#ICON behaviour from mat

[lerios]

heyyyyy bestie youve unleashed an annoying monster<33333

okay tbf he is kind of a chad. i just like some angsty sadboy vibes what can i say ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[thejuvenilem]

Oasis on Melody Maker, 2/3/1996.

This edition covers the iconic BRIT Awards of that year.

Below is the transcription of the parts where Oasis are mentioned. (PS.: if you catch any typo, please let me know so I can fix it)

THE BATTLE OF THE BRITS

"THE tabloids are out to get me", JARVIS COCKER complained in last week's Maker. It may have sounded a tad exaggerated at the time. But not now. After the moment of inspired lunacy when he disrupted Michael Jackson's stomach-churning performance at last week's Brits, the self-righteous popular press made him Public Enemy No 1, condemning both Cocker and Oasis, who were also on supremely snotty form, for their loutish behaviour. While the tabloids have been raging and fuming in blustering indignation, however, most sensible people could only cheer Jarvis' outrageous pluck. Brian Eno described his actions as "heroic", and one observer wrote to a national newspaper demanding an immediate knighthood for the great man.

In this five-page Maker News Special, CAROL CLERK and MAT SMITH report on an unusually eventful night at the Brits Awards...

Caption of the Liam's image:

Liam, Patsy and the bum's rush

Caption of the Noel's image:

Noel meets Tony Blair: "Course I'll vote for yer, Tone. Just don't put up me fooking tax"

Caption of the Oasis' image:

"Altogether now - 'Shitelife!'"

"SEX 'N' THUGS 'N' ROCK 'N' ROLL"

WHILE Jarvis may have been grabbing most of the headlines for the Brits, the nation's favourite loudmouths, Oasis, kept their own flag flying for bad behaviour.

While scooping a hat trickof awards for Best Video, Best Album and Best Group, the Gallaghers and their entourage managed to scandalise the media and, apparently, the Brits Committee, since their acceptance speeches were greatly edited in the version which was finally shown on television the next day.

Oasis' first award, announced and presented by Michael Hutchence, was for "Wonderwall" in the Best Video category - voted for by viewers of "The Chart Show".

The occasion carried a special significance in that Liam Gallagher's current girlfriend, Patsy Kensit, was quite recently pictured in the papers with her hand down Hutchence's trousers. This had led to various bits of banter in the press, with Liam apparently sniping at Hutchence's girlfriend, Paula Yates...

"I heard Michael's going to give me a slap round the face", said Liam onstage. "So come on..."

Michael, instead, kissed him.

"And for another thing", carried on Liam, "I'd just like to say..."

"Sausages", interrupted Noel Gallagher, referring to Liam's starring appearance in The Sun's "Celebrity Sausage Game", which connected stars who are known to have shagged each other.

In a reported highlight cut from the TV version, Noel is said to have blasted Hutchence, saying: "Has-beens shouldn't be presenting f***ing awards to gonna-bes."

An Oasis spokesman commented: "That whole thing with Hutchence is really light-hearted. He would not have presented the award if he thought there was going to be a problem."

However, rumours later circulated that Oasis' Guigsy almost came to blows with Hutchence backstage at the official party.

According to one observer, "Michael Hutchence kept poking him in the shoulder, just trying to be a wise guy. Guigsy threatened to take him outside and sort him out, but then he said he didn't want to waste a fight on him."

The fact that the Best Video award was voted for by the public obviously meant a great deal to Noel Gallagher.

Onstage, he said: "Anything that's voted for by the fans is special. Anything that's voted for by idiots, corporate pigs, means nothing to us."

He later told a TV news crew who approached his table: "I don't need any fat pig record executives to tell me how good my group is."

It's tempting to imagine Noel returning his Brits in a few years' time, like John Lennon with his MBE, although Oasis spokesman chuckled, "I don't think so. I think he was just winding people up, but obviously there's a logic behind what he's saying. It's more important to be appreciated by the fans than by the industry. It's the kids who listen to the records who are important. We're not a corporate record label although we're distributed by Sony, and... (continues after the next image)

... they haven't taken offence.

Noel was actually raving about Creation and Alan McGee [its MD]. He brought Alan onstage with them later on.

The Maker's Paul Mathur, who was with Oasis on and off all night, agreed: "Most of it was winding people up", he said. "But it was supposed to be a rock'n'roll event, and there were all these stuffed-shirt, dicky-bow people giving awards to Annie Lennox and people like that, and theirs seemed to be the only creativity award.

"I think they were behaving the way they did just make it a bit more interesting. That's why Jarvis went onstage, cos he was bored. Oasis thought that was brilliant. It was gloriously silly behaviour."

At some point, Noel also declared: "I have nothing to say except for I'm extremely rich and you're not."

When Oasis - a real motley crew - marched up to the stage to collect their second award of the night, for "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" in the Best Album category, things became more heated.

The award was announced and presented by Lenny Kravitz, and television viewers saw only one comment from Liam: "Thank you very much. I'd like to thank all the fans, all the people who have made us what we are... I'd like to thank... all the people." This was followed by a live film clip of Oasis playing "Don't Look Back In Anger", presumaly at one of their Earl's Court November shows.

What the TV programmers didn't want us to see was a hilarious sequence of events.

"Anyone tough enough to take us off the stage can come up now", huffed Liam. "It will take more than Ginger Bollocks [host Chris Evans] to throw us off."

There followed an impromptu version of Blur's "Parklife", renamed "Shitelife", and an episode in which Liam pretended to ram the award up his bottom and then sniffed the end of the statuette.

The Blur theme continued at a press conference after the awards ceremony. Noel, asked if he had a message for Blur, reportedly told the gathering: "Yes - goodbye. Pack your bags now because you're finished. You've had a 'Parklife' and now it's a 'Shitelife' for you."

Noel is also quoted as telling the conference: "They [the Brits Committee] are a bunch of tossers who think people like Sting and Bowie are the cutting edge of music."

Oasis' third and final award, presented by Pete Townshend, was for Best British Group.

The band used their acceptance speech this time to lavish praise on Alan McGee and Tony Blair, who was in attendance to present David Bowie's award.

Most of this joined the other Oasis footage on the TV cutting room floor. Oasis' spokesman recalled: "Noel said there were seven people in the room who bring hope to young people - the five members of Oasis, Alan McGee and Tony Blair. He had a rant about Tony Blair and the Labour Party, saying 'All you people out there go and vote for him.'"

With a brief "Power to the people!" from Noel, Oasis left the stage and returned to their table in boisterous spirits.

"They totally enjoyed their evening", said the spokesman, with amusing understatement.

"I think everyone was really pissed up", elaborated Paul Mathur. "Their attitude was basically just 'We rule the world so f*** you, you c***s.' The atmosphere around them was definitely one of triumphant heroes. There was lots of swaggering rather than anything else. They won the Best Band award which I think they felt they deserved last year.

"They were high-spirited rather than deliberately badly behaved. They were trying to shake things up a bit, as they've always done."

Joining Oasis at their table were their girlfriends - including Patsy Kensit - Alan McGee and a few hundred empty bottles.

"All the other tables were a bit boring by comparison", commented Mathur.

The only members of Oasis who stayed at the official Brits party for any length of time were Guigsy and Alan White. The rest headed back to their hotel, the Landmark in London's Marylebone.

There, accompanied by cronies like Robbie Williams, Vic Reeves and Lisa Moorish, they passed the night alternating between their rooms and the bar. The party was just about coming to an end at daybreak when Jarvis Cocker walked into the hotel.

Jarvis, who had apparently travelled straight there in a cab from the police station, seemed "a bit shaken", according to Mathur.

"I think we met him in a corridor as we were coming out of a room down to the bar", added Mathur. "He was saying, 'Why do people always pick on me?'"

"It was only then that we realised he'd been arrested. He's got a digital camera - you press it and see the picture you've just taken. And he had all these pictures of his cell and his toilet at the nick. I think everyone felt sorry for him."

Oasis' capers at the Brits sparked the usual rash of tabloid reaction stories - "Oasis Are The Beast Of Brits" (Daily Star) - but these are sometimes less critical now because of the papers' acknowledgement of the bands' achievements.

"Wonderhaul" glowed The Sun. "Oasis Are Different Class", cried the Mirror, informing its readers that "Noel's lads beat Jarvis and Co".

Oasis very appearance at the Brits was followed by a string of special features in the tabloids.

On February 20, the Star gave a centre spread to "Rock's King Of Crumpet" (Liam). The next day, the Mirror gave two pages over to "Mummy's Little Darlings" - "To Mrs Gallagher, they'll always be her angels" - and, on February 22, the Star was on the case again, playing jiggery-pokery with Liam's photograph to give him a make-over.

The Brits organisers have made no official comment about Oasis' loud behaviour, but a close source told The Maker: "They're rock'n'roll stars and, if they want to be loud, that's fine by us. I think everybody feels that way. Michael Hutchence said, 'Well, I loved their attitude. I didn't mind at all. I think they're great and I love the way they behave and I didn't care. That's just the way they are.'"

