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quanxui · 3 years ago

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this weekend (plus this monday) i...

- hung out with my baby cousin. he's so cute, i treasure our conversations and the art he drew on the app i use to color manga panels. he likes playing around with the colors and pens!

- i bought a newspaper. an actual physical copy! i had my dad buy it so i can study how to write news articles

- read the newspaper to my grandfather. i now know an inch of the events in our town lol. i also enjoyed reading the articles to him, i felt so helpful. i support him getting a phone so he can have it read things for him but i also want to read for him.

- played lots of genshin. finally got xiangling too!! i ascended her character once but im focusing on my noelle for now cause she's my main, and on traveler and kaeya. i honestly used to not like using kaeya because i only like the girls HAHA but i've been trying my best to build and improve him recently for the spiral abyss fights and it's been good to me 😌 i really love rain in teyvat now.

- i also destroyed some ruin guards without panicking and feeling bummed out after because i lost, i destroyed them in one go HAHA i felt so happy with that. the ruin guards scare me so much because my characters keep dying. i also tried using amber more often, it's fun but im so slow with shooting enemies when im near them so whenever i use her i have to use noelle's E or shield then start shooting. i cant aim properly fast, a large contrast to when im actually doing archery hehe

- i took in a feature article to write. if i finish it along with my piece for the literary section this week, i might take on a sports article about pacquiao running for president. i don't like him and many from our org don't want to take the article but i need to write more articles TT if it's taken i have to hunt for another article to write, im planning to interview this local filipino artist but i have to look for a reason why i want to feature her in our publication. im glad i have some connections under my belt but i wish i could find a good and proper use for them.

- i also noticed that im writing articles from different sections, i don't know if that's good or bad but it's certainly a bit overwhelming AND fun. maybe im a masochist jk

- i finished some school stuff in advance. my scores for the quizzes are so average i have to keep trying ugh. i want to finish next week's activities this week too because i want some time to copy the readings on my notebook and review them, kasi the midterms are coming early next month.

- started using this app called study bunny! it's cute haha but my bunny's become sad so i have to study lots today i guess.

- i cried myself to sleep LMAO. it's been a while since i did that... just to cry in the dark until i feel sleepy, i feel much better though after crying. i still want to cry more but im all lighter for now! i've also been reflecting on my "suicidal-ness" and honestly, i feel helpless because it's a constant for me. i remember that short animation film i watched back then about this woman with a crocodile that's always following and annoying her and it feels exactly like that. i wouldn't say it's friend but it's definitely a companion, like how mom is mom but mom is not a friend? something like that... still, i hope one day i'd have a month where i don't think about that dark stuff even once.

- finished fruits basket season 2. it's so beautiful! i love everything about it especially the OST!! i usually watch things muted because i get anxious or worried about people judging me for watching anime but i watched this season on my laptop and had it in a low volume. it was fun, liberating too! i'll watch the third season soon i guess

- i caught up with hometown cha cha! im upset it's an ongoing series because i want to know what happens next!! arrgggh!! i want to gif some scenes i liked but i feel as if im too busyyy TT

- i haven't read any manga recently, it makes me sad but i'm really swamped with school and i use my free time to think or reflect on things or plan what to do or watch to destress. i used to read to destress but recently, watching has been way quicker than reading. it used to be reading.

- im trying to practice not bringing my phone with me when i wake up and head to the shower. it's day 2 and i have to go through some discussions in my head before i relent and go to the bathroom phone-less. one day i'll do it easily like back then! also maybe soon i'll try picking up my simple skincare routine back again!

- my dentist said i'm becoming prettier everytime i visit for my monthly check-up. she also said my outfit (it was a casual polo dress with slits on both sides and a belt and rubber shoes) made me look taller hehe. what she said made me happy :) im also happy none of my brackets got removed, the penalty is expensive TT

#ako #i like doing this huh... it's like im unloading #i also feel like im doing A LOT and i know it's overwhelming me but idk i keep doing it.#my sister's kinda hinting that im being overhwlemed because im trying to finish things days before the deadline and im trying to do them in #one day and that's obvs overwhelming lol. she's right i think but i have nothing to say

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traumerei-project · 5 years ago

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Hello! Would you mind talking about your writing process? And how long it took you to finish your first draft? I was thinking about getting into writing, but it's daunting.

Hi Anon! Of course; I’d be more than happy to talk about it! Thank you for asking! >w</

The time frame in-which I finished the first draft is a bit wonky and very chaotic. But, I’ll try to explain it to the best of my ability! Buckle up because this...it’s going to be a long post!

Allotted time to finish the first draft:

-I first started writing the first chapter around the middle of August of 2019, and finished it around September 5, 2019.

-As for the second chapter, I don’t quite remember when I started, but I finished it on October 25, 2019.

-After that, I got too busy with work and took a short hiatus from anything related to Träumerei until January 1st of 2020. My New Year’s Resolution was to write about 2000 words per day when I’d get home, and…it worked out for a grand total of five days. However, I did complete Chapters 3 & 4 by the end of January, along with starting the first half of Chapter 5.

-I was sick for most of February, so I did not write anything around this time. As for March, I was trying to catch up with art so I also did not work on the book.

-Around the end of April, I decided to pick up work on Chapter 5 again since I was homestuck! Chapter 6 took about a day to write, and I started to pick up momentum with the remaining chapters and finished the first draft on May 15, 2020.

-The first draft is currently at 67,420 words or 177 MS Word pages. It roughly translates to 310 book pages, though I’m not too sure if that conversion takes into account double or single space.

-Technically, it took around nine months to complete the first draft. However, without my very many hiatuses, the actual amount of time would equate to roughly 3 ½ months.

-If anything, I would say the further you get into the story, the quicker it is to write. Though, I’m sure it varies! It’s been an extremely chaotic year for…everyone, really, so the way I’ve been working on this draft is very unorthodox. Considering my area is on stay at home orders until at least June, I have a lot of spare time to write. Under most circumstances it would have taken much, much longer.

-I’ve also had these characters for about six years, so that could also be taken into account for the general amount of time I took to complete this draft. I have plans for another book, ‘Starfall’ [set in modern day New England and with no magical elements], so I’d imagine the process for that story will be completely different.

Writing Process

-I’ve already had the fortune of watching let’s plays and reading reviews/critiques on my stories over the years. Not just for stories, but art & backgrounds as well, though…that’s completely unrelated to this. A lot of the time, the reactions are completely different from what I’d been expecting/hoping, but I consider that a really good thing! It means there’s always room to improve and get better with each passing day. It’s all been incredibly helpful to me with seeing from the perspective of other people. What may work or make sense to me won’t to others because, well, my knowledge of the characters and future events will be known to absolute no one except me.

-It was something that I had never considered beforehand, so now when I write, I’ll still focus on what I want, but I’ll fill in the gaps with information to bridge scenes together.

-For example, at the start of the story I’m on “Point A.” My end goal is to reach “Point G” by the final chapter. “Point A” could be—“Main character finds a talking rabbit” and “Point G” could be—“Main character discovers that the rabbit wanted to steal their soul this whole time.”

-Afterwards, I’ll start writing character bios. I can’t post anything here related to Träumerei or my other projects due to spoilers, so let’s focus on “The Wanderer & the Rabbit.”

-Next up is the synopsis. Perhaps something like, “Taro the Wanderer meets a talking rabbit and goes on all sorts of adventures! It’s a shame something sinister is lurking behind the rabbit’s quaint smile.”

-I then work on chapter summaries which tend to be around three-fifteen lines. You can write whatever you want here! They can also be know as “Point A summary”, ‘Point B summary”, etc., etc.

-After the quick chapter summaries, I devote about half an MS Word page to write a more in-depth description of each chapter or plot point.

-The last step [for this first draft] would be to write out the chapters.

-I’m not going to read this draft for at least a week, so that when I go through it I can look through it with an un-objective eye. This is pretty much the step I’m on, right now!

-I’ll work on cover art and illustrations, but I’ll save that process for later on down the line.

It can get overwhelming at times, but you should go for it! As time goes on and you get further and further into your story, the puzzle pieces will start falling into place. There will definitely be times in-which you get stuck on a certain scene, or something doesn’t play out the way you intended, but the key is to keep writing!

