#Graphic Design Spring 2013 Course

[popsixsquishcicerolipschitz]

Rodchenko in Motion - animated poster

Alessio Sciascia

Milano, Italy

Rodchenko in Motion - animated poster

Imagine a poster as a frozen moment in time, what came first and what will happen next? Taking the task of animate a poster from the constructivism period the choice was of working on one of the most famous art pieces by Alexander Rodchenko. On a rhythmic music in the background that recalls factories and machines the pieces that compose the poster come togheter. Screwing and sliding at their place the pieces end up to create the entire composition that will be eventually destroyed. Music: An Animated Description of Mr. Maps - The Books Rhode Island School of Design Graphic Design Spring 2013 Course: Type in Motion Professor: Hammett Nurosi

[omegaremix]

Cath-, 2013.

My friend Catherine and I were two weeks away from meeting up for the first time in six years. For a good nine months, conversations escalated. The more we spoke, the more time we needed to answer each other back. She was interested in my progress from a personal collapse, and I was interested in her health. We had a lot of parallels and things in common. Since we had our own personal setbacks and what-if scenarios, there was a lot of potential of what could and should have happened. The euphoria to meet up, pick up right where we left off, and arrive at a vital turning point in our lives was real.

Right before we met in April three years ago, she had given me several vital updates about herself. The good news was that she re-upped on graphic design courses at community college. Her discovery of David Carson took me by surprise as I was a huge fan of Raygun Magazine. I became the reason she took to blogging, and she started illustrating for personal projects. The bad news was that she was arrested for using in a coffee house parking lot. Relations with her family were very contentious, and her blog entries detailed scheming, past troubles, and sexually-explicit acts in shocking and heart-jumping detail. The balance of good and bad is always the Libra.

The more time passed, the more anticipated our next answers would be. It was sophisticated conversation, a true rarity in my world. That was what had us trading ten-page replies. What we also traded were music recommendations. We had done this before over ice cream when we first met during the last decade, and we were going to do it again. Thanks to her dealer circle, she discovered KMFDM and Skinny Puppy, so I gave her a plentiful amount of both, then congratulated her for now becoming an industrialist. She then send me her recommendations: Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear, Babes In Toyland, Heavens To Betsy, and Bratmobile.

It was expected and I was not surprised. She had a rough social life in high-school and wasn’t taught proper survival, self-esteem, or coping skills. Moreso, she had a lot of bad instances with the wrong men she had met in her life, most using and abusing her. So Catherine took to getting new skin. She definitely had her reasons. She needed some ammunition and reinforcements in Kill Rock Stars and Lookout! as the obvious de facto choices in female teeth. The music was not only a small sieve in what Catherine was about, but also part of the Omega spring shows simply because they were damn good.

These are just the few cuts I found through Catherine that would later become part of our radio show. They also are a red stamp of the era of conversations, issues, and  soul we had, and more, for the rest of that spring; things still so unreal after the fact that it still resonates with me.

Bikini Kill “New Radio”

Heavens To Betsy “Waitress Hell”

Babes In Toyland “Laugh My Head Off”

Huggy Bear “February 14”

Bratmobile “Shut Your Face”

Babes In Toyland “Bruise Violet”

Heavens To Betsy “Get Out Of My Head”

Babes In Toyland “Oh Yeah”

[comicteaparty]

Writing & Misc. Resources

Check out this plethora of writing and other comic creating resources archived from Comic Tea Party’s Writing & Misc. Resources Channel!

RebelVampire

https://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/ - an enormous set of world-building questions for fantasy and science fiction stories.(edited)

http://rollforfantasy.com/ - generators and guides galore. it's fairly D&D oriented, but its broad enough to work as an aid for any sort of story you want when it comes to building certain elements.(edited)

http://writersrandomramblings.tumblr.com/post/139781578857/elements-of-culture - fantastic chart that helps categorize elements of culture for world-building. really helpful when you're trying to organize your thoughts(edited)

https://www.learnthat.org/pages/view/roots.html - a quick reference for latin and greek word roots. its really helpful if you need to build your own made up words.(edited)

http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/calendar/ - a cool generator that can help you build a fantasy calendar. not the most robust, but if you need to make something for quick reference it works well

http://www.behindthename.com/ - my personal goto site for names. has a large collection with meanings and everything.(edited)

Kabocha

There is a thing called "Knife Theory," -- while it's primarily referenced for D&D, this gives some ideas on how you can quickly and easily flesh out an exploitable backstory for a character. Every "knife" a storyteller has can be used to further the character arc of someone if you so choose. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/775caq/my_friends_and_i_have_something_called_knife/

Also gonna drop "Worldbuilding Question of the Day" and the "Original Character Question of the Day" tumblrs: https://wbqotd.tumblr.com/ https://ocqotd.tumblr.com/ World/Character building is optoinal but useful! Your mileage may vary from question to question.

Kabocha

MIT Open Courseware Courses Writing Science Fiction: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/comparative-media-studies-writing/21w-759-writing-science-fiction-spring-2016/ Genre Fiction Workshop: Fantasy: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/comparative-media-studies-writing/21w-758-genre-fiction-workshop-fantasy-fall-2016/ Genre Fiction Workshop: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/comparative-media-studies-writing/21w-758-genre-fiction-workshop-spring-2013/ Transmedia Storytelling: Modern Science Fiction: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/comparative-media-studies-writing/21w-763j-transmedia-storytelling-modern-science-fiction-spring-2014/index.htm Make sure to check out the assignments and student work, as well as the readings, and lecture notes. All of these are free.(edited)

RebelVampire

http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html -free word processor software. ywriter may have an ugly site, but the software is immensely useful if you want to collect lots of information in the same place. character profiles? important locations? the outline? all can be contained in a single file. http://wikidpad.sourceforge.net/ -another great, free program. if youre a fan of wikis and would like to store your story notes in a wiki format, this program is great for that.

https://papercatpress.com/ - since this one doesnt really fit art_resources ill put it here. paper cat press is a great resource for finding tons of resources in general. contests, zines, job openings, and so forth! definitely a great thing to have if you're a comic creator.

Kabocha

Webcomic Listing Resources Where can people find links to your comics to read? Comic Bookmarking assistants -ArchiveBinge - https://archivebinge.com/ -Piperka - https://piperka.net/ -ComicRocket - https://www.comic-rocket.com/ Lists -The Webcomic List - http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/ -TopWebComics - http://www.topwebcomics.com/ -Belfry - https://new.belfrycomics.net/ -Webcomics Guide - https://webcomicsguide.com/category/webcomics/ <- this might be iffy, browse with discretion and probably not at work -Webcomic Library - https://webcomiclibrary.tumblr.com/ -LGBT Webcomics - https://tagpacker.com/user/lgbtwebcomics(edited)

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

These are also about site design, only partly intersecting with writing...but there's no coding_resources chat, so I guess I'll put it here? Useful Wordpress plugins for webcomic sites. https://twitter.com/ErinPtah/status/1045091986070556672

Kabocha

Also, if you're using Wordpress, this site is invaluable for keeping up to date with the latest issues that might pop up with various plugins: https://wpvulndb.com/ You can search for various plugins, and sign up for an email digest. We use it at work a lot to make sure nothin' we're using got hit. Also, if you do email through wordpress at all -- get an SMTP auth plugin! It's... well, good because your mail can be rate-limited in case it starts spamming. Also sending authenticated emails will help stuff from getting flagged as spam. It won't stop it, but it will help. Many shared hosts require this. https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-wp-smtp/

Kabocha

If you were wondering how people got things like.... a Patreon icon, or a deviantart icon on their site using a font... Worry no more -- here it is! FONTAWESOME https://fontawesome.com/icons?d=gallery&m=free The free version is just that -- free. Documentation: https://fontawesome.com/how-to-use/on-the-web/setup/getting-started?using=web-fonts-with-css

Kabocha

Also, since I'm thinking about fonts, here's some good places to get free or inexpensive fonts with commercial use licenses: http://typodermicfonts.com/ - Check the "Some Styles Free"/Free tag in the catalog https://creativemarket.com/free-goods - Every week, there's a few new "free" items, one of which is usually a font. https://www.myfonts.com/search//free/?sort=cheap - MyFonts has a free option -- check the licenses on what you download https://www.exljbris.com/ - You may recognize this foundry, but... well, they have some distinctive, useful fonts! Check them out if you get a chance. http://www.blambot.com/ - COMIC FONTS! Some free, some paid. Read the license. https://fonts.google.com/ - Google has a ton of fonts that are available for web use AND download under the MIT open source license. *note: commercial use means like... in your books, or on your website, etc. Read licenses of course, and know what you're allowed to do. Many fonts do not allow you to use them in a graphic that you are trademarking because this may limit other people's use. https://99designs.com/blog/logo-branding/trademarking-a-logo/ If you're thinking about applying for a trademark, talk to your lawyer, not to me.

Artem Ficta (Ring Spell)

Also https://www.fontsquirrel.com/ for free fonts

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

I get a bunch of cheap fonts, and other graphics resources, at MightyDeals: https://www.mightydeals.com/

They do limited-time offers of big bundles at huge discounts. Some of them have really nice fonts, others have tiled patterns (I've used them for SO many clothing textures) and clipart elements, that kind of thing.

Kabocha

https://myfonts.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/y/681445A81EC65CCF/0AB7A90AD1D74D85B4B1B1F623478121 Free font Friday!

RebelVampire

https://www.emwelsh.com/blog/character-questions an article with 7 questions to get to know your characters. i really liked some of the questions on here so i thought itd be worth sharing.

Kabocha

If you're looking for resources for writing comics or just... writing, here's a few (including book recs): Save the Cat https://www.amazon.com/Save-Last-Book-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1932907009 Beat sheets can be found here: http://www.savethecat.com/category/beat-sheets Romancing the beat http://gwenhayes.com/romancing-the-beat/ People don't talk a lot about romance stories or arcs and how they're structured. So here ya go. http://gwenhayes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/RtB_worksheet.pdf Generic beet sheet Various worksheets for plotting, beta reading, etc: https://jamigold.com/for-writers/worksheets-for-writers/ (The beta reader sheet is definitely worth a look if you're giving people things to read over -- focuses their feedback ) Writing a character's internal journey https://jamigold.com/2014/05/how-can-we-show-a-characters-internal-journey/ SciFi/Fantasy Writers of America resources https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/information-center/ (for those looking for US publication -- GUILDS HAVE TONS OF INFO. This list goes to tons of blog entries!!)(edited)

Kabocha

https://twitter.com/gumroad/status/1058358068411555840 Hey, if you didn't know, Gumroad has a wordpress plugin, and that's kind of awesome if you ask me.

Kabocha

Dropping some youtube videos tonight, all from the same channel. Evaluating Critical Feedback on your book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCeXPF1SS10 Revising Character Arcs in Your Novel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj6MASDD_P4 How To Develop Characters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SicPEVhzSaM Writing Hack: Break Out Of Your Writing Rut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAsV3Vhvy-I Revising Your Novel: Where To Start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAKvUwrhCr0(edited)

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Putting this here because there's no "coding resources" channel, hope that's all right. Now that a lot of people are suddenly feeling the need to move their webcomics to an independent hosting site, I really to spread this around...if you're going with Wordpress, don't use ComicPress! Use Webcomic 5: https://wordpress.org/plugins/webcomic/ It has more features, it's more versatile, and it's updated much more regularly, with an active support forum if you need it. There's so much you'd be missing out on.

Kabocha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXoJYOWFESI This entire channel is great, but this video. (Tenor pointed out to me she uploaded a new vid) EDITING! Also, another CMS for webcomics? Hmmm. It ain't wordpress, at least. http://ptyxis.cthonic.com/ Note: I have not tested this. I cannot speak to how usable this system is. I assume it requires a base willingness to learn html/css at minimum.

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Useful poll about what readers like in webcomics! Covers site design as well as story stuff: https://hplehkonen.com/blog/how-do-you-read-webcomics-poll-data/

Delphina

I'm really digging this video series about con table setup and sharing tables! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpPNSFBemQ0

Artem Ficta (Ring Spell)

https://twitter.com/MattGarvey1981/status/1135157084805312512?s=19

MJ Massey

This podcast mini series features two creators I have met in real life and consider authorities on comic writing: Dirk Manning and Russell Nohelty. Each week they will be focusing on a question from one of the different creators in this mastermind group. http://www.comixlaunch.com/session202

Attila Polyák

Whenever I join any webcomic related community I always end up linking to this wonderful guide that covers everything that's webcomic making or related: https://evanjwaterman.com/guide/ Also fun fact: This guide used to be just some publicly shared google sheet, but the dude who compiled it eventually made this page for it.

RebelVampire

https://yourlocalwriterblog.tumblr.com/post/185806112050/how-to-make-a-story-file some great ideas for organizing your stories and making sure the important things that need to be answered are getting answered.

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

The power of pacing https://twitter.com/Hamm_Tips/status/821137467545817088

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Made a post with all the foundational "how to start a webcomic" advice I've seen people ask for, plus some that I haven't: http://leifandthorn.com/2019/07/help-i-want-to-make-a-new-webcomic-how-do-i-start/

The Q

Found this very new resource about making webcomics, from a Finnish webcomics creator (who seems really cool on twitter). It's still in pre-order, but you read the first chapter for free. Thought maybe it could help someone! https://twitter.com/HPLehkonen/status/1160965755330076672

Jo Michelle

Don't know if I've shared this before, but this is a really good resource for story creation: https://youtu.be/hZgWw5juPJ8

MJ Massey

I have trouble coming up with FX ideas so this has been really helpful! http://www.comicbookfx.com/fxlist.php?fbclid=IwAR2QzmzgfVhFy4690_KaK0NX4Qg2r2tPSVXHhwLGf2ldin9m5hSnlDUwsU0

DaemonDan

I also have made use of http://www.writtensound.com/index.php for coming up with onomatopoeia.

