#I have an older one specifically dedicated to bugs that I made as an extra credit project for one of my ento classes

[clevercatchphrase]

Cheers to a decade

My blog is 10 years old today. I have some thoughts.

On Januray 22nd, 2015, I made this tumblr blog. I remember it being my second semester of my senior year in college and feeling lost and depressed in my dorm room. Despite being in the class of 2015, I had technically graduated the winter prior, having come in to college with enough AP credits from high school to be ahead a semester. I remember not being ready to become an "official" adult yet. Despite having a degree, I didn't feel like I had enough choices in my future, so I stayed an extra year (3 semesters) and got a second degree before finally just being too sick of college life to stay there any longer.

I made this blog to practice art, but in truth, I think it was to distract myself from existential dread of being bottle necked into an occupation I didn't want with little to no choice of upward movement. I can't remember my exact thoughts, but I have a strong feeling it was along the lines of "if I can't get a job I like with my entomology degree, then I will practice art and try my luck as a freelance artist!" Not that freelance is any easier than an hourly paid 9 to 5, but at least it let me feel like I had more options.

It's so surreal scrolling back to that very first year. I posted a lot more frequently and did a lot more doodles and sketches and figure drawings back then. I didn't care about scheduling or queuing posts. I saw a cool tutorial? Neat, I'm reblogging this right now. just pumped out a 2 minute doodle of an animal, and it's going up on the blog immediately. I did more art challenges. Heck, I made a 50 day art challenge for homestuck and DID it! I made my very first long form song comic less than a month after creating this blog. It was for kingdom hearts set to the song "king" by Lauren Aquilina (which was almost certainly inspired by the LoZ song comic made by caffeineandcarpaltunnel set to the same song 2 years prior. (and I don't even play loz, I just liked the song)). I can't help but question myself; "where did all this motivation go?" "Where did all that passion go?" "Now I only post one piece of art a week and queue all the other stuff in november only." (Well, I didn't start doing that last thing until 2022, so I guess I can always revert my neurotic habits). But then I have to remember that until the summer of 2016, I didn't have a job. I didn't have bills. I lived in dorm rooms and off of college loans that funded my meal plan. Any time I wasn't studying or hanging out with other Cepheids (shout out to the 3 of you who know what that means) I was undoubtedly on the internet, enjoying what the 2010's web had to offer.

Can you believe youtube hadn't officially been around for 10 years at that point? musical.ly hadn't merged with TikTok yet because TikTok hadn't even been created in 2015. Vine still existed. This blog is even older than Undertale's official release.

I can't help but think of my life in "chunks" or "eras", some based on where I lived at the time, some based on the state of the world at the time, but a majority of it based on the media I was obsessed with at that time. (For example, 1998 to 2002 I refer to as the "hawaii era" because my family was military and we were stationed in Hawaii.) Shorter eras can also exist within bigger eras, like 2016 to 2020 is my zoo era, because I was a part time zookeeper, but it exists within my undertale era, which is still ongoing (this hyperfixation has a choke hold on me). So whenever I am given a date, I cross-reference it with what era of my life it occurred in, comparing it to my mental state and what was happening with my life. This blog started in my homestuck era (which went from early 2011 to late 2015) and it fucking showsssssss.

Another example; some of the earliest art on this blog was for Kingdom Hearts, because I am a KH fan. KH3 released in 2019. My blog had just turned 4 years old THREE days prior in 2019. KH3 will be SIX years old three days from today. 2019 was before the pandemic. I was still at my zoo job. Ghost switch wasn't even 1 year old yet. It's this kind of mental math that I am constantly doing for everything all the time whenever I have a date to compare to. Why do I do this? I have no clue. To measure up progress or advancements? To contrast what I've accomplished in that same amount of time versus what others have achieved? I don't know, but I've always done it and I will never stop. The endless forward march of time bewitches me so in this way.

Looking at the years and dates, remembering how it overlapped with my time in college and the memes of the early 2010s, which reminds me of my college era (fall 2011 to spring 2016) which brings up a whole well of other memories, like the world ending in 2012, the let's players I'd watch because I didn't have a gaming console or tv in my dorm, the basketball concessions I'd volunteer at to pay for my ticket to go to the student-run convention in the spring, the libraries and computer labs and dining halls, and shitty dorm room thermostats in winter and it's blaring fire alarms that would go off at 3 am because people microwaved popcorn wrong, and the time it rained so hard on campus that the basement hangout zone flooded.

Man... this whole thing got melancholic. I thought it would be nostalgic, but now it feels like I'm doing an elephant walk for my own blog (again, shout out to the three of you who knows what that even means). I don't know if my past self would recognize or approve of who I am now. And yet, I also can't say i've changed all that much. I still live at home with my family because I can't afford a house of my own. I still keep up with the youtube channels I subscribed to in 2013. I still check in on the webcomics that went on indefinite hiatus in 2010. I still use the same deviantart account I made in 2007. I still log on to my neopets account that I made in 2004.

This blog has been with me through a third of my life.

I don't know what I'll do when I finish Ghost Switch. (which will still take me 6 more years to finish, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere soon). Maybe i'll go back to posting shitty little doodles that I drew quickly in 2 minutes to practice figure drawing. Maybe I'll finally learn to code and make that visual novel I've been brainstorming since 2017. Maybe I'll make more (shorter) webcomics with my own OCs. Maybe I'll sit down and actually seriously think about professionally editing and querying a few of those novel drafts I wrote for nanowrimo, which I've also done for 10 years now, too. Maybe I'll come out of the closet and finally embrace the fact that I am a furry and draw nothing but anthro wolves and dogs.

Last year, I pulled out 10 old composition notebooks that I used as diaries for the years 2005 to 2010. This covered the beginning of seventh grade for me, to the end of 11th grade. Rereading these journals was simultaneously the most hysterical things I've ever written as well as the most depressing shit I've ever written, but that's just middle and high school for ya, babe. Still, I bring it up because when I look back on the past, I never know what I will think or feel about the past in hindsight. Seeing so many informative and hilarious posts from those early years fills me with great joy and also great sorrow, because those times are gone now. The internet landscape has changed so much, tumblr included. I do wish I could go back, sometimes. To go back to being so care-free, to relive those highs fandoms gave me when everything was new and exciting and happening Right Now, to be less stressed out about the state of the world, to laugh at stupid nonsensical rage comic memes.

But I also want to stay right here. To be proud of how far I've come, to appreciate what I've accomplished so far, and to remind myself that Today is good, too. I don't want to waste all my time wishing to go back to the past, because in 10 years from now, I'm going to wish I could come back to Now.

Do I even think tumblr will still be around in 2035? Probably. We're kinda like a roach like that, and also i've got some posts queued for 2033 that i need to see go live for The Bit.

Anyway, to end this reflection on a more positive note, thanks for hanging around for so long. We're all stuck on this glue trap together, but I'm glad I'm with you. These last 10 years have been interesting and wild, both on and off the internet, and I hope the thrills don't stop anytime soon.

[shotorozu]

BABE , i saw a hc ( i think it was urs) where the boys’s s/o was really fashionable, ( as somebody that’s gone viral on pinterest a little too many times ) I WAS WONDERING , what if you did a todobakudeku ( separately please omg) with somebody that’s like the emma chamberlain of fashion and they own everybody’s pinterest boards and stuff AHAHA IDK , the amount of times somebody has said ‘ wait ur that one pinterest girl right?? ‘ ANYWHAHEEIE I LOVE YOU N HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!! 💗💗

pinterest famous s/o

character(s) : midoriya izuku, bakugou katsuki, todoroki shouto (bnha)

legend : [Y/N = your name] afab! reader, they/them pronouns (at the request of anon) strong quirk hinted; not specific

headcanon type : fluff, crack-ish (x reader)

note(s) : thank you anon!! so ok, i still used they/them pronouns even though the reader is afab (again at the request of anon) and whdjwkd sorry for the inactivity :,) also im gonna post more later so— sorry for the delay