Breaks are also an important part of the process. It’s equally important to step back from your story every now and then to assess how it’s coming along. Let’s see, also, the characters will sometimes act in a different way than you’ve intended, but that tends to be expected. As soon as you write the first word in your story, the character, settings, they begin to take life all on their own. You’re merely looking in, an observer who is recording their lives. You see the story unfold at the same time as those you are writing.

Anyway, I hope this helped! Please feel free to ask if you need any advice/tips! It can be writing, game dev stuff [like maps or sprites], anything, really!

Stay safe!

#RPG Maker #RPG Horror #RPG Maker VX Ace #Writing #Indie Game #Anon #Answer

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fantasyresident · 5 years ago

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My Review For Pokemon Sword and Shield (Spoiler-Free)

The road to Sword and Shield could be considered interesting to say the least. Shit hit the fan with everyone’s accusations, complaints, and grievances before the game even came out. Death threats, fake leaks, ridiculous critics, you name it. As a dedicated Pokemon fan, I saw huge potential with Sword and Shield, and I have officially completed Shield just a couple days ago. Reviews from official critics like IGN and Gamespot mainly praise the game giving it scores of 9.3 and 9 respectively. But then others off to the side of these major critics are saying the game “isn’t worth the $60″. I can say after playing the game myself to its completion (plus some) that the game is definitely in my view worth the money. I will break down my opinions of these entries by categories of Mechanics (how well the game works, how much gameplay there is, and how valuable the gameplay aspects are) Story (how good and effective the plot of the game is) Characters (how good the characters within the plot are) Dialogue (how good the writing of the game is) and Visuals (how good the game looks from a visual perspective). Here I go.

Mechanics: (9.1/10)

Sword and Shield is jam-packed with excellent features and gameplay elements to endlessly enjoy. The new Pokemon Camp feature is the best, most interactive way of playing and building your friendship with your Pokemon. The curry cooking is very simple, but it is more interactive then just giving a floating PokePuff or Bean to a Pokemon and having them chew it slowly right in front of you only to give it yet another one until they cannot eat anymore. You can throw a ball to have your Pokemon play fetch with you, speak to your Pokemon, and have them play with the little wand toy. While you cannot pet your Pokemon like in the past, the new features feels so fresh and even just watching your favorite Pokemon interact on their own is a worthy replacement for old systems like Amie and Refresh. Aside from Camping, the Gym Challenge was by far one of the best features. Gyms actually for the first time ever felt like full-fledged Gyms. Each Gym has their own special challenge in the beginning, and each one helped diversify the experience rather than tossing you into a room with randomly arranged trainers and the Gym Leader standing at the end waiting for you to get through the maze. I particularly loved Allister’s Gym Challenge, but every one of the challenges was a fun light-hearted experience. Many nuisances from the game that lingered in the past main titles have been removed, like no longer having to farm heart scales just to experiment with different move sets, having a Pokeball throwing shortcut, having a name rater posted in every Pokemon center, and many other quality of life improvements. The only problem I find with the mechanics of the game is the pop-ins. NPCs (ones that move from place to place), wild Pokemon, and berry trees all have their pop-in moments in the game. As you approach them, they come into view normally from a mid-range distance, and fade away again if you get too far away. This isn’t a huge deal when it comes to the experience as a whole, but it did slightly rob from the otherwise fresh Wild Area experience considering the pop-ins are the worst there. Lagging while online in the Wild Area is also a slight problem, but not too persistent of a problem.

Story: (8.5/10)

The story of Shield very much reminded me of the Pokemon anime in a sense (Swords being no different other than Pokemon variations). The narrative mainly focuses on the lovable and colorful cast of characters rather than a constantly changing dynamic plot. The plot is pretty big (not a Dynamax pun I swear), but it’s mainly told through your trainer character’s perspective, so the secrets of the unfolding plot occur through the perspectives of the adult figures, which you eventually see around the end. It’s not a complex story, but I found it to be very solid, kind of like a Pokemon movie. The characters carry the story along smoothly, and it’s a nice “save the world” Pokemon plot. There’s not a bunch of lore for the region, but what lore is explained is very suitable for the Galar region and I found it to be pretty interesting. I feel like the ending wraps up a little quicker than in usual Pokemon games, but the post-game story helps to finalize things even if it contains two very weird parodical characters. I think the point of the game’s plot is timely (for a reason I cannot elaborate upon for non-spoiler purposes, but to anyone who finishes it, you may know what I mean). I feel like it really connects with a real-world issue that the world is facing currently. Additionally, the story’s presentation was handled very well in most parts, I really liked the mid-battle cutscenes and the scripted battles that remind me of classic RPGs. While I don’t think the plot of Sword and Shield beats the darker dynamic plot of Sun and Moon, it’s good and solid all the same.

Characters: (10/10)

As I briefly mentioned in the story segment of this review, the characters are some of the biggest stars of this game. Each Gym leader stands out and have their own little backstory. These backstories aren’t told through cutscenes, but you can read their biographies on the back of their League cards which I thought was a good way of telling us more information about the Gym Leaders than we got with them in the past titles. Gym Leaders are normally just treated like pretty designs and then thrown away by the post game. Sword and Shield however puts each of them in the spotlight more and they all get some time to shine. The designs for the characters themselves I find to be particularly amazing. Personally, Piers, the long awaited Dark-type Gym Leader was my favorite, but every single one of them had something interesting in store. Aside from Gym Leaders, memorable characters like Marnie, Bede, Sonia and Leon really help liven and enrich the experience. I felt really invested in these characters, and when I feel that invested in the characters of a video game, I consider them a smashing success.

***ADDITIONAL NOTE***

I neglected to mention the most important characters to any Pokemon game: the Pokemon themselves! The designs of the Galar Pokemon and Galar forms are breathtaking. I love the vast majority of them and there’s very few that I think little of. The designs are themed and look very creative, I really loved the art direction for this generation’s Pokedex.

Dialogue: (9/10)

With the new Galar region, inspired off of the UK, the dialogue is bound to change. A lot of British slang is slipped in which was enjoyable even if I wasn’t familiar with some of it. Each character seemed to have their own way of speaking and I liked this individuality in dialogue. Nothing any of the main characters say seems off-putting, so I’d say the dialogue is in a very good place for a Pokemon game. It is a game that’s marketed for younger audiences, but it does a good job of not making you feel like a baby (something that prior titles also done a good job with), so the dialogue is consistently good for any audience. Some lines could be improved perhaps or less generic, but nothing stands out to me as an issue with dialogue, so I’d say the writing is pretty on-spot.

Visuals: (9.4/10)

This is perhaps one of the most controversial parts of these games, with many complaining about reused models, trees looking badly textured, and the game looking like just an “upscaled 3DS game”. While I do agree that the Wild Area trees are terrible-looking upon close inspection, I by no means view this game as just an “upscaled 3DS game”. The visuals of Sword and Shield are by far the greatest the series has to offer, with town areas and dungeons looking absolutely superb. Some critics think that the graphics need a dynamic change, but I couldn’t disagree more. Graphics are a subjective thing until you’re delaing with something like the textures of the game (like the trees.) If fans don’t like the Pokemon style, they shouldn’t be playing the games anymore. Sword and Shield mastered the style the franchise should have with the very interesting, beautifully rendered areas like the Glimwood Tangle and Ballonlea. I found these areas and others to be breathtaking upon first seeing them and I just really adored the look of these games. As for the character models, (the people and the Pokemon) they look just fine. They’re not the biggest upgrade, but they fit in well with the rest of the game’s style, so no problems in that department. If you are to find graphical flaws that aren’t only subjective, they can be found in the Wild Area. The trees and some ground textures (near water in particular) are a bit blurred and wonky. But then you gaze upon the surroundings as a whole and it looks quite nice. The lighting looks incredible in many areas, and I just found myself in awe of just about anything I was looking at. As for the animations, there are some new incredible animations (like Cinderace’s Pyro Ball) and many well-polished animations. There are however some of the same-old animations that didn’t work and still don’t work like double kick and tail whip. Overall, the visuals are extremely nice and just what I’d expect from a next-gen Pokemon game.

