the housing supply subtly grew and succeeded demand, people simply couldn’t pay the meager rents and mortgages. Herbert Hoover failed to manage the Depression, while his inaction is greatly exaggerated, his policy of boosting the economy with works projects and protecting banks from runs failed and the depression only got more pronounced in his term. In comes Franklin Roosevelt, a progressive liberal much like his distant and popular cousin/uncle-in-law Teddy. Franklin’s plan was to create a large safety net for people to be able to be economically viable even if they’re otherwise poor. These reforms are called the New Deal and they did many controversial things like giving disabled and retired people welfare, giving farmers conditioned subsidies to manipulate the price of food, a works program to build/rebuild vital infrastructure, etc. One of these programs was the USHA (a predecessor of America’s HUD), an agency created to build and maintain public housing projects with the goal of creating neighborhoods with artificially affordable rents so people who work low-wage jobs or rely on welfare can be housed.

In this spirit, the agency started experimenting with new and hopefully efficient housing blueprints and layouts. If you ever see very large apartment towers or antiquated brick low-rise townhouses in America, they might be these. The USHA bought land in many large and medium-sized cities to build “house-in-park” style apartments, which is what they sound like. Putting apartment buildings inside green spaces so residents can be surrounded by greenery and ideally peacefully coexist. Three entire towns were built with these ideas outside three medium-sized cities that were hit hard by the depression; Greenbelt outside DC, Greenhills outside Cincinnati, and Greendale outside Milwaukee. The idea was to move people out of these crowded cities into these more sustainable and idyllic towns. There were many catches though, the USHA planned for these towns to be all-white, they used to inspect the houses for cleanliness, they required residents to be employed or on Social Security (which basically meant retired or disabled), they also had an income limit and if your income exceeded that limit you were given a two-month eviction notice, and you were expected to attend town meetings at least monthly. While the towns didn’t have religious requirements they did only build protestant churches. Which is an example of discrimination by omission. While a Catholic, Jew, Muslim, etc could in theory move into town they also couldn’t go to a Catholic church, synagogue, or Islamic center without having to extensively travel. Things planned communities leave out might indicate what kind of people planned communities want to leave out. Basically, the whole thing was an experiment in moving Americans into small direct-democracy suburbs as opposed to the then-current system of crowded cities and isolated farm/mine towns. This type of design wasn’t without precedent, there were famously company towns like Gary and Pullman which both existed outside Chicago. But those lacked the autonomy and democracy some USHA apparatchiks desired.

The green cities were a series of low-rise apartments housing over a hundred people each, they were short walks from a parking lot and roads, and walking paths directly and conveniently led residents to the town center which had amenities and a shopping district. Greenbelt in particular is famous for its art deco shopping complex, basically an early mall where business owners would open stores for the townspeople. These businesses were stuck being small, given the income requirements, but it was encouraged for locals to open a business to prove their entrepreneurial spirit. Because city affairs were elected at town meetings the city was able to pull resources to eventually build their own amenities the USHA didn’t originally plan for like a public swimming pool or better negotiated garbage collection.

These three cities were regarded as a success by the USHA until World War II happened and suddenly they showed flaws given the shift in focus. These towns housed poor people who barely if at all could afford a car, so semi-isolated towns outside the city became redundant and pointless. The USHA also had to keep raising the income requirement since the war saw a spike in well-paying jobs which made the town unsustainable otherwise. During the war and subsequent welfare programs to help veterans, these green cities became de facto retirement and single-mother communities for a few years as most able-bodied men were drafted or volunteered. Eventually, the USDA would make the towns independent, after the war they raised the income limit yet again and slowly the towns repopulated. As cars became more common and suburbanization became a wider trend these towns would be less noticeably burdensome and were eventually interpreted as just three out of hundreds of small suburban towns that grew out of major cities. They were still all-white and the town maintained cleanliness requirements; after all they lived in apartments it just takes one guy’s stink-ass clogged toilet to ruin everyone’s day.

