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whatdoesshedotothem · 3 years ago

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Tuesday 5 January 1836

11 50

No kiss I all civility and grave silence no kiss but inquired after her blister as I passed thro’ after being dressed ready in an hour F46 ½° and rainy morning at 8 5 - the fire downstairs in progress of lighting and no breakfast things ready - came up to my books and was ½ hour dusting and siding then breakfast at 8 35 in an hour - had had Mr. Husband and sent him to look at Whiskum cottage to see what wanted doing and tell Joseph Mann not to wait for me - had read Burders’ oriental customs during breakfast - out a few minutes - a minute or 2 with A- to whom I had sent breakfast upstairs - I grave and civil she named no apology no saying of being sorry and I shall not give in so things must go on as they can I suspect she will come round by and by but it matters not I shall get more and more callous at my desk at 9 ¾ and wrote the above of today - then till 1 5 (except ¼ interrupted at 12 ½ by Mr. Jubb’s coming) making rentals for tomorrow duplicate copy of rents received for my father - my aunt better and A- a good deal better tho’ she did not seem to think so at first - till 2 ½ copying from Mr. Freeman’s little Daybook of stone got at upper Place quarry - when A- came and gave me a kiss having tears I kissed her said nothing but went into the other room and talked kindly but gravely of one thing or other wrote copy of letter about the school master - A- came to me at 2 ½ and I went and sat 1/2 hour with her in the blue room - talked over the Letter George had brought me this morning from Mr. C. Illingworth 40 Coney street York mentioning a school master and his wife both of the capable of teaching and highly recommended if the Lightcliffe was not already disposed of - wrote copy of answer wishing for further particulars ‘viz. [videlicet] name, age of each party, how long each has been accustomed to teaching, place of residence, references as to character -if any children, how many, and the age of the youngest’ if the answer favourable, should ‘lose no time in procuring an interview with the parties’ -

SH:7/ML/E/18/0156

had just written the copy of answer when Holt came about 3 - had measured off water drift and pity-pheying of the latter 56 yards in length done and 80 or 90 more to do (as Holt thinks) to the face of the coal - water drift

Length done 306 + 35 = 341 yards

Length remaining up to within 8 yards of the road

68 yards + the 8 up to the road + ½ the breadth of the road

suppose = 2 yards .:. 68+8+2 = 78 yards to drive

It seems it is some difficulty in the lead pipe just laid down by Firth that occasions the want of water to William Green - Spiggs loose all right - the water is 3in. deep in Walker pit the Spiggs co. cannot agree whereabouts to sink their new pit - Slater and Sutcliffe have taken the sinking at 25/. per yard but they are to be paid for boring and this will make it up 30/. per yard - the coal-trade headed by Joseph Stocks (son of Michael) is getting up a petition to parliament against selling coal by weight - nobody preparing weighing machines but Mr. Rawson - the new patent machines will cost from £30 to £40 - but Holt is going to look at a small machine that will cost about £10 - Holt and co. have 8 sale pits so will want 8 machines - Holt thinks the additional expense occasioned by weighing will add 1/2d. per corve to the price of coal - Mr. John Mitchell of New house, Ovenden, got Firth (now living in Ovenden) to bore for him at a great expense in old lane, at the back of Barrett’s mill (the present dam is over the mouth of the bore-hole which is covered over by a [stone] so as to keep the hole open) to the depth of 200 yards and the fall of the ground would be as much as 100 yards so that in fact he got 300 yards below our Low or soft bed - he thought to meet with the Newcastle beds - but found nothing but a few seams an inch or 2 thick and different strata of stone and shale - Inquire if Mr. Herbert Mitchell knows anything of the papers recording the result of this boring - Wilson’s coal steam-engine is 12 horse power - had once over let it to Haley who said it would turn 16 worsted frames .:. 12 : 16 :: 1 : 1 1/3 .:. 1 horse power will turn 1 1/3 worsted frame and the power to turn 1 worsted from letter for £20 a year .:. 1 horse power = £20+ £6.13.4 = £26.13.4

the Paper mill’s engine (bought by Mr. Holmes = 30 horse power)

and the coal costs £300 a year but is to be done for less -

£300/30 = £10 per horse power for coal - this would not do

Inquire into the expense of coal and Engine per horse power mills (said Holt) let very well now - nothing pays so well - Had Holt from 3 to ¾ hour - then went out - walked with Holt to the turn into the Whiskum road - then to Whiskum quarry - and to Baraclough road and down the fields by Walker pit to the Conery - a few minutes with William Pollard (Matty gone to Halifax) told him to see about buying Miss Holdsworth‘s Godley cottages - then down Conery Ing to the 2 fishponds - thence along the road to Listerwick cabin and by my walk home at 5 ¼ - found Mr. George Bates’s engineer here - wanted a little more time - gave him till next Monday for bringing in his estimate - then had Mr. Husband - he is to send 2 masons tomorrow to reset the grate and boiler at Whiskum - recommends doing the house and with blue slate, lapped over cornerwise as one sees them in Rouen et Alibi - said I would think about it - not at the moment taken with the idea - Mr. Husband £100 will complete the job at Mytholm - masons’ work, joiners’ work and moving 100 yards of stuff on the garden side - dressed in ½ hour - wrote my letter (vid. p. 3 from the bottom of p. 301) and put it in the bag for ‘Mr. C. Illingworth 40 Coney street York Post paid’ - dinner at 6 5 - coffee - A- came upstairs not being dressed (no stays on) and I sat ¾ hour with my father and Marian till 8 - then till 8 55 wrote all but the first 9 lines of today

- kind but grave to A- I must keep her in good order and then perhaps we shall get on together for a while

Looking over Paxton’s botanical magazine for November last and then with A- a few minutes till went to my aunt at 9 ¾ for near ½ hour - looks very poorly tonight - did not allow herself to be at all better - spoke indistinctly and had a little spasm about the throat and tendency to hiccough - rainy morning till towards noon - fair and finish afternoon - soft mild fair night and F46° now at 10 50 pm -

found my cousin come gently at nine tonight.

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rwbyconversations · 5 years ago

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Rooster Teeth Glassdoor Crunch/Overtime Accusations #AnimatorsFirst

EDIT: Georden Whitman, former creator of Nomad of Nowhere, has come out and publicly confirmed the Glassdoor reviews are true.

Original story:

Rooster Teeth’s Glassdoor reviews have recently made serious allegations against the company, with people who work for the company claiming that the company engages in practices involving heavy crunch periods, a resistance to providing benefits, eighty hour work weeks, a management team trying to justify crunch and unpaid overtime that, according to some, led to as much as a third of RWBY and gen;LOCK’s recent seasons being made effectively for free.

Below are screencaps and exact quotes from the pages. Any emphasis made is done by me.

From May 23rd this year, as written by an employee with three years experience at RT:

Cons

Program scheduling department has no idea how to time budget for animation, has resulted in unnecessary, preventable crunch Company takes on projects that are too big for it to manage effectively Not the highest pay compared to Anim Guild standards Open office space, gets noisy

Advice to Management

Management has been using a weird method to try and deescalate hard feelings about crunch. They’re acting like counselors who are “there to talk” and to try and find “coping mechanisms” to deal with crunch. This is a terrible idea considering that none of them are trained counselors as far as I’m aware, but more-so, they’re obviously going to be biased in favor of what they want from us. It makes me want to communicate with them even less. This past review, my manager criticized me for having “negative energy” during a terrible crunch period where we were working over 80 hrs s week, and told me I should “look for the silver lining” which is just bad advice. Advice to management is to stop pretending you know anything about mental health and also be less passive - fight harder for your team.

From May 13th, an employee with a year’s experience at Rooster Teeth:

Cons

The management is terrible. Artists are lead on with the promises of "full time employment and benefits" dangled in front of them without ever being addressed and ultimately are never given, there is no paid overtime, artists had to fight for their right to time off between productions, and good luck getting any form of benefits despite them being plastered on the wall.

Advice to Management

You're not a group of guys playing halo in your apartment anymore. Please run your business and look at what's happened to it.

From June 11th this year, from an employee who has been working at the company for five years:

Cons

- Extremely poor management (Some of it is negligence, some of it is just accidental from the sheer amount of work. Upper management is also extreme bro/friends club.) - Insanely high expectations (animate a 10-14 min episode in 2 weeks) - Very low compensation (I've worked here for years and make entry pay. Some people have gone MULTIPLE years with no raise) - No overtime pay (Every season of RWBY and GL gets about 1/3 or less made for 'free' because no one gets paid over time and it's not uncommon to work hundreds of hours of overtime) - Toxic work environment (there are a lot of cliques, complaining and even making fun of other people and depts here. It never gets punished so it always happens. Not professional) - You know something is going right when after many complaints HR reminds everyone you have "unlimited" mental health doctor appointments... I could honestly go on and on like an emo on Myspace in 2007 but I'll reign it in. I'll leave it at this since I've seen many fans read these and be skeptical. It's not great. You can deny it but there is a lot of evidence if you just accept it. And the reason you work here is cus you get stuck and are promised "It'll get better". The work is low quality (hard to get jobs elsewhere), pay is low (can't save money) and life/work balance is a joke. We have a bit of balance now but it's only for a couple months out of the year when production isn't in full swing. Then it's back in the meat grinder.

Advice to Management

You NEED to listen to the workers and make hard decisions and actually fight for better conditions. It's been far far too long of "it'll get better" or "we know what to do next year". This isn't sustainable and I think we all know it. But someone has to be the guy to say "no" when things aren't good enough. If you don’t say no, hundreds of people suffer. Please.

From May 18th:

Cons

Crunch has gotten to an unacceptable level. Productions have been completed with over half of total hours unpaid overtime, especially impacting the comp and editing department. Management cares more about their ego than the quality of the work they put out— letting the crunch caused by their irresponsible decisions fall solely on the shoulders of the artists while they enjoy a forty hour work week. Pay is laughable compared with the amount of mandated, unpaid hours of labor. No career advancement, and contract workers are given empty promises of full time employment before being shown the door once production is done.

Advice to Management

Stop saying the crunch issue is “getting better” or that you’re “working on it”, and start actually owning up to your mistakes.

From May 19th:

Cons

-A lot of employees brought on, if not all, before the last development cycle were promised permanent positions after a 90 day trial period. As those dates approached those artists saw no change, asking their leads what was going on. The guidance from higher ups was vague at best, and some felt like they had been forced to lie to employees during the interview process. - A lot of processes went over-scope due to poor planning. -Lack of actual production experience in the management side of things is no longer something that can be glossed over as the company tries to take on more industry vetted employees. -Crunch is extreme and overtime is not compensated for, nor is that time given back in any fair amount.

Advice to Management

-Clear and concise communication -Re-structure your upper level management

From May 12th:

Cons

Crunch here is out of control. No Paid OT. Expect to work A LOT for free. 70-80 hour work weeks. Mandatory 10-12 hour work days sometimes with no days off. Management is more interested in telling you what you want the hear as opposed to the truth.

Advice to Management

Fix the crunch issue and stop saying 'we're working on it'.... because you're not. Layoffs are certain. Will layoff bad employees and good employees in the same breath, completely eliminating any reason to work as hard as you're required to do. Fix your transparency issue and stop overworking your employees otherwise your reputation will severely suffer.

From April 5th:

Cons

-No paid overtime. -Crunch is a major problem in the animation department due to unrealistic deadlines, poor planning, and indecisiveness. (Mandatory 10 to 12 hour days for multiple months are common.) -Stress levels are often very high due to harsh deadlines -Some of the producers tend to lie. -Promotions are used as a morale booster, not actual career advancement. -Hardly any time for Professional Development -Professionalism can be a bit scarce (for example people would draw penises on the boards throughout the studio)

Advice to Management

-Management needs to seriously figure out how to deal with the crunch issue. A question was asked at an all hands meeting: "How are you going to handle crunch this year?" Instead of giving a clear answer, the head of the RT animation department completely dodged the question. If you don't know how you are going to tackle a problem, try saying, "I don't know. I will get back with you ASAP." Then actually pursue a solution to the problem. Dodging questions makes you look shady and untrustworthy. -Improve production plans and make sure you have enough resources to complete your projects. If you are going to work on two shows at the same time, then you need to double ALL of your teams along the pipeline, not just one. If you can barely get one project done with your current resources, you certainly cannot finish two. If you can't get the resources needed to complete the projects, then it's probably best to keep them small or to simply not do them at all. Pushing your teams beyond the breaking point is not the wisest decision. If you continue with your overambitious ways, it will backfire in the long run. Telltale Games' closure and Bioware's Anthem debacle are examples of what's to come if you do not improve your production practices and get crunch under control. -Get more training on how to manage people. There are plenty of programs out there that can help management understand how to work with various types of personalities. There were some situations where I noticed that some leads and producers simply did not know how to talk to a person when there was a problem. Despite all of the criticism I just wrote, I feel the majority of who work at Rooster Teeth Productions are decent people. However, the management is just terrible. Put some of that ambition you have into fixing your problems internally instead of putting it into meeting those unrealistic deadlines.