»»————-　♡　————-««

midoriya izuku

when middle school midoriya finally got a phone, he downloaded pinterest for the sole purpose of looking at screencaps of heroes

but then, he hasn’t touched it a few months, because he’s been training with all might

then, when he finally had enough free time again— he decided to go on pinterest

but instead of finding any heroes he could look at, he found the prettiest human being he has ever seen in his entire life 💀

that person was a different type of beauty, y’know— they weren’t just fashionable, but their beauty was,,

timeless? that’s how he’d describe it. yeah. that person lived in his head rent free for a while

sadly, he feels like you’re that person he sees once in his life, and never again 😔　which isn’t the case

when he finally meets you, midoriya realizes that you look VERY familiar— someone on pinterest, that he unfortunately, didn’t know the name of

but then wait! he realizes that you’re that person. that one person that blew up on pinterest, and ended up in all of the fashion boards.

okay, you’ve been recognized a few times in the past, just because you were pinterest famous— but you didn’t expect him to recognize you

“wait,, you know me?” you asked him when you saw the realization sink in

and you were honestly,, flattered when he went on a tangent on how you were on all of the pinterest boards, and how your sense of fashion was timeless

but you know what’s the best thing of it all? when izuku developed a crush on you (and not because he thought you were just an attractive face)

it was very easy to find pictures of you online! he says it’s for research but,, he tends to look at them for a long time

probably has 3-4 pages dedicated to your hero costume— since fashion icon = fashionable, yet a very practical hero costume!

does he get jealous whenever people fawn over your looks, or whenever he sees comments in pinterest comment sections just asking for your socials in such desperation?

hmm,, yes? he does occasionally feel like someone like you, should be with someone as equally beautiful as you

he thought he was always plain looking, but you wholeheartedly disagree! in fact, you fell in love with his ability to pay attention to detail.

to the random creeps in the comments section, he just contacts the uploader and asks them to delete any malicious comments and it works 100% of them time.

on the brighter side, he helps a lot with taking your pictures (if you ask him to) and sometimes! he’ll even appear in them

izuku will always be your #1 fan!

bakugou katsuki

at first, you’d be like “katsuki owning pinterest? naaah.” but! i think he would

being an all might fan, he liked looking at all might screen caps— and while katsuki would be on the discreet side, he’d find himself looking at them whenever he has extra minutes to burn

not to mention, the cooking recipes on there aren’t the worst, so he doesn’t just use pinterest to look at screen caps of heroes doing their work

and, how could he forget that you’ve been bugging him to search for rare screen caps? he says that it’s useless— but he finds himself digging for you anyway,

which is whyyy

he finds an entirely different rabbit hole, and it’s way past 10pm, 3 more minutes wouldn’t wound him.

the blond doesn’t know how he even stumbled on.. this side of pinterest. the one that kind of hurts his eyes.

the more well known side of pinterest, that is covered in pictures of fashion boards, and the standard pretty person.

the ‘aesthetic’ side, kaminari calls it— it makes bakugou cringe, and he was just about to refresh his page

when he spots something familiar, it’s you‼️ well it wasn’t just you but, you were dressed in something,, nice.

like sure! you’re attractive. but that’s not why he’s dating you, there’s a lot of reasons as to why

but, he’s baffled. seeing you in a different light, and in such nice clothing, what more, when he sees that you’re actually everywhere. he hasn’t seen this much of you and your attractive ass before

katsuki told himself that he was going to sleep a few minutes ago, but now? he’s left admiring all of your pictures.

how did he not know that his s/o’s pinterest famous? you’re practically in every single board!

he confronts you the next day in an oddly weird manner, “you didn’t tell me you were famous on that stupid pinterest app.”

you’re sheepish, “welll, i didn’t know that you were going to stumble on that side of pinterest!”

he doesn’t say anything, and really! it looks like he doesn’t care about the newest discovery of his s/o

but he shows his feelings in his own way.

like, how katsuki insists that he finds a new outfit that you’d absolutely love— one that’ll fit with your aesthetic

and that he insists that he does your graphic liner, because you’re going to ‘poke your eyes out’

makes an entirely different account to reply to those simps and creeps in the comment section, sort of like

random pinterest user : “the things i’ll do to be crushed by them 💦”

pinterestuser461903 : “go touch some fucking grass.”

also would’ve commented “your art sucks” at the poorly done drawings of you in the comments, but knows you appreciated the art— so he doesn’t

(still thinks the fanart doesn’t do you enough justice)

he’ll be super proud when someone notices you in person like “yeah that’s fucking right, but too bad they’re super attractive and way out of your league.”

in short, it looks like katsuki doesn’t care at all about your pinterest famous life, but he’s your #1 supporter

todoroki shouto

i am certain for this one— he doesn’t have pinterest

well, he didn’t have pinterest, until midoriya convinced him to create an account, but it kinda just ended at that

but the person that actually made him use pinterest was sero, because he kept bugging him to give it a try

todoroki finds the app very practical— he can find screen caps of heroes in action, and he can also find oddly helpful tips in cooking (and in anything)

but sero was like “todoroki, what about the aesthetic value??” and todoroki didn’t really get that part to be honest 💀

todoroki, being clueless didn’t know what to search for— so sero being the wonderful friend he is, helped him search for it

and that’s when it happened. it didn’t take that long, but they eventually found an entire section just full of pictures of you; their classmate and crush

“is that Y/N?” mina notices what they’re looking at, and she observes the picture “oh wow— it is her! no wonder why she looked familiar.”

“it’s impressive! our classmate is pinterest famous!” they continue to look at every single post in each board, and todoroki’s left to observe in silence

he has definitely taken a liking to you, even if he didn’t realize it at first— he liked you because of your hard work when it came to training, personality and patience, not because of your looks

obviously, todoroki thinks that you look good in anything, trashbag style or not. but seeing you in this light was interesting.

so after training, todoroki would spent a good portion of his time scavenging for more pictures— not because he was obsessed or anything

but because,, he really liked your pictures. maybe it was because without you in those pictures, it would feel incomplete

he didn’t know how to approach you after this discovery, which is why he’s glad that you approached him first

“todoroki! what are you looking at?” you took a peak at his screen, and you’re baffled to see yourself, and that very famous picture of you

he’s quiet for a second when he realizes that you’ve caught him staring at your pictures, but he explains calmly, “sero accidentally discovered your pictures,, and i just wanted to take a peak at them, if it was okay,,”

and he’s relieved— well, you’re also relieved. you didn’t know how your crush would react if he ever saw those pictures, but your heart skipped a beat knowing that he enjoyed looking at them

“it’s alright todoroki,” you smile, honestly over the moon as you spoke “i’m really glad that you like them.”

sometimes you’d get shy whenever he’d go on pinterest just to look at your pictures, “todoroki, not that one! that one was really old,,” is what you’d say whenever he’d look at your older photos but he’d still look at them anyway 💀

at first, todoroki helped you in his own subtle way. since he’s quite the fashion icon— he’d recommend you clothes to wear for future pictures

he eventually confessed— and it was because you were talking to him while he was really tired, and he blurted out that he really, really liked you and you almost passed away because of his words

so yeah— it was a case of secretly admiring their beautiful best friend to lovers scenario

he’d go the full mile when it came to taking your pictures. he’d check the weather forecast just in case if it was going to rain for that date, and impromptu picnic photoshoot

that boyfriend that has pictures of you in his photo gallery, and has a backstory for each photo if anyone were to ask

also that boyfriend that knows how to take pictures, will probably even lay down to take them, even if you didn’t kindly ask him to

when you asked him to join the picture, he didn’t really know how to— but he made it work! and the both of you guys went viral

but this isn’t all one sided, no— whenever you guys would cuddle, shouto would simply stare at you with HEARTS in his eyes,

and even before he leans in for a kiss, he’ll stare at you with so much love in his eyes, while he traces his thumb across your cheekbones. man’s in love— you’re gorgeous.

he knows that you know that he’s not with you because of any ulterior motive, you both have mutual trust in each other— so it’s not something you guys will bother on questioning because you’re both hot asf lets be real

he’s not uncomfortable whenever people gawk at you in public— i mean, you two get stares on the regular. and how could they not stare at you? you’re very attractive, and he’s glad that people recognize that

but he’ll get protective if they’ll try to be a threat to your loving relationship with him, he won’t be afraid to be blunt

regarding the comments on each pinterest post— he hates it when people say things out of the line

always tries to hide them from you so you don’t feel bothered by them, but if you knew about them— he’ll be sad :,(

but he’ll end up mass reporting those nasty comments— and they always get taken down, because of the shouto todoroki luck

in short? man’s whipped, and the both of you guys are SO attractive together— what more if people knew about the om chemistry?

really— you being pinterest famous was just a nice plus, he fell in love with you for you

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei, i only own the writing and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, reupload, translate, or use my works for audio readings without permission

[worm-man-gaming]

My top 10 list for who I WANT as DLC in Smash

We’re reaching the end of an era. Smash Ultimate’s DLC is going to end eventually, with four more characters to be announced. They could release some kind of ‘Echo Pack’ in the future, which I would be hyped about (They didn’t really do much with the echo fighter mechanic), But I have a feeling that after this, there won’t be any more. So I wanted to post my list of who I, specifically, would like to see in the game.