My Verdict:

Pokemon Sword and Shield was an exciting new adventure that brought me back to the old days of playing Pokemon, only without all the nuisance problems that once plagued the fun of the experience. This game reminded me of what it was like to wholeheartedly enjoy a new adventure with new lovable partners. The graphics and mechanics are beyond refreshing, even if some areas could be better polished. The narrative isn’t as wide as Gen 7′s, but it’s as solid as I’d expect a Pokemon story to get while not straying too far from the roots of what makes them good to begin with. At the end of the day, experiencing Galar was without a doubt worth the $60 price tag, and the memories gained from the experience is even more priceless.

Final Score: 9.2/10 👍

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greyias · 6 years ago

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One Week Portrait — Day Five

End of the line! My week long art spam will now conclude, with a final picture outside of the cut this time. The last day was about finishing techniques, and trying to make it look a little less digital. I could probably keep going and refining, but I think I’m at a point where I’ll call it done.

Final thoughts, and a little recap under the cut.

First up, a start to finish of the process over the week.

Final thoughts: I actually enjoyed this a lot more this year! Now whether that’s because I actually had a tiny bit more idea about what I was doing, or just simplified my focus, I don’t know. (Okay, that’s probably a lie. I definitely had a much better grasp on some of the basics of the facial structure this year. That definitely helped).

Things I need brush up on more: making my lineart/sketches less of a scribbly mess without spending way too long on the lines. I should also probably get over my fear of drawing clothes, and more specifically, folds in fabric. I... also should like practice my shading on basic 3D shapes so I don’t stare at my basic linework with in befuddlement but man does that sound boring... I should still force myself to do it

Things I’m happy with:

I did this all in ProCreate this year, if you don’t count modifying the reference photos some in Affinity Photo for help in blocking shapes for shading. I am a little envious of Photoshop’s Mixer Brush, which doesn’t seem to have an equivalent in ProCreate. I might need to see if Affinity Photo has something I can use, since I’ve got that on the iPad

My shading is much better and improved, especially over last year!

Despite my scribbly start with the lineart, I managed to “fix” most of it near the end so it didn’t bother me

My colors worked on the base level of coloring! My other portrait work had about two or three levels of me adding in color via blending layers to try and make up for the muddy colors. It’s a quick and dirty method for blocking in shadows and highlights, but hey, I’ll take it

I have a slightly better understanding of hair now, although I want to keep working at it so it’s a bit quicker and more deliberate, and a little less of me scribbling furiously back and forth with brushes

Also I understand a bit better on how to use texture brushes

THE! LIQUIFY! TOOL! -- amazing. How did I not know of that before? Seriously, that thing is so useful.

So overall, I’m very happy with this year’s piece! It was funny, I was working on this mostly at lunch this week at work (and while waiting for SWTOR’s servers to come back up on Tuesday), and occasionally had a coworker come by like “Wait, you made that?” and I was like “I KNOW”, so hey, positive reinforcement 😉

Thanks for indulging and encouraging me this week! I ♥ you guys!

#Paintable’s One Week Portrait Challenge #one week portrait #art progress #painting practice #oc: greyias highwind #pride month #demisexual pride #i may have gone a bit overboard in my final textures #oops

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imjustthemechanic · 6 years ago

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Glockenspiel

Part 1/? - Transmission Part 2/? - The Sandhill Hotel Part 3/? - Piccadilly Part 4/? - The Future Part 5/? - Too Late Part 6/? - The Mystery of the Missing Time Machine Part 7/? - Underway

Peggy had been to the little airstrip near the village of Heathrow a few times during the war. They’d been working on improving it into a real airport but hadn’t finished before VE day, so work had scaled back to a more leisurely pace, and the new London Airport had opened in 1946. Seventy years later, the airport had swollen to cover more area than Peggy remembered the entire down as having. There seemed to be positive miles of faded tarmac and undulating glass buildings, while any remnants of little Heathrow had been devoured as London itself grew inexorably bigger.

Toulouse breezed them through the buildings through Members Only entrances and VIP lounges and such things. When a woman asked to see their passports, Toulouse just gave her a handful of banknotes, and they kept walking.

“Do you often fly without papers?” Peggy asked quietly.

“I never did that before, actually,” Toulouse replied with a smile on her face. “I didn’t think it would work! I almost want to report her for taking bribes, but then I’d be reporting myself, too.”

Everything else had changed so much, Peggy wasn’t sure what to expect from the inside of the airplane. The cabin was larger and longer than anything she’d seen before, but to her surprise the seats were actually significantly smaller, the ceilings lower, and the leg room less. It looked bad enough in business class, and when she looked down the aisle to where the economy passengers were boarding, she found them packed in like commuters on a subway train. It was almost a shock that nobody had to stand.

“Flying used to be a luxurious way to travel,” she commented as she sat down. Like the cars, the airplane had a seat belt. She buckled it, just in case.

“Things stop being nice when normal people start being able to afford them,” said Toulouse.

“Did you call your father to tell him where you’re going?” Peggy wanted to know.

“I’m twenty-eight,” Toulouse told her. “I don’t have to do that anymore. He wouldn’t answer anyway,” she added with a sigh. “He only answered the other night because I had Harvinder tell him it was an emergency. I did tell Prince that I’m going to America with some friends. If he asks why, I’ll say I’m visiting Junior.”

“Who’s Junior?” asked Howard.

“My oldest brother. He died when I was still in school, and he’s buried there.” Toulouse shrugged. “It’s not the right time of year, but it’s a good excuse, I guess.”

The plane’s takeoff roll was much more gentle than Peggy remembered such things being, and its ascent far quicker. She had to swallow repeatedly to make her ears pop, and it seemed like no time at all before they were sailing along to the muted roar of the jet engines, with the Bristol Channel glittering in the sunlight below them. Looking out the window on her left, Peggy could see Cardiff, and she spotted Swansea before clouds moved in, blocking the view of the landscape below. She settled back in her seat then. It was going to be a long flight, and even without the clouds there would be nothing much to see outside over the ocean.

Toulouse had her laptop with her, and once the plane reached cruising altitude, she set the computer u on the tray table in front of her and began typing furiously. Howard, in the aisle seat, took an interest.

“What are you working on?” he asked.

“My master’s thesis,” said Toulouse. “I’m taking women’s history, and I’m specifically writing about Parliament Joan. Her real name was Elizabeth Alkin. She ran her own publishers, distributing propaganda for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War, and used her connections to find and discredit people who were printing for the Royalists.”

“An ancestor of yours?” Howard asked Peggy.

“No, but something of a role model,” Peggy replied with a smile. She’d first heard of the woman during her teens, from the other ladies in the codebreaking office, and had immediately set out to read all she could about her.

“People think of her mainly as a spy,” Toulouse said, “but she also had to be a businesswoman, and she wasn’t very good at it to start with. I was at the National Archives because they’ve got some of her letters there, written in her very own handwriting.”

Peggy nodded. “It is magical, isn’t it? When you get to touch something from the past, knowing who held it before you?” She thought of some of the things the SSR had recovered after the war. There’d been famous art, and mystical artefacts, and things that had to have come light-years across the depths of space to be there. With some of them she knew who had held them before her, but there were others she could only wonder about.

“It really is,” Toulouse agreed.

“Your family must be very proud of you,” said Peggy. The words came out quite automatically, and it was only once they were already spoken that she remembered what Toulouse had already said about her father.

Toulouse sighed. “I haven’t spoken to my mother in four years,” she said. “And Daddy just says it’s good I’m keeping occupied.”

“I’m sorry,” Peggy said. Her own father had died of a heart attack when she was only seven, and her mother had never had much money, but she had good memories of both as loving parents. She looked at Howard – he didn’t talk much about his family but she had the definite impression that they’d never understood him. He would be more qualified to commiserate with Toulouse about this.

“They don’t know what they’re missing,” Howard told her. “Someday they’ll come to you begging for a favour, and you’ll be able to tell them to stuff it. It’ll feel great.”

Peggy shut her eyes. She could feel the headache coming on already.

The people who ran airlines knew that twelve-hour flights were deathly boring, and attempted to fill the time by showing movies. The movies themselves, unfortunately, were absolutely dreadful. There was one about a robotic policeman and another about a haunted doll, and Peggy got no more than ten minutes into either of them before she removed the little speakers she’d been given to put in her ears, and tried to sleep instead.