By the 1950’s these towns were fully independent. Greendale and Greenhills voted to privatize their homes and get rid of the income limit all together so the towns can become more normal. Greenhills, Ohio still has many of these USHA-era houses and apartments, all owned by a series of corporations and private owners. Greendale, Wisconsin property owners have demolished most of these old houses and restructured their town government so most traces of its founding are lost. But Greenbelt, Maryland still maintains a lot of its structure to this day. Greenbelt has privatized some land and buildings, but most of the original USHA apartments are owned by the Greenbelt Homes, Inc cooperative which gives residents co-ownership of the building they live in and their payments mostly go to maintenance. Because Greenbelt was collectively owned the House Un-American Activities Committee would blacklist and put on trial most of Greenbelt’s residents and officials. Though they didn’t find much evidence of communist influence, the town was a target of the red scare by the DMV area, residents were discriminated, blacklisted, and pressured into selling their assets. While Greenbelt did commodify some of the town, the still existing co-ownership shows the town’s democratic initiative to maintain its heritage. The green cities desegregated in the 50’s and 60’s depending on state law, Greenbelt was the last to desegregate under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, while discrimination persisted for years by the 1980’s the town would become half non-white, today the town is 47% black and 10% Asian.

Though these towns largely integrated with a privatized and suburbanized America, they do stand as a memorial to an idea of American urbanism that died. They were designed for walkability and were planned to be more democratic and egalitarian towns, with the conditions that came with segregation and government oversight. You can’t ignore the strict standards and racism in their history, but you can say that about many towns. How do you think America would be different if more cities had green suburbs that were more interconnected and designed for community gatherings?

[activefitglow]

10 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally.

The "immune system" includes all cells, tissues, and organs that act together against pathogen infections. With no lifestyle change guaranteeing immunity, such routines will ramp up the sun's magnificence upon seated viewers. Here are ten tips using natural remedies to elevate your immune system to a better climactic state than it normally would be.

1. A Healthy Diet:

Eating a diseased food is carotenoid nonsense; what you eat is primarily a matter of health. The quality of any nuts is really going to be enough highly nutritious, for example:

Vitamin C: By helping in white blood cell production that fights infections, orange, lemon, strawberries, and other citrus fruits have been shown to boost immune responses.

Zink: Found on nuts, seeds, shellfish and legumes, zinc appears to help multiply immune cells. I, being an antioxidant, just protect cells from damage coming from free radicals.

Antioxidants: Several studies stated that foods such as blueberries, spinach, and green tea decrease inflammation and offer protection to immune cells from damage.

Healthy Fats: Fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, etc. provide omega-3 fats to reduce inflammation and plan a plan of action for the immune response.

Unique Tricks: Green vegetables, berries, nuts, and seeds cut across the work with great variability of provided nutrients.

2. Keep Hydrated:

Hydration is key to optimal functioning of the immune system. Water provides a medium for producing lymph, which distributes white blood cells and other immune cells throughout the body. It also cushions and buffers the body against various pathogens and flushes toxins out of your body while keeping skin healthy, which happens to be a physical barrier against infection.

Ways to Remain Hydrated: 

Consume 8 glasses of water per day. 

Eat lots of hydrating foods, such as watermelons, cucumbers, and oranges. 

Cut down on sugary beverages and alcoholic drinks, as they would just lead to dehydration.

Unique Tricks: Carry your water bottle with you all day long to remind you to keep drinking water. 

3. Get Enough Sleep:

Your body does much repair work while you sleep. It generates proteins called cytokines, which design medicine for the target of infection and inflammation. Sleep deprivation diminishes the synthesis of these proteins and weakens your immune defence.

Sleep tips:

7-9 hours of sleep must be achieved per night. 

Be consistent with your sleeping hours even on weekends. 

End your day with a peaceful bedtime routine (reading, meditation, or a warm bath) to enhance sleep quality.

Unique Tricks: Avoid using electronic devices right before going to bed. The blue light emanating from the phones and computers disrupts our production of melatonin and makes it more difficult to fall asleep. 

4. Exercise Regularly:

Moderate and consistent exercise reduces inflammation and enables healthy circulation, thereby enhancing immune response through faster distribution of immune cells in different parts of your body. Studies have shown that compared with less active people, people who exercise have better immune responses.

Best exercises known to improve immunity abilities:

Moderate aerobic exercises include a brisk walk, sailing, swimming, or jogging. 

Join a strength training program to promote muscle development and overall body function. 

Join yoga and stretching exercises to relieve yourself from stress and widen your flexibility spectrum.

Unique Tricks: Strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week. A brisk walk of 20-minute every day can go a long way toward improving the health of your immune system.

5. Stress Control:

Stress results in the production of the hormone called cortisol. This is a secretory hormone that suppresses the T-cell response, hence lowering an immunological response. Control of stress, therefore, achieves much towards ensuring optimal functioning of the immune system.

Maintain Stress Control:

Meditation and deep breathing: There is some mindfulness and breathing exercise there that would make your nervous system even calmer and reduce the production of cortisol.