From March 25th:

Cons

- Massive amounts of unpaid overtime. All while touting the importance to the company of a life/work balance. They promise to give you the time back, but it will be impossible to take. - Management is just a joke. They can’t schedule or stay on track to save their lives. Total amateur hour. - Zero followthrough on promises made. How about a pizza party? - Pay much lower than standard. Don’t expect real raises. Promotions with increased responsibilities don’t come with comparable pay bumps. - Most promises of advancement and opportunities are hollow wishful thinking. - Almost zero followthrough with meaningful investment in employee education. You can access a Udemy account and that’s about it. - Management will blame the artists instead of taking responsibility and will even through people under the bus to cover themselves. - Internet celebs are more valuable than artists. - Their awards are called “cockbite of the month/year” and it’s what they call their employees. You may not want to be called that but that’s too bad. It’s their culture. A few guys draw penises everywhere to be funny. - Not very much diversity in management. Feels like you need to be a straight white male to be appreciated.

Advice to Management

Hire some actual seasoned industry professionals to upper management in Animation. And demonstrate there are some consequences for them, instead of taking it out on employees.

From April 11th:

Cons

-Overtime, and hours will cause any person to slowly become something they don't like. -Management is typically made up of "talent" and treats other employees poorly, not to mention 0 years of previous managerial experience. -Management also blames other employees for the problems they create, and don't show actual leadership. -Echo chambers within management. -Stress levels incredibly high -Lack of professionalism

Advice to Management

-Get rid of "talent" in managerial roles, it's clear they're costing the company serious problems and money. The ones who end up being hurt are the employees who knew and constantly warned about problems ahead of time that were ignored. If the company stays the same a huge incident is bound to follow. -Try to respect creatives that aren't "talent" within the company as well. It's clear management doesn't and goes against the entirety of the company's "core values." those who have had previous industry experience should be listened to and considered instead of being shrugged off and given responses like "Well that's just how we do things." -Collaboration doesnt seem to exist for a majority of managment here. If this one massive change happens the company could really grow far and do much more than create crude content with a lack of care/heart for the final product. -If people are able to sleep and have a normal schedule more thoughtful input will also happen, and your content can only get better. -A multitude of people and lives have been hurt from management at this company, from in house employees being mentally abused to freelancers that are ghosted. So many immature and poor practices have taken place within the animation department I'm amazed a lawsuit has yet to happen. -Management should be leaders not bosses.

It’s almost darkly funny that most of the positives are just “They give you free food on Mondays and the people are nice.”

But these are all from just the last year alone. Most reviews from before the start of 2019 don’t speak of crunch barring one from April 2018, one from March 2018 and one from June. This is a problem that has been affecting Rooster Teeth for at least an entire year, and since the start of the new year, the problem has magnified tenfold. Most reviews mention that the heads of departments are aware of the crunch and unpaid overtime but refuse to do anything about it beyond offering platitudes or dodging the question on what the company is going to actually do to fix the crunch problem.

Crunch is a problem plaguing many companies, especially in the western hemisphere. In gaming development there’s a story nearly every month about what apathetic upper management think they can get away with by forcing employees to spend dozens of hours every week slaving away on their product. I hoped that Rooster Teeth would not be one of these companies, but I am saddened to see that they were not.

Crunch’s negative effects on mental and physical health have been well documented, alongside the basic fact that crunch isn’t worth it and doesn’t work. Employees forced to crunch are unable to work as well as employees who are well rested and have time to go home to their families.

To anyone working these impossible crunch hours at Rooster Teeth right now, I hope your suffering ends soon, that eventually basic human empathy wins out and hours are lessened while you receive your just rewards for your work.

For @roosterteeth? This is appalling and a slap in the face to the fanbase you conned into thinking that you were a company that cared for everyone within as a huge family. Your entire management team should be ashamed of the environment you signed off on. No profit margin is worth the suffering you have subjected your crew to. Shame on you.

As a fan of RWBY, it disgusts me that a product I enjoy was made through blood, sweat and tears. And as a fan of RWBY, I wish to make a public call to the fanbase, be it on Tumblr, Reddit, Twitter or Youtube. I want to make a public statement to Rooster Teeth that we are willing to wait longer for new shows if it means that they are made ethically. I can’t in good conscience support a product if it was made by putting the workers through hell. Maybe I can’t change anything on my own, maybe ultimately we’ll just be ignored, but I refuse to stand by and stay silent on the matter, maybe even get Rooster Teeth to make changes in their workflow (I won’t say “I hope they respond” because they seem to respond in-house to complaints about crunch without ever actually changing anything)

I encourage you to share this around as much as you can. Share the accounts of the Glassdoor reviews as far and as wide as you can. We love and enjoy media, we love the people who make it- the animators, editors, writers and voice actors, and we as a community want them to not have to resort to RT’s seemingly unlimited mental health coverage or “find a coping mechanism to deal with crunch.” As much as it pains me to admit, I’d rather see RWBY die instead of seeing continue to be made on the back of crunch.

Thank you for reading. Again, I encourage you to share this around as much as you can. Let your voice be heard if you stand against this.

#rwby #Rooster Teeth #Genlock #crunch #overtime #glassdoor #georden whitman #nomad of nowhere

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hms-chill · 5 years ago

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RWRB Study Guide: Chapter 4

Hi y’all! I’m going through Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue and defining/explaining references! Feel free to follow along, or block the tag #rwrbStudyGuide if you’re not interested!

The Willard (75): A luxury hotel just down the street from the White House, where rooms can cost up to $8,000 per night. It hosts the turkeys to be pardoned by the president.

Cornbread and Stuffing (75): Traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Pardoning turkeys are commonly named after foods associated with Thanksgiving, recently including Bread, Butter, Cheese, and Apple.

Pennsylvania Avenue (75): The street that the White House and Willard are on.

Until I pardon them (75): The pardoning of the turkeys is an actual American tradition. Americans began sending turkeys to the president around the same time we started celebrating Thanksgiving, and the tradition of pardoning them began with Clinton in 1999. Only one turkey is officially pardoned, but there is always a backup turkey, and you can read their names here.

En suite (76): A bathroom directly connected to a bedroom.

CNN (76): Cable News Network, a liberal news station.

Republican primary debate (76): A debate between candidates for the Republican (conservative) party, held before the party decides who they will nominate for the presidential race.

Summer home in Majorca (79): Majorca is an island in the Mediterranean, just off the coast of Spain.

Jurassic Park* (79): A movie in which dinosaurs escape from their cages and the main characters have to escape them.

Autoerotic asphyxiation (80): “erotic asphyxiation” is essentially sexual choking; if it’s “autoerotic” it would be Alex doing it to himself.

Silk pillow over my face (80): This may be a reference to the Shakespeare play Othello where (spoilers, though it’s been out for like 500 years) the title character smothers his wife with a pillow after rumors that she’s cheating on him.

Jaffa cakes (80): A British snack with a sponge cake base, a layer of orange jam, and topped with chocolate.

Jabba (81): Jabba the Hutt, a Star Wars character.

Great British Bake Off (81): A famously wholesome baking show that is technically a competition between home bakers from around the UK, though it is far from competitive.

Scandinavian skin care (81): Many luxury skincare brands have come from Scandinavian countries in the past few years.

Chopped (82): An incredibly competitive American cooking show.

The Manson tapes (82): A series of tapes revealing the dealings of the Manson Cult, which was responsible for nine murders in 1969.

David Bowie (82): A famously bisexual British actor and musician known for his bold presentation and stagecraft. He was admitted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. (listen here and here)

Seinfeld (82): An American sitcom from the 1990s. Wayne Knight, who played Dennis Nedry and had a very bad time in Jurassic Park, was also in Seinfeld.

Jeff Goldblum (82): An American actor (and force of chaos) known for his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, a scientist who sees from the very beginning that maybe breeding massive predators is a bad idea.

The Post (84): The Washington Post

Oval Office (84): The president’s office in the White House

Lincoln Bedroom (85): A guest bedroom that is part of the Lincoln Suite in the White House, named after President Lincoln, who used to room as an office.

Chocolate shop on the first floor (85): According to the White House Museum online, there is a chocolate shop on the bottom floor of the White House that prepares the chocolates served in the White house.

The Atlantic (85): An American editorial magazine that covers news, politics, education, science, and more. It targets serious readers and “thought leaders”. (More)

Truman Balcony (85): A balcony overlooking the White House’s South Lawn (in the “back” of the White House).

Mijo (85): For those who haven’t read my fic “Speaking My Language” here, “mijo” is Spanish term of endearment that translates directly to “my son” (Mi hijo)

Washington monument (86): A tall obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, DC, dedicated to George Washington.

Eisenhower Building (86): The Eisenhower Executive Offices Building is a building that houses the executive Office of the President, including the Vice President’s office.

Los Bastardos (86): Spanish for “The bastards”.

Caldillo (86): a spicy Mexican beef stew.

Masa (86): A corn/maize dough used for making corn tortillas, tamales, and other Mexican/Latin American dishes.

Valedictorian (87): A student who ranks the highest in their graduating class in high school.

New Orleans (87): A city in Louisiana known for its vibrant blend of French and Creole culture, its jazz scene, and its Mardi Gras celebration. It is also Casey McQuinston’s hometown.

AP classes (90): Advanced placement classes are high school classes taught at a college level; at the end of the year, students take a test to determine whether or not they will get college credit for it.

Hanukkah (90): A Jewish celebration honoring the second rededicating of the temple in Jerusalem. It is not traditionally a major Jewish holiday, but it has become one of the best-known due to the fact that it occurs near Christmas every year.

“Good King Wenceslas” (91): A traditional Christmas song about a king who braves the cold to give alms to a poor peasant on Christmas.

Jim-jams (91): Pajamas.

Tiger sharks over a baby seal (91): According to my roommate, who loves sharks, tiger sharks are one of the most vicious types of sharks. They’re bottom feeders, so they wouldn’t necessarily get seals too often, but if they got one, they would be all over it.

Bougie (95): Fancy or upper class (from the French “bourgeoisie”).

Real Housewife (95): The Real Housewives of [City] are a string of semi-popular American reality TV shows.

East Room (95): An event and reception room in the White House.

Tramp stamp (96): A tattoo on the lower back, associated with less savory activities and a general air of trashiness.

Zac Posen (97): A gay, Jewish fashion designer from New York, known for his glamorous evening gowns and cocktail dresses.

Middle-shelf whiskey (97): A “middle shelf” alcohol is one step up from the cheapest option; a whiskey is a dark alcohol associated with Texas/the West.

“American Girl” (98): A 1976 rock song that has become a rock classic. (Listen here)

Center for American Progress (98): A liberal public policy research and advocacy organization.

Pez (candy) (99): A type of small, sweet pieces of candy that come from fancy, collectable Pez dispensers.

Sky writers (99): Sky writers use the trails of their airplanes to write things in the sky. It costs at least $3,500 for a single message.

“Get Low” (101): Despite its incredibly raunchy lyrics, this song was a common one at school dances in the early 2010s. I was in middle school in roughly 2010-2012, and I have vivid memories of people being into this song.

The Kid ‘n Play (102): A dance move pioneered by the hip-hop duo of the same name, loosely based on the Charleston. (see it here)

Vato (102): Mexican slang for “friend”, “person”, or “dude”.

Moët & Chandon (102): A luxury French champagne.

New Year’s Kiss (103): At least in the US, it’s traditionally considered good luck to kiss someone at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s.

Peach schnapps (103): Schnapps is a sweet, inexpensive, and very alcoholic drink.

Rookie NFL running back (103): A running back is a football position responsible for running with the ball. Most are either short and quick to avoid tackles or big and stocky to power through them.

Yacht kid (104): Someone rich.

Orion**(105): A winter northern hemisphere constellation of a hunter/warrior. According to Greek mythology, Orion was the only man (or person) the goddess Artemis ever loved, but she refused to give up her life with her huntresses for him. He began burning/destroying her forest in retribution, and she is forced to kill him.

America’s golden boy (105): A “golden boy” is a boy who is favored or put upon a pedestal.

Tequila (106): A type of alcohol that originates from central Mexico.

Bloke (106): British slang for a “regular dude” or everyday man.

Teen Vogue (106): An American magazine aimed at teenagers that used to focus on fashion and celebrity news, but has more recently shifted to dealing with serious social issues.

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*This movie is especially known for its special effects, which are incredible because they actually built animatronic dinosaurs and also got real scientists on the project to help them figure out how dinosaurs would move/act. After it came out, earth and environmental science departments around the world got a ton of funding to see if they could find any dinosaur DNA in fossils, as that’s a central part of the movie’s plot.

**According to a nerd astronomy class I took in like 4th grade, every culture who could see Orion saw a warrior, which is just... really cool to me. That so many people for so long saw the same thing in a set of stars.

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If there’s anything I missed or that you’d like more on, please let me know! And if you’d like to/are able, please consider buying me a ko-fi? I know not everyone can, and that’s fine, but these things take a lot of time/work and I’d really appreciate it! A massive thanks to @lyanna-wilson for the ko-fis the other day; they meant a ton!

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Chapter 1 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 5

#rwrb study guide #not fic #rwrb #rwrb analysis #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #henry fox mountchristen windsor x alex claremont diaz #bea fox mountchristen windsor #pez okonjo #june claremont diaz #nora holleran #super six #the white house trio #red white and royal blue #casey mcquiston #fic ref #reference

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rodgram38 · 4 years ago

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If not dealt with quickly, the infection can infect other components of the body, such as the blood, muscles as well as bones. Ginkgo Biloba aids to raise blood flow; Lemon Remove help to shield the wall surfaces of the capillary to prevent swelling.