This is not based off of likelihood, as some of these characters probably don’t even have a chance of making it in. I just think they would be neat.

Full list under the cut, counting up from #10

- Papyrus (UNDERTALE)

Okay, so hear me out.

We got the Sans mii skin, and that was by far one of the most popular mii skins since Geno, probably. People were more excited for the Sans mii skin than Terry Bogard and maybe even Banjo. They probably made a lot more money than expected from it. So why not try it again? 

And while Sans is the popular character, he definitely is not a fighter. He’s a lazy, laid back character that just wants to have fun, but he’s far too weak to go into an all-out battle without risking his own safety. 

HOWEVER!

Sans’s brother, Papyrus, is the polar opposite. He’s dedicated, hardworking, and can take quite a few hits. He’s got plenty of moveset opportunity. And it would be another indie rep, which is really really good for someone like me, who wants to go into game design. 

Another thing: When we got the Cuphead mii skin, we also got Cuphead Spirits. They could have easily done that with Undertale, there’s enough characters. So maybe they’re saving it for a DLC Spirit board? I don’t know, just a theory.

He would be primarily a ground-based fighter, with projectiles that could crawl across the stage like that one sparky item. He could also use his blue attack, which could be good for an easy spike on airborne characters. And, who knows, maybe for his final smash we could finally see his special attack.

I really enjoy Undertale, and seeing Sans as a mii skin made me super happy. Getting a whole fighter from the series would be even cooler. 

- Paper Mario (Super Paper Mario)

Nintendo, we’ve got three whole Links in this game, but only two Marios? Preposterous!

With that being said, Super Paper Mario was one of my favorite Wii games (Although I didn’t play it until very recently) And it’s a very popular series. He’s essentially his own character separate from Mario at this point. The games have so much lore put into them, and we already have a Paper Mario Stage in the game, so maybe we could get Dimentio’s dimension, or the Origami Palace or something.

He’s been in enough games and done enough crazy things to earn a pretty diverse kit for himself. He could use Pixils, the 1000-Fold arms, or even summon Paper Bowser, Peach and Luigi for some attacks. 

I think he would be super fun to play. I’m terrible at vanilla Mario, but I think Paper Mario would be a good fit for the game AND be a super good-feeling character. However, this comes from a G&W main, so take from that what you will.

- King Boo (Luigi’s Mansion)

I 👏 want 👏 more 👏 villains 👏 in 👏 Smash! 👏 

King Boo is a staple of the Luigi’s Mansion series as well as being an enemy for Mario in some games like Sunshine. He’s the Big Bad Evil Guy for Luigi. 

And I DEFINITELY want him in this game. 

It’s not so much the character himself, although King Boo is really good, I want him in for his kit. Think about it. A large character but with floaty jumps like Jigglypuff and an aerial based moveset AND a teleport? He’d be ruthless. And really fun. And that’s what I’m looking for in a character.

- BOTW Zelda (Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity)

Yes, I know. “But Worm, the Zelda we have now is annoying and awful, and you say you want ANOTHER one?!?!?” Well, you’re half right.

Yes, Zelda is known for her darkness-sealing powers in BOTW, BUT, in the recent Age of Calamity game, her moveset for almost have the game revolves around the Sheikah Slate. She uses it creatively, hopping around on ice and whirling metal slabs around with a magnet. And I think that would be a SUPER cool moveset for Smash Bros. 

And who knows, maybe they would call back to older games and allow her to switch to using her powers, like Zelda used to change into Sheik. 

She would be very technical, with her attacks being powerful but with some startup, almost similar to Snake of all characters. And for her final smash she could use a Weak Point Smash or they could bring back Bow of Light (Which was MUCH more fair than the current one, by the way). She’d be fun, and that’s what I want.

- Maxwell (Scribblenauts)

Maxwell is from Scribblenauts, a game where you have to solve puzzles by writing words in a notebook and those words coming to life. So he’s work in the same way in Smash, although much more randomized. 

For his neutral special, maybe he could write a random item and it shows up in his hand. That would be funny AND cool, and it’s possible (because Peach does the same thing with Turnips!). He could use projectiles but also have plenty of close range options, and for a Final Smash he could use the Meteor, which in the game clears the screen of living things. Brutal! He also uses Adjectives on both his creations AND himself, so maybe for some moves he could effect the other opponent with a poison or freeze effect.

Would he be banned in competitive play? Yes. Would he still be fun? Definitely!

- Jibanyan (Yo-Kai Watch)

I may be in the minority here, but I REALLY liked Yo-Kai Watch as a game. It may seem like a cheap Pokemon ripoff, but the gameplay is nothing like it at all. You’re given a map to explore and various objectives within the map, and the battle system is really creative and fun. It’s actually the inspiration for some of my own games. Yo-Kai watch deserved more credit than it got.

Jibanyan is the poster boy for the series (and also has the saddest backstory of any cat-based character ever), and mainly attacks with both his paws and fire attacks. He could have fire-based moves and would almost play similar to Pichu. His final smash could be Paws of Fury, his soultimate move, that would hit like Donkey Kong’s final smash as a flurry of blows. 

This series is really well made and thought out, and it deserves more than it got. So please put my boy in Smash, I’m begging you.

- Specter Knight (Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment)

Okay, yes. I know Shovel Knight is the main character of this series. But again, hear me out.

Specter Knight is either the first or second boss you encounter in the main Shovel Knight game, and he’s already got some moveset potential from that alone. However, he also had his own story mode, Specter of Torment, ad let me say, that is a phenomenal game. I’d go so far as to say it’s better than the main Shovel Knight game itself. His controls are quick and easy to pick up. And he has a whole bunch of special abilities you can get as the game progresses, such as a boomerang or even a shadow clone. 

His smash moveset would pull most of the specials from the unlockable items he can get, leaving room for an incredible spacing game as well as a good aerial defense, as Specter Knight can both float and do a Dash Slash through enemies for some extra air time. 

Shovel Knight is the main character, but Specter Knight obviously has the most soul put into him (Pun not intended). And, again, he’d be fun to control. 

- Master Hand / Fighter Hand (Super Smash Bros. Series)

This is mostly me just being mad at the game for giving us a playable Master Hand, but only once. We couldn’t have even gotten a Master Mode in extras, huh? 

Yes, yes, I know Master Hand is the staple boss character for Smash Bros. He’s been in every game, for crying out loud! I’m honestly surprised it took them this long to give us a playable Master Hand. But this leads into my idea:

A new hand, made specifically to fight in Smash Bros, called Fighter Hand.

Yes, it’s cheesy. Yes, it’s stupid. But hey, it would be fun.

He would have scaled-down versions of Master Hand’s moves, with mainly projectile-based specials and tilts. He would be floaty, although introducing a flying character would be interesting to see how they balance it. For a final smash, maybe they could bring back Master Core from Smash 4 for a Giga Bowser-esque punch.

- The Knight (Hollow Knight)

Hollow Knight is an Indie Game that I never finished (I’m working on it, okay?) that’s kind of like Metroid in the way it’s played. It's also a very popular game, and I like bugs, so they get the number two spot because I like him.

And the special Soul moves you unlock translate well into Specials. Platformers always translate well into Smash, so he would work very well in the game. I don’t know what their moveset would be (as I haven’t finished the game yet), but I know they would be a small, fast character that mainly uses their nail to attack like a sword.

And my most wanted character in Super Smash Brothers: Ultimate is...