Journaling: You can write down your thoughts and feelings as a powerful stress-reducer.

Time management: Schedule your day so that you are not overwhelmed by it and allow time for things that make you happy.

Unique Tricks: Begin with 5-10 min meditation or mindfulness breathing and add more minutes.

6. Probiotics for Healthy Guts:

Gut Health is the basis of your comprehensive health and wellbeing. Without this, you can't keep the gut flora in good health.

Probiotic Foods:

Yogurt with live cultures.

Fermented milk drink: Kefir.

Sauerkraut and kimchi.

If you can't stomach any of the food on the list, then a good probiotic supplement is the next best thing for your gut.

Unique Tricks: When buying yoghurt or other fermentated foodstuffs, be sure to check for the "live and active cultures" on the label to be sure that you are getting live probiotics.

7. Use Herbs and Spices:

Herbs and spices are used not only for flavour but can deeply strengthen immunity. Scientific research is providing so much more evidence of natural ingredients in battling inflammation and fighting off infections.

Immune-Boosting Herbs and Spices: 

Ginger: This has an anti-inflammatory and antiviral factor.

Turmeric: Curcumin contains one of the more potent natural anti-inflammatory agents.Garlic: Rich in immune stimulating and antiviral properties.Echinacea: Most people use it preventatively to ward off colds and to reduce the symptoms.Elderberry: It contains antioxidants and may help deal with viral infections.

Unique Tricks:  Add fresh herbs and spices into your soups, teas and foods for added healthy benefits.

8. Get enough sun-light Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is a critical immune system nutrient. It stimulates the action of monocytes and macrophages, the critical white blood cells that form an integral part of the immune response. Unfortunately, most of us have inadequate amounts of Vitamin D, and this deficiency is at its worst during the winter.

Get enough Vitamin D: Spend at least 10-30 minutes outside in the sun several times a week, depending on your skin type and your location.

Rich sources of Vitamin D: Fatty fish (salmon, tuna), egg yolks, and fortified foods (milk, cereal). You may also take a Vitamin D supplement, especially during the winter or if you usually stay indoors most of the time.

Unique Tricks: Ask for a blood test to know your level of Vitamin D. It's a good check-up for you in case you do not get enough of this vitamin.

9. Be Hygiene:

Hygiene will determine the best way that an illness can be avoided. Hygiene in hand washing is likely to represent the most practical form of preventing germs and even infection.

Practicing Hygiene:

Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially immediately after visiting public or by touching shared facilities.

Use hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol content if you can't get soap as well as water.

Don't touch your face particularly eyes, nose and mouth.

Unique Tricks: Carry hand sanitiser with you whenever you go or develop the habit of sanitising places you need to rub against repeatedly, like your phone, keyboard, or door handles.

10. Avoid Smoking and Drinking Alcohol: 

Smoking would further devastate the immunity and enhance the damage to the lungs. Alcohol misuse would also lose or reduce the immune system, as not all the cells of the immune system work correctly. Precautions to be Taken to Reduce the Risk:

Quit smoking, or seek medical advice for help quitting smoking.

Alcohol should only be consumed at a limit stated above: One drink per day for women and two for men.

Unique Tricks: While an alcohol detox substitute drinks with hydrating alternatives such as herbal teas or infused water.

Conclusion: All-natural approaches towards boosting immunity do not include extreme measures. That includes nutrient-rich food, hydration, managing stress, and healthy lifestyles. You would soon feel a change within yourself once you began adopting these hints in your daily life.

[thatincorrectquotegeneratorguy]

2K Quotes & 2Mil Views 2 Week Celebration!

I've decided to run this celebration by birthday candle rules, and by that I mean y'all are getting two different sharing challenges and a QnA to grow on.

THE CELEBRATION IS UNDERWAY! Askbox is open for QnA until January 21st-ish and I'll be reblogging shit like mad. Go wild, my friends.

Now, if you saw my previous post about this, you probably know that I've got finals approaching (also holiday plans), so I've decided to postpone my engagement with the celebration until January 7th-ish. Technically, that means the 7th will be the "official" start of the challenges and such, but nothing is stopping you from starting "early" or "late" if that's your vibe. After the "official" start, it'll be 2 straight weeks of me violently reblogging challenge posts and answering QnA questions. The ask box, however, will only be open during that 2-week period, and after that it'll be back to our regularly scheduled non-submission period for inbox clearing.

So, without further ado, here's the plan:

IQG Inspo Challenge!