Combined with organic rosemary extract to stimulate circulation as well as metabolic processes, toning ruscus remove, and skin-smoothing oils of revitalising apricot, vitamin-rich wheat-germ and restoring jojoba and also a rejuvenating citrus scent. This type of reliable home heating and also vacuum promotes the growth of new collagen as well as elastin which causes the decrease of skin laxity, body quantity as well as a total renovation in skin structure and structure. Nonetheless, listed below we've focused on the non-invasive options as well as advised products that have actually verified cause removing cellulite, or at the very least a lot of it.

how Much Time Does The treatment Take?

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The orange peel skin that typically appears on our bum and thighs can be a headache, however it is very important to understand that it's common. Hypotonic Cellulite normally starts to appear between the ages of 35 and 45 and also impacts the reduced thighs as well as in some cases all-time low. This sort of cellulite gives the look of a drooping upper leg when it just impacts the upper thigh.

Uk Coolsculpting.com claims.

Can HIFU cause nerve damage?

FRIDAY, Dec. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for skin laxity can cause facial nerve injury, according to a case study published online Nov. 22 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Achieving major enhancements will take time, uniformity and a mix of way of living changes. If you remove the cellulite however do not take care of the negative flow it will certainly appear again. Adipocytes comprise fat, the area where energy is kept as fat.

man's and Also St Thomas' personal medical Care.

That's right, you can remove cellulite simply by putting on clothes! Smart Leggings are among numerous on the market developed to easily fight dimples.

This renovation was statistically considerable even in the small number of clients entailed. The arise from month 3 were really intriguing and revealed that there was a continued improvement in the appearance of cellulite after the stockings had actually been discarded. Consequently the objective of this research study was to analyze whether the particular 'micro-massage ridge technology' anti-cellulite compression stockings work in decreasing the appearance of cellulite. You can figure out more regarding skin-tightening products and also their effects here. A scrub with coffee grounds likewise purifies and promotes the circulation in the cells. Biking, jogging and the step device are your allies on the route to good-looking skin.

We will certainly have the ability to offer you a quote throughout your appointment.

The only therapy that I have actually seen results with is the Lipofirm Pro!

In the past I've attempted all type of systems to aid with my stretch marks and also reduce and tighten my infant stubborn belly after the birth of my youngsters.

The size of the treatment area and the strategy chosen impacts the period of the HIFU treatment session, which can range between 30 and also 90 mins.

After checking out the center the therapist told me that as a result of absence of motion, my flow has slowed down and I have established cellulite.

Some light swelling, tingling or tenderness might take place momentarily.

Less usual impacts include slight bruising and also skin sensitivity.

If a person is leaner, there is less fat, but they can still have cellulite," included Lucy. To help get to the base of this, we have actually spoken with professionals to reveal what causes cellulite and the science of cellulite elimination. It's far more common than you could think, as well as it doesn't just affect individuals that are obese-- far from it. My cellulite has actually greatly minimized, to the extent I no more really feel awkward concerning it and also happily wear shorts and little outfits. I've also worked out more than I may or else have done, primarily brisk strolling and also swimming in the river near my home-- Kate urges aerobic activity that targets locations prone to cellulite like the hips as well as bum.

How does HIFU face lift work?

HIFU makes use of ultrasonic energy to penetrate deep below the skin and fat layers of the face to gently but effectively target connective tissue. HIFU has a tightening effect on the loose connective tissue, restoring firmness to areas of sagging skin and resulting in a visible lifting effect.

Depending upon the stimuli that the adipocytes receive, they will increase and also store even more fat or reduction and shop less fat. Genes have a lot to do with cellulite, therefore it's less complicated for some to decrease cellulite than others. Response 5 questions to discover your skin as well as uncover our ideal items for you. B-Calm-- An innovative dermocosmetic range to decrease the symptoms of exceptionally sensitive skin as well as rosacea. Some high power ultrasound treatments might function well also, while the reduced varieties are not really reliable.

When it influences the bottom, bottoms take on a heavy, sagging appearance. Grade 1 - No noticeable cellulite, even when the skin is pinched. There are 4 different grades of cellulite as well as there are unique cellulite medical diagnosis plates which, when hung on the skin, tell us the quality to ensure that we understand exactly how best to treat it. Cellulite is a general term that covers several sorts of skin problem. Given that cellulite has actually now ended up being something of a warm topic, we asked skincare expert Jill Zander to fill us in on whatever you ever before needed to learn about cellulite. His Greetings Britain coworker Susanna Reid stuck up for Kim, calling on women to celebrate their curves as well as if they have cellulite, to not hesitate to show it.

The treatment can be used for the thighs and butts, abdomen, flanks as well as arms. It is advised that you have 6-8 treatments at once a week periods to acquire the most effective possible results. Below is a short overview of the treatments we offer here at Aesthetic appeals of Liverpool, you can find out more about each treatment type by clicking the web link to go through fully page on our site. Also a few of the most toned, healthy and fit women suffer with the issue of cellulite and also wish frantically to be free of it. 90% of females will suffer with cellulite eventually during their lives.

' An artificial radiance is amazing for smoothing over the appearance of cellulite; it's an instant confidence increase' she claims. ' Operate in firm, circular motions from your feet upwards to work with the all-natural direction of blood circulation.

We recommendGermaine de Capuccini's Slim Accuracy Anti-cellulite Solution. Sadly, there's no quick solution for dealing with cellulite long-term.

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Skin may go a little pink however it's a sign the blood is rushing to the surface, striving because cellulite battle'. In limited-time offer , specialists say that between 80 and 90 percent of females experience cellulite, and that it's not an indicator of being obese-- slim individuals are often affected also.

3JUVE ® The ultimate fractional laser resurfacing, IPL and also radiofrequency equipment using the most in-demand face skin rejuvenation treatments in the sector. She likewise recommends a fake tan to make you really feel much more certain.

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The lymph system is additionally affected by hormones, particularly progesterone and oestrogen, which is why cellulite can come to be a lot more obvious in ladies throughout the age of puberty, menopause and maternity. So I'm curious concerning what Kate, the 56-year-old British owner of popular leg-care brand Legology, assures is her brand-new, less 'negative' means to decrease cellulite substantially.

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humboldtfog · 5 years ago

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Years of depression has prepared me very well for the current state of affairs which is weird but whatever here’s a list of my faves on netflix, if I’m missing something let me know cause now’s the time, right?

I'm kinda embarrassed by how long this list is but also kinda like fuck that, there have been very long periods of time where it was either sit and watch shows all day or lie down and stare at the wall in silence all day so I chose the former and it adds up and there's nothing wrong with that.

Glow (Badass ladies learn to wrestle, great 80s aesthetics and grrrrl power.)

Our Planet (Netflix version of Planet Earth, beautiful, cute, terrifying that we aren’t doing more to save us all.)

Bojack Horseman (Hilarious and “deep” critique of LA and celebrity culture for people who don’t care about LA or celebrity culture. Also very funny visual jokes about how if animals were also kinda humans, and lots of great jokes about cliches and tropes, puns, and weirdly rhyming and alliteration? I don’t know how to explain it just watch it.)

Father Brown (BBC, based on mystery novels about a priest who always meddles in police business and solves murders in his small English countryside town.)

Pose (The Ball scene in NY in the 80s, poc queer and trans writers and actors bringing their people’s stories to life. So much joy, so much beauty, but also NYC in the 80s so you will cry.)

Paris is Burning (Documentary made during the Ball scene Pose is based on.)

Sex Education (Such empowering representations of all walks of gender and sexuality, and actually very educational, like I would straight up show this in schools because everyone would be very entertained and would learn a lot more than they teach in a lot of schools.)

What Happened Miss Simone (Documentary about Nina Simone’s life, music and the activism the establishment/ government worked to suppress and used to blacklist her.)

Night on Earth (Low light camera technology has gotten hella good and they’re starting to learn stuff about animals’ behaviors at night that they’ve never been able to study before.)

Call the Midwife (Follows stories from the midwives that worked in the East End of London after the war, based on memoirs. Interesting look at the kind of life of poverty people led before there were many large hospitals or birth control, right as the British were implementing their universal healthcare program.)

The Great British Baking Show (Everyone’s so nice and everything looks so good!)

Atypical (Dramady about a high schooler with autism and his family, very funny and great representations of autism and how to be a good dude.)

Parks and Recreation (Just very funny and everyone knows it. Amazing ensemble cast, and they still keeps in touch through a group chat awww doesn’t that say something!)

Kim’s Convenience (Canadian comedy about family of first and second gen Korean immigrants that’s just a really solid funny modern day sitcom.)

Queer Eye (I feel like if everyone in this world could get a life makeover from these guys we just wouldn’t be here right now.)

Obvious Child (Jenny Slate accidentally gets pregnant and gets an abortion. It’s funny and it’s realistic, we’re not all Juno.)

Maria Bamford: the Special Special Special (Rad lady comedian not afraid to talk about her mental health and lack thereof and very vocal about the stigma surrounding mental health problems and I very much relate to. My favorite standup probably ever. I could make a list just for standup so message me if you’d like more suggestions.)

Monty Python (Flying Circus, movies, doc, ect. “The Beatles of comedy” is the cliche but it's true.)

Easy (Very unconventional non-narrative structure and editing, following random people in Chicago in a very real life feeling way. Different story each episode, but sometimes characters show up briefly in each other’s lives or return for a second episode.)

Everything Sucks! (High school nerds and lesbians and theater geeks in the 90s! I’m so sad this only got one season I rewatched it recently and it’s just so solid.)

She’s Gotta Have It (Revival of Spike Lee’s first movie, black girl magic, art world, gentrified New York, lots of sex.)

The Office (Classic, holds up very well, totally solid throughout, worth a rewatch. Also if you're a fan Jenna Ficher and Angela Davis are doing a rewatch podcast jsyk.)

Billy on the Street (Mindless game show for laughs, amazing gay comedian runs around New York yelling questions at them. I watch this with my dad and he can’t help but snort even when it’s “inappropriate” or “juvenile” so you know it’s good.)

Good Girls (Some lower middle class family ladies that are all about to be broke decide to rob the grocery store one of them works at, but they accidentally cross a gang that stored their cash there, so they gotta pay it back, and of course can’t help but get deeper and deeper into it. Very suspenseful like your heart rate will go up and stay up. )

Arrested Development (It’s just funny, as you've probably heard, but I'm telling you it just really is.)

The Laundromat (Tells the stories of a few of the people involved in the panama papers in different ways, explains in an entertaining way how money laundering works in a way that made it mostly make sense even to me. The rich get richer, and Meryl Streep is here to tell them to fuck off and pay their taxes.)

Russian Doll (She keeps dying and coming back to the same moment over and over and can’t figure out how to stop the cycle or why so kinda sci fi, very suspenseful, big cliff hanger ending, or rather no ending, and just found out season two filming is delayed because virus which is very annoying!!)

Dear White People (Show picking up where the movie left off, after a frat hosts a black face party and the ivy league college is forced to deal with racism.)

Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings (Stories based on Dolly songs. Very Hallmark channel, you will cry.)

Episodes (Show about two British writers making a version of their BBC show for American tv. Kind of meta, very funny, Matt LaBlanc plays himself and it's great.)

Dumplin’ (Fat girl grows up with a beauty pageant winning mom and enters one herself with the help of her late aunt’s Dolly Parton drag queen friends.)

Lunatics (Chris Lilley is the best character actor ever, all his shows are just him playing different parts and you seriously forget it’s all one actor, even when he’s playing teenage girls.)

Jane the Virgin (Prime time soap opera about a girl who is engaged and waiting until marrige and is accidentally inseminated with the only sperm sample of a man who’s had cancer so decides to keep the baby, very heavy on the soap opera cliches in a meta way but also that’s what it is. So good at first but after the first three or so seasons it gets too much tbh though.)

Zumbo’s Just Desserts (Australian Bake show but with just sweet stuff and pressure to be avant garde.)

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Jerry Sienfeld goes out with funny people to coffee and lunch in fancy cars and they have funny conversations.)

One Day at a Time (Very very cheesy laugh track sitcom, like the kind of thing my grandma would watch, but it makes me so happy it’s doing a great job eplaining really woke concepts like queer pronouns and ptsd and addiction and white privilege to people like my grandma!)

Orange is the New Black (Good stories about very diverse characters, I’d say by starting it off about a upper middle class white girl it tricks privileged white people into watching and then encountering the more realistic stories of women who go to prison and how the system treats prisoners. Ending of season two is super solid and you can stop it there, season three is a really great critique of the privatization of prisons. I admit it goes on and on to the point that it’s stressful and after watching it spread out over years I can’t remember/ keep up with all the different story lines, though they’re all good stories to tell.)

Space Jam (Just saw while scrolling for more ideas this was added! One of the greatest sports movies of all time obviously.)

Bonus amazon prime shows, I try to avoid Amazon in general but these are just too good if you know a prime member who you can't convince not to give their money to amazon so they might as well give you their login (like yer dad).

