#sometimes you have to take shortcuts in the name of comprehension | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

eccentric-nucleus · 2 years

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so back in the day i read HPMOR, right? like many people. and as it went on (& yudkowsky kept talking about his writing process on tumblr) it became more and more clear that this was fiction approached from an angle i had never really considered before. i had been vaguely aware of places like the spacebattles forum or the dark lord potter forum, where apparently people wrote stories that were mostly just a long-form way to debate "would the USS Enterprise win against a star trek star destroyer", or whatever. yudkowsky kept saying wild things like "the point of this scene is to vicariously enjoy somebody solving a problem" or "all characters should always do smart things so the reader doesn't get frustrated with them" or "i wanted to add a short arc where this character doesn't instantly solve all his problems but i was worried it would alienate the reader". (see also.) just like, expressing this conceptualization that the point of fiction was to... write a character stomping through a little fake world going from victory to victory so that the reader could enjoy the vicarious glow of having a hard problem presented to them and then immediately resolved. how smart you are for following the line of thought of the main character, who did this smart thing!!

so that was very weird, but it was mostly a singular kind of weirdness. another weird, out-of-touch artifact from the rationalists, like roko's basilisk but harry potter fanfiction instead.

anyway a while back i stumbled across "Mother of Learning", and i think my initial response to it was 'this is less a story with a plot and more a series of obstacles that are presented to the main character to be sequentially overcome'. there was a furry webcomic years ago that was a calvin & hobbes knockoff -- small child, stuffed animal companion who became alive when they were alone, whimsy, etc -- only where calvin & hobbes left the premise unstated, this comic, roughly 30 strips in, had a whole plot explaining: okay so these are a special kind of magical creature that bonds with children. in this metaphor susie's mr. bun is also a magical creature. eventually they start going on adventures together. my overall thought was like, oh i guess i was assuming this was a narrative framing device structured around the themes of the work, but actually this was all meant to be fully diagetic and fully explained as part of the work's "worldbuilding".

anyway mother of learning is like that but for groundhog day. the time loop isn't an unexplained device used to inspect a character through a lens, it's a dragon ball-style training chamber. there are "plot developments" as more information is revealed, but all of that takes a back seat to extensively and exhaustively describing every ability and technique that the main character learns and how they use them to be more powerful. mother of learning is 800,000 words long. the time loop is because they're actually duplicates of the 'real people', in a pocket universe constructed inside of an eldrich monstrosity that was designed to be used every x years by some kind of fated hero to keep it sealed. the main character has to escape partly to make sure some evil cultists don't unseal some stuff, but mostly so he doesn't lose all his experience gains.

anyway so reading that brought me to royal road. (i've always found the name very funny since my main familiarity with the term is the phrase "there is no royal road to geometry - euclid", aka there is no shortcut to learning something; you always have to put in the hard struggle of comprehension. it's actually named after... something from a light novel or something? it used to be a fan forum for a specific work before branching out into a publishing platform.) anyway it's a place to post stuff, like fanfiction.net or fictionpress or whatever. there is a strong genre constraint: they mostly want to hear about their protagonists getting endlessly more and more powerful, and sometimes collecting a harem of sexy women. it's for that kind of fiction. reading a few stories there was very illuminating, in that finally i could place HPMOR in a genre: that of the 'progression fantasy', a profoundly self-indulgent and formulaic genre that's mostly just an action story with a lot of the bits stripped away so they can describe how much more powerful the protagonist is getting. a subgenre of this is the 'litrpg', which are stories with a diagetic video-game-mechanics layer. people are checking their stats and getting experience from killing monsters and leveling up and all that. a lot of them read like text LPs of videogames that don't exist. where the author is, of course, executing a min-maxed run.