Inspiration has always been at the heart of the IQG. Originally, I made it to help prompt some funny scenes between OCs of mine and my friends, and, now that it's gotten more popular, I've always loved seeing what comics, fanfics, videos, and other artistic endeavours it's inspired in other people.

To participate in the IQG Inspo Challenge, try to find a new quote you like in the generator every day for 2 weeks and make something creative out of it. Make it big or small, make it in any medium, "miss" however many days you like: as long as you enjoy it, you're carrying the spirit of the challenge.

If you share your IQG Inspo creations, tag them #IQG Inspo! I'll be browsing the tag on tumblr and reblogging what I can during the challenge (and even if your post doesn't get reblogged, it'll still be cool to see a gallery of all the neat stuff people have made).

If you want to share it but don't want me to reblog it, that's alright. Simply tag your post #do not quote.

Program and Play Challenge!

To join the Program and Play challenge, all you have to do is share a project you've programmed under the tag #Program and Play. It doesn't matter if it's a WIP or had long since been finished, it doesn't matter if you're new to programming or a professional in the field. As long as it's an original project you've programmed and enjoyed, it's perfect for the challenge.

Now, you might be asking "what does this have to do with the IQG" and the answer is not much, really. Programming is just something I really enjoy and I want to encourage others interested in it by boosting their projects up. I'll be browsing this challenge's tag and reblogging what I can (as with the IQG Inspo challenge, anything you don't want me to reblog can be tagged #do not quote).

If you're new to programming and don't know where to start, then there's lots of programming sites out there with support for beginners such as Scratch, Neocities, and, of course, Perchance. The best way to learn programming is just to dive into it. Don't be afraid to ask questions, google answers, and try new things (worst comes to worst, Stack Overflow hasn't failed me yet).

Remember, very few people enter hobbies with a talent for them. It's those who spend time learning and exploring skills that are the most masterful of them.

And, last but not least, QnA!

As I said, the askbox opens on January 7th and closes after two weeks (January 21st) with anon questions active. You might notice I didn't put any specific timezones on this. That's because it's gonna be a bit wibbly wobbly as far as timing goes, but I'll be giving y'all an announcement post once I open it, and a last minute call an hour or so before I close it.

During this period, the askbox will only by open for questions and non-management related things. Any bug reports or submissions sent at this time will not be acknowledged since I'm still clearing out the current 1,964 items in the inbox.

In honor of Tumblr's long history of ridiculous asks, I'm not gonna put any limits onto the questions y'all can ask unless I have to. You can ask about the code, you can ask about me, you can ask about completely unrelated bullshit that you find funny, I don't really mind. However, know that this is all up to my own discretion. I might not take your question seriously. I might not answer it at all. It's (probably) nothing personal (unless you actively tried to send hate speech or something of the like).

I think it's important for people to feel heard and recieve explanations for why certain decisions are made, so I will answer most questions about the chat deletion if you ask them, but they will be tagged under #IQG chat so people who want to stick to the more cheery bits of the QnA can filter it out. I would prefer if IQG chat discussion is kept to the original post about it, but I understand that a lot of the chatters didn't have a tumblr, so this will likely be the only way many of you can voice your concerns. Keep in mind that all of the things I've said about the questions up until now still applies. I will still be answering them at my own discrection. You have all been very respectful so far and I appreciate that, but, to anyone who might consider sending in harrassment or something of the like over this, know that it won't bring the chat back.

[thebigcjart]

Here are some extra bits on Kane!

ngl trying to match the fonts on the assets was super tough so I ended up just using the font listed on the wiki.

Infodump under the cut >:3

Strife Specubi

Kane's strife specubi consist of catkind and 2xlegkind. Kane brings Cazador into the Medium, but I don't know if they prototype him or not yet. I haven't really thought of sprites yet tbh.

Cazador does most of the fighting, but it's still registered as Kane "fighting" using Caz as a weapon through Catkind. Kane can also use cat statues, and other weapons that involve attacking the enemy with a cat of some sort. Cazador never strays (pun!) far from Kane, but Kane knows how to kick (with both legs only) through 2xlegkind. This also includes dual wielding legs as weapons, funnily enough.

Fetch Modus

The Claw Fetch modus was something that just kind of... happened? Whenever Kane captchalouges something, the captchlogue cards are thrown into a big hole with lots of platforms. Smaller items fall much slower than large items. Items must be retrieved by playing a claw mini-game, avoiding the platforms and undesired items along the way. The item fall speed thing is so if they captchalouge something by accident, they have a chance of catching while it's falling or following it closely if the item is small enough.

I had the thought that the deeper the claw goes, the more spaced out the platforms would be, to the point where if they go deep enough, there wouldn't be any more. From there, I imagine that the claw would leave the mini-game window and be able to grab things in the world. Either that, or there may be something down there in the deepest reaches of their sylladex. Waiting.

Or both of those things idk lol

Internet Browser (and Denizen)

So... let's talk about Khaos. I might have more to say on their presence and impact on the session in a separate dedicated post, but I'm going to talk about the design here.

So, the browser consists of a display window, which displays whatever webpage they're on, and a raw html console to interact with said display window. I don't know any html, and Kane only knows barely more than me, so most of their internet browsing has been through sheer dumb luck. Things just sort of work, and Kane doesn't really care but Jake, oh Jake is pissed that Kane can just... Use something without fully understanding what they're getting into. Jake isn't the kind of guy to really get "angry," but this is a conversation that Kane and he have often, to keep it brief.

This pet peeve is reinforced when the Khaos browser automatically downloads both a SBURB server program and a client application to everyone's devices ;)

Khaos is very clearly derivative of Yaldabaoth, but for good reason. I tried many things to try and move away from the stereotypically "edgy dark shadow version ooOOOoooOOoo" design tropes, and this is the best I could do while still keeping a recognizable homestucky design. All instances of the original denizen sprites on the wiki and online had a sort of dropshadow/transparent gradient outline that didn't exactly mesh well with mspaint's lack of transparency. I could have very easily removed the resulting black border, but I think it makes the grey tendrils pop more and serves to boost the void themes.

I really want to move away from setting up Kane as some edgelord figure with all the "no emotions" "Chaos" "emptiness and darkness and shadow" stuff, and just sort of treat them as kind of just another flavor of person, if that makes any sense? probably not, but just know that edginess is NOT my goal here.

Where Yaldobob is a sun-headed snake with Dirk's text color, Khaos is a black hole or black sun-headed snake with Kane's text color. As I talked about in my original Kane introduction post, the black sun is a symbol representing Nigredo, an alchemical component with an immeasurable quality of emptiness that is the first step toward creating the philosopher's stone.

In Greek mythology, Khaos is the primordial void state preceding the creation of the universe, perfect for Kane's voidness.

And much like Yolobroth, Khaos is also associated with creation and universalness. These parallels were designed this way on purpose :)

[squeakadeeks]

i hope this statement isnt unknowingly swinging a bat at a wasp’s nest but man no matter how much time passes i always get such a weird feeling looking at cosplay selfies that are extremely edited in terms of the facial features. 

photo editing obviously has its place in photoshoot/display photos (especially for effects but i feel like thats an entirely different topic) and i stand firm that theres nothing inherently wrong with editing cosplay photos, but looking at ones where theres maybe a grand total of 5 pixels left unedited or I have to double-take to realize its a photo and not a drawing makes me get a bit of a knot in my stomach. to be clear i dont mean like “airbrush out eyebags” or “slight skin smoothing/boosting the lighting” i mean extreme distortion of facial features and heavy airbrushing. 

i see both sides: on one hand with cosplay its a different medium to display art and where most often main vehicle of which you share it is photos, and why not make the photo look as polished as possible? after all, its how you’re sharing the artform, photo manipulation is no secret, and if you worked hard on something it makes sense to want to make it look nice and eye-catching when presented. 

but then again its not just photos, its photos of faces, bodies, and people, and even after knowing something is edited its so deeply ingrained in our social programing to see something and attempt to mirror it in ourselves that dysmorphia is almost always along for the ride. which leads into the issue of community norms and standards; for a long time now heavy editing has been the standard- but the downside of it being so standardized is if you dont want to participate, you can be punished. this may be shocking coming from someone who almost died from an ED, but i dont take behaviors that can trigger dysmorphia lightly and dont feel comfortable editing my photos in that way, but i’ve had my work cross-compared to people who do by people outside the cosplay sphere, and when you dont do above and beyond editing, your work will look lackluster and dull in comparison. 

part of me is tempted to just say “people do what people do, just mind your business and present your work according to your values” but again, sharing things- especially images of faces/bodies absolutely does not exist in a vacuum and one person’s decision to edit themselves in an extreme manner can have significant negative consequences not just as a result of that singular image, but how it can reinforce harmful norms...which in turn leads into a pandora’s box senario (ie once the standard gets updated to extreme disfiguration it will be difficult/damn near impossible to return to the way things were before)