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (A 1950s New York upper class Jewish house wife gets dumped and starts doing stand up, so funny, great actors, and they seriously transform NY back into another era.)

Good Omens (Mini series based off Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s satirical novel about the biblical apocalypse, very funny, very smart, very British, does the book pretty solid justice.)

There are other decent things that aren’t included, I’d say these are solid recs for a general list of genres all over the map without letting it get to a ridiculously unhelpful length. I feel like I’d be good at the “if you like this then you’ll also like…” so let me know if some of these are your favorites too and want personal recs for what to watch next based on a brain instead of an algorithm.

If you want to have a remote date and watch things together on video chat or one of those watch party sites or just tell me what to watch next here’s some stuff on my list I’ve been curious about or not sure about or don’t want to watch alone or have been putting off, and now’s the time right?: Strangers Things, I Am Not Okay With This, Black Panther, The Betty White doc, John Mulaney Snack Lunch Bunch, Dead to Me, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, A Wrinkle in Time, The Little Prince, Maniac, Wet Hot American Summer reboots, and a bunch of different standup specials from comedians I like.

#netflix #list #best #favorites #self #coronavirus #covid19 #2020

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angelcuddle-blog1 · 5 years ago

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Getting the Best Back Pain Relief

Understanding Back Pain

For those who have back pain, you truly wish to do the opposite. When you suffer from back pain there are specific sports you could want to participate in that may increase the danger of aggravating the issue. Back pain has become the most frequent cause of visits to your family doctor, due to its interference in our movements in daily pursuits. In case the pain persist too long, then you have to seek advice from your physician to diagnose your problem. It is simple to get rid of the pain but suitable care is required to produce things all perfect. From time to time, individuals may experience not just heart palpitations, but upper back pain at the exact moment.

Recovering from back pain wants a treatment directed at the true causation of the indicators. Back pain is additionally a key symptom of PMS. Seeing a chiropractor like Chiropractic or someone similar on a standard basis is among the best things that you may do to be able to manage back pain.

Back pain isn't easy to deal with, but nevertheless, it can be managed. No matter what type of pain it's, however, back pain is a huge problem in the us and a huge money maker for the medical profession. Only now that the back pain isn't possible to ignore have I come to understand the cycle of events that have taken place.

Get back into life with helpful alternative treatments like back braces, which help and support proper position of your spines and ease lower back pains. When suffering from back injuries, it’s important to stay as active as possible; inactivity and underuse of your muscles only leads to them becoming weaker and stiffer over time, exacerbating the pain and prolonging it. A comfortable, properly fitted back brace limits the movement of the spine, and keeps you from aggravating any existing injuries.

Get Your Back Brace Through Insurance

Back braces and other medical equipment may be covered through insurance! Simply use https://insurancecoveredbackbraces.com to get started. We will discover your options and contact your doctor and insurance company for you to ensure that your back brace is quickly shipped directly to your home.

There are lots of other ways to tackle pain. Back pain isn't as uncommon as you might think. It is a problem that affects 80 percent of people. If you're suffering with constant low back pain or occasional low back pain, you ought to be examined by means of a specialist to ascertain the reason and the amount of your problem before it's too late!

Back pain may happen periodically, remain for a brief time, and then quickly disappear. Even if the pain is debilitating they still refuse to observe a doctor because it's nothing new to them. As a result, if you're suffering from lower back pain, focus on your posture and make exercise part of your routine. You may believe that the heartburn you're experiencing is causing you unbearable pain and irritation.

Back Pain Secrets That No One Else Knows About

In many instances of back pain, the cause is actually hard to determine. The pain may increase as the bladder becomes full or it could go to the genital place. Back pain Approximately, 90% of the individuals suffer from back pain it has come to be the frequent case of the folks. Twisting as you lift may also exaggerate the pain. People today believe this in order to cure back pain, the most ancient procedures and medicines have to be sought out. There are a number of things you can do in order to start to lower your back pain. If you get a strange back pain, different than your standard pattern, it's ideal to speak with your doctor.

#back pain #back pain relief #back braces #back pain back braces #insurance covered back braces #lower back pain #back braces for back pain

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noblecrumpet-dorkvision · 6 years ago

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Jungle Environment Generator

I just started running Tomb of Annihilation, but I wanted to make exploration more exciting. A lot of forums online said they wished there was more to discover in the jungle while wandering, and I myself wanted a way to randomly create useful environments to affect combat. Therefore I created this big ole set of tables. The content specifically refers to the adventure module in many places, but you could always use this as a jumping-off point for any adventure if you wish to use the tables. There are no story or NPC spoilers.

How to Use the Tables

These tables are designed to be used in tandem with the random encounter tables and exploration rules already detailed in the Tomb of Annihilation.

Whenever a random encounter is found, roll for Terrain Features based on the type of hex the party is in (either mountainous or non-mountainous). Then, whether or not an encounter was found in that hex, roll for Structural Features. Apply all relevant features to the battlefield for the random encounter. If there was no random encounter, there might still be a structure for players to explore. That structure may or may not be inhabited, which could interact with the encounter, if there was one.

For instance, the players are in the jungle and have encountered a pack of Velociraptors using the encounter table found in the Tomb of Annihilation module. You then roll here and ended up with two terrain features, a stream and a hazard (Razorvine). You also rolled and found a major structural feature, a small village inhabited by native Chultans. You place the village around the stream and place the razorvine on one side of the village. The predators will likely be attacking the settlement, leading to a new, narrative encounter and creating several terrain details the players can exploit.

image credit: Nele Diel

Random Terrain (Jungle/Coast/Swamp)

There is always at least one random terrain feature. Roll 1d6. On a 5-6, there is an additional terrain feature, then reroll to see if there is another. Randomly determine which side of the battlefield players approach from. The jungle is assumed to have a medium amount of foliage and trees for hiding and cover.

Roll d100:

(01-10) Boulders: Offers cover based on size. Roll 1d6:

(1-2) Rubble: Partial Cover, +2 AC

(3-4) Boulders: Half Cover, +5 AC

(5-6) Towering Boulders: Total Cover

(11-15) Crawlspace: natural stone, manmade tunnels, or a hollowed out log.

(16-25) Tight Brush: all terrain is difficult terrain except for Huge, Colossal, or Small creatures. Lightly obscured.

(26-35) Sparse Brush: plenty of room to maneuver but less terrain to work with.

(36-40) Slippery: wet slope or ground, sand slope, scree slope

(41-50) Lightly Obscured: Either the dense canopy cuts off light, or a thick fog rolls in.

(51-55) Cliff: one edge of battlefield is a cliff face. 1d10 x 10 ft. high, climb DC 16. May be a waterfall (1 in 6 chance)

(56-60) Slope: One end of the battlefield is higher than the other. Those at the upper end have +1 on attacks against those on the lower end.

(61-70) Ravine: A ravine 1d10 x 10 ft. deep and 2d6 x 5 ft. wide spans the battlefield. Introduce the ravine and ask if players are taking the high road or low road.

(71-81) Swamp or Mud: Treat as difficult terrain. Swamp may harbor disease. Creatures can hide underwater. Mud has 1 in 6 chance to restrain when moved through for the first time each turn (DC 10 STR to escape)

(82-86) Pool: a pond or vernal pool takes up a quarter or half the battlefield. First 5 ft. of the pool is difficult terrain, rest requires swimming.

(87-95) Stream: there is a small stream, 1d6 ft. deep. Either difficult terrain (1-3 ft) or requires swimming (4-6 ft).

(96-00) Hazard: Secretly place a hazard in a random quadrant of the map, spotted with a DC 16 Perception check. Roll 1d4 to determine the type of hazard.

(1) Razorvine: As found in DMG. The plants have AC 11, 25 HP and are Immune to bludgeon/slashing. Victims must make a DC 10 DEX save or take 1d10 piercing.

(2) Quicksand: As found in DMG. Victim sinks in 1d4+1 ft. and is restrained, then sinks 1d4 ft/rd. Self STR DC 10+(#ft). Ally can pull them free with a STR check DC 5+(#ft).

(3) Sinkhole: 2d4 x 10 ft. deep. 1 in 6 chance reveals a catacomb or mine (see Major Structures)

(4) Man-made Trap (snare trap, hunting trap, pit trap): DEX save DC 15 to avoid. A snare restrains (escape DC 12), a Hunting Trap restrains (escape DC 14) and deals 1d10 piercing, and a pit trap deals 4d6 piercing as they fall 15 ft. onto wooden stakes.

Random Terrain (Mountain)

There is always at least one random feature. Roll 1d6. On a 5-6, there is an additional terrain feature, then reroll to see if there is another. Mountainous terrain is always considered to have a slope, and PCs always approach either perpendicular to the slope or from up or down the slope, depending on whether they are climbing or descending the mountain. Those at the upper end of the slope have +1 on attacks against those on the lower end.

Roll d100:

(01-10) Boulders: Offers cover based on size. Roll 1d6:

(1-2) Rubble: Partial Cover, +2 AC

(3-4) Boulders: Half Cover, +5 AC

(5-6) Towering Boulders: Total Cover

(11-16) Crawlspace: natural stone, manmade tunnels, or a hollowed out log.

(17-25) Narrow Pass: difficult terrain that requires squeezing.

(26-35) Plateau or Peak: The area is flat here despite being on a mountain.

(36-40) Slippery: wet slope or ground, sand slope, scree slope

(41-45) Clouds/Smoke: Fast-moving clouds or smoke cause the area to be lightly or heavily obscured on any given round (50:50 chance)

(46-55) Cliff: one edge of battlefield is a cliff face. 1d10 x 10 ft. high, climb DC 16. May be a waterfall (1 in 8 chance)

(56-60) Bridge: A rope, wood, or stone bridge spans a drop of 3d10 x 10 ft.

(61-70) Cliffside Path: A narrow path with a dangerous drop or similar hazard on one side.

(71-80) Ravine: A ravine 1d10 x 10 ft. deep and 2d6 x 5 ft. wide spans the battlefield. Introduce the ravine and ask if players are taking the high road or low road.

(81-94) Debris: Treat the debris as difficult terrain.

(95-00) Lava Feature: a fissure, vent, flow, or pool of lava.

Structural Features

Whenever the party travels through a hex, whether or not there was an encounter, roll 1d6. On a 6, the PCs stumble across a structural feature. If a structure is encountered, roll 1d6. On a 1-5, the feature is a minor structure. On a 6, the feature is a major structure.

For the purposes of these rolls, “Faction Agents” refers to exploring members of the Flaming Fist, Order of the Gauntlet, Emerald Enclave, or Zhentarim. Other factions are too rare to be found in the jungle. “Native Chultans” refers to either humans, dwarves, goblins, tabaxi, yuan-ti, or grung native to unsettled regions of Chult. They may have never even heard of Port Nyanzaru.

Banteay Srei Temple in Cambodia, photo by Matthew Laird Acred

Minor Structural Features

These terrain features aren’t usually worth putting on a map, but provide unique environments for loot to be found in or to act as 1-room dungeons or NPC encounters.

Roll d100:

(01-10) Border Stone: A tall boulder or slab painted or carved with a symbol apparently designating a border. It could point to a new minor or major feature.

(11-15) Ruined Staircase: A tall stone staircase that goes nowhere. It’s 3d4 x 5 ft. long. Every 10 ft. of length rises 5 ft. high.

(16-20) Graveyard: An overgrown grave site with individually marked graves, either by mounds, stones, slabs, or metal stakes. If there were no undead encountered, there is a 50% chance of encountering 3d4 zombies or skeletons.

(21-25) Cairn: A pile of stones used as either a trail marker or as a simple marker of a grave site. An INT check DC 15 determines its nature. A trail marker could point to a new minor or major feature. A grave site could have buried valuables.

(26-30) Tomb: A small sealed tomb, 15 x 15 ft. Can be built above ground or below it, but often built into a hill or cliff.

(31-40) Camp Site: An abandoned campfire and supplies left behind from recent adventurers.

(41-45) Monument: A statue, pillar, slab, or victory gate carved or painted to be a monument. Requires a DC 13 INT check to determine its nature. It might be dedicated to a deity, hero, monarch, or one of the barae. Or it can be erected after an event like a volcanic eruption, a battle, the founding of a city, the Sundering, or the disappearance of Mezro.

(46-50) Shrine: A small 10 x 15 ft covered shrine on a tiered platform dedicated to either Ubtao or one of the nine Omuan deities.

(51-55) Broken Wagon: An abandoned wagon left by previous adventurers or even Chultans from before Port Nyanzaru was established.

(56-60) Abandoned Siege Weapon: An abandoned mangonel or ballista left by either the Flaming Fist or Order of the Gauntlet in a failed expedition. There is a 50:50 chance that it still functions, but it needs repairs if it is to be moved.

(61-65) Ruined Aqueduct: A stone structure that gently slopes in one direction, held up by stone pillars and arches. Once used for catching and transporting water. Think Roman Aqueducts.

(66-75) Mudbrick Hut: This hut has wooden beams jutting out of the sides of it called toron. Climbing them requires a DC 10 DEX check. Has a 1 in 10 chance of being inhabited when discovered. If uninhabited, it is likely to be ruined by either rain or dinosaurs using it as a scratching post.