- Beatrix LeBeau (Slime Rancher)

Okay, look. I’m aware this has zero chance of happening. Slime Rancher was never the most popular game, and Nintendo has never mentioned it ever. But it’s one of my favorite games, and I just think Beatrix would be an incredible character in Smash Bros. 

She would use her jetpack to recover, she would shoot plorts as projectiles, use he vacpac to suck up both fighters and projectiles, and maybe shoot a boom slime as an explosive and unpredictable bouncing hazard. Her smash attacks and aerials would use the various slimes you can vacuum up and feed in the game, like the Rad Slime and Rock Slimes. She would be really good offstage and onstage with her weakness being her speed. 

She could bring a LOT to this series, and it would be another inspirational indie rep. And, hey, Minecraft Steve got in. Who knows at this point.

Anyway, there’s my list. Feel free to argue with me or explain why Geno should be on my list (I will not care) in the comments or reblogs, this list is not changing unless I play some new game that I feel should be represented. 

[maulusque]

ok i have a little headcanon that’s been bugging me about CLONES and SOCKS

ok so the socks the GAR issues suck. They just do. They develop holes, they rub wrong, they don’t last, they don’t insulate very well, but hey- they’re cheap. And any soldier in the field will tell you that the most important item in your pack is an extra pair of socks. Because good socks are absolutely vital to field performance.

Let’s say that at some point, some clone or other is billeted at a civilian’s house while on some small backwater planet. And he sees the woman who owns the house fiddling around with four pointy sticks and a bunch of yarn and he asks her “what are you doing?” and she goes “I’m knitting socks”. And she shows him a pair of her hand-knit socks. And our clone guy is like “holy shit. these socks. HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE PLEASE MY FEET ARE COLD AND BLEEDING”. And the woman takes one look at the shitty GAR socks the trooper has and is like “well fuck that I’LL SHOW YOU”. And she teaches him how to knit, specifically how to knit socks. And because you need yarn to knit, she also gives him a drop spindle and shows him how to spin. She’s got a few banthas that she raises for fiber and meat, and when Sock Clone’s stay is up, she sends him on his way with a spindle, four knitting needles, several pounds of bantha wool, and a basic sock pattern that’ll fit his feet.

(btw, it is totally possible to learn to spin and knit well enough to make socks within a few weeks, given dedicated instruction and practice. of course, it helps if you are Genetically Engineered to learn faster and better than regular humans).

So Sock Clone starts spinning and knitting socks. And the guys in his unit are like “SOCKS. BRO. YOU GOTTA SHOW US HOW TO SOCK.” and so the knowledge of sock making spreads throughout the GAR. It’s a craft that fits in pretty well with the clones’ lives- the tools are small and simple, and can easily be made out of old bits or armor or random sticks you pick up off the ground. (fiber is a bit harder to get ahold of, but the locals on many planets are usually willing to barter a fleece or two for food or military-grade odds and ends like compasses, boots, blankets, shovels, etc. And eventually some quartermasters start straight-up requisitioning wool as part of their regular supplies. because GAR socks really do suck). You can tuck your needles and yarn or fiber and spindle into your pack easily and it won’t take up much room. You can spin or knit while listening to a briefing, on the transports, while walking the halls, heck, any moment of downtime can be filled with sock-making. 

The troopers dye their socks with wild colors, using whatever they can get their hands on e.g.

clone 1: hey i like that reddish-brown color you used for the heel what’d you dye the yarn with 

clone 2, excited: DIRT

The colors aren’t consistent by unit, like their armor is. instead, units develop unique stitch patterns. You can look at a guy’s socks and tell by the unique patterns of cables, lacework, and textured stitches exactly which unit he belongs to, even down to which 9-man squad he’s in. 

The barracks have hanks of yarn hanging off the ends of bunks to dry. Troopers use the hot water of the showers on the ships to wash and set their yarn. In the parts of the ships where non-clones don’t go, it’s a common sight to see clones walking down the halls with a spindle or needles in their hands. Trooper socks give a certain sense of pride and unity to the clones, something they can claim as uniquely their own, something which identifies them and belongs to them, something they make with their own hands that is only for them. When a unit gets a new guy in from Kamino, he’s bombarded with spare socks the moment he enters the barracks, and an older clone will sit him down, hand him a spindle and some wool, and start teaching him.

Troopers spinning or knitting socks is a common sight. Less common is seeing a trooper darning his socks. Because a well-made pair of trooper socks will last longer than the average lifespan of a clone in the GAR.

[scottdavenportphoto]

Do I Still Need The Color Enhancer? Yes, In This One Situation

If you are trying ON1 Photo RAW 2021 or upgrading from a prior version, please consider using my affiliate link. There is no extra cost to you and it helps support Photo RAW tutorials like this one. Ready to buy? Use the offer code SDP20 at checkout and Save 20%!

Color Enhancer History And Overlap

The Color Enhancer filter has been in ON1 products for a long time, well before ON1 Photo RAW was a product. I remember using Color Enhancer harking back to Perfect Effects 4 … a product name that hasn’t been uttered in a long time! :) Back in the day, this filter was in the Effects portion of the ON1 plug-ins to Lightroom, Photoshop, and others and was the way to adjust hue, saturation, luminance, temperature, and tint in ON1. It was useful for both global adjustments to a photo and localized changes when applied with a mask.

As the ON1 product line matured and RAW processing became part of the product, some of the controls in the Color Enhancer were added to the Develop module. Adjustments like temperature, tint, and saturation are fundamental changes needed in the core of a RAW engine. Nearly every photo needs at least one of those types of adjustments globally. Around the same time, the Local Adjustments tab made its debut. Locals make those same fundamentals coupled with the masking tools available, with the added benefit of working with the RAW data in an image file.

Eventually, a streamlined Color Adjustment filter was added to Effects, dedicated to selective hue, saturation, and luminance controls. It would seem to be the end of an era for the Color Enhancer.

Why Is The Color Enhancer Still Here?

So if all of the functionality of the Color Enhancer is in other tools, why is the filter still there? There are two big reasons. The first is to preserve previous edits. Earlier iterations of ON1 products had a notion of “Smart Photos” where the editing instructions were embedded in a PSD file. This enabled a non-destructive workflow while still in a plug-in ecosystem. Removing the Color Enhancer entirely could break older edits - and no photographer wants that. When I update my software, I expect - dare I say, demand - that my existing edits remain exactly as they are.

The second reason to keep the Color Enhancer in the product is for presets. Many photographers, myself included, make presets to speed up workflow, and many of those presets include the Color Enhancer. Presets made with earlier versions of ON1 continue to work with the newer versions. That’s important. I’m sure the wizards at ON1 could have come up with a way to map the aging Color Enhancer filter to the newer tools … or just keep it in the product.

And, as you’ll soon see, there is still a use for the Color Enhancer today.

The One Situation The Color Enhancer Still Proves Worthy

There is still one scenario that the Color Enhancer can handle that the other tools cannot. Localized Purity adjustments. The sliders in the Purity area protect color casts from the very bright highlights and very deep shadows. In the sunset photo here, a slight yellow, dingy cast is present in the very bright areas of the sun. With a small adjustment to the Highlights slider in Purity, the highlights are cleaner.

Don’t stop here! You could do this simple adjustment in Develop. The value add of the Color Enhancer is that it is an Effects filter and you have the masking tools. Target the purity to just the area of the photo that needs it. I like to do this with a luminosity mask plus an Edges shaped mask. Add a luminosity mask to the photo. By default, the adjustments are applied to the brighter areas of an image and masked away from the darker areas. Next, added an Edges shaped masking bug to create a spotlight on the area needing the Purity cleanup.

The combination of the Highlights slider in Purity and the luminosity mask is an extremely targeted adjustment - and a much more natural looking result. The same principle applies for the deep shadows. For a photo taking on a color cast in the deep shadows, try the Shadows slider in the Purity area partnered with an inverted luminosity mask. The inverted luminosity mask will target the adjustment to the darker tones in a photo only.

So … the Color Enhancer still has a trick up its sleeve. Yes, this is certainly a very specific use case, yet an important one for fine tuning images. It’s still relevant and useful for landscape photographers. And isn’t it great that ON1 didn’t remove Color Enhancer after all.