She doubted she’d be able to nod off, but she must have, because she woke hearing Howard and Toulouse talking quietly.

“So when I say he’s buried there,” Toulouse was telling him, “it’s more that he’s got his name on a monument, because they didn’t find his body. Daddy hasn’t been to America for years because of it. Whenever he has something to do there, he sends Cass.”

“Cass is… brother number two, right?” Howard asked.

“Yes, in between Junior and Prince,” said Toulouse.

“No sisters?”

“Just me,” Toulouse said. “I’m the girl.”

Peggy closed her eyes again. During the war she’d had a sense that things were getting better for women. There’d been a new appreciation for their traditional roles, as well as for their ability to work at what were considered men’s jobs. She’d stayed at the SSR because she’d wanted to finish what Steve Rogers and Sergeant Barnes had started, but also because she’d honestly thought she’d be useful and welcome there. The men who worked there had other ideas. They’d thought that with the war over, it was time for the women to go home.If she’d thought about it, Peggy would have hoped that seventy years would have resulted in some progress. Yet here he was, sitting next to a young woman who was evidently much more intelligent and accomplished than her taste in hair dye would lead one to believe, but whose family didn’t care what she did because she was the Girl. It was really terribly depressing.

They arrived in Toronto at nine in the evening local time, and during the layover they were able to get something to eat that wasn’t airplane food. The cost of the sodas and sandwiches absolutely appalled Peggy and Howard both – nine dollars for tuna fish on white bread! – but Toulouse paid it without comment. Apparently inflation was another one of the things that had simply gone on uninterrupted.

Flight schedules hadn’t changed much, either. Their departure from Toronto was delayed, so it was closer to four than two-thirty when they finally reached Los Angeles. A small bus took them from the airport to the Sandhill Hotel in Playa Del Rey, where all three of them collapsed into bed.

They had separate rooms within the suite this time, thank heavens, so if Howard and Toulouse had any more sex, Peggy at least didn’t have to listen to it.

Toulouse had sent their things to the hotel laundry overnight, so in the morning Peggy and Howard were able to put on clothes that were probably cleaner than when they’d bought them. A woman came to drop them off while the group was having breakfast. Peggy and Howard were sitting in their hotel bathrobes, and Toulouse’s outfit today was tight-fitting polka-dot leggings and a shirt with something on it that was quite unidentifiable – it had cartoon eyes and a smile, and a shape that Peggy chose to charitably assume represented a curl of chocolate ice cream.

The hotel employee, a brunette in her mid-twenties, kept looking at Toulouse out of the corner of her eye as she spread the clean clothes out on the bed. Finally she straightened up and said, “before I go, I have to know – aren’t you Toulouse Sandhill?”

“Yes!” Toulouse replied, pulling out her wallet to give the woman a tip. “And you’re… Madison,” she read off the nametag. “Nice to meet you.”

Madison held out a wrist. “I’m wearing your perfume!” she said.

Toulouse sniffed it. “You are! I’m so glad you like it!”

“Is it true that there’s a giant apocalypse bunker under this hotel?” Madison asked eagerly. “I’ve never actually gone looking for it but I’ve seen websites about it, and people think it’s some sort of New World Order type thing.”

“I have no idea,” said Toulouse, but the idea didn’t seem to startle her. “I’ve never been here before. I can ask Cass about it, if you like.”

“No, no, I figured you wouldn’t say,” Madison replied, with a knowing smile. “It was so cool to meet you! Thanks for the tip!” And she scurried out.

Peggy sipped her tea thoughtfully. “You didn’t mention an apocalypse bunker,” she said to Toulouse. Wasn’t it just a coincidence that an ‘apocalypse bunker’ was exactly where she and Howard had to go?

“I didn’t think of it,” said Toulouse. “I don’t even know if it’s real. Like I said, I’ve never been to this location before, but I know the Americans have apocalypse bunkers all over the country. There’s a big one under the Stanley Springs Hotel in Tennessee, that was built for the government to hide in during the Cold War. I’ve never been there, either, but they give tours. I saw a YouTube video about it.”

“You said this hotel was ten years old,” Peggy recalled. “When did the ‘Cold War’ end?”

“I was a kid. Let me see…” Toulouse grabbed her phone to look it up. “1991 was when the Soviet Union fell apart, and I definitely know that the Playa Del Rey opened in 2006, because Junior had been in charge of the project and there was an eight-month delay after he died.”

“That’s fifteen years,” said Peggy. Who built a bunker against a threat that had ended fifteen years ago? She looked at Howard, to see what he thought.

He could tell where she was headed. “You think maybe our clue is here in the hotel?” he asked.

That was an oddly reasonable hypothesis. Knowing that they’d been involved with the Sandhill family on their little adventure through time, Peggy and Howard might well have left the time machine plans here, where they would be easily accessible without breaking any laws. Or would they? By 2006 Peggy would be retired and Howard would be dead, and with the building of the hotel delayed by the death of the owner’s son, all sorts of things might intervene.

“It could be,” she said. “I don’t know.” They could bury something here ahead of time, but how could they be sure it wouldn’t be dug up and lost when the hotel was built? Then again, if it were here to find, that by itself would be their answer…

Howard pointed his breakfast fork at Toulouse’s phone. “While we’re here, what’s that Internet got to say about die Glocke?”

“How do you spell it?” Toulouse wanted to know.

Howard told her, and she entered it in her search engine. Her eyes darted back and forth over the results that came up. “Okay, it says there was some Polish guy who wrote a book about it… according to him it’s supposed to be a weapon that kills every living thing for miles around, and it was built in a Nazi base near Wenceslaus Mine.”

That name made Peggy perk up. “I’ve been to Wenceslaus,” she said. “I was there with Steve, but there was nothing in it. Somebody had warned them we were coming, and they had time to clean it out.”

“Warned them you were coming?” Toulouse asked. “Like as if somebody came back from the future to tell them?”

At the time Peggy hadn’t thought of that – why would she? – but now it seemed worryingly plausible. In that case… “Die Glocke can’t be the time machine itself, because Zola said they were searching for it, but yes, very like that.” She took a bite of bagel and thought about it. “I wonder whether perhaps they transmitted the entire contents of the base to the future, and now they’re hoping to get a machine in the right place at the right time to pick it up.” In which case they were planning to materialize their superweapon right in the middle of London.

“That was winter 1944, wasn’t it?” Howard said. “If they’ve had the time machine that long, then we’re in trouble, because just returning to 1948 won’t be enough to stop them.”

“No, it won’t.” Peggy groaned. “This just gets more complicated by the hour!”

“So what are you gonna do?” asked Toulouse.

She thought about it a moment. The hotel might be worth checking out, but they didn’t actually know if it even existed. The Sierra bunker still seemed the most obvious choice. “We’ll stick to the original plan,” she decided. “If there’s nothing in the bunker, we’ll come back here and look.”

#fanfic #agent carter #peggy carter #howard stark

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arcadetylermorgan · 4 years ago

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Week 5 Blog posts (01/02/21)

Get feedback on my project:

For my feedback i ended up showing a friend who also works on games design my project of what i have so far and he gave me some advice on how to improve and make my game a better experience while also telling me some positives and what he liked about my project so far.

Positive Feedback:

One of the positive pieces of feedback is that he liked the background designs as they were simplistic and were pleasing to the eye. I'm glad that this was received well as i personally also liked the style i was going for and i wanted to make more of them as well. knowing that they will be received well gives me confidence to make more with a similar style but with different locations to make the game look different.

Second piece of positive feedback was about the colour scheme and the simple game mechanics as it is very easy to understand and play right off the bat. this all ties into making it good for younger audiences as they are attracted to the bright colours and lights while being able to play with game with such simple controls.

Negative Feedback:

One of the major flaws in my game so far is that there are no animations in the characters yet they just kind of slide across the screen without moving. This was the first issue he brought up and its 1 I plan to fix as i work through this game longer and as animation isn't my strong suit it will be a struggle but I will try my best.