(76-80) Tower: A 100 ft tall stone tower with either mirrors or a brazier at the top for signaling. Has a 1 in 10 chance of being inhabited when discovered, usually by 2d6 faction agents, but sometimes by squatters or monsters.

(81-90) Wooden Hut: A hut primarily made of wood and covered in grass, palms, or reeds. If in a swampy region, it stands on stilts. In a mountainous region, it could be built into a stone feature. 1 in 3 chance of being inhabited by a ranger, rogue, monk, barbarian, warlock, wizard, or sorcerer NPC.

(91-00) Road or Trail: Leads to another feature if followed. 50:50 chance of a minor or major feature.

Ennde Mosque, Dogon Country, Mali. Image source: link

Major Structural Features

These terrain features are worthy enough to add to a map. Think of them as 1-3 room dungeons. Structures with multiple rooms might lead you to roll up additional encounters to populate it. Simply improvise these structures but make them simple and sparsely inhabited so they are more of a distraction for the players than an entire adventure. You can use the tables on page 290 of the DMG to help stock these structures.

Roll d100:

(01-07) Pyramid: Either a stone ziggurat or a mudbrick pyramid. This either houses a tomb of an important figure or a shrine to a deity. The space inside is not particularly large despite the monumental structure, and it’s not very defensible, so it’s usually uninhabited.

(08-15) Small Castle: This castle is made from a combination of painted mudbrick, stucco, and carved stone. It has wooden beams jutting out of the sides of it called toron. Climbing them requires a DC 10 DEX check, but they begin high above the ground, at least 30 ft. up. Has a 1 in 4 chance of being inhabited by 3d6 + 2 faction agents, pirates, or native Chultans.

(16-25) Quarry: An abandoned stone quarry. This might be a place of importance to factions seeking resources like the Flaming Fist, Zhentarim, Order of the Gauntlet, or Lord’s Alliance. An accurate map to its location could fetch up to 50 gp.

(26-45) Simple Village: 3d6 simple mudbrick or wooden huts in close proximity. 2 in 3 chance of being inhabited by 4d6+4 native Chultans.

(46-50) Stacked Village: A series of stacked mudbrick homes nestled beneath a cliff. Has a 1 in 3 chance of being inhabited by 2d6+2 native Chultans, 1d4+1 lost adventurers, or 1d4+1 faction agents.

(51-60) Ruined Town: 6d4 stone residences now ruined. The buildings flank a large flagstone courtyard now overgrown with jungle. There is a 1 in 4 chance of being inhabited by 2d6+2 native Chultans, 1d4+1 lost adventurers, or 1d4+1 faction agents.

(61-66) Temple Ruin: An ancient temple to Ubtao or one of the nine Omuan deities. It has only one floor and rests on a raised stone platform. Thick clapperless bells take up some of the windows, letting out a deep chime when struck. There is a 1 in 4 chance that the temple is inhabited by a cleric making pilgrimage here.

(67-70) Emerald Enclave Blind: A tall, thin tower structure deliberately hidden by trees and foliage for spying on the surrounding landscape. A DC 20 Perception check is required to spot the hidden structure, otherwise it simply looks like a thicket of trees. There is a 2 in 3 chance it is inhabited by 1d4+1 Emerald Enclave agents. If uninhabited, it is likely they were wiped out by monsters or another faction that discovered them.

(71-75) Mine: An abandoned ancient mine. This might be a place of importance to factions seeking resources like the Flaming Fist, Zhentarim, Order of the Gauntlet, or Lord’s Alliance. An accurate map to its location could fetch up to 50 gp.

(76-79) Lumberyard: A lumberyard secretly set up by either the Zhentarim or the Flaming Fist. There is a 2 in 3 chance it is inhabited by 2d6+3 agents of one of those factions. If uninhabited, it is likely they were wiped out by monsters or another faction that discovered them.

(80-97) Catacomb: A large gravesite with a sealed entryway into an underground tomb complex, with many winding halls of dead laid to rest and one or two open rooms. There is a chance that 3d6 zombies can be found here.

(98-00) Mage Tower: This tower belongs to a spellcaster that for some reason decided Chult was a peaceful place to continue their research. Perhaps they use the jungle’s dangers as natural defenses, or perhaps they enjoy the complete isolation. The tower is not undefended, whether or not it is inhabited, and may hold several traps and sealed or locked entryways. Roll on the Magic Items tables in the DMG to determine what can be found within. There is a 1 in 4 chance the tower is inhabited by a wizard, sorcerer, or warlock. Roll 1d6 to determine their reason for building the tower out in the jungle.

(1) Study Chult's environment and cultures.

(2) Use Chult’s rare resources to create fantastic magic items.

(3) Seclude themselves while they achieve their nefarious goals.

(4) Research necromancy using Chult’s abundant undead.

(5) Escape a powerful pursuer by teleporting their tower to Chult.

(6) Search for a jungle spring said to grant immortality.

#tomb of annihilation #D&D 5e #dungeons and dragons #random encounters #terrain #temples #exploration #DnD #Noblecrumpet #Dorkvision #Chult #Forgotten Realms #Faerun #D&D #DnD 5e

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greaseonmymouth · 6 years ago

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Punk Genres and Potential Problems

This post is inspired by this very long reblog chain about punk genres, definitions, and issues. It's one of those 'my buddy is confused but he's got the spirit' posts, i.e. not completely wrong, some things right, excellent points, and some flaws stemming from inaccuracies and...whatnot. Instead of piling onto that post I'm writing up a brand new post for people to reblog and disagree with. This is based 98% on my own academic research into these genres. The remaining 2% is Opinions. (That's a lie. Academic Research to Opinion ratio is more like 60/40.)

There are even sources! Because sources are GREAT. They are under the cut.

SCIENCE FICTION

The -punk genres are subgenres of science fiction, science fiction being…well, as hard to define as its subgenres. This in no way makes it difficult to write academic papers about this shit.

One of the earlier definitions put science fiction (from now on, SF) as a didactic and progressive literature with emphasis on science; a literature about science for science, with scientific methodology (Stableford:2015). As the discussion for SF definitions has progressed, so has discussion about what the correct term should be; speculative fiction (Merril:1971:60) and structural fabulation (Scholes:1975:29) have been contenders. Today science fiction and speculative fiction are used interchangeably.

There's no consensus on how to define SF (Westfahl:1998, Stableford et al:2015), though a bunch of people have tried, such as Damon Knight, who famously said: "Science fiction is what we point to when we say it." (Clute:1995:314), and Gary Westfahl, who proposed that "A work labelled science fiction has these three features: it is a prose narrative with scientific language and non-realistic subject matter – or any two of these three features." (Westfahl:1998:299).

The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction defines SF like this:

"A genre (of literature, film, etc.) in which the setting differs from our own world (e.g. by the invention of new technology, through contact with aliens, by having a different history, etc.), and in which the difference is based on extrapolations made from one or more changes or suppositions; hence, such a genre in which the difference is explained (explicitly or implicitly) in scientific or rational, as opposed to supernatural, terms." (Prucher:2009:171.)

In the words of Tom Shippey, however, SF "is hard to define because it is the literature of change and it changes while you are trying to define it." (Jakubowski & Edwards:1983).

WELL ISN'T THAT NEAT? :D SF is what we point to when we say it, as changeable as the weather, and most probably, is about science or a setting different from ours through science.

So, on to the -punk genres. I'm listing them below in a somewhat chronological order of invention. First a brief overview, and then I'll do in-depth bullets about cyberpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, and solarpunk, as those are the -punk genres I'm most familiar with.

Cyberpunk, which concerns itself mostly with a dystopian society in which humans access cyberspace by way of cybernetics.

Biopunk, a close cousin of cyberpunk that deals with consequences of human and genetic experimentation and biotechnology (Michaud:2008:53). The main difference between biopunk and cyberpunk is that biopunk modifications have nothing to do with cyberware and cyberspace, but only genetic and biological manipulation.

Steampunk, which is retro-futuristic alternative history fiction that reimagines history and science based on an alternative universe in which the industrial revolution did not happen (or happened differently), and in which steam based science evolved. Steampunk is rooted in the politics of the Victorian era as well as aesthetic - fashion, architecture, etc.. Steampunk rarely extends beyond the Victorian era. (Guffey & Lemay:2014, Booker:2015:290.)

Dieselpunk, a close cousin of steampunk in that it is also retro-futuristic alternative history fiction, but unlike steampunk, dieselpunk accepts the industrial revolution and focuses on dieselpowered technology. (Guffey & Lemay:2014.)

Solarpunk, a new eco-futuristic political movement that has produced little literature so far. In literature it is SF that is either retro-futuristic fiction that reimagines an alternative history in which the industrial revolution did not happen, or evolved into a different direction, or futuristic fiction in which the current environmental issues have been solved. In a solarpunk universe, the world has become solar- or windpowered, ecological and sustainable. (Lodi-Ribeiro:2014.)

Many more, such as decopunk, clockpunk, atomicpunk, and so on. All the -punk subgenres are typically considered cyberpunk derivatives, in that they are either inspired by elements of cyberpunk or have borrowed the -punk suffix to allow twisting and mixing. They focus on a certain aspect of technological advancement and its consequences, whereas SF as an overarching genre is free to do whatever it wants within the realm of a) prose narrative, b) technological advancement ("scientific language") and c) non-realistic subject matter, if going by Westfahl's definition of SF.

CYBERPUNK

In cyberpunk, the advanced technology is very often biotechnology; technology that alters the human body or mind, for example brain implants that allow the human mind access to the internet, or cyberspace. In addition to this, the life quality of the characters in a cyberpunk story tends to be very low. Cyberpunk represents a future in which humans are subject to ruthless digital and technical communications networks and have lost the human connection to each other (Cavallaro:2000:xv). Cyberpunk is by nature a dystopian genre by virtue of its themes and discussions, which often revolve around the potential downfalls of technological advancement. Important to note here is that cyberpunk as a genre was born in the early eighties, at the beginning of the technological boom. Internet, cell phones, microchips and bionic prosthetics were all new things under development, and so it would be very easy to conclude that the genre was also in part born out of fear of the unknown. The - punk part of the term was taken directly from 1970s rock'n'roll terminology, punk in this context meaning young, aggressive, streetwise, and alienated, and offensive to the Establishment. In the early 1980s the term cyberpunk was coined by writer Bruce Bethke, and the term came into common use via William Gibson's Neuromancer (1984). (Nicholls:2015a.)

Non-exhaustive list of themes:

Punk disillusionment, sometimes with layers of illusions being peeled away as the story progresses

The loss of human connection and/or the decline of the human condition

Media overload, massive data networks and density of information

Destructive sex, often in connection with the lack of ability to form human connections

Bodily metamorphosis and/or body modifications that lead to transhuman and posthuman themes.

A dark, gritty and post-industrial global setting, often megacities, that further overshadow the protagonist and emphasise their position in society

Heavy substance use & addiction

Hopelessness – the protagonists nurture no hope of getting out of their predicament and/or do not succeed

Disregard for human life

(Burrows & Featherstone:1996; Elias:2009:3; Shiner:1991; Hollinger:1990; McHale:1992; Murphy & Vint:2010; Shiner:1992; Slusser:1992; Cavallaro:2000, Lavigne:2013:11-16.)

In addition to these, cyberpunk themes very often also overlap with postmodernist themes such as:

"lost in the city" themes of lack of identity

An increasingly fractured and globalised society

The loss of meaning or a higher order, religion is non-existent and there is no god or other higher authority to whom one can turn for answers

Deconstruction. It can be argued that cyberpunk in itself is a deconstruction of utopian SF narratives – the utopia of SF is often the dystopia of cyberpunk.

(McCaffery:1991: 315-316; McHale:1991; Heuser:2003; Woods:1999:65-66.)

Now, cyberpunk was coined by a bunch of cishet white dudes in a single writer's circle, who just wanted to look really cool. (See the Mirrorshades anthology and it's editor, who was the one who most wanted to be cool.) The same dudes have now declared this genre dead and that it is no longer active as a productive genre, albeit having been a refreshing spark and fresh point of view within SF history and SF literature (Nicholls:2015a). To that I say: bullshit! Genres don't just 'die', and don't just 'stop being productive' - let me refer you back to the definition of SF as a something that changes as you try to define it.

Consider this: in the 80s a bunch of dudebros wrote stories about the danger of technology and the internet while also writing about anti-heroes fighting the establishment (none of these dudebros were actual punks, they were decidedly middle-class to upper middle-class who circle-jerked each other in their writing workshops on the regular and wore sunglasses with mirror-finish). In the 90s the new technology wave didn't really seem all that dangerous anymore, and wasn't the internet and the cellphones awfully convenient? And who cares about Monsanto and Nestlé when we can get cheap flour and coca-cola whenever we want it? And by the 21st century, well, these dudebros are old, likely haven't kept up with their own genre because they're stuck with whatever they thought was genius in the 80s, and technology is everywhere. Also, Japan did not become the technological mega-corporate superpower that they thought it would be in the 80s, and we don't live in a Judge Dredd society, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ , basically.

