#or maybe that's because im still learning how to use new editing softwares

[sorenlionheart]

i miss when i made music videos if im being honest lol

[peppermint-moss]

ok dumb question but. i loooove ur thrushpelt amv ive watched it so many times and i want to get into doing similar videos maybe?? im really new to sophisticated editing software so... how do you do that like, sun line spinning effect in the background at 1:42 and also later in the video thank u soo much 👉👈

heres how i did it for that video:

draw your sun and export it as png file

put it into your editing program (I'm using da vinci resolve)

move the anchor point into the centre of your sun

4. place a keyframe for "rotation angle" at the start of the png (or whenever you want your sun to start spinning). Wherever (or rather whenever) your playerhead is = is where the keyframe will be placed. Keyframes are how the editing program moves things around. Placing this first one at the beginning of your timeline basically = "I want this to be the start position of this png".

5. Go to the end of whenever you want your sun to stop spinning. Place another keyframe there. This basically = "I want this to be the end position of this png"

6. Keeping your playerhead on that keyframe you just put, rotate the sun png to change its position. (in adobe premiere which is the program I used to edit the thrushpelt video, I could just use the transform controls to spin it around n around and it would just keep counting how many rotations I made yaay simple. In da vinci resolve it looks like that just makes it reset back to 0 degrees when you rotate back around to the start lol So that means I had to manually type in "600" degrees to get it to rotate multiple times; like how 365 degrees would be 1 full rotation, so 600 would be around 2 full rotations.)

Here I'm showing you method 1: rotating it with the transform controls

And here I'm showing method 2: manually typing in "600" degrees in the "rotation angle" setting, and then I'm playing the video to see it spin

7. Play the video and see if you like how it looks, and adjust to your liking (to edit a keyframe, just make sure your playerhead is at whenever you placed the keyframe).

More rotations = it'll spin faster. Why? Imagine if someone told you to spin around only 1 time within 10 seconds. You might have to even deliberately slow down to spin only once within that time. BUT if they told you to spin around 50 times within 10 seconds? You'd have to spin real fast to make sure you spun around enough within that same time frame.

8. Also: To make it rotate clockwise/counter-clockwise (whatever the other direction is), just put a "-" next to the number to make it negative 600.

In that video above you can also see how because my playerhead wasn't on the exact spot of one of the previous keyframes I made, it automatically made a new third keyframe when I changed the rotation setting to "-600". Then when I play the video, we can see it first spins the same like in step #6 (because those first 2 keyframes are still the same), and then start spinning the opposite direction ("-600"). It also spins a lot faster mainly because while those first 2 keyframes are about 3 seconds apart, key frame #2 and the new keyframe #3 are like 1 second apart

(again imagine spinning around 5 times within 10 seconds vs trying to spin around 5 times within 1 second; for the latter you'd have to spin a lot faster)

(*it technically is Also spinning faster because instead of going from 0 degrees (keyframe #1) to 600 degrees (keyframe #2) which is a difference of 600 (0 minus Positive 600 yay math), it's going from 600 degrees (keyframe #2) to -600 degrees (keyframe #3) aka a difference of 1200, a much larger distance (600 minus Negative 600 yay math))

In conclusion: Keyframes are the key! lol. They are what makes everything move/change over time so they'll be your bread and butter in video editing, so try to learn more about how they work! I hope that all makes sense ;O;

[unforth]

A Non-Exhaustive and (In)Frequently Updated List of Resources I’ve Used while Writing MDZS/CQL/Untamed Fic

I did so much research for The Vermillion Ribbon that I decided to make a doc out of it. If I’m bored sometime (ha) I might go farther back through my google search history but for now this is MDZS specific and just what I used for TVR. I’ll try to update it periodically as I write other things, though, so it’ll get more complete.

In most cases, I go to Google and type in what I’m trying to find out. This might be a question - “were there barrels in ancient china” - or it might be an idiom - “origin ‘barrels of fun’” - or it might definition - “define pusillanimity”  or it might be that I’m trying to find out if a reference is appropriate - “china mosquitoes” was a search to make sure there were, in fact, mosquitoes in China. Each of these searches only take a few minutes at most but doing them can really enhance a narrative. 

Here are some other examples of searches I used to get utterly random pieces of information I needed - all of these produced the results I was looking for:

domesticated geese in china

traditional shanghai food

history of sandpaper

traditional peaked hat china

how to help someone who is having a flashback

parts of a day bed

wang yibo height

shades of green

is dumbfoundment a word

bland chinese food

flowers native to eastern china

how were ancient chinese homes heated

does chinese hair tangle

when do gentians bloom

popular alcohol in hebei

how does baijiu taste

history of use sinkers for fishing

does rain damage silk

what are the dots in go called in chinese

perception of snakes in china

do people kneel or sit cross legged at chinese tables

history of our understanding of cancer

common bushes near tianjin

necrotization vs gangrene

chinese formal letter opener

I’m including these so you see...basically if an issue comes up while you’re writing, and you’re not sure...just check. The information is out there. Looking at it gives the FBI agent spying on all your internet usage something interesting to read!

General Writing Resources:

Behind the Name and Behind the Surname (https://www.behindthename.com/, https://surnames.behindthename.com/) - definitely more a resource for Western names but if you care about name origin and meaning, extremely handy.

Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/) - I use it much less often than Wiki but it’s still helpful sometimes.

Google Image Search (https://www.google.com/imghp) - not sure what something looks like? GIS is your best friend. There’s no better way to make sure you write a compel a description than to actually look at the thing you’re trying to describe.

Google Maps (https://maps.google.com/) - if you’re writing about a real place, it’s always helpful to be able to look at it, especially on satellite or street view.

Google Translate (https://translate.google.com/) - should you rely on it? God, no. But if you just need something basic and you remember you might get garbage back, it can still be helpful.

Online Etymology Dictionary (https://www.etymonline.com/) - an excellent source for word origins, especially slang (like if you’re trying to figure out if a word or phrase is time period appropriate).

Onomatopoeias (http://onomatopoeialist.com/) - need just the right sound? Here you go.

Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview) - this is the only writing software I’ve ever used and while I honestly don’t use it for writing fanfiction (I just write in gdocs and wing it), I still support it and I use it to organize my research for original projects.

Thesaurus.com (https://www.thesaurus.com/) - my preferred thesaurus. I use a thesaurus constantly - both for synonyms and antonyms - while writing and find it infinitely more useful than, say, the lists of words I sometimes see circulating as rebloggable Tumblr posts. If you find a word you’re not sure of listed, always check the definition before using it.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) - maybe I should be embarrassed by how often I rely on Wiki but fuck that, because Wiki is an invaluable source for random obscure information. On major topics it’s sometimes unreliable but on most historical matters aside from those that are most fraught (ie, the causes of the US Civil War) you can generally trust that the information is reliable, and if you need more information the included references can help a lot. 

Sources for Information on English Idioms (asterisk denotes ones I like best/use most):

The Free Dictionary: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

*The Grammarist: https://grammarist.com/

Know Your Phrase: https://knowyourphrase.com/

Merriam-Webster “Words at Play” Blog: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play

*The Phrase Finder: https://www.phrases.org.uk/index.html

Word Histories: https://wordhistories.net/

MDZS/CQL-Specific Resources:

LIST OF OTHER REFERENCE SOURCES: https://wangxianfics.tumblr.com/post/617467597810778112/mdzs-resources-references

Characters Ages: 

Novel-specific: https://mihanada.tumblr.com/post/176537120295/are-there-any-actual-or-speculated-ages-for-the

Character Ages When Specific Events Happen: https://wang-xians.tumblr.com/post/190805604377/ages-of-wei-wuxian-and-peers-during-key-events

Character Birthdays: https://klashta-neali.tumblr.com/post/183922824954/tdp-and-mdzs-character-birthdays-masterlist-im

Character Heights: https://bigbadredpanda.tumblr.com/post/181326045966/mdzs-character-height-chart

Character List and Ship List (the only one of these resources I made…): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/3/d/1qtE4KXAcLfdEEBv-JHznf81Uoo8gZzrI_ID-kn9B6BU/edit?usp=sharing

Character Names and Titles: 

A list of names and titles: https://bonibaru.tumblr.com/post/187163138846/mdzs-character-names-and-titles

Some info on who calls others what, and why: https://bigbadredpanda.tumblr.com/post/182713668731/hello-can-you-pls-explain-it-to-me-why-mdzs

Some breakdown on relationships relating to what people call each other: https://bigbadredpanda.tumblr.com/post/182811566041/hi-theres-something-i-was-a-bit-curious-about

Event Timeline: 

https://somanyjacks-writes.tumblr.com/post/190555900555/mdzs-rough-timeline

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15GsYRs4V5ZpfTTQ3fHaPOd-6f_cnFMB6upoH6A6Gwsw/edit#gid=0

Honorifics Guide: https://nomadicism.tumblr.com/post/185554769582/cleyra-i-made-a-mdzs-honorifics-guide-for-one-of?is_related_post=1

Lan Clan Rules: 

https://twitter.com/BigBadRedPanda/status/1170675728750469125?s=19

https://my-otp-list.tumblr.com/post/178014806440/so-i-heard-youve-been-wondering-what-are-the

Locations/Map: https://childe-wei.tumblr.com/post/190288325910/mercyandmagic-mdzs-locations-sects-are

Modao Zushi Fandom Wiki (https://modao-zushi.fandom.com/wiki/Grandmaster_of_Demonic_Cultivation_Wiki) - MDZS has one of the most exhaustive and well-done fandom wikis I’ve used to date.

Swords (these are images, with the name, of each weapon in Untamed): 

https://linglynz.tumblr.com/post/187228990951/the-untamed-weapons-part-13

https://thirteenyearsofslumber.tumblr.com/post/187243506239/linglynz-the-untamed-weapons-part-2

https://linglynz.tumblr.com/post/187245850321/the-untamed-weapons-part-33

What Each Character Calls Each Other Character: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NEL1WU6NU3rzuLgTjJYDDGNu2XW0DZLQYlJGJhcz9IU/edit?usp=drivesdk

What the Heck does Er-Gege Actually Mean: https://boat-full-of-lotus-pods.tumblr.com/post/182490910183/this-is-a-really-stupid-question-but-what-is-the

General History:

The Tiffany Problem: https://medium.com/swlh/the-tiffany-problem-when-history-makes-no-sense-703b86522627

Chinese Culture, History and Language:

Alcoholic Drinks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drinks_in_China

Architecture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_architecture

Breakfast Foods: https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-chinese-breakfast-694158

Common Cooking Ingredients: 

Pantry Essentials: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-pantry-essential-ingredients/

Spices: https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/12-common-chinese-spices

Confucius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius

Creation Myths: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_creation_myths

Clothing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Chinese_clothing

Desserts: https://www.echinacities.com/expat-life/6-Traditional-Chinese-Desserts-You-Have-to-Try

Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms: http://mahajana.net/texts/soothill-hodous.html

Diyu (Hell): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyu

Etiquette Guides: 

http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat4/sub19/item114.html

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/guidebook/etiquette.htm

The Five Punishments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Punishments

The Five Virtues: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Virtues

The Five Virtues: http://www.goolevalve.com/news/news-detail-195.html

Furniture: https://www.chinese-furniture.com/c_furniture/history.html

Go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game)

History of Chinese Gardens: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/architecture/features-garden.htm

How Names Work: 

https://avenuex.ca/blog/2019/8/24/how-ancient-chinese-names-work-learn-from-the-untamed

https://twitter.com/chiharuzushi/status/1125436481638629382

Jade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_jade

Literary Conventions: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20426162/chapters/48456785

Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_China

Musical Instruments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_musical_instruments

Musical Instruments: https://www.cchatty.com/Traditional-Chinese-Musical-Instruments-g-100163

Mythology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology

Numbers: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Chinese_(Mandarin)/Numbers

Pet Names:

6 Terms of Endearment: http://blog.tutorming.com/mandarin-chinese-learning-tips/chinese-terms-of-endearment

200+ Chinese Nicknames for Guys and Girls (With Meanings): https://www.findnicknames.com/chinese-nicknames/

Random Chinese Name Generator: https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/chinese_names.php

Symbolism in Chinese Embroidery: 

https://augustphoenixhats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Stitchery4-Chinese-Symbolism.pdf

https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/stories/blog/2015/the-language-of-chinese-embroidery

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/embroidery.htm

Symbolism in Chinese Porcelain: https://china360online.org/?property=228-park-ave-s

Swear Words: https://ltl-school.com/chinese-swear-words/

Taoist Alchemy: https://www.goldenelixir.com/files/The_Way_of_the_Golden_Elixir.pdf

Time (and how to tell time): https://www.reddit.com/r/noveltranslations/comments/4az3tg/ancient_chinese_measurements_of_time/

Titles for Family Members: https://www.italki.com/article/183/complete-list-of-titles-for-family-members-in-chinese

Titles and Honorifics: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_titles

https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/wuxia-xianxia-terms-of-address

Underwear: 

https://www.thoughtco.com/chinese-clothing-dudou-687371

http://chinesehanclothing.blogspot.com/2016/01/underwear.html

https://wedriveeast.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/history-of-chinese-undergarments-part-1/

Units of Measurement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_units_of_measurement (includes multiple historical systems, sorted by era and with their metric equivalent)

Weapons:

Siege Weapons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_siege_weapons

Weddings:

Basics: https://pearlriver.com/blogs/blog/your-guide-to-chinese-weddings

Overview: https://www.topchinatravel.com/china-guide/chinese-wedding-customs.htm

Overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_marriage

Order of Events: https://www.char4u.com/content/chinese-wedding-day-order-events/

Tea Ceremony: https://www.teasenz.com/chinese-tea/chinese-wedding-tea-ceremony.html

Wuxia World: https://www.wuxiaworld.com/

Wuxia World: “Cores” in Chinese Cultivation Novels: https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/cores-in-chinese-cultivation-novels

Wuxia World: What is Dao? https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/what-dao-heck

Wuxia World Glossary: https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/general-glossary-of-terms

Sex Stuff:

The History of Lube: https://getmaude.com/blogs/themaudern/the-history-of-lube

It’s Literally a Picture of a Dick: https://slideplayer.com/slide/3858701/13/images/15/Reproductive+System+Visual+1%3A+External+male+views.jpg

Prevalence of Circumcision: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_circumcision

Sex with Uncircumcised Assigned Male at Birth People: https://www.asstr.org/~Kristen/learning/uncut.htm

What Does Semen Taste Like: https://www.healthline.com/health/mens-health/what-does-sperm-taste-like

Pain and Trauma:

Helping Someone with PTSD: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/helping-someone-with-ptsd.htm

List of Methods of Torture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_methods_of_torture

[rhea314]

hi! im just starting out making podfics and i wanted to ask if you have any advice? ps. I've seen ur podfics in nearly all of my fandoms and i really love ur work!

Thanks for asking! I’m not sure whether this will be helpful or not, but hopefully something in here is of use for you. I work on a Mac so I highly recommend garageband, if you already have a mac computer they have decent inbuilt microphones so you can just start recording with that. If you are working on windows or otherwise, I figure checking whether your inbuilt microphone gets quality you like is a good first step, because fancy microphones aren’t necessary/no additional purchasing. A lot of non-apple folks use Audacity for free audio editing software.

To get good sound it’s less about the microphone and more about the space. For recording I recommend somewhere you’d be comfortable sitting (or standing) for a few hours. Sound-dampened spaces are useful, so in my experience, being more in the center of a room than at a corner where you might have more echo/bounce-back off of walls. If you happened to have a walk-in closet you’re probably set for a nice recording nook. I’ve recorded in a tiny coat closet before too but the above note on comfort is the reason I don’t do that anymore. Even if the sound is good if I’m uncomfortable it’s not going to be fun/worth it. So try various places in your home and speak with a bit of projection and listen for how your voice sounds, does it echo, does it sound tinny/metalic? Is it a clear sound you’d be happy to record? You can also make a mini isolation box by lining a Tupperware storage container that will fit your laptop (or mic, or phone, some folks record on their phones) with foam. Blanket forts are also a possibility if you don’t have over-heating issues.

I’d say for starting out it’s nice to pick a short fic, but if there’s something long calling to you, go for it. Pick fics you love. The more you do, the more you’ll have an understanding of what’s good for your voice and your style of performance. Speaking of performance that can be whatever you want, as much emphasis and acting as you want, which could be none at all. There’s as many ways to perform/read a podfic as there are podficcers! Try new things and experiment until you find what works for you. I think starting with authors with blanket permission is also nice because then if you wind up hating your first recording you don’t feel obligated to share it if you don’t want to since you haven’t had to ask anyone for permission or tell anyone you’re doing it. Also that cuts out the potentially stressful step of having to ask permission (tho again if you are really excited to narrate a fic, ask the author, the best projects are ones you’re enthusiastic about and can’t wait to narrate, in my experience).

If you’re worried you won’t like your work, maybe don’t listen to it and just post it? This is kind of odd advice but it worked for me. At first I was super weirded out by hearing my own voice so I just didn’t listen to my own podfic, I posted it and went on to the next thing and learned from listening to other podficcers and gained confidence through the (small amount of) feedback I received. Do not expect much feedback, podfic gets way less engagement/response than basically any other medium in my experience. If you want to do it for the comments/kudos its possible you might burn out because there isn’t a lot of that. Record something because you’re making it for the joy of doing so (or you want to try and find out if that’s something you enjoy doing!).

Listening to other podficcers and mimicry is also a good thing to do, in my opinion. Obviously you want to find your own voice, but a useful way to do that can be trying things you enjoy when they’re done by other people. Whether that’s voices or cadence or how enunciated or smooth or breathy a performance is, listening to others and trying to figure out what they’re doing is a way to learn and then you can try stuff yourself and see if it works for you, or doesn’t. Maybe you’ll incorporate some of that, maybe you won’t.

Also expect your style to change, I think over time almost all podficcers change, we’re all refining little by little (also, getting older, you’re later works won’t sound like you’re early ones). So enjoy where you are as you are, if that’s just starting out, awesome. Done is better than perfect!

You can record a fic straight through snapping wherever you make a mistake and then repeating the missed line. Snapping or clicking or clapping will leave a distinct spike in the audio track that you can use when you go back for editing. Then on editing you can do a visual edit just going through and finding all those spikes and fix them without having to do a full listen. Then you can do a single listen through for any other mistakes. I personally hate editing so I don’t do that method, I edit as I go. When I make a mistake I stop recording, back up to before the mistake and then continue.

Editing as you go is easy on GarageBand but really frustrating/not easy to do on Audacity from my understanding. But if you have the software that will let you edit as you go, it’s nice because when you’re done you’re done and you never have to listen over it. Possibly because that’s my style I have a ‘done is better than perfect’ approach. I may have a fumble here or there, but in my experience as a podficcer and as a listener it’s unlikely to hinder my enjoyment of the podfic so if I’ve failed to catch a small mistake, oh well, it’s still good. So don’t be hard on yourself, have fun with recording. Also, have some water to hand bc hydration is nice, esp for long recording sessions.

…Hopefully something in here is useful for you.

[tumblunni]

Aaaa phewf a good but scary dayyyyy

I totally forgot i was due for a meeting with the Super Rehab Center For Brain Bads. Its like this intensive boot camp version of therapy, basically? Its a shared housing accommodation where you'd have individual nurses and do lots of lessons and classes every day to work on your particular needs, while also having a bit of a shared community and helping you ykbow meet other people like you and such? So its very scary but also could be really good for me but also its a big commitment and aaaa

Anyway you might recall i talked about this like a year ago and as far as i knew it wasnt actually an opyion for me and i'd got my hopes up/got my anxieties up all fot nothing. Well recently they just suddenly called me back and gave us this short notice appointment! I didnt even khnow i was on the waiting list!!

So yeah it was Big Anxious to go to a big meeting with them again and with different people and a more intense assesment and discussion of the possibilities. But also now i was worried cos i didnt know anymore of i should be here? Like they originally booked me in for this because was in a REALLY bad place mentally last year, like never going outsode for weeks and never cleaning the house and not taking my pills and not going to dpctors appointments and i was just desperate to do ANYTHING that could get me out of this shitty town even if it meant living in an intensive therapy hospital communal dorm thing for a year. And now i've improved quite a bit so i dont know if maybe i was worrying too much and this is something too drastic? Like man is this for people with more serious problems? Am i taking away resources that could be helping someone more ill than me? And also i never even started getting anxious about the size of thecommitment last time, i was just desperate to move house and i didnt even tgink about how i have to survive a year of extra anxiety to fight my anxiety...

So anyway we had that meeting today and i was so freaked the fuck out that as we speak right now i cannot actually fully see and im mostly touch typing. I had so much of a panic attack that i hit off the damn eye twitching dizziness super symptom hell and i nearly fainted when i had to stand up at the end of the meeting and walk out the door. Like holy shit so much adrenaline burning thru my braaaaaainnnn!!! Im gonna be exhausted in a minute i bet. But i'm extra proud of myself cos my new support worker richard said that it didnt show on my face how much i was panicking, i successfully managed to keep that anxiety attack under control and finish yhe conversation with grace! And he also said its no trouble when i ask him for help and stuff cos its not just his job but a job he loves, and he was happy to spend the day this way, knowing he helped someone like me through someyhinh so important. HE'S THE FUCKIN NICEST MAN EVER

also incidentally i also learned he's a SURPRISE GRANDPA?? Like not really, i mean he's more in the older adult range, but he just dropped it casually in conversation that he's 50 and i thought he was like 28?? I mean i have prosopagnosia so i suck at recognising facial expressions but i think even normal peopke would agree he looks hella young! Thats awesome he's even more smart and experienced than i thought!! No wonder he's been so amazing at his job! And he's extra awesome for how he's a dj if he didnt grow up as surrounded by computers and stuff, yknow?

ALSO A RELATED FACT:HE JUST CASUALLY DROPPED THAT HE'S A DJ

He has a fuckin 'sound room' in his house with 'a million microphones' and he brought it up cos i was sayibg about how i wanted to learn video editing and stuff and he said he can give me a free microphone from one of his spares! Damn i need to find a way to pay him back cps he won't take actual money for it, aaaa!! And also hehelped me remember the name of that one animation software i wanted to get someday, and he offered to teach me all his Super Secrets Of Getting Free Samples And Cheatibg The Time Limit. Like man u literally work for the government are u sure u should be sayin this? XD and i didnt actually say it was lets plays but i said i wanted to practise recording my voice to show my friends in other countries and help get less anxious. And then he started talking about podcasts so man for all i know maybe he watches lets plays too! He's gonba reccommend me some educational podcasts about science abd mental health and stuff :D

So yeah it all went way better than expected and i even got an odd chance to get to know my therapist on a more personal level and get some nice help with my hobbies! Also he's the only other person i've ever met who uses Paint Shop Pro 7! A friggin 1999 art software that i still keep cos im too dumb to learn a new one aaaaa. He validated me by agreeing that its very conveinient and comparatively newbie friendly, yes! But its having incompatibility issues since windows 10 came out so aaa i know eventualky i need to learn a new thing lol

Man my sypport worker is so damn awesome and its so rare i acconplish a good thing and have a good day and dont lose to my anxiety! I jus lt wish i wasnt still experiencing the horrible side effects of that anxiety lol. Typing this up helped distract me for long enough for my vision to clear up a bit but now my headache is extreme! I hate that pills take like an hour to kick in.

Man maybe i should order a takeaway pizza or somethin?? To celebrate not fuckin up at a chance to improve my mental health! And also cos its hard to cook things when you have no functioning eyeballs!

[foreignquarry]

VOICE OVERS

DISCLAIMER:

unfortunately, due to storage limitations and glitches with my computer during the editing process, I lost a lot of the drafts and practice cuts that featured some experimentation. I’ll try to instead describe the different things I tried.

-- voice over --

third person narration -----

the sections of the film that involve third person narrative prose describing scenes at odds with what the viewer sees. initially, i used my own voice for this, in a sort of rough cut just to help with pacing. using this rough cut made me think that using my voice was not the right way forward, just because i wasnt personally happy with the performance i managed.

last year, i did a lot of experimentation with my voice and vocal performance. i developed different techniques to explore the unhuman aspects of communication, especially through a lens of technology. i used a piece of software called Lyrebird to generate a synthetic vocal avatar - an artificial intelligence trained to mimic my own voice. at the time, i used this to distance my physical self and parody my inability to express myself.

SADLY, this software was bought out by some company and is no longer accessible as it was, and no longer for free. it’s hidden behind the facade of this other, new software that im not familiar with and dont care to learn. there are other methods of vocal avatar generation that i may investigate, but this ruled out this option at this stage.

instead, i tried to use some generic text-to-speech programs to generate synthetic voices. i hoped that this would help add to the eeriness of the film, and the feeling of it being abandoned and devoid of humanity. i used a white-sounding male-sounding British-accented posh-sounding voice, to parody this sort of David Attenborough nature/museum documentary. of course, this sort of voice being a voice of God in film, through tradition, speaks to bigotries and patriarchal authoritarianism. like, we need white men to tell us what the things we are seeing are. this was something i was back-of-the-mind-conscious of at the time, but hadn’t fully questioned it. although it’s maybe a conceptually sound idea, it didn’t at all sound good, or right. with this automated voice in particular, the film was lacking a human quality, i felt. there are no humans visually present in the film, and there is a stark absence of humanity in the way the stories are reanimated from the stone. my human arm has been digitally removed, and the traces are all that remain.

--

the next thing i tried was a more intentional and intimate style of performance, modelled after the recent trend of ASMR videos.

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), sometimes auto sensory meridian response,[2][3][4] is a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. A pleasant form of paresthesia,[5] it has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia[6][7] and may overlap with frisson.

ASMR signifies the subjective experience of "low-grade euphoria" characterized by "a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin". It is most commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional attention control.[1][8] A genre of videos which intend to stimulate ASMR has emerged, of which over 13 million are published on YouTube.[9]

I’m interested in this form of vocal performance in the way it attempts to target and illicit a specific physical reaction. Ed Atkins has spoken about the way technology develops, seeks to conquer various physical senses, ie, IMAX cameras making screens too large for one person’s eyesight, or sound systems rattling bones. ASMR attempts to create euphoric physical feelings, comparable to orgasm. as such, there is a sort of unspoken sexual quality to a lot of these videos and to a lot of these vocal stylings. often, and indeed usually, the speakers or performers in these videos are attractive women. 

in this episode of the podcast Reasonably Sound, Mike Rugnetta makes the comparison between this sort of work, and the sexist history of the female voice assistant, in early telecoms and switchboard operators, up to the present, female Siri or Google Home. there are, maybe unsuitable or offensive, connections to be made between this sort of outsourced female labour, the sexual qualities of ASMR, and sex work. but, i dont think it’s really my place to touch on it. there’s just some interesting dynamics around service and power in this form.

the episode can be found here: 

http://reasonablysound.com/2014/10/02/whisper-quiet/

anyway, technically, this phenomena doesn’t really exist, scientifically. it does exist in the minds of people who watch this stuff. so, there’s a fun pseudo-science sort of thing here, that compels me too. like a sort of witchcraft to do with audio frequencies.

in this vocal performance, then, i tried to allow my voice to take on these ASMR qualities. i whispered the words into my microphone from a very close distance, to encourage uncomfortable mouth sounds, saliva pops, and microphone peaks. these sounds are ASMR triggers, but also betray the audio recording in a few ways. it’s uncomfortable for the viewer to hear mouth and body sounds so loudly. it reveals the work as an unprofessional one, working with what would be considered to be bad recording practices. it also brings qualities of a human body, and particularly gross qualities at that, to the film, lending it a subjective human presence.

--

i feel mixed about how this has worked overall. i think it totally creates the correct responses in a viewer, but there’s no denying that in being the Voice of God for this film, i am painting myself to be the God of this world. my narration, although at odds with what the viewer sees, speaks to my authorial power, and im not sure this is a power i want to be spoken about!! as a middle class, white man, i think i need to question more thoroughly what it means for me to give myself authority in this context...

this was something Dave Beech mentioned in our crits with him, recently.

this is all in my head as i continue to experiment with the narration and voice over in this film. i dont anticipate i will have brought this any further by the end of the project, but that’s ok. here is a video showing the current way my voice is sounding in this passages:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzgbVBFhvRc

first person stories ---

now, this is also complicated.

at the beginning of the project it felt very important to me that the stories would only appear visually, as text, and not as audio. in the writing i have gone to lengths to recreate, phonetically and visually, regional accents and period grammar. understanding my limited ability as a voice performer, i felt it would be gross and inappropriate for me to perform these texts myself. that it would be sort of equivalent to cultural appropriation, especially as im not actually from the South West (unless u go some ways back down the tree).

however, this being said, i ended up opting for a sort of version of a performance. i experimented with different styles of delivery, attempting accents and different styles of voice. i also experimented with isolating select frequencies. the OM frequency of the tuning fork is the one i chose to isolate, producing a distant-sounding voice that is hard to identify as mine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hQDgEWFRIM&t=41s

for a necessarily female voice, however, this proved to be tricky. immediately in the crit, it seemed people could identify the recording as a poor attempt at an impression on my part, even though i thought i had done quite well with my shakespearean old woman impression. i ended up taking this audio and distorting it even further. the vocal inflections and sentence patterns are still identifiable, and when watching the text it is easy to follow along with the sound, but it is so distorted and modified i dont feel it can be traced back to me anymore. the femininity and the quality of the accent and the age of the caracter are all identifiable as well, i feel. over the course of this video the clip becomes more distorted, as if the stone tape is losing its fidelity on playback:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2A6jY-C1UA

i find this absolutely successful, especially on the speakers with which i listen to it. although as i continue working i might go back on this idea.

[angocanhha]

just a text post

(trigger warning: sexual assault, sex, genitals, porn, masturbation)

hi, bao lau chua gap. (saying hi reminded me of a suboi song, which that is a line from.)

lookit me, writing in this tumblr, thinking about you reading it. 

in my class yesterday, someone mentioned how ‘our (asian) community’ minimizes pain in order to move forward and that really gets to me especially when thinking about rape culture + beyond. i think you and i worry about the other person a lot, whether or not you are annoying or bothering me, whether or not i am pressuring you, and i think it really shows how much mental capacity we have. and i think we can also maybe try worrying less in that way so we can free up mental capacity.

i just went to planned parenthood to get an sti check, i am still hiv negative, woo. i did find out in september that i have hpv though. that spun my mind. who did i get it from? when did i get it? did i give it to q?

where is a place for me to process about he who should not be named? i guess it’s going to be here.

he liked me in high school. he asked me to junior prom. he liked movies back then. he still likes movies now. he smokes a lot of weed. he drives a blue tesla. he is a software engineer. (is this too much?) life is quite a spectacle and i wonder if there’s a purpose to everything, like if stars really align and we are part of a landscape of god (part of my class yesterday.) i imagined all the cells on my body having lives like we do, having relationships and conflicts of sorts, and eventually those cells die and make way for new cells. my body is an ecosystem, like this earth is.

but i guess back to the dude. he’s somewhat of an incel, i just learned this word. i called him a misogynist when i was drunk. we got drunk a lot, i got high somewhat. he has a younger sister and he has a mother who he cares for. at least i think he does. we exchanged secrets, we made secrets. and he made a mistake. he violated me. i think about extorting money from him. and i ask myself if i would feel better. i ask if i would keep wanting more. i ask if i would feel cheap or empowered. it’s sad. it’s really sad.

i thought this guy was my friend. i thought i was his friend. he made a mistake. he violated me. he gifted me trauma and he is the second person to do so. it’s sad, it’s really sad.

it’s been about a month since i last saw him, since i stopped talking to him, since i last spoke with him. i wonder what i would do if i saw him at a coffee shop, on the street, in a store, at a gathering. i wonder when im going to tell his sister, if i’m going to tell his mother, if i’m going to tell his future girlfriend or wife. do i want him to suffer? what if he doesn’t suffer?

there is a thich nhat hanh buddhism precept/principle that says sexual relations is hurtful., actually, here’s the actual text:

knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, i am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and friends.

it’s part of the five mindfulness trainings. and it resonates deeply with me now.

i’ve used sex. i used sex to create excitement and distract. sex as a drug is so powerful, it puts me in a mental state that is out of this world, it motivates me and uplifts my mood for a very long sustained period of time. it’s a way for me to express with my body what i feel in my mind whether that be adoration, obsession. the thrill takes over and the dopamine / serotonin high seems to cure my mental negativity. i have acted foolishly for physical affection and the price for sex is higher than i imagined.

so what am i running from? what is my life like that i am so excited by sex? i mean sex feels great sometimes but now that i know the consequences, what will it be like to do without it. i really didn’t think that i wanted to go without it. but i do remember when my mom gave me the talk. i remember us going for a walk around our block and her bringing up sex with me, which i thought was out of character. or maybe i brought it up, i’m not sure. what i still remember though is her telling me that sex doesn’t need to be practiced or experimented with. when i find the right person, we will have a lifetime to explore (+improve?) and i took that message away with me, that i can wait until i get married to have sex.

but then i didn’t. desire is strong. the body rewards sexual sensations. but i think i kept it pretty under control until my third year of college.

it’s sad to think that the first time i was penetrated, i did not give consent. it happened and i was ok that it happened. i only realized the importance of affirmative consent to me years later and i’m glad i brought it up with that queer partner who penetrated me. we had a lot of sex after the first time. and i guess the rest is history.

i’ve thought about stopping. i’ve thought about not having sex until i am ‘really’ married. but i always cave, i always get lusty and think, what’s the point. especially in the moment.

maybe i’ll try again. maybe i’ll wait for that special someone that i decide i could and will spend the rest of my life with to get nekkid and have fun with. until then, we’ll just skirt around lips and leave cloth on our genital areas. i can find other ways to satisfy the craving that won’t leave me wondering my worth.

because nowadays, i find it hard to masturbate. i think of him and stop. i feel sad and angry. and i wonder if he’s stopped masturbating too. it’s sad. maybe i could watch porn and i have, i especially condone crashpad series. but maybe i also need to write a couple more posts about sex. so i have a better understanding of my body and mind when it comes to genitals and such.

after the first assault, i returned to sex after i returned to the u.s. and my partner. i thought maybe it would be hard but it turned out easier than i thought it would be. but i do recognize that oral being performed on me is pretty intimate for me. the other person would know what i taste like. but i wonder if it’s bc of how that person assaulted me that i hold that act so close to my heart, to protect it. i mean, i’m also self conscious about how i smell and taste down there but i guess that’s a vulnerability that can also be rewarding.

him though, i guess i’m still recovering. the first time, there was a two month waiting period before i could have sex with my partner again. trauma from sexual assault can be a pretty effective lust killer if not sex-prevention tool (such a sad joke, but i guess i need it.) it’s been about a month since the last time we had sex and so maybe i just need to wait another month until i’m ok to do it again.

but i don’t think i will. i don’t really want to use sex as a drug anymore. it will probably be hard but maybe this time my resolution will stick.

queued monday feb 22 11:16A, edited 3:23P

[jeffreyizoi449-blog]

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[jerome-blog1]

Edit Away – The quest for a perfect HDR

A big thanks to everyone for visiting! This photo has 55’000 views and 550 favorites!

View Large ‘Edit Away’ On Black

(This is a re-edited HDR of Forest Railroad Bridge)

Note: Below tutorial was written for Photomatix Pro 2.22. Photomatix latest software version has similar but slightly different settings.

The quest for the perfect HDR – A Photomatix Tutorial

I’ve had a few people ask me how I make my HDRs, so I decided to post the guide here.

I’m not really explaining what a HDR is, as that has been explained really well before. (Check the links there too)

I use Photomatix, which you can try for free and download here: www.hdrsoft.com

I use the full (pro) version, which gives you the option to do Tone Mapping. I didn’t have that option with the free basic version, so you will have to buy the pro version as far as I know to make HDRs and to tone map them.

I almost always used a tripod so far, and generally make 3 exposures (3xp). These xp would all be 2 stops apart. So one with the highest xp (xp +2), one with xp 0, and one with the lowest xp (xp -2). For some photos I also used 5xp, where they are all 1 stop apart. I shoot JPG, as my camera doesn’t have RAW shooting options. 🙁 Sponsor me for a new camera? 🙂 Donate with Paypal

One thing you should keep in mind is that more xp has its advantages and or disadvantages.

Advantages of more xp

Higher color range – More different xp to get the color information from.

Less blur in some cases – If you are photographing things that are close to you in windy conditions, like leaves on a tree that are 1m or closer away from you, taking 5xp or even 7xp or more, will make sure that at least some of the photos will be aligned. This reduces blur on the final HDR because the 1 or 2 photos that might be unaligned will not be as visible if you have 5 that are. If you would only take 3xp, there is a great chance that if one of them is unaligned, it will show pretty clearly in the HDR, which is not always nice. I am not talking about soft blur, which usually does look pretty nice; I am talking more about seeing two leaves overlapping each other for example, which is not what we want. The more xp you take, the higher chance you have of your unaligned photo turning out to add soft blur, which is good.

Disadvantages of more xp

More work & takes longer – Logically, you are going to have to take an extra 2 or 4 photos. Sometimes you have to work fast because of changing conditions or movement, photographing people that have to sit still for a long time is hard for example.

More possibility of unaligned photos – Of course, the more photos you take, the higher the chance is that you get one that is not aligned. With only 3xp, if you are fast and your camera is stuck securely, and it’s not windy, you have a good chance that you won’t have any unaligned photos. But if you take 7xp there might just be one or two that won’t be aligned. Still, this might be part of the advantages as I explained above, since that might result in an accidental soft blur.

Soft blur

I have used this technique on some of my HDRs, and I think it looks very nice. So how do I do this? Well, if you haven’t found out yourself yet, it’s pretty easy. Blur one of the photos; usually I take the middle one or one that is a little overexposed, xp 0 or xp +1. However you do this is of course up to you, and I will let you experiment for yourself with that. I used Gaussian blur in Photoshop with a blur of 5 or 10 pixels.

Then you make the HDR as normal, and I have done this in 2 ways so far. Let’s say we have a photo that we made 3xp of and we use xp + 1 to blur. Either you can replace xp +1 with the blurred version, and make a HDR of 3xp of which one is blurred, or you can add the blurred version to all 3 originals. Then you will have 4xp. I like this result better usually and it’s not really more work.

Tip: Make the HDR from the normal exposures first, then blur one of the exposures, and add it to the other exposures, take them into Photomatix again, and use the button “Previous Settings” to get exactly the same HDR coloring and contrast etc as you got in the non-blurred HDR.

Edit: To get a blurred photo, of course you can also just set your camera to macro mode or make an unfocussed photo by focussing incorrectly. Doing this gives different results than blurring with Gaussian blur in Photoshop.

Edit 2: Lately I have been using a different method. Finish the HDR, then open it in Photoshop. Double the layer, and do a gaussian blur between 10 and 50 pixels or so. Set the layer to "overlay" mode and reduce the opacity to 50% or so if that looks better. Play around with the brightness and saturation of the blurred layer as this can give some nice effects as well. I sometimes also only blur certain parts of an image if that looks better.

Tone Mapping

This it one of the most important steps in getting a nice HDR. Take your time for this. I spend more time tone mapping sometimes than taking the photos.

I will explain the tone mapping in Photomatix, as that is the only program I have used so far.

If tone mapping is a magical machine that can create beautiful dreamy photos, then this machine has 7 weird dials and levers that can help you find the right combination of the perfect HDR.

Of course I must say that making a perfect HDR also requires perfect photos… 🙂

I will explain these "levers and dials" only as far as I know, I am no pro, I just try things out myself as well. The italic text is from Photomatix’s help file.

Luminosity Adjusts the brightness of the shadows and the amount of local contrast enhancement. Moving the slider to the right has the effect of boosting shadow details and brightening the image. Moving it to the left gives a more natural look to the tone mapped image.

Slide this to the left to make the image generally darker, and to the right to make it brighter. I have more often used it to make things brighter so far, because I love bright daylight images, but if you want a more natural, or darker image, maybe the left side is better.

Strength Controls the strength of local contrast enhancements. A value of 100% gives the maximum increase in local contrast.

Be very careful with this setting. This is one of the strongest edits. Play with it as much as you like, you will see the difference. It depends as well on what your photo is. If you have clouds in the photo, setting this higher than 50% often creates grey shadows on clouds that are the typical ugly HDR. I have only seen a very few HDRs with dark clouds that looked good. I only set this to 100%, or often around 70% when I have few or no clouds or sky in the photo. This setting can be set lower to reduce halos around clouds and other subjects in your photo as well.

Color Saturation Controls the saturation of the RGB color channels. The greater the saturation, the more intense the color. The value affects each color channel equally.

Set this low to create a flat image with less color, or to the right to make a bright colourful image. I often set this (too?) high, because I love color.

White Clip & Black Clip Both sliders control how the minimum and maximum values of the output image are set. Moving the sliders to the left increases global contrast. Moving it to the left reduces the clipping at the extremes. The White Clip slider sets the value for the maximum (pure white or level 255). The Black Clip slider sets the value for the minimum (pure black or level 0).

I usually set White Clip anywhere between 0.250% – 5.000% and Black Clip pretty low around 0.100%. Setting black too high, often creates halos around clouds, and makes the image seem weirdly dark.

Smoothing Controls the amount of smoothing of luminance variations. A higher value tends to give a more natural look to the image. A lower value increases sharpness.

I agree completely with Photomatix, and can only add that I prefer High, or Medium. I hardly ever use the lower settings, but have a look at them anyway just in case.

Microcontrast Controls the accentuation of local details. The default value (0) is the optimal value in most cases. However, this control may be useful in the case of a noisy image or when the accentuation of local details is not desirable (e.g. seams of a stitched pano in a uniform area may become visible when local details are too much enhanced).

So I assume that with the default value they mean “Very Low”? Im not sure. At least, Microcontrast does what it says it does. It makes the contrast between small details Very Low, Low, Medium or High. I usually use Medium or sometimes High. I find the lower values make the image too flat.

For the rest you find buttons under tone mapping for Settings to use Previous tone mapping settings, Default settings provided by Photomatix, these have never looked good according to me, and load and save settings. Save your settings if you think they look good and you want to use them more often. I use preview size 768, which is unfortunately the highest, I would like a higher resolution. (Set this size to be default: View > Default Options > tab HDRI > Preview Size 768.)

Hope this all helps; I would love feedback or suggestions. Let me know what you do differently, I’m interested in everyone’s techniques, as HDR is a powerful tool that can give very nice results if used correctly.

I will post this guide on some of the HDR groups, as I think it will be interesting for everyone!

Enjoy your quest for the perfect HDR!

and if you’ve found it, let us know of course! 🙂

Christiaan

Posted by Christiaan Leever NL on 2006-05-14 00:10:45

Tagged: , forest , railroad , bridge , hdr , softblur , dream , green , catchycolor , netherlands , nederland , holland , rails , train , tracks , tutorial , help , quest , learn , technique , tone mapping , luminosity , strength , saturation , white clip , black clip , smoothing , microcontrast , exposure , high dynamic range , 81 Points

The post Edit Away – The quest for a perfect HDR appeared first on Good Info.

[ianasennus]

[Udemy] Learn to Swim Change your Life Coaching - Guaranteed to Swim

Swimming is a non-impact sport that anyone can participate in and the only sport that could save your life!   What Will I Learn? The skill of swimming is taken for granted by those that had the opportunity to learn when we were very young. Many adults can’t swim due to lack of exposure, culture, or fear. Learning to swim will improve your overall life confidence, fitness, social life, and recreational life. You will be provided the tools and training to practice on your own swimming skills and will make steady progress. You will learn to swim within weeks with consistent practice. Swimming is a life skill that everyone should have the opportunity to develop, however, there are two main roadblocks that you will learn to overcome as you partner with us on this amazing journey. Learning to swim will open up your recreation life: Confidence boating, recreational or fitness swimming, snorkeling, scuba, ocean sports such as surfing, and many more activities you can imagine. Requirements Motivation to achieve a life goal of learning to swim or to improve your swimming skills. Description Maybe you are an expert IT person or aspiring web designer looking to step up your tech skills here on Udemy.  Learning the life skill of swimming could be the perfect creative outlet in between creating the next greatest website, app, game, software, or whatever your coding heart desires.  I would panic like you might in the water if you asked me to code something or mathematically solve just about anything.  Good news is I don’t coach that stuff.  I am one of the best swimming coaches in the world, well at least I think so… My name is Brian Quinn and began swimming competitively when I was 5 years old.  Most of my favorite childhood memories are related to swimming or surfing.  When I was in college 20+ years ago I taught swimming for the first time at a swimming school and learned the business of Swim School.  I thought everyone just knew how to swim.  I had to learn how to teach swimming because I don’t really remember learning. I have been running swimming schools now for 20 years, taught thousands to swim and many teachers to teach in a special and effective way.  My vision has always been much greater than just local swimming schools and I believe that adults can learn how to self teach swimming.  This is my third course on Udemy and I have focused on creating a more engaging and entertaining course.   The production quality has been greatly improved with new recording, sound, lighting, special effects, and editing.  ¼ of our population can’t swim and most are not strong swimmers.  What would happen if you had to tread water for a long period of time or swim a long distance to survive? Can you use swimming for exercise or is it too exhausting? Have you ever wanted to participate in Boating, Sailing, Snorkeling, Scuba, Surfing, or just enjoy swimming in a pool for fun? Can your kids swim and you can’t?  What if your child was in trouble in the water and you can’t swim? If you have ever asked yourself any of these questions sign up today we can help! I guarantee you will learn to swim within weeks if you practice at least 3-5 times per week.  It’s important to never swim alone and stay near a lifeguard or someone who can help you if needed.  If you video document your practice sessions for 12 weeks at least 3 times per week and you still can’t swim then we will refund your class fee.  I Just ask you message me 3 times along your journey and send me a video of your progress each time.  I will send you personalized coaching tips. I will partner with you as your coach and want your feedback and questions.  This is the first step in an amazing journey you will take learning to swim.  Courses you can look forward to after you accomplish this life skill:  Freestyle / Backstroke for loosing weight and exercise.  Competitive Swimmer - Edge out your Competition, IM Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle for the Advanced swimmer, Surfing Basics, Surfing Advanced, Snorkeling, Scuba, Ocean Swimmer, Triathlon Swimming, Teach Swimming Better than your Swimming Instructor. Congratulations on your decision to learn to swim and I can’t wait to see your progress! Sincerely,   Brian Quinn Owner Swim Lesson Club USA         Who is the target audience? ¼ of the US population can’t swim at all and most not very well. This course will help anyone swim better, however, it’s not designed for advanced lap swimmers. This course will benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness life or learn to swim for the first time in their entire life. source https://ttorial.com/learn-swim-change-life-coaching-guaranteed-swim

source https://ttorialcom.tumblr.com/post/177556052648

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Why Palm in 20XX?

I’ve gotten this question several times over the years so let me explain. 

And you can skip to the last two paragraphs if you want the “too long; didn’t read” edition

    First off, I have been using Handhelds, PDAs and “smartphones”, since about 1999. I am only 25 as of Jan 2017, Generation Y [Not neccesarily a Millenial]. Many would be quick to say that I am no different from Generation Z or other Millenials in that I have grown up surrounded by technology and the Internet. I disagree with that sentiment on a couple grounds. Firstly, although I grew up in and around technology and networking, I never was beholden to it. Unlike most Millenials I spent most of my time playing outside, watching some TV and doing chores. 

    What does this have to do with my mobile OS of choice? Well keep in mind that I used a handheld just like it should since i had a lack of a full desktop PC or money to buy things like video games. I used my Palm IIIe for everything. I had simple games, a scientific calculator, a tiny drawing app for notes, to do lists, a calendar, alarms and I knew I could get more if I managed my available space on my PDA (it had 2mb of RAM and that’s it)

    Take someone born after the year 2000, by the time they were 10 (as I was in 2002) all they knew was iPhones, Android, WebOS and maybe Blackberry. Any who are born after 2010 will only know much more powerful items by the time they are 10.

    Back to my 2 mb of RAM, I learned very early on to conserve digital space, anyone why used old 80′s computers might tell you something similar. Programs only took up KiloBytes back then. These days Facebook takes up to 150 Megabytes of space. Well anyhow, I later got an upgraded PDA, it was a Handspring Visor Deluxe, it had 4 times as much space plus it added an extra slot for extra hardware. (kind of like the LG G5) I was rollin with 8mb of space plus if I had the funds.

    Jump forwards to 8th grade. The year is 2006, every kid has an MP3 player and a flip phone of some sort. Kids with less only had CD players, a brick phone or nothing. I was 1 of the few who had a PDA in school. I had the games, the specialized calculators to help me in math class, the schedule digitized and most of the things phone do these days. Video player, MP3 player, pictures, games, emulators you name it. I, technologically, was the envy of many. That kind of power and ability in the palm of your hand was just not accessible as it is today.

    The school year is 2007-2008, as a sophomore in HS I was seeing the beginnings of the modern era. All had phones, there wasn’t a single person that was without a cell signal. Still pre “smartphone” Some phones are Moto Razr influenced, some are MP3-centric like the LG Chocolate, some were born for text and IM with full physical keyboards. I had the LG VX9400, a candybar style phone with a flip-up display meant for Verizon’s mobile TV streaming service. Before that was a Motorola V710. There were some with Treos for the nice keyboard, some with Windows Mobile and some with blackberry for the same reason. A full keyboard was pretty in if you did a lot of text messaging.

    Even in 2008, seeing an iPhone was just non existent on many high school campuses, especially the small town one I went to. The original iPhone was not too good though, not to a high schooler. Camera was no different to any other flip phone, there was no dedicated IM application, no apps for it all in fact, just the original core apps were all you got. People forget that the App Store did not exist in the first iPhone OS. All it was to me was a cool new touch screen technology, good web browser and iTunes syncing. And that was quite enough for a businessman and the Apple fanatic but really that was it.

    My first impressions of Both iPhone OS (soon to be renamed to iOS) and Android was that they looked pretty modern compared to Windows Mobile and Palm but Hilariously enough, Palm and Windows Mobile had all the Apps. So I stayed. I already had certain tendencies ingrained in me; First, I always did my web surfing at home on a real computer even though my phone, my Palm, my PSP and even NDS was technically up to the task of a simple look up on information. Second, I was used to converting movies to highly specific formats for the PSP (Thanks for that Sony btw) so getting video on my Palm was nothing to me and still isn’t. Third, I plain had already bought software for it, kids these days don’t know what expensive means for mobile software. Fourth, there were plenty of games that I liked that ended up never coming over to the major OSs of today, plus I like real buttons to play games. 5th and lastly, this might sound strange to quite a lot of people, but screen real estate is just plain better on Palm and Windows Mobile because of and not in spite of their resistive screen. I’ll make a separate post about that soon. 

    Here we are, the year 2017. How can it possibly be any good in 2017 some ask. Well, what would I normally need to do on a smartphone? Maybe edit some documents, look at some pictures, watch a movie or two, listen to some music whist driving and maybe play some games. On occasion I may just look at the Night Sky Pro app I got a while ago. I might need to know the tip for a bill, or slip the bill. I might need to access a good calculator. I know I’ll have a doodling application no matter what. I’ll also have some small tweaks to Android like PowerLine, a different app launcher and mess with the color scheming. I also like to set the screen forcibly to landscape sometimes if I need to get to the homescreen for something while watching a video. I’ll need the Bible on Sundays and a note app for that. Got my calendar synced with Google so it’s on my computer. I might use Opera to check something because I like Opera, it’s fast and small. Oh yes, I do need a to do list every so often. 

    So, Pretty good list of features, tweaks, general use apps and services that my Palm LifeDrive is perfectly able to accomplish. Too bad Palm never made a TX style smartphone because that would be my daily driver. Oh well, this has turned into quite the wall of text