Jonathan King said: "I think it's quite nice that there is an element of rebellion reflected. When I was a little boy that was the kind of thing one used to want. I suspect the image and the reality are quite far apart, because what I particulaly like about the band is that they have a very good work ethic. I think they have the brains to do it right and the balls to do it rebelliously.

THE WINNERS IN FULL

BEST BRITISH VIDEO: Oasis for "Wonderwall". Presented by Michael Hutchence.

BEST BRITISH ALBUM: Oasis for "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?". Presented by Lenny Kravitz.

BEST BRITISH GROUP: Oasis. Presented by Pete Townshend.

source:

[iviarellereads]

The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 2 - Saidin

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Dragon fang icon) In which someone's not doing so well.

PERSPECTIVE: Perrin guides Leya to Moiraine’s rough hut. She goes there immediately, and Perrin moves closer to the cookfires. Min says that Leya is going to die soon. She wishes she saw more happy things, but all happy futures seem to have gone away. There's some discussion, and she remarks that it's odd how Perrin cares so much about the Tuatha'an, they're utterly peaceful but she always sees violence around them.(1)

Loial finally hears them over his focus on his book and asks about the Tuatha'an. Min tells Loial about Leya's arrival, and what she sees. He gives another lecture about ta'veren and how they shape the Pattern around them, and they're privileged to get to stay with three ta'veren even if Mat's in Tar Valon by now. Min grumbles that it's not like she had a choice.

Rand exits Moiraine's hut, and the Shienarans all bow, but he disappears into the woods. Perrin says he'd better go talk to him. Perrin finds Rand in the same spot he's sulked for months, muttering the "twice and twice shall he be marked" part of the Dragon prophecies. Perrin just sits nearby until Rand asks if he thinks Mat's alright. Perrin says they must be in Tar Valon by now, and asks if Rand wishes he were still a sheepherder. Rand says he has a duty, and there's nobody else who can do it. People are declaring for the Dragon, and they're fighting, and searching, and dying, and praying for the man who should be leading them, but here he sits, safe in the mountains, all winter. Moiraine is right that if he joins any one small group, they'll be overrun by Whitecloaks or Domani or Taraboner armies in an instant, but he still feels guilty.(2)

Perrin asks why he argues with Moiraine if he knows she's right, and Rand says he has to do something or he'd explode. Do what? Perrin asks. Rand explains that Moiraine says he'll know what to do next, the Pattern will force him to it, but she never says how he'll know.

Rand gets so angry that the earth starts to quake beneath them, until Perrin snaps him out of it. Perrin's like, wtf, dude? And Rand says sometimes he can't help but to reach for saidin, even as sick as the taint makes him feel. But sometimes he reaches out and it's like catching air... what if that happens during the Last Battle?(3)

Perrin asks him what he did this time, then, and Rand says he didn't mean to do this, he just had to send the power somewhere before it burned him up. Perrin says there are enough people out there trying to kill him without him doing the job for them. Now, come on, it'll be dark soon.

Rand says he wants to be alone, but stops Perrin once more to ask if he dreams when he sleeps. Perrin says he doesn't remember much of what he dreams anymore. Rand says the dreams are always there, and wonders if they sometimes tell true things.(4) Then he falls silent, and Perrin goes back to camp.

=====

(1) I bet he'd say they invite it by being such eager victims, given the chance and the vocabulary to do so. Do you think the narrative agrees? Do YOU agree? (2) I think a certain sense of responsibility toward the people who would declare for you like that is healthy, but I also think overburdening yourself with guilt over other people's actions and choices hurts you both. (3) Is it just me, or does it seem like more is going on with Rand here? It's interesting, because whenever he's been conscious to this point, we've generally only seen him from inside his own head. Now, we can only see what Perrin sees. How much does that affect how we interpret his behaviour? (4) Egwene's dreams seemed to be telling truths. Why not Rand's? Whether or not he's being played by one of the Forsaken again.

[gracehcreates-bct]

W8 Studio - Project into the public

X-Challenge

I entered my team into X-Challenge, but unfortunately our group was too big to do the whole project so we split ourselves into two and did the app and boot cleaner as seperate ideas.

Boot Cleaner Prototype

Kent made a boot cleaner prototype over the weekend, using cardboard and pvc pipes. Not included is the spray, which would be situated underneath the boot.

Survey Results

I sent out the survey on facebook, first to the Creative Technologies Year 3 page and then my neighbourhood community’s page. So far there are 62 responses.

1. How often do you go on walking trails?

Once a week - 11 people Once fortnightly - 7 people Once a month - 23 people Once a year - 18 people Never - 3 people

2. Who would you usually take with you? (pick between 1 - 2)

Family - 46 people Friends - 19 people Dogs - 12 people No-one - 11 people

3. Have you heard of the Kauri Dieback Disease?

61/62 people have heard of Kauri Dieback.

4. If yes, how do you think preventing it is to New Zealand’s forests in the future? (on a scale of 1 - 10)

Average is 9.1, with 6 out of 60 people who answered this question ranking it below 8.

5. What would make the boot cleaner more convienent?

About 17 out of 62 thought that the boot cleaner was fine as it is. Two people answered there should be more of them.

Answers about the station itself: - Maybe if it was longer so you can keep moving as you clean. So others don’t get held up behind you. - If more people could use it at the same time. - Maybe a larger, flatter station - Proper set up like your picture - as some are only a mat and can easily be avoided - A seat to sit on when spraying shoes with the stuff. Very hard to work hose on one foot with a pack on - Regular servicing - I guess it's a bit of a bottle neck, depending on the popularity of the trial maybe it holds people up? - Have more of an obstacle that makes it so you get in slower. Therefore, making you clean your shoes more thoroughly? :D - Better maintenance sometimes they are worn out - Clearer instructions Easier to use Maybe a video

Answers about boot cleaner: - I guess if it rotated it might get more sit out from the grooves? Also, with covid I try to avoid touching anything and this this old style and the spray gun you have to touch - Have a cleaner for jandals. This one doesn’t work so well - Foot activated sprays. Physical barriers that force people to activate the spray to get thru the barrier. - Weight based means children and lighter people don't activate it so perhaps something that doesn't get activated by weight that you walk through. Shallow enough to just cover sole of shes/boots - Maybe some foot level spray system. Sometimes balancing on one foot to spray is tricky - the spray trigger should have a novel so that it covers each shoe in one spray - Fixed brushes as shown here. The hand squirter and hand brush combination is too difficult to manage. Lose balance and give up - A hand held brush to scrub the side of shoes. - No spray, just scrub and step - A device to clamp around shoes and spray all around - Rotating brushes - Making the brushes not worn down. Last bush walk I went on the brushes for your feet were too worn down and didn’t work very well - Bending down is tricky so a system that doesn’t make you bend over is good - If it always had disinfectant in it. - It having the spray stuff in it and not be empty - Not have to use the hand spray bottle that is found on some stations. - Find it ok as it is, but prefer the one that sprays your shoes when you stand on it to the hand held one - Automatic - probably some type of automated boot cleaner - I am liking the new "hop on to spray" pads

Other: - It’s fine but something to keep the spray from coming up and wetting your shoes and ankles would be good-keep it to the soles - designing something the birds might use, as it's far more likely to be transmitted by them. - An agent that actually is proven as working on phytophthora - I think the boots cleaners are possibly okay, it's the dogs i always think , might be more carriers especially as often off lead when they shouldn't be. - Nothing. I think it’s clearly marked with instructions and you can’t miss them at the beginning and end of tracks. One time there was a DOC guy there educating people how to clean boots properly which was helpful cos I had actually been doing the process the wrong way around prior to that! - RGB LEDs, to attract the kids - maybe having someone employed by like doc or something to make sure there are ppl washing their shoee

6. How effective do you think the covid tracer app was in preventing the spread of covid-19? (on a scale of 1 - 10)

Average is 7.3, with only 5 people out of 62 ranking it below a 5.

7.  We are designing an app and deciding on the content, what is most appealing to you?

Treasure Hunt - #1.82 average Augmented Reality boot cleaner - #2.06 average Running statistics tracker - #2.11 average

8.  Why did you choose the previous answer? Otherwise, give us an example of something you’d like to see on it.

About 5/46 people answered that they couldn’t see the image I had used, which is my own fault but the survey website is difficult to understand. 4/46 directly said “Treasure Hunts are fun”. Two people said it didn’t matter as long as it was simple to use.