Here's some examples of cyberpunk works: Mirrorshades anthology (1986) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorshades) Neuromancer, Gibson (1984)

Blade Runner (1982) Ghost in the Shell (1995) The Matrix (1999) Surrogates (2009) Dredd (2012) Elysium (2013) Lucy (2014)

Hey look at that, four movies on this list from the 21st century, but I guess cyberpunk is really dead, guys? How sad Alexa play despacito

Potential problems

There's always a risk that in creating a cyberpunk story that one accidentally ends up writing about sentient fedoras instead of actual anti-heroes fighting against real injustice. If your story is about incels, you're doing cyberpunk wrong.

No really, that's it.

STEAMPUNK

I have no sources for this section because I've not covered steampunk in my own academic research, it's just one of those genres I really like to read recreationally. I have read academic articles about steampunk, but do I have them saved? No, absolutely not. That would be rational, useful, and effective, and that's not how we do things in this household.

That said.

Steampunk is a subgenre of SF that falls under ALTERNATIVE HISTORY rather than COOL FUTURE STUFF. It's retro-futuristic type of science fiction inspired by the likes of Jules Verne, who wrote science fiction in the 19th century. What's characteristic for Jules Verne and other SF writers of the same era, is that they imagined technological development based on the science they had at the time, which is why so many of their inventions are steam powered (coal). They had all these grand ideas (and big imaginations) for what humanity could achieve, but didn't have anything more advanced than coal, steam, and electricity. They didn't know that there was an entire digital revolution waiting to happen in the 20th century, so everything was analogue.

In addition to that, the 19th century still had like, this ginormous British Empire. There were colonies everywhere, French, British, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Danish--Europeans were stealing lands and killing people (and enslaving them, still). Imperialism was in vogue and the tea, sugar, and opium trade was the highlight of capitalism at the expense of the entire rest of the world.

The modern steampunk genre as it's written today is...based on all that. So you have a genre that's aesthetic as fuck (cogwheels everywhere, amiright?), in a sort of nostalgic way where everyone has on pretty dresses, the technology is adorably analogue, there's steam! Steam is pretty! Science as we know it is disregarded for the Rule of Cool, and some writers even throw in supernatural elements because why the fuck not, and the Victorians were into it anyway.

The steampunk genre was not created to be -punk. It is not inherently rebellious, it doesn't feature a fight against the establishment, it doesn't have anti-heroes, it doesn't really have anything about it that pokes at the status quo of its time (the Victorian era). It was dubbed steampunk because cyberpunk was a term that existed, and it looked cool to model the name of a new subgenre after another one, that clearly set it apart from 'traditional' SF, but also made it clear it was different from cyberpunk.

Potential problems:

The genre as a whole.

I'm not joking.

So, how do you avoid the problem that is steampunk?

De-colonise the narrative* (er, probably don't do this if you're white.)

Whatever you do, make sure you're not accidentally glorifying imperialism and colonialism.

Write stories that subvert the steampunk genre as it's popularly known--go beyond the Victorian era - what does a steampunk world look like that prevailed until 2018? What happened to the British empire in that world? Is it still around? Did it collapse? What role did tech play in it? *who* has the tech - the British empire, or the nations it colonised? What does that mean for history? Who's the hero and who's the establishment? Where is the injustice and who is fighting it?

Steampunk is often known as a fluff genre, where the characters just get to go on adventures and have fun. Drink a lot of tea, eat a lot of food, etc. (Hello, Gail Carriger) There's nothing wrong with fluff, but consider: at whose expense do we get the fluff? Just to take Gail Carriger's steampunk books as an example, her characters frequently exhibit a privilege that only comes with the fact they are British citizens in a British empire.

Examples of steampunk works:

Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Verne (1870) (you didn't think I was going to forget Jules Verne, did you? The Time Machine, Wells (1895) (most people would say it's SF, but I'm adding it here because of when it was written and the faux science) Infernal Devices, Jeter (1987) The Difference Engine, Sterling & Gibson (1991) The Golden Compass, Pullmann (1995) Steampunk and Steampunk Reloaded anthology (2008) edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer The Boneshaker, Priest (2009) The Revolutions, Gilman (2014) Gail Carriger's Parasolverse (on-going)

The City of Lost Children (1995) Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) Treasure Planet (2002) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) Van Helsing (2004) SteamBoy (2004) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

*this, I'd argue, is how we get e.g. afropunk and silkpunk. :D :D :D i don't mean that afropunk and silkpunk are steampunk under a different name, i mean that those genres are about de-colonising the narrative; alternative history free of western intervention. It's SUPER COOL STUFF, and you should all read it. (As should I.) Ken Liu and JY Yang do silkpunk. Unfortunately I don't know much afropunk, though I do know Black Panther (2018) is an example of afropunk.

DIESELPUNK

Oh man am I READY for this hot mess.

Dieselpunk is another ALTERNATIVE HISTORY subgenre, characterised by being set between WW1 and WW2, when dieselpowered technology was the main technological focus. Dieselpunk fiction sometimes extends into the 1950s and early 1960s, and in those cases often discusses alternative histories in which the Nazis won the war or the post-apocalyptic reality following a nuclear war or other major human-made disastrous event. The term dieselpunk was coined in 2001 by Lewis Pollak and Dan Ross, when they needed to describe the aesthetic of their new game which was steampunk-esque, but darker and grittier than steampunk. Dieselpunk was a world of grit, oil, dust and mud, but also borrowed elements from Art Deco, Dadaism, Cubism, and Futurism, amongst others. (Ottens & Piecraft:2008.)

I have a love-hate relationship with this genre, because there are TWO strands of dieselpunk, and, if you've spotted it already, one of them is about nazis winning and the other is about nazis losing. Guess which one I like? If your answer is 'the one where nazis lose' you are right, gold star for you. I'll be citing a lot from Ottens and Piecraft in this section because there is shockingly little academic research done on dieselpunk. Nick Ottens and Mr. Piecraft are two dudes who like dieselpunk who sat together ten years ago to talk about a definition, and published it in a webzine. It's important to note that Mr. Piecraft is a screenname, and that Piecraft himself is a nazi-sympathiser if not an outright nazi (honestly, what's the difference between nazi-sympathiser and nazi? none). Ottens, on the other hand, uses his own name because he's not a fricking nazi.

So, about those two strands. Let's deal with the nazi first so we can proceed to ignore it for the rest of this post.

Themes of the Piecraftian strand:

Continual dystopian view

The aesthetic of world wars

World War 2 is either being fought as a prolonged cold war or has been won by the Axis powers

Often suggests Nazi-Germany has advanced rocketry and aeroplane programs

Eugenics

The lack of development of human culture due to widespread warfare

In the case of a post-apocalyptical event, survival being largely dependent on diesel power

The occult or supernatural

Often no hope for recovery, survival or a better future

(Ottens & Piecraft:2008)

Y I K E S. just. YIKES.

Themes of the Ottensian strand:

Settings in which the decadent aesthetics and utopian philosophies of the Roaring Twenties continued unhindered by economic collapse or war

The Great Depression did not happen, sometimes World War 1 didn't either

Enthusiasm for the predictions about the future produced throughout the 1930s and 1950s

Positive visions of dieselpowered technology, often realising utopian ideals of technology fairs at the time

Unstoppable technological progress; however the technology almost never crosses the boundary between dieselpowered machines and sophisticated computer technology

Nuclear weapons only an experimental technology

Firmly set in the interwar era and does not incorporate World War 2

Pulp-inspired adventure

Always carries a glimmer of hope

(Ottens & Piecraft:2008)

Dieselpunk is sometimes considered a post-cyberpunk genre within the "Ottensian" tradition, as it may offer a utopian view of the progression stated in a pre-WW2 environment as a counterpoint to the dystopian world views of cyberpunk; dieselpunk as a genre is not just newer than cyberpunk, it showed up right on the heels of cyberpunk. Dieselpunk is also sometimes considered a post-steampunk and pre-cyberpunk genre timeline-wise, as the universe of the "Piecraftian" dieselpunk tradition may eventually turn into a cyberpunk universe with the progress of time and technological advancement, and was in fact considered a continuum between steampunk and cyberpunk by game designers Pollak and Ross. Another view is that dieselpunk fiction can be likened to cyberpunk stories set in the Roaring Twenties instead of in the near future as both cyberpunk and dieselpunk take inspiration from film noir in their storytelling and aesthetic look. (Ottens & Piecraft:2008; Buckell:2015; Feinstein:2014; Wilson:2013.)

I personally think that dieselpunk has a lot more in common with cyberpunk than with steampunk, even though dieselpunk and steampunk are often lumped together. It's easy to see why they are, as both steampunk and dieselpunk are highly aesthetic genres, they're both alternative history, they both have nostalgic elements (e.g. victorian fashion, 20s-40s fashion), and they both lack the true -punk aspect of the genre: the fight against the establishment. At least where the Piecraftian strand is concerned, as that isn't so much about fighting the establishment as it is about glorifying fascism. The Ottensian strand, while 'fluffier', and pulp-ier, definitely has a clear anti-nazi thread--the heroes in pre-WW2 or WW2 stories are explicitly fighting the nazis, not aiding them.

Examples of dieselpunk works:

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) (Bet you didn't see that one coming) The Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) Captain America: the First Avenger (2011) (YES, REALLY. IT IS DIESELPUNK.) Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Potential problems:

THE ENTIRE PIECRAFTIAN STRAND OF DIESELPUNK, HONESTLY

DON'T BE A PIECRAFT

BE CAPTAIN AMERICA

PUNCH A NAZI

SOLARPUNK

Hey look, it's my favourite -punk genre! It's my favourite because it's so new and undefined and malleable and we can make it ANYTHING WE WANT, without old dudebros breathing down our necks. (No doubt they will still be breathing down our necks, but fuck them. FUCK THE ESTABLISHMENT.)

Solarpunk is a new eco-futuristic political movement that has produced little literature so far. It's usually characterised by either retro-futuristic fiction that reimagines an alternative history in which the industrial revolution did not happen, or evolved into a different direction, or futuristic fiction in which the current environmental issues have been solved. In a solarpunk universe, the world has become solar- or windpowered, ecological and sustainable. (Lodi-Ribeiro:2014.)

Some credit the solarpunk movement to this post on tumblr from 2014, but the term and the concept had been around for at least two years by then. The post can however be given some credit regarding spreading the concept and spotlighting it in a visually appealing way. Because of this post, many define solarpunk as art noveau + plants, which, to be fair, is a very aesthetic rendition of the concept, but like I said: this is a brand new genre, it's malleable, we are still in the process of defining it. And we likely never will be 'finished' defining it, as I remind you yet again that science fiction is the literature of change, and it changes while you define it.

I imagine that the -punk part of solarpunk isn't solely because all those other established genres use that naming model, but because we live in a society that still relies heavily on fossil fuels, and we are living a global climate crisis that will only be worse if we don't take action. Solarpunk takes that and goes 'what if we didn't have that problem in the first place?' and imagines a world where we didn't become reliant on fossil fuels, where we as a species invented and used sustainable sources of power (wind, solar, water) from the get-go. Or it imagines a world where we averted the crisis, where fossil fuels were replaced by renewable energy. I like this genre because it speaks to the part of me that is passionate about the environment and sustainable energy (like, come on, I live in Denmark, the land of wind power), and because parts of our society are, in fact, solarpunk. So one could say the genre is fighting against the establishment we live in (the governments that don't sign environmental treaties, governments that keep digging for oil instead of investing in sustainable research, governments that approve fracking, governments that roll back laws that protect the environment) by presenting an alternative, but I'd like to think that in fiction we'll also eventually have heroes fighting for the environment.

Examples of solarpunk works:

Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World Anthology (2012, translated into English in 2018) Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation Anthology (2017) Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers Anthology (2018) The Broken Earth Trilogy, Jemisin (I have yet to read it, but others have described it as having solarpunk elements)

Potential problems:

I don't? know? yet?

SOURCES:

BOOKER, M. Keith. Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction in Literature. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.

BUCKELL, Tobias S.. Introduction. The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk. Ed. Sean Wallace. Hachette UK, 2015.

BURROWS, Roger & Mike FEATHERSTONE. Cultures of Technological Embodiment: An Introduction. Cyberspace/Cyberbodies/Cyberpunk. Sage Publications, 1996.

CAVALLARO, Dani. Cyberpunk and Cyberculture: Science Fiction and the work of William Gibson. The Athlone Press, 2000.

CLUTE, John & Peter NICHOLLS. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. 2nd edition. St. Martin's Griffin, 1995.

ELIAS, Herlander. Cyberpunk 2.0: Fiction and Contemporary. LabCom Books, Portugal. 2009.

FEINSTEIN, Katriona. Dieselpunk: Retro Futures of the All-American Art Deco Years. Graffito Books Limited, 2014

GUFFEY, Elizabeth and Kate C. LEMAY. Retrofuturism and Steampunk. The Oxford Handbook of Science Fiction. Ed. Rob Latham. Oxford University Press, 2014.

HOLLINGER, Veronica. Cybernetic Deconstructions: Cyberpunk and Postmodernism.

Mosaic 23, January 1990.

JAKUBOWSKI, Maxim & Malcolm EDWARDS (ed.). The Complete Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy Lists. HarperCollins, 1983.

LAVIGNE, Carlen. Cyberpunk Women, Feminism and Science Fiction: A Critical Study. McFarland, 2013.

LODI-RIBEIRO, Gerson. Prefácio. Solarpunk. Editora Draco, 2014.