The Second Flaw in my game my friend said was that my 3rd of the 3 character does not have his own unique design yet and it just looks default and out of place and this is something I defiantly want to work on. also on top of that i also want to create more outfits for all 3 of them. Right now the first ones i want to do are the character in space suits as i have made a level in space

Summary and how I could of done better feedback:

Overall i think this feedback is very useful for me and my games future as i now know what ive been doing well on and what i need to focus more attention and i will try my hardest to make my game better and better as time goes by.

I think i did i pretty good job on choosing who i could get my feedback from being a fellow game designer and friend but I could of done some things to get better research. One thing i could of done was get into contact with more people so that I would have answers from different places. The other way I would of made this research better would be to ask people who were not my friends but also game designers so i would have a raw response with the person being straight with me from start to finish. Oher than those i think my feedback was very helpful and i will be trying to make my project better little by little.

Final Evaluation:

What has gone well in this project:

With this project i feel a lot went well for the circumstances we were given and im proud of what I've done. The first thing that went well are the character designs that i have created I will show a few of them here them here.

Even though they are very simple and easy to do edits with photoshop i am still happy with them as i am not very good at the arty side of things and i think that these characters are really good efforts.

The second thing i am proud of are the background level designs that i made again i will show a few.

I think the reason I've very proud of these is because i think that they actually look very appealing with a nice bright colour scheme that i think is very easy to look at. I am also proud of this as again im still new to editing things in photoshop so these are a very good job for me so far.

The final thing I'm very proud of during this project is how my coding skills have improved alot during this project from being able to figure out what to do in the code, to get things like timers and making things disappear and move the player to the next level without help from videos and just using my current knowledge. and also being able to remember easy strings of code that i would not of known about before this project. Here are some of my code bits that i have used in my game

For new software I've mainly been sticking to photoshop but i am finding out how it works more and with that its become a very useful tool that i am using more and more often for things however I did use premiere pro so that I could change the audio file types to WAV and that was a new experience even though it was nothing too advanced.

With tutorials I mainly use Youtube as they have tones of informative guides and tutorials on how the things in unreal and photoshop work but as something new there are lots of forum sites with in-depth guides on how to get the game to work even though there is no video they are sometimes better as they have even the little problems solved there.

The only Thing i have enjoyed about being able to work in lockdown is that I could get to work at anytime I want without having fixed hours as I sometimes cant work and knowing that I can go back to my work whenever I want is reassuring.

What could have gone better:

I think that the main thing that could of gone better were the animations for my characters as i really wasn't sure on how to get them to work and it was something i already wasn't very confident with so i think that could of gone a bit better. With that the only other thing i wish could of gone better the amount of character designs as i think there were too little in my game and i hoped to come up with more ideas but i only ended up with a couple.

Being at college would of helped because they have people who know how the softwares work and they could of helped quicker than having to search round the web for a long while looking for a fix. but on the side of being able to get the softwares i luckily have a strong enough pc that can run and work everything just fine.

With working at home its had its ups and downs as i feel that it helps in the way that i feel i have alot more time to get things done and i can get to it whenever but on the other side i also constantly feel like I'm not doing enough with the time i have and it just sometimes get into your head but overall i was mostly fine during the lockdown work.

What are you planning to do in the future?

In the future I want to just keep improving my coding skills while also trying to make my art skills just as good so that i am able to have a bright future in he game development world.

This project definitely hasn't put me off working at home as i feel that i still got stuff that i was proud of from this term and i also feel as if its make me try and figure stuff out on my own more often giving me more confidence in my own knowledge and i think that working from both home and college work perfectly fine.

For my next project i want to keep using the current softwares i am using (Unreal and Photoshop) as i feel that they are very high quality products that are perfectly suited for the work i am doing. But i do plan to try and get more used to maya for the next project as i feel very new to it still and i want to improve at the software.

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hannahschlatterfinalyear · 6 years ago

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Week 22 Summary

Collaboration

This week I finished the panning shot. After some time I think I’ve gotten the hang of this style of making backgrounds, I managed to finish this background quicker than the last and have successfully been keeping the design to what we agreed on so Chloe’s backgrounds and mine look the same. The panning motion will be done using after effects and we’ll fade in the creepy door. Ive also finished animating the ‘Squiggles’; I’m very pleased with how they look, I think Ive successfully made some cute and harmless creatures Which will be a great contrast to the lower world that the boy finds himself in. I think if I was to improve it though I would make the creatures appear more furry by adding more texture and showing more fur in the line art. I started a new scene this week too; when the boy falls through the door we want to show tunnel walls that have dark elements to them from the lower world, including eyes, mouths, and bones of unknown creatures. Next week I need to complete this tunnel scene!

Portfolio

I’ve been updating my Instagram art account very regularly at the moment which I’m very pleased about! Although it seems like it’s still difficult getting many people to see the art with each post I get more attention to the account, the more I post onto it the more people will see it and the more likely I will be able to get commissions after graduation. One thing that in particular seemed to boost attention is that I took part in an everyday drawing challenge that was set up by a well known artist, taking part and tagging the work in the challenge got a lot of people to see it so I will definitely take part in more projects like that!

#colab #portfolio

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vietphapnhomkinh · 5 years ago

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Organic Chemical make up Basic Rules and methods Biochemistry Part 12

Saxon Numbers Explained

Keep in mind that the right precondition with regard to Superior Arithmetic would be the 1 / 3 edition connected with Geometry 1 and Algebra A couple of as demonstrated inside kitchen table previously, never a Next variation. Worksheet may amenable in a very brand new eye-port. Some of the worksheets viewable are usually Undergraduate format saxon math concepts, Saxon arithmetic Seventy-six, Everyday lessons programs to get, Saxon, Saxon math concepts training One particular pdf document, Saxon algebra i Finally format, Requirements success, Situation examination intended for. “Aimee (Half a dozen), Aaron (8-10), plus {Anna|Ould (Several) study in addition to reread this ‘school books’ new as it is through Sonlight, whenever slated in your Central system, nevertheless oftentimes following that, for the reason that have relished all of them much.

For ranges 7/6 as well as 8/7 We simply moved more than a few of the instruction using them. We flipped into a 3 rd programs, nevertheless it was recurring having apparently with their almost endless websites associated with issues, one of the daughters would certainly despair in the potential customer of needing to accomplish numbers on a daily basis. * Recommended training brands. You can find one or two quantities i always would likely state tend to be skip-able. “Everyone anticipates math concepts amount of the house on account of Sonlight!” creates Eva Z regarding Clarkston, Georgia. If the university student will be college or university limited in calculations and also scientific discipline as well as his or her really like calculations, apply Algebra A person, Algebra Only two, State-of-the-art Mathematics, plus Calculus and also your geometry will be taught in material located in most of these texts.”

For being effectively prepared for his or her university entrance exam (elizabeth.h., Lay or perhaps ACT) scholars have to full Innovative Arithmetic for their younger 12 months. Saxon publications are generally skill-level books, definitely not grade-level guides. Whatever the case, they are the not one but two solutions I might offer somebody that ended up being requesting if they could miss a level. I check and also class their newspaper. Learners who finish Advanced Mathematics may have obtained the equivalent of two semesters involving geometry, a single semester with trigonometry, and something session of sophisticated geometry.

2 scholar workbooks plus One fact minute card collection. Consumable, non-reproducible workbooks. Class creating types may also be integrated, in addition to common examination styles.

Math 87 includes a wide variety connected with themes which might be necessary for the mathematical requirements of numerous expresses. Substantial pre-algebra content is included, and scholars whom comprehensive the writing efficiently (80% and up exam scores) will likely be able to carry Algebra 1 for their next math concepts course.

Algebra 1/2 is targeted on producing expertise of which prepare yourself individuals to get geometry. The pre-algebra content articles are additional comprehensive versus the pre-algebra information involving Math Eighty seven; even so, the particular scope is less wide.

Math 87 insures a diverse assortment associated with issues which have been needed by the exact expectations for many claims. Sizeable pre-algebra content is involved, and also college students who finish the text effectively (80% and up exam scores) will likely be prepared to acquire Algebra 1 as his or her future math study course.

2 student workbooks and One reality cards fixed. Palatable, non-reproducible workbooks. College class saving forms will also be bundled, as well as verbal assessment sorts.

2 undergraduate workbooks as well as Just one fact cards arranged. Safe to eat, non-reproducible workbooks. College class producing varieties also are provided, coupled with dental review styles.