- Statistics can drive behaviour - Treasure hunt appeals to families using tracks - There is a general lack of information about Kauri Dieback at the boot cleaning stations especially Tane Mahuta - information would result in adherence - The question wasn’t clear to me so I chose the fun option. No idea what AR boot cleaner is - maybe I didn’t click on something? - Seemed the most applicable (Augmented Reality) - Didn’t really have a view. Not sure what the point of the treasure hunt and A4 - I just think the treasure hunt idea has more appeal. Not clear how it works - A map of dieback - Information on Kauri on the area you are about to walk in, how many, if have any signs of disease - Definitely make it fun to use, stats make it interesting - learn with play: Tree/ nature trivia, e.g. like: what tree is this? (photo) - Sounds more fun (Treasure Hunt) - Fun makes things engaging. Also, running is boring. - Treasure hunt might make it more interesting for the grandchildren I take hiking. I know what AR is but I cannot imaging it being useful for book cleaning. - Links with GPS - Easy to find information for the novice /infrequent tramper - I didn't see how the answers linked to the app. What's the purpose of the app? If it's just to track like the covid app it doesn't need anything else on it. Most people who run in the bush would use another app already. - if i got it my main , objective would be to help with Die-back .Stats would be interesting so No.2,Treasure hunt No.3 , as kids grown up , but even if younger i might have put 3 , but would be good for younsters - I may take my child if there is a treasure hunt as part of the app/walk - The AR boot cleaner would encourage people to clean their shoes properly because it would make cleaning more fun and accurate. - I like stats - and I like the new aspect of the covid app where you get a little sticker icon when you get 14 days diary entry. - Got to be something interesting and fun. Maybe as an incentive add in spot prizes provided by possible sponsors.. - NZ health statistics - Interactive is fun and makes you feel involved - More visually appealing (Treasure Hunt) - More fun makes people more likely to use. - Don't understand what the boot one is - Routes recommendation, especially secret/not popular spots. Treasure hunting is a bit like that - Treasure hunt seems rewarding. AR seems interactive. Statistics sound boring - I think that if you make it a sort of game it will encourage people to get into the nitty gritty parts of shoe! - Not sure why I'd want a virtual boot cleaner tbh. Other content could be birds to look out for.. bit of history, exercise tips - Helps me know which parts of my boots are clean :)

9.  Thank you for taking the time to do this. Any other ideas/feedback for us?

- Anything to help contain the spread and educate people is good-Tane Mahuta was our first experience and there was no information and no reception to be able to Google it. - Would love people to be encouraged to use the boot wash more. - Good idea to encourage behaviours that will stop the spread. Well done - no, its communist propaganda - I develop apps myself, but I am doubtful about their applicability to Kauri Dieback reduction - An alarm when boots are not cleaned properly. - Still not sure what your app will do. - Good luck , please put a reminder if possible the importance of dogs on leads in areas where needed.PS We do own a dog! - Thank you for your work - I put 10 as meaning it is very important. You don’t say how the scale works though - Kauri Dieback poses a serious issue and I'm glad theres a project looking at this!! 🙌 - I would just try to be really focused on the problem you want to solve. Is it boot cleaning, is it awareness, is it history, is it fitness

Additionally Miles emailed Dr Gerth, so we have an interview with her on May 27th.

[lizziestudieshistory]

Books of 2020 - May

My reading is going insane thanks to the pandemic... I might need to start writing reviews as I finish the books instead of waiting for the end of the month! As usual I haven’t proof read this

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - Becky Chambers (Wayfarers)

This was a pleasantly enjoyable read for me! I usually don’t like science fiction, particularly heavily science based scifi, because (to be brutally honest) science and space bores me... However, I’d heard SO MANY good things about the characters in this novel that I had to see what the fuss was about. It’s worth the praise! The character work, inclusivity and diversity was wonderful to read. It was a beautiful novel to read and just explore who each member of this misfit crew are as they journey through space.

The sudden apperance of plot in the last 25% ruined the book a little bit, it wasn’t necessary when the rest of the book was all about character exploration. It felt like it was there just to set up the sequel (which I probably won’t read...) The problem I had with the sudden explosion of plot was the book in theme and character centred narrative (not setting or writing) felt more like a 20th century novel than a modern scifi. Everything is about the people on this ship and their found family, and each persons place in their respective societies and cultures. The action right at the end felt out of place and disrupted the love affair I’d had with the rest of the character work from Chambers. Nevertheless, I did really like this novel and would highly recommed it, particularly to people who don’t typically read science fiction.

Words of Radiance (volumes one and two*) - Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #2)

We all know how I feel about Sanderson and the Stormlight Archive, I don’t think I need to rehash that here. However, this is my least favourite of the three novels out so far - I just really dislike Shallan... (Sorry)

I’d still recommend it but start the series with The Way of Kings!

*I’m still bitter I had to pay for this book twice (it was only available in the split UK edition when I bought it) so I always count this as two books in my book count each year. 

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor #1)

I ADORED this book! I was skeptical about it because I haven’t read any modern childrens fiction outside of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson since I was a child. However, this book was stunning. It was fun, fast paced romp that captures a similar feeling that Harry Potter did when I was little. Morrigan is a delightful protagonist and the world Townsend created is spectacular!

I don’t want to say too much about it because I went into it pretty blind and I think it was the best way to do it. But if there is one book eveyone should read as a pick me up then this is it! I was blown away by the quality of Townsend’s world building, plot, characters, and writing style - seriously good stuff here!

Witches Abroad - Terry Pratchett (Discworld #12; The Witches #2)

I didn’t love this book as much as I was hoping to and I’m not really sure why? It’s Pratchett’s take on fariytales and he retells several well known fairytales with the typical no nonsense approach we can expect from Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick. I actually really liked the set pieces of the book where Pratchett retold stories like Little Red Riding Hood and The Wizard of Oz, or pulled from iconic imagery such as the dwarves from Snow White and traditional vampires. 

Yet, the main story (pulling from the Snow Queen and Cinderella) fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t really connect with the over arching story, which was disapointing after I’d loved Wyrd Sisters. I don’t really know what happened here - it could have been my mood or the book I’m not sure.

The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Era One #3)

I cried. Twice. I can’t say much more. Go and read Mistborn if you want to know why!

I do prefer The Stormlight Archive over Mistborn as a whole but the conclusion to this series is incredibly powerful. I have some major bones to pick with the series (Spook’s conclucion made me MAD which was not good as it was the last scene of the book...) but the overall quality of the series is amazing.

I do think the hype around the series ruined my enjoyment a bit - I was spoilt for the conclusion and for the majority of The Final Empire and part of Well of Ascension I was thinking ‘is this it...’ However, it is an outstanding series from modern fantasy. 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrects - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #1&2)

Do I need to talk about Harry Potter? It’s a childhood classic, I grew up with this and no matter how old I get this is going to make me feel like a kid again. I’m  doing a full Potter reread this year to cheer myself up and to remind myself why I loved these books so much after all the crap that’s gone down with Rowling recently.

Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time #13)

I really can’t talk about this book in a spoiler free way and if I turned this into a spoiler review this post would be ridiculously long... However, the core of my feelings on this is:

I enjoyed this, Mat’s character still reads in a strange way, and the END IS NIGH.

Read the Wheel of Time!

Defy or Defend - Gail Carriger (Delightfully Deadly #2)

I was eagerly awaiting this book and it did not disappoint. Carriger’s books are always comfort reads for me and now I’m caught up with her series I can read new releases IN REAL TIME which is amazing!

I was eagerly awaiting for Dimity’s book in the Delightfully Deadly series and I fangirled my way through this novel (Dimity was my favourite of the Finishing School girls.) Seeing her makeover a vampire hive, tackle the gothic behaviour of the vampires themselves, while establishing a relationship with Sir Crispin was wonderful. This was everything I had been hoping for from Dimity and Carriger and now I’ll have to wait for the next installment.

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

I feel like the only person on the planet who didn’t like this book... Dickens is a hit or miss author and his books that I know the plot of through cultural osmosis don’t really work for me. I already knew the major mysteries of the novel (Pip’s benefactor, Miss Havisham’s past, and Estella’s origins) leaving very little for me to sink my teeth into. I do think this would be an excellent entry point if you want to get into Dickens, it just didn’t work for me.

Currently Reading

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K Rowling

I actually finished this book earlier but I technically read it in June so I’ll take about it at the end of the month.

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend

I’m about 200 pages in and I think I love it more than the first book

A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

THE END IS HERE and damn is it intense!

[manicpanicaddict]

v: down the rabbit hole

Kylie stepped out the door. She thought she'd feel free once she had but really it felt as if the world was shrinking around her. Everything felt fuzzy and undefined yet hard and unforgiving. Walking past Ravinski's car she thought about his comment earlier about how it came into his possession. She didn't know what to believe from him anymore. He was a liar and shadow and up to no good. 

 She looked up to see her Grand Marquis slide into the space between the buildings. It was a light at the end of the tunnel- which was really saying something as Eduardo jumped out and came running towards her. She choked as her throat closed up, a hand went to cover her mouth. Stress, terror, exhaustion, and internal conflict turned into tears. 

Eduardo placed his hands on her shoulders and bent down to look at her. "Are you hurt?" His voice was low, eyes darting between her face and the door she appeared to have come from.  Kylie only shook her head and muffled a sob. "Jesus, chica." He noted her messed up makeup and matted bangs. He already imagined so many things she could've gone through this night but he never expected to find her like this. He pulled her into a short embrace before walking her car with a protective arm around her. He looked back at the theatre once more before getting in the driver's seat himself.