MCCAFFERY, Larry. Cutting Up. Storming the Reality Studio: A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Science Fiction. Duke University Press, 1991.

MCHALE, Brian. POSTcyberMODERNpunkISM. Storming the Reality Studio: A Casebook of Cyberpunk and Postmodern Science Fiction. Duke University Press, 1991.

MCHALE, Brian. Towards a poetics of cyberpunk. Constructing Postmodernism. Routledge, 1992.

MERRIL, Judith. What Do You Mean: Science? Fiction? SF: The Other Side of Realism. Editor Thomas D. Clareson. Popular Press, 1971.

MICHAUD, Thomas. Science Fiction and Innovation. Marsisme.com, 2008.

MILBURN, Colin. Posthumanism. The Oxford Handbook of Science Fiction. Ed. Rob Latham. Oxford University Press, 2014.

MURPHY, Graham J. and Sherryl VINT. Introduction: The Sea Change(s) of Cyberpunk. Beyond Cyberpunk: New Critical Perspectives. Routledge, 2010.

NICHOLLS, Peter. Cyberpunk. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Eds. John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls and Graham Sleight. Gollancz, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. a

http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/cyberpunk.

NICHOLLS, Peter. Cybernetics. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Eds. John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls and Graham Sleight. Gollancz, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. b

http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/cybernetics.

NICHOLLS, Peter, and John CLUTE. Genre SF. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Eds. John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls and Graham Sleight. Gollancz, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/genre_sf.

OTTENS, Nick & Mr PIECRAFT: Discovering Dieselpunk. The Gatehouse Gazette, July 2008. Web. 31 March 2016.

http://www.ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/Gazette%20-%201.pdf

PRUCHER, Jeff (editor). Brave New Words. The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction.

Oxford University Press, 2009.

SCHOLES, Robert E. Structural Fabulation: An Essay on Fiction of the Future. University of Notre Dame Press, 1975.

SHINER, Lewis. Confessions of an Ex-Cyberpunk. New York Times Op-Ed page, Jan. 7, 1991.

SHINER, Lewis. Inside the Movement: Past, Present and Future. Fiction 2000: Cyberpunk and the future of narrative. Eds. George Slusser and Tom Shippey. University of Georgia Press, 1992.

SLUSSER, George. Introduction: Fiction as Information. Fiction 2000: Cyberpunk and the future of narrative. Eds. George Slusser and Tom Shippey. University of Georgia Press, 1992.

STABLEFORD, Brian M; John CLUTE & Peter NICHOLLS. Definitions of SF. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Eds. John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls and Graham Sleight. Gollancz, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015. http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/definitions_of_sf.

WILSON, Tome. Welcome to the retro future. Dieselpunk Epulp showcase. John Pica, 2013. WOODS, Tim. Beginning Postmodernism. Manchester University Press, 1999.

#science fiction #cyberpunk #steampunk #dieselpunk #solarpunk #writing #academia

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eregyrn-falls · 2 years ago

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Also, it sounds like there is a recent study from Penn State University in the U.S. that the upper limit of temps that humans can tolerate is actually lower than previously thought:

People often point to a study published in 2010 that estimated that a wet-bulb temperature of 35 C – equal to 95 F at 100% humidity, or 115 F at 50% humidity – would be the upper limit of safety, beyond which the human body can no longer cool itself by evaporating sweat from the surface of the body to maintain a stable body core temperature.

It was not until recently that this limit was tested on humans in laboratory settings. The results of these tests show an even greater cause for concern.

Our studies on young healthy men and women show that this upper environmental limit is even lower than the theorized 35 C. It’s more like a wet-bulb temperature of 31 C (88 F). That would equal 31 C at 100% humidity or 38 C (100 F) at 60% humidity.

Here’s a pretty thorough article on this, with links to the studies (the links are in the pull-quotes above, so you can go and read the actual studies if you want). The article touches on infrastructure problems too, although that’s not the main focus.

Keep in mind that these cutoffs are based solely on keeping your body temperature from rising excessively. Even lower temperatures and humidity can place stress on the heart and other body systems. And while eclipsing these limits does not necessarily present a worst-case scenario, prolonged exposure may become dire for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with chronic diseases.

Our experimental focus has now turned to testing older men and women, since even healthy aging makes people less heat tolerant. Adding on the increased prevalence of heart disease, respiratory problems and other health problems, as well as certain medications, can put them at even higher risk of harm. People over the age of 65 comprise some 80%-90% of heat wave casualties.

This is really serious stuff. 43 C / 109 F -- I can’t even comprehend the U.K. facing that kind of heat, especially with humidity. :(

And that’s the thing about the comment from Australia, above. Like... yes? Even if you have low humidity, if you live in a place that routinely goes above 100 F in the summer, YES you could die, if you don’t take precautions.

Precautions include personal behavior, but also the infrastructure you have around you that you can take advantage of. People who live in areas like that know what precautions to take and what resources are available to them, and to many it’s probably almost second nature. (Even if the above quotes indicate that you can withstand higher temps if the humidity is lower, it isn’t touching on how quickly you dehydrate if you don’t keep on top of that; and people generally are not very good at staying hydrated even in non-extreme conditions. That will also kill you dead if you neglect it.)

But it shouldn’t be difficult to realize that in places where these temps are abnormal, the resources *aren’t* there and ways to deal with the heat *aren’t* second nature to people, or even really known to them.

I am biting people i am frothing at the mouth i fucking hate it here sometimes

#weather #climate #heat

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pinerwash · 2 years ago

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Subsonic 223 loads forum

Subsonic 223 loads forum mod#

Not such a big deal when you’re comparing a 1″ drift to a 1.6″ drift at 100 yards in a 10 mph crosswind, but considerably better at 500 yards where the 223 will drift around 30″ compared with the Blackout at 50″. The high speed and short time to target also helps the 223 in wind drift, where it beats the 300 Blackout by around 50%-80% depending on range. That makes getting hits on man sized targets with the 223 at 500 yards fairly easy with a good rest, but considerably more frustrating with the 300 Blackout, especially if you have errors in your ranging. By the time we’re at 500 yards, the 300 Blackout is well past 90″ down compared with a 223 at around 50″, or about half the drop. While the 223 crosses the 10″ down mark at a barely-better 320-340 yards compared with the 275 on the 300 Blackout, it stays much flatter further out. For boar at less than 100 yards, it’d work a treat and they wouldn’t know what hit them if you ran the subsonic rounds with a suppressor. It’s also far lower in energy than I’m comfortable using on a deer. Making an accurate hit at 200 yards with a subsonic round is a bit of fantasy, because you’re looking at 30+ inches of drop even if you sighted at 100 yards. The tougher part to account for on these heavier bullets is the rainbow trajectory. Wow, so little drop in velocity, but I guess that’s what happens when it’s poking along so slowly that wind resistance is minimal. Unless you can range accurately, it’s going to get very tough making hits past 300 yards. Zeroed for 100 yards, you’re at 10″ low by about 275. It generates a bit more energy at the muzzle than 223 and uses sane speeds, so I think it’d be a better close range deer cartridge than the 223. Very similar to ballistics on the 7.62×39, but lagging in power at 100-150 yards. It’s important to separate the 110 grain supersonic round vs the 200+ grain subsonic rounds due to their very different ballistic profiles.Įffectively, it’s a 100 yard cartridge for hunting deer.

Subsonic 223 loads forum mod#

223 magazinesįor a civilian shooter, getting into 300 Blackout when you already have an AR-15 is pretty easy: you can buy a dedicated upper to have some flexibility, or switch to a 300 Blackout barrel for a permanent mod and you’re done. The 300 Blackout was designed with a few things in mind: If only we could get 7.62×39 performance in an AR-15… And then there’s the case taper: which enables great semi automatic reliability but doesn’t work well with the straight magwell and magazines of the AR15. The case head is wide enough that you give up quite a bit of metal on bolt lugs after hogging out the bolt head. 30 in the AR-15? Some manufacturers offer AR-15’s that run 7.62×39, but that cartridge isn’t the best for the AR-15. The AR-10 delivers a lot more power but it’s heavier, gives up magazine capacity, isn’t nearly as common or standardized as the AR-15 platform, and the case capacity is a bit of a waste if you want to run subsonic rounds. Within the Armalite family, there’s the AR-10 in. Let’s dive into the 300 Blackout as it performs against the. It’s easy to convert AR-15’s to and easy to form cases if you’re into reloading. Delivering similar ballistic performance to the 7.62×39, but using a slightly lighter bullet, the 300 Blackout alleviates some hunter’s concerns around bullet mass on game AND makes for a handy suppressed round in an AR-15. The 300 Blackout, sometimes called the 300 AAC Blackout and somewhat similar to the 300 Whisper®, is what happens when you want an easy 30 caliber conversion for your AR-15.

#Subsonic 223 loads forum

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ratingsthatthebestmattressp-blog · 6 years ago

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The Ultimate Deal on Mattress

When looking for the right mattress, you should pay special attention to the so-called degree of hardness. In our Glossary of mattress terms we explain you what the degree of hardness is exactly what you should pay attention to when making your purchase and what degree of hardness is right for you.

What is the degree of hardness of mattresses and how many are there?

The degree of hardness of a mattress refers to its core and describes its strength in relation to body weight and body size. Choosing the right degree of hardness is crucial for orthopedically correct and comfortable lying. The most important criterion for determining the degree of hardness is that the spine is necessarily kept in its natural double-S-curve during sleep.

Usually the hardness is indicated by the abbreviation "H" (hardness) or "F" (strength) in combination with a number from 1 (soft) to 5 (fixed). However, grades are not standardized, so that all manufacturers can make their own statements. But do not worry; most of the classifications of the degrees of hardness between the manufacturers are very similar.

How do I find the right degree of hardness for a mattress?

Important for determining the degree of hardness of a mattress is not only - as many think - your body weight, but also your height. After all, the same weight is distributed differently for different sizes.

Different degrees of hardness in detail

Hardness 1 - up to 60 kg

Since such a low body weight is rather rare in adults, only a few mattresses with a hardness of 1 are produced. Also, if you prefer a soft feeling, but weigh more (if only slightly more than 60 kg), a higher degree of hardness should be chosen.

Hardness 2 - 60-80 kg

Mattresses with a hardness of 2 are next to H3 the most commonly used degree of hardness in mattresses, especially in women. If you weigh more than 80 kg, you should - even if you would like to be even softer - do not choose H2; otherwise it may cause orthopedic problems due to a lack of support.

Hardness 3 - 80-100 kg

The best-selling mattress hardness is H3. Depending on the manufacturer you can also choose this degree of hardness, if you weigh up to 110 or 120 kg. However, with a weight of 120 kg, a mattress with a hardness of 4 is recommended for optimum support.

Hardness 4 - from 100 kg

The recommended hardness for people over 100 kg is H4. For many manufacturers there is no further degree of hardness, so that the upper limit is not fixed in this case. However, this is achieved at 150 kg for H4.

Hardness 5 - from 130 kg

H5 is the rarest degree of hardness in mattresses, as even with H1 only a few people weigh more than 130 kg. Measured by the upper limit of H4 with 150 kg, people with 130-150 kg are usually well advised with H4, but from 150 kg you should choose the ultrafast variant with the degree of hardness H5 in order to best support and relieve the spine.

Hardness with different types of mattresses

Since different types of mattresses have differences in material, manufacture and lying comfort / feeling, of course, they also differ in terms of their degree of hardness. Here we show you the differences in terms of the degree of hardness in different types of mattresses.

Hardness at spring mattresses

Are generally spring mattresses suitable for many sleeping habits? Of course, their degree of hardness is one of the decisive factors.

The degree of hardness of a spring mattress depends on the foam pad, the wire thickness and the number of turns and springs. A higher number of spring coils makes the mattress stronger. In addition, the mattress is more elastic point by a higher number of springs, i.e. the body is optimally supported at each point. As with all models, it is crucial that the mattress fits the body.

Hardness of cold foam mattresses

A cold foam http://www.thebest-mattress.org - depending on the type - offers a medium-firm to firm feeling of lying. In addition, some cold foam mattresses are usually provided with lying areas, which affects the feeling of lying. The mattress is cut specifically for certain body parts, so that they sink more and it results in a straight body position.

Hardness of viscos foam mattresses and gel foam mattresses

Made from a soft viscos foam or gel foam layer in combination with a supporting core of stronger material (usually pocket springs or cold foam), Viscos foam and gel foam mattresses naturally promise a softer reclining feel. For this reason, when purchasing viscos-foam or gel-foam mattresses, you should pay attention to the nature of the core, so that heavier areas such as shoulders and buttocks, which in any case sink deeper than other parts of the body, do not sag too much. Gel foam mattresses are generally a bit more popular than viscose foam mattresses because they not only have a soft lying sensation due to their innovative material but are also very breathable.

Do slatted frames have different degrees of hardness?

No, a degree of hardness for slatted frames does not exist. However, choosing a suitable slatted frame is just as important as buying a mattress that is optimal for your body and sleeping habits. Mattress and slatted frame should therefore harmonize with each other so that they favor a comfortable lying feeling and keep your body in an orthopedically correct position. Even if we cannot choose between different degrees of hardness in a slatted frame, there is still the possibility to adjust the slatted base using sliding devices or (in the case of a slat) through the individual modules.

Finding the right mattress for a partner - what degree of hardness do I choose for two people?

We all have different body shapes and sleeping habits. Therefore, almost everyone can have a say when it comes to funny bed stories: One guy constantly takes the blanket away from the other, and the other moves so much that the partner is almost catapulted out of bed almost every night.

In terms of severity, couples face similar problems. Of course, it is less complicated if both persons weigh about the same and the relation between body weight and height is approximately the same. Then you choose a large mattress with a degree of hardness that corresponds to these values.

However, if the body differs in this regard, it will be difficult to find the right degree of hardness. In this case you should not choose a continuous mattress with only one degree of hardness. This would then always be too soft or too hard for one person, which can lead to negative consequences. So there are two options. The two opt for two mattresses with the two different degrees of hardness. The inconvenient "lack of visitors" can be covered with a continuous mattress topper. The second variant is a continuous mattress with two cores of different hardness, like our Snood. So the problem with the lack of visitors does not even occur and both can sleep and cuddle ergonomically correctly.

The Ultimate Deal On Mattress

After ten years at the latest, it's time for a new mattress. Then the bed base has soaked with so much sweat that a new mattress is needed for hygienic reasons. "When you sleep, a lot of moisture, which seeps into the mattresses," says Claudia Wieland from the mattress industry. "Studies have shown that a 10-year-old mattress can weigh up to four kilograms more than it used to." Cold foam mattresses are currently the market leader: We reveal what value you must pay attention to and what is important when buying a new mattress.

If you want to buy a new bed should be well advised. "There is no such thing as a bed off the rack," emphasizes. "People are different, everyone needs their own bed." Side, back or abdominal sleepers need mattresses with different lying characteristics, also the well-being temperatures vary. Couples are therefore best off together. In the best mattress 2018 list you will have the best deal now.

Do not buy a mattress when you are tired

Many bad buys come about because one chooses the bed for both. That cannot work. A petite woman has quite different lying characteristics than a 1.80 meter tall man. A couch test is essential for both. "If possible, it should not take place in the evening - every bed is great when you're tired," explains Warty. "The best time is the morning." According to Wieland, customers should also test mattresses with different materials if possible. "Most common are spring core, foam and latex mattresses."

Spring mattresses are well ventilated

Spring core models consist of a system of steel springs that move individually and independently of each other. If a person lies down on it, they distribute the pressure. The springs also contribute to good ventilation of the mattress, so that it is well suited for heavy sweating people or smaller rooms because the body movements provide for the so-called pumping effect and thus for a permanent exchange of air. Spring mattresses are also processed in the trendy box spring beds. "Here you should not only look at the look of the bed, but above all make sure that it fits ergonomically.

At this value you can see a good mattress

Synthetic polyurethane foam is the second variant basically, a distinction between standard and cold foam. The latter is more elastic. "Cold foam mattresses are currently the market leader," reports Wieland. When buying, consumers should pay attention to the density (RG). It says how many kilograms of raw material were processed in one cubic meter of foam, and that's critical to support and durability. "Good mattresses have a RG of at least 40, better 45 and more."

Latex is still recommended

Something out of fashion is latex mattresses. They were popular in the 90s, but are still highly recommended today. "They consist of a rubber foam and support very well," explains Wieland. "That's why they are particularly suitable for something heavier people." The mattresses give only at the places where they are loaded and return when relief back to the starting position. And the material provides increased resistance under load, which contributes to the relaxation of all muscles. However, since the mattress itself is quite heavy, it is not easy to turn it over regularly to keep it in shape.

Spine must lie straight

"Each type of mattress conveys a special feeling that you should absolutely try out," emphasizes Wieland. It is important that the mattress supports the body well when the muscles relax during sleep. In the lateral position, the spine should form a straight line. In addition, the mattress should not be too warm or too cool.

Also pay attention to the pillow

No matter which mattress you choose, it must fit the rest of the bed system. With a good bed, all components are coordinated. Not only slats and mattress must be in harmony, the pillows should fit. "Some have five pillows in the closet and none works properly." A good pillow supports the head and neck so that no tension occurs. Many people sleep particularly well with a special neck support pillow: this pillow relieves the cervical area.

Allergy sufferers should pay attention to encasings

For people who are allergic to house dust mites, there are allergen-tight mattress covers, so-called encasings. New mattresses are best sourced directly from them. Partner beds or mattresses of children sleeping in the same room should also get the covers. It makes sense, too, to get the duvets or pillows and blankets with encasings. "For people with sensitive airways who are very sensitive to smells and odors, it may be helpful to ventilate new mattresses and bedding for some time."

Nevertheless, the following negative aspects should be considered:

The quality of the foams varies greatly. A low volume weight should be avoided.

The point elasticity of cold foam mattresses is not always good. Here is a latex mattress basically has the advantage.

Are cold foam mattresses better or worse than other mattresses?

As so often one can only say here: It depends. In principle, there are good and bad models in every mattress category. Therefore, one cannot say in general that cold foam mattresses are better or worse than spring core, viscos or latex mattresses.

When buying, pay attention to tested quality and test the mattress under real sleeping conditions.

Conclusion: What should be considered when buying a cold foam mattress?

Cold foam mattresses are by far the most popular types of mattresses and for a good reason. With a high quality, they have a long shelf life. The zones ensure an ergonomic reclining feeling.

If you choose a cold foam mattress, then you should pay attention to these 5 things:

· The density should be at least 40 kg / m²

· The quality should be checked objectively, egg by the TÜV or another testing institute

· An individual test sleep and sufficient guarantee (5 or even 10 years) are necessary

· The sensible ergonomic zoning of the mattress is crucial for the lying behavior

In order to avoid unpleasant odors and fumes, an ecological harmlessness or odor test should be available

Latex mattresses in the overview: What must be considered when buying?

Mattresses with latex are among the highest quality mattresses. There are latex mattresses in different quality and style. We will tell you the pros and cons of latex mattresses and tell you what to look for when buying.

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rigelmejo · 4 years ago

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Dude... so many people disagree when you search difficulty of materials. Fascinating ToT

I’ve obviously looked up “easy books to start reading in chinese” and the little prince came up - as a novel with very few unique words. Actually reading it, I agree with this assessment.

With French? I just looked up “level to be in French when reading le petit prince.” You know, expecting A2-B1 as the recommended level (upper beginner/lower intermediate). Since that’s what it is for chinese for me (for other people I assume it’s a range of whenever they felt comfortable moving into non-graded readers in chinese). Well there were mixed opinions: some people agreed it’s doable at A2-B1 with a dictionary, or if you know the story already and sound words out if you need to. Others though said they did not read it until B2, that grammar and vocab still confused them at that point and they had to make use of a dictionary.

I see two things at play. One, is that just like with Chinese some people feel comfortable reading much earlier or much later in French. Me, and the people reading it at A2-B1, probably have higher willingness to read challenging material with less preparation? Versus people who choose to learn more first. Which also happens in chinese (people sometimes wait years to start reading until they’ve passed HSK 5-6, others start when they’ve learned HSK 4 or on the first year like me etc).

The other thing? Maybe part of the reason so many people seem to WAIT to read in chinese is i think there’s a difficulty tolerance you might need/might make life easier. French is so easy to read, I started reading within 3 months with lots of effort/dictionary, got comfortable with dictionary lookup when reading at 6 months, and got comfortable without a dictionary except for occasional use as desired by 1 year. I cannot imagine waiting 2 years to read something like le petit prince. I cannot imagine waiting that long to challenge myself, when with the way I approached reading I would’ve considered trying to read it when I hit the 6 month mark just so I’d feel more comfortable. I’m looking at it now and it’s easy to read if you know the story, and if not then with a dictionary. I do tend to think dense texts are actually easier to read sometimes when you don’t know the words - because you can find enough context to figure out the word. Whereas le petit prince is short enough that if you see a word like prey it might be an actual animal name, prey, you don’t necessarily know how specific the unknown-word is just that it was eaten. Like me in weibo having more difficulty guessing unknown words, compared to when I’m reading an actual dense novel with paragraphs to help frame what’s going on. So I do think it could be hard in that some unknown words have less context to figure them out (also the little prince isn’t logical so you can’t rely on standard story expectations to figure new words out the way you can in some stories).

Anyway though my Point is, if someone thinks le petit prince is too intimidating even with a dictionary until B2? I think they might have a different perception of difficulty than I do.

And in chinese, that happens to matter. Because I really do think unless you can have a higher tolerance for difficulty and ambiguity, you really will end up waiting longer to attempt reading in chinese. In chinese you cannot wait for things to get very highly comprehensible to start unless you want to wait a LONG time to start.

So someone who would want to wait in French to read something until B2, if that is their ambiguity tolerance, then in chinese they would also need to wait for that degree of understanding (which will probably take longer because they’d also likely need more vocab since there’s less cognates to provide additional ‘free’ understandability). You cannot generally wait for a very low amount of ambiguity before you start trying to read chinese. Even if you hit HSK 6, you’re looking at around 50% incomprehensible words in 小王子, unless your known Hanzi are enough support for you to feel your ‘free’ comprehension is a bit higher and you can guess some new words with your known Hanzi (bringing comprehension up to a much more bearable degree). But you’re still likely not starting out with 98% comprehensible anything, at least not until you practice reading more, I’m guessing? And your tolerance is going to either rely on you feeling comfortable with known Hanzi as tools to refer to for context, or you going and learning even MORE words before even trying to read the story. So... you either tolerate more ambiguity then the ideal 98% comprehension, or you study even more words after HSK 6 (or wherever you’re at).

If you’re learning French, eventually that sweet spot WILL be reached - where you learned enough French words, and feel cognate ‘free’ comprehension is helping you enough, that enough is comfortably comprehended. If your ambiguity comfort is nearly-nothing ambiguous around 98% comprehension, you’ll probably get there with more ease/less time than a Chinese learner. Even if you need to get to the same level of “fluency” you probably don’t have to learn as many new words as them to have the same low ambiguity level when reading. But if you’re studying Chinese, and have this same low tolerance for ambiguity, then... it will take you longer to start reading/reach a level where you can bear the ambiguity still present.

I guess I just. Didn’t realize that? Ambiguity could be such a big deal. I mean it makes sense, I just. I think I knew it affected chinese, but I still wouldn’t really get why some people would make whole word lists to study and prep ahead of time to read a novel - when I’d read the same one and just look up words as I went (we’d both be studying the same new words but they’d have to do it in advance). But I think the answer is just ambiguity we can tolerate - they maybe couldn’t tolerate it Unless they prestudied the words? Whereas I can tolerate the ambiguity more at the start and just learn the words as I go through the text. It’s why in French I could start reading so early - 50% comprehension was enough for me to bear going though it with a dictionary occasionally, and once it got close to 80-90% I felt it was much more bearable to do regularly. So with Chinese? Of course I was used to tolerating more ambiguity, so I didn’t feel it was as hard to start trying early on. Or - it was still hard, and felt brutal, I just had the tolerance to start and continue doing it at that difficulty. So idk for me stuff only gets easier and more tolerable from there, and I’m used to an initial start feeling of intense ‘drain’ until I learn more? Whereas I think some people aren’t ok with tolerating those levels.

There’s not much point here, just some people are willing to or have a tolerance to ambiguity at higher levels. It doesn’t help much - as you still understand less than ideal, so you can’t learn as much from context as easily as when you comprehend 98% and it feels “easy” to read. But I imagine you can comprehend some from context (I do), and you also do have the benefit of using a dictionary as you read (which mainly just means learning words you need for reading AS you read compared to learning them Before you read, which I think affects how you do the activity but not how effective it is - good for me though because I have a low tolerance for word lists/flash cards and easily give up on them so if I try doing it the other way I might never read). I just find it interesting some people have low ambiguity tolerances for languages like French. It makes sense, but also I’m just surprised. With Chinese there’s Huge ambiguity, so of course some people can’t tolerate it until they understand more - and with Chinese, eventually you’re almost Required to tolerate some uncomfortable level of ambiguity. Because I even if you prep with all textbooks or courses available, chances are if you followed HSK you will still need to either pre study to lower ambiguity OR start tolerating higher ambiguity to wade into some target language materials. Whereas with French, there is so much in common with English in some ways that once you’ve learned to a certain level you probably have a guaranteed ambiguity under a certain amount (especially if you feel comfortable as long as there’s similarities to English cognates, and similarities to French words you already know). If you study French to a high enough level in a class, you can possibly ensure you never have to engage with any French material that is “too much ambiguity” for your preference. But with Chinese, it’s likely even if you study to a high level, you may run into more ambiguity than you would prefer for a while.

#rant #the little prince #april #April progress #feel free to ignore as this is just personally how I see it #I suppose my point is like. if you study Chinese or Japanese or any language with low cognates #you might benefit from practicing tolerance of higher ambiguity #compared to the comfortable 98% comprehensible that most ppl feel comfortable at #because in a language with few cognates or things to artificially lower ambiguity a little. you almost certainly will have to tolerate #lower ambiguity than ideal. unless you study a LOT of prep materials #whereas languages like French. you might not have to ever develop a tolerance for more ambiguity than you’d prefer #you could - like I did - but you do not have to #you will eventually reach a point where a decent amount of materials will be #low enough ambiguity to probably be tolerable

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