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silvershadow1711 · 7 years ago

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The Road Not Trekked (excerpt)

Fuck yeah, I'm shameless. Here's the first chapter of the prologue if my two branch, 40+ chapter Fates rewrite. If you don't hate it, then make my day by checking me out on ff.net and ao3 (just your friendly, neighborhood SilverShadow1711)

(also, this is my first time trying to use html on the tumblr app cuz I'm on my phone and I can't seem to code it in the browser, so sorry if it doesn't actually code...)

Prologue- “Where It All Begins”

“Where has my heart gone? An uneven trade for the real world...”

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Ch.1- “Family Ties”

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Autumn was quickly settling over the kingdom of Nohr, but it was known by all that the chilling winds where but a brief warning of the freezing weather that would soon follow. Farmers were busy harvesting their crops, whilst all others were making preparations for the winter season. But that was life far outside the boundaries of the Northern Citadel. In the fortress, routines rarely changed in relation to the passing seasons. And the most strictly followed routine was that of training.

Training was over for the day (the sun set so quickly in the colder months one had to be up before it even rose to make the most of the daylight hours), a fact for which Nerr was eternally grateful. Despite the cold, she was drenched in sweat and though she had felt overheated in the midst of her mock battle, the chilled air had quickly set her freezing. A fact only emphasized by her bare feet, which were fast turning an unflattering shade of purple. Even as she made her way in from the courtyard, she dashed across the worn marble tiles on tip toe, trying to let as little bare flesh make contact with the cold floor as possible. It always baffled her friends and family why she didn't just wear shoes, even in the dead of winter. The answer was simple- she didn't like them. They were uncomfortable and restricting- like stays, but for your feet. Besides, it wasn't like shoes did much more to keep out the cold.

It was slow going, running up the stairs on her bare, frozen feet, her armor clanking with every step and every muscle sore and screaming for rest, but Nerr pushed aside her discomfort and persevered, for she knew the reward that lay in wait for her at the top of the tower she called home. And as she finally made her way to the last landing, one of the doors opened as if on cue, a vision of sheer loveliness in Nerr's eyes emerging from it. It was a young maid, about the same age that she was, her icy blue hair tied in neat pigtails. And as the maid spotted the frozen girl, she smiled slightly.

“There you are, Lady Nerr. You must be exhausted. I've prepared a bath for you.” Nerr laughed in delight, rushing forward and throwing her arms around the maid. She knew it wasn't the most thoughtful thing to do, what with her sweaty, disgusting armor and all, but she was too happy to care.

“Oh, Flora, you are my savior. You are a gift from the gods themselves, and I thank them every day for you!” The maid flushed slightly and looked away, clearly not comfortable with the praises lauded upon her.

“Oh, not at all, Lady Nerr. I'm just doing my--”

By that time, Flora's audience had long since run into the room she'd just vacated. A loud clanking and several colorful swears could be heard from it's depths. Smiling and shaking her head in good natured exasperation, Flora went back into the room to find her ladyship engaged in a vicious battle with her own armor, pulling at the straps in an attempt to undo them. Were it anyone else, Flora would've been disgusted with their gross incompetence, but she could see the other girl's fingers were stiff from cold, and her armor was rather complicated.

“Here, milady. Allow me to do that.” Obviously relieved to have someone who knew what they were doing take over, Nerr smiled gratefully and tried to keep from trembling too much as her maid quickly dismantled her armor. There was a rather large tub in the center of the room, filled nearly to the brim with hot water. As the warm steam wafted over her, it carried the scent of jasmine. Nerr had only seen the purple flowers in books, but knew that they grew in the southern regions of Nohr, where the climate was warmer. For so long she'd dreamed of seeing them, not just smelling them in her bath water or on her clothes, or the dried, dead petals that came in sachets, but real, living flowers. Now, finally, that dream was withing shouting distance.

As Flora pulled off the last piece of her armor, Nerr quickly stripped her clothes off. She'd have tried to fold them normally, making such a mess of things that the maid would eventually beg her to just leave them alone, but she was quickly loosing the feeling in her toes. With as much restraint as she could manage (which was not much, given that she was almost completely numb in her extremities), she climbed into the bath, letting out a mixed cry of pain and relief as the hot water engulfed her. The heat was almost too much to bear on her frozen skin, and it felt like she had sat in a thousand needles, but she needed it. Eventually, the pain ebbed away, leaving only the relaxing pleasure that coursed through her body. Sighing, she leaned against the chilled tiles, goosebumps rising up along her arms. Flora had just finished organizing the various plates of her armor, and walked over to the tub, carrying a few glass bottles filled with different colored liquids.

“Your training must've been grueling today, milady. You look fit to collapse.” Nerr chuckled slightly, remembering her training. All in all, it had consisted of basic drills. The only thing that really made it difficult was the cold.

“It was fairly standard. But I'll tell you, Flora, after that hellish endurance training last week, I'm just happy to do something I can sleep at the end of.”

An unsuppressed shudder went through Nerr as she remembered the 'endurance training'. It was something all prospective Nohrian knights had to go through before they were actually knighted, at least five days of non-stop, grueling training with only the bare minimum food and sleep. It was meant to simulate actual battle conditions in the field, and very few squires actually made it through. She had heard from Leo that people sometimes died in the middle of it. Nerr hadn't believed that at first, but after five days of no food, no sleep and pushing her body beyond it's limit, she had literally begged for death herself. Or so Jakob told her- she honestly didn't remember anything of that last day.

“I had almost forgotten about that. You were unconscious for two days afterwards. Should you really be training again so soon?” Nerr tilted her head back to look at Flora. Even upside down, she looked concerned.

“I have to.” She answered simply. “Now that I'm of age, I have to prove to Father that I'm fit to join our armies on the battlefield. It's bad enough I have to be quarantined here just because of a little trauma a hundred years ago- if I can't shake off one tiny coma, I'll never be allowed outside!”

She tilted her head further back, dipping her hair into the water, warming her scalp and wishing she could just duck her whole face under for a minute or two. But as she watched Flora uncork the bottles, she knew her self indulgence would have to wait a while longer.

“I know that, Lady Nerr. And I know how much this opportunity means to you. I'm just worried that you might be pushing yourself too hard.” Nerr could not help but smile as she sat up again, the warm water cascading over her. The maid behind her made quick work of untying her hair and undoing the braids she wore in it. It was hard to remember a time when Flora hadn't been there to do that for her. It was hard to remember a lot of things that happened before, but she had a feeling that was more because she didn't want to remember than anything. Nerr only let her focus stay on the good things.

“I know, Flora. I'm so grateful to have you looking out for me. But really, you don't have to worry. I feel fine. Better than fine, I'm on top of the world! Training was a piece of cake.”

“Still, it seems unfair that you would have to train on your birthday.” Nerr tried to look over her should once more, but Flora set her looking straight ahead as she began pouring the contents of one of the bottles on her lady's head. She cringed at the cold that now seemed to creep down her spine, but quickly refocused her thoughts.

“I don't see why. You're from the Ice tribe, and they're all about having strong warriors. Didn't you have to train on your birthday?” She couldn't see it, but the maid was scowling deeply. She wasn't wrong, and had anyone else said such a thing, Flora undoubtedly would have been very upset with them, but it was clear to anyone who knew her that the Nohrian princess did not mean anything cruel with her words. She never strove to be unkind, and she truly was ignorant in the ways of the world outside the boundary of the citadel, so Flora quickly bit back her anger.

“I did train on my birthday, and that is precisely why I say it is unfair.”

Rolling her sleeves up, she began working a lather into her ladyship's hair, perhaps a touch more forcefully than she normally would've done.

“But I got to see my family today. And not just one or two of them. Everyone came out to wish me a happy birthday, and they all stayed until noon, so how can I complain about a little training? I say it's a small price to pay.”

Maybe there were other people who wouldn't think two whole hours spent with their family was a big deal, but to Nerr, those people were crazy. The citadel she was the liege-lord of was two hours from the main castle on horseback, and her sibling were all very busy with their own duties. As such, she cherished every moment she could spend with them. Visits were few and far between, and rarely lasted an hour, so for all of her siblings to schedule so much time for her was indeed the most touching gift they could ever give her. Flora smiled softly as she continued lathering.

“I'm sure it warms your family's hearts to know you think so dearly of them...”

After her hair and back were washed, Nerr quickly fished in the bath. She would've enjoyed staying in the warm water a while longer, but alas, the water was quickly cooling. Hot things did not stay that way for long in the drafty fortress, despite everyone's best attempts to close all the holes and cracks. Nerr wondered if it was warmer in the main castle. It probably was- that was where the king and royal family lived, after all. It wouldn't do for the crown prince to catch his death from a chill. She looked forward to the day she and her retainers and household could move in as well, to be nearer to her family, and the rest of the world in general. Flora helped her into her nightgown and braided her hair for her the way she always wore it to sleep. For the first time, the thought struck her that, if she truly did join the Nohrian army, chances were she would not be able to bring Flora along. That wouldn't be fair to all the soldiers that weren't royalty. She needed to ask the maid how to braid her own her before she went anywhere.

The excitement and physical exhaustion of the day was beginning to catch up to her. Flora, in her infinite kindness, offered to escort Nerr back to her room, though they both knew it was more because the princess was in the habit of falling asleep wherever she got tired, and it would do no one any good if she caught a draft sleeping on the floor. The thought of crawling into bed and pulling her comforters over herself was almost as happy as that of her siblings. She had been suppressing a yawn as she opened the door to her room and once she walked in, it was difficult to tell if she had opened her eyes or not. The room was completely dark. Normally, such things didn't bother Nerr- she often found she could see in the dark just as well as in the light, but she was too tired to make sense of what she was looking at.

“Flora, why's it so dark in here?”

“Oh dear, I must've forgotten to light the torches. Don't worry, I'll get a light.”

She pulled Nerr into the doorway and stepped away. The darkness was so soothing, it was tempting to just lean against the door frame and go to sleep. The young princess was seriously contemplating that thought when a faint light appeared in the dark. Several, actually, all crowded close together. It was the warm, flickering light of candles, in the center of her room. And illuminated in the dim glow were the faces of her retainers and servants, smiling up at her. A cake lay on the table in front of them. Taken aback, Nerr slowly approached them, making sure to keep her breathing steady. It did not do for a princess of Nohr to go to pieces at the slightest provocation.

“What's this?” She asked, knowing the answer, but still curious if it wasn't something different.

“It's a birthday celebration.” Jakob answered primly.

“You guys know you don't have to do this. My birthday is nothing special.”

“We respectfully disagree, my lady.” Gunther interjected. “This is the day the gods gave you to us. That is something very special indeed.” Felicia nodded energetically, her long hair bouncing about.

“Yeah! Not to mention today, you're officially an adult. We gotta celebrate that!” Lilith, the newest member of her household, smiled up at her shyly.

“You mean so much to us, Lady Nerr. This is the least we can do to show you.”

Nerr felt her throat tighten as she look at the illuminated faces. She swallowed the happy tears that threatened to overtake her (a princess must always be in control of their emotions), and beamed back at them.

“Thank you all. This means so much to me....”

“Well, don't just stand there getting emotional,” Flora teased. “Make a wish.”

She looked down at the candles, their tiny, fragile light reminding her of the stars she often looked up at, especially on cold, clear nights like this.They said if you saw a falling star, you could make a wish, but she had never been that lucky. She wished she could've seen at least one before, for now, there were so many wishes she wanted to make. She wanted to finally leave the citadel, she wanted her father to finally be proud of her... she wanted to know what it felt like to be loved by the person she loved... But as the memory of this perfect, happy day filled her chest, all of those other wishes fell away, replaced by something that mattered much, much more. Leaning down, she took a deep breath. 'Gods... please don't take this happiness away...'As she blew out the candles with as much force as she could, the room was once more thrown into darkness.