"Dammit, Kylie, what were you thinking!?" Eduardo's tone had switched to something between anger and terror. He unclipped a holster from his belt. He set it in the seat between them after pulling the magazine from the pistol. 

 Kylie flinched from the sudden yell and the sight of the weapon in his hands. She didn't think he would care about her enough to come armed. 

 "You could've been killed! I know what the violent crime rate in Manhattan is, do you?" Eduardo nearly scared himself. He didn't mean to come off so aggressive. He looked at her after putting the car in gear and peeling away from the curb. She had dropped her bag in the floor and curled her legs up against her chest. She didn't seem to care that he could see her underwear. "I'm sorry, Ky, I didn't mean to yell." He sighed. "I've been worried sick about you. Are you okay?" 

 Kylie nodded, wiping her tears against her coat sleeves- which had a notable stench to them since soaking them at Caine's. 

Eduardo didn't take her answer to heart. "I'm staying with you tonight. Tomorrow morning you're going to tell me what happened." It wasn't a request. He wanted to make her feel better but he needed to give her structure. She needed to talk about this whether she wanted to or not. They weren't exactly close but he had known her long enough to know that she wouldn't talk about anything otherwise; he didn't like prying but sometimes it was necessary. 

The 20-minute drive back to her apartment was quiet. Kylie had calmed down enough that she was starting to nod off. Eduardo though was still alert and still watching the other cars closely to make sure they weren't followed.

Once they arrived, Kylie quickly hopped out and made her way up the stairs. Eduardo followed, carrying her bag in one arm and his firearm in the other; the magazine safely tucked in his jacket pocket. 

“Did you eat or drink anything?” Eduardo set everything on the small kitchen island.

“I’m fine, Eduardo. Go home.” Kylie shed her jacket and hung it on the rack next to the entry. As grateful as she was for him coming to her aide, she didn’t want to deal with him tonight. She knew he was going to interrogate her. When she turned back around, she found him leaning back against her counter and staring at her. His expression neutral and his arms crossed. “Whatever. I’m going to shower. You can show yourself out. You obviously showed yourself in. So much for a guard cat, huh?” Pagan, who was curled up on the back of the armchair, yawned.

As Kylie went to pass him, Eduardo grabbed her arm. “I’m serious. What happened tonight?”

Kylie wrenched her arm out of his grip, she was furious, “What is it with everyone touching me tonight!? Just leave me alone!”

“What?!”

“No- That’s- That’s not what I meant. I just-“ Kylie was fighting not to get worked up again. She wrapped her arms around herself, bracing herself. “I had two glasses of wine. That’s all.” “You weren’t…?” He couldn’t form the word in his mouth.

“No. Gods no. I wasn’t hurt. Not physically. Can I please shower?” She didn’t know why she was asking him.

“Yeah. You look horrible.” Eduardo looked away, playing with the tattered hem of his shirt collar.

“Thanks, ass.” Kylie didn’t fight the small smile that came to her lips.

With that, the tension between them dissolved. Kylie went on to shower. She felt disgusting. The scent of Caine Manor had clung to her clothes. She almost rather burn them than wash them. She let the warm water rinse away the night. Some nights she would be absolutely covered in grime, slime, and god knows what. But tonight it felt like her very being had been soiled. She felt sick and lost. She decided that, yes, she would tell Eduardo everything tomorrow. He wouldn’t understand it all and hopefully wasn’t stupid enough to tell Dr. Stantz anything.

When she walked out, Kylie found Eduardo fast asleep on her sofa, his boots still on and the gun now on the coffee table. It felt so odd to her that he would do something so serious. For her. She barely knew him. She trained him and worked Saturday nights with him. She knew where ever he lived and whoever he lived with wasn’t great. She knew he had a great taste in music but only recently found out that his second job was being the front of a cover band. Pagan stood up and stretched. The poor baby had started getting a little stiff in the joints. He hopped off the back of the chair, Kylie had thought he was going to follow her into her room. Instead, he walked across the end table and onto the sofa, settling on Eduardo’s chest and neck. “Really?” Kylie whispered, offended at this startling behaviour. Pagan only blinked in return.

Kylie sighed, turning off the kitchen light before heading to bed.

By morning the tension was back. Eduardo sat facing Kylie at the island, leaning an elbow against it and a hand covering his mouth in thought. Kylie glared back at him, coffee in one hand and pen in the other.

“You’re sure you weren’t drugged?”

“You don’t believe me.”

“No, Ky, this is fantasy.” He gestured to her journal laid out between them. He was trying to be gentle about it but it was ludicrous.

“Oh, but working in an occult bookstore for the leading engineer of ghost busting equipment isn’t?”

“Kylie!-” He stood up and paced around the small space of the kitchen and living area, trying to stay calm. He settled, leaning on the island to look at her directly. “This is all from Halloween Horror Nights. I’ve been trying to tell you about it all summer. I thought you’d be interested in going but apparently, you weren’t listening.” He couldn’t help but be passive aggressive about it. He couldn’t scream at her but he still needed some outlet.

“What?”

“Exactly.” Eduardo rolled his eyes. Why did he even try?

“No, no, no! It’s in Orlando, right?” She set her coffee down and shook her hands frantically.

“Yeah?” Eduardo stood up, backing away from Kylie’s shift in mood. “And Hollywood.” He wasn’t sure where this was going.

“So you know! The box! This Ravinski guy-“

“The Director?”

“Whatever. Is an informant with information about the box. And he’s Peck’s boyfriend.”

“Peck’s gay?”

“Focus! The Ghostbusters found the box but they didn’t think it was a problem when they investigated. Tell me about the box!”

“Jack’s box?” He didn’t like the idea of entertaining her delusions but… “It’s a giant jack-in-box. Uh, literally. The story goes that Universal found it with a bunch of circus stuff and when they opened the box, Jack’s corpse was inside.”

“And what happened to it?” Kylie had a feeling she knew the answer.

“He took over the park for Halloween. He was the first major icon. What are you getting at?”

“Peck won’t tell the guys that they missed something while they were down there. When I tried to ask about it, that’s when Paulo took me to Caine’s manor. What’s so bad that Walter won’t tell them to fix the problem?”

“Wait.” Eduardo rubbed his forehead. “Now, I’m not saying I believe you- but if this stuff is real. If you really met The Director, The Caretaker, and The Usher that would make Jack a real person and not an actor.” He was stressing everything. It was crazy. “That would mean because the Ghostbusters didn’t catch activity around Jack’s box, they indirectly caused people to die. Because Jack started all of this.”

Kylie sat in stunned silence. This is why Peck wasn’t doing anything. This is why Paulo wasn’t saying any more than he had to.

Eduardo sighed, concerned for Kylie’s mental health. “But they’re actors. It’s a story. It’s terrifying, yeah, but sometimes it’s funny.”

“Because I’m known for my jokes, Eduardo.” She deadpanned. Realizing that the “showcase”, as Paulo called it, was really an event used for entertainment, it made sense as to why Eduardo was so unwilling to believe her. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve known about Ravinski before last night. I met him before last night. He’s dating Walter Freaking Peck. Does that really sound like roach to you!?”

Okay. Eduardo didn’t know what to say to that one. Rohypnol and GHB didn’t affect long-term memory. “So there’s a guy in New York calling himself Paulo Ravinski?”

“UHG. Yes! I doubt that’s his real name, but yes! He wouldn’t be able to lead me to Caine’s manor or to the theatre otherwise.” God damn, Rivera. I have credibility here. “Fine. I’m going back to the theatre in a few weeks. I’m going to investigate Julian and his wife and see what I can do for them. You’ll go with me.”

“Uh.” Kylie remembered a lot more about what Eduardo told her than he thought. That was the first weird thing about this. The second was everything else Kylie had told him: The Usher having a wife, Caine’s descent into insanity being the death of his wife, there was so much more detail to their characters that were never writing in by the creators of the shows. “I’ll think about it.”

Kylie knew he’d be hesitant, but she knew how to twist his arm. “You’re too chicken.”

“I have had one bad experience with a nasty book. That doesn’t mean I’m chicken.” He grabbed his jacket from the hook and pulled it on. “Now I have to go cover for you.”

“You’re too scared to read most of the books in the shop.” She teased again as he picked up his skateboard. “You’re chicken!”

He tried to ignore her but was failing miserably. He threw his head back in agony. “It’s not that they’re scary they’re just boring.”

“Well going to a haunted theatre to search for ghosts and meet a giant zombie isn’t boring!”

“Fine! I’ll go!” He said frustrated and walked out the door. He paused before opening it again. “I’m coming back afterwards to replace this lock, it’s shit. Oh and don’t touch that.” He said, pointing the holster and gun on the coffee table. “Stay safe, Kylie.” He had dropped his playful tone for something serious.

“…Thanks.” Kylie was quiet, remembering the severity of the situation.

Eduardo shut the door and went on his way and Kylie went back to her journal and coffee. Pagan meowed, hopping up onto the counter to join her.