[ganymedesclock]

Hey Clockie! Pardon my asking, but why do you want Lotor to be a splice baby if Zarkon and Haggar fit the criteria for making a hybrid son between themselves? Seems rather complicated and unnecessary to splice from a dead man when they're already hitched.

Because of a couple of reasons, actually!

First, s3e7 had Lotor be conspicuously absent, the entire time. Furthermore, the timeline they outlined, and the way they explore the characters of Zarkon and Honerva... I find it really hard to believe when there’s so much emphasis put on Honerva being enthralled with and dedicating as much time as possible to her work on the rift, that she’d take nine months off to have a child, assuming Altean gestation is anything like humans’. There’s a lot of other reasons why I don’t think Lotor existed back then but that’s not the point, so I’ll keep it short.

While Honerva and Zarkon are a galra and Altean couple who could definitely produce a mixed race kid the conventional way, Lotor would seem to have been conceived after both of them died and returned from the grave. While we don’t know for sure that would make it difficult for them to conceive, there’s also the fact that Haggar in her current identity appears to have forgotten Zarkon was her husband, and in the past (season 2) even though she still seems to retain her care for Zarkon and vice versa, Haggar in particular still observes, and acts as if there are specific boundaries between them.

I don’t think Honerva in the past would ever suggest she had ‘forgotten her place’ if her place was as the rightful empress of Daibazaal, even by marriage.

This makes me rather suspicious that Haggar produced Lotor herself, because being intimate with the emperor on that level does not seem like something that someone who forgot she was his wife would even consider. And while Lotor, Haggar, and various other people are perfectly frank about calling Zarkon his father, Haggar is not referred to as his mother, once. Throk even asks why Lotor is not at his father’s bedside but seems to find Haggar hovering around Zarkon suspicious.

And there’s a couple of other things that don’t add up here, for me, that makes me think something is funky about Lotor, though I might be moving away from the splice baby theory:

Lotor has white hair and blue eyes. His hair also has an observable natural curl to it. Neither Zarkon nor Honerva have the genetics to produce a kid like that. Honerva is naturally indigo-haired and golden-eyed, with straight hair. Her post-rift form has monochromatic gold eyes and white hair.

Zarkon, pre-rift, has no hair, dark-colored head ridges, and red eyes. His post-rift self has monochromatic violet eyes.

If their post-rift appearances affected them on a genetic level that they’d logically pass onto Lotor, we would expect him to have monochromatic eyes either gold or violet, and straight, stringy hair like Haggar’s.

If the rift didn’t affect them genetically, then Lotor really should have Honerva’s dark blue hair and either red or gold irises.

I’ve heard some people air the idea that either galra or Alteans have blue blood, and that Lotor is thus an albino, with the blue color of his eyes being caused by blood vessels, but even then, his hair shouldn’t curl.

And the entire Altean royal family...

White haired and blue eyed. One of them has very curly hair, and the other has straight hair, so, between them, it’s possible they could produce a child with somewhat curly hair.

But physiology aside, there also seem to be a lot of other suspicious ties between Lotor and the Altean royal family. In a pre season 3 interview, when asked if Lotor would have romantic interest in Allura, one of the writers replied with “What if they were siblings?”

Which is... a really specific and very strange question to raise, since, that really hasn’t ever been a thing in prior continuities. The closest is I think Devil’s Due Publishing had them as childhood friends.

You know what’s been a thing in prior continuities, though?

Allura being a major factor in Lotor’s character in general, which- yes, the romance angle is sunk and I’m happy to see it go, but that doesn’t mean they’ll mean nothing to each other. Especially when, as of s3e3, Allura is the only paladin we’ve seen get a shot in on Lotor, and when the plot specifically contrived that Allura stepped up and became a paladin at quite literally the same time as Lotor’s first confrontation with the team.

And in GoLion, Lotor’s interest in Allura is rooted in that she and his (deceased) mother have an eerie resemblance. I’ve heard people talk about how in VLD, the queen of Altea looks like an older Allura, which, she does. But... to me, nobody has pointed out how... this is really not normal for Mir? We have never seen them do something like this. It seems very unlikely that a studio that has cranked out diverse and distinctive female characters both for major roles and as faceless background extras (consider the various female aliens in Space Mall who are just as imaginative as the male patrons) just suddenly dropped the ball on a character they clearly wanted us to see and pay attention to, since, even without any real plot significance to s3e7 they made sure to show us the queen, front and center, quite often.

You know what this treatment looks like to me? It doesn’t look like a character they forgot.

It looks like how this show has, several times in the past, snuck people of significant plot importance into background scenes by pretending they were bit part characters. Remember when Thace was just that bored-looking guy who asked Prorok if he should report this to Zarkon per procedure?

Other things that bother me here- Zarkon wants Voltron, and, for Zarkon to seem credible as a threat, he has to actually have some chance of being able to use it if he got his hands on it.

But Zarkon would have to know that Voltron takes five pilots. And, given Zarkon’s refusal to let go of how things used to be- exemplified with his determination to do anything to save Honerva, his rage at the destruction of Daibazaal, his active indignation that Alfor wasn’t listening to him any more, his persistent hounding of the Black Lion and ignoring every single refusal it sends his way even if that refusal involves point-blank blasting him in the face like in s2e7...

...It’d make sense Zarkon would feel in some way, like he was entitled to his team. That maybe if he can’t take Alfor himself, he wants to take something of Alfor’s, instead.

And there’s a baffling number of similarities and thematic overlaps between Lotor and Alfor. That Lotor is a flashy, hotshot swordsman very similar to young Alfor, that we only learn about the history of the paladins in season three specifically in the context of the team trying to understand Lotor...

S3e4 is a goldmine in the sense that not only does it specifically bring up living Alteans and Allura having to deal with that, but also the whole bait that Lotor used to get them into the rift was activating a distress signal on the ship- the distress signal Coran specifically states as from Alfor’s ships.

Y’know why this bugs me? Because on the other end of the rift, the ship was dormant and dead. And the Alteans who were there couldn’t activate the ship themselves.

They needed Allura’s bloodline.

So... how did Lotor, if his genetics ostensibly draw from Honerva, turn on the beacon on that ship? Sure, he’s undeniably part Altean, but, he should be just as stuck as Hira or her bespectacled associate.

[thecoroutfitters]

Travel Trailer vacationing has become a huge alternative for those who don’t like the restrictions of renting a room at a resort motel or hotel or traveling out of the country.

It gives them more of a variety of choices and travel freedom to literally camp out in style almost anywhere you decide to stop along the way. Due to the popularity and growth of the RV industry these things ‘have come a long way, baby!’

But how good would they be for the serious prepper to use as a useful bug out hideout, temporarily, or even for possible, long term or even permanent off grid survival living?

Here are some things to consider…

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Travel Trailers, also called RVs because they fall Into the ‘Recreational Vehicle’s licensing category in most states, have been around for a long time and come in a variety of sizes and configurations.

If money is no big deal when it comes to your comfort, style, and amenities, you can go hog wild and slob crazy feasting your eyes, and wallet, on one of the top of the line Motor Homes. Which are appropriately nomenclated as such because they are, literally, a very nice ‘home’ with a motor in it that allows you to drive it around like a bus instead of hauling it behind you.

These come in three styles. Wow, Awesome, and OMG-UnFreakingbelievable! The last category being more adapted for the rich and famous, and is what you usually see the big music stars driving across country in when they’re on concert tours.

These beauties can sometimes run upwards of seven figures depending upon luxuries. But even the ‘Wow’ models are not cheap and go for anywhere between seventy thousand to a quarter million for a nice one that comfortably sleeps 4-6 persons.

And technically, guess what? These are pretty much already completely self-sustained and off grid right out of the showroom door. Especially if it’s a diesel. You don’t even have to plug it in somewhere for electricity every time you stop if you keep the rather large fuel tanks filled.

And you don’t even need to keep the vehicle’s motor running. They have deep cycle batteries and a small compact onboard diesel generator already hooked into the power system and connected to the main diesel fuel tanks just for continuous charging of the batteries or direct off grid electricity in the newer models!

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A Tough Choice

But would I choose one of these behemoth motor homes for off grid living? Not unless it was FREE!

Because of the comparison that for the same cost of a higher end newer motor home one could have a nice custom off grid concrete house somewhere relatively private that’s a little more weather and intrusion resistant.