Orion (Seven, Math-U-See 101 and also HBL The) usually discusses Decimal Road even though using their siblings. that will come using a Mp3! (Hallelujah refrain) Anyway, intended for 7/6 in addition to 8/7, I personally however obtained these folks conduct modifications just before moving on just like before. “The Math-U-See hinders help it become look a lot more like actively playing than homework. If you think Wordfence really should be offering you having access to this site, make sure you inform them while using methods down below to enable them to examine the reason it is developing. It’s got flipped its numbers practical experience through boredom for you to enjoyment, as the idea do for my household. which comes using a CD! (Hallelujah chorus) At any rate, for 7/6 and also 8/7, My spouse and i nevertheless got these carry out punition in advance of moving on exactly like prior to.

*** These kinds of students might find the information presented inside Advanced Mathematics tricky. Most of us moved to your third courses, but it surely was repeating together with apparently unlimited websites connected with troubles, certainly one of this daughters could lose hope at the prospective client of having to perform math everyday. Merely couldn’t need a whole lot repetition with it. Some with the worksheets viewable are generally College student edition saxon arithmetic, Saxon arithmetic Seventy six, Regular lesson plans intended for, Saxon, Saxon arithmetic study course 1 document, Saxon algebra i actually 1 / 3 version, Specifications success, Position test out regarding. Possibly at the end of the season, we nonetheless received most of your worksheet web sites remaining. This “Lesson Preparation” box at the outset of every entry makes it simplallows you setting all the things inside the night before which means that your consultations operate correctly. They may be truly recouping degrees inside Algebra One and a couple in comparison with would inside Saxon 8/7.

Teachers Acitivities

The child is finishing up Algebra 2, well, i would not have personal experience recent that. Instructing math concepts through the a number of hands-on manipulatives, the offer is designed for pupils who’ve your kinesthetic mastering style. Stressing research along with interpersonal reports contacts, Numbers 3 or more utilizes models as well as video game titles that will help your own students comprehend and exercise fresh concepts. With your course game titles lets quicker pupils who aren’t thriving with Advanced Mathematics during the 10th level to test all over again and still acquire credit history. That would be deemed a typical skill level, bearing in mind the program higher than is ideal for pupils who do very well together with numbers.

Homeschool Specialists’ Spotlights

Saxon Math Tutorials A person, 3, and 3 add as well as propagate standard items, giving pupils time for you to study and exercise skills all year long, grasp content material, and grow higher-order contemplating. Pre-Calculus I includes the first 70-90 instruction in Advanced Numbers. Pre-Calculus A pair of comprises the remaining instructions. My own boy is finishing up Algebra Only two, i really do not have personal experience previous that will. Your entry to this page appeared to be hindered by Wordfence, a burglar service provider, which shields web pages through vicious activity. As long as they continue to do not have an accurate solution each to the Mp3, go through the dilemma as well as Dvd educator talks about how to work the problem. * Advised system headings. We love to the pliability of Sonlight and in what way the book selections is usually loved by the extensive age group.

I considerably treasured the particular scripted instructor’s guide. My partner is sweet in math and may assistance him having complicated troubles. Plus, you’ll not locate websites involving apparently with their almost endless assessment on the very same notion. If they were built with a great deal of punition, next I might acquire often be their project for the entire day, virtually no new tutorial, as well as I’d personally add to that some of the worksheet websites.

Saxon Numbers Explained

As long as they experienced a lots of improvements, then I would obtain that always be their particular job throughout the day, no completely new lesson, in addition to I would add to that a couple of the worksheet webpages. We like precisely how Sonlight helps you to raise Good Fee youngsters. Success! This is a summary of how you would completed it. I’m going to conduct a different up-date in a couple decades! Worksheet can wide open in the brand-new windows. UPDATE 3: (June 2014) My own earliest baby is merely establishing his senior citizen https://collegehelp.club/pay-for-college-papers/ year. I had been thinking about conducting a submit about definitely the home-school curriculum, however, when a person talked about some queries this morning regarding Saxon Numbers I actually knew it will be an excellent subject matter to write down concerning.

The post Organic Chemical make up Basic Rules and methods Biochemistry Part 12 appeared first on Vietphapgroup.vn.

Nguồn bài viết: https://ift.tt/2n1apAZ

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meep-the-egalitarian-simmer · 6 years ago

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Como fazer alguem Se Apaixonar por Você

Como fazer um homem correr atrás de você

Let’s just be blunt-it usually doesn’t acquire considerably to get a person to need to have sexual intercourse with you. However, if you are looking for some thing extra than the usual fling, you might want to assessment your bodily and virtual seduction methods and find out where you can make improvements to. Seduction, when done suitable, isn’t about throwing by yourself at anyone. It’s about slowly but surely, drawing the person in and trying to keep him wanting far more right up until you've got him hooked.

To help you master the delicate but effective art of seduction, here are strategies from solitary males about what seduces them:

Be by yourself from the seduction process. Most adult males would agree that apart from the superficial qualities, personality and self-assurance is everything. “Nothing is more seductive than the usual girl who carries herself properly and exudes intercourse attractiveness. This suggests an individual who’s snug in her own pores and skin and who is familiar with what she wants from a man,” claims Brandon, forty two.

Use outfits and posture on your benefit. You are able to instantaneously glance far more seductive simply by trying to keep your shoulders back, chin up, and producing eye make contact with. And never forget that the suitable outfits can present you with an advantage far too.

To find out more, pay a visit to : Como fazer alguem Se Apaixonar por Você

“I’m not expressing it all has got to be on show but a flattering gown can go a lengthy way,” claims Jason, 36. “For most adult men, it doesn’t even make a difference if you’re a dimension or two larger than you like. If we’re on the lookout at you, we would like everything you have.”

Keep your on-line profile photos classy. Gentlemen may take pleasure in images of scantily-clad girls, but they are more inclined to settle on a lady who’s extra refined when they’re critical. “Sometimes I detect women will write-up shots of on their own that ought to be censored. I think they’re attracting the wrong type of male in those cases,” suggests Marco, 48. “I really like when women of all ages go away more towards the creativeness within their profile shots.”

Tell him anything you want. In case you really know what you are into and what turns you on, tell him, even when it is just inside a teasing way… you in fact definitely indicate. Bare it all, verbally. “Some girl may perhaps underestimate the facility of seduction by text. There’s almost nothing extra hot than hearing what a girl needs, what turns her on… it really receives a man wondering sexual ideas,” suggests Bryan, 40.

For shy girls, communicate low. He’ll should lean in to pay attention to you, which creates a small, intimate spot for the 2 of you. “I locate quiet girls tremendous alluring. There’s a little of mystery which is very seductive,” claims Darron, fifty one.

Never neglect the facility of the simple contact. This does not necessarily mean grabbing his bicep, but a small touch on his hand or knee, could established that spark right into a full-on hearth. The human body enjoys to get touched instead of only will this make the hairs on his neck increase, but it’s also a tad spontaneous for the reason that he won’t be expecting it. So with that said…

Be spontaneous. Staying seductive is focused on spontaneity. Absolutely nothing ruins an intimate minute a lot quicker than overthinking points. If you’re feeling attractive, act on it. “My days and evenings during the week are so program that it’s incredibly seductive every time a girl surprises me by having an sudden go to, previous minute weekend programs, or perhaps simply a spontaneous telephone simply call,” claims Collin, 29.

Leave the arrogance and cattiness at the doorway. “I completely hate it when women of all ages bash other ladies, especially when they really don't even know one another. Or, every time they act better than you or that you simply deserve them. Which is the opposite of seduction,” claims 39-year-old, Dominick. That seductive self esteem is about intrigue with out dishonesty, even though bashing other females might be a turn-off as well as a mark of insecurity.

Never over-promise and under-deliver. Although seducing a person for that long haul, may perhaps have to have a tiny bit more teasing and participating in up the thriller, nothing frustrates adult men much more than being toyed with and led in less than untrue pretenses. Try to remember your seducing him, not actively playing video games.

Section of the pleasurable of becoming with an individual is the, effectively, chase. Even though you both equally know precisely exactly where you are find yourself on the finish, it is rewarding and pleasurable to produce a person want you.