“You believe me, don’t you?” She asked cupping a hand for him to wiggle into. He meowed again. “Or do you just want food?”

[franeridart]

what is your opinion on mineta?

A pretty neutral one? I don’t like him, but I don’t actively dislike him either since his type of character is just something I’m assuming Jump editors outright ask for considering they’re in every single shounen ever - mostly I just forget he exists tbh, which is rude but he’s really rude too so that’s fine lol he has his moments and I’m very lowkey hoping he’ll be developed and grow out of the walking trope he is (it’s just wishful thinking, probably)(I appreciate that Horikoshi writes his behaviour as something as disgusting as it is, tho, kudos to you Horikoshi) but as things stand right now I mostly roll my eyes at him and forget he’s a thing the moment he walks off screen haha

Anon said:I. LOVE. SHINSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO DO I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:What did you think of the little todoiideku moments in the last chapter? :)

I CRIED literally, actual tears, I’m not making it up I love all three of them so much - Iida’s the most precious boy ever and Todoroki is wise and beautiful and them all offering food to Izuku to make him feel better was PURE 

but also waddup with Izuku suddenly saying he shouldn’t cry, he’s been crying since the beginning of the manga? It’s okay Izuku let it out

Anon said:how do you emotion

That depends on the emotion and what you want to do with it! How do you deal with it? How do you express it? How do you portray it? So many possibilities!

Anon said:That face Kaminari made when Bakugou called him stupid. My babyyyy

IT’S OKAY NARI HE DOESN’T MEAN IT okay he does but he’s just like that he probably just doesn’t remember your name - wait that’s making it worse isn’t it h e c k

Okay seriously tho have you ever noticed how the Baku/Kami interactions are weirdly similar to the Jirou/Kami ones it makes me laugh a lot why are your friends like that Kaminari why do you like them like that you masochistic bean

Anon said:I just want to say that I love your art. And the way you draw the one a kids makes my heart burst with overwhelming joy. It just makes my day to see them interact. Thank you for existing.

BOI ANON thank you for existing this is such a good ask thank you so so so much!!!!

Anon said:Hey! I thibk the english expression im looking for is wish you well! i hope you feel better, try to take care!! And i hope the rest of your day is better

Your English is more than fine and anyway I’m not native either so don’t worry about it!! And THANK YOU!!!! 

Anon said:I sent a message a while ago saying I had caught up with the BnHA manga when I had a concussion and your post about Baku and Kiri fighting made me realize Kiri's quirk woulda been damn nice to have when my partner threw me off of the mat. Why didn't I realize it before. Honestly it'd be super helpful in so many aspects of judo (that's how I got the concussion whoops) because he could like. Harden his neck and not get choked. Damn.

Haha yeah that’s why he’s good at what he does, isn’t it! It always felt weird to me in how little consideration Kirishima keeps his quirk, that’s, like, the best quirk a protector (aka an hero) could ever wish for, it’s so good keep your chin up nerd you’re the best !!!!!! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

Anon said:Do people always demand art from you? That's ridiculous, and I'm so sorry people don't have any manners.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh this is such a sweet ask, thank you so much anon! But it’s fine, if I don’t like the tone in which stuff has been asked of me I just don’t draw it! And I do have “suggestions are fine” written in my bio after all, so it’s not like I mind people asking as long as they remember I don’t promise anything haha

Anon said:am in love I can't. I love ur style really much especially how u draw Kacchan. srsly u are the rare ppl who draws him perfectly! also I love dat Kuroo icon u have

GOSH thank you!!! so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *O* I’m so so happy you like how I draw him!!!!! AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:Are there any other couples who have fascinations with each other's hands? (I would be thrilled if kyoutani had a thing for yahaba's)

Oops, sorry anon but the hand thing for me is something specific to the KiriBaku - I mean, it’s not like I can’t see anyone else with a fascination of that kind, but in the bnha manga Bakugou actually held Kirishima’s hand in a pretty important moment (the chapter was literally called “Taking his hand” I c r y) so now every time I think about hands my first reaction is bakushima and I kind of get stuck there SO applying it to other ships probably isn’t happening any time soon haha

[sciencespies]

Fossil footprints show a dinosaur as big as a T. rex once terrorised Australia

https://sciencespies.com/nature/fossil-footprints-show-a-dinosaur-as-big-as-a-t-rex-once-terrorised-australia/

Fossil footprints show a dinosaur as big as a T. rex once terrorised Australia

Perhaps the most iconic dinosaur is Tyrannosaurus rex, a massive predator that lived in what is now North America.

We have now discovered that carnivorous dinosaurs of a similar size existed in ancient Australia as well.

Following the footprints

We learned about these carnivores by studying fossils that were discovered up to 90 years ago. Coal miners came across them while digging in the Walloon Coal Measures at Rosewood, near Ipswich and Oakey, north of Toowoomba, Queensland.

The fossils are not bones. They are fossilised footprints, the only form of fossils that record the movements of animals and preserve details of their behaviour and environments they preferred.

While searching through records of fossil footprints in Australia, we came across an archival photograph from the 1930s showing a dinosaur footprint inside a coal mine.

While these mines have long since closed, the picture led us to investigate fossil footprints collected at that time and stored in museums, and other footprints like them.

Older than T. rex

The specimens we found suggest the richly forested and swampy environment of southern Queensland in the Jurassic Period was home to several types of meat-eating dinosaurs.

The smallest would have been the size of an emu, while the largest would have been just under 3 metres tall, almost as large and as imposing as a T. rex.

The footprint of this large dinosaur is almost 80 centimeters (31 inches) long – roughly the distance from the centre of your body to the tip of your outstretched arm. The fossilised track is approximately 160 million years old, 90 million years older than the oldest known T. rex fossils.

This suggests the print belongs to a different predatory dinosaur. While similar to T. rex in size and dietary preference, these massive ancient Australian trackmakers may have been slimmer and more elongated in appearance than the North American dinosaur icon.

Photograph and a false-colour image showing the depth of one of the footprints. (Anthony Romilio)

Fast runners, formidable predators

As well as individual footprints, we found evidence of trackways where multiple footprints made by the same animal are preserved. Based on what we know about how two-legged animals move, we can use the trackways to figure out how the dinosaurs travelled through their environment.

Several of the larger dinosaurs seem to have been moving at a walking pace, as the lengths of their steps are shorter than the estimated lengths of their legs. However, two trackways had the very large step sizes that are typical of animals on the run.

The step distance suggests these large dinosaurs were moving at speeds of up to 35 kilometres (22 miles) per hour. For comparison, the average human can sprint at around 24 kilometres (15 miles) per hour.

These speeds mean the ancient track-makers would have been formidable predators. Unfortunately, no trackway was preserved for the largest track-maker.

Lucky conditions

Not all kinds of ground are equally suited to preserving tracks for fossilisation. What appears to have happened in southern Queensland is the dinosaurs stepped onto mats of swamp plant material that was then overlaid with sand, which results in sandstone filled footprints in a bed of coal.

The miners were able to easily remove the softer coal from beneath the sandstone, and to their surprise found these ancient footprints.

If not for the mining of coal and the keen eyes of the 20th century miners who spotted unusual features in the rock, we might never have known about these tracks. It is likely that more hidden treasures are still buried beneath our feet.

Filling in the gaps in ancient Australia

Our discovery fills a gap in the slowly growing record of Australian dinosaurs. While large dinosaur tracks have been documented in various Australian states, so far most belong to plant-eaters.

They include tracks of long-necked sauropods similar to Brontosaurus, and ornithopods similar as Muttaburrasaurus, the skeleton of which can be seen on display at the Queensland Museum.

Evidence for meat-eating dinosaurs also exists, but so far the fossil record indicated much smaller animals, ranging from the size of chickens to a little bit smaller than Allosaurus.

Our discovery of the footprints of a huge carnivore adds an important top-level predator to the Australian dinosaur-scape.

Anthony Romilio, PhD, Independent Researcher, The University of Queensland and Steven W. Salisbury, PhD; Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

#Nature

[filipeteimuraz]

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The next blog post was first seen on LetSetCom Review : Bonus And Demo

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[reviewandbonuss]

LetSetCom Review : Bonus And Demo

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Advanced URL Targetting : Choose where to show your campaign, which pages to Exclude and you can also choose Referrer.

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Greet first-time website visitors with a coupon or walkthrough video.

Boost holiday sales with a notification bar that enables online reservations.

Enable mobile visitors to reach you in a click by inserting a row with a click-to-call button.

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Celebrate the holidays by adding snowflakes or fireworks to your site.

Guide mobile visitors to your nearest brick-and-mortar shop by showing a map.

Replace your phone number with a contact form when visitors reach your site during off hours.

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Promote your lunchtime menu with a popup that appears during specific hours.

Show an appointment popup when visitors arrive after business hours.