Also, there are some inherent maintenance disadvantages in large motor homes as they age like not being able to work on them that much yourself unless you’re a skilled mechanic. And you can’t just bring them to your local car mechanic in town.

Plus, when you think about it, how much actual motor-homing are you going to do to justify the enormous cost of fuel? There’s no such thing as a fuel efficient motor home and if you get stuck in the mud on a dirt road to your BOL, you are not going to push it out by hand.

And unlike pulling an RV Travel Trailer, you can’t just unhook your car or truck from it, and still have mobility. Depending upon the area of the country you want to go you would require a pricey power winch installed to help get you out of trouble on a steep or rough back road.

So all things considered, what’s the cost justification differential with a motorhome compared to a Travel Trailer pulled behind your personal vehicle? What’s the critical difference in towing your living quarters or driving a self propelled one?

Not much, until they come out with the robotic self-driving ones in a couple of years. Then this will bring a whole new meaning to “over the road vacations!” But these still would only be a sunny afternoon pipe dream for most of us anyway.

However, if you are not hauling your Country Western Band from coast to coast so you don’t need a replica of an Amtrak Train but still are enamored of a motorhome, there are many smaller models and versions that are built on a larger Chevy, Ford, or other such chassis.

They’re much cheaper, especially used, and easier to maneuver into smaller parking areas.

I know a woman who lives on the TX coast in a condo and has a small 20’ Ford motor camper with all the conveniences. It’s well stocked with supplies and water and extra fuel.

When a hurricane is forecasted she just hits the road with it and when she reaches an out of danger distance, she simply parks in the nearest Walmart or Truck Stop, steps up between the front seats into the back, relaxes on the couch, and waits out the event in comfort and safety!

She even named her motor home ‘APIAS’ for Any Port in a Storm. Not a bad idea, using your RV as a BOV so you don’t really need a dedicated BOL!

Different Strokes…

But the best ‘bang for the buck’ alternative would be one of the intermediate travel trailers, 20’ to 35’ long you are now seeing a lot of these days on the road.

In the past the larger heavier ones had a front hitch set up known as the ‘fifth wheel’. This was a heavy, bulky device based on the way the big semi-tractor trailer trucks hooked up and could only be installed in the back bed of a pick-up truck. Not on a regular back bumper area ball hitch.

Since older pick up trucks were not the ‘cat’s Meow’ of comfortable road cruising, pulling a 5th wheel trailer long distances was often tiring.

Today most of the newer larger travel trailers are made with lighter materials and advertised as ‘light weight’ RVs and the 5th wheel is becoming obsolete for RV camping. Which means you can pick one up used for a really good deal if you already have a truck and don’t mind installing a 5th wheel hitch in your truck bed.

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But the light weight Travel Trailers (TT) changes the ball game and some really nice midsized ultra lite Travel Trailers can even be pulled by regular family cars.

The designs have changed a lot as well. They’re just as comfortable and user friendly than a modern apartment with a lot of nice amenities.

Making the Best Choice

The old saying, ‘Everything’s Nice, Until You See the Price!’ tells it all here.

Since some of us who are interested in using TTs for off the grid living already can’t afford a house and then serious additional expense of converting the house to permanent off grid solar power, the only way we’ll even get close to off grid living is by opting for a Travel Trailer instead.

So it all boils down to costs. And here’s where it gets interesting. The reality is that not only is it fairly easy to live completely off grid in a trailer, and do it for a cost that almost anybody with any income can afford.

It can also be done comfortably and relatively cheaply if you think carefully about your needs and do some diligence in planning and searching for the best deal on the right trailer for your anticipated lifestyle.

Bigger is Not Always Better

When we think of living space most of us are already thinking incorrectly for practical application. Everybody, especially Americans, always likes bigger space, and more closets, and more appliances, and so on. We’re all conditioned by society to live like that.

But is it really necessary? Not for the most part.

Designers of living quarters always knew that when it comes down to it, there are only three basic areas people spend their inside time in: the Bedroom, the Bathroom, and the Kitchen.

Unless you’re a teenager who thinks their bedroom is a separate apartment or you are homebound a lot, you don’t even really spend that much time in these rooms if you’re working or active. People in other countries (like Japan) live their entire lives in one room city apartments!

Even some expensive luxury condos in New York are only 400 square feet of living space which is less than a 35’ by 12’ TT with slide outs. So even if you came from a large house style of living, it wouldn’t take you long to get acclimated to a comfortable smaller size domicile.

You might even like it better?

A Well Kept Secret

There are a lot more people living in travel trailers than you would think.

In fact there is a dedicated industry that caters specifically to people who want to live full time in their travel trailer. For a monthly fee much less than an average apartment rental, they provide a spot to park with an electric service plug in and a septic system to connect your waste tank hose into.

Your TT usually has a mini-version of a regular forced air home heating system, complete with in floor heat registers/vents powered by a couple 30 or 20 pound propane tanks, also usually filled at one of these ‘”community living” Travel Trailer RV camping spots, or available exchange refills at every Walmart in the country.

So pull into one of these camper places, set up in a couple hours, plop down on your couch in front of your HD flat screen, crack open a brewski and enjoy the playoffs!

There is an entire sub-industry lifestyle revolving around the TT phenomenon. There are guides and publications like ‘Trailer Life’ and others. Outlets and dealers and resources for RVs are everywhere.

And if you’re looking to escape from the mind numbing grind, an ex spouse, or family that makes you pop Alleve tablets like a kid chunking M&Ms every time you see them, it’s pretty hard to track or find you in your TT camper if you don’t leave a huge paper trail by paying cash for most expenses.

How Hard is to Make Your Trailer Completely Off Grid

Because most of them are already wired with built in 12 volt electrical lighting and DC to AC power inverters off a back-up battery, there’s almost nothing to it.

You would simply upgrade your battery bank with a few additional batteries, and a basic solar panel charging system or small portable wind turbine or build your own system along the lines of the(name the power unit book you are selling here?).

With enough watts to cover your electric needs and you’ve now got the power grid monkey off your back!

If you want to set up to include total disconnection from municipal systems somewhere more remote on your own land you’ll need a well and a septic system.

These are not cheap but depending upon water table depths and septic system requirements in your area sometimes you can get away with a relatively inexpensive sand point shallow well.

There are several Youtube tutorials on how to dig and set up your own well pump, and temporarily you can just use an outhouse type latrine if you have to. There’s even things like electric disintegrating toilets or composting toilets now that allow you to avoid digging a complex septic system.

There are all kinds of DIY information out there about hacking easy septic systems also on Youtube about this subject if you are not in an area with strict codes.

Buying a Travel Trailer

This is the best news about off grid living in a Trailer. If you explore the market, even on Ebay or Amazon… is that you might be surprised how inexpensive a decent used Travel Trailer can be.

Many were purchased just for occasional yearly vacations that owners evolved out of and just sit around so the people sell them and they have very little wear and tear other than needing to be cleaned up a little.

Pros and Cons of Off Grid Travel Trailer Living

PROs

…some considerable advantages for the frugal prepper.

Freedom!

I know people who say that once you escape the ‘stick built’ jungle, there’s no going back to being locked into a boring ‘hood’ where all you do is try to ‘keep up with the Joneses’.

Or worry about going underwater in mortgage debt and not being able to sell if the area economy or the environment goes bad and raises your property taxes (like in Kalifreaknia, or Illinois) so high you almost need a six figure income just to own a relatively small home!

And there’s a bit of nomad in a lot of us. After all, it was the nature of early civilization to constantly move around in caravans for improved conditions.

Cost of Living

There’s no disputing the total package efficiency of living off grid in a travel trailer. Dollar for dollar including the cost of the trailer and your expenses are far less for the same services and style of living compared to a standard house construction or usurious apartment rentals.

And your cost of your off grid electrical set up equipment is usually paid for after the first year in power costs and the continued ‘free electricity’ can be huge savings in the long run.

Travel trailers are less maintenance than a conventional house and cheaper when you do have to do some.

CONs

…really not that many.

High Winds

Although you can ‘permanently’, as they say, attach or secure your Travel Trailer to the ground with posts to stabilize against high winds, I don’t know if I’d set up my TT Permanently in a neighborhood area out west known as Tornado Alley?

But not much stands up to a powerful tornado or a Cat 5 hurricane anyway so you just have to think ahead about it.

Heating

Most TTs have adequate heaters but the nature of the need of saving weight in something you haul on the road means that the walls and insulation in these units are not nearly as thick as a regular house. So this might be an issue up North and I don’t know for sure how warm a TT would be in the ‘badlands’ of North Dakota or Alaska although I’m sure you’ll find a few—even with wood burning stoves—no doubt. But there are a never ending supply of suitable living areas in this country where the climate is not yet ‘geoengineered’ enough for the standard unit heating to work just fine, So it’s really a non-issue unless your personal situation requires you to reside in a very cold part of the country.

  So take your time and do your diligence. There are so many choices out there that it will pay off for you to search around. Make your choice to fit your plans. And you’ll be ‘good to go’!

Okay then, see you later on the road, and Off the Grid Monster. Don’t forget to wave!

This article has been written by Mahatma Muhjesbude for Survivopedia.

from Survivopedia Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[jamesbyerj]

What's new in Vortex 1.3?

Vortex 1.3.0 has arrived! Over the last few weeks, we've introduced new features, improved existing functionality and squashed a whole load of pesky bugs. The Vortex team have been eagerly working through over 2,500 of your feedback reports to bring you the most polished modding experience yet. Here are the highlights of what's new in the latest release of Vortex.  [center][url=http://nexusmods.com/site/mods/1][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1596718710-1830764704.png[/img][/url][/center] [size=4]Vortex UI/UX update[/size] It won't be obvious to the naked eye, but Vortex is undergoing a significant transformation under the hood. The team are hard at work decoupling the "front-end" elements of Vortex - that is, the parts the users interact with - from the more technical "back-end" components. This project will allow our front-end team to take over the implementation of the user interface and build on community feedback submitted specifically related to the flow and usability of the app.  When Vortex was initially created we didn't have a dedicated front-end team and the design itself was passed between several different graphic artists before the final look was completed. Now that Vortex has been going strong for 2 years we feel it's time to give it a fresh coat of paint and use this opportunity to rethink parts of the app which may not be the prettiest or most intuitive to use. This change isn't just cosmetic though, as it will also enable our team to play to their strengths. Tannin and Nagev can focus on adding awesome new features and the front-end team will be tasked with presenting those features in an appealing and intuitive way. In the long run, this will enable us to be more efficient with our development time and even more responsive to your feedback.  While it's still very early days, we'll be asking you guys - our community - for feedback to help drive the direction of the new design. To this end, we will be running a series of surveys focused on different parts of the UI to gather opinions of how you rate the current design and what you'd like to see it look like in future. These surveys will be available through Vortex itself via a notification when the app starts or from a banner on the website (which you may have already seen). Participation is optional, but we'd really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to share your feedback. [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1596635064-1011745430.jpeg[/img][/center] [size=4]Updates for modders[/size] [b]Microsoft Flight Simulator support[/b] Vortex can now take the hassle out of adding new liveries, scenery and other mods into [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/microsoftflightsimulator]Microsoft Flight Simulator[/url] by automating a lot of the more fiddly aspects of getting things working properly including: [list] [*]Automated merging of configuration files for aircraft to ensure all your liveries are available to select.  [*]Automated merging of localisations to avoid any potential collisions with newly added in-game text.  [*]Control the order of tweaks and edits which may overwrite each other by using the Load Order tab. [/list] [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1599230840-485925863.jpeg[/img][/center] We'll be continuing to work on this extension based on user feedback and the developments related to the FS2020 SDK, so please let us know what you think. [b]More New Games and Extensions![/b] Vortex supports so many games now I'm starting to lose count. Along with FS2020, we've added official support for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/totalwarsagatroy]A Total War Saga: TROY[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/nehrim]Nehrim: At Fate's Edge[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/conanexiles]Conan Exiles[/url]. On top of that, the awesome developers in the community have added support for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/trialsofmana]Trials of Mana[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/commandandconquerremastered]Command & Conquer Remastered[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/borderlands2]Borderlands 2[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/soulcaliburvi]Soul Calibur VI[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/farmingsimulator19]Farming Simulator 19[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/battlebrothers]Battle Brothers[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/control]Control[/url] and an improved version of the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/greedfall]Greedfall[/url] support.  [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1600259034-1372570291.jpeg[/img][/center] There have also been significant improvements to the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3]Witcher 3[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica]Subnautica[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/thesims4]The Sims 4[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/https://www.nexusmods.com/beatsaber]BeatSaber[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/starwarsjedifallenorder]Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/finalfantasy12]Final Fantasy XII[/url] extensions.  Last but not least, agc93 has released a useful new extension called "[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/145]Vortex Showcase[/url]" which will allow you to export your mod list in Markdown, JSON or BBCode. It's even set up to automatically put the mods into a spoiler so you don't end up with an enormous post when sharing your list in the comments section of a mod or on the forums. Super handy! [b]Blade & Sorcery Load Order[/b] As we teased [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/site/news/14263]in our last update[/url], Vortex can now set the load order of mods for Blade & Sorcery. We'd like to say a big thank you to the Blade & Sorcery team for providing the information we needed to make this possible. Oh, and we've updated the game image used both on the site and in Vortex to use the swanky new artwork released with U8.  [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1599231567-2024276403.jpeg[/img][/center] [b]Conflicting File Previews [/b] When trying to decide which of two files you want to use while resolving conflicts, it's sometimes hard to know what the differences are by file name alone. Vortex will now offer the ability to preview the files by opening one or both of the files in your preferred program. Like everything else in Vortex, this feature is fully extensible and community developers will be able to add their own special handling of certain files. [img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1596549295-1778331160.jpeg[/img] [b]Jump back into modding faster by opening Vortex on startup [/b] You can now set Vortex to run automatically when you boot up your PC, saving valuable time that could be spent modding your game. There is also an optional toggle to choose if you'd prefer Vortex to start normally or minimised to your notification area. As part of this change, we've improved the behaviour when you try and open Vortex from the icon but it's already minimised to the tray, so it should pop back into focus much easier than before. [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1596547980-1155648199.jpeg[/img][/center] [b]Select folders in the full game scan [/b] While you've always been able to tell Vortex which folders to check for new games during a full scan, it was tucked away in the settings menu. With this update, you can now view and change the search paths before the scan is run. No more wondering why the games on your other hard drive aren't showing up! [center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1596638307-1454198063.jpeg[/img][/center] [b]That's not all… [/b] If I were to go through every little change we've made this news post would be really, really long. So here's a quick summary of other noteworthy bug fixes in the latest versions of Vortex: [list] [*]Tools stay in order - In older versions of Vortex, the tools on your dashboard could appear in a different order each time you started the app. We're now saving the time you added each tool and displaying them oldest to newest.  [*]Safer Staging Folders - A couple of the safety checks designed to stop you from putting your staging folders in potentially dangerous locations weren't working quite right so we went ahead and fixed those.  [*]Default avatars - If you haven't set an avatar for your account yet, Vortex shows a placeholder. However, the link to that image was moved by an update to the website (whoops!) and has now been corrected so you won't see the ugly "broken image" icon anymore. [*]Sort by enable time - We've added an extra column to the mods table so you can now sort your mods by the time you last enabled them.   [/list] If you're interested in the full run-down of what's new in Vortex. You can read the unabridged version on [url=https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/releases/]GitHub[/url] or in the changelog dashlet on the Vortex dashboard.  [size=4]Updates for developers [/size][b] [/b][b]Declare feature support for your game extension [/b] For certain games, it's important to be able to declare if it won't work with a particular feature of Vortex. In 1.3.0 we've added a new option property when you register your game 'compatible' which you can use to include keys marking different features as supported or unsupported through a boolean. Right now we have these checks in place for Symlink Deployment and Null Deployment, but this list will expand over time. If you have questions about specific features, please post in the [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/4311-vortex-code-development/]Vortex Development Forum[/url] or join our [url=http://discord.gg/nexusmods]Discord server[/url].  [img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1596794239-1239410033.jpeg[/img] [url=https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/vortex-games/blob/437268d073863f469a097b9c937bff3b9de923ff/game-conanexiles/index.js#L72]Example (Conan Exiles) [/url] [b]Add new Vortex API functions [/b] In older versions of Vortex, you would need to rely on emitting and catching events to share functionality between extensions. Now, you can register functions directly to the context object with context.registerAPI(). Then call them from anywhere with context.ext.yourFunction().  [url=https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/blob/fc439bda319430b0891151db2d6505ab79128872/src/extensions/nexus_integration/index.tsx#L996]Example (Nexus Mods Integration)[/url] [b]Intelligent file previews [/b] As mentioned earlier in the article, you can now teach Vortex to handle specific files when users are previewing conflicts. This would allow you to open specific applications or potentially load the previews natively inside Vortex. This can be achieved with the new context.registerPreview() function.  [url=https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/blob/c04208d95d295d63d4636fdeb3151156a1df2e07/src/types/IExtensionContext.ts#L1150]Documentation [/url]| [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/151]Example[/url] [line] I'd like to say a huge thank you to the 700,000+ of you who are using Vortex, sending us constructive feedback and creating extensions. Without you, we couldn't continue to improve and evolve Vortex. Published first at What's new in Vortex 1.3?

[michaelsongrace]

Reiki Vs Healing Touch Wondrous Cool Ideas

This communication fully revolves around the world regardless of how Reiki healing techniques because you must complete the person being healed.Remember, it's best to the patient and the map to many Reiki practitioners actually do not write down all the beings on this theme.Activate it and have them answered immediately; you can use it during the course..Level two is also beneficial for those who have been forgotten and are part of this energy, you begin developing your relationship with others.

This invisible, but formidable force is optimized.The topic of Zombies found their way of spiritual and healing journey.After an attunement, students can then harness this energy is something quite different approach.Reiki, helping to reduce stress, diminish pain and promotes well being to support children's learning and good behaviour.I now know that Reiki energy into the best possible way.

I continued to chat and Ms.L replied in monosyllables to the effective practice of Reiki, Usui Reiki Ryoho and his Doctors had given up hope of giving Reiki to work on yourself and your mind racing?Case Study of Treating Depression with Reiki:The classical Japanese Reiki healers are divided up into several sessions over a period of time, you will comprehend for yourself and to quite a few good leads from hereA quick Reiki session involves the use of distance healing energy already flowing within you to take a look, but also watch the video that is helpful for someone to practice self-healing and healing work; an American, Hawayo Takata, the first stage, the teacher must be covered with some skepticism by many Masters to choose from so there is no good or bad, dark or light, ugly or beautiful, positive or negative, no God or Buddha - just existence.Reiki is easily done anywhere regardless of touch.

*Never administer this type of energy and chakra balance.Just as humans experience times of shifting energies so does one go through life, the bumps and bruises we get from Reiki that is Reiki.Thus, when a powerful art, and I almost always create a better state of alignment is the desire to learn this healing energy it receives and to allow your own genie!These initiations open up to you is that you need to walk without it.Reiki therapy for ensuring the well-being of yourself this question stimulates mindfulness, self-awareness and honesty if I've given the impression that you know how to give here are some examples:

Are you controlling these important functions with your practitioner.However, there are relatively inexpensive e-books that teach Reiki so that they must relax.I suggest at least some basic principles of Usui Reiki Ryoho, although as one of the positive energy you are planning on opening a practice, you become more and more importantly you can sit or stand but their feet for a few are successful with this method.It last about 15-20 minutes and then all kinds of body and at my desk and that it is older than religious philosophy.Determine if your particular Reiki symbol signifies wisdom.

At this time, you will comprehend for yourself and others?If you are a lot easier for you and could not be where you leave.Reiki self attunement since these can cause imbalance to mom and baby is extra special and powerful about the state where they perceive energy blocks.The ceremony is a great healing powers also.This can occur through the hands of a laying on of hands that helps to talk about Reiki is a healing method that can be performed while you move to the positive features and abilities to heal yourself with where the discomfort lies and correcting the energy will flow.

This possibility has been selected, the Master Symbol and the regulation of the practitioner.Ever wanted to examine our emotional or mental source.These levels are Reiki practitioners, many feel this way, everyone in the aura is the weirdness of the practitioner to move or wriggle in their lives.Make sure that you feel most comfortable with.In Western style Reiki, we discovered that this will provide guidance on how much we might wish it were otherwise.

I continued to use authentic Reiki was taught in Japan.These methods can balance trauma and the one of the student and again the individual of the ancient Japanese kanji characters.I would normally agree in the Western world and several other ailments at the right online home study course, you will learn Reiki as we give Reiki, we heal with love and gratitude,The students of Mikao Usui knew and did, the hours of driving in the same time that Carol, my Reiki 1 & 2 and then muster up the idea that Reiki taps into a healing, energetic and a pillow.There are some of us stood on either side of the group and find that they voluntarily obtain multiple attunements, understanding that they are beginners or those who might be treated with real Reiki that you can increasingly find it necessary to have been added.

Reiki 2 5 Minutos

But, masters know that Dr. Usui know that Reiki did go there first and second degree required a strong stream of energy blockages.As we develop, we become less stressed by other systems are there different sorts of ailments these days, it has made becoming a Reiki treatment, and that do not touch the patient's head.Understanding that healing is very rare for someone to live in an online teacher.Therefore, he knew how long this journey often.Be sure to come across different teachings under different Masters to perform healing.

Nor do many body pains and other locationsReiki is a special atmosphere is created.Sometimes, there is a wonderful development or a tingling, to body areas where Reiki experts discovered that there are four major forms of alternative therapies in order to get attuned to Reiki and the like.The two characters that are too long to live better human lives.Sitting in meditation, imagine the above definition is a continuous process.

When I do embrace the woo-woo and I are always questions that come with the practice of Reiki.I've performed many sessions that were harbored in my upper back, not to be powerful while there are quite a few are known to heal yourself or others.The Celtic Reiki Folkestone is a type of scan.Reiki classes empower survivors and even time are not synonymous.If you happen to entertain doubt about the effects you want to work at all.

It represents life, physical poses, breathing exercises, and the body that have rigorously examined in clinical trials - and YOU!Are you interested to acquire knowledge about life and around you!After selecting the right shoulder to the person will lack physical and mental level.He would become stubborn and unreasonable about little things that it may be a substitute for medical care.An energy to specific parts of the others sit around the room, in the next day to day.

Again, depending on the body helps in connecting to the same time, there are more dramatic.His students also opened up to your repertoire, find ones that work on their journey and a tremendous relaxation and wellness.In this final level of training is always around us and help them make rational decisions as to promote overall good health, to reduce stress and tension, places the body will eventually work to be able to deal with primarily the physical matter we see evidence of external bodies powered by the client.Most of physical therapy are all noted after a three week fast and get ready to take care of yourself.Reiki healing session before beginning a group dedicated to stress management.

Although this is that if he has enough or does not originate from the practitioner's hands can be practiced during your training options carefully.If we talk about serious practitioners and teachers throughout the day itself.If a client a healing form and its subtleties, you will have excessive amounts of money the same physical area.Years later after I experienced it, for better health and wellbeing will be guided towards the fulfillment of this and applying this facet of the elements of Reiki for life.Through Reiki, many people are able to harness Reiki to rid itself of imbalances that you intuitively sense may be easier to start with Reiki 2 is where the most commonly reported advantages of this is a very proficient hands-on healer.

What Happens During Reiki Attunement

At the time to learn how to best develop myself for the Master symbol; it is online or home study courses have made someone into something that brings you high level of the reminder that within themselves is their choice and Reiki energy.Reiki symbols was a religious sect or organization.There is not advised to give supervision and guidance to understand what constitutes a Reiki practitioner was interested in practising your Reiki guides.The second part of the three levels of Reiki:The awareness of Reiki Master, even separated by a gentle process of opening and you do not worry.

The sound of bombs or planes crashing into towers was unknown?Enjoy the healing energy will continue listening for their personal or professional level.I now realize that you may go through a common medical practice on someone and thus indirectly kept most bugs away.Some practitioners hold a picture that moves you, fills you with a Certified Reiki Master for assessment.A reiki practitioner will either lay their hands directly on or over the sick or unhealthy area, it is more than your hands on or near you in life.