“Oh. That... wasn't smart...” There was a throaty chuckle from across the table.

“I'll put the lights back on, my lady.”

000

Nerr had smiled consistently throughout late birthday celebration. It was a strange feeling, to sit and eat with so many other people. Although there was a dining room in the citadel somewhere, she always took her meals in her room, and she assumed her retainers did the same. There weren't enough chairs for everyone, so Felicia, Lilith and (with some coaxing) Flora crowded together with her on her bed.

The cake was apple spice kugelhopf, since apparently there had been a decent crop of apples that year (though she was fairly certain she had overheard Xander mention something about the wheat crop failing). The princess delighted in the fact that she had been born in the midst of the harvest season when fruit abounded. Not that it benefited anyone else since, as Leo, and Gunther, and occasionally Jakob bemoaned, she ate all the damn fruit before anyone else had a chance to. They had to hide a secret stash just for this occasion.

“That was clever. I mean, it's also sneaky and insulting and disloyal, but very clever.” Jakob sat a little straighter in his seat, unable to keep the smile completely off his face.

“Thank you, Lady Nerr. It was my idea. The cake was also my work.”

“Hey!” From beside her- as in, right in her ear- Felicia protested loudly. “I helped too!” At once, Jakob's smile slid from his face, replaced with a deep frown.

“If by 'helped' you mean 'almost completely ruined everything', then yes. You 'helped' a lot.” Felicia gasped, affronted. It seemed that this disagreement was about to turn into a full-on screaming match. Lilith edged away from the young maid as the temperature around her began dropping. Nerr desperately wished she could do the same, but she was unfortunately sandwiched between Felicia and her sister. Sighing loudly, Gunther rolled his eyes skywards.

“For the gods' sake, can you two not bicker for one day? Is that truly too much to ask? Normally I'd tell you to go outside and settle your silly argument with combat, but I wouldn't want Lady Nerr's birthday further ruined with one of you losing an eye.” Jakob and Felicia awkwardly looked to the floor, shame-faced. Nerr felt her heart go out to both of them, and she smiled gently.

“Aw, they're not ruining anything, Gunther. I'm used to them arguing. We all are, I think. I, for one, can't imagine not waking up in the ungodly hours of the morning to the sounds of crashing and yelling.” Badly suppressed giggles came from either side of her, and both domestics looked up, clearly relieved they hadn't ruined her birthday. Besides, she added silently to herself, families fight. They argue and make up and go back to being families.

It was fun and surprisingly relaxing to share a meal with others, to talk and laugh. Sometimes she would read about families sitting down to dinner together. She wondered if her siblings ate like this, with father at the head of the table, discussing their lessons or training... It was a nice thought. She truly hoped they did and that when she could finally join them in the castle, that she could take part as well. But even if that was just a dream that could never come true, she was happy with this family.

It was quite late when the conversation finally began tapering off. Though Nerr was loathe to admit it, her exhaustion was catching up to her. Perhaps noticing her drooping eyelids, the servants quickly remembered the chores left to them before they could turn in for the night. Lilith had to feed the horses, Flora and Jakob had to tidy the kitchen, and Felicia... had to try not to break any more plates. They all excused themselves, wishing their liege a happy birthday one last time as they took their leave. Nerr was in the middle of contemplating the practicality of replacing all the citadel's ceramic dishes with metal ones to avoid another Felicia disaster when she suddenly realized there was still one member of her makeshift family in the room with her.

“Gunther. What are you still doing here? I thought you left with the others.” The older man bowed his head.

“My apologies, my lady. I'll be but a moment and then leave you to your peace.” Nerr frowned a bit. That didn't sound at all like Gunther. Normally, her retainer was the one telling her to stop dawdling and get a move on.

“Is something wrong?” She asked quietly. She prayed there wasn't. The thought of something being wrong with her oldest, dearest companion made her stomach clench painfully in fear. Noticing her concern, the old knight laughed softly.

“No. There's nothing wrong, my lady. Just the passage of time...”

“What do you mean?” He sighed, softly but she still caught it.

“It just seems impossible to me that fifteen years could have passed so quickly. I still remember when you were a little girl, begging me to pick you up and carry you about on my shoulders...” Nerr felt the heat rise in her cheeks at the memory. It was hazy, but it was there.

“Don't remind me of those things, Gunther. It's embarrassing. I'm not a child anymore.”

“I know.” His voice was quiet, as if he were speaking more to himself than to her. “I know that better than anyone. It's just so hard to believe that that playful little girl grew up into the strong, beautiful woman that sits before me now.” Her cheeks burned hotter, but pleasantly so this time. She could not help but smile a bit as she asked, somewhat shyly,

“You think I'm beautiful?” Perhaps a younger man would've been flustered, but Gunther possessed a nonchalance that could only come with age.

“I doubt there is a soul in this kingdom that does not.”

It was a non-answer, but Nerr was still flattered. The older man got to his feet and approached her, stopping a respectful distance from her bed.

“I'm sure Jakob would kill me in my sleep if he knew about this, but... I have a gift for you.” Despite her insistence that she was an adult, the princess could not contain the childish burst of excitement she felt at those words. Perhaps because it had been so long since she last heard them. When she was younger, back when Gunther still left the fortress to go on patrols with the rest of the active duty knights, he would always bring her presents from the town in the capital. Sweets and toys and books... it was not so much the presents themselves that she adored (though she truly did, and kept every one of those treasures squirreled away somewhere safe), but rather, what they represented. The world beyond the confines of her cage, places she could only dream of going.

As she got older, the gifts became less frequent until they stopped all together. She never questioned it, of course- that would come across as horribly selfish and entitled, and besides, she had probably just outgrown that little tradition just as she had outgrown everything else that served as a happy reprieve. Now, her heart leapt as she jumped to her feet, bouncing on her toes in joyful anticipation.

“Ooh, what is it? What is it?” Reaching into the pouch he wore on his sword belt, Gunther pulled out a small, plain wooden box. It was unwrapped, but his presents always were. Biting back a squeal of excitement, she reached out as calmly as she could, using all her restraint to not snatch the box from his hand- that would be a terrible show of decorum.

“Can I open it?” She asked hopefully. It seemed unlikely it was something that needed to be opened in private, but one could never be too sure. He smiled at her, that hybrid amused-slash-exasperated smile that was always accompanied with a shake of the head.

“That's why I gave it to you.” The box was hinged, and there was a small latch that she quickly undid, opening it. It was lined just as simply with dark cloth, and there in the middle was a rather large butterfly. Not a live creature, or even a dead one to be put on display, but a broach or something of that sort. It was sculpted of beautifully polished brass, it's body and the details of it's wings inlaid with some black stone- jet, she assumed.

“It's a hairpin.” He explained, silently gauging her reaction. “I know my lady rarely has use for such frivolities, but when I saw it, I could not help but think of you.” She looked up at him, confused. “Butterflies symbolize change, and I've given it to you filled with the hope that your life will change only for the better.”

Silently, Nerr looked back down at her gift. It glinted dully as it caught the light of the torches on her walls. Slowly, her smile had been fading, and now, she simply looked impassive. Though it did not show on his face, Gunther was surely apprehensive of his mistress's sudden change in demeanor. It could've been for any number of reasons; perhaps she thought him too forward, perhaps she felt such a thing was beneath her...That certainly seemed likely, so he spoke up once more, with a bit less enthusiasm than before, though...

“Of course, I understand that a cheap trinket is far beneath royalty. A princess deserves gold and jewels, but... I fear a soldier's salary is not so exorbitant--!!” He started as he felt her arms wrap around his waist. Sometime in the midst of his humiliating defense, she had set the box down on her bed and approached him, drawing him into a hug. That he didn't notice her until it was too late... it seemed his reflexes were going to seed...

For Nerr, this was another one of those happy things that she no longer had. As a child, Gunther had indulged her desire for hugs and affection freely, but one day, with no warning, he'd pulled away from her embrace and chided her. She was no longer a child, such behavior was unacceptable from a young lady, et cetera, et cetera. It seemed that from that day, a lonely, empty space had been born inside her. Of course, Elise and Camilla still freely gave hugs (it seemed that only hugging the opposite sex was bad, because hugging Jakob one day had resulted in a harsh scolding for both of them), and it wasn't as if anyone was cold to her, but still... The lesson she had taken away from that new rule was that being a mature, responsible adult meant giving up one's happiness. And though it made her sad, Nerr resigned herself to the fact that, if that was what was expected of her, that was what she would do.

While she told herself she was okay with that, in this particular moment, she could not force herself to think or behave like a dignified princess of Nohr. Just for a while, she needed to not be Nerr Von Krakenburg, and just be Nerr the girl. Gunther had not pulled away and begun chastising her yet, but it could've just been that he was in shock. She tightened her grip on his tunic just in case. He was right about one thing, though; the years certainly had passed. The last time she clearly remembered hugging him, her head barely came up to his stomach, and he'd had to stoop uncomfortably to return her embrace. Now, she could rest her cheek against his chest, her sensitive ears picking up the faint rhythm of his heart. There were tears in her eyes, and when she blinked, they stained the linen of his shirt a darker shade of purple.

“Lady Nerr? He asked, his voice quiet, but rumbling through her face and arms like distant thunder. “Are you alright?”

“I love it.” She sniffled. Clearly Gunther had not idea what she was on about.

“I don't--”

“Your gift. I love it, more than anything. It's the most wonderful present I've ever received.”

“It's just a piece of polished metal...” Nerr looked up at him, not bothering to wipe away her tears as they kept falling anyway.

“So is a crown. They're both just pieces of metal you wear- the value comes when someone says, 'this has value'. And so I say this hairpin is more valuable to me than all of the jewels in Castle Krakenburg.” Gunther gaped at her, ever so slightly.

“That's a bit of an exaggeration, I think...”

“I don't. It's the unmitigated truth. What would a handful of shiny rocks matter to me? This...” She glanced back to where the box lay on her bed. “This is something precious, given to me by the person I hold dearest in the world.”

“Lady Nerr...” She ignored him, pressing on as if she had said nothing wrong.

“It made you think of me, and it's filled with your hopes for me. I place more value on that than diamonds and gold.”

For a long time there was silence, and Nerr was too afraid to look up. Normally, her brain filtered out things like that before they got to her mouth, but today... she would blame it on her exhaustion. After a while, a low, deep laugh reverberated through her. She chanced a quick glance up and saw Gunther smiling down at her, a familiar, tender look in his eyes.

“You certainly know how to make a pauper feel like a king of kings. No doubt you could rally the world behind any cause you choose with those honeyed words.” Oh. So that was what he thought of her speech as- idle flattery. Reigning in her disappointment, she closed her eyes and leaned back against his chest (if he wasn't going to push her away, then she would enjoy the closeness for as long as she could), frustrated and tired.

“I spoke only the truth. I don't laud praise on things that don't deserve it.”

“I know, my lady. Your praise is the most honest critique. I truly do not deserve such distinction.”

“Nonsense...” she tried- and failed- to stifle a yawn. She was beginning to wish she was already in bed. “You're... a wonderful person, Gunther...”

“Heh. I think my lady might be sleep talking.”

Gently, he eased her back over to her bed, her legs giving out the moment they brushed against the mattress. Fighting another yawn, she used the last reserves of her strength to move her precious gift over to her nightstand, and swing her legs onto the bed as well. As she lay down, Gunther pulled the covers over her the same way he had done years ago. Reaching up, he brushed an ever-errant lock of hair from her forehead, another old habit, though it seemed his touch lingered just a little longer than it used to. Or perhaps that was wishful thinking from Nerr's half-dreaming mind.

“Good night, my little ladyship.” He whispered, using his old pet name for her. More asleep than awake, she smiled slightly.

“Good night, Gunther...” As his footsteps grew fainter and the door quietly squealed closed, she cracked her eyes open, a sliver of bright crimson visible in the darkness. She moved her lips silently. 'I love you...'

#fire emblem fates #fire emblem fanfiction #believe it or not this isn't a romance story #it's angst/tragedy/horror #god I hate doing html on the app #why is there no preview button?

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asmr · 7 years ago

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@starflowey the emoji feature is so bad. if it sees a word like "flower" itll replace it w 🌻or smth like that and so on and so forth. i dont know who thought it up but they need to log off myspace already

nd the not posting thing shit is the worst. it happens if ur connection blips for even a secónd and instead of fucking drafting your post it shoves it in the nether realm and posts when jt wants

#starflowey #god mood. i thougt this app improved w the ability to edit text w/o html but u get message like notifs now for activity and... i hate it #what is it like a tumblr hq... what the fuck do staff thimk theyre doing #r

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fictionkinfessions · 2 years ago

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see logically i know that the lunar eclipse is not actually affecting me the way it did when i was actually a nightwing. the biological processes that made me sensitive to moonlight could not have carried over to this body, that is just not how any of this works. the closest i will ever get to that is having (extra) trouble sleeping because the moon is full and i am autistic and excitable and it is so so bright (which was actually a huge part of it then too i guess but i was reacting to the moons’ phases even when their light couldn’t possibly be reaching me so that clearly wasn’t all of it, god i wish the specifics hadn’t been lost though). logically i understand that i’m just having an emotional response to the knowledge that there is a lunar eclipse happening somewhere behind all the clouds here.

but. i swear to god. i can feel the lack of moonlight (or, altered moonlight?) in my fucking bones. i went outside right when the eclipse reached its peak, i just wandered out there because i had to and when i checked the time it was within two fucking minutes of the maximum eclipse. in a way everything is so much more intense with just the one moon, because with three the sky was rarely empty. it was a lot brighter, too, when two were full, but i never saw darkness like the new moons here when the sky was actually clear. i guess that one lunar eclipse when both the other moons were close to new (and therefore Just Not Up There) got pretty close but i could still see where i was going (although my nightmares fucking sucked that week so i guess i had more pressing things to worry about).

(it’s killing me that i can’t remember which moon was eclipsed that night, because i know i knew. someday i’ll try to map everything out, but it turns out speculative astronomy is fucking hard when you didn’t really finish high school and you can’t always focus through books that are too big to fit in a jacket pocket. maybe there’s an app for that, but i’m still struggling with html markup. i don’t know. i guess i’ll figure it out eventually. feels like i have to, sometimes.)

anyways. as i’m writing this the moon is passing out of the earth’s direct shadow (if i’m remembering the time chart correctly, which… i’m pretty sure i am) and i’m feeling a lot less freaked out. it’s a lot brighter outside now, really, is the main thing. still cloudy, because of course it is, but i actually watched the eclipse back in november, so i can’t be that bitter. it’s warm and humid and it won’t be too bright in the morning, which is basically the exact opposite of that last eclipse, and really preferable to freezing my fucking fingers off at 3 am on a school night. but. god. i can still just feel something in the air and in the light that’s getting through the clouds and it’s driving me crazy because i know i’m not really reacting to it like i used to (and that might be better honestly because i really hated the nightmares that came with blood moons, although it is a tradeoff i guess because there were good parts too but seriously i can’t even begin to think about that right now oh my god) but i’m still reacting to it. i’m feeling so much right now even if it is all psychological.

and i’ll probably wake up and regret sending this at all, it’s just so much right now. (fun fact (that i’m sure a lot of you already know): the etymology of the word lunatic traces back to the moon. and i can see why people would think the phases of the moon were messing with their minds, honestly, before electricity became widespread. she really said fuck you and fuck your sleep schedule, huh?) it feels kind of lonely, honestly, because there’s not a lot of people in my life that i can talk to about this stuff. the fact that my human body can’t convince my mind to stop doing nightwing things is more embarrassing than anything, but it’s isolating, too. although, that’s not actually that different from before, either, i guess.

okay anyways this confession got totally out of hand because i’m a dramatic bitch who never knows when to stop so i’m very sorry to mpc and anyone else who’s going to get stuck reading this but it beats actually screaming aloud into the physical void (aka the night sky, in which i can now kind of see the silhouette of part of the moon as of ten seconds ago! still kind of eclipsed, sort of, despite no longer being bloody!) because maybe someone will see it and think “wow me too!” and have a slightly better monday or something, which i realize is probably not going to happen but will choose to imagine anyways because maybe it’ll help me sleep better. and um. happy late eclipse if you read all this

#fictionkinfessions #fictionkin #wingsoffirekin #nightwingkin #long post #schools cw #ableist language cw #slurs #mod party cat!

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tinygumdrops · 4 years ago

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You keep showering us with long, uber detailed fics like its nothing but how do you even write five words without breaking down? I could spend hours on my word document without accomplishing anything and thats the best case scenario. Seriously,,, HOW? How do you write?

Hello there! Sorry if it took me a while to answer this ask ;-; I tried to make this as detailed as I can, but honestly my brain is just mush the past few days and I’ve ran out of English words to explain things. So sorry if this all sounds rudimentary and uninspired (quite frankly, my writing process is exactly that).

also, not @ me procrastinating writing my thesis and instead making a post about my fic writing process otl

I’ll be using my latest hq!! fic as an example for each step! If you’re planning to read it, there’s nothing spoiler-y in the screenshots.

1. Outline - I make one just so I have a general idea of how the story will go. First, I need to think of a major problem that I have to fix as the story progresses, then I’ll look for a setting that will work well with showcasing/highlighting the conflict and its resolution.

The specifics/bullet points change so frequently that the OG outline I made is v v different from how the actual story went. But I really need an outline before I do things so there’s something I can refer to if I get lost.

2. Research - I… can’t write without doing research ;-; I usually write about stuff I have little to no knowledge about, so this part is really important in my writing process. I learn so much from watching documentaries and scouring the internet for related articles so this is the most fun part for me! On my listography, I listed down the sites I frequently use for research. You can go check them out if you like!

3. Music - I make playlists for most of the long fics I write. I sometimes find listening to certain songs help me get in The Mood To Write.

4. More planning - I like to make schedules and checklists for academic work, so naturally it spilled over to writing long fics. I use Trello to create boards for a specific fic, which includes checklists that help me track my progress with writing and editing for each ~☆story arc ☆~.

5. Actual Writing - God, I really hate this part *sobs* Because of school, I wake up really early to write (like 4 or 5 am; 6 am if school starts later and I have time to prepare). I usually write for an hour, but the number of words I eke out varies. Sometimes I can finish one scene, other times I write nothing at all.

I write in Evernote because its interface looks clean, and it enables me to write and edit fics on my phone. 60% of daemons!AU and 70% of penpals!AU I wrote using Evernote Mobile. I wish I was kidding. I also write my fics with html because it makes uploading on AO3 easier for me (and also because I don’t love myself).

6. Editing - I edit two to three times before sending the fic to my betas just so I won’t permanently incapacitate them with my purple prose and dubious comma placements. As supplements, I use Grammarly (I know a lot of writers hate this app, but I’m broke and terrible at basic grammar so I need it) and Hemingway.

7. Beta Reading - I love my betas. I don’t deserve them. It goes without saying that I make a shit ton of mistakes while writing since I’m not a native speaker, I work on my phone a lot, and I write with my eyes half open and I’m jacked up on caffeine. My betas correct all my iffy preposition choices, they tell me why this scene is atrocious or this word is inappropriate, and they ask really helpful questions that give me ideas on how to navigate a certain plot point. I’m so thankful for all the work they do.

8. More Editing - Once I get the manuscript back, I’ll edit it three more times. I’ll upload a draft on AO3, download a pdf version and annotate it using my tablet. Then I’ll correct all the shitty parts I found in Evernote.

9. Posting - It’s done. Finally. I’ll upload the final version on AO3 and do an obligatory promo post on twitter and tumblr. Then I sleep for hours and avoid the internet until it’s safe for me to show my face again.

So... that’s how I usually go about writing long fics. I guess the tl;dr is... writing long fics takes time? And it involves a lot of energy and people. It’s a fuckton of work. But, as an elaborate form of escapism, I really like sharing stories about people that live vastly different lives from mine, and whenever I feel insecure and bogged down I keep going back to that “why”. Writing stresses me out and gives me a lot of pain and heartache, but for the most part I find creating stuff fun. I also remind myself that it’s not my day job, so even if I make egregious mistakes, it’s not going to be the end of me or my career.

Hope this helped! :D

#ask #anonymous #my writing #writing process

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years ago

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Survey #392

“l.a. is where stars come to die”

Do you think there’s anything you did better when you were younger? I think I was a better writer, honestly. Like I've developed in some areas, like being less over-dramatic, but I just think my creativity in wording and such has dulled down. Who was the craziest teacher you’ve ever had? I've never had a "crazy" teacher, honestly. What’s the last thing you got paid to do? Take pictures. What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for someone else? How should I know? Ask either Jason or Sara. Have you ever wanted to model? No. Have you ever seen someone have a seizure? I THINK my sister? Teddy had seizures in his old age, too. What’s your favorite car? I don't have one, really. Do you know any HTML or CSS? If yes, how much? I know veeeeery little basics. LIke, I can change the color of shit and that's about it lmao. Do you tend to care about the lives of celebrities? Why or why not? Only celebrities I really really care about, like Mark. What do you think of the scene style? #aesthetic and I will ALWAYS be envious of the hair. Have you ever told an extremely inappropriate joke? Oh god, I remember one. What is the highest you have been up, other than in an airplane? On a certain faire ride, I wanna say. Is there any hope of you ever seeing your favorite band in concert? Ozzy does want to do another tour at some point, but he's fighting Parkinson's currently, so it's not guaranteed it will happen. Mom and I planned on going to his last one that was scheduled, but the diagnosis cancelled it. :( What is your favorite non-green vegetable? Uhhhhh I guess potatoes. What is your favorite non-traditional fruit? I don't think I've even had a non-traditional fruit. Just basic stuff. Have you ever had Swedish Fish? Yeah, I'm not a fan. What is your favorite origami shape? Birds, I guess. Do you usually take the stairs or the elevator? I pretty much always take an elevator if one's available because my legs can barely handle stairs at all. It's agonizing for me. Do you need a key card to get into the building you live in? No. What was the last takeout food you had? I had a burger from McDonald's a few days ago. Do you take the pickle off your burgers? No, I love pickles on burgers. Do you share a bed with anyone? Just my cat. If you’ve read or watched Harry Potter, which book/movie is your favorite? I haven't. What’s the last app you downloaded on your phone? I re-installed DragonVale. What do you know the most about? Meerkats, Markiplier, and Silent Hill, probably. What TV shows can you not stand? What's that stupid show on Adult Swim, Rooster Teeth or something like that? That shit was so dumb. Have you ever tasted your own tears? I mean not intentionally. Sometimes tears just fall down a spot where it happens. Are your legs hairy? I can almost guarantee to you that I probably have the hairiest legs of any woman you've ever met. Do you like Cheese-Itz? I love them! We don't really buy them though because both Mom and I can destroy a box of them. Have you ever built a sandcastle? I have. Did you ever watch Barney as a child? Yeah, I loved Barney, but not as much as my older sister. She literally "married" him, haha. Have you ever had a pet rabbit? No, but my older sis did as a kid. That poor thing died and Ashley didn't know for THREE DAYS. Mom took it out earlier and I guess she wanted to see how long it took Ash to notice? She didn't take great care of it, so. Are you wearing anything of any sentimental value? Describe? Yes, my friendship ring with Sara. To you, what is especially distracting? Tapping noises. When was the last time you did some major cleaning? MAJOR cleaning? Good question. How do you feel about people who neglect their pets? It sickens me. Have you ever contemplated cheating on anyone? Nope. When are you likely to lie? Probably when I don't want to seriously hurt someone. What is a personality type that you do not like? I hate people who think they know everything, are unwilling to acknowledge their flaws and work on them, feel they're better than others, are closed-minded, sexist, bigoted, racist... What is a personality type that you DO like? I am drawn to people who are empathetic and try to understand and consider more than just themselves, are caring and genuine, philosophical and think deeply, are calm, friendly, good listeners, and have a light sense of humor. Which of your friends is the least like you? In what way? I actually don't know. MAYBE Mini with her being extremely conservative to a frustrating degree and overwhelmingly religious. We diverge pretty strongly in beliefs that are important to me. How about the most like you? In what way? Sara! We have incredibly similar interests and morals, and we both are wild over animals. When was the last time you felt under-appreciated? I'm gonna be completely transparent here, even though it's uncomfortable to admit. I was very unhappy with the literally two interactions a poem I was really proud of got on dA. Like it was one I was trying to get published prior to just posting it there, so it was really disappointing to feel so overlooked when you worked hard on something you felt came out great. Does anyone take advantage of you or take you for granted? No. Are you taking anyone for granted? I sure as hell hope no one feels like I do. I definitely try to appreciate those I have to the utmost. What is one selfish thing that you do? I prioritize my alone time probably too much. How about something selfless? I'm pretty much always willing to listen to people's hardships and comfort them even if my own mental health is in poor condition. What do you like to do on your favorite holiday? Just be with family and really focus on how lucky I am to have them. What helps you fall asleep? I guess really paying attention to slowing my breathing, but that doesn't always work. It takes me at LEAST half an hour to fall asleep, so I struggle no matter what. Is there anyone you wish you were still friends with now? Megan. I really, really miss her. What is a fear you want to overcome? SOCIAL ANXIETY. UGH. What is something you do not like about yourself, with good reason? I'm lazy. What do you usually cry about? PTSD. Do you like pizza better on the second day? No. What do you like on your pancakes? Butter and normal syrup. Have you ever made up your own emoticon? I don't think so. How do you generally meet people? Online in one way or another. Have you ever seen a Broadway show in New York? No. Are you listening to music right now? Yeah, "God Hates Your Outfit" by Jeffree Star lmao. Look, it's catchy. Can anyone in your immediate family play the guitar? No. Have you ever wished to be an internet celebrity? How about a ‘real’ one? No. Like I've actually *loosely* considered trying to be a let's player with my love of games, but I don't even want to *risk* popularity; not that I think I'd get to that point, but still, I don't like the chance. Have you ever been kayaking? No. Do you still live with your parents? Yes. Do you believe you will never get over someone? I think Jason will always occupy at the very least a small corner of my mind. I just deal with loss so poorly in general, but that... that breakup was something. What do you order at Burger King? I don't like BK. Have you ever lived by yourself? No. Pretty sure I never could with my depression. What brand cell phone do you have? It's just a Tracfone, lol. Did you ever have a ‘security blanket’ when you were younger? Yes, my stuffed moose. What is your lucky charm? I don’t have one. Have you ever been in a wedding? Yeah, I was a bridesmaid in my sister's. Do you believe in yourself? ehhhhhh What time does your dad usually wake up in the morning? I don't live with him, so I can't say for sure. He's a mailman though, so he gets up early, I know. Who was the last person/people you were in a car with? Mom. What movie do you plan on watching next? I've been meaning to watch Jacob's Ladder for like... over a year, lmao. It served as an inspirational work for Silent Hill, and I know its reputation is brilliant, so I really want to see it. I just... don't really watch movies unless I'm in the theater. When something really scares you, what’s your immediate reaction? Gasp or go "what the fuck" or something along those lines. I can almost promise a curse word is coming out of my mouth, lol. Using song lyrics, say something to your most recent ex: I don't wanna get emotional digging through the songs that remind me of her, so pass, lol. You can only watch 4 TV shows for the rest of your life. What are they? Meerkat Manor, That '70s Show, maybe Pokemon even if I don't watch it anymore (it could be like a comfort show if I'm limited to four), aaaaand I think Ginga Densetsu Weed. Do you think it’s possible for a rap song to make you cry? ... Yes??? There are a couple that have for me. Does the idea of having a baby at your age scare you? I'm not having kids, sooo I don't have to worry about this. What band has the power to make you cry by splitting up? None. I'd be really upset if some did, but I wouldn't cry. Who is your favourite famous person who isn’t a singer, actor, or athlete? Well, I WOULD say Mark, but considering he's officially an actor now... guess not, haha. Uhhhh. Put him aside and I guess maybe Bindi Irwin. I'm not sure.

#survey #surveys #random questions #lyrics: ''god hates your outfit'' by jeffree star

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neoyeppuda · 7 years ago

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Number One - Seungkwan scenario

Request: Svt beg you to tell them which member do you find the most attractive, you tell them it’s Seungkwan and he’s very shocked.

Word Count: 902

A/N: Ah, anonie I hope you and everyone else like it!! I’m sorry it was a bit sad at first ㅠㅠ I kinda felt bad about that OFD episode wherein Seungkwan’s last in visuals plus people who don’t appreciate Boo’s visuals and talents because boy is he gifted (@my friends and some carats I see online). Ps: HOW DO YOU INSERT A BLOCKQUOTE ON THE TUMBLR APP IT DOESN’T LET ME HTML CODE MY WAY OUTTA THIS ANYMORE ASFGHKLL I’m a retard -Clar

“Hey thirteenth!” Everytime Seungkwan heard that nickname you could see deep creases in between his brows and a frown on his face, ignoring whoever was calling him. You had to admit, he had the right to. It wasn’t exactly the best nickname you’d give to a person to constantly remind them that they were ranked last in looks out of twelve other men. Seungkwan had his pride too. “Seungkwan?” Soonyoung called him once more, but still no response. He’d continue calling him until Seungkwan snaps at him, “what do you want?” His sudden outburst startled the older member, leaving him at a loss for words. You ran after him, asking him what was wrong. He ran to his room, locked the door and screamed at you from behind it, “you won’t understand (y/n).” When you came back Soonyoung asked you what was going on with Seungkwan. You shrugged, it came to the two of you so suddenly you didn’t know what made him so angry. He was the type of guy that laughs everything off as if it didn’t bother him at all.

Even if it did. Bottling up emotions isn’t always good, you have limits. Seungkwan couldn’t stand it anymore. He thought it would stop as time went on, but it stuck to him. “Hey thirteenth!” the constant reminder of him ranking last in visuals out of everyone else haunted him. He was insecure enough as it is with every other member so talented and handsome. He felt like he needed to make a place for himself too, but everything else was just bringing him down. Will he ever be good enough? Everyone was just better in things that can’t be changed; height, looks, and talent. What could he do? “Say, (y/n),” Soonyoung’s eyes flickered with curiosity, “what would your rankings be?” A few members overheard and joined in on the conversation, agreeing with Hoshi’s question. “What do you mean?” you stuttered, averting your eyes from any of them. You just didn’t want to answer at a time like this. Seungkwan was still upset and you didn’t know why. “Come on, you know what we’re talking about,” Seokmin whined, “it wouldn’t hurt to tell us.” It went on until you finally gave in. All of them gave you big grins and rushed to gather the other members.

They dragged Jisoo, Chan, and Seungcheol away from their cup ramen, they woke Jeonghan up, and they broke into Seungkwan’s room to drag him into the living room against his will. The energetic duo made everyone stand in a single line, “ta-da!” they exclaimed. God knows why they were so excited about this. You sighed, eyes drifting towards the frowning man at the end of the line, furrowing his brows and folding his arms. “Can I start with last place?” your question was immediately rejected and you asked if you could start with the second to the last place instead. They liked the idea and you began ranking them. Some agreed, and some didn’t. Only two spots remained, first and last place. Soonyoung and Seungkwan were the only ones left and the former one was pretty confident about his victory over the other. The blue haired boy stood tall, smiling with pride. “Seungkwan,” you mumbled, approaching the boy. He met you with widened eyes, somewhat upset and confused, “aren’t you supposed to pick who your number one is?” You smiled at him warmly, “silly, you’re my number one.” He suddenly laughed. The mocking tone he had as he looked at you dead in the eye, asking, “this is a joke, isn’t it?” “Don’t joke about things like this,” he growled.

His arms folded and he shifted his weight to another foot, still maintaining intense eye contact, “did you do this to laugh at me? Because I’m not going to believe this.” He eyed every other member in the room, “who thought of doing this, huh? Stop making fun of me.” Everyone turned silent as Seungkwan continued talking with blind, hating rage. His words felt directed toward you, it was you who chose him as first place after all. Tears welled up in your eyes and you apologized to him, “I meant it Seungkwan. I’m sorry I made fun of you.” He turned and looked at you with his eyes still held fierce gazes. His features slowly softened and his frowned turned into a small pout as he whispered in a weak voice, “really?” You only nod with an embarrassed smile. His eyes were very wide, in contrast to the eyes earlier, that squinted at you with contempt and anger. His jaw dropped and his features brightened, “really really really really?” He laughed in delight; he could not believe it. Pure joy rushed thoughout his body, tingles went up and down his spine and he couldn’t stop smiling.

The diets, the endless vocal practices, and the efforts he made to stand out in shows; all fruitless efforts that made him strive to push his limits. All this time he struggled and struggled to become someone he wasn’t, but then you came along telling him he was just perfect the way he is. He could no longer hold in everything and just brush it off; tears slid down his cheeks and he gave you the warmest smile in the world. He softly called out your name and pulled you into a big hug. “Thank you.”

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jonathanalumbaugh · 7 years ago

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Weekly Digest

Dec 16, 2017, 3rd issue.

A roundup of stuff I consumed this week. Published weekly(ish).

Read

Whoever your graphic design portfolio site is aimed at, you have to remember that people’s time and attention is limited. Employers, to take one example, may look at dozens of portfolios in the space of 10 minutes. So you only have a few seconds to really grab their attention and enthuse them.

—8 great graphic design portfolio sites for 2018

Paying for more than 3,500 daily drinks for six years, it turns out, is expensive. The NIH would need more funding—and soon, a team stepped up to the plate. The Foundation of the NIH, a little-known 20-year-old non-profit that calls on donors to support NIH science, was talking to alcohol corporations. By the fall of 2014, the study was relying on the industry for “separate contributions to the Foundation of the NIH beyond what the NIAAA could afford,” as Mukamal put it in an e-mail to a prospective collaborator. Later that year, Congress encouraged the NIH to sponsor the study, but lawmakers didn’t provide any money. Five corporations—Anheuser-Busch InBev, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Heineken, and Carlsberg—have since provided a total of $67 million. The foundation is seeking another $23 million, according to its director of development, Julie Wolf-Rodda.

—A MASSIVE HEALTH STUDY ON BOOZE, BROUGHT TO YOU BY BIG ALCOHOL

When Starbucks (SBUX) announced that it was closing its Teavana tea line and wanted to shutter all of its stores, mall operator Simon Property Group (SPG) countered with a lawsuit. Simon cited in part the effect the store closures might have on other mall tenants.

Earlier this month, a judge upheld Simons' suit, ordering Teavana to keep 77 of its stores open.

—America's malls are rotting away

The Dots claims to have a quarter of a million members and current clients include Google, Burberry, Sony Pictures, Viacom, M&C Saatchi, Warner Music, Tate, Discovery Networks and VICE amongst others.

—Aiming to be the LinkedIn for creatives, The Dots raises £4m

The Cboe's bitcoin futures fell 10 percent Wednesday, triggering a two-minute trading halt early Wednesday afternoon.

—Bitcoin futures briefly halted after plunging 10%

Through a very clever scheme, the people behind Tether can continue to send Bitcoin into the stratosphere until it reaches a not-yet-known breaking point.

—Bitcoin Only Has One Way To Go If This Is True

—Bitcoin Price Dilemma: Bull and Bear Paths in Play

—Botera – Free Font

"He is being a huge assh*le and avoiding you so it literally forces you to be the one to break up with him because he's too much of a coward to do it himself. GOD, I HATE GUYS."

—"Breakup Ghosting" Is the Most Cowardly Way to End a Relationship

—Britain rejected the EU, and the EU is loving its new life

“Although the science is still evolving, there are concerns among some public health professionals and members of the public regarding long-term, high use exposure to the energy emitted by cellphones,” Dr. Karen Smith, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, said in a statement.

—California Warns People to Limit Exposure to Cellphones

There is a way CSS can get its hands on data in HTML, so long as that data is within an attribute on that HTML element.

—The CSS attr() function got nothin’ on custom properties

“The recent coverage of AI as a single, unified power is a predictable upshot of a self-aggrandizing Silicon Valley culture that believes it can summon a Godhead,” says Thomas Arnold

—Former Google and Uber engineer is developing an AI 'god'

Here are two facts: 1) Throughout the tail end of Matt Lauer’s tenure at NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America beat it in the ratings, and 2) In the two weeks since Lauer was kicked to the curb for sexual misconduct and replaced by Hoda Kotb, Today’s viewership has surpassed GMA’s by a considerable margin.

Here are two opinions: 1) No one ever really liked Matt Lauer, but tolerated him as you would a friend you’ve known for 20 years but have nothing in common with anymore, 2) Hota Kotb makes everything better.

—A Funny Thing Is Happening to Today Now That Matt Lauer Is Gone: Its Ratings Are Going Up

The game challenges you to build an empire that stands the test of time, taking your civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Age as you wage war, conduct diplomacy, advance your culture, and go head-to-head with history’s greatest leaders.

—Get the newest game in 'Sid Meier’s Civilization' series for 50% off

Amazingly, despite the mind control and hypnosis, the girl resisted being totally drawn into her father’s “cult of three.” But she suffered from self-loathing and took to self-harm as a coping mechanism.

—Girl’s father tortured her for a decade to make her ‘superhuman’

The most searched for dog breed was the golden retriever.

—Google's top searches for 2017: Matt Lauer, Hurricane Irma and more

"A few months ago, I started collecting stories from people about their real experiences with loneliness. I started small, asking my immediate network to share with their friends/family, and was flooded with submissions from people of all ages and walks of life.

"The Loneliness Project is an interactive web archive I created to present and give these stories a home online. I believe in design as a tool to elevate others' voices. Stories have tremendous power to spark empathy, and I believe that the relationship between design and emotion only strengthens this power.

—Graphic designer tackles issue of wide-spread loneliness in moving campaign

While the Windows 10 OpenSSH software is currently in Beta, it still works really well. Especially the client as you no longer need to use a 3rd party SSH client such as Putty when you wish to connect to a SSH server.

—Here's How to Enable the Built-In Windows 10 OpenSSH Client

In America we have settled on patterns of land use that might as well have been designed to prevent spontaneous encounters, the kind out of which rich social ties are built.

—How our housing choices make adult friendships more difficult

Today was "Break the Internet" day, in which many websites altered their appearance and urged visitors to contact members of Congress about the pending repeal (see the gallery above for examples from Reddit, Kickstarter, GitHub, Mozilla, and others).

—How Reddit and others “broke the Internet” to support net neutrality today

“He’s the Usain Bolt of business for Jamaica,” Richards said. “For each Jamaican immigrant, Lowell Hawthorne is me, he’s you. He was the soul of Jamaica, the son of our soil, and all of our struggles were identified with him.”

—How the Jamaican patty king made it to the top — before ending it all

—How to break a CAPTCHA system in 15 minutes with Machine Learning

After the trap has snapped shut, the plant turns it into an external stomach, sealing the trap so no air gets in or out. Glands produce enzymes that digest the insect, first the exoskeleton made of chitin, then the nitrogen-rich blood, which is called hemolyph.

The digestion takes several days depending on the size of the insect, and then the leaf re-opens. By that time, the insect is a "shadow skeleton" that is easily blown away by the wind.

—How the Venus Flytrap Kills and Digests Its Prey

Back at The Shed, Phoebe has arrived. She's an intuitive waitress who can really get across the nuances of our menu, like how – by serving pudding in mugs – we're aiming to replicate the experience of what it's like to eat pudding out of a mug.

—I Made My Shed the Top Rated Restaurant On TripAdvisor

In order to create a candlestick chart, you must have a data set that contains open, high, low and closevalues for each time period you want to display. The hollow or filled portion of the candlestick is called “the body” (also referred to as “the real body”). The long thin lines above and below the body represent the high/low range and are called “shadows” (also referred to as “wicks” and “tails”). The high is marked by the top of the upper shadow and the low by the bottom of the lower shadow.

—Introduction to Candlesticks

The object in question is ‘Oumuamua, an asteroid from another star system currently zipping past Jupiter at about 196,000 miles per hour, too fast to be trapped by the sun’s gravitational pull. First discovered in mid-October by astronomers at the Pan-STARRS project at the University of Hawaii, the 800-meter-long, 80-meter-wide, cigar-shaped rock is, technically speaking, weird as hell—and that’s precisely why some scientists think it’s not a natural object.

—Is This Cigar-Shaped Asteroid Watching Us?

I tried out LinkedIn Career Advice and Bumble Bizz over the course of a work week and compared them in terms of how easy they are to use and the kind of people they introduce you to.

—I tried LinkedIn's career advice app vs. dating app Bumble's version and discovered major flaws with both

“The Bitcoin dream is all but dead,” I wrote.

—I Was Wrong About Bitcoin. Here’s Why.

—Jessen's Orthogonal Icosahedron

In the study, depressed patients who got an infusion of ketamine reported rapid relief from suicidal thoughts—many as soon as a few hours after receiving the drug.

—Ketamine Relieved Suicidal Thoughts Within Hours in Hospital Study

We are trying to create an Open Source Website that searches through an open database of Interactive Maps focused on learning in a linear way. It leverages all of world’s knowledge in a unique way. It takes the Wikipedia model of curating knowledge but applies it to curating links in a meaningful and visual way.

—Learn Anything White Paper

"It was a very new word [in 1841]," Sokolowski said. "[Noah Webster’s] definition is not the definition that you and I would understand today. His definition was, 'The qualities of females,' so basically feminism to Noah Webster meant femaleness. We do see evidence that the word was used in the 19th century in a medical sense, for the physical characteristics of a developing teenager, before it was used as a political term, if you will."

—Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2017: 'Feminism'

The Wall Street Journal issued a new note on its style blog earlier this week, suggesting the publication not write about millennials with such disdain.

"What we usually mean is young people, so we probably should just say that," the new WSJ note reads. "Many of the habits and attributes of millennials are common for people in their 20s, with or without a snotty term."

—'Millennials': Be Careful How We Use This Label

As of writing, the CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index (BPI) is at $16,743 levels. The world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization has appreciated 0.72 percent in the last 24 hours, going by CoinMarketCap data.

—No Stopping? After New High, Bitcoin Price Eyes $20k

People who tested as being more conscientious but less open were more sensitive to typos, while those with less agreeable personalities got more upset by grammatical errors.

"Perhaps because less agreeable people are less tolerant of deviations from convention," the researchers wrote.

Interestingly, how neurotic someone was didn't affect how they interpreted mistakes.

—People Who Constantly Point Out Grammar Mistakes Are Pretty Much Jerks, Scientists Find

Hydrogen particles are made up of an electron and a proton. Exciton particles, then, are made up of an electron that’s escaped and the negative space it left behind when it did so. The hole actually acts like a particle, attracting the escaped electron and bonding with it; they orbit each other the same way an electron and a proton would.

—PHYSICS BREAKTHROUGH: NEW FORM OF MATTER, EXCITONIUM, FINALLY PROVED TO EXIST AFTER 50-YEAR SEARCH

For reasons that people are now trying to determine, this weekend the internet turned its collective gaze to a short story called “Cat Person.”

Response to the story has varied from praise for its relatability to flat dismissal to jokes about how everyone is talking about a—Who’da thunk it?—short story of all things.

—The reaction to “Cat Person” shows how the internet can even ruin fiction

—Regular Icosahedron

—Repeal Day Poster – Summit Brewing Co.

[Dr. Simon Bramhall of the UK] pleaded guilty to charges that he etched his initials, “SB,” onto the livers of two transplant patients with an argon beam in 2013. Bramhall admitted the assaults in a hearing in Birmingham crown court on Wednesday, according to several news outlets.

—SB WUZ HERE: Surgeon pleads guilty to burning initials into patients’ organs

I get what you’re doing. Really, I do. You’re trying to shit on people’s musical tastes to either appear more well-versed in music than them or you just want to see the shocked look on people’s faces as you besmirch their favorite band. And listen, I don’t blame you for either. They’re both fun activities that I partake in on the reg. If you name me a band you like, I will find a hundred different ways to judge you on your taste. If the band happens to feature a white guy with dreads, make it three hundred. But The Beatles, dude? The fucking Beatles? You are really scraping the barrel if you are knocking people for liking The Beatles, you moron.

—Shut Your Dumb, Stupid Mouth about the Beatles Being Overrated

—Sonakinatography I Movement #III for Multi-Media

The font the menu is written in can convey similar messages; for instance an italic typeface conveys a perception of quality. But using elaborate fonts that are hard to read could also have another effect – it could alter how the food itself tastes.

A study conducted by researchers in Switzerland found that a wine labelled with a difficult-to-read script was liked more by drinkers than the same wine carrying a simpler typeface. Spence’s own research has also found that consumers often associate rounder typefaces with sweeter tastes, while angular fonts tend to convey a salty, sour or bitter experience.

—The secret tricks hidden inside restaurant menus

On Allison Benedikt, Lorin Stein, and the perils of extracting universal principles from fairytale endings...

“My career, at the time, was in his hands,” Allison Benedikt wrote at Slate this week, about the beginning of her relationship with John Cook, her husband of 14 years. They were colleagues at a magazine when they first kissed, and he was her senior. That kiss took place “on the steps of the West 4th subway station,” Benedikt writes, and Cook did it “without first getting [her] consent.” The piece is an intervention into the conversation on office sexual harassment, with Benedikt fearing “the consequences of overcorrection” on this issue.

—So You Married Your Flirty Boss

“We encourage the use of Teslas for commercial purposes and we’ll work proactively with these customers to find charging solutions that work best for them,” the statement said.

—Tesla Tells New Taxi, Uber Drivers Not to Use Its Superchargers

The deep web refers to anything you can’t access in a search engine, either because it’s protected behind a password or because it’s buried deep within a regular website. The dark web is a subsection of the deep web that you can only access with a special browser like Tor to mask your IP address.

—Things You Can Do on the Dark Web That Aren't Illegal

—This Graphic Explains Just How Crazy The Cryptocurrency Bubble Is

One such study published in the journal Neuroimage and highlighted on PsyBlog actually found that some forms of daydreaming cause measurable changes in the brain. This suggests that, done right, daydreaming actually requires attention and control.

—This Is the Correct Way to Daydream, According to a Harvard Psychiatrist

"VR can be stored in the brain's memory center in ways that are strikingly similar to real-world physical experiences," said Stanford's Bailenson, author of the forthcoming book "Experience on Demand," about his two decades of research on the psychological effects of virtual reality. "When VR is done well, the brain believes it is real."

—The very real health dangers of virtual reality

Respect for children means respect for the adults that they will one day become; it means helping them to the knowledge, skills, and social graces that they will need if they are to be respected in that wider world where they will be on their own and no longer protected. For the teacher, respect for children means giving them whatever one has by way of knowledge, teaching them to distinguish real knowledge from mere opinion, and introducing them to the subjects that make the mind adaptable to the unforeseen.

—The Virtue of Irrelevance

—You Will Lose Your Job to a Robot—and Sooner Than You Think

Watched

youtube

—Jessen's Orthogonal Icosahedron

#weekly #digest

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chicagoindiecritics · 5 years ago

Text

New from Jon Espino on The Young Folks: Interview: Trey Edward Shults, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Taylor Russell talk about the complexities in ‘Waves’

Every decade or so, we get new media that only entertains us but educates us on the experiences of the next generation. Many times they highlight the new complexities and differences of their experience to ours, but they also remind us that while it may be put in a different context, at its core they are things we have also gone through. Trey Edward Shults delivers exactly that in his latest film, Waves, which explores not only how these experiences affect a family unit, but how race can also play into them.

We spoke with Trey Edward Shults, and actors Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Taylor Russell collaborating together, revisiting their teenage years, MySpace and the start of social media, and more.

Since your first film, Krisha, you’ve created films that explore different family dynamics. We revisit topics like addiction and overbearing fathers. What attracts you to these types of stories?

Trey Edward Shults: I just connect to a lot of them. Personal experiences and loved ones’ experiences, especially in these 3 movies [Krisha, It Comes at Night, Waves] because they weren’t made that far apart. They were probably all brewing in the brain at around the same time. Whether it’s conscious or not, I think I was still rustling with some certain things, and remain fascinated by them.

As the film starts, everything seems almost idyllic, nearly perfect, but as it goes on, we learn the true complexity of each character. What was it about your respective characters that drew you in?

Kelvin Harrison Jr.: For me it was seeing this boy who had so much love and respect for his dad and those around him, but he really didn’t know how to communicate that or know what to do with that information for himself. He starts trying to appease everyone in a way that ultimately strips him away from his own identity and his own voice. I wanted to show the humanity of a black boy where he doesn’t fall into the cliches, but who can make mistakes that also don’t define who they are. I also wanted to show how a family would have to grow because of the historical traumas that come from being a black family in America right now. It wasn’t just about the character but also the entire message of what we have to go through as African Americans.

Taylor Russell: It’s really rare that you get characters like this for a young woman. I haven’t ever seen a script like this come across my lap, so it was a no-brainer to be a part of it. To see a story that is so nuanced, truthful, and authentic to the complexities of the black experience, which is so vast and so different for every person, made me admire how that was portrayed in this story. I liked how quiet she was, and how her strength was unconventional and unique. Even the storytelling style was perfect, how it was told in the two halves, was something that felt unique and that I had never seen before. I knew Trey’s work from Krisha. It was shot in such a beautiful way and unlike any other cinema. People were telling me that it was going to be quite close to Krisha, and I was like, “Oh my god, if it’s going to be like that then hell yes! Let’s do it!”

I like the way the film is split into two different perspectives. The first half focuses on the male experience, while the second half follows the aftermath and the female experience. Was it always your intention to split the film up this way?

TES: I think it was in the DNA way before even writing it. It functions in dichotomies, literally from highs and low, white and black, male and female, love and hate, and everything else in between. I liked the idea of the movie functioning in these dichotomies, but what it’s really about is the link and complexity of how we’re connected by the contrasts in our lives.

Although the film mostly focuses on the individual struggles and the family as a whole, there are a few moments in the film that talks exclusively to the black experience in America. What resources did you use to research this before incorporating it into the film?

TES: Kelvin was such an invaluable resource, and he’s the reason that the story is about a black family. We met on our last film [It Comes at Night] and first started talking about Waves. I didn’t have it written yet, but I started talking about ideas of what I thought the movies was, and broad strokes about what I wanted it to be. Then, we were like, “We should do it together.” When I was first writing it, we were texting a lot. Almost like little therapy sessions as we were learning about each other, learning about our commonalities and shared experiences with families, especially around the character’s age. Kel got a first draft, 8 months before we started shooting and then we kept building it further and further at that point. I let the actors kind ad-lib and make some changes to the scenes so that it would feel more natural and authentic. I felt like it was my job just to listen and understand and try to capture everything I could.

So this was truly a collaborative process?

TES: Oh, absolutely.

KHJ: It was so easy because it really feels like the script and Trey’s version of it really understands the family. It was like the skeleton and the muscles, setting a strong foundation so that we can come in and be like, “Well, let’s put some brown skin here and a little blush and we’re good to go.” I was never fearful of speaking up and being like, “Well this is how I feel and this is how I experienced this.” He would also respond with, “Well that makes sense and I understand that so now let’s shoot it that way.” To me, that’s beautiful.

While watching the film, it takes a turn partway through where it turns into a horror film. It feels almost nightmarish at a certain point.

TR: On the day of shooting those scenes, you could tell right away the tonal shift the movie was taking. It felt scary, and that day of filming was really intense too. Although a lot of that was in the script, it is still quite shocking when you see the final version.

TES: I talked about this with Sterling [K. Brown] a lot too. For this family, the greatest tragedy has happened and a nightmare has come to life. It started with exploring how this would feel for this family and this situation, and from there it grew to adding the visuals and audio elements that would end up giving it more of a horror feel.

One of the things that really helped push some of the more unnerving elements was the sound design and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ score. How did that come together?

TES: It just got super lucky. One day, I got an email from Trent and Atticus saying they were interested in working together. It was unbelievable. For sound design, I had Johnnie Burn and his whole team create that atmosphere and mood.

I’m still haunted by the sounds of the ligaments and muscles tearing. It was almost like ASMR, but in the most stressful kind of way.

TES: Johnnie had such an amazing foley team and I don’t even know how they got most of the sounds they used in the film. We played with that beyond just what would sound natural and tried out things that would be more subjective to the characters, like whenever Tyler would use his shoulder.

KHJ: Oh, I was on the ground and I could definitely hear it and feel it.

Did you know how to wrestle or did you have to learn just for the role?

KHJ: Hell-to-the-no. I had to transform. I did 3 months of wrestling training. I did 3 days a week of CrossFit with wrestling twice a day. My wrestling coach Vlad is actually in the movie. He would tell me, “Kelly, get tough!” It was a tough experience but ultimately great for the movie because I could feel free and authentic when playing the character.

For some people, their teenage years are either the best or the worst. How did it feel revisiting that time for your characters, or even while developing this film together?

TR: I mean, we play teenagers a lot. I feel like I’m constantly in high school. Maybe I’ll finally graduate one day. One can only dream. I think I got a little bit longer because I have a babyface. This story though feels so transcendent beyond being a 16-year-old, it’s more about the human experience. In that way, it feels like it could be at any age. At the same time, it’s telling the story of teenagers and experiencing and feeling things for the first time. It was a fun thing to explore, but also a hard thing.

KHJ: It was therapeutic for me. My parents saw it for the first time and they told me that that could really understand the relationships. That’s what the movie ends up being about: relationships. At the end of it, I was feeling like maybe I should call my mom and try to figure out how to communicate with her a little bit better. It transcends age in a lot of ways, but the specificity of the 2019 kid experience is fascinating to me. I remembering having MySpace growing up.

I honestly still miss MySpace. It’s basically the only reason I have the limited HTML coding knowledge I have. I mainly miss that you could set specific songs on the page.

KHJ: I don’t miss it at all. So many fights when you would set your top 5 or top 10. It was the beginning of proper social media drama, and I was just not interested in it. The intensity of that now with apps like Instagram and Snapchat is insane.

TR: In the film, you see the role that social media plays after the major event happens. Just the way people comment and speak about it so realistic. Even the cussing in the movie feels real, like when Trey has the phone autocorrect “ducking” for the f-word. We all know about that and that feeling when you’re so mad that you just don’t even care that it typed that out because we all know what they’re trying to say. It just adds to the overall relatability and speaks to real experiences.

from Jon Espino – The Young Folks https://ift.tt/2KVxHkE via IFTTT

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2XUzrQy via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress #CIFCC #film critics #movies #film #Chicago

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ideahat-universe · 7 years ago

Link

Yeah it’s uh. Meta. I stumbledupon a website that had links to websites to visit when you have time to kill. I actually don’t have time to kill I just spare time to do go these blogs. I could actually spend that time sleeping or playing Minecraft or fantasizing about what Kynseed will be like when it’s complete but I don’t do that.

It took me a week to fix My version of Minecraft after the update went through.

http://htwins.net/scale2/ – See how big things in the universe are. Hard to use because there is no banana for scale

Really? How does that work?

Oh. What? Oh my god, you click on an object and learn about it. This IS a time sink! Some really bizarre flavor text for these things. That is wonderful.

http://gabrielecirulli.github.io/2048/ – The most addicting game I’ve played this week

Oh it’s that game where people slide the numbers and it fuses into a bigger number and then the game ends. This is the original apparently.

http://www.magiceye.com/ – The trippiest shit ever if you manage to actually do it.

MMM! Vintage old web design! Look at that! Harry Potter!

Hate Magic Eye. Never works for me.

http://showyou.com/c/popular – Best videos of the moment from across the web. They also have a sick mobile app.

I’ll have to take that person’s word for it because that link does not work and it draws out an HTML error that denies access so I’m thinking that website is dead and the web host doesn’t even know.

http://www.bestofyoutube.com/ – Similar to the above one except it’s only from youtube and you might end up on one that’s old but gold.

That’s some of the best? There better be some Redlettermedia in this hideously long list. There’s a subject for a stream. Watch the videos on this list and try not to die.

http://zoomquilt2.madmindworx.com/zoomquilt2.swf – It never stops zooming. Or does it?

Someone made that. It took a team of artists but someone made the perspective art project to end all perspective art projects. I’m not showing it now because I’m going to turn that into a crazy halloween project. Maybe it will work maybe my recording software will explode. Something will happen.

http://yupthatexists.com/ – Stuff that you never really thought about but they actually exist

A lot of this stuff you’d see on Amazon. It’s not really unusual. Maybe that website was made before Etsy.

http://www.theuselessweb.com/ – Most fun uselessness ever

It’s some kind of randomizer that picks a random website and shows you a random webpage. it actually works and it’s quite silly.

It took me to a website that’s just that text and background with someone saying “hey” and “ho” on an endless loop.

The Internet is a frightening place...

http://www.fallingfalling.com/ – WHAT IS HAPPENING??? IS IT GETTING DEEPER OR NOT???

It’s just colors falling and changing and a weird droning noise is going into my head. It’s doing me head in. Even more than hey ho.

http://www.goodthingsshouldneverend.co.uk/flash/go There’s a really cool pot of gold at the bottom

I hope so because this website does not work for me. Maybe it will for you but I got a hangtime error.

http://pointlessdiagrams.com/ – I actually don’t know why this exists but I spent way too long on this

Something is supposed to be here but it’s not.

http://onetinyhand.com/ – Someone photoshopped these to make people have tiny hands. I laughed at this way more than I should have

Oh but this website works! Some real stupid shit that is.

http://nowthatsinteresting.net/ – Interesting stuff

Not anymore! The domain is for sale so someone should buy it and put interesting stuff on it!

http://www.playalterego.com/alterego – Be whoever you want to be…

God no!

http://hereistoday.com/ – Shows you how insignificant we all are.

I didn’t need any help in that department thanks.

http://1000lifehacks.com/ – Stuff you look at and might use/do but forget about the next day and will end up never using.

It’s a 1000 self help tips which is what a moron calls a life hack these days.

http://www.internetlivestats.com/ – How much stuff is happening on the internet. Not sure how accurate it is but it’s soothing watching the numbers go up.

I really want to know how it’s keeping count or counting for that matter.

The measuring of the CO2 is really dodgy. How the fuck does that work?

http://www.dontclick.it/ – Who knew clicking a mouse was actually useless?

That’s not what I got from that website. I got instead many many other things from that website.

http://foodgawker.com/ – Look at delicious food pictures and search anything you want. They have the recipe of everything. Prepare to get fatter than you already are.

How nice....Actually this is massively useful. I don’t like things that have the word “Gawker” in the title. It triggers me.

http://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_solarsystem.html – More things to make us see how insignificant we are!

Actually the national debt is quite comprehensible. I know how we got into debt, what happens if we go bankrupt, how much we owe, who we owe, and how much things will cost. For instance, the Paris Accord would have cost us well over a trillion dollars in cutting down our pollution. We would fucked ourselves economically in order to save the environment. India and China did not have to commit like that which is why we stepped out.

It’s a bad deal. And we have a president whose all about those deals. So it didn’t happen. Wrap your head around that one.

http://www.ebizarre.com/ – Things you don’t need to know about lots of subjects you don’t care about. But hey, why not learn something while procrastinating right?

Nice! It really is a bundle of fun facts!

http://world.time.com/timelapse/ – Look at a time-lapse of places on earth over a few decades in satellite view. Quite depressing to see glaciers melt and forests diminish though… Cool time wasting website nonetheless

Yeah about that. We re-plant trees. In fact think of the forest you see in your towns and in your cities. Those are young trees. In America and presumably in the west in general we re-plant trees for either cutting down or for filling out the area once it’s done. Combine that with the fact that plant life naturally grows anyways we actually have a surplus of trees and not a loss. Ancient trees? Yes. They do get cut and it’s quite sad but most of the trees you see aren’t ancient. They are pretty young.

In third world countries where an endangered animal is killed for money surprise surprise they destroy the rainforest with no shits about replacing the trees or even accommodating the wildlife in it. In America our government would protect the entire rainforest simply because one exotic bird lives in it but in places like Africa they don’t care enough.

Also the Glaciers are fine. If the Glaciers continue to melt at the rate they are melting in a century the water will rise by an inch.

You scared yet?

http://imgur.com// – Never, EVER, go on this website unless you want it to consume your life.

We’ve all been there. Sometimes for porn. It’s not that scary.

A handful of pretty good websites from that list. Nice.

#lifehack #web surfing #funny #fun facts #this is weird

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thatsnotcanonpodcasts · 6 years ago

Text

Skin, Dwarf Fortress & Arkham Knight

Welcome back and hello to the new listeners, we hope everyone is having fun and taking care of themselves. So, this week we find out that there is a new electronic skin developed from the National University of Singapore. We discussed how it can be applied in the real world, trust me this will make you laugh, the possibilities are endless. Although we really like the idea of a window for submarines with a heads up display, that would be cool. Next up we look at an indie game called Dwarf Fortress from two brothers and how their model might rival the triple A game studios. This is a game that embraces the gaming community and encourages players to develop extra content and share it online. Lastly, we look at the transition of a video game character now appearing in DC Comics known as the Arkham Knight. This not the first time that has happened as Marvel has done it before but obviously DC will do it better. As usual we have the regular list of shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and events of interest. As usual we have a lot of fun bringing you this latest episode of mayhem, so settle in with a cup of earl grey hot and a biscuit while we bring you some of the news this week in Nerd pop culture. Remember, take care of each other and stay hydrated.

EPISODE NOTES:

Electronic Skin - https://www.futurity.org/electronic-skin-self-healing-jellyfish-2023282/

Dwarf Fortress - https://www.patreon.com/posts/25343688

Arkham Knight is officially canon - https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/04/02/arkham-knight-is-now-officially-batman-canon/

Games currently playing

– Apex legends - https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends

Buck

– Deceit - https://store.steampowered.com/app/466240/Deceit/

Professor

- https://store.steampowered.com/app/611500/Quake_Champions/

Other topics discussed

Tilapia Fish

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia

Smart spray

- https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/570603/Revolutionary-spray-oxygen-heals-serious-wounds

What to do when you have a wet iPhone

- https://drfone.wondershare.com/iphone-problems/how-to-fix-a-wet-iphone-that-fell-in-water.html

Waterproof iPhone prank

- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/10330414/iOS-7-users-destroy-iPhones-after-fake-waterproof-advert.html

iPhone microwave prank

- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2768976/Emergency-services-forced-step-iPhone-users-fall-internet-prank-explains-use-microwave-charge-phone.html

Woman microwaves cat

- https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-15856146

Borderlands 3 is an Epic Games Store exclusive

- https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2019/04/03/borderlands-3-is-an-epic-games-store-exclusive-and-there-is-no-god/#b866c396f216

More info on Dwarf Fortress

- Bay12games patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/bay12games

- Dwarf Fortress official website - http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/

Linux turns 25

- https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/08/on-linuxs-25th-anniversary-development-has-gone-corporate/

Warhorse Studios being bought by THQ Nordic

- https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2019/02/kingdom-come-deliverance-developer-warhorse-studios-acquired-by-thq-nordic/76857/

‘Marvel’s Spiderman’ now a comic book series

- https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/marvel-s-spider-man-swings-into-the-pages-of-marvel-comics

New Apex legends patch

- https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/1109391/Apex-Legends-update-Xbox-One-PS4-patch-notes-level-reset

Starter Packs - CS: GO Russian

- https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1094440-starter-packs

CS: GO Danger Zone Blacksite

- https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/11/csgo-danger-zone-blacksite-map-best-locations-where-to-land-best-loot-2/

Woman arrested in Mar-a-Lago

- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/02/us/mar-a-lago-zhang-chinese-secret-service.html

Cannonball (Marvel Comics)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_(comics)

Rudy Giuliani (New York Mayor)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Giuliani

Charlemagne (death metal band)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne:_By_the_Sword_and_the_Cross

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne:_The_Omens_of_Death

Cold Mountain (film)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Mountain_(film)

Facebook plaintext passwords

- https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/21/facebook-plaintext-passwords/

Shoutouts

1 Apr 1918 - Founding of the Royal Air Force - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Royal_Air_Force

2 Apr 1877 – Flash! Bang! It's the Human Cannonball! An excited crowd looked up in astonishment and wonder when, in 1877, the first human cannonball flew above their heads. - https://www.onthisday.com/articles/flash-bang-its-the-human-cannonball

2 Apr 1992 - Mafia boss John Gotti is found guilty of 5 murders (Paul Castellano, Thomas Bilotti, Robert DiBernardo, Liborio Milito and Louis Dibono), plus conspiracy to murder, loan sharking, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, bribery and tax evasion - https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1992/april

7 Apr 2019 – A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the Arabsat 6A communications satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, from Kennedy Space Center. The satellite will deliver television, internet and mobile phone services to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Arabsat-6A is part of the two-satellite Arabsat-6G program for Arabsat. - https://i.redd.it/4rx4y9a6cwp21.png

Remembrances

2 Apr 1872 – Samuel Morse, American painter and inventor. After having established his reputation as a portrait painter, in his middle age Morse contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer of the Morse code and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy. He died of pneumonia at 80 in No. 5 West 22nd Street, New York City - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Morse

2 Apr 2005 – Pope John Paul II, was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 to 2005. He was one of the most traveled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 and canonized 483 people, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. A key goal of John Paul's papacy was to transform and reposition the Catholic Church. His wish was "to place his Church at the heart of a new religious alliance that would bring together Jews, Muslims and Christians in a great religious armada". He died of congestive heart failure at 84 in Apostolic Palace, Vatican City - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pope-john-paul-ii-dies

4 Apr 2007 - Karen Spärck Jones, was a British computer scientist who was responsible for the concept of inverse document frequency, a technology that underlies most modern search engines. In 2019, The New York Times published her belated obituary in its series Overlooked, calling her "a pioneer of computer science for work combining statistics and linguistics, and an advocate for women in the field. She died of cancer at 71 in Willingham, Cambridgeshire - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Sp%C3%A4rck_Jones

Famous birthdays

1 Apr 1875 – Edgar Wallace, one of the world’s most prolific authors. His theme was usually crime and mystery, but he also created King Kong. Born in Greenwich, Kent - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Wallace

2 Apr 742 – Charlemagne, he united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire and spurred the Carolingian Renaissance. Sometimes called the 'Father of Europe'. Born in Frankish Kingdom - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne

4 Apr 1979 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor and director. After performing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger left for the United States in 1998 to further develop his film career. His work comprised nineteen films, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001), Monster's Ball (2001), Lords of Dogtown (2005), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Casanova (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), the latter two being posthumous releases. His performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight has been hailed as one of the greatest performances in cinema history. Born in Perth, Western Australia -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger

Events of interest

2 Apr 1902 - "Electric Theatre", the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles, California - https://blog.timesunion.com/movies/first-movie-theater-opened-111-years-ago-today/9440/

2 Apr 1921 - Albert Einstein lectures in New York City on his new "Theory of Relativity" - https://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1921/april_2_1921_81446.html

2 Apr 1968 - "2001 A Space Odyssey" directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, premieres at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamated

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrS

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094

RSS - http://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/topshelfnerdspodcast?format=rss

#console gaming #computers #science #science and technology #science fiction #streaming #gaming #game development #Gamer #marvel #spiderman #pc gaming #tech #technology #iphone #retro gaming

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webart-studio · 6 years ago

Text

eight Lifeless Internet Developments We're Higher Off With out

Lots of very good folks have stated that those that don’t be taught from historical past are doomed to repeat it. Different folks say that nostalgia bait…ahem…“retrospectives” get lots of clicks. They’re each proper, and I believed it could be each enjoyable and academic to check out a few of the useless UI conventions of yesteryear.

It’s good to recollect why they ever lived, and the way and why they died. It provides us perception into how greatest practices had been born, and why they’re the “greatest” practices we have now. It provides us context for constructing the way forward for the net. And apart from, the business will get newbies yearly, and they need to know some of these things, too.

I’m glad they don’t need to undergo what we suffered, however they need to know what we suffered. Mates, countrymen, Romans: we come right here to not mourn these UI conventions and browser options, however to bury them.

<blink>

Shhh… shhhh… it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s useless, and it might probably’t harm you anymore.

For everybody who didn’t have a visceral response simply now, the <blink> tag made issues do exactly that: blink. On and off, there and never there. It’s nearly prefer it was designed to harm your eyes. Invented throughout the peak of the early Browser Wars, the tag was an early instance of browser-specific tags, and was meant to present Netscape Navigator an edge over the then-nascent Web Explorer.

I’m not saying that this determination killed Netscape Navigator, or that NN deserved to die due to it, however that’s precisely what I’m saying.

(Screenshot not offered for apparent causes.)

Flash Menus

I used to be responsible as hell of this one. That’s proper, at first, I couldn’t get the hand of animated navigation menus (learn: menus having a hover state) constructed with JavaScript. Or DHTML, because it was referred to as in Dreamweaver. So I used Macromedia Flash to create tremendous fancy menus with animated buttons, and embedded them into each web site header I made.

I used to be hardly the one one. For some time, Flash-based menu templates had been a cottage business on their very own. Sizzling tip: By no means, EVER make an internet site menu which you could’t change by simply modifying a textual content file. The upkeep price alone was an enormous headache, and search engines like google and yahoo by no means did get the cling of crawling via Flash recordsdata.

Thank God for :hover.

Frames, the Authentic AJAX

That’s proper, youngsters. Earlier than we used JavaScript to load all of our information in progressive net apps, the browser did all of the work, and presumably nonetheless can. You understand iframes? They used to have an enormous brother that was simply referred to as “Frames”, and that’s what we used for fundamental layouts earlier than Tables got here alongside.

The issue was that whilst they allowed the browser to replace simply a part of a web page as an alternative of loading a complete new one (kind of), in addition they broke a number of elementary browser options, together with:

The Again and Ahead buttons;

Browser historical past on the whole;

It was tougher to copy-paste hyperlinks to particular pages in a website;

Reloading an internet site actually received a bit random, and would often simply take you again to the “dwelling web page”, because it had been.

Finally the entire frameset function was deprecated, and other people largely use iframes to load Embed content material like YouTube movies.

Picture Buttons

Not way back, flat design took the world by storm, prompting folks to say issues like, “Wait… is {that a} button? Can I click on it? WHY would you even use a customized cursor, there?” Earlier than that, everybody was all about these 3D-looking buttons. As a result of they had been fancy. Look, it began within the early ‘90s, and we simply don’t query something that occurred between 1980 and 2005. They had been simply totally different instances.

After all, CSS3 has all however killed the image-based button. When the textual content was baked into the picture, the buttons had been inconceivable to handle, and when it wasn’t, we had to make use of a thousand tips to make them even semi-responsive. Anybody bear in mind making a button that was one-part loooooong PNG, and one half the corners on the precise? Or having a separate PNG for every nook of a button?

God, we have now it good, these days.

Marquee

As soon as upon a time, earlier than everybody began saying that picture sliders had been dangerous, HTML really had a built-in factor for making issues slide across the web page. It was referred to as the Marquee tag, and other people hated it lengthy earlier than it really died. It was carried out in Web Explorer in response to the <blink> tag, and was solely marginally much less dangerous in your eyes.

It was deserted and deprecated for being too distracting to customers.

Demos out there right here: https://www.quackit.com/html/codes/html_marquee_code.cfm

Fancy Separators/Web page Dividers

Again earlier than we ever began doing correct format, folks wanted a approach to break up lengthy pages of textual content to make them much less awkward to learn. The <hr> factor felt just a little too plain to some, and so the designers of the day resorted—as they so typically did—to .GIFs. They had been simply horizontal bars at coronary heart, however so long as they had been pictures, the might be as fancy as you appreciated.

This was one other pattern that fell to CSS/CSS3. In addition to, when the divider is a lot extra visually thrilling than the textual content, that may show to be a little bit of a battle for the person.

The Website Map

The Website Map was the be-all and end-all of navigation. Earlier than web sites had their very own search capabilities, you used the location map to seek out what you wanted on any given website. It was easy: the entire content material was proper there, and also you simply wanted to scroll.

These days, lots of websites are simply too huge, or too small, to ever want a website map as a UI factor. They’re usually nonetheless auto-generated by many CMS, however they’re used to assist search engines like google and yahoo crawl the location quicker. For medium-sized web sites, I believe this can be a function that would come again, and it wouldn’t harm anyone.

Desk Structure

Ah, desk format. It’s mocked in jokes by some, referenced solely in hushed whispers by others. It was the pattern that pushed net design ahead, and the one which couldn’t die quick sufficient. It mixed inline types, a good quantity of confusion, and 1-pixel .GIF recordsdata that by some means held the layouts collectively.

I by no means actually received that half.

It died as a result of CSS had floats. And although that was a grimy hack and a half, it was really higher. We solely used tables for thus lengthy as a result of browsers (cough IE cough) had been sluggish to meet up with CSS help, however they received there ultimately.

The bizarre factor is that CSS Grid is like having tables again once more, however so a lot better.

Yeah, I had to make use of the Wayback Machine. Googling for desk layouts will get you a complete bunch of articles about why you shouldn’t use them.

Supply hyperlink

source https://webart-studio.com/eight-lifeless-internet-developments-were-higher-off-with-out/

#start up #entrepreneurs #new business #online marketing #wordpress websites #productivity #sm

0 notes

webbygraphic001 · 6 years ago

Text

8 Dead Web Trends We’Re Better Off Without

A lot of very smart people have said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Other people say that nostalgia bait…ahem…“retrospectives” get a lot of clicks. They’re both right, and I thought it might be both fun and educational to take a look at some of the dead UI conventions of yesteryear.

It’s good to remember why they ever lived, and how and why they died. It gives us insight into how best practices were born, and why they are the “best” practices we have. It gives us context for building the future of the web. And besides, the industry gets newbies every year, and they should know some of this stuff, too.

I’m glad they don’t have to suffer what we suffered, but they should know what we suffered. Friends, countrymen, Romans: we come here not to mourn these UI conventions and browser features, but to bury them.

<blink>

Shhh… shhhh… it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s dead, and it can’t hurt you anymore.

For everyone who didn’t have a visceral reaction just now, the <blink> tag made things do just that: blink. Off and on, there and not there. It’s almost like it was designed to hurt your eyes. Invented during the height of the early Browser Wars, the tag was an early example of browser-specific tags, and was meant to give Netscape Navigator an edge over the then-nascent Internet Explorer.

I’m not saying that this decision killed Netscape Navigator, or that NN deserved to die because of it, but that’s exactly what I’m saying.

(Screenshot not provided for obvious reasons.)

Flash Menus

I was guilty as hell of this one. That’s right, in the beginning, I couldn’t get the hand of animated navigation menus (read: menus having a hover state) built with JavaScript. Or DHTML, as it was called in Dreamweaver. So I used Macromedia Flash to create super fancy menus with animated buttons, and embedded them into every website header I made.

I was hardly the only one. For a while, Flash-based menu templates were a cottage industry on their own. Hot tip: Never, EVER make a website menu that you can’t change by just editing a text file. The maintenance cost alone was a massive headache, and search engines never did get the hang of crawling through Flash files.

Thank God for :hover.

Frames, the Original AJAX

That’s right, kids. Before we used JavaScript to load all of our data in progressive web apps, the browser did all the work, and presumably still can. You know iframes? They used to have a big brother that was just called “Frames”, and that’s what we used for basic layouts before Tables came along.

The problem was that even as they allowed the browser to update just part of a page instead of loading a whole new one (sort of), they also broke several fundamental browser features, including:

The Back and Forward buttons;

Browser history in general;

It was harder to copy-paste links to specific pages in a site;

Reloading a website certainly got a bit random, and would usually just take you back to the “home page”, as it were.

Eventually the whole frameset feature was deprecated, and people mostly use iframes to load Embed content like YouTube videos.

Image Buttons

Not long ago, flat design took the world by storm, prompting people to say things like, “Wait… is that a button? Can I click it? WHY would you even use a custom cursor, there?” Before that, everyone was all about those 3D-looking buttons. Because they were fancy. Look, it started in the early ‘90s, and we just don’t question anything that happened between 1980 and 2005. They were just different times.

Of course, CSS3 has all but killed the image-based button. When the text was baked into the image, the buttons were impossible to manage, and when it wasn’t, we had to use a thousand tricks to make them even semi-responsive. Anyone remember making a button that was one-part loooooong PNG, and one part the corners on the right? Or having a separate PNG for each corner of a button?

God, we have it good, nowadays.

Marquee

Once upon a time, before everyone started saying that image sliders were bad, HTML actually had a built-in element for making things slide around the page. It was called the Marquee tag, and people hated it long before it actually died. It was implemented in Internet Explorer in response to the <blink> tag, and was only marginally less bad for your eyes.

It was abandoned and deprecated for being too distracting to users.

Demos available here: https://www.quackit.com/html/codes/html_marquee_code.cfm

Fancy Separators/Page Dividers

Back before we ever started doing proper layout, people needed a way to break up long pages of text to make them less awkward to read. The <hr> element felt a little too plain to some, and so the designers of the day resorted—as they so often did—to .GIFs. They were just horizontal bars at heart, but as long as they were images, the could be as fancy as you liked.

This was another trend that fell to CSS/CSS3. Besides, when the divider is so much more visually exciting than the text, that can prove to be a bit of a conflict for the user.

The Site Map

The Site Map used to be the be-all and end-all of navigation. Before websites had their own search functions, you used the site map to find what you needed on any given site. It was simple: all of the content was right there, and you just needed to scroll.

Nowadays, a lot of sites are just too big, or too small, to ever need a site map as a UI element. They are typically still auto-generated by many CMS, but they’re used to help search engines crawl the site faster. For medium-sized websites, I think this is a feature that could come back, and it wouldn’t hurt anybody.

Table Layout

Ah, table layout. It’s mocked in jokes by some, referenced only in hushed whispers by others. It was the trend that pushed web design forward, and the one that couldn’t die fast enough. It combined inline styles, a fair amount of confusion, and 1-pixel .GIF files that somehow held the layouts together.

I never really got that part.

It died because CSS had floats. And though that was a dirty hack and a half, it was actually better. We only used tables for so long because browsers (cough IE cough) were slow to catch up with CSS support, but they got there eventually.

The weird thing is that CSS Grid is like having tables back again, but so much better.

Yeah, I had to use the Wayback Machine. Googling for table layouts gets you a whole bunch of articles about why you shouldn’t use them.

Add Realistic Chalk and Sketch Lettering Effects with Sketch’it – only $5!

Source from Webdesigner Depot https://ift.tt/2ukhPQ3 from Blogger https://ift.tt/2Ft9dwX

#Blogger

0 notes

iyarpage · 6 years ago

Text

8 Dead Web Trends We’Re Better Off Without

<blink>

Shhh… shhhh… it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s dead, and it can’t hurt you anymore.

I’m not saying that this decision killed Netscape Navigator, or that NN deserved to die because of it, but that’s exactly what I’m saying.

(Screenshot not provided for obvious reasons.)

Flash Menus

Thank God for :hover.

Frames, the Original AJAX

The problem was that even as they allowed the browser to update just part of a page instead of loading a whole new one (sort of), they also broke several fundamental browser features, including:

The Back and Forward buttons;

Browser history in general;

It was harder to copy-paste links to specific pages in a site;

Reloading a website certainly got a bit random, and would usually just take you back to the “home page”, as it were.

Eventually the whole frameset feature was deprecated, and people mostly use iframes to load Embed content like YouTube videos.

Image Buttons

God, we have it good, nowadays.

Marquee

It was abandoned and deprecated for being too distracting to users.

Demos available here: https://www.quackit.com/html/codes/html_marquee_code.cfm

Fancy Separators/Page Dividers

This was another trend that fell to CSS/CSS3. Besides, when the divider is so much more visually exciting than the text, that can prove to be a bit of a conflict for the user.

The Site Map

Table Layout

I never really got that part.

The weird thing is that CSS Grid is like having tables back again, but so much better.

Yeah, I had to use the Wayback Machine. Googling for table layouts gets you a whole bunch of articles about why you shouldn’t use them.

Add Realistic Chalk and Sketch Lettering Effects with Sketch’it – only $5!

Source p img {display:inline-block; margin-right:10px;} .alignleft {float:left;} p.showcase {clear:both;} body#browserfriendly p, body#podcast p, div#emailbody p{margin:0;} 8 Dead Web Trends We’Re Better Off Without published first on https://medium.com/@koresol

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