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[suzylwade]

Pets Go Scandi "It's really important to use an animal's natural needs and behaviours – like how they sleep, eat or play– as a starting point. Dogs will definitely chew on their toys and bring in dirt from their daily walks. Cats will definitely scratch on most surfaces and are sensitive to smell and texture. So safe, durable materials are very important.” - Inma Bermúdez, Designer of IKEA’s ‘Lurvig’ collection. Let’s talk furniture for pets, specifically the rather brilliantly named Lurvig (Swedish for ‘hairy’) collection. This is IKEA's first foray into furniture designed for pets. The 62-piece collection imagined by Bermúdez covers the basic areas of sleep, eat, play, travel and walk. The ‘Lurvig’ collection includes a treehouse-like cat hideaway, a bowl that encourages dogs to eat slowly, cushioned beds and scratching mats and scaled-down versions of iconic IKEA products, such as the ‘Klippan’ sofa. When developing the collection Bermúdez, based in Valencia, Spain worked alongside vet Barbara Schäfer to make sure that different behaviours types and habits were being accounted for. Currently the range is only available in the US, Canada, France and Japan. The ‘Lurvig’ collection will be available to buy in British stores from March 2018. #chapeaulondon #chapeaublog #dedicatedtothethingswelove #wordsandpictures #amazing #london #lifestyle #lurvigcollection #lurvig #ikea #inmabermúdez #studioinmabermúdez #valencia #design #designer #pets #cats #dogs #scandistyle

[juliandmouton30]

IKEA launches first range of furniture for cats and dogs

IKEA's first furniture collection designed specifically for pets includes a treehouse-like cat hideaway, and a bowl that encourages dogs to eat slowly.

The Lurvig collection was designed by Inma Bermudéz, who felt there was a gap in the market for reasonably priced but nice-looking pet products.

As well as cushioned beds and scratching mats, the range includes scaled-down versions of iconic IKEA products, such as the Klippan sofa.

When developing the collection, the Valencia-based designer worked alongside vet Barbara Schäfer to make sure that different behaviours types and habits were being accounted for.

"It's really important to use an animal's natural needs and behaviours – like how they sleep, eat or play– as a starting point," said Bermudéz.

"Dogs will definitely chew on their toys and bring in dirt from their daily walks," she continued. "Cats will definitely scratch on most surfaces and are sensitive to smell and texture. So safe, durable materials are very important."

Bermudéz's 62-piece collection covers the basic areas of sleep, eat, play, travel and walk.

For sleeping, she designed the mini Klippan sofa, a treehouse-like hideaway, and cocooning inserts for Kallax shelving units.

A "friendly-smelling bed" is designed to be filled with owner's old clothes and blankets, while a bed frame can be used as a cosy nook or turned upside down as a kennel.

"The piece that I'm most proud of is a pet cushion: we encourage owners to fill it with their old clothes, blankets or towels," the designer explained. "The idea is that pets get a comfortable cushion with comfortable, familiar smells too."

For dinner time, she developed a shallow bowl that encourages dogs to eat slowly.

"Cats are generally good at regulating how much food they eat, however a number of dog breeds still retain the desire to overeat," she said.

"That's how the slow feed bowl became part of the Lurvig range. By using a design that breaks up a bowl's internal surface area, it prevents the dog from being able to inhale their food in one or two gulps."

The rest of the collection includes reflective leads and collars, a travel basket, a play tunnel and a brush.

The designer even considered the less-than-savoury moments of pet ownership – creating a colourful range of poo bags and a litter tray shovel.

Related story

Nendo's Cubic pet accessories designed to complement minimal interiors

IKEA isn't the first company offering tasteful design for our feline and canine counterparts. New brand Dote has just launched a range of pet accessories made from recycled materials, while Nendo's range of Cubic pet accessories is designed to complement minimal interiors.

The post IKEA launches first range of furniture for cats and dogs appeared first on Dezeen.

from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/10/ikea-launches-first-furniture-range-pets-cats-dogs/

[iviarellereads]

The Great Hunt, Chapter 17 - Choices

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Portal stone icon) In which the suspicious behaviour continues.

PERSPECTIVE: Rand prepares them to run for it, and Selene says grolm never give up once they have a trail. You need to kill them all, or go elsewhere, and the Portal Stone nearby can bring them elsewhere. Rand insists he's killed one, he can kill them all. Selene says this is foolish. Rand draws his bow and finds the void, and fires exactly five arrows, taking down every beast in turn. Hurin says he's never seen shooting like that, startling Rand out of the void just before he reached for saidin.

“It grows easier each time you do it, I’ve heard,” Selene said. “The more you live in the Oneness, the easier.” Rand glanced at her. “Well, I won’t need it again, not for a while.” What happened? I wanted to. . . . He still wanted to, he realized with horror. He wanted to go back into the void, wanted to feel that light filling him again. It had seemed as if he were truly alive then, sickliness and all, and now was only an imitation. No, worse. He had been almost alive, knowing what “alive” would be like. All he had to do was reach out to saidin. . . . “Not again,” he muttered. He gazed off at the dead grolm, five monstrous shapes lying on the ground. Not dangerous anymore. “Now we can be on our—” A coughing bark, all too familiar, sounded beyond the dead grolm, beyond the next hill, and others answered it. Still more came, from the east, from the west.(1)

Selene demands how many arrows he has left. Can he take them all? They MUST go to the Portal Stone! Loial agrees they have no further choice. Rand finally, reluctantly agrees that she should lead them to it. It really isn't far, they're there before they know it. Selene says that Rand must use the Stone, the grolm will be on them in minutes. Rand starts to say she's perfectly able, but she stops him and says she doesn't know how to use it, but she points to a symbol that stands for their true world, and says it will help if he holds it in his mind while he... she gestures vaguely.(2)

Rand focuses on the Stone, while Hurin is getting more nervous by the second. The light of saidin comes closer, closer... then fills him, the triangle symbol for his world burning into his flesh.

Suddenly, as if the sun had gone out for the blink of an eye, the world flickered. And again. The symbol was a live coal under his hand; he drank in the light. The world flickered. Flickered. It made him sick, that light; it was water to a man dying of thirst. Flicker. He sucked at it. It made him want to vomit; he wanted it all. Flicker. The triangle-and-circle seared him; he could feel it charring his hand. Flicker. He wanted it all! He screamed, howling with pain, howling with wanting. Flicker . . . flicker . . . flickerflickerflicker. . . .(3)

Hands pull at him, and he staggers. The void, and the light, are slipping away from him, and he feels sick again. Selene is amazed, all of them transported neatly and he still doesn't know what he did. Rand realizes they're really home,  and laughs with relief. Selene says she knew he could do it, and maybe one day he'll understand what he did, since he's surely destined for great things.

He thinks about kissing her, but instead asks her nervously not to tell anyone about his channeling or the Portal Stone. She's quiet and expressionless for a moment, making him wish Perrin and Mat were there because Perrin can talk to girls and Mat can lie well.(4) But, shortly, she gives him a mocking curtsy and promises to keep his secrets. He wonders if she's angry at him.(5)

Rand asks if the Darkfriends used the Portal Stone, and Hurin says no, they were angling west, away from the Stone, in the other world. Selene says that perhaps that other scent trail was a reflection of where the trail would be, not where it had been. Hurin says he wouldn't want to smell where violence was going to be, if he has the choice, it would drive him crazy.(6) Rand suggests that they should see Selene home either way, and she says a few days will prove her right or wrong, And think of it, Rand, the Horn of Valere, the man who sounds it will live in legend forever... Rand doesn't take this bait, but if they are ahead of the real trail, then a few days will meet them back up with Ingtar and the others. Surely they haven't given up the Hunt just because they three went missing.

“A wise decision, Rand,” Selene said, “and well thought out.”(7) She touched his arm and smiled, and he found himself again thinking of kissing her. “Uh . . . we need to be closer to where they’ll come. If they do come. Hurin, can you find us a camp before dark, somewhere we can watch the place where you lost the trail?” He glanced at the Portal Stone and thought about sleeping near it, thought of the way the void had crept up on him in sleep the last time, and the light in the void. “Somewhere well away from here.” “Leave it in my hands, Lord Rand.” The sniffer scrambled to his saddle. “I vow, I’ll never sleep again without first I see what kind of stone there is nearby.” As Rand rode Red up out of the hollow, he found himself watching Selene more than he did Hurin. She seemed so cool and self-possessed, no older than he, yet queenly, but when she smiled at him, as she did just then. . . . Egwene wouldn’t have said I was wise. Egwene would have called me a woolhead. Irritably, he heeled Red’s flanks.(8)

=====

(1) Funny how they keep cutting off his desire to do what he wants. (2) So she doesn't know how to get them back, but she DOES know how they work and which symbol means home. She's laying it on a mite thick, methinks. Even Rand thinks it's suspicious that she got here alone but can't get back, and THAT should say something. (3) The alternate universes, alternate possibilities, pulling at him? (4) New lore drop! Not an unexpected one but this is the first time Rand's wished it weren't just Perrin with him to talk to girls. (5) All we know for sure is that Lanfear was once Lews Therin's lover, and her ultimate goal is to have him back. If anything, I think she's trying to reconcile her memory (and rose-tinted hindsight memory at that) of a more confident, older man with this lad who's barely old enough to be on his own. Also, she may not have spent much time out in the world yet to understand how reviled men who can channel are, or why Rand might want his abilities hidden. (6) It makes some sense, Lanfear-through-Loial has already told us that some worlds have time that passes differently, and the other world already squished distance weirdly, why shouldn't it also play with time like a kid with slime? (7) She's so proud of him for accepting her idea and so stormy with him when he gets resistant to her. I'm not sure I've ever met anyone who didn't suspect something was up with her on their first reading, and I certainly don't regret pointing at all the evidence last chapter and letting the obvious be said aloud. (8) Is Rand irritated that "Selene" seems so suspicious, or is he irritated at feeling like "Selene" would treat him better than the woman he still feels an obligation to, or something else?