DaeofthePast

Jami Gold has a good breakdown on writing romance https://jamigold.com/2012/11/write-romance-get-your-beat-sheet-here/

Pistashi

someone sent me this website on twitter and I thought it was really well done https://www.wirepop.com/

a good initiative too

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

For those of you also writing fantasy, you might find these two videos interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMJQb5bGu_g&t=256s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVrnfniQiS8&t=222s

MJ Massey

My pal Russell relaunched his podcast as The Complete Creative and his first episode is a discussion with Tyler James of ComixLaunch. Both of these guys are experts on having a comics business https://open.spotify.com/episode/2QluA6vfhsmvhTnMRQ0wN3?si=OzF2goYlQeqgg99PL3sqXg

SAWHAND

Hi all! Here's a favorite link of mind for writing stuff! This is an entire recorded course from Brigham Young University on Writing. It's basically a lecture class by Brandon Sanderson, who's written a few of my fav books. It's a quite good class that covers many main categories of writing fiction! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ZDBOc2tX8&list=PLH3mK1NZn9QqOSj3ObrP3xL8tEJQ12-vL

Also, I like to plot stories out event-by-event, then scene-by-scene for comics and I found this really cool format for using excel/spreadsheets to do it that I really like. This person uses the technique (they call it God's Eye View) for screenplay writing, so there's a whole thing about color-coding scenes based on what characters are in the scenes that I just don't bother doing, so don't let the crazy rainbow intimidate you! Anyway, it really helped me organize and get a good feel for the overall pacing of the story https://thestorydepartment.com/get-a-gods-eye-view-of-your-story/ Enjoy!

Kabocha

https://wordpress.org/themes/toocheke/ https://wordpress.org/plugins/toocheke-companion/ Alternative webcomic resource for wordpress

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

Another 'Hello Future Me' video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2dzRzPPAwY

He has a lot of excellent writing resources (including a book on worldbuilding), so I recommend checking him out.

Kabocha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6HOdHEeosc&list=PLSH_xM-KC3Zv-79sVZTTj-YA6IAqh8qeQ Brandon Sanderson's got a really good writing course, and the one he's got going for this year is being posted online with each lecture. Totally worth it if you're into writing fantasy and sci fi (And it's FREE!)

Dann

https://twitter.com/EtheringtonBros/status/1228916004463489025?s=20

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

So earlier in the general chat we were talking about types of characters (mary sues, likeable characters, antiheroes, etc), and this short video I think summarises the basic factor for creating an engaging character: https://youtu.be/QM1tUwpy-yQ

Kabocha

If you're looking to be published or agented, make sure to take a glance at the Manuscript Wishlist for agents to see what they're looking for and if what you're doing matches that niche! https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/the-comprehensive-search-and-query-guide/

Kabocha

Also, if you're looking for freelance editors, the Editorial Freelancers Association has a nifty search tool! (And yes you can have them review comics!) https://www.the-efa.org/hiring/

Erin Ptah (BICP | Leif & Thorn)

Wrote an article on webcomic-specific issues from COVID-19, and some strategies and resources for handling them: http://herald.comicadia.com/2020/03/17/covid-19-and-you-r-webcomic/

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

One of my favorite "here's one way to look at pacing" guides. Short and sweet! Source: https://twitter.com/Hamm_Tips/status/821137467545817088

em.rowene

Hey all! Just heard about a virtual comic con being held over discord/twitch this weekend. There's a lot of interesting comic-related programming! All the info is at: stayhomecomiccon.nl(edited)

em.rowene

I’m double sharing in this channel, I guess, but I’m starting up a hashtag for creators to share ko-fi/commission/other support posts on twitter! It kicks off tomorrow! https://twitter.com/anaphiel_/status/1244727294503067655?s=21

CoppertheCarutor

Whoo Hello Future Me made another video on writing mental illness!... if anyone else is interested in that sort of thing. https://youtu.be/SQCb7GiNOrE

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Good advice on comics to listen to, even tho she's going to teach graphic novel tips, it applies to Webcomics: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFsDCxHJpBg(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

DVpit is coming soon, here's a thread of comic artist advice on looking for a literary agent by my good friends, JesnCin. This is for marginalized creators https://twitter.com/JesnCin/status/1250788458618073088?s=19(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Guide on How to change your book formatted comic into a Webtoon. Found this and thought it's a useful guide: https://youtu.be/evv5hyB6UGk

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Webtoon gave guides on how to publish on their site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWLxyqoe66w

shadowhood {SunnyxRain}

Was looking up tips for designing comic banners for comment storm and found this! Pretty solid advice for anyone thinking of doing it. http://webcomicalliance.com/business/10-terrific-tips-for-building-banners/

Jo Michelle

This focuses on screenwriting, but the suggestions about opening scenes and establishing empathy with characters is true for any medium: https://youtu.be/E1eoLw1goic

Miranda (Into the Swell)

Some helpful information on prologues: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-a-prologue#3-famous-examples-of-prologues-in-literature(edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

The Mom Trope guide; this covers 3 types of moms. I like that she mentions the Missing Mom and give pointers on why it's written this way. Also her black cat distracted me https://youtu.be/vMc955HsAV8(edited)

em.rowene

There's an online SFF writing convention happening this weekend! There are some realy interesting worldbuilding panels on the program! https://emrowene.tumblr.com/post/618560723074908160/diverse-sff-writing-convention-this-memorial

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

A cool post by the staff at GlobalComix about finding your audience: https://globalcomix.com/news/details/9/who-is-the-ideal-reader-for-your-comic-

CoppertheCarutor

This person who ran a really dedicated critique thread on Tapas made this doc, I figured it would be an interesting read for users of the platform. https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ejYNWf9w8L1Y-th1SHAqT3sSDPbOY6KNd-1CfvBTJE/edit

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Good advice about Tips for new and 'getting into it' creators starting a webcomic. I agree alot with Caezhel since it speaks to my struggles even though I've done webcomics for afew years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc6greXRS7A(edited)

Cronaj ~{Whispers of the Past}~

Hello Future Me back at it again with a world-building video: https://youtu.be/gcyrrTud3x4

LabsZach

This vid hit me between the eyes re: The Toolbox Fallacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz4YqwH_6D0&feature=emb_title

eliushi [Keyspace]

Taglines for your comic! Tips: https://www.google.com/amp/s/thoughtsonfantasy.com/20hat-makes-a-good-book-tagline/amp/

Feather J. Fern

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v4R2ZcxPlA Other that the satirical nature of this video, it does give good advice

[talesfromthefreezerinmymind]

The Adventure of the Accidental Client

On this day in 1859 (May 22) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was born.  

May is also Mental Health Awareness month. 

What do these two things have in common? For me, quite a lot. I’ll start this story in early 2012.

At that time I was a freshman at Maryville College, in my second semester of majoring in graphic design. I was completely miserable.

Why was I miserable, exactly? Well…

 I had no friends (turns out, I had never learned how to make them)

 I doubted that graphic design was the career for me (Imposter Syndrome vibes)

 I was homesick (even though I went home every single weekend)

I phoned my parents every night and told them about my day. During one such call, my dad told me about a show on Netflix that he’d started watching: Sherlock. It was made by some of the same people that made another favorite of ours, Doctor Who. I was intrigued, and had plenty of time on my hands, so I thought I’d give it a try.

If you know nothing of Sherlock Holmes (as I did when I first started watching the show), he’s a famous English detective residing in 221B Baker Street created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson solves mysteries in the late 1800s and early 1900s. But for Sherlock, the adventures are set in the modern day. Over the course of a week or so, I watched the whole first season. Normally I’m slow to warm up to things, but I was instantly hooked.

I kept watching the show. I read interviews with the cast and crew. I found a fan-run website with all sorts of lovely info. I discovered Tumblr and all the fandom madness that lives there. The second season had already premiered in the UK, and I dredged up info on it (and spoiled it for myself). I started reading the original novels and short stories that the show was based on. I read everything Sherlock Holmes in about 5 months. And then started reading it over again.

Sherlock had found me at just the right moment. I was unusually lonely. I was unusually bored. I saw myself in John Watson; a directionless man in need of a purpose. A deeply loyal man, without a friend to adhere to. I saw myself in Sherlock Holmes; a man whose mind is always running, who loves feeling clever and in control. A man for whom feeling like an outsider is normal, though not always welcome. In the words of John Watson, “I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers are irresistibility drained.” I was a lounger, an idler, and London had found me.

The Sherlock Holmes stories rekindled my love of reading, which had been dormant for a few years, and sparked a much more serious interest in writing. There was just something about how Doyle went from unknown medical man to literary giant that grabbed my attention. He started in one world and ended up in another. It got me thinking that perhaps though I began in graphic design, I could end up somewhere else: a published author myself. So I wrote more. And I read more. I changed my major in the Spring of 2013 to English with a concentration in Creative Writing (Oh, and I transferred to UT in the fall of 2012. I had to get away from Maryville. Fresh start. Sorta). In 2015, right after graduating UT, I joined an organization called the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators. Long story short, in April 2016 I signed the contract for Roof Octopus, my first picture book.

Sadly, though, writing doesn’t pay much when you’re first starting out so I really did need a backup career for the moment. Fall 2015 I enrolled at Pellissippi State Community College (backtracking, I know, per the usual order of things) and began earning an associate’s in graphic design.

Though by this point I was far removed from my freshman year at Maryville, I still felt all the loneliness and failure that I had felt then (and I was still fanatical about Sherlock; third season came out in 2014). Honestly, I had been feeling watered-down versions of those emotions since my junior year of high school (that’s another story for another time). Plus, there was something else that I was carrying that was growing heavier over time: an addiction to daydreaming.

An addiction to daydreaming? Is that even possible? Well, it is possible. It even has a fancy name: Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder (MDD). It’s when a person’s habit of daydreaming is so obsessive that it interferes with everyday life. I would describe it like there’s a TV on in my head all day. It places my favorite shows, lots of reruns but new stuff, too. Your daydreams are like movies that you write and direct and star in and you can’t get enough. Part of the time they are white noise and I can ignore it. But more often than not, all I want to do is sit and watch. I have trouble focusing on what I’m reading or writing. I zone out super easily while listening to music or podcasts. I have trouble falling asleep for my mind not “turning off”. I zone out in class, at meetings, at church, and in groups of people when no one is talking directly to me. I daydream while driving and running and showering and cleaning and swimming and biking and just walking through my house. I’ve been struggling to focus while writing all this out; I’d rather daydream about writing this than actually do it. (Fun Fact: A big part of my daydreaming is I like to talk aloud while I’m doing it if I’m alone. On second thought, that’s probably more of an embarrassing fact than fun…)

People with MDD aren’t crazy; they don’t hear voices in their head or think people are around who really aren't there. They are fully aware that their daydream worlds aren’t real. But for some people MDD is so severe that they don’t leave their homes for days; they stay in and daydream their life away. Luckily, my MDD is not that severe. Often MDD is used as a coping mechanism. Even though I’ve never experience trauma like some people have, I still really crave an escape from life and all the emotions brought on by it.

I had never heard of Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder until one day in the summer of 2016; I googled for ways to quit daydreaming and stuff about MDD was in the results. Up to this point I’d slowly been growing tired of my daydreaming. I’d always had an active imagination. Played pretend a lot as a kid, had imaginary friends. But in college it started to get out of hand. Particularly falling asleep was a struggle, or if I woke up super early, falling back asleep. It took me ages sometimes to write a paper or read through something. However, I had so much time on my hands that it didn’t really matter how much I procrastinated. (While at UT and Pellissippi, I still didn’t try to make friends.) I didn’t talk too much to anyone about how much I hated college. About how alone I was. I’m a Christian, but I didn’t pray about any of it. I didn’t talk about all the ways that I felt like a failure. I bottled it all up inside, because that’s what Sherlock did. Sherlock was a loner, who was never a failure. Emotions were for other people. He was too smart for them. Sherlock never seemed to let loneliness get to him, and I wasn’t going to let it either.

Anyway, the more I learned about MDD the more I was convinced that I had it. The most important thing that I learned about MDD was that people who struggled with it could get help. Therapy and medication (like antidepressants) had helped other people get control of their life once again. In the back of my mind, I began to wonder: I had been using MDD to help cope with life, but now did I need help coping with MDD? Nevertheless, true to my never-bare-my-soul nature, I shared these discoveries and questions with absolutely no one.

I kept on keeping on. Finished a year at Pellissippi (still worried about whether or not I could make it as a graphic designer). Signed that book contract. Stayed close (as close as you can be without spilling your guts) to my friends at home, who I usually had to make an effort to see (something I really missed from the good old days pre-college). Tried (and failed) not to freak out as some of those friends got married and/or moved off. Who needs friends anyway, right? They’ll just ditch you eventually; no one’s as loyal as John Watson. I daydreamed too much. I wrote and wrote. I worked at Cove Lake State Park in the summer. I started a second year at Pellissippi.

Then one night in December 2016, I stayed the night at my Nannie’s. After I went to bed, I, per usual, had a horrible time falling sleep. I laid awake for hours, but eventually drifted off.

The next day when I came home, my mom asked me if I had slept well.

That was all the provoking that I needed. I broke down and cried. I told her that I could hardly ever sleep because my mind would not turn off. My daydreaming had become too much. Once it had been my rescue, my escape from everyday life, but now I felt like I was going mad.

My parents talked it over together and decided that I should see someone professional. My mom made me an appointment at a counseling office. On December 20, 2016, I had my first meeting with my therapist.