To find out more, pay a visit to : Como Seduzir um homem

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okaycolby · 8 years ago

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Analytics on Elite-Level Nutrition

Since running was popularized (with the first marathon ending in Athens) and ice cream was popularized (in the marketplaces of Athens a long time ago), people have wondered about the effect the consumption of one has on the performance of the other. Even Hippocrates (not “hippocrates” like the people who say things are dumb then actually do them like my step-brother Bruce), endorsed ice cream because it “livens the life-juices and increases the well-being” (citation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream). For the past two hours, I have been researching how ice cream affects race performance, and you are not going to believe the results.

Ice cream has always been a part of my running career, and life. The Strongsville DQ was a two minute drive from my house growing up, and, I’ll admit it, I became addicted. I wanted DQ every night, but my parents, wisely, wouldn’t allow it. Instead, on DQ-less nights, I would walk upstairs (from my video game dungeon where I had spent the last 8-12 hours) to our refrigerator, hoping that among my Mom’s assortment of Bryers I would find a container of Mint Chocolate chip. I’d scoop half the tub into a bowl, drown it in chocolate syrup, drizzle cashews on top, and grab a bag of pretzel rods. This I would take to my Dad, who would typically be in his office listening to Tom Hamilton broadcast an Indians game. I’d tap him on the shoulder and hold out the ice cream. Without a word or a glance in my direction, he would grab it and start mashing. I would wait outside and watch the indians game on mute or real housewives or any other bravo show that my sister was watching. For my Dad, the process of turning ice cream into chocolatey mush is an art. For 5 straight minutes I would hear *Boom click tap tap tap click* with Hamilton in the background discussing the Cleveland bullpen.

“COLB,” he'd yell. “COLBY!” I’d sprint inside, and exchange the bag of pretzels (keeping some rods for myself) as a trade, then return to my dungeon. I would dip the pretzels into the ice cream like fries into ketchup. But I still craved DQ.

With this in mind, I managed to persuade my parents that eating DQ the night before races was the key to PRs and victories. If we were home the day before a race and I was without a fix by 9:50pm, I’d say, “Dad, I haven't had any ice cream yet and DQ is closing in ten minutes.” He’d shoot up out of his chair and speed to the creamed ice kingdom.

My own career has (soft) served as case study supporting this exact claim. I had an ice cream brownie sundae the night before Footlocker regionals and the next day I got 7th and made nationals. Then, after no ice cream, I finished 38th at Nationals. So many of my most famous races were preceded by an ice cream dessert. But I don’t want you to take a couple stories of mine as irrefutable evidence, so let's stop fooling around and get to my research. I have gone back through years of electronically preserved credit card receipts, showing proof of many, many DQ purchases, which I have matched with the dates of races throughout my career. And the results will BLOW YOUR MIND.

As you can see from this chart, the likelihood of me running a PR after eating ice cream was 42%. Compare that to the likelihood of me running a PR without any ice cream in my system: 11%. Only 11%! And let me remind you these figures have been gathered over a twelve-year span with over one hundred performances considered (that’s why the percentages aren’t round numbers like 25% or 50% or 75%). This is a significant enough sample size that I must assume your head is literally spinning as you read these words. I just hope you don’t throw up, as I often do after races.

*sidenote*

Once I ran out of letters, I didn't know what to do, so I used emojis then my hand cramped. So you are just going to have to trust me that I actually used 100 races and not just 31

So ice cream makes you run quicker: the end? Not so fast. I dug beneath these initial results to pinpoint optimal performance amounts, and the results will no doubt cause you to shake uncontrollably.

(graph 2A)

As you can see from chart 2A, the size of my PRs decreased when the quantity of ice cream consumed fell below 6 ounces, as well as when the quantity of ice cream I consumed exceeded 13 ounces. So the sweet spot must be somewhere between 6-13 ounces consumed the night before a race. A Ben and Jerry’s pint is 16 oz. Which brings me to my purpose in publishing these findings.

With a discovery of a way to greatly improve race performance, you might think I would want to keep these findings to myself. But I am hoping, you, the literate portion of the running community, will help expand on my findings and produce a more exact prescription of optimal ice cream consumption: taking into account other variables like age, weight, chocolate syrup, and brand. Please send your data to Citius Mag and they will hopefully tell me...idk

Here’s another graph I made:

(It’s of the different types of pets I have owned over the years.)

(44% Gold) Cats:

Relay- She was old when I was born. My parents named her relay because they are crazy about track.

Calypso- She was rescued off the street as a kitten. She was really mean to everyone except me and was also an excellent hunter even though her front paws were declawed.

Storm- Named after the famous X-men character played by Halle Berry. She grew to be quite large and was able to stand on her two back legs like a human. She would partake in educated conversations at dinner while she dipped her paw into half-full glasses of water.

Rogue- She didn't last long. During the peak of West Nile virus back in the early 2000s, she caught it and died. (Also named after one of my favorite X-men characters.)

Vladimir- not named after the famous politician but a nickname of a high school rival. He was our first male kitty and my personal favorite. We would cuddle every night together and he would kiss me and fall asleep on my chest. Things were going so well until he got out to look for me when I went away for college and never came back. I still hope he's out there somewhere in search for me.

No Name- My mom calls her Java but we took so long to name her that I started calling her “no name” and it stuck. She's still alive and likes to groom me when I go home.

Lucy- Our newest cat. She only likes my mom. I've never gotten to pet her.

(6% Green Stripes) Dog:

Piccolo Velocità Linnetta- (I think it means “tiny speed dash”?) She's an italian greyhound. She's FAST but now she's ancient and blind and deaf.

(6% Gold Stripes) Bunny:

Moonpie- My mom found him in the backyard in the winter. She says he would have died out there but he's definitely a neighbor's kid’s pet that we stole. He roams the house humping No Name and pooping everywhere. Fairly certain they are in a serious relationship.

(13% Dots) Hamster:

I don't remember their names. I only wanted them because my cousins got some hamsters and I was jealous.

. (6% Black) Goldfish:

Spike- I can't say enough about this resilient beast. Maybe I’ll write a paper about the legend of Spike the goldfish someday. I won him at the carnival when I was little and he grew to be the biggest most elegant goldfish in history (citation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_the_goldfish).

(13% Silver) Other fish:

Definitely had more than two other fish but I only care about Spike.

(13% Green) lizards:

These were my brothers. Just thought I’d toss ‘em in the graph.

I ask you to help me research ice cream consumption because I prefer to be very consistent with my pre-race routine. Once, I tripped walking to circle K for my Ben and Jerry's pint, skinned my knee, then PRd by four seconds the next day. I tried and succeeded tripping on the same crack before the next race but they were out of the same B&J flavor - a disaster. I started asking my friends the same questions as we walked so every trip to circle K would be identical, but the third time they said, “Haven't you asked that before?” So I typed out a script for them to memorize. That was the last time any of my friends ever walked to circle K with me for ice cream. They said I was acting crazy. Well I guess it’s crazy to care about running then, Johnny.

Whenever Johnny is giving me attitude about my routine, I remind him of his father, and 3:52 miler, John Gregorek’s wise words: “Eat a lot of ice cream. Go to bed early.” That’s the best life-advice I have ever received. That and, “Baby girl, you should know it's your life, let it flow, Take the chance, lose control. It's your life; let it go” (Sean Paul).

#icecream Running trackandfield mile performance SeanPaul TempoTummy Thisarticlesucks BenandJerrys DairyQueen

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grabey · 8 years ago

Link

The Double

Great to see Horizon Zero Dawn getting great reviews almost across the board, although I see some of my concerns about it being all graphics and no gameplay have some basis in reality. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this compares to the new Zelda as both games seem to have a lot in common. But there are of course the tables will be turned and it’s decent graphics and (hopefully) amazing gameplay.

It really is a shame that we never get both at the same time though. Nintendo games always have great art design but they’re never working on top notch hardware so it’s never going to be them that does The Double. Maybe Guerrilla will improve with a sequel but I think they’re just too focused on graphics. On the other hand Bethesda just don’t seem to care and their Fallout and Elder Scrolls games seem doomed to always be one generation behind in terms of graphics.

