#ix learn

[starfish-ix]

★ foldable joy journal!! ★

I made this little zine / journal that is printable and foldable easily at home!!

I think there is a lot to be said about being mindful and intentional about seeking the joy already present in our lives, a la Ross Gay's The Book of Delights. The word I chose to guide me in 2023 was "revel" which really encouraged me to take in all the delights in life :-)

This zine was inspired by a format I found in Special Collections of my college, and I made it through a process of lino-cut prints, collaging, and prototyping!

print here!!

ix_foldable_joyjournal

see more images of it unfolded below!

hope you enjoy!

[vinsbicoart]

Don't let the big bird inside!!! It's a bird!!!

A small comic I've been working on, I finished it some time ago, relatively recently, but I've waited a little bit to post it. It's been two months since I started it but that's a record in comparison to the star wars comic I did. I've been slow working on it so that's why it has taken two months but I think everything went better this time. I can't wait to do more comics and get better at it little by little🙏

[front-facing-pokemon]

[sympathywiththought]

He had mad hungers that grew more ravenous as he fed them.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, 𝐎𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞

[lapdogchase]

my friend says atp the school is being negligent and i should report them which is probably true but also i mean. at least they clearly explained the process even if every part ogf it has gone wrong or gone on for far too long. and nobody has shown open contempt towards me during the process. unlike last time 😒. so are they being negligent possibly. butit could be worse & i . ohh my god thahnk you youtube autoplay for turning on alltoo well 10 minute version right now. i'm gonna go ruminate now.

[starfish-ix]

to be loved is to be changed

i am spending this valentine’s day in a way some would call being alone. I have a pretty complicated relationship with this holiday as someone on the aro spectrum, and i’ve spent some time reflecting on it today.

I work at a makerspace, and i’ve spent the last two weeks doing nothing but helping people make sweet gift and cards for ones they love- and i can’t lie!! it’s hard!! but yet i woke up today to a text from my best friend. a rose emoji captioned “this is for you”.

there is so much love within me. it reminds me of the goodness.

love and joy and goodness are real because they are within me.

[botcomplex]

Believe it or not this is a Dragon Quest oc lmao More pixel art practice! Made a Dragon Quest (IX specifically) fan character of mine, "Nekomana", a Demon class monster despite the cuddly appearance, best known for flinging fireballs at heroes! Took a bit longer on this one than I would've liked and it's certainly rough but that's why I gotta keep practicing simple as lol More random pixel art sprites soon! Sprite sheets too once I start learning how to make those. Any non-fandom/fan character stuff I make I'll post to @raveagainstthemachine (which I promise is not dead I just do not use social media for the life of me) And ofc, here's the original 96x96 sprite as well!

tiny kity

[mhizzberryart]

"Oh, Korona! ...you look... different?"

Started playing LaDS with Korona as my MC! Korona was originally my MC for The Arcana and I've been using her as a protagonist for similar games ever since 💛

[mariacallous]

Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Monday evening blocked a Republican-led attempt to enshrine discrimination against transgender athletes in federal law. The lawmakers rejected the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The bill, part of a more considerable conservative effort to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, failed to garner enough votes needed to advance.

After senators voted to confirm President Donald Trump's pick for education secretary, professional wrestling magnate Linda McMahon, the upper chamber considered moving forward with the anti-trans legislation. The bill was stopped by a cloture vote, which is a procedural motion that requires 60 votes to end debate and move forward. The vote was 51 to 45.

The legislation, introduced in the House of Representatives by Florida GOP Rep. Greg Steube and passed by Republicans earlier this year with the support of two Democrats, sought to rewrite Title IX protections by defining sex in athletics solely based on “reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” If enacted, the bill would have effectively barred transgender women and girls from participating in federally funded school and college sports.

The bill also called for federal studies on the impact of transgender inclusion in women’s sports and potential “adverse psychological and developmental effects” on cisgender athletes. There is no evidence that transgender athletes are a danger to cisgender peers. While it did not mandate physical examinations to determine an athlete’s sex, critics warned that its enforcement could lead to intrusive scrutiny of all female athletes.

The bill’s failure comes amid a broader, coordinated effort by Republicans to legislate transgender people out of public life. Just last month, Trump signed an executive order titled “No Men in Women’s Sports." Trump used the signing ceremony as an opportunity to spew inflammatory rhetoric, falsely claiming that men have “invaded” women’s sports and that male athletes are “beating up and injuring” women—a claim that has been debunked time and time again.

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson applauded the Senate’s rejection of the bill, emphasizing the damaging impact of such policies. “Every child should have the opportunity to experience the simple joys of being young and making memories with their friends. But bills like these send the message that transgender kids don’t deserve the same opportunities to thrive as their peers simply because of who they are. And they are impossible to enforce without putting all kids at risk of invasive questions or physical examinations just because someone doesn’t look or dress like everyone else,” Robinson said in a statement to The Advocate.

Trump’s executive order, which threatened to strip federal funding from schools and colleges that failed to comply with his ban on transgender athletes, has already triggered legal challenges. Civil rights advocates and legal experts have pointed out that executive orders cannot override federal civil rights protections, including those under Title IX, and the order is expected to be tied up in court for months.

“We should want all of our kids to have the chance to be on a team, problem solve with others, learn valuable skills, and find places to belong,” Robinson said. “Thank you to the leaders who stood up today, pushed back against those playing politics with young people’s lives, and declared that ours should be a nation where every child feels valued.”

[jcmarchi]

Smashing Meets Product Design

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/smashing-meets-product-design/

Smashing Meets Product Design

I had the pleasure of hosting a recent Smashing Magazine workshop on product design, subbing for Vitaly Friedman who usually runs these things.

What? A front-ender interviewing really smart people about their processes for user research, documenting requirements, and scaling teams around usability? I was a product designer once upon a time and even though it’s been a long time since I’ve flexed that muscle, it was a hoot learning from the guests, which included: Chris Kolb, Kevin Hawkins, and Vicky Carmichael.

The videos are barred from embedding, so I’ll simply link ’em up directly to YouTube:

I also moderated a follow-up discussion with Chris and Kevin following the presentations.

A few of my choice takeaways:

Small teams have the luxury of being in greater, more intimate contact with customers. Vicky explained how their relatively small size (~11 employees) means that everyone interfaces with customers and that customer issues and requests are handled more immediately.

Large teams have to be mindful of teams forming into individual silos. A silo mentality typically happens when teams scale up in size, resulting in less frequent communication and collaboration. Team dashboards help, as do artifacts from meetings in multiple formats, such as AI-flavored summaries, video recordings, and documented decisions.

Customers may appear to be dumb, but what looks like dumbness is often what happens when humans are faced with a lack of time and context. Solving “dumb” user problems often means coming at the problem in the same bewildered context rather than simply assuming the customer “just doesn’t get it.”

Direct Link →

[argonphoenix]

supervised outdoor time in his gay little hoodie

[artofchessxn]

[doodlebless]

(idk who would be funnier to learn that from tbh)

This has haunted me for days (complimentary) thanks to @snapscube's Final Fantasy IX streams. Doodling it was the only option.

[elysiansparadise]

Synastry Observations IX

🩶Harmonious aspects between Uranus and Moon make them both able to vent with each other more easily. They feel that they do not have to keep their emotions to themselves and can show them freely with each other, not only because they genuinely try to understand each other, but also because they do not feel that the other judges them for being emotional or for feeling vulnerable. In addition, they help each other get out of their comfort zone and can bring a lot of variety to each other's lives, encouraging them to live new experiences that make them feel emotionally fulfilled.

🩶The aspects between Mars-Vesta create an extremely sensual and passionate atmosphere between you two, both seek to surrender and surrender completely to the other, succumb to their mutual fantasies and enjoy the other's body, flooding themselves with the most primal and burning desire. They want to give the other as much pleasure as they receive, a simple touch is enough to make them tremble, a kiss to belong to the other and one night to see an eternity together.

🩶When your chart ruler falls in the other person's 4th, 8th or 12th house, it is very likely that they will see you as an emotionally deep person, someone with a huge heart although reserved for those you truly appreciate. Sometimes you give them the impression that you read them very easily... too much for their liking. They feel like they can't hide anything from you and that you are able to truly see them for who they truly are. They may feel strangely drawn to you from the beginning and that way in which you touch the most sensitive fibers in the most beautiful and pleasant way.

🩶Moon falling in the other's 3rd house makes you both instinctively understand each other, you feel comfortable talking to the other and you find that the other seems to know exactly what you think or feel about something. There is a strong emotional and intellectual connection, they feel that they can open up to each other like no one else and it is even likely that they have quite similar opinions, experiences and ways of seeing things.

🩶When Juno makes a conjunction, trine or sextile to the other's North Node, a spark of being together can be born in both. They both feel that with each other they can commit to having a serious relationship and can see each other as husband/wife material. They awaken in each other a desire to be together and they can feel a strong loyalty to each other. It is very likely that they want to teach each other what it is like to have a reliable relationship, where love and effort is constant.

🩶Ceres aspecting Venus makes both love to take care of the other, likewise, they seek to satisfy the other's needs and give them everything they ask for, it is a mutual pampering and spoiling. They awaken the greatest and most intense adoration for each other and have the genuine desire to care for and protect their hearts. They both worship each other's bodies, they want to feel every pore of the other, slide their hands into that sensual figure that drives them so crazy. They love satisfying each other's romantic fantasies and making sure they feel the pleasure and love they deserve.

🩶If Mercury is conjunct the Descendant, it is very likely that you both think of each other romantically. Both feel intellectually stimulated by the other and see in the other person someone with a brilliant, beautiful and unique mind. This duo makes the other feel heard, understood and their interest in each other is noticeable. They help each other learn from each other, both on an individual level, and to discover what they are truly looking for in a partner.

🩶The aspects between Jupiter-Neptune mean that between you there is that feeling of being predestined to meet, and that feeling of having connected easily with the other, and despite having been fast, they make it feel so good. Both can frequently dream about each other and this causes them to have an idealized, deep and more positive vision of friendship/romance. They may find themselves daydreaming about each other and want to experience many things at their sides.

🩶When your stellium falls in someone's 9th house, there is a good chance they will see you as a person from whom they can learn a lot. You inspire them and they find themselves having many spontaneous realizations when they talk to you, likewise, they see you as an admirable person to whom they can turn for advice. Fun with you is guaranteed, but on many occasions you can give them reality checks [especially if your stellium is in an air or earth sign].

🩶When your Pallas is conjunct or making a trine with someone's Venus, they see you as a superior person, even out of their leagues. There is a touch of distinction in you, they know that you are not someone they can simply charm with words, for them you are someone who mixes grace, elegance and cunning, they cannot fool you and very often you keep them on their toes. There is a deep admiration from them towards you and both of you can often find yourself thinking about the other spontaneously throughout the day.

🩶When Mars falls in the other’s 3rd house there is a playful and teasing atmosphere around the two. They both challenge each other, laugh out loud with each other and quickly arouse interest. The others easily realize the tension between you, how that playful banter has overtones of desire involved, how between the jokes you make it clear that it is only with the other with whom you connect in this way. They can easily motivate or make the other feel energized, they mutually entertain each other.

🩶Vesta conjunct Moon awakens in each other the purest and most genuine emotions they have ever felt. There is a strong desire to preserve the happiness and comfort of others, to make those gestures that they like so much just to make them smile. There is a deep and pure adoration for the other, as well as a strong devotion that can endure no matter how much time passes. Sensitivity, deep conversations and the feeling of being safe flow between you.

🩶The house in which someone's Pars of Fortune falls will be the area that begins to flow for you or the aspect of your life in which your partner can help you feel more fulfilled. When it falls in the 1st, 2nd or 5th house you can feel that your self-confidence increases considerably. If it falls in your 2nd, 8th or 11th house you may feel that your finances flow better since you are with them. If it falls in your 3rd, 5th, or 12th house, you can feel more creative. In earth houses [2nd, 6th, 10th] you can feel that you progress professionally more easily.

🩶The aspects between Sun-Neptune mean that there is a need in both, a desire to know each other on a deeper level. When we see this aspect, it is very likely that in you there is not only a strong connection, but an ease in understanding each other. You both love each other unconditionally regardless of the flaws or differences between you, you both know how to look beyond it and small differences do not make your love for each other diminish. A lot of support, care and fascination for each other. They could have easily fallen in love with each other.

[mochinomnoms]

Two's Company, Three's a Crowd, and Six is a Riot

OB!Boys x Reader

Synopsis Malleus and the others were never really sure what to expect from you. After your involvement of the last six overblots, they all hoped that you wouldn't get into any more trouble.  Wishful thinking, on their parts. But honestly, how else were they supposed to react to the 6 different versions of you from the future?! All of them claiming they were married to one of them in their future?!  Is it a delightful surprise? Yes, though most of them won't admit it. But now they must discuss, which timeline are they currently in, and who gets to stake their claim in your heart? Perhaps it's time to take advantage and learn from their respective ‘You’, specifically how it is they managed to woo you and bring that potentiality into reality. Now if only they could find you, current, time-period you, and put some new learned skills into practice… OR A freak magic accident replaces you with six potential future versions of you that 6 of your friends married. Now they learn a bit about, you, themselves, and their future, all while trying to bring the current you back to present-day.

An interactive story, choose how you want the next chapter to go!

ao3 link

spotify playlist

[cw] - sexual humor, minor character death

[tags] - multi x reader, humor, time travel, fluff, mild angst, happy ending

Chapter List:

i. Thievin’, stealin’, takin’ what’s not yours

ii. The sweetest tart in the red tyrant’s feast

iii. Royal consort to the wild usurper

iv. The merchant’s most precious treasure (QUEUED)

v. A desert flower for the schemer’s heart

vi. The beautiful tyrant and her muse

vii. Persephone and the watchman’s worship

viii. Temporal mischief of the heart (yours in particular)

ix. No grave can hold my body down

x. Malevolence and his briar rose