It was rather surreal. In the first season of Sherlock, John sees a therapist because he’s trying to deal with returning home from war. In January 2017, just mere weeks after my first appointment, the fourth season of Sherlock aired. In in the first episode, Sherlock (spoiler) himself pays a visit to John’s therapist. Sherlock actually needs help and he’s actually asking for. And I had just done the same thing. Life is funny like that sometimes.

Over the last 3+ years my therapist has helped me understand a lot about myself. Anxiety has been present in my life for several years now. Talking to people I don’t know, and even people that I do know, often gives me some level of anxiety. I’m always worrying if I sound weird or dumb or boring. I never know what to talk about. Therapy has helped me build up my confidence so it’s much easier for me to talk to others now. Am I still an introvert? Oh, yes. Can I carry on a conversation with someone I just meet? Yeah. Do I always want to? No, not really. But I’m much more willing to try it now.    

I’ve always hated change, good or bad. Watching friends grow up and reach life milestones (marriage, kids, dream job) all while I changed majors, changed jobs, and had little luck in the dating realm was (and still is) rough. Therapy has helped me be a little more okay with changes in my life. I’m not so scared of the future as I once was.  

I prefer to keep to myself. I’m a perfectionist and a control freak. I hate asking for help. I always feel like an oddball, even among my close friends. I love feeling clever. I hate feeling like a failure. I hate change.

I am Sherlock Holmes.

Therapy keeps me in check. Keeps from going over the edge. Helps me understand myself, the world around me, and those in it. It helps me become a better version of myself.

Therapy is my John Watson.  

I don’t know what would have happened to me had I not discovered Sherlock when I did. I do believe that God knows exactly what types of things would catch my attention (i.e. mysteries and best friend adventures) and perhaps that’s why and how things turned out the way they did. He is the Great Author, after all. I am thankful that He loved me even through the times that I was not a fan of myself, running and hiding from everyone, including Him.

I’ve told this story today because (1) I love telling stories. It’s why I write. It’s why I read. Heck, it’s why I’m addicted to daydreaming. Yep, I still daydream quite a lot, but I feel in control of it now. I’ve been taking an antidepressant for about two years now and that has helped with the daydreaming and my overall mood, too. I’ve also told this story today because (2) stories can save us. Sherlock Holmes saved me. I was a lounger, an idler, who wandered into 221B Baker Street in need of a mystery solved. What was happening to Lucy Branam? Can she be saved? Sherlock was just the detective for the job.

Happy 161st birthday, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Thank you for writing.

[eggoreviews]

Nintendo Direct Feb 2019 BREAKDOWN

So, that direct was pretty okay right? If you missed it or even if you didn’t, I’m gonna be taking a look at everything announced and giving it a vague excitement rating! Enjoy!

Super Mario Maker 2

This was a pretty great way to kick off this direct. With the promise of a host of new features coming in this entry to build upon the first, including the introduction of slopes (finally) and a new texture pack based on Mario 3D World, I reckon this is definitely one to mark in the calendar. Mario Maker 2 is slated for a, gratefully soon, June 2019 release.

Excitement Rating: YEEHAW

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

The long awaited third entry in the MUA series, to the surprise of many, is in fact a Switch exclusive. For those who don’t know, this is a hack-and-slash fighting game, of course tied heavily to Marvel comics. This entry seems to be riding in off the back of Infinity War, with Thanos and the Black Order showcased as central villains. Honestly, this game looks like it could be fun, especially with friends, though I don’t think it’ll turn out to be anything special.

ER: Sure, why not!

BOX BOY! + BOX GIRL!

This adorable little puzzle platformer is making its debut on Switch this spring, with the promise of local multiplayer and more levels than ever before. Looks to be a goodun for fans of cute, minimalist art design and box-based puzzles and the like.

ER: Cool! Those boxes can move!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Ver. 3.0

Nintendo sort of slapped us in the face with a lovely, welcome announcement of a new Smash update! Oh boy! New features! And then they turn around and say they aren’t gonna tell us what they are.

Oh.

Kind of makes me question the point of putting this in the direct a little, but I’m sure whatever they’ll add will be cool! On top of that, a tentative release window for Joker was given (before the end of April this year) and we got a cheeky look at some of the new spicy amiibos, being Snake, Simon and the Pokemon Trainer lot.

ER: Yay?

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker Updates

Here’s one that definitely caught me offguard, but I’m more than happy with it considering I just picked up the game. Part of the new Captain Toad content is free, adding in proper 2 player co-op where you can both play as Toad. The paid ‘special episode’ stuff struck me as a little odd, considering this game was already a Wii U port that’s now getting even more paid DLC. Regardless, it’s not too pricey and you can even pick up the first DLC course now, with the rest coming March 14.

ER: That’s cool! 

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

This not-quite-Castlevania game could easily be mistaken for a knock off of that franchise, but seems to have some defining elements of its own. The art style is bold enough to make it unique and the game seems to have an interesting variety of puzzles and side quests to make this more than just a run of the mill 2D platformer. An obvious choice for those with a Castlevania shaped hole in their hearts.

ER: You go bouncy vampire lady

Dragon Quest Builders 2

What is basically just Dragon Quest Minecraft with a story mode apparently, this oddly charming sandbox game was seemingly popular enough to warrant a sequel. And I won’t lie to you, it got me a little excited. As a fan of Dragon Quest its art style and general building-ness, I think I might have to pick this one up. And it’s got a cool retro map!

ER: I’m not excited, you are

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age: Definitive Edition

In case you hadn’t guessed, I literally adore Dragon Quest. The bright colours, the developed characters, the expansive world, awesome monster designs, great soundtrack and lame sense of humour, it all just gets me. It just sort of sucks I already own this on the PS4, where I can’t access all this new content. Oof. But yeah, pick this up if you can. You won’t regret it if you’re a JRPG fan.

ER: More like echoes of an exclusive age amirite

Disney Tsum Tsum Festival

Oh.

I won’t lie to you right now, nothing screams ‘soulless’ to me more than small Disney plushes with all the personality taken from them being stuck into totally random minigames. Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney (mostly through Kingdom Hearts but that’s besides the point) but I don’t think this elicited much excitement in anyone.

ER: I guess this exists, huh?

Starlink: Battle for Atlas - Spring Update

This was another one that surprised me. Considering how mind meltingly badly Starlink bombed, partly down to its odd reliance on the whole ‘toys to life’ craze that died out in 2013, I really didn’t think there’d be any further support for the game and they’d just sort of slip it under the rug. But nope, we’ve got some more Switch exclusive missions involving some more Star Fox characters, as well as the introduction of Wolf’s buddies. Honestly, I think Nintendo needs to do themselves a favour and just release a new Star Fox game.

ER: Great, if for some reason you bought this!

Rune Factory 4 Special & Rune Factory 5

Here’s a series I’d literally never heard of until last Wednesday, but the only way I can describe it from what I’ve seen is it looks to be a cross between Animal Crossing and kind of also Dragon Quest. You cook stuff, you farm stuff, you fight things and you can get married if you want, so definitely cool if you’re a fan of the series. But also cool if you’re someone who wished Animal Crossing was a bit more JRPG. Alongside the announcement of a remastered Rune Factory 4 later this year, as well as confirmation of Rune Factory 5 sometime in the future.

ER: Cool! Plants and stuff!

Oninaki

An action RPG with an intriguing premise and a rich, dark colour scheme, Oninaki seems very eager to set itself apart from other JRPGs on the market and still manages to stand out just a bit, even in a direct that’s basically been packed with JRPGs. Oninaki explores themes of reincarnation and grief, following the story of one grey-haired dude saving lost souls from a place called the Upside Down the Beyond to stop them from turning into monsters. Another one to add to the list if you like edgy RPGs!

ER: Edgy and cool

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Another update for this adorably cardboard entry into the long running Yoshi series, we’re finally getting close to actually being able to play it. Nintendo showcased some of the more interesting variants of gameplay, with the use of rafts, cars and planes definitely making this seem that there’s some substance here to go with the style. Alongside this, a demo released on the eshop so go play that if you haven’t already and decide if it’s for you!

ER: Wow, this game has a Labo costume! I’ll definitely grind for that!

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Finally some more info about Nintendo’s latest instalment in their anime Game of Thrones series Fire Emblem, we got a big ol infodump about some of the stuff to do with the game. While the video itself will explain everything better than I can, this time players will be able to interact with three kingdoms and three main protagonists, all of this centralising around one academy the game is set within. Overall, this game certainly looks interesting to play, but one I’m not quite sure I’ll be picking up just yet. Basically, if you’re unfamiliar with the games but love a tactical RPG, this one is a no brainer.

ER: Edelgard’s design is pretty cool. If one of them has to get into Smash, I hope it’s her.

Tetris 99

The game many have been calling Tetris Battle Royale, this is the very first Nintendo Switch Online exclusive offering and it’s totally free if you’re a member. It’s Tetris and you have to win against 98 other people, also playing Tetris. Nice!

ER: Tetris block for Smash

Dead by Daylight

As a game I got for free through Playstation Plus, it should be fairly obvious that this port isn’t one that excites me greatly, especially after seeing the quality of the graphics in the trailer the direct showed us. While the concept of an online match with several survivors and one killer sounds good on paper, it seems as if the quality of this port may leave a lot to be desired. But still, this could still only be early development footage and we really have no idea how it’ll look by the end.

ER: Tentative

Deltarune

Undertale is one of my favourite games of all time, so of course it excited me to find out I’d finally be able to play the sort of sequel, Deltarune, which Toby Fox has taken in the interesting direction of splitting the game into chapters. The first of these chapters will be free (yay I like free) and it certainly seems like the same abstract sense of humour and charm present in Undertale has been carried over to this sequel. Definitely one to watch.

ER: Always excited about cartoon doggo

Daemon X Machina

This mech-fighter has been floating around in various Nintendo directs for a fair while now and it’s encouraging to see the game come close to release. In a commendable move, the producer of the game has offered a free demo of the game allowing you to pilot your own custom mech and experience a boss battle in the demo known as ‘Prototype Missions’. The aim of this to gain feedback from potential players in order to make the game as good as it can be, which is amazing! It’s honestly a bit of a dream world where every game developer and publisher is as open and transparent as these guys, so kudos to them. As well as this, the game looks pretty heckin’ fun so it’s definitely worth picking up the demo off the eshop and giving these guys your feedback!

ER: Big ol’ robots hell yeah

GRID Autosport

As of yet, the Switch has lacked a realistic racing game. Enter Grid Autosport, which seems to be packed with a variety of cars, tracks and game modes, including all DLC from the original release of the game. Not one for me, but I’m sure there’s plenty of Switch owners out there whose racing fix isn’t quite satisfied by Mario Kart.

ER: V big if ur a car person

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

This game was notably created in collaboration with neurologists and those who experience psychosis in order to properly portray the main character and her mental health struggles. Following the quest of Senua as she fights to save the soul of her dead lover, this game created a huge wave through the industry when it first launched and won major awards for its artistic design and performance. While this isn’t one I’ve had the chance to try yet, it certainly looks as if it provides a brilliant, emotional experience from beginning to end.

ER: A lot

Mortal Kombat 11

This was one everyone basically already knew about, but this direct gave us a reminder of the release date and various features such as custom characters. For fans of this long running, brutal fighting game, get April 23 in ur brains.

ER: Cool

Unravel Two

This adorable puzzle platformer sees you and, optionally, a friend take control of two little creatures made of yarn as they navigate a colourful world and help each other pass various obstacles. For those fans of platformers like the Yoshi series, Unravel is definitely one to consider.

ER: Cool

Assassin’s Creed III Remastered

This is the iconic stealth fighting series Assassin’s Creed’s first outing on Switch, but if this footage is anything to go by, it’s not looking brilliant. While this once again could be put down to unfinished development, the first look at a game is often the most important, and a slow frame rate shown during the direct could mean this game isn’t what fans want it to be.

ER: Tentative

Final Fantasy Release Dates

For fans of the legendary and slightly intimidating JRPG series, several games in the series both new and old will be coming to the Switch in 2019:

Final Fantasy VII on March 26th

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! on March 20th

Final Fantasy IX is out now!

ER: Cloud is my favourite twink

Astral Chain

Admittedly, at a first glance, this title in a brand new franchise didn’t particularly excite me. But after having another look, I can definitely see where all the hype is coming from. This looks to be a hack-and-slash sort of action RPG with all the edgy story elements and setpieces of that ever so popular steampunk genre that players seem to love these days. With all these mechs, explosions and edgy voiceovers, it makes me think that Xenoblade Chronicles and Deus Ex had some kind of torrid love affair. On top of this, with a dev team that has Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101 and NieR: Automata under their belt, this is a game that will almost certainly impress when it finally comes out on August 30. Platinum Games might just have another winner here.

ER: Big yes

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

oKAY, let’s be real, this is the one that really knocked it out of the park. At least for me it did. As the final reveal, this made me scream a little tiny bit. I think we’d all heard the rumours of a 2D Zelda coming to Switch, but I was highly skeptical to say the least. But a wonderfully charming and artistically bloody P E R F EC T remake of Link’s Awakening?? HHHHHH. They even kept all the Mario enemies for some reason! Oh boy, whenever they release this in 2019 apparently really can’t come soon enough.

ER: AAAAAAAAAAAAA

That was all for this direct! I hope you enjoyed my silly, unplanned breakdown of all the cool things that happened. Til the next direct!

Oh and if you’ve got a craving for more game news, be sure to check back on my blog March 1st for the second ‘issue’ (lol) of my monthly viddy game mag!

Stay hydrated my dudes.

[berkeleycollege]

Berkeley College students become partners in class, in life, and in business.