Even something like The Witcher 3, which is an excellent game that looks amazing, still has some pretty obvious flaws in terms of gameplay, specifically combat. For an action role-player in particularly I don’t know that we’re any closer to seeing both sides of the equation equal out. Armalyte

Across the pond

The thing that strikes me about the Horizon Zero Dawn reviews is that, yet again, the UK sites have marked lower than the Americans. Eurogamer didn’t give the game a recommend, and GC, The Guardian, and Videogamer gave the game an 8/10. Most other European sites seem to be in the 8/10 range too, with the high scores dominated by the big US sites.

We’ve seen this happen before with other games but my question is whether this is because Americans like the game more or because of a fundamental difference in how American reviewers do their job. It used to be that American sites would always mark much higher and generally not give a bad review to any big name game. I thought that had changed in recent years though and they were generally more reliable.

Ignoring any conspiracy about being paid off is maybe just the graphics being really good that makes the difference? Are Americans more drawn to state-of-the-art graphics and we Europeans are less impressed? It’s not something I’ve noticed to be honest, but there is definitely a pattern here when it comes to big games. Xane

Two good reasons

After reading your review of Horizon Zero Dawn, I’ll certainly be getting it. I’d prefer to play it on the PS4 Pro, as you said it makes the graphics even prettier, but I can’t justify buying a new console just for that. I would, however, fork out a few quid to upgrade my PlayStation 4 to Pro standard, but you can’t do that. Why not?

I know the cynical answer, but is there a technical reason why Sony couldn’t release a hardware upgrade to the original console? Nintendo did it with the N64 expansion pack, and Sega did with the Mega CD and 32X! Tim Keeling

GC: We’re not sure if there’s a technical reason but the success, or lack thereof, of the Mega CD and 32X is one reason. And your cynical answer covers the rest.

Can’t go back

Been playing DiRT Rally on PlayStation VR over the weekend and it’s fantastic, I found it much easier on the eyes than Driveclub due to the graphics being sharper. I’m getting quicker times than when I played it in 2D, due to it being easier to judge corners and bumps. On a wheel it feels so natural and I’m going to struggle playing racing games the standard way now.

just wondered if Codemasters were adding a VR mode to DiRT 4 when it’s out? Hope so, because I don’t know if I will get it now if it has not got a VR mode.

I’ve also really been enjoying Steep, but it would be awesome if that was in VR. Especially when using the wingsuit, it’s nerve wrecking in normal mode but in VR it would be a real adrenaline rush! robbie.j

GC: They’ve hinted at VR support for DiRT 4, but not confirmed it. It seems a no-brainer if DiRT Rally’s VR support proves popular.

Dare to dream

With all this talk about what Microsoft might or might not be showing at E3, I can’t help but get excited myself at the prospect. But then I remember the E3 rule of thumb, that you always end up being disappointed because there’s no way things can live up to six months of your imagination hyping up what’s going to be there.

And then I remember Sony’s Shenmue III/The Last Guardian/Final Fantasy VII show and you realise that sometimes dreams can come true! (They weren’t actually my dream games, but I get that they were other people’s). So does that mean I can imagine half a dozen brand new games and there be a chance that’s actually what happens? I hope so. This needs to be Microsoft’s E3. Trooper

Game of two halves

So now that most people have probably had a chance to beat Resident Evil 7, do you wish it was more or less serious than it is? I think they got the cheesiness just about right, but I’d definitely say the game was better in the first half than the second. Maybe they couldn’t have sustained that kind of setting and atmosphere for the whole game but I would’ve like to see them try, rather than go in the direction they did (trying not to give any spoilers here).

Just wondering what everyone else though though? Should it have been more serious? Should the sequel add in more traditional Resident Evil sci-fi stuff or keep the same sort of style? I’m kind of torn. There is some classic Resi stuff I’d like to see in first person (and VR) but the problem with any reboot like this is that you just end up slowly creeping back to what you were trying to get away from in the first place. Very interested to see how they handle the Resident Evil 2 remake given that. Crispen

Time for another

Crackdown is now 10 years old, as it was released in North America on February 20th 2007 and worldwide on February 23rd 2007.

It has been 10 years and I had the pleasure of playing this and Crackdown 2. Let’s hope we see something to celebrate this milestone, in the future like backwards compatibility with other Crackdown titles on Xbox 360 via the Xbox One, or a possible remaster of the previous two games. gaz be rotten (gamertag)

GC: Or, you known, some news on the new sequel?

Gaming unplugged

I’ve yet to delve join this generation of gaming – party because I’m skint and partly because all of the stories I hear of the capers that have hampered the majority of games that have come out the last few years. Most games apparently are released half-finished and require ridiculously huge updates that you need the Internet for (which I don’t have) before you even get to play the product you paid good money for.

This is incredibly off-putting to me as it sounds like a lot of hassle and doesn’t seem to be slowing down (referring to a recent letter about Hitman, which also requires an Internet connection to play to its fullest, eugh).

I really want to join this generation, as there are quite a few great single-player games being released (which I would have thought impossible in the age of online multiplayer) and with more to come in the future it seems it would be a great time to take the plunge and I was wondering how bad it ACTUALLY is. Do most games work after the updates? Do the majority of games require updates? Is it worth buying a PlayStation 4 without Internet connection? I’d ask around the net but find most gaming forums/comment sections full of *insert swear word* and GC and its loyal – and decent readers – are the only folk I trust.

Ahh, I just wish game companies would just start charging 70-80 quid per game. The cost of making games gone up but the price has pretty much remained the same. Yes, people will moan, but any game that has literally hundreds of hours worth of content (Skyrim, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, etc.) more than deserves a higher price tag.

It would also allow companies to produce better quality products that actually work, as we all know money (or lack thereof) is the reason they ain’t working right in the first place. GrandaddyGrenadeMan92

GC: Most games will work, but almost all have updates – sometimes very important ones. We really wouldn’t advise getting any next gen console without an Internet connection at home.

Inbox also-rans

Resident Evil 5 had a big ship in it! LastYearsModel09

GC: Oh yeah. This is quickly become a conspiracy.

Not that I’m hoping, but do we know if Tingle is going to be in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild yet? I dread to think what will happen with his voiceover. Ash

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Sarge, who asks what game would you find it impossible to play without its original soundtrack?

For many people a video game’s music is an intrinsic part of the appeal, but what soundtrack do you love so much you wouldn’t dream of playing the game without it? Sometimes having the sound on is a problem, and sometimes people like to use custom soundtracks – or just turn the soundtrack down and their own music up. But what game would you never do that with?

Have you ever been upset with remasters or other versions that change or remove the original soundtrack? And do you own the soundtrack separately, either digitally or on CD or vinyl?

Source: http://ift.tt/2kSRaCP

#IFTTT #Blogger

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justinharst · 8 years ago

Link

The Double

Across the pond

Two good reasons

GC: We’re not sure if there’s a technical reason but the success, or lack thereof, of the Mega CD and 32X is one reason. And your cynical answer covers the rest.

Can’t go back

just wondered if Codemasters were adding a VR mode to DiRT 4 when it’s out? Hope so, because I don’t know if I will get it now if it has not got a VR mode.

GC: They’ve hinted at VR support for DiRT 4, but not confirmed it. It seems a no-brainer if DiRT Rally’s VR support proves popular.

Dare to dream

Game of two halves

Time for another

Crackdown is now 10 years old, as it was released in North America on February 20th 2007 and worldwide on February 23rd 2007.

GC: Or, you known, some news on the new sequel?

Gaming unplugged

GC: Most games will work, but almost all have updates – sometimes very important ones. We really wouldn’t advise getting any next gen console without an Internet connection at home.

Inbox also-rans

Resident Evil 5 had a big ship in it! LastYearsModel09

GC: Oh yeah. This is quickly become a conspiracy.

Not that I’m hoping, but do we know if Tingle is going to be in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild yet? I dread to think what will happen with his voiceover. Ash

This week’s Hot Topic

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Sarge, who asks what game would you find it impossible to play without its original soundtrack?

Have you ever been upset with remasters or other versions that change or remove the original soundtrack? And do you own the soundtrack separately, either digitally or on CD or vinyl?

Source: http://ift.tt/2kSRaCP

#Games #IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes