#awesome very functional website

[verflares]

i sound insane trying to talk about this but. occasionally tumblr does this thing sometimes where it'll like. shadowban one of my posts. there's nothing against tos in them (id only publicly post my sfw art anyways) and it doesn't even tell me what might be wrong with them. it'll just only show up on my blog and not my dashboard at all 💀

[stolenviolet]

Where is this Baby Death AU I'm hearing so much about? I'm dumb and don't know how to do things on the internet, help! XD

Nah, you're a smart cookie! This website is just tough to navigate sometimes.

All you need to do is go to my blog.

From there hit that cool little magnifying glass button.

Then search 'Baby Death AU'

That should pull up everything I've posted for it! (not a whole lot, I'll admit)

But if you don't feel like rummaging through those posts, I'll give you a quick summary:

When Voldemort hits Harry with the killing cure in the forest, the spell backfires (again). Only this time, it creates a life instead of taking one. This leaves the once prophesied enemies with a baby that holds quite a resemblance to the two of them. Confused and curious as to how this accrued, Harry and Voldemort agree to a truce and are now stuck Co-Parenting their 'happy little accident'.

However, what they don't realize is that this sweet buddle of joy is actually Death!

You see, Death wasn't very happy with Voldemort running around making horcruxes, so he seizes the opportunity to take mortal form in hopes of foiling any future plans the 'Dark Lord' may have for immortality.

What follows is a bunch of goofy hijinks as Death, Harry and Voldemort navigate their new life as a ...somewhat functional family.

--

Other things to note in this AU(so far):

-Harry is the 'Master of Death' in this AU (though he doesn't know this and still doesn't). Death even tried to call him 'Master', at first, but as a baby, the word proved to be too difficult to get out. This resulted in Harry being referred to as 'Ma' or 'Ma-Ma' (much to everyone's confusion, but hey! it stuck *shrugs*)

-Baby Death was given the name Thomas Sirius Potter. (this was the result of a twitter poll I took to help me pick out a name. personally i find it hilarious and very on brand for how harry would name his kid.)

-Thomas is a Hufflepuff! (also the result of a twitter pole.)

-Nagini is the only one who knows Thomas is Death.

-Voldemort and Bella used to be an item, but he broke it off after Thomas was...'born?'. Now she's constantly scheming up ways to win him back. Sadly for her, they never work.

-Harry and Voldemort do eventually end up 'together' but not until Thomas leaves for his first year at Hogwarts.

--

I think that should about cover it...OH! Hold on!

Here are some awesome fics that were written base on the original prompt 'When Voldemort hits Harry with the killing cure in the forest, it creates a life instead of taking one':

The Heir de la Mort by @rowena-rain

Bloody Gorgeous by @laserswordtraining

(be sure to mind the tags!)

--

Okay, now I'm done rambling. Thanks for the ask, and I hope you enjoy this silly little AU!

[ariaste]

I'm super excited for your new book, quick question though... I recently saw something about an author not getting much $ from amazon because of the way revenue/profit was allocated when the book was on sale. What are the best 3 ways to buy your book in terms of revenue for you? I'm assuming Amazon isn't great? What about B&N? small local book stores? From the link you shared? A different method?

That is an AWESOME question and extremely thoughtful! I will give the short answer and the long answer. Short answer for RUNNING CLOSE TO THE WIND specifically:

Buy the hardback from Allstora (GREAT) or my Bookshop.org affiliate store (still good) or Barnes & Noble (I won't get any extra money, but it's good for other reasons, see below) or your local indie bookstore (we love supporting small businesses)

Buy the ebook from wherever is best for you! Right now I make pretty much the same amount of money regardless of platform.

Remember to recommend it to your local library in hardback, ebook, and audiobook form. (I still make money when libraries buy my books, and libraries help new readers discover my books)

For readers outside of America: You should be able to get it everywhere, and buying it from any retailer is great! I recommend a local indie bookstore.

Longer answer for all of my books:

Right, so I do both indie publishing and traditional publishing, so this is where things get weird:

Allstora is amazing for authors. For physical copies of my books, I get between 10% and 40% of the sale price on top of the royalties i get from my publisher. It is sincerely a game-changer. Buying my books from from my Bookshop.org store, linked above, is also pretty good -- it gets me a little boost of 10% of the profits of any books you buy through my affiliate link. Pretty cool. Buying books from Barnes & Noble is good for different reasons, because while I do not get any extra money beyond my royalties, B&N is very good at reporting their preorder numbers to my publisher, which is useful data for them to know for things like how much of a marketing budget to give my books. As for buying from indie bookstores, that speaks for itself: They are the backbone of our literary society and supporting them is just a morally good thing to do. (For international readers looking to get the hardbacks: Whichever retailer you usually use is great! There's no clear frontrunner right now that gives me more benefit than any other)

For ebooks of my traditionally published books (A Conspiracy of Truths, A Choir of Lies, Finding Faeries, A Taste of Gold and Iron, and now Running Close to the wind), again, buying them anywhere is currently fine. I hear Allstora might be working on getting ebook functionality in the future, in which case that will become the answer :) For ebooks of my self-published works, however, get them from my Patreon shop. I walk away with about $8 off an $8.99 sale. It's incredibly good.

Again, recommending my books to your local library (there's usually an online form on their website) is hugely helpful because that's FREE for you and STILL MONEY for me! :D And libraries are awesome, so.

You can also sign up for my newsletter or join my Discord server to get notifications of special events when you can buy autographed books directly from me! This gets me even more money than Allstora, but I only run these events a couple times a year for special occasions.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for asking this question! I hope this helped!

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

Things I Can't Stop Thinking About Since the Gravity Falls Renaissance; An Overly Long Compilation

• It's mostly a joke-y cartoon thing but holy shit Dipper wakes up screaming kind of a lot??? How long has he been doing that for?? How long will he *be* doing it for??

• Stan had to basically teach himself advanced physics and complex multidimensional theories. He had the advantage of the portal mostly being built and having a bunch of the notes post-Bill, but still!! He had to learn how to operate the damn thing! I highly doubt Ford wrote about the portal in the same accessible manner he wrote about cryptids, especially as he spiraled into paranoia. The machinations of the portal weren't meant to be shared with the layperson, it just wouldn't be practical information for most people to have.

(also notable that he went through the whole process of learning how to operate the portal not only through pages and pages of dense code, but with the background of a 1970s highschool education and literally nothing else that would be relevant. Ford works really hard, but this is also stuff that comes to him very naturally. Designing a functioning portal wasn't the hard part. The hard part was getting the idea for the portal in the first place and knowing what to do with it. This shit is so ridiculously advanced and Stan is not an academic mind by any means. No wonder it took 30 years, he had to keep up a fake life and fund his project while grinding away at advanced quantum physics interdimensional whatever science wizard nonsense. I think about those 30 years a lot.)

• It doesn't really get addressed, but I think about Wendy being "super stressed out, like, all the time!" A lot. God, can you imagine living in the same house as Manly Dan? Let alone being the only girl there? Especially depending on when their mom left/died, she probably felt incredibly alone for a lot of her teen years. And given the Apocalypse Training it doesn't seem like Manly Dan is the most stable parent either.

• Stan, Ford, and Wendy could probably bond over having shitty holidays (and subsequently being forced into having awesome holidays when Mabel found out.) Filbrick took Stan and Ford to get free cinder block samples for Hanukkah, and the Corduroys did apocalypse training every year instead of Christmas.

• Pacifica still hears the voice of the Lumberjack ghost in her nightmares, but it's implied on the website that the Lumberfolk spirits have actually declared her under their protection since the events of Northwest Mansion Mystery. That means one of two things: that the ghost in her dreams is just her own guilt-ridden brain, or that the ghost has been appearing in her dreams to try and help her. I think about both options frequently.

• Stan struggles a lot of the time with physical activity, but that's mostly to do with age. He's actually really goddamn strong (beating down the zombies, punching a pterodactyl in the face, grabbing Ford and hoisting him up off the ground no problem, scaling scaffolding and holding the twins up by a rope one-handed). This makes the fact that Wendy beat him in an arm wrestling contest three times in a row way funnier.

• The way the Stans were almost definitely completely willing to beat a random guys ass so that Waddles could get on that bus. Stanford "Your math is no match for my gun you idiot!" Pines implicitly threatened to shoot a stranger with a Weird Sci-Fi Firearm for his great-niece. Stanley is even more direct. There is no confusing what brass knuckles will to to you. I also absolutely believe that they were not bluffing. One of them would've stolen the bus if the guy had mysteriously fallen unconscious due to unforseen circumstances.

• According to Soos, Tad Strange is crushing hard on Woodpecker Guy. Is this general town knowledge? Does everybody know that the Woodpecker marriage is on the rocks? How does one divorce a woodpecker? Alternatively, how does one get divorced *by* a woodpecker? Does Tad have a chance? Is this a small town scandal? Mr. Hirsch inquiring minds want to know. Has Toby Determined written a gossip column on this drama yet. Get your head in the game, Toby

[thetravelingmaster]

Reasons Why you Should Check Out ROM

(readonlymind.com)

I've done a similar posts before for this site when I first joined up ROM as an author, but I feel like it deserves a little boost and some visibility out here as one of the many sites where one can enjoy erotic mind control literature. And also, because I'm a little selfish! I figure that if more people know about it, there's going to be more erotic stories to read.

Back when I joined, thanks to @arihi 's post on the matter during the 2018 tumblrapocalypse, I believe that there were barely 150 authors that published on the site, but as of today, that number has risen to 446. The list keeps growing and so does the variety of stories available.

Much like mcstories.com, the site is very easy to navigate and search through, even if you aren't 'logged in' as an author or reader. It offers us simple ways to search out and find the stories or authors we most want to read about. They've done an awesome job with the tag system so that regardless of which story you are reading, you can click on a tag to see what other stories that have the same theme.

It's a lot like a porn site actually, but for mind control themes.

And speaking of the tags...

The search function is rather advanced. Not only can you click a specific tag to see which stories have them, but you can also use the 'advanced search' to combine them and refine your search. You can add as many as you want to really find out if a specific theme is available. In fact you can also exclude tags to make sure you only get the stories you truly want.

Of course, when you do find a story you like, the author name will be a link to their page, which will list their stories as well as an introduction about themselves if they chose to add one. Since the site is all about open discussion, they accept self promotion so you can expect to find contact information on authors you like or even a link to other sites they post on.

Another very useful thing you'll find on their page, which I haven't seen on any other MC site before, is the 'story suggestion' link. There, you'll find all the stories the author recommends.

I've found that it's a great way to discover other authors because if you enjoy someone's writing, there's also a good chance you'll enjoy reading the stories they've enjoyed and recommended. Plus, if the author is so inclined, they can do more than just list off a bunch of stories, but also add a comment as to why they enjoyed it. I personally try to always add a little something to entice those that end up on my list.

Another feature I truly enjoy as an author is the fact that you can always go back an edit your stories because you always have full control of what is posted. Honestly, if I had discovered this before I opened up my own website, there would have been no need for me to do it. Although, I might have been a little disappointed about the fact I couldn't add the lovely images that inspire me so much... hehehe

But regardless, as an author that has many stories with many chapters, I've quickly discovered how easy it is to organize my stories because I can add a new chapter to an existing story, which is great because the reader doesn't have to look for previous chapters. Plus, you can add titles and even small descriptions to each, which will show up in the story index. In addition, you always get a word count for each chapter (or full story in the story list) so you know how long it should take you to get through it.

Speaking of readers, the site offers a little more than just a well organized and searchable site.

Well... If you register that is!

You don't have to post anything though, so registering is simply like creating an account. What you get for registering are a few fun bonuses like the ability to 'snap' a story you liked. Which is basically the equivalent of a 'like' here on tumblr. As an author, it's always a great inspiration to add chapters when I notice that one of my stories becomes popular and I know readers want more. It's also a great indicator for readers, as you well know!

Another bonus you get by registering is being able to comment on each chapter. I love the comments section because it not only gives me the ability to get feedback, but it also allows registered people to tag each other and reply to comments. As an added bonus, once you register, you get access to a notification page and if someone's replied or tagged you, you'll be notified there.

Speaking of notifications...

As an author, I get a bunch of notifications every time a user 'snaps' one of my stories, leaves a comment or recommends it to others. But as a reader, I can also 'follow' specific authors and be notified when ever they publish a new story or add a chapter to an existing one. But hey, that could be bothersome too so you ALSO have the option of just following ONE specific story so you are sure to know when the latest chapter drops. I'll admit, I use this option a lot!

Another option you may notice in the above image is the 'Read Later' option. I've used that as both a place to list off stories I like to read multiple times, as well as the obvious happenstance where I find a good one I want to read, but don't have the time.

As you ALSO may have notice, there are well known authors publishing their stories there too. @scifiscribbler, @jukeboxemcsa, @darthkyra, @ellaenchanting, @hypnoticharlequin and @skaetlett, to name a few you might know from tumblr.

If you can't get enough of reading MC stories, then this site will definitely help to feed your cravings. It's still relatively new and small when compared to others, but so far, it's proven its potential for growth.

The more the merrier

TM

[simder-talia-blog]

Info here

The hard part about these type of things is knowing I will forget people. Just know that if I reblog your posts I appreciate you so much and what you do!

For anyone new to the world of CC, I highly recommend these creators, and remember that if you find a creator who has made some things you like, go browse the rest of their catalog! Chances are there is lots more that you're going to love.

@herecirmsims - Makes wonderful, amazing pose packs and has a fun story going as well!

@ellemant - Gorgeous, gorgeous screenshots. Ellemant has also made some of my favorite, and oldest CC that I have in my game!

@eslanes - A longtime favorite account. You have got to check out the amazing Sims version album covers that eslanes has made as renders!

@xsavannahx987 - Awesome CC!

@rebouks - Amazing poses and storytelling! Also builds & sims dumps

@creamlattedream - So much fun MM clothing for your sims, & lots for male sims!

@beansbuilds - Beautiful, detailed builds that I fell in love with from her very first post

@bill-l-s4cc - Very useful CC items!

@xldkx - Incredibly cute & useful deco sims and more!

@the-dew-of-the-sea - makes some of my favorite CC that I have in my game!

@saruin - Superb and creative creations!

@anachrosims - Beautiful, gorgeous historical CC and in game shots that take your breath away!

@elfydrell - Loads of WoW CC!

@yooniesim - A creator of incredible CAS details for your sims, and lots of them!

@hamsterbellbelle - If you're looking for cyberpunk aesthetic, you must browse this creator's catalog!

@serawis - Another lovely CC creator (I especially love the skin overlays!)

@cinamun - Storytelling & gorgeous shots! (I added cinamun after I posted, I have a terrible headache this morning as I was finishing this post, I am sorry for accidentally leaving you out!)

@surely-sims - So much fun & unique CC, if you haven't yet, you must go look!

@simkoos - Again, so much fun & cute CC!

@aira-cc - More MM / kawaii CC that I absolutely love

@lilis-palace - Gorgeous MM historical CC

@twentiethcenturysims - Gorgeous MM historical CC, and even some witch hats for your cats!

@gothoffspring - More lovely CC (and tie dye!)

@simmillercc - More adorable CC

@nolan-sims - another one of my longtime favorites!

@simverses - Tons of wonderful Medieval CC!

@coatisims - All the groceries!

@bodegababysims - MOAR groceries!

@aroundthesims - Another longtime favorite! Sooo many useful and unique items, some of which inspired by her personal life and things she loves, which I love.

@insimniacreations - Tons of functional IRL food!

@moderncrafter - Lots of really nice vehicle CC (check poly for older computers)

@marsosims - More wonderful MM CC, I especially love their hairs

@peacemaker-ic - Can't make a favorites collection without mentioning Peacemaker! Maxis Match CC of all kinds!

I also want to say how much I appreciate anyone on here that has ever made me burst out laughing with something funny that they've posted (screenshots from your game, glitches, a meme you made relating to tumblr website nonsense, commentary on this or that, etc) You're all so funny 💗😆😭

Happy Holidays, everyone! Take care, pls stay healthy & safe, and thank you so much for the past year of simming fun!

EDIT! @crazy-lazy-elder-sims & @helloavocadooo I am so sorry I also forgot to tag you in this. I've had a bad headache for days due to very crazy barometric pressure where I live and I just am not thinking properly. I love that I get to be part of this community with you!

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Eco Warrior Duchess Sussex merching winter gear like an idiot by u/Lensgoggler

Eco Warrior Duchess Sussex merching winter gear like an idiot So, I live in a country that gets cold. Very cold sometimes. Similar to Canada.And I own one puffy coat. ONE. I bought it 5 years ago. Most people here do not own many of similar function coats - and I assume it's true for Canada. Nobody owns 3 new identical coats simultaneously. Why? Because these are fucking expensive, and buying many is just plain stupid and pretentious. We also don't tend to own that many identical thickness new hats, gloves and boots. Same reason - expensive and pointless. When it comes to winter gear, everything has to have a function. Kids tend to have two or three sets of things because they tend to get wet and/or dirty, but not adults.​Blue, boots #2Beige, boots #1 with furBlack, boots #2But Duchess Meghan, the eco warrior, with a new website and last name, wears three different new puffy coats and two pairs of similar but different boots (the beige set had boots that have fur) in three days. She also wears the coats unlike people in actual cold places (we zip them up usually, or wear a thinner one). She wears a scarf like nobody who is actually cold does - but of course, if she wore it the way it'd actually be warm, you couldn't see it... And on two other occasions she has no scarf at all, so it's not scarf weather for her? She must have an immune system of steel. To Harold's credit, he seems not not give two hoots about what he wears. Has put on Invictus puffer after getting to the event, and has a nondescript layer underneath, and a very basic hat, if any. I wonder what goes on in MM's head... "This is my husband's work thing, I'll tag along and wear all kinds of different getups because this makes me appear successful and awesome because I have sooooo many clothes and accessories!! I am such an inspiration!" I didn't list the 'Valentine's Date pap shot' because it looks like she rewears the red monstrosity from the NY trip. I wonder what happens to the coats back in warm California. Will she return them? Donate them? Rewear them? I'm pretty sure WME has got nothing to do with MM anymore. Because this is a very bad look indeed, anyone with a brain would see that. A 42 yo woman obsessed with her clothes and faffing about at an event she has nothing to do with.​ post link: https://ift.tt/b4M9Swr author: Lensgoggler submitted: February 16, 2024 at 10:10AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[aardvaark]

leverage characters listed from most to least transgender, go

all of them are tied at #1 obviously! okayyy if i have to try and list in order, its def sophie first and then everyone else i think. maybe sophie, eliot, everyone else.

sophie: probably the biggest theme in her character development is about identity. complex relationship with her name & childhood. her "real name" ie birth name doesn’t represent who she is anymore, to the point that she now says her real name is sophie devereaux (in redemption). nate essentially deciding that he no longer *needs* to know her past or her "real name" is a significant moment that symbolically lays to rest one of the central conflicts of their relationship. she’s constantly analysing the way the world perceives her, societal expectations, gendered expectations, etc. has literal "dead" names bc many of her aliases are allegedly dead lmao. in other words, a lot can be said about her journey being like a trans allegory. i also especially love the hc that she’s a trans woman, it’s one of my faves!! (and hopefully tumblr will be a functional website for once if i link to @transsophiedevereaux ‘s tags on a post here. also shoutout to transsophiedevereaux in general like YES the trans!sophie headcanon and also you’re just awesome!)

eliot: significant theme about change & becoming a better/different person. becoming the version of yourself that you actually want to be, that you need to be.

parker: "you were a teenage girl" "only sort of!". gender neutral name, which is very possibly a chosen name. thinks of herself as just parker, and as a thief - doesn’t want/require any other labels or identities, probably including "woman".

hardison: "normal is what works for you", very accepting. talks a lot about change and self acceptance and is a source of info + comfort on this topic for other characters. implied to have went through a time of being pretty lost, but with nana’s help, found a lot more confidence in who he is.

nate: also big themes of change, identity, choosing who you are/will be. really a theme of rebirth. however this is so clearly meant in the most catholic way possible

wrote most of this super late last night so um please forgive any coherency issues!! but i love talking about this show and the characters and trans hcs so much that it was essential for me to immediately start replying lol. thank you so much for the ask!!

[secretdestinypainter]

Traveling the most beautiful places this 2024:

“Visit to Europe (Vienna)"

In my opinion, traveling is the most interesting thing that is liked by almost half of the people on Earth. Traveling is an adventure that broadens horizons, opens minds and enriches lives. It makes the person happy and fresh of any age, whether it’s about exploring exotic destinations, immersing oneself in different countries and cultures, or simply seeking relaxation in nature and embrace.

Traveling to different countries in a very short time is very difficult to memorize, and making all the events perfectly fully organized or managed is a big task, but having something that makes us memorize about our events in advance is a big support, like tinyti.me website makes this problem easier in today's world by making their website available for us to create events which help in perfect management.

I think Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The historic core of the city is a massive UNESCO Heritage Site brimming with incredible museums, beautiful galleries, and sprawling Baroque palaces.

The city is a history buff’s dream. There’s an incredible café culture, a nearby wine region, tons of amazing eateries, awesome live music (including world-class opera), and much more.

I’ve been coming here for years and I never get tired of visiting. Technically speaking I love the city so much that I used to run tours here!

Naturally, I’ve stayed at countless hotels during my visits. Here’s my list of the best hotels in Vienna:

1. Hotel-Pension Wild

This two-star hotel is one of the few affordable lodgings in the city center. It has simple but bright rooms that feature comfortable beds, plenty of space, and large windows that let in a lot of natural light. The design is a bit dated (the carpeted rooms don’t look particularly stylish) but everything is clean and functional. Rooms include basic amenities like a flatscreen TV, desk, and free Wi-Fi. The bathrooms are pretty small, but they’re clean and the showers have good water pressure. The hotel offers a hearty continental breakfast and the owner is friendly and welcoming. If you’re on a tight budget, there are small, no-frills single rooms with a shared bathroom available as well.

2. Hotel Domizil

This boutique four-star hotel has small, clean rooms with décor that makes you feel like you’re back in Vienna’s imperial past. The rooms have plenty of light and lots of antique touches, such as wooden desks and tables, and upholstered armchairs. Rooms also have free Wi-Fi, a flatscreen TV, and a coffee/tea maker. The bathrooms, while not particularly fashionable (the tiles are kind of ugly), are very spacious and the showers have excellent water pressure. The breakfast, which can be included in the price, has tons of variety, including lots of different fresh breads and cheeses.

Located in the city center, I think this is one of the best value places to stay if you want to be in the center of it all.

3. Hotel Mozart

One of the few hotels in the Rossau neighborhood (just northwest of the city center), this budget-friendly three-star hotel boasts large rooms with lots of natural light. Rooms are spacious and decorated in light colors and feature hardwood or parquet floors. There are lots of other wooden touches too, such as desks/tables, and large wooden headboards. Free Wi-Fi is included, as is a flatscreen TV and AC (a must if you’re visiting in the summer). Some rooms include coffee machines. The hotel boasts a filling breakfast spread each morning with lots of fresh fruit and pastries. There’s also a bar on-site and the staff are always happy to share their tips and advice too.

4. Hotel Johann Strauss

Located in the Wieden neighborhood, this stylish four-star hotel is named after the eponymous 19th-century Austrian composer. The hotel is set in a historic Art Nouveau building that’s been entirely renovated, with rooms that have lots of natural light and a soft, welcoming color palette. Rooms include a flatscreen TV, minibar, coffee/tea maker, desk, and sofa. I really like that there’s a lot of art around the property, including in the rooms (naturally, much of the art is music centered). The tiled bathrooms are huge, with lots of light and great water pressure. I especially like that the breakfast buffet is enormous and features a lot of variety. The staff is exceptionally friendly too and happy to help you make the most of your stay.

5. Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna

Located in Landstrasse near the iconic Belvedere Palace, this luxe four-star hotel feels more like a five-star property. It has a chic lobby and large, bright rooms with super comfy beds. Everything is fashionable and trendy, with lots of rich colors from a darker palette. The large bathrooms are bedecked with dark tiles and are well lit, featuring plush bathrobes and relaxing rain showers. Rooms also include a flatscreen TV, desk, and coffee/tea maker. The breakfast buffet is huge and has a lot of options, but I especially love that the on-site restaurant has a Michelin star (it does amazing modern takes on traditional Austrian dishes).

The hotel is a perfect choice for travelers who want some luxury without breaking the bank.

6. The Ritz-Carlton Vienna

This is arguably the fanciest hotel in town. A five-star property right in the heart of the city, this hotel is spread across four historic palaces (yes, actual palaces). While the hotel feels palatial, it has understated décor with a chic minimalist design (think lots of white space with touches of color or artwork). The marble bathrooms are huge and the showers have perfect water pressure. The rooms are also massive and have big, comfy beds (as well as desks, AC, sofas, and electric kettles).

There’s also a gigantic breakfast buffet offered each morning and a free glass of champagne when you check in. The hotel also has a pool that plays music underwater, a fitness center, sauna, steam room, and three different spas on-site. In short, it’s the pinnacle of luxury in the city and the best choice for travelers looking to splurge on an elegant stay.

I hope this blog helps you a lot when traveling next time to Europe (Vienna), So, whether you're embarking on a solo adventure, a family vacation, or a romantic getaway, This spirit of travel guides you on a journey of exploration, discovery, and adventure.

[galacticnova3]

I am very thankful for this website allowing me to indulge in delight at creatures (boats)

What is the Lor Starcutter?

-Alive in all ways except the cellular sense

-Utilizes energy and requires it to function successfully

-Capable of complex activities, like locomotion, sight, speech, and decision making

-Participates in play behavior

-Has wings

-Friend shaped

-Super duper cool and awesome all around

Conclusion: the Lor Starcutter is a Creature. Probably some kind of very large bug if one considers her oars to be analogous to legs, her lack of a skeleton in favor of a hard exterior, and the presence of wings. Wow!

[revanhaed]

I just wanted to let you know how much I've been loving all these adorable requests you do! I don't know if you plan to reopen them any time soon, but I bet if you did Kofi requests you would get a ton of takers (including me). Thanks for all the awesome art!

thank you for that kind sentiment. it makes me very happy to know you and a few others enjoy my art ❤️

as far as tumblr art requests, i don’t have any current intention to reopen them anytime soon (this first go-around had just been an attempt to clear up some art block, which you all helped with greatly), but that doesn’t mean i won’t ever do them again. perhaps it can be a bi-monthly thing 🤔

and then with kofi—i’m admittedly very new to the website 😅 if i can figure out how requests function there, i might just have to try it one of these days!

[marxism-transgenderism]

I was tagged by @mithli to post some of the books I read this year. P sure it's supposed to be top 10 best but I only read 7 lol. Gonna talk about them more under the cut cause I wanna

I tag @cyanociitta @aspoopalypse @lesbianbrad @post-brahminism @killyfromblame @deadryn and anyone else who wants to do it just say I tagged you and do it !!! And idc if you've only even read one book this year tell us about it !!

Autumn of the Black Snake was a very good history of the wars between the US and the Indigenous confederacy in the Ohio River valley in the 1790s. It had some issues I could get into but as far as most settler-written histories this was one of the best. It did a very good job of breathing life into the figures and really diving into the personal schemes which motivated colonialism here

Indigenous Prosperity and American Conquest was an absolutely incredible book going over mountains of evidence to show to high amount of prosperity of Indigenous nations here and how the the theft of that wealth function on a small and large scale. It's very academic and also got its issues but cannot recommend it enough

Hoosiers was actually the first book I read when I started this and is partially what motivated me to keep ready cause fuck does this thing suck. Like it's not terrible and gave a good intro to the early colonization of what is now Indiana but then it just ignores the brutality it described to talk about how cool and awesome the US system of settlement is and then drops any talk of Indigenous people after like 1812. My hope is to rip it to shreds one day with what I've learned

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States is always a classic. I've had to return to this book a lot over the years and it still holds up. I do wish it touched more on the the history here other than Tecumseh but I get why it didn't. Please read this fucking book

Contested Territories is one I need to return to cause I read it too early into my research and did not have the context to grab all its details. It's a collection of modern research on the lower great lakes and had some great stuff but a lot I'll need to reevaluate now that I know more

myaamiaki aancihsaaciki isn't really a book but I'm counting it anyway. It's a summary of the removal route of the Myaamia to Oklahoma and a collection of primary sources about the removal. It's a excellent resource and there's a free pdf of the Miami Tribe of Oklahomas website

Settler Colonialism and the Transformation of Anthropology is one I've only just started but so far its excellent. It's like the foundational work for the moden academic study of settler colonialism so it's cited in like everything I've read

[kyomunosaki]

I started Hypnospace Outlaw

...and I've noticed a few small things that are super interesting, mostly with the idea of tutorialization.

I didn't plan to do a writeup on this, so I don't have any of my own gameplay's screenshots. I remember most of the gist, so I can probably write a few sentences on this topic that really stuck with me. I would've gone back for more screens but I'm feeling very lazy and I might repost this with editing/photos in the future lol

So Hypnospace Outlaw is basically a pre-2K "internet janitor simulator" except that you don't do it for free. You're like a free contractor/PMC janitor, where you get comissions to hunt down certain infringement of internet/Hypnospace law.

The first case is to find instances where the copyright for a 1968 of a cartoon character named Gumshoe Gooper is being infringed upon. I found this case to be a phenomenal tutorial for both the game mechanics and the philosophical(?) questions the game wants to ask.

Gumshoe Gooper (Hypnospace Outlaw)

At first upon getting this case, I was still grappling with the game mechanics, exploring the Windows 98-ass interface with the skill of an old man in a nursing home. At the time I entirely forgot about the search function, so I just explored by going through various web portals and webrings, a la Geocities.

I found a lot of interesting sites that I don't really have the time (nor screenshots) to talk about and do justice with, but there's a lot of awesome things to find in Hypnospace if you're willing to just take time and look around. I do want to possibly talk about that later if there's interest.

After just stumbling around the internet and remembering how hard it is to find stuff through web portals, I remembered the search function existed thanks to one of the sites I ended up on having tags that open up the search window. So I searched for "gooper"

You find 3 sites from that search, two from AbbyWrites58 and another from another woman who's name I can't recall right now. The first site is a typical late 90s personal site you might find, for a first-grade teacher. It contains mentions of memorials to dead lost ones, a Hypnospace Heaven or something, and is part of a "Spirituality" web ring, but otherwise not much to note. The first link however, is a link to "Drawings of Gumshoe Gooper by my first graders"

Webrings on Abby's World (Hypnospace Outlaw)

On the link, its filled with pencil/crayon sketches of Gumshoe Gooper by a bunch of children, but also 2 gifs that seem like legitimate copyright infringement. I still felt apprehensive about reporting this page to the Hypnospace Enforcers, because it felt like a teacher just wanting to share the work of her students and I was hoping to find other violations to fit my quota. Regardless, even if I were to fill out my quota there were only 2 very clear examples of copyright infringement on the page.

So, I went back and checked out the other site by AbbyWrites58, and this one was... a political support website for a local politician? Who was seemingly a politician that had different views than, I, the player did? And she was using a GIF of Gumshoe Gooper saying that he supported her? I didn't have much hesitation just hitting her with the copyright violation on this page.

The third page was just another site but with an official Gumshoe Gooper strip posted on it. As you can tell the rest of this essay is lazily thrown together and just a retelling of events, but I do not remember the exact details of the page. I just remember still feeling apprehensive about reporting stuff on the page with children's art, so I think I reported that strip.

I still hadn't reached my quota of 3 violations reported, so I begrudgingly made my way back to the initial site I had landed on in my search. I decided to report one of the GIFs, and didn't feel too bad about it since while she did teach first graders I did find her political views somewhat, off-putting. I was going to make my way back to the case page to finalize it, but I got a notification on the not!Clippy software, telling me that if I find more violations I could get a bonus on closing the case?

A child's drawing of Gumshoe Gooper (Hypnospace Outlaw)

So, I decide to report the other GIF on the page as well, and look at that: more money. And then I have a dark urge to test something out. What about this first grader's art? What if I file it for copyright infringement, what would happen? Would the kid get in trouble? Will the teacher get the blame? Did the teacher even deserve any blame? Well, I hit the report. It works. So I go through the page, filing every crude drawing of Gumshoe Gooper by children as a violation of copyright law.

I get a lot of money, and I don't feel too bad after learning more about AbbyWrites58. Besides, the other members of her webring were openly fascists! That sort of association makes you liable to uh, getting in serious trouble over copyright infringement of a 1968 cartoon character right? It's just my job! I needed to hit the quota! And what if I flag her account to the authorities, her account with her location and other personal information tied to it?! What is the worst that could happen, and maybe I would feel a bit more bad about it if her political views weren't so, wrong?

This sort of self-justification I found myself doing just felt fascinating. It was some of the most engaged I felt with a game's narrative in so long, and it's only been made more fascinating by later cases like even the one just following this with ZANE_ROCKS_14. If you liked this post, maybe I'll actually try to edit this one down properly and actually take screenshots too. Regardless, if you got this far thanks for reading!

Edit: I can see how this makes me look like kind of a dumbass but I guess what's more accurate is "what her political views were being signalled as" is more accurate for some of the stuff I say above lol, but I'm too lazy to edit the post more than this

[deerydear]

I've been studying Japanese with the help of a program on my phone. I find it easiest to begin with listening and speaking, and then reading and writing. Here are a few videos I've found helpful for learning to write:

I purchased several bilingual books to learn to read. Here are a few (free) stories with narration!

I acquired a kanji dictionary, as well. Here is a useful website which is host to a Japanese dictionary. It has a really awesome search function! I'm a huge fan of books. I like holding something in my hands. I like being able to spread my references out on a table.

I'm still very new in learning. I like Kaname Naito's explanations of different words in conversation.

There is so much knowledge to be found on the World-Wide Web.

What's your favorite thing to learn?

[psalm22-6]

Hey! Hope you’re having a good day! I’m sorry if you’ve been asked this before and you’re repeating yourself, but how do you find these 19th century print culture materials that you often post? Where do you look for them? How would one go about finding this stuff?

Hello!! :-) thanks for the question. The answer is that I just spend hours sorting through any and all freely available digital archives. So Gallica is a big one of french materials available through the French national library (they also have retronews which is a bit harder to access for free but possible.) There's the Paris Museums archive which has lots of awesome and strange finds. Australia has Trove which is quite useable. The US has the library of congress but their website is very annoying to use. Each US state seems to have a digital newspaper archive (for example the California Digital Newspaper Collection), but some are easier to use than others. I love archive dot org though the function I use right now doesn't seem to be back up and working yet. Hathitrust digital library often has books I want but you have to know what you're looking for, I don't think you can just make a general search. I have access to some ProQuest newspaper archives through the university I went to. My dream would to get access to Newspapers dot com without paying for it (the archivist at a local museum one time gave me her password but she sadly changed it rip). What archives are useful to you will have to do with the subject you are researching.

So in short, I just find a database and the. i think of my search terms. Optical character recognition (OCR) is what allows you to search these papers but it's not perfect so you'll get some very random results sometimes or you might have to be creative with your search term. Sometimes you'll want to set date parameters to narrow your search. Then I just spend hours scrolling through the results (my idea of fun) and I like to use a free software called Zotero to help me organize what I find.

Hope that was helpful! Feel free to message me if you want to continue talking about this.

[beaudesoleil]

Hello! Ur art is ABSOLUTELY awesome! (Tastes like slurpee) Any tips on drawing cats? Like anatomy and style and stuff?? TYSM

thank you, i feel very honored! as far as tips go.....i'm not too good on sharing tips BUT i'll try ^^ idk how much they will help but i'm pretty sure they will give you a good understanding! (APOLOGIES IF I MADE ANY MISTAKES I WROTE THIS AT LIKE 5 IN THE MORNING sob)

starting on the face/head here. the head of a cat is relatively small compared to its body. it's mainly angled and dome-shaped (that depends on breed). the length also varies. for now i'll be sticking with the three generic head shapes for times' sake

if it's a foreign or oriental-type cat (eg; crowfeather), the head is longer and wedge-shaped, slopes downwards and has less pronounced cheeks. the ears are larger and pointier as well

if it's a standard-type cat (eg; bluestar), then the head is broad and medium-sized with well-developed cheeks, and the ears are average-sized and more curved

if it's a cobby-type cat (eg; yellowfang), then the head is wider and significantly shorter with protruding cheeks, and the ears are smaller and more like little nubs

now onto the body, limbs and tail...most cats share the same body shape, that being a lean, powerful body with a long tail and well-built semi-muscular limbs. some cats do stray from this stereostypical shape and either have slimmer bodies, shorter tails and shorter legs but those will be shared for another time

the torso of the body is long and well-set, not extremely thin and vasiform. the boning of the torso (and the body in general) is dense and able to support the cat's weight. it can either be wiry, average or stocky. the coat/pelt of the body can vary, ranging from short to long, and so does the patterns, ranging from striped, spotted, tortoiseshell/calico, rosettes and sometimes even with none at all.

the limbs are sturdy and muscular (which is seen more prominently in male cats) and usually sport medium to large paws with (obviously) retractable claws and prominent knuckles. the hind legs are naturally way longer than the front, so most cats mainly walk with their rear raised and their tail drooping and hanging there

the tail is thick and long, ending in a rounded tip. some cats have longer, winding tails (eg; tallstar) or short, stubby tails (eg; stumpytail) but again this is solely depending on breed. not much to say on tails tbh it's fairly easy

lots of people struggle on accurately capturing the looks and appearance of a cat, so if you still are even after the guide i suggest you look at references on google, visit the MESSYBEAST website (thats where i get most of my cat anatomy slop from) or take inspiration from wayne mcloughlin and owen richardson, two artists (one former, since wayne passed in 2015) that work on the warriors covers.

i hope this little guide helps with generic cat anatomy and how their bodies function externally! maybe i will make a part 2 on styles but who knows....maybe? maybe not? depends on my mood tbh ^^

-beau