In spring of 2019, Berkeley College students Vanessa Guzman and Danielle O’Neill both happened to be enrolled in an elective course, “Addiction and Obsession.” They became project partners and built a friendship during the semester. The two went on a few outings together outside of Berkeley as friends and instantly felt an unbreakable connection. Saddened by the semester coming to an end and thinking they would no longer see each other weekly; they both checked their schedules for the upcoming semester. Lo and behold, they were placed in not one, but two additional electives together, “Advances Writing” and “Forensic Psychology.” Vanessa and Danielle say that was a sign—that Berkeley knew they were meant to be together. Continuing their friendship and seeing each other more frequently, the friendship grew into a romantic one. They’ve been together since December 2019. Growing together During their time together, Vanessa and Danielle have grown as individuals and in their respective careers. They equally support each other in all of their goals. They believe that everything happens for a reason. “Danielle is an amazing chef; she just needed a little push,” said Vanessa. “I believed in Danielle and her capabilities from the first time she cooked for me. Countless times, I tried to inspire Danielle to follow her heart and to do what she loved, to sell her delicious vodka sauce and other dishes.” Vanessa continued, “Doubting herself, she never went forward with it. Fast forward to the summer of 2021, as Danielle was making vodka sauce, I took a video, posted it to social media, put a price on it and my phone started going off! So many people wanted to purchase a jar. Danielle couldn’t believe it. We have actually lost count of how many jars she’s sold! Leaving people wanting more, we started selling trays of food and quickly began catering parties and events.” The birth of “D’s Cozy Kitchen LLC” Danielle graduated from Berkeley in 2013 with an Associate’s degree in Business Management. She returned to Berkeley and is planning to earn her Bachelor’s degree. During her time at Berkeley, Danielle attended a job fair in search of a job while studying. She landed a job with Zinburger and quickly climbed the corporate ladder. That was her start in the industry and eventually led her to her own business, D’s Cozy Kitchen LLC, a catering business she created and now owns and operates. She has over 13 years of experience in the food service and restaurant industry. D’s Cozy Kitchen, along with other business ventures of current students and alumni, were showcased at a recent Berkeley College entrepreneurial event at the Woodland Park campus. According to Vanessa, “Danielle’s love language is through food, she pours her heart and soul into every meal, and to that I can testify, being that she left me in tears after the first meal she ever cooked for me.” She went on, “She’s passionate about cooking and stands behind every meal that she makes. She not only brings warmth and comfort to every meal; she gives you a complete experience with every bite.” Vanessa brings the artistic approach Vanessa is 35 years old and is currently Office Manager at Compliance Services N Consulting LLC, a family-owned business that helps create LLC’s and corporations. She enrolled at Berkeley College in 2018 majoring in Graphic Design and is finishing her final semester of her Bachelor’s degree program. “I’m a born artist and work with many mediums—from paper to the computer to canvases to woodworking,” Vanessa pointed out. “I love to create digitally with graphics and physically with wood. I attend events and sell my artwork as a vendor throughout the year. I have certifications in tattooing, mobile electronics installation, tax preparing, and locksmithing.” Multiple skills and talents Danielle agreed, “Vanessa is a very skilled and talented person. Whatever she wants to learn how to do, she will do exactly that. She will educate herself and learn the new skill or talent and she will perfect it so perfectly that it all seems to come so natural to her. I’ve always told her how she leaves money on the table. She should be promoting her work and selling it, whether it be through her craftmanship, artistry, graphic designing and more and that’s when she branded herself as ‘Guzman Creations.’” She went on, “It’s so hard to put a name to herself since she’s so talented in skilled in various areas, so ’creations’ is truly the best way to describe what she does. She sees something, and she creates it, bringing her own visions to life, as well as others. I’ve truly never met someone so skilled and so talented in so many different areas and channels. If she doesn’t know something, that doesn’t stop her, she is so determined to learn it all. She is creative and artistic and has an eye for detail that really shines through in all her work. She says she’s a ‘jack of all trades,’ and that is so true. She is passionate about the design and art world and is determined to always learn more in this growing industry.” Looking back, Vanessa and Danielle both agree that Berkeley brought them together. Looking ahead, there’s no limit to how far they’ll go. [bts/disclaimer1] Originally published here: https://berkeleycollege.edu/berkeley-today/2022/12/berkeley-college-students-become-partners-in-class-in-life-and-in-business.html

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Beyond the Coming Age of Networked MatterBy Bruce Sterling

I wasn’t too chuffed about the weird changes I saw in my favorite start-up guy. Crawferd was a techie I knew from my circuit: GE Industrial Internet, IBM Smart Cities, the Internet-of-Things in Hackney hackathons. The kind of guy I thought I understood.

I relied on Crawferd to deliver an out-there networked-matter pitch to my potential investors. He was great at this, since he was imaginative, inventive, fearless, tireless, and he had no formal education. Crawferd wore unlaced Converse shoes and a lot of Armani. He had all the bumbling sincerity of a Twitter Arab Spring.

Crawferd could see no difference between physics and metaphysics. The way he had it figured, all matter was code. If you suggested that his trippy hacker mysticism was not entirely plausible—that rocks were rocks and trees were trees, they weren’t “networks”— he’d brood at length, then chase you from the hackerspace, slam the door, and blog compulsively.

Given his deep unworldliness and his intense interior life, Crawferd was a pretty easy guy for me to manage. We got along okay, while Sophia and Fatima totally loved Crawferd. S&F were my two wealthy oil widows from Dubai. Their Gulf State pin money had to go somewhere that wasn’t Cyprus or Bitcoins.

So for a while things were cozy. I’d arrange funding brunches in Gstaad, where Fatima and Sophia went skiing. I’d wheel in Mr. California Ideology while they had their mint tea and shared the hookah. The sparks would fly.

Crawferd was cool about Sophia and Fatima. He never asked them for much, and he always brought them nifty digital fitness toys. All tech chicks kind of dug Crawferd. He had this spooky geek tenderness, a possibly sensual, my bits-might-turn-to-atoms thing going on.

So S&F hung on his every word, but the truth was, the guy simply didn’t know how to cash in. He was all sci-fi and no megacorp.

Then he missed a couple of gigs and he stopped updating on LinkedIn. I was busy helping Microsoft waste some Kinect money, so I didn’t bother him.

Then I breezed through Palo Alto and he spotted me on Foursquare. He shot me a mysterious, incoherent SMS full of sick Tweet orthographics. “W3 sh4ll overl4p time, space, and dimensions,

and with0ut bodily motion, peer to the .”

I got rid of that thing pronto. I always erase after reading, my lawyer taught me that. But seeing his freaked message, I took good care to meet him F2F.

Crawferd was lurking and had gone very downside-scenario. He had tinfoiled all the windows inside a nameless AirBnB, which he’d rented from some shivering TumblrGoth who was way into, like, black candles, inverted pentagrams, and big plastic 3Dprinted gargoyles.

Fancy LED lights in Shapeways Nervous-System lamps were segueing through every color in the spectrum, while Soundcloud was streaming the shriekiest works of Grimes.

This was not his customary scene, and I further perceived that my man Crawferd had shed several kilos, dyed his hair pastel, and failed to shave. He kept compulsively stroking the filthy screen of his Chinese-knockoff fondleslab.

“Buzz, old buddy,” he croaked at me, “it used to upset me, because I couldn’t deliver a massive breakthrough in the networked- matter space. I talked a great game sometimes. But I couldn’t execute. But now I’m so freaked out! Yes! Freaky from success! I have networked matter!”

Crawferd had this thousand-mile killer-drone stare now, and also that rigid, pedantic, coder tone of voice, that grammar-nazi thing you see mostly on Ayn Rand websites.

My deliverable seemed clear to me: reduce fever, resume chill, and restore functionality.

“Crawferd, pal, listen up. You’ve been way overdoing it in an overheated tech scene. I’ve got your back, and I’m thinking Oahu. There’s this cool yoga-hula ashram out there, no Internet connectivity, no cell-phone bars, nothing. Some exercise, brown rice, and vitamin B, and you’ll be the old Crawferd in no time.”

“Buzz, this matter is about matter. We see matter because we’re constructed from matter. We imagine we’re made from matter because all we can measure with our network sensors is a narrowly materialistic set of inputs. But that is not the cosmic truth, Buzz. A new science underlies ‘matter.’ It’s about a cellular- automata framework in which all material manifestations are computationally equivalent.”

I’d seen these sad symptoms in other guys like him. My fave Californian tech boy had gone straight off the ledge into full Erik Davis techgnosis. “Oahu’s just hours away. Beaches, blue sky, maybe a sweet, understanding hippie lady with some pakalolo.”

“I have found the grail for the coming age of networked matter, Buzz. I have seized its Philosopher’s Stone. I have found a way to transform all matter into network.”

“Why?” I said.

He got that look on his face. “What do you mean, ‘why’?”

“Where is my user benefit? Where is the business model? You can’t get VC backers for that scheme! That is pure Tim Leary mystic woo-woo! You’re a coder, Crawferd. I can hear crap like that from L.A. screenwriters.”

“Do I look like I’m handwaving at you? I have built a freaking demo! I can run it for you, right here, off my phablet.”

Crawferd was a proud and touchy fanatic, but then again, so was Steve Jobs. You can take one fatal step too far into the Reality Distortion Field, and all the typewriters will vanish. They don’t come back, either. “So, what does your demo, uh, demo?”

“You remember those two Maker kids? The ones I had hacking those beehives for me?”

I remembered his interns, all right. Two cute Millennial designer kids. Their names escaped me, but she was, like, very Kevin Kelly techno-emergence, while he was very Jussi Parikka insect media. They were Crawferd’s start-up slaves. Being Makers, they worked around the clock without a salary, just like bees did.

“Your beehive kids,” I said.

“Great design research team! They went deep into the bee ‘umwelt,’ that sensory world of bees that only bees can perceive. Bees are intensely illustrative of matter-networking principles. Bees scarcely have brains, yet they still assemble and congeal all the nectar and pollen within a given area.”

“So that’s your demo? It’s bees? Cut to the chase! Where’s the humming and stinging?”

“That’s not my demo yet . . . but here, look what they did on

Kickstarter. You’ll appreciate this.”

Crawferd caressed his cruddy little “phablet”—man, I really hate that word—and there they were, Crawferd’s two favorite Maker kids. Nicely dressed up in black and yellow bee-themed cosplay duds, with that embedded video that crowdfunding projects always do.

“Hi there, people of the Internet! I’m Adrienne, a graphic interface designer from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, and this is Julio, my coder and Significant Other!”

There followed ninety seconds of jerky handheld from Adrienne’s iPhone. Her pitch was all about the graphic interfaces through which bees perceive and manipulate matter. Bee sensors, mostly, their compound eyes, antennae, and their big tonguey mandibles.

Then Julio horned in, to vlog about the bee-code running on their tiny bee brains.

Bee brains lacked much processing power. Just enough hardware in there to run a high-level bee-dance language where the bees could clue each other in about tasty matter resources. Adrienne had mocked this system up on a whiteboard with boxes and arrows. Julio had coded it with open-source modules.

Then they’d created these 3Dprinted plastic “bee puppets.” Their fake plastic Maker bees were, like, awesomely effective at bee dancing. Their robot bees, set dancing by Arduino, were basically Trojan Bees. They had gotten root in the hive. They had powned the hive colony superorganism. Those bees would do whatever the hackers wanted.

“Their bee-swarm pitch is out of this world!” I told Crawferd. “I can’t believe I haven’t seen this idea before!”

The Maker kids ramped up to their triumphant climax. Being new to California, they’d noticed all the window-box marijuana plants. They’d hacked their bees to go out to forage for dope pollen.

They showed the camera their existence proof: a double fistful of honey-drenched Silicon Valley hashish.

Then little Adrienne and Julio modestly asked the public for twenty grand to go 3Dprint some beehives, so they could issue some royal-jelly marijuana prescriptions. A business-model screwup that was total facepalm. Of course their Kickstarter had exploded. Just gone ballistic. It had blown past twelve million USD in capital and was heading north at high speed.

“You have created a monster,” I told Crawferd. “I can see why you’re so upset now. This is not even funny. Where are those crazy kids? They’re gonna need to lawyer up.”

“They’re no longer with me,” muttered Crawferd. “That’s the bad part. That’s why I’m hiding in here.”

“So where’d they run off to?”

Read the rest:

https://boingboing.net/2013/07/16/bruce-sterling-from-beyond.html

[libraryresources]

Wikispaces: Youth Services Librarianship - General Info and Homepage

Youth Services Librarianship: A Guide to Working with Young People in School and Public Libraries

This wiki is a collaborative project of graduate students enrolled in LIS506 Youth Services Librarianship at the University of Illinois' Graduate School of Library and Information Science during Fall 2011, Fall 2012, and Fall 2013. Additional content was provided by graduate students enrolled in LIS590CBL Cataloging for School Libraries under the direction of Professor Kathryn La Barre (Summer 2012) and in LIS516 School Library Media Center with Georgeann Burch (Spring 2013). This wiki provides students with an opportunity to think more deeply about some of the unique challenges and opportunities of working with young people in both school and public libraries. For more information about this course or the wiki, please contact the instructor, Professor Carol Tilley.

[Transcriber Note: The following is a list of wiki pages that I was successfully able to transcribe to tumblr over the past few weeks (July 2018). Pages I couldn’t transcribed will be replaced with links to comparable professional development resources over time.]

ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT Advocacy Community Outreach Community Partnerships Facilities Planning and Design (Public Libraries) Facilities Planning and Design (School Libraries) Grant Writing Legal Issues Library Marketing Management in Public Libraries Management in School Libraries School Library and Public Library Collaboration Professional Development Strategic Planning

GENERAL ISSUES GLBTQ Youth History and Traditions of Youth Services Librarianship Homeschoolers Incarcerated Youth International Youth Services Librarianship Non-native Speakers of English Outreach in an International Setting Positive Youth Development Practitioner (Action) Research Special Needs Youth Young Adult Engagement

LITERACIES, READING, AND READERS Adolescent Literacy Child and Adolescent Development Computerized Reading Management Early Literacy Early Readers Emergent Literacy Family Literacy Readability and Book Leveling Reading Engagement Reading Promotion Technology in the Lives of Youth

INSTRUCTION, INFORMATION SERVICES, AND INFORMATION SEEKING Common Core State Standards Description and Access Homework Assistance and Centers Information Seeking Needs and Practices of Youth Inquiry-based Learning Instructional Collaboration Reader's Advisory for Youth Reference Services for Youth

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES Book Awards Collection Development (PL) Collection Development (SL) Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels Copyright Intellectual Freedom Multicultural Literature and Resources for Youth

PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVITIES Arts Programming Author Visits Book Discussion Groups Booktalking Digital Storytelling Gaming Makerspaces Programming and Reading Promotion for Boys Programming in Public Libraries Programming in School Libraries STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Programming Storytelling Storytime Programs Summer Reading Programs Sustained Silent Reading Technology Programming Teen Advisory Boards

[Tumblr transcriber: Camilla Y-B, unaffiliated. 2018.]

[ev3v4hn]

Cr Fashion E-book

Ten designers might be competing in the second season of the reality TV present created by Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. The company expands its fashion portfolio, partnering with more than 25 manufacturers to rejoice 50 years of its Hilltop business. Canine companions will now discover every little thing they need to travel in style and luxury, sporting the fashion house’s emblematic FF monogram brand. Garment workers around the globe make every Fashion & Shopping thing from luxurious purses to fast fashion leggings. French luxury fashion model Yves Saint Laurent also faced this problem with its print ad proven in Paris in 2017. A female model is carrying a fishnet tights with curler-skate stilettos, virtually mendacity down with her legs opened in front of the camera. A see-by way of high worn together with pasties by a model at a fashion show in USA, 2017.

Designers are prepared for a return to fashion — however consolation nonetheless reigns supreme. The men’s and girls’s assortment includes life-style and on-court items. The French fashion home has a permanent relationship with the queen of flowers. The development has been gathering steam in the course of the pandemic, as lockdowns immediate customers to experiment with creating their very own designs at residence. Punk met Provence in Virginie Viard’s graphic cruise collection, proven against the limestone quarries of Les Baux-de-Provence.

Jill Biden Reprised Her Inauguration Gown For Her First Tackle To Congress

It may even permit us to keep our garments longer, which is good for our wallets and for the environment. Nonetheless, sustainable brands will not necessarily price more than brand-name clothes, for which we typically pay high prices for the picture, however hardly ever for the quality or the sustainability. Chemicals are utilized in every a part of the textile production for making fibers, bleaching and dyeing materials, and so on… When they arrive within the retailers, our garments nonetheless comprise a lot of chemical substances, even garments made of “one hundred% natural” fiber. Our skin is our body’s largest organ and absorbs anything we placed on it, together with chemical substances in our garments. Many cases of pressured labour have also been reported alongside the availability chain of the fashion industry. The collapse of the Rana Plaza in 2013, killing 1134 garment staff in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has revealed the unacceptable working conditions of the whole fashion industry to the world.

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— Custom Printed Boxes (@boxes_printed) May 6, 2021

These fashion houses have to stick to standards corresponding to preserving at least twenty staff engaged in making the garments, showing two collections per 12 months at fashion shows, and presenting a sure variety of patterns to costumers. Since then, the concept of the fashion designer as a celeb in his or her personal right has become increasingly dominant. In the late Nineteen Nineties and 2000s, low-value fashion reached its zenith. Online buying took off, and fast-fashion retailers like H&M, Zara, and Topshop took over the excessive road. These brands took the appears and design components from the highest fashion houses and reproduced them quickly and cheaply. With everyone now in a position to buy on-pattern clothes whenever they needed, it’s straightforward to understand how the phenomenon caught on. With many individuals working from house and social distancing for the foreseeable future, fashion brands have toned down their styling in favor of comfortable loungewear and clothes that works for sleeping and residing.

Signature Types For All Your Looks This Season

ORDER CUT OFF TIME AND DELIVERY – Our daily order cut off time is 12PM PST. Certain orders may be positioned, processed, and couriered to you for similar-day delivery so long as your zip code qualifies and the order is positioned Shopping by 2PM PST. Our delivery companions are topic to vary at any time and at FashionPass’s sole discretion. You are subject to any additional delivery cost disclosed on the Site.

You can construct cute casual outfits to put on to the seaside or the pool with fun swimwear and beachwear. Build the base of your outfit with a basic one-piece or present some pores and skin with a sexy monokini. If you’re more comfortable in a two-piece, you’ll be able to mix and match your tops and bottoms for a really customized look.

Editors’ Picks! See Our Favourite Fashion Moments At The 2021 Oscars

Though totally different textile colors and patterns modified from year to year, the reduce of a gentleman’s coat and the length of his waistcoat, or the pattern to which a girl’s gown was cut, changed more slowly. Additionally, there is a long history of fashion in West Africa. The Cloth was used as a type of foreign money in trade with the Portuguese and Dutch as early as the 16th Century. Locally produced cloth and cheaper European imports had been assembled into new types to accommodate the growing elite class of West Africans and resident gold and slave merchants. There was an exceptionally strong custom of cloth-weaving in Oyo and the areas inhabited by the Igbo individuals. Fashion can be a supply of art, permitting individuals to show their unique tastes and styling.

A college of pros assist you to develop a foundation to your apply in design, marketing, PR, or merchandising.

Here’s how Rihanna, Lizzo, Ari Lennox and more are carrying this monochromatic type into spring.

Now, you can choose merchandise that look and feel nice whereas being kinder and gentler on the planet. Fashion is usually used to check with issues that are well-liked or fashionable, especially clothing. Products just like the Bendy present that eco-fashion could Fashion be more than just an expensive best. Thanks to Instagram accounts like @Gramparents and books like ‘Chinatown Pretty,’ milllenials and Gen-Z are coming to appreciate their gray-haired elders’ fashion sense. Here, three utterly simple steps to getting a wholesome, hydrated visage, care of dermatologists—plus, the one three products you need.

The post Cr Fashion E-book appeared first on dansealsforcongress.

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[art-now-russia]

The Two, Grigorii Pavlychev

The Two - abstract nudes, large original oil painting on canvas, 62.6×47 inches (159×119 cm), 2015. Edges are finished as painting's continuation (gallery wrap) - so you always can hang it without a frame. My name is Grigorii Pavlychev. I am a contemporary artist who works in a modern, at times nearly graphic style. But I am still a painter. I have a significant interest in fauvism and expressionism. My favorite painter is Egon Schiele, who influenced my painting more than anybody else. So it was natural for me to find my style in the middle of expressionism and contemporary abstract style, despite the fact that I tried many different styles during my education. From time to time, I like to change the materials I work with. I have a watercolor on canvas series for example. But the main medium I work with is oil paint. I prefer it for its fluidity, removability, volume, and variability. Of course, I also use acrylic colors, but in a very specific way. I find inspiration in music more than anywhere else. I can find inspiration from an art book or exhibition, but the final starter and the best doping is music. Today my paintings are in numerous private collections in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. The world-famous Mariinsky theatre was decorated with my solo exhibition called “Landscape 2.0." My art has also been on display at famous interior design studios such as Bulthaup and Promemoria. I participated in a lot of exhibitions and projects. I have my own art-group. I've done my own solo exhibitions and projects. So, I think I'm on the right path in my career and I'm really excited about my future as an artist. Here`s my short Exhibitions list: 2015 - The STARE, solo/group exhibition withf my art project, Bulthaup gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2015 - The 10, art group presentation, Union of Artists of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia 2014 – Autumn Grand Art Exhibition of the Union of Artists of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia 2014 – residence at Global Art centre, Lanaken, Belgium 2014 – The Youthfulness: Original Graphics, Exhibition of the Union of Artists of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia 2014 – Spring Painting Exhibition of the Union of Artists of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia 2013 – The Youthfulness: Original Painting, Exhibition of the Union of Artists of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia 2013 – Autumn Painting Exhibition of the Union of Artists of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia 2013 – The Landscape solo exhibition, Mariinsky Concert Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia 2013 – solo exhibition, Mariinsky Concert Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia 2013 – solo exhibition, Kokon gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2012 – solo exhibition, Promemoria gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2012 – The Сompote solo exhibition, The Ukrop vegan restourant, St. Petersburg, Russia 2012 – The Tryptich solo exhibition, Bulthaup gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2012 – Art Helsinki, International contemporary art exhibition, Exhibition and Convention Centre, Helsinki, Finland 2012 – solo exhibition, The Infinitely art space, St. Petersburg, Russia 2011 – solo exhibition, Audi Center, St. Petersburg, Russia 2011 – exhibition of contemporary animalistic interior painting, Bulthaup gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2011 – exhibition of contemporary painting, Russian Union of Artists, Samara, Russia 2011 – exhibition of contemporary painting The Hope 9, Russian Union of Artists, St. Petersburg, Russia 2010 – exhibition of contemporary painting and graphic design, Bulthaup gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2006, 2007 – triennial of contemporary art The Modulor, Manezh, St. Petersburg, Russia 2004 – international biennial of contemporary art The Golden Bee, Moscow, Russia SHIPPING: Your Original Art will be delivered by USPS courier service directly to your home or to your office. It takes 3-6 business days to ship, because every piece of art must be officially documented before shipment abroad. The painting will be rolled in a large diameter secure hard plastic tube to prevent any damages. Any framing workshop in your area could easily stretch the painting on a frame.

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Two/57246/2437960/view

[orbemnews]

Restaurants Fought for Covid Survival, With Some Tech Helpers The past year has crushed independent restaurants across the country and brought a reality to their doors: Many were unprepared for a digital world. Unlike other small retailers, restaurateurs could keep the tech low, with basic websites and maybe Instagram accounts with tantalizing, well-lit photos of their food. For the past decade, Krystle Mobayeni had been trying to convince them that they needed more. Ms. Mobayeni, a first-generation Iranian-American, started her company, BentoBox, in 2013 as a side job. She wanted to use her graphic design skills to help restaurants build more robust websites with e-commerce abilities. But it was a hard sell. For many, she said, her services were a “nice to have,” not a necessity. Until 2020. The pandemic sent chefs and owners flocking to BentoBox, as they suddenly needed to add to-go ordering, delivery scheduling, gift card sales and more to their websites. Before the pandemic the company, based in New York City, had about 4,800 clients, including the high-profile Manhattan restaurant Gramercy Tavern; today it has more than 7,000 restaurants onboard and recently received a $28.8 million investment led by Goldman Sachs. “I feel like our company was built for this moment,” Ms. Mobayeni said. The moment opened a well of opportunity for companies like BentoBox that are determined to help restaurants survive. Dozens of companies have either started or scaled up sharply as they found their services in urgent demand. Meanwhile, investors and venture capitalists have been sourcing deals in the “restaurant tech” sector — particularly seeking companies that bring the big chains’ advantages to independent restaurants. “A lot of what’s happening is reminiscent of what we’ve seen in the broader retail sector in the past decade,” said R.J. Hottovy, a restaurant industry analyst and an investor at Aaron Allen & Associates. “Covid accelerated the transformation quite a bit. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to redefine the experience.” Part of what Ms. Mobayeni offers restaurants is a one-stop shop and the ability to own their customer data. Many restaurants rely on third-party vendors, such as DoorDash or UberEats, to handle delivery. But those companies charge significant fees and retain customers’ data because the transactions go through their websites. That’s not such a big deal when delivery is 20 percent of a restaurant’s income stream, but it’s a game-changer when delivery becomes 100 percent of income — and you can’t contact any of your customers. “Restaurants realized they had to think of themselves as larger businesses and brands,” said Camilla Marcus, co-founder of TechTable, which connects the hospitality and tech industries. “You have to expand into other things: e-commerce, delivery, products. You have to think outside the four walls.” Helping restaurants deepen relationships with customers is where Sam Bernstein saw an opportunity. Before the pandemic he ran a tech start-up that connected students to housing, similar to Airbnb; when universities sent students home last spring, his revenue fell to zero. He went to his board of directors and offered to return what investment was left and close down. Instead the board suggested he regroup with a smaller team and new vision. “It was an existential crisis, as you can imagine,” he said. Mr. Bernstein laid off all but 10 employees and took them for a brainstorming retreat. They considered dozens of business models, looking for the right problem to solve. The more they discussed options, the more the members of the team realized they were all interested in food and hospitality and wanted to help restaurants. They hit upon the idea for a site that would allow customers to “subscribe” to their favorite restaurants. The new firm, Table22, would help chefs develop and market subscriptions for monthly meal kits and wine clubs, for example, and then manage the sales, recurring billing, scheduling, data analytics and more. In exchange, Table22 takes a percentage of each transaction. Table22, which is based in New York, went live with its first restaurant in May. Since then, it has grown to more than 150 restaurants in 50 cities. Late last year, the company received about $7 million from investors, who include David Barber, owner of Blue Hill farm and restaurants. Shelby Allison signed up her Chicago bar, Lost Lake, for the service on a cold email from Table22. She was hesitant at first, planning to listen just long enough to learn how to create a cocktail subscription service herself. “We get lots and lots of calls from these tech companies trying to help — or prey upon — us struggling businesses,” she said. Today in Business Updated  April 16, 2021, 1:30 p.m. ET But she was impressed by the low service fee and the fact that Table22 shared customer data. She started the service in October, hoping for 30 sign-ups; 100 people joined. Ms. Allison now has 300 subscribers and five employees working on the make-at-home cocktail boxes. “This will 100 percent stay in the future,” she said. “I love this program. I thought it might cannibalize my to-go business, but it hasn’t at all.” Ping Ho considered signing up with Table22 to host the wine and meat clubs she offers at her Detroit restaurant and butcher shop, Marrow, and wine bar, the Royce. She decided against it, however, because her existing subscription platform, Zoho, gave her the essential tools. “It’s a bit more work, but there’s more agency,” she said. But because her website was mostly informational, she realized she did need help offering online ordering and a delivery system for the butcher shop. So Ms. Ho turned to Mercato, which enables e-commerce for independent grocers. In a bit of fortuitous timing, she had signed up a month before the pandemic struck. When stay-at-home orders were issued, she was able to quickly begin offering grocery items, such as milk and eggs, in addition to meats. Her sales jumped “tremendously” she said, although they have flattened out in recent months. Still, Ms. Ho intends to maintain the service. Mercato began in 2015, but 2020 was its year. In February 2020, the service had 400 stores across 20 states; it quickly ramped up to more than 1,000 stores in 45 states. It continues to grow and has added some big-name clients, including the Ferry Building Marketplace on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, with dozens of merchants. “We’re trying to give independent grocers a sustainable competitive advantage,” said Bobby Brannigan, founder and chief executive of the company, which is based in San Diego. It’s a mission that he has been training for all his life. Mr. Brannigan’s family owns a grocery store in the Dyker Heights area of Brooklyn, where he started working when he was 8, stocking shelves and delivering groceries. “It’s ironic that I’m back to doing what I was doing as a kid in Brooklyn,” he said. Last March and April, Mercato brought on hundreds of new grocers each week — clients that weren’t used to having online orders or weren’t used to the sudden volume of orders. Some stores that were accustomed to 10 orders in a day were flooded with hundreds, Mr. Brannigan said. Thankfully, his dad already had him build tools into the system that would allow grocers to limit the pace of orders and schedule them. Mr. Brannigan is also adding more data analytics to help his clients better understand what their customers want. They can now see what was bought and what customers searched for. “You’re amassing a valuable treasure chest of data that lets you sell the products they want today and that they want tomorrow,” he said. Of course, not all solutions are tech-centric; sometimes, it’s just a grass-roots community of chefs helping chefs. Alison Cayne, for example, has been giving free advice to chefs looking to create packaged goods, like her line of Haven’s Kitchen sauces. Having that extra revenue stream was critical when she shuttered her Manhattan restaurant and cooking school last spring, and she wants others to have the same options. “This is all very much from my perspective, not the supercapitalized, venture capital-backed, cool-kids business,” she said. “I just want to help them take a brick-and-mortar business and develop a product and build a brand that makes sense and is sustainable.” In Detroit, the grocer Raphael Wright and the chefs Ederique Goudia and Jermond Booze developed a “diabolical plan,” as Mr. Wright called it, to offer a weekly meal kit cooked by Black chefs during Black History Month. “Black food businesses are hurting in the city, so we thought, what if we created this meal box in a way that celebrates Black food and Black contributions to American cuisine?” Mr. Wright said. They named the project Taste the Diaspora Detroit and brought together Black chefs and farmers to create the weekly dishes — like gumbo z’herbes and black-eyed pea masala. The three organized all of the e-commerce and scheduling, which allowed chefs to participate even if they weren’t tech-savvy, and created the packaging and inserts that told the history of the meal. They topped it off with a paired Spotify playlist. “Being a part of this project woke everyone up and made them think they have a little hope they can push through,” Mr. Wright said. They hope to reprise the service for Juneteenth and are currently talking to funders to support the effort. Source link Orbem News #Covid #Fought #Helpers #Restaurants #Survival #Tech

[fellowshipoffoucault]

Reading I: On design authorship

Source papers:

Andrew, Bennett 2005: The Author (ch.2, p. 29 - 54)

Rock, Michael 1996: Designer as author, online text published in https://2x4.org/ideas/1996/designer-as-author/ . Article is an adaptation of Graphic Authorship (1996) for publication in Multiple Signatures: On Designers, Authors, Readers and Users (Spring 2013).

---

  In this text I will be considering authorship from the point of view of a designer, and where applicable, a graphic designer more precisely. I will also establish a view where author is to be considered as someone who tells something, and it is not to be restricted with only textual or verbal outcomes. I will also use terms graphic designer and visual communication designer interchangeably.

  What does a more modern communication theory have to say about authorship? What does it mean to be called an author if the message is considered to develop in the process of forming, designing, sending, receiving and interpreting a message and not straightforwardly in between a sender and a receiver? Would the authorship be shared between the parties of the communication (sender, designer and receiver in this case)? In a way this would shatter the concept of a singular author in its regular sense. Referring to this, Michael Rock brings out a valid concern over how design authorship relates to collaborative design as well; is there such a thing as co-authorship (if there is considered to be an element of authorship in the first place), where an idea or message is originated in between dialogues and collaboration? Rock also discusses a notion of “decentered texts” with skewed meanings in postmodern times; the message is not a direct vector from sender to receiver as previously mentioned, but is an object for multiple forces such as medium, language and culture. The position of authorship is thus definitely not an easy task to locate in this postmodern system. Rock also brings up the concept of a “reader-based text”, where it is mostly up for the receiver, a reader, of the message to interpret multiple references that are often present; This might, in some cases at least, translate to lacking originality (and therefore also authorship in some sense). It is also noted, on the other hand, that the authorship in a work of a visual communicator manifests itself rather as a recognisable pattern through a canon of their work rather than in an examination of a singular design product or message (Rock). This also somehow differentiates the nature of a designer’s authorship compared to the one of an artist, for example; the scope for authorship is undeniably limited on one singular project, and I see a myriad of working designers agreeing to this assumption as well.

  What is the relationship between the text or a product and the author of a said design outcome, then? Questions of authorship bring us to a question of author’s independency from, and their involvement in, their product; how much of them is in it, and what does it mean to be called an author in relation to a certain text or a product? If we do accept that the text or a product is a result of an individualistic author or an artist at work, we would agree that this product would be specific for this particular author and therefore most likely not replicable by any other author. This, then, would in its part contradict with the idea that texts are somewhat of a common ground (products of common textual and visual tradition) and not produced by this one and only individual (“the sender” or originator of the message, as earlier discussed).

In a quote by Plato on (Bennett, p. 37), is is described that a poet (read: an author) has to go “out of his mind”, in other words they are no longer “themselves” but are in a way, entering another space and leaving this rational human carcass behind while singing/writing. Traces of such dualism might still exist, but would probably be harder to rationalize these days when the “poet” is not so much differentiated from the intellectual; This might be partially due to societal development and the ability of humankind to appreciate different ways of knowing and producing information. This might, on the other, seem to stretch mostly to artistic ways of producing information, while design still floats in a limbo between art and other, already more established practises. Also on page 37 (Bennett) it is noted that Socrates has implied that it would be “the god itself” and not the poet themselves who are speaking. This comes around to the idea that the product resulting from actions of authorship originates from and is, something more collective or shared than purely an individual product. The concept of a medieval auctor continues a similar line of assumptions; the “spirit” behind the texts that auctor scripted was considered to come from elsewhere (god in this context). They were considered to “transmit” a message through their work (Bennett, p. 41). In a way we might considered this to be the case also in our postmodern environment; especially for visual communicators who work in the context of familiar signals in terms of text and visuals. This is the rivalry between discovering or using the already existing and inventing / originating.

  It is described that the rise of individualism and maybe even the actual question of authorship in a more modern context is connected to a development of mass culture (printing, in this case; Bennett p. 45). Mass production created a highlighted need to individualize products, when their production process became increasingly stripped of personal, handcraftmanship-like qualities. I think there is still an ongoing questioning about the relationship between handmade and “produced”; who is an artisan, and what exactly are they making? Craftmanship and the added value often tied to artisanal products could be looked through possessive individualism (Bennett, p. 51). In this sense we might also want to discuss what Rock also brings up in their text; the position of illustration in terms of design authorship. Illustration has a peculiar position in a current field of visual communication; I agree with Rock in the assumption that illustrators have been often successful in claiming authorship over their design process and products. Illustrators also work with a varying degree of familiarity in their work, and of course signals like colour and shape still remain relatively universal. How it differs, however, in my opinion is that the possibility of origin for the idea is not so strongly tied into referencing and rearranging the already existing, but has a stronger bond to its creator. Already by stating that an illustrator can quite unproblematically be referred to as a “creator” of the work is an indicator that they have a wider scope for authorship compared to a graphic designer who works with layout designs, for example. They are, in one sense, one layer further from a familiar form of authorship; the originator. These lines and categorizations are, of course, by nature flexible and by no means definite.

  My final questions for following discussions would also be: Who are authors telling things for? Who has access to the platforms, where these messages are being published? Who benefits from these? These are all critical questions in need of constant evaluation.

  A great question is raised right at the start of the article by Rock; how does the attempt to define authorship of a designer relate to the ongoing aim to overcome the so called “brilliant designer”, an individual author? We come around to the questions from the start; is authorship in a sense owned by the individual, or is it to be considered more collective? Are authorship, agency and origination just buzzwords to boost confidence or legitimately considered questions in dire need of answers? It might even look like design as a field and practise is confused and insecure in its authorship, which is, history considered, maybe not such a miracle. Next to these notions inevitably rises the concept of design as a tool, as a tool to produce value for other aims. Clearly the question of authorship brings as a lot of difficulty, if this is the case. Maybe we gained more scope for independency by claiming design as value itself than a tool; Rock also states that “authorship is not a very convincing metaphor for the activity we understand as design”, and I couldn’t agree more. We are tangled with the question because we narrow our path with the assumptions and conditions that we have set for ourselves; we are obsessed with the question of authorship partially in order to claim academic or artistic recognition when neither of those might not be what we are actually looking for. Can design as a system not have value in the way it connects, reshapes, transforms, communicates to us and surprises us?

  Who else than us, ourselves as designers, would be the first ones to proclaim design as a third intrinsically valued institution, not in between, but right next to, science and art?

  -Stella

[atsthermal]

Choosing the Right Heat Sink Attachment for Densely Populated PCB

In 1965, Fairchild Semiconductor Director of R&D and soon to be Intel co-founder Gordon Moore wrote “The Future of Integrated Electronics,” which was intended as an internal paper to define the most cost-effective number of components per integrated circuit. As he looked ahead to the next decade, Moore argued that the number of components per chip would double every year.

The paper was edited and published by Electronics in 1965 as “Cramming More Components onto Integrated Circuits”. Ten years later, Moore, then with Intel, spoke at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting and showed that his initial prediction was correct and estimated that the rate of increase would slow to “a doubling every two years, rather than one.”

superGRIP heat sink attachment technology offer minimal addition to component footprint on densely packed PCB. (Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc.)

This prediction has now become widely known as Moore’s law. It has become a tenet of the electronics community and continues to propel the industry forward at a time when the number of transistors on a chip (which was around 65,000 in 1975) now exceeds one billion. [1]

These high-powered components are common on printed circuit boards (PCB) in every day electronics from mobile devices to computers to automobiles. Recently, the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA) announced that it will spend $200 million on the Electronics Resurgence Initiative to seek new materials and manufacturing techniques in expectation that Moore’s law will come to a natural end. [2]

Not only are the components themselves getting higher-powered, but increased demand for functionality in ever-smaller packages has meant that these components are increasingly being squeezed into tighter areas. A 2012 article on Tech Design Forums, based on information from Mentor Graphics’ Technology Leadership Awards, indicated that while PCB size had been “relatively constant,” the “average number of components has quadrupled in 15 years.” [3]

As the forum noted, “Despite attempts by IC (integrated circuit) suppliers to cut power dissipation, as IC speeds and densities increase so does the heat they dissipate. And putting these ICs into smaller and smaller form factors compounds the problem. This causes significant thermal management challenges that must be met at the IC package, PCB and system levels.”

OCM Manufacturing, a low- to mid-volume manufacturer of electronics products, offered a chart that detailed standard spacing of components on a PCB, but also added, “With that said, there are no hard and fast rules for component spacing. Tightly packed components may have very good yield and problems may arise only during rework.” [4]

Match each component in the rows with whatever it’s adjacent to in the columns to see the preferred and minimum spacing between those two components, in millimeters. [4] (OCM Manufacturing)

Of course, all of that power will inevitably lead to increased heat across the system. Coupled with the decrease in space between components, which puts constraints on the amount of airflow across a component and leads to heat from one chip being passed on to the next, thermal management is a critical aspect of PCB design to an even greater extent than before. [5]

Heat sinks remain the most cost-effective method for cooling chips. The benefits of heat sinks, the thermal impact of different materials, and the development of new fin geometries are all discussed in depth elsewhere on this blog, but this article asks, “What is the best way to attach heat sinks, especially in a component-dense environment?”

As Dr. Kaveh Azar, founder and CEO of Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc. (ATS), wrote in ECN Magazine, “An engineer starting the process of thermal management must first determine the cooling needed and then consider the mechanical aspects of attaching the heat sink.” [6]

He added, “The thermal consideration is foremost on our decision tree. Once we have resolved the cooling issue, including the heat sink size and the type of thermal interface material (TIM) needed, we need to ask the question of how this heat sink will be attached to the device or the PCB.”

There are several options for design engineers to consider, but each comes with its own set of challenges. Thermal tape and thermal epoxies [7] would obviously add nothing to the existing component footprint, but tape has proven better for low-powered chips and epoxies require time to cure and are essentially permanent, making potential rework more time-consuming and costly.

Push pins, threaded standoffs and z-clips are mechanical attachment technologies that are common in the electronics industry but all require expanded footprints as well as holes or anchors in the PCB, which may not be available on high-density boards. Holes and anchors also make signal routing more difficult in the design phase and there is a possibility of a standoff or solder anchor causing a short during installation that could result in damage to the board. [8]

To meet this need, ATS developed superGRIP™. The two-part attachment system features a plastic frame clip that fastens securely around the perimeter of the component and a metal spring clip that slips through the fins of a heat sink and locks to the frame clip on both ends. [9]

The system is designed to need minimal space around the component. [10] The frame clip is made of a plastic resin that allows it to be very thin but also very strong, which was demonstrated during shock and vibration testing. The interior frame profile locks securely around the bottom edge and sides of the component package. The horseshoe tabs secure the clip to ensure the proper pressure on the heat sink.

The following chart shows the superGRIP™ clearance guidelines, although custom options are available and may be needed depending on the design:

The required board keep-out region for ATS superGRIP heat sink attachment technology. (Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc.)

superGRIP™ was also designed and tested to ensure maximum airflow through the heat sink. In a tightly-packed system where airflow is at a premium, superGRIP™ provides the necessary attachment security with only minimal impact on the flow. In addition, the plastic used in the frame clip stays cool in high-heat environments, rather than adding fuel to a potentially combustible situation.

CFD simulations with ATS superGRIP attachment demonstrating its minimal impact on airflow across a system. (Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc.)

Unlike other attachment technologies, superGRIP™ also requires no separate tooling and can be installed or released with a common tool such as a screwdriver. [11] This makes any potential rework easier. It is important to note the direction of the airflow when placing a heat sink, so it must also be considered when placing the frame clip as well.

References [1] http://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/moores-law-predicts-the-future-of-integrated-circuits/ [2] http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331974 and https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2017-06-01 [3] http://www.techdesignforums.com/practice/technique/overcoming-increasing-pcb-complexity-with-automation/ [4] http://ocmmanufacturing.com/resources/resource/dfm-tip-spacing-components-on-a-pcb/ [5] http://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded/engineer-s-guide-high-quality-pcb-design [6] https://www.ecnmag.com/article/2011/09/know-your-choices-mounting-heat-sinks-hot-components [7] https://www.masterbond.com/industries/heat-sink-attachment [8] “How the maxiGRIP™ attachment system impacts component mechanical behavior,” Qpedia Thermal eMagazine, May 2008. [9] https://www.qats.com/cpanel/UploadedPdf/ATS_superGRIP_Launch_Release_FINAL_with_Photo_0427092.pdf [10] https://www.qats.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/superGRIP-Clearance-Guidelines1.pdf [11] https://www.qats.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/superGRIP-Installation-Guidelines.pdf

For more information about Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc. (ATS) thermal management consulting and design services, visit www.qats.com or contact ATS at 781.769.2800 or ats-hq@qats.com.

[intergalacticwifi]

Tumblrvision Staging Concepts

I’m not very active on tumblr europal contests (or tumblr at all actually, at least lately), but I do take part in a roleplay in the format of a song contest, in which you come up with staging for the song you’re sending, among others. Someone suggested I do that with Tumblrvision entries, so I guess I’ll do them all in this post. Whatever I come up with will not necessarily reflect my personal opinion of these songs.

01 Germany: Regular band setup. I feel like it’d help better if I knew what the song talked about… typically other people I roleplay with who send these kinds of songs put pictures on the background screen relating to whatever the lyrics are about, I feel like something like that (maybe with graphics/animations instead) would work.

02 Egypt: Traditional dancers. Elaborate costumes, maybe a dress change or two. Camera angles would have to be dynamic and shot up close.

03 Moldova: Okay so she’s wearing a minidress, maybe in silver, and alone on stage at first. When the song starts the camera is on her face a la Bulgaria 2016 but it slowly zooms out eventually turning into a wide shot of the whole stage. The stage lights and graphics are predominantly blue. When the chorus breaks out dancers come on stage, probably male, dressed in white, but the singer stands still. Rain falls from above (on the background screen). When the bridge comes on, the stage lights dim and lighting is focused on the singer, but then everything returns to normal as it ends.

04 Belarus: I really don’t know what to do with this uhh… I’d say a band setup, with the singer mostly standing still but the lights flashing and camera giving dynamic angles that the performance still seems full of action. As the end nears… the graphics become more colourful, I guess.

05 Finland: Singer would be wearing something white, rather avant-garde. Background graphics, if any, would be in white and black (maybe occasional silver and the like), basically a very modern, “Apple” vibe. I’m thinking backing dancers but I’m not sure if it would suit the song… oh there’s a rap. He’d be wearing a white veil too, probably. 

06 Albania: This one starts off with her alone on stage, also wearing a massive veiled cloak which covers her entire body and even the stage floor. Dancers come as the song begins to intensify, dress reveal. The choreography here is very… sudden, not necessarily intense, but fits the intense, vigorous atmosphere of the song.

07 Jordan: Dancers, and everyone on stage is wearing colourful summer outfits straight out of H&M. Choreography fits the fun, summer-y vibe of the song. Wide shots, maybe except during the more quieter parts of the song, where it’d be a close of up the singer and the singer alone.

08 Czechia: I can imagine there be furniture on stage, maybe a fancy couch. Band setup surrounding that couch. Just like the music video, people on stage are wearing a mix of leather and fur with streetwear. Singer starts out singing from the couch (either sitting or laying down) but ends the performance standing on the front of the stage.

09 Russia: Dancers on stage, of course. Maybe mixed, maybe all-male. They’re either all looking dapper in suits or wearing streetwear. Colorful but dimmed lights, emulating a nightclub. I guess the choreography would be fast-paced like in the music video.

10 Israel: The stage could look barren, or it could have a folk/country band playing. Either way, the lead singer is there in hipster-looking clothing, as well as the guy playing the tambourine, probably sitting away from the center of attention, and most of the time just appearing in the background. Speaking of background, the LED screen displays a field. Clouds or stars? Either work, or perhaps it alternates. The UFO from the music video would also make a nice touch to that sky. Also possible is 2 ballroom dancers tucked away on a satellite stage if any, or in an empty corner of the stage.

11 Montenegro: Tbh I’m not even sure if this is physically possible but on stage there is a long platform made of flammable material shaped like a bridge. You know what’s going to happen. The singer does start out standing on this bridge, but she struts down the path very stylishly as the first verse progresses, and towards the end lights that match and tosses it just as she steps off the platform. It doesn’t really get any more exciting from here, unless perhaps parts of the ‘bridge’ could be engineered to collapse at certain moments to sync with the song. By the end of the song it’s supposed to have collapsed entirely. Well then, cue a quick interval segment before the next postcard as the crew clear the stage…

12 Andorra: The music video is simple enough that the performance could just be an enactment of it. If not, simply the singer with whatever musical instrument he plays could work. Either way, there’s a band behind him. Maybe put on something a bit traditional/classy or whatever fashion style that works with the song.

13 Lithuania: Okay I didn’t really catch much of the lyrics but from what I heard perhaps a pilot theme could work? Again another band set up (of course a quite different band from the previous), perhaps there could be 2 dancers putting on a visual story but if the band and singer have themed costumes then we could go without dancers.

14 Portugal: If the singer were to just bring his guitar on stage and sing in front of the mic alone on stage that could work. If a similar staging concept could beat the fan favourite at the second chance round of a certain ESC national final, then it can definitely work here.

15 Tunisia: I suppose there would have to be some sort of contrast between the two. One could be dressed in more traditional garb while the other puts on something a bit more modern? Also maybe have some traditional dancers on stage, with slightly different sets of choreography when one or the other sings.

16 Bulgaria: A sunset color scheme with dancers could work. Of course Poli would have to join in with them on the choreography. They’re all wearing something summer-y. Streetwear again, I guess.

17 Iceland: Mostly black is used in this performance, maybe with a splash of another dark colour like purple. Greta would be wearing a dress with really big sleeves, it might look a bit medieval. Hood optional. She takes it off and reveals another skinnier, but still black outfit beneath just in time for what appears to be the bridge, and then takes off the mic from the mic stand and takes a few steps toward the front of the stage. This whole time, however, the backing singers are at the back of the stage, not really moving much.

18 Monaco: The song’s beginning already sets the tone here and it is intimate. The singer could be wearing a colorful spring dress (maybe one with flowers), and pretty much keeps to herself during the whole performance, just standing there in front of the mic. But the real star here is the titular “Woman in the blue skin”, which means there will be one dancer whose skin was painted blue for this performance. The choreography will be something a bit more artistic, then.

19 Armenia: An extravagant intro a la Wild Dances. Full of dancing, perhaps Sirusho does a number along with men dressed as traditional warriors. Potential choreographies: the dancers lifting Sirusho into the air, spinning/other circular movements, wrapping arms around each other’s shoulders and forming a line. Also expect pyrotechnics - this entire performance is just going to scream high energy.

20 Denmark: The performance begins with the singer standing alone on stage, which might be covered in smoke/fog. Everything would be dark, the LED screens off or at least showing only the color black. The singer is wearing a glittery white pantsuit similar to Norway 2013 except with pants of the same design. The song may be slow, but eventually there could be backing dancers with fast-paced choreography. Wide shots are used, creating the feel that they are dancing at the edge of an endless void, or something like that. It just… feels empty.

21 Algeria: 2 potential stagings: the first, the singer stands there in front of the stage in front of a band setup. the second, her being alone on stage though potentially there are holographs or similar graphic effects. Either way, the background shows a magnificent night sky, with a moon.

22 Slovakia: The choreography in the music video could be easily adapted for the live performance. The singer and dancers are wearing the kind of fashion you’d typically see in high-end nightclubs.

Thus ends the first instalment, tune in for the next batch!

[daltonstark]

Dalton Stark Writes 1

For so long I have used Tumblr as a kind of “second-hand” social media in terms of posting content that ultimately is just run-off from whatever I post to my primary social media, Instagram. However I would like to begin using the abilities that Tumblr gives me access to express, and that is most certainly in this case, writing! I’m going to do my best to post these little entries as often as I can, thus allowing a separate platform for my drawing, and another for my writing.

 I’ve certainly found myself in a considerably more interesting chapter of my life. My once constant floundering and state of uncertainty has for this time, subsided. When I first started community college in 2013, I had a very wishy washy concept of what it was I wanted to study. I had heard that if you want to be creative, but you ACTUALLY wanna make money, you’re supposed to be a graphic designer. So I attempted my basic courses at my most local community college, and in what seemed like no time at all, got completely bored and impatient with it. Why did I have to take U.S. history or College Algebra? I wanted to draw and be a creative individual! I later researched into another community college slightly farther away than the first that offered a Certificate in graphic design, no basics, no math, just graphic design classes. I thought this sounded amazing, no need to waste my time! Well to make it short, I quickly became to realize that graphic design and illustration weren’t the same thing. I wanted to draw things for all my projects and make them look wild and weird, they wanted me to photoshop lipstick onto a double sided mailer. My increasing  boredom and lack of interest in the graphic design program only made my work weaker, and gave more of a reason for my teachers to disprove of it.

I thought I was gonna be a community college drop out and be a lame failure dude. Fast forward a bit to the past couple months. I’ve enrolled myself in the 12 week Online workshop taught by the infamous GhostShrimp himself. I wanted to do some sort of educational alternative to supplement me being too later to sign up for the appropriate fall classes. Which I am INCREDIBLY STOKED ABOUT. I’ve also decided to give community college another go starting in the spring, and to pursue the Animation School at A&M University.

I’ll definitely be trying to document as much as I can as my human experience unfolds. If for some reason you actually took the time to read this thing, you're really sweet and I hope you always stay so sweet.

Soon!

-Dalton Stark

[matoki-project]

B.A.P Primer [Link Saved Version]

-- Updated last 6/17/17 -- (Updated with Party Baby Links!)

Who is B.A.P?

B.A.P (Best Absolute Perfect) is a six member Korean k-pop group under TS Entertainment that debuted on stage on Jan. 27 2012 with their first mini album Warrior. They are best known for their strong messages and signature powerful style of music. | More info here |

| Official Facebook | TS Ent Twitter | TS Ent Youtube | Official Fancafe |

V Live Channel  [Follow on V App as well]

The official fanclub name of B.A.P is BABY (plural Babys or Babyz) and the unofficial fan color is spring green.

Hiatus?

To catch new fans up with the previous development of events, in November of 2014, B.A.P announced they were filing a lawsuit against TS Entertainment to nullify their contracts due to unfair conditions and profit distribution [x]. Since then,they went months into inactivity, attempting to hold a trial throughout. On August 1st, 2015, B.A.P and TS reached a settlement [x]. B.A.P returned to TS, prepared for their next activities and promoted with “Young Wild & Free” from their Matrix album and now recently released “Wake Me Up” from their Rose.

Yongguk’s hiatus and return

Due to Yongguk’s recent health (diagnosed with panic disorder in October of 2016 x), the five remaining members promoted for the Skydive/Noir comeback. Himchan took the leadership role and filled in for Yongguk during their Skydive performances. Following that, Yongguk was revealed to return to activity for their Wake Me Up comeback and so far is active in promotion again.

Members:

Bang Yongguk  | March 31 1990 | Leader and Main Rapper |  | More Info | Twitter | IG | Soundcloud

Yongguk is the stoic, and shy, yet caring leader of B.A.P. He is responsible for many of B.A.P’s album lyrics and more recently their song productions. His deep cave-like voice is well-known and impersonated by many. He’s also known for his vast amount of charity work and fondness of children. His favorite things, besides working on his music include ramen and his favorite character, tigger. He’s easy to embarrass, but he has a childlike side to him as well. Overall, he’s a strong leader and a strong believer of justice.  

Kim Himchan   | April 19 1990 | Sub-Vocal and Visual | | More Info | Twitter | IG

Himchan is B.A.P’s resident “mother” figure. He brings the group to life especially during variety shows, as his outrageous humor and outgoing charms are a crowdpleaser. He is known for his talent with the janggu, a korean drum and knowledge of traditional Korean music. On top of that, he originally was an emcee for MTV’s “The Show”, so his abilities are diverse. His favorite things include fashion, food and iced americanos. While he can be quite strict and teasing towards the other members, he’s very caring and sensitive. He especially shares his positivity with Babys.

Jung Daehyun  | June 28 1993 | Lead Vocal |  | More Info | Twitter | IG

Daehyun is infamous for his high notes heard throughout many of B.A.P’s songs. True to his vocal position, Daehyun is one of the more talkative members, even assuming the role as reporter for the group. Besides his voice, Daehyun is also known for his intense appetite for food (his favorite is cheesecake). He enjoys teasing and rough-housing the other members, especially the younger ones. Like Himchan, he shows a lot of love for the fans but can be sensitive himself.  

Yoo Youngjae  | Jan. 24 1994 | Lead Vocal |  | More Info | Twitter | IG

Youngjae is the group’s energetic spirit and he is the huskier vocal that melodically holds together B.A.P songs. As the group’s “brain” he’s a wisecracker that enjoys trolling the other members and especially the fans. His laughter is extremely contagious and he’s best known among fans for his silly faces and reactions. Some of his favorites include R&B music and photography. Just like Himchan and Daehyun, he’s another talker and fan of the fans. Despite his often sassy to moody nature, he is quite caring over the other members.

Moon Jongup | Feb. 6 1995 | Sub-Vocal and Main Dancer |  | More Info | Twitter | IG

B.A.P’s ball of sunshine, Jongup excels in heightening the group’s stage performances with his effortless dancing ability. And since B.A.P’s return from their hiatus, he’s been able to showcase his impressive vocal skills as well. His many loves include pokemon, hamburgers, chocolate milk, Frozen (particularly Olaf) and Chris Brown. One of the quieter members, his clever sense of humor is his best charm, and he never ceases to remind fans or the group of that. When he’s not smiling he’s in a perpetual state of judgement and even babys aren’t safe from his troll-like jokes.    

Zelo (Choi Junhong) | Oct. 15 1996 | Lead Rapper, Lead Dancer and Maknae | | More Info | Twitter | IG

The youngest of the group, Zelo impressed with his famous LTE rap. He is also an immensely talented dancer, and his fluid style compliments their stronger dance styles very well. Despite his age, he’s also the tallest member, at 187 cm, and he’s quite conscious about it. Including rapping and dancing, he skateboards a lot and is often seen carrying one around. He also has a liking for interesting fashions (socks) and strange animals. Another of the shy members, he’s coy when put on the spotlight outside of the stage, but a very playful and curious person at heart. 

Matoki

The mascot of B.A.P are a species of alien masked rabbits, from the planet Mato, called “matoki”. The B.A.P members have corresponding matoki and each has a color that helps designate their respective member. Their personalities loosely reflect B.A.P’s alien personas introduced in “Ta-dah It’s B.A.P!” Matoki are heavily used for promotional purposes (like album covers or graphic logos) and are frequently seen in their merchandise and products.

Original release photos | Group Photo

Shishimato (Yongguk) | Red | Intro Vid

Shishi can be described as the most soldier-like of the matoki (he’s fascinated by war tanks, fighting, destruction, and of the such). He looks after Tototmato often. Sometimes he’s seen looking at 19+ material.

Tatsmato (Himchan) | Pink | Intro VId

Tats is a laid-back, high maintenance, tatted matoki. He’s often seen drinking wine or lazing about. Tatsmato is also the only matoki wearing the default matoki mask (in logo form, the matoki symbol looks like Tatsmato).

Kekemato (Daehyun) | White | Intro Vid

Kekemato is the only matoki that is actually in a suit. Keke’s real skin color is pink, and he wears a mask with a heart on it. When in suit, his mask is white/gray (This brought a lot of confusion to fans when first released, but Keke’s/Daehyun’s representing color is white. Since white isn’t visible over light colors, fans will sometimes use gray, pink, purple or other lighter colors as a substitute in their posts/subtitling). Because of the suit, Kekemato has a secretive type of personalty. He has a fascination with Batman and superheroes.

Jokomato (Youngjae) | Yellow | Intro Vid

Joko is the brains and jokster of the group with a clown-like face. He often tries to come up with ideas and schemes but fails at executing them. In their “Goodbye” short, Joko and Keke work together to leave planet Mato. However, they crash in on the remaining matoki in their own spaceship, causing them to veer off course to Earth.  

Dadamato (Jongup) | Green | Intro Vid

Dada is a playful, tough, and active matoki with tire markings over his body. He fantasizes of riding a motorbike and is often seen making the noises as he pretends to.

Totomato (Zelo) | Blue | Intro Vid

Toto is a robot matoki (named after Zelo’s love of cherry tomatoes in Ta-Dah It’s B.A.P!). Because he’s a robot, he’s needs to recharge himself every so often. He often follows Shishimato’s lead in their adventures. Since he’s still a baby, he is very curious about everything around him.  

Earthventures Comic (original comic strip series featuring the main matoki)

Discography

Warrior    [1st Single Album]    |    2012 Jan. 26

Power    [2nd Single Album]    |    2012 April 26

No Mercy    [1st Mini Album]    |    2012 July 19

Crash    [1st Mini Album Repackage]    |    2012 Aug. 29

Stop It    [3rd Single Album]    |    2012 Oct. 23

One Shot    [2nd Mini Album]    |    2013 Feb. 12

Badman    [3rd Mini Album]    |    2013 Aug. 12

Warrior [Japan 1st Single Album]    |    2013. Oct. 9 | Limited Edition Tracks: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]  | Type A Tracks [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]   |  Type B Tracks [x[ [x] [x] [x]

One Shot      [Japan 2nd Single Album]    |     2013 Nov. 13

First Sensibility    [1st Album]    |    2014 Feb. 3

No Mercy    [Japan 3rd Single Album]    |     2014 April 2

Unplugged 2014    [4th Single Album] |    2014 June 3

Excuse Me [Japan 4th Single Album ] |    2014 Sept. 3

Matrix    [4th Mini Album]    |    2015 Nov. 16

Carnival      [5th Mini Album ]     |      2016 Feb. 22

Best.Absolute.Perfect   [Japan 1st Album] |   2016 March 30

Feel So Good   [Japan 5th Single Album]   |     2016 July 13

Put ‘Em Up   [5th Single Album]     |     2016 Aug. 8

Noir     [2nd Full Album]        |       2016 Nov. 7

Fly High    [Japan 6th Single Album]    |    2016  Dec. 7

Rose   [6th Single Album]   |     2017 March 7

Wake Me Up [Japan 7th Single Album]     |   2017 April 26

Daehyun x Jongup Project Album [Party Baby]     |   2017 June 8  

Music Videos

Going Crazy (Predebut - Yongguk & Jieun)

Shy Boy (Predebut - Appearance by Yongguk, Himchan & Jongup)

Starlight Moonlight (Predebut - Appearance by YG, HC, JU & YJ)

I Remember (Predebut - Yongguk & Yoseob)

Never Give Up (Predebut - Yongguk & Zelo)

Warrior

Secret Love [TS Ver,] |    Ta-Dah Version

Power

Goodbye (Animated Short with Matoki)

No Mercy

Crash

Stop It

For a Year (Appearance by Yongguk) 

Everything is Pretty (Youngjae & Sunwha)

Rain Sound

One Shot

Coffee Shop

Hurricane

Badman

Warrior [Japanese]

One Shot [Japanese]

1004 (Angel)

No Mercy [Japanese] 

Where Are You? What Are You Doing?     |    NG Version

Excuse Me [Japanese]

AM 4:44 (Yongguk personal work created during the lawsuit)

Young Wild & Free

Feel So Good

Body Lotion (SLEEPY feat. Yongguk)

Breakaway (Braclet feat. Zelo)   Band Version  |  Drama Version

Kingdom [Japanese]

Feel So Good [Japanese]

That’s My Jam

Now (Jongup MV)

Skydive | Director’s Cut |   Dance Highlight

Wake Me Up [Stream to increase views!]

Wake Me Up [Japanese]

Shadow [Daehyun Special Video] 

Try My Luck [Jongup Special Video]

Past Live Stages

Warrior Era  |   Secret Love Era

Power Era

No Mercy Era

Crash Era

Stop It Era

One Shot Era     [Himchan was absent due to a hand injury]

Badman Era

1004 (Angel) Era

Young Wild & Free Era

Feel So Good Era

Skydive Era      [Yongguk was absent due to hiatus]

Wake Me Up Era     [Himchan was partly absent due to a rib fracture]

Performances (starting from recent)

Miscellaneous performances to check out

Other Song Works/Features

Mine - Bang Yongguk for The Star

Sexy Clap - Bang Yongguk & Himchan

Q - Bang Yongguk

T - Bang Yongguk

Sacramental Confession - Bang Yongguk

Hallucination - Bang Yongguk

Curxe - Bang Yongguk

Vintage - Song Jieun feat. Zelo

No Title - Zelo

R(x)play - V-hawk feat. Zelo

Young Wild & Free (Mozaix Remix) - Bang Yongguk

X - Bang Yongguk

Feel So Good (Remix) - Bang Yongguk

Drunkeness - Bang Yongguk

Photo - Jongup feat. Bang Yongguk

How About You - Daehyun

Dark Light - Daehyun

Song recommendations list (songs mentioned by members)

B.A.P Must Watch Shows

Ta-dah It’s B.A.P! (Their first show in 2012 and the introduction of their “alien concept”)  Ep. 1, 3 - 9 Eng Sub  |  Ep. 2  Eng Sub

B.A.P Diary Ep. 1 Eng Sub  |   Ep. 2 Eng Sub

Killing Camp Ep. 1 Eng Sub |   Ep. 2 Eng Sub  |  Ep. 3 Eng Sub (Starts at 7:11)

Go! B.A.P Full Eng Sub

B.A.P Attack! Ep. 1 - 12 Eng Sub

B.A.P’s One Fine Day Ep. 1 (P1 P2 P3) |  Ep. 2 (P1 P2 P3)   | Ep. 3  |  Ep. 4  |  Ep. 5  |    Ep. 6  |  Ep. 7  |  Ep. 8

Other Shows to Watch

Weekly Idol 120822 No Sub (beginning is cut out  |  130904 Eng Sub   |  140305 Eng Sub

After School Club 130817 Ep.    |     140219 Ep.   |    151124 Ep.

Gurupop Full Eng Sub

Star King cuts130831 Cut No Sub |  130907 Cut Eng Sub  |   131102 Cut No Sub  | 131109 Cut No Sub  |   140405  Cut No Sub |

B.A.P HeyoTV Private Life

Hello Counselor160321 Eng Sub [Himchan and Daehyun] |   161114 Eng Sub [Himchan and Youngjae]

Some misc vids to check out (these are out of order)

B.A.P The Star Interview and iconic aegyo Eng

B.A.P Workplace Song

B.A.P Day Cut Eng

B.A.P Egg Song

B.A.P Egg Song 2

B.A.P and Miss A visit Nursery

Youngjae & Sunhwa at MTV Waiting Room Eng

DFLA X B.A.P Interview

B.A.P & A Pink for Skoolooks Eng 1 2 3 MV

Miss & Mr. Idol B.A.P Cut

B.A.P Safety Song

B.A.P Elevator Safety

Himchan wrestling

131003 B.A.P Interview Eng

Daehyun plays reporter in this Show Champ Interview

Yinyuetai V-charts Awards Interview Eng

B.A.P struggle with aiming in this game

LOE Special Memory In Japan Eng

B.A.P interviews B.A.P

B.A.P make Valentine’s chocolates

140530 B.A.P Interview

DFLA Live on Earth Interview

Ice Bucket Challenge Himchan Eng

Ice Bucket Challenge Youngjae & Zelo Eng

B.A.P’s first video as 6 after lawsuit is dropped 

B.A.P Vring U trailer and debut of giant matoki heads Eng

The Qmentary Eng

Chemitest with B.A.P Eng

5 Second Interview at The Show Eng

B.A.P plays pepero game

B.A.P play dance practice

B.A.P Young Wild & Free dance practice

B.A.P are warm and pretty in this Star1 photoshoot

B.A.P Be Happy dance practice Christmas special

B.A.P reacts to Kiss Scenes Eng

B.A.P Fan Heart Attack Idol Eng

B.A.P Heyo TV

Youngjae and GOT7′s JB in Celebrity Bromance [look in playlist]

Mato TV On-Air Zelo CF Parody

Mato TV On-Air Daehyun and Jongup Drama Parody Eng

Mato TV On-Air Yongguk Lotion Parody

161223 Idol Battle Likes Eng Daehyun MC

B.A.P vs Teen Top in Overwatch 1 2 3

B.A.P are helpless in this VR roller coaster game Eng

B.A.P do the limbo Eng

B.A.P Bingo Talk Eng

More English Subbed Content

Behind the scenes vids

B.A.P photobook and past calendars info

Other stuff to find

B.A.P support for comeback!

Voting Tutorials!

Follow those links for everything you need to help B.A.P in music shows and more! I will do my best to update this section with more tutorials as B.A.P’s promotions continue.

Tumblr Blogs

itsbap (main source for updates) |    B.A.P’s schedule

bapdirectory  (collection of B.A.P blogs/some may be inactive)

bapsubbers (for B.A.P’s translated video content)

baptrans (for B.A.P’s SNS translated content)

bapnet (Network for B.A.P fans)

bestabsolutestyle (B.A.P Fashion info)