[energitix]

Are your people using self-service as much as you’d like them to? Probably not. Instead, they’re opening tickets, waiting around for answers, and not getting any work done. This isn’t good for anyone. It’s expensive for you, and your employees are losing productivity. They need to start using self-service, but how do you get them to change their behavior? Scolding them won’t work. A common suggestion is to improve user experience, but that’s too vague. You need something concrete and actionable. A Model for Success Dr. BJ Fogg is the founder of the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University and creator of the Fogg Behavior Model. He found that three factors must be present for a behavior to occur: motivation, ability, and a trigger (B=MAT). If a single element is missing, then the desired action will not take place. The model can be illustrated with a mobile phone. Consider the following scenarios: You’re at lunch. Your phone rings, but it’s on silent. You don’t notice it ringing, so you miss the trigger to answer it. You’re in a meeting. Your phone rings, but you’re busy. You don’t answer because you don’t have the ability to take the call. Your phone rings. You look at the screen and don’t recognize the number. The call goes unanswered because you have no motivation to answer it. To answer your phone, you need to notice it ringing and physically be able to answer it. Then, you need to have sufficient motivation to speak to the caller. If any of these elements aren’t present, it will not be answered. Self-service is no different. If you want people to start using it, there needs to be motivation, ability, and a trigger. But what are each of those elements in this case? Let’s discuss them in detail. T = Trigger A trigger is what signals a behaviour. There are two types: external and internal. An external trigger is an explicit call to action. It could be an advertisement or a recommendation from a friend. Better yet, it could be an app icon on your smartphone, reminding you to take action every time you see it. The point is that when you see it, you know what to do next. An internal trigger is when a human emotion cues an action. It’s formed when an external trigger is seen enough times to become associated with a feeling. Product designers see these triggers as the ultimate goal because they mark the formation of a habit. Using Instagram as an example, it has many external triggers. Maybe a friend told you to download the app. Maybe you saw an Instagram photo posted on Facebook. Maybe you saw it featured in Apple’s App Store. Whatever trigger caused you to download it, the app icon now sits on your phone, and it delivers notifications whenever your friends post new photos. You begin to rely on the app to stay up-to-date with friends. Before long, you’ve connected your social fear of missing out with Instagram. Whenever you’re bored or feeling lonely you log in. It has succeeded in creating an internal trigger. Creating an Internal Trigger for Self-Service A common method for opening a ticket is by emailing the service desk. It’s a simple experience, but still frustrating for employees because they have to wait for answers. Consider isolating the question, cross referencing it with your self-service knowledge base, then firing back links to knowledge articles with possible answers. These links will serve as your external trigger. Users will repeatedly see that their questions are self-serviceable, and realize they can get immediate answers with self-service. The desire to alleviate the pain associated with having an IT issue will eventually become associated with self-service. At this point an internal trigger has been created, and you’ll have won devoted self-service users.  However, an action will still not occur if it’s too hard to perform, regardless of how strong the associated trigger is.  A = Ability A person must be able to complete a desired action simply. Ideally it needs to be as easy as Amazon’s “1-click shopping” or “sign up with Facebook.” If an action cannot happen with ease, it will not be performed. The six elements that influence simplicity are: time, money, physical effort, brain cycles, social deviance, and non-routine. All are important, but the three that are relevant in the discussion of self-service are: time, brain cycles, and non-routine. Let’s discuss how each relates to self-service: Time. If it takes too much time to perform a task, it’s not simple. A common complaint with modern self-service tools is that it takes too long to find what you’re looking for. Keyword searches surface long documents that take a long time to read through. Google solved this problem. They allow people to ask questions and get simple answers. To mirror this experience, tag documents with the questions they answer. Also attach brief answers. Make the Q&A available via search and the experience of getting answers will be just as fast as Google’s. Employees will type in a question, get a brief answer, and then be able to click into the relevant article if they require more detail. Brain cycles. Our minds are already consumed with a lot throughout the day. When a task requires too much thinking, or “brain cycles,” it’s not simple. Self-service portals are filled with knowledge articles, which are often long, written in technical language, and difficult for non-technical people to understand. Try writing knowledge articles in simple language, and avoid using acronyms. Use the Flesch-Kincaid readability test to regulate the readability of your articles. The test uses sentence length and average syllables per word to determine the reading grade-level for a piece of writing. Lower is better, but aim for at most a 6-8th grade reading level. Long articles also require more brain cycles, but that can be resolved by attaching brief answers to documents, as disused in the previous section. Non-Routine. Tasks are easier to complete when they don’t stray far from a routine. The average employee is responsible for one IT service desk ticket per month. Even if they’re following appropriate procedures, by searching self-service before contacting support, it’s not simple because doing something once a month is not a routine task. To decrease this friction, self-service should be tightly integrated within workflows. It should be accessible in the applications employees use every day, preferably the same applications they’re most likely to have questions about. If you’re working in SAP and have a question, the best experience would be to have a search bar in the application where you can ask your question and receive an answer. M = Motivation Motivation is the only element of the Fogg Behavioral Model that’s already taken care of for us in self-service. Generally, there are three types of motivation, each with two sides: pleasure/pain, hope/fear, and social acceptance/rejection. When an employee has a question, they’re dealing with pain and fear because having a question can bring their productivity to a grinding halt. If you work in data entry and can’t access the company drive, you can’t do anything. If you work in sales and can’t find a specific sales deck, you risk losing a sale. Whether you’re in IT, Human Resources (HR), Sales, or Operations, you experience pain when you can’t answer a question, which leads to a fear of job security. This pain is even stronger when you have to wait for a service desk agent to help resolve your ticket. People want to be able to get immediate answers to their questions. Once they see that your self-service tools are capable of helping them do that, they will be motivated to use them. The work involved in figuring out how to make self-service successful has been done for us. Product designers are constantly trying to out-do each other, making products easier to use and increasingly habit-forming. The Fogg Behavioral model is the result of studying these products, identifying what works and what doesn’t. If you want people to finally start using the self-service tools available to them, they need to be designed with these insights in mind. Interested in this approach to self-service? Find out more here.  The post How a Stanford Ph.D. Would Approach Self-Service appeared first on ITSM.tools.

https://itsm.tools/2017/08/15/how-a-stanford-ph-d-would-approach-self-service/

[iviarellereads]

The Eye of the World, Chapter 26 - Whitebridge

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Harp icon) In which a hasty retreat must be made.

Mat finishes playing a barely recognizable song on Thom's flute, and Thom laments that he thought shepherds spent all their time playing pipes and flute, and now he knows better than to trust such tales. Mat points out that Rand's the shepherd, he's just a village boy. Rand asks Thom quietly why he's trying so hard, they're not really going to be gleemen, it's just cover until they find the others. Thom counters, what if you don't find them? You don't even know they're still alive.

Rand thinks they have to be, but Mat voices the same fear, what if they're all dead, right before one of the sailors calls out that he's sighted Whitebridge. The sailors prep the boat for docking, bringing their goods up to unload, and Rand watches the city approach, to keep from thinking about his friends.

The White Bridge from which the town takes its name shines, almost looking like glass, but Domon says no amount of rain can make it slippery, and no chisel or weapon can make a mark on it. Thom thinks it's a remnant from the Age of Legends. Domon says it doesn't have to be that old, or Aes Sedai work, to be great.(1)

Some merchants approach the ship with false smiles, but before he deals with them, Domon orders Gelb off the boat. Gelb retrieves his things from crew quarters, then angrily goes off into town. Domon catches Thom as they're disembarking, and offers to take them down to Illian, where there are great competitions for gleemen. Thom says he couldn't afford fare at Domon's rates, and Domon guiltily repays them their original fare, and some more besides. They've worked their fares and more with the stories, the songs, and the amusement of watching the boys train.

Rand has no idea where to start, but says they need to try to find the others. Thom says the right innkeepers will have the information they need, and leads the way. They go to an inn and ask for a little privacy. The innkeeper offers them a bit off room and board if he'll stay. After the innkeeper goes to get Thom some spiced wine, Thom grumbles that any decent innkeeper pays a gleeman in room and board and some besides, not a bit off.

When the innkeeper comes back, Thom asks him what the news is. Logain's been captured, on his way to fulfil the prophecies. The Aes Sedai who had captured him were parading him at every town on the road, to show off that the world is safe again. If they want to see him, they ought to go to Caemlyn.(2) It'll be a tale to tell one's children and grandchildren, even though false dragons are fairly common these days.

There was also a man through a few days before, from Illian, with a proclamation all done up in ribbons. He'd said there were messengers sent out to all corners of the world, to bring people to Illian to swear their lives to hunt for the Horn of Valere, something that hasn't happened in four hundred years.(3)

Thom starts daydreaming after this, so Rand tells the innkeeper they're looking for friends who may have passed through. Thom glares at Rand, coming back from his fancies, but gives the innkeeper short descriptions of their missing party members. The innkeeper tells Thom to forget about performing, and they'd best leave his inn as soon as the wine's done, and leave Whitebridge if they're smart. A weaselly man, always talking to himself and prone to rapid mood and behaviour changes, has been asking after those five, and others.(4) Then another man, all in black with his cloak pulled up so you can't see his face, came with the same questions as the first man.

A Fade, a Myrddraal, and Thom says he'll be back to look for them again. They should go take up Domon on his offer of passage to Illian. Rand gets stubborn, they either wait in Whitebridge or go on to Caemlyn, that's what they agreed on. Thom says the best way to evade the Fade is to go to Illian, the opposite way to what he expects them to do. Rand won't abandon his friends so easily, though. Nor will Mat, who tells Thom to go back to Domon, then. They'll make their own way. He's gripping the dagger, Rand notices, and might even be prepared to use it on the old gleeman.

Suddenly laughter breaks out on the other side of the low dividing wall of the inn. Someone making fun of another who mentioned Trollocs. Floran Gelb has found his way to this inn, but not noticed them yet. Thom quickly divides the money Domon gave them, in case they get separated. They sneak out to an alley, and Mat asks why Thom is helping them.

Thom stared at him for a long moment. “I had a nephew, Owyn,” he said wearily, shrugging out of his cloak. He made a pile with his blanketroll as he talked, carefully setting his cased instruments on top. “My brother’s only son, my only living kin. He got in trouble with the Aes Sedai, but I was too busy with . . . other things. I don’t know what I could have done, but when I finally tried, it was too late. Owyn died a few years later. You could say Aes Sedai killed him.”(5) He straightened up, not looking at them. His voice was still level, but Rand glimpsed tears in his eyes as he turned his head away. “If I can keep you two free of Tar Valon, maybe I can stop thinking about Owyn."

Thom goes to check things out and confirm the route, the boys wait what feels like an hour before they notice a strange man approaching the alley. It's not until he gets very close that they realize it's Thom in a new cloak. He tells them to leave one at a time, not so close people think they're together, just close enough to keep each other in sight.

Before they can leave, though, the Myrddraal appears. Thom bundles up his gleeman's cloak and instruments, shoves them into Rand's arms, and tells him to take care of his things and run when he tells them. He says don't stop until they get to Caemlyn, and the Queen's Blessing inn. As soon as Rand and Mat both affirm they've heard the directions, Thom draws his daggers and charges at the Myrddraal, shouting at them to run.

And run they do. They run until Whitebridge is entirely out of sight behind them. When they finally stop to catch their breath, Rand's only thought is worry for Thom, while Mat's sure he's dead, charging the Fade like that. Rand says Mat thinks everyone else is dead too, but the Fade was still hunting them, so they can't be, and if they're not dead, maybe Thom isn't either.(6)

Rand looks behind him, half hoping to see Thom behind them, running to catch up. When he doesn't, he gathers up their things, and suggests they start walking.

=====

(1) Domon has a point, but a material that fancy can't just be something everyday to this society, from everyone's reactions, right? If this were normal work and material, it wouldn't be so novel as to make Thom think it's ancient. (2) How interestingly convenient that this is where we're headed anyway. (3) Calling a hunt for the Horn of Valere (an easy corruption of "valour"), the first time in hundreds of years, an item so legendary there are competitions just for gleemen telling the story. Fascinating. Totally unrelated to our story, I'm sure. (Well, it seems to be unrelated for now, at least.) (4) Do we know anyone who's weaselly and unpredictable? Well, Padan Fain was a little of both in Baerlon, but surely he couldn't have beaten them here. (5) Well, and that's how Thom came to hate Aes Sedai so, and likely why he reacted to Moiraine so hostilely back in Emond's Field. (6) Exit Thom, pursued by a Fade. Do you think he's dead?

[iviarellereads]

The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 37 - Fires in Cairhien

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Cairhien icon) In which that's a lot of dreams, how long's it been since we checked in with you?

PERSPECTIVE: Egg is on a boat passing through Cairhien (country). A village slides through her view, smoldering rubble. No living person or creature, though. There have been many such villages. They took a single cabin, all fearing to be alone at night. The captain of the Blue Crane acts more than happy to carry them, though they're his only passengers and he's confused about them sticking together.(1)

She's used the stone ring several times, but she never sees anything useful in TAR. Her own dreams have been fraught with images that made little more sense than TAR itself:(2)

Rand holding a sword that blazed like the sun

Rand threatened in a dozen ways, none of them the least bit realistic

Perrin with a wolf, a falcon, and a hawk, with the falcon and hawk fighting

Perrin running from someone deadly

Perrin stepping over the edge of a towering cliff

An Aiel, something to do with Perrin, too

Min springing a trap but not getting caught

Mat with spinning dice around him

Mat being followed by a man that wasn't there

Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance

Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks, an Illuminator

Men and women breaking out of a cage and putting on crowns

A woman playing with puppets with strings to greater puppets

Kings dying, queens weeping, battles raging

Whitecloaks ravaging the Two Rivers

Seanchan

Her mother and father

The two nights Egg didn’t use the ring, she let Elayne and Nynaeve use it, but they didn’t see anything particularly interesting or useful.(3) Elayne joins her on deck, and Egg thinks how Nyn won the argument over their clothing: they all got stout wool, because they don't know how long their coin will have to stretch. She thinks of Mat, hoping he isn't flashing around the paper shield too much.

El joins Egg on the deck, and asks how she can ignore the columns of smoke in the distance that indicate more burning villages or homesteads.(4) Egg can ignore it because she can't do anything about it, and they have to reach Tear, quickly. They talk about the civil war in Cairhien, because of Galldrian's death, and Elayne says that the whole country has stopped buying grain, because who's got the time or resources to buy and distribute food when you're fighting for the succession of the royal seat? Egg mentions a Gray Man, and El gets confused until Egg says no, not here, one is after Mat, that's what that one dream meant. Though, they still can't do anything about it.

The boat lurches, and the captain tells off the man at fault for running them onto a mudflat. A few minutes later, it becomes clear there's a ship sunken here, it's not a mudflat at all.(5)  After speaking with the captain, Nyn suggests they get off the boat and walk to the nearest village, about two hours away. If the boat gets free, they'll stop in the town to see if the women are there, to carry them on. If not, they can acquire new passage there.

Egg chafes at Nyn still taking charge as if she's the Wisdom and higher than Egg and El, though El tries to smooth things over. As they start walking toward the village, Egg says there's no Amyrlin looking over her shoulder here, if they meet brigands she's going to defend herself properly. Nyn says they might be able to frighten them away without hurting them, like the Whitecloaks. Elayne starts to say she'd like to reach the village without meeting any brigands at all, when a figure in brown and grey rises from a bush in front of them.(6)

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(1) Of course, no other Aes Sedai would travel with a single room to three of them. Do you foresee consequences to this odd behaviour with regard to rumour making its way back? (2) A good few of these we've already seen or had confirmed. Some of the others are vague enough that we might have seen hints but no firm details. A couple of them we haven't seen any reason why they'd be meaningful. (3) Well, Egwene is the one who was having strange dream visions before them, and the one who's been named a potential Dreamer. Maybe that extra Talent factor is why. (4) Elayne isn't just the Daughter-Heir of Andor. Her father was Cairhienin. And, she takes her duty to her people seriously, even those of her people who aren't really hers to rule. She's such a compassionate young woman, despite her privilege, she really does care as much as she knows how to. Do you think she'll ever get something to do with actually ruling? Do you think her compassion will come back to bite her, or be rewarded? (5) Here's a point of contention in the fandom. See, officially, according to Word of GodJordan, the wondergirls aren't ta'veren. And I'm calling bullshit. They may not be as strongly ta'veren as the guys, but the same kind of coincidences happen to them. They make choices that fundamentally alter their lives and the world around them, and they get caught up in things far beyond their expectations, to move them forward. So, it's a widely held headcanon that they are, in fact, all ta'veren, despite all "evidence" to the contrary. I don't talk about the show much here, but one of the best things they did in adaptation was to make the women also ta'veren, also marked as important by the narrative device. Because there's no way a normal person's boat just up and crashes into a sunken ship just to get them onto the shore to meet… well, we're about to see, aren't we? (6) But even though we're about to meet them, can you guess who this is?