(there's a lot of overlap here between progression fantasies and like, xianxia stories? cultivation stories are generally all progression fantasies, and so there's a lot of overlap thematically.)

anyway so that was kind of a grim awareness of a dark corner of the literary world. this stuff is popular. royal road is pretty aggressively farmed by publishers wanting to license stuff so they can make ebooks or w/e; there are author patreons there that make like, thousands of dollars a month for writing chapter 1394 of "my character with a cool spear levels up more". i've read a bunch of progression fantasies but i wouldn't say i really enjoyed any of them, partly because a lot of them are really bad at like... constructing a narrative with any kind of stakes. it's all gonna be jettisoned away in favor of talking more about level ups. it is actually almost exactly the experience of grinding for levels in an RPG: it's not really fun, but it can be engaging in the moment, and also you get to see a number go up, so that's like a reward.

(i started writing one of my own as a writing exercise b/c i wanted to try some short-paced serial work that wasn't porn, and it shot up to uh #40 top-rated on the entire site. it was in the top 10 for a few days. i have some complicated feelings about that.)

recently, i've been reading a lot of, uh, gay incest teenage mutant ninja turtles fanfiction. a lot of it is incredibly overwrought. 200k words of characters pining guiltily over each other! soap opera antics with miscommunications and secrets! genre cliches piled up in a big heap and remixed! and like, fanfic as a genre can be real formulaic too, right? a lot of people who read&write fanfic don't read much else, and there's absolutely a 'house style' for most fanfic. but when i read fanfic i get the sense that the authors are, you know, aware of some literary conventions, of the various aspects that make up a story, and they're struggling to convey concepts and themes. apparently i'm responsible for inspiring somebody to write what i think is the only sincere donkey/shrek porn fanfic in existence, and personally i think that porn fanfic has a million times the literary and artistic merit as chapter 1400 of randitly fucking ghosthound, because porn, overwrought incest soap opera dramas, is at least saying something about the nature of human desire, whereas most progression fantasy stuff is an utterly self-absorbed thesis on "writing somebody cool and powerful is escapism so i can feel cool & powerful", stretched out to a million words.

like i guess 'i want to feel powerful' is an expression of human desire but it's a particularly flat one. i think a lot about that bit in dead zones of the imagination:

Violence’s capacity to allow arbitrary decisions, and thus to avoid the kind of debate, clarification, and renegotiation typical of more egalitarian social relations, is obviously what allows its victims to see procedures created on the basis of violence as stupid or unreasonable. One might say, those relying on the fear of force are not obliged to engage in a lot of interpretative labor, and thus, generally speaking, do not.

[...]

To be more precise: violence may well be the only form of human action by which it is possible to have relatively predictable effects on the actions of a person about whom you understand nothing. Pretty much any other way one might try to influence another’s actions, one at least has to have some idea who they think they are, who they think you are, what they might want out of the situation, and what their aversions and proclivities are. Hit them over the head hard enough and all of this becomes irrelevant.

a fantasy of having power is, i think, fundamentally a fantasy of never having to know anything you don't want to, of never having to deal with the consequences of your actions. i feel it's a particularly grim thing to enshrine into a millon-word epic.

anyway, hi, i'm back on tumblr, i guess. who can say if this will last. i'm still not happy about the porn ban! for reasons hopefully partially explained by the whole bit about porn above. also the increasing sidelining of custom layouts in favor of a uniform interface. sadly even with that it seems like tumblr is basically the only well-travelled social media site that's not a total algorithmic nightmare, although the first thing i did when i remade this account was to go into the settings and turn off like a dozen algorithmic switches that were all defaulted to 'yes'.

i ended up moving cross-country during the peak of covid b/c my former housemate started having screaming panic attacks literally any time somebody stepped outside the house (literally literally, not emphatically literally). i would not recommend it. now i live somewhere where 'fire' is a season, which is introducing new complications to my life. we'll see how things go from here.

oh yeah, also my icon has more points now. i leveled up V:

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dingyuxi · 4 years

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COMPREHENSIVE GIFFING TUTORIAL (vapoursynth + ps cc 2018) + some tips and tricks on color correction, blending and subtitles

You guys asked for it, so here we are! This is by no means the gold standard to giffing. Rather, this is simply my process and my own preferences. Take it as you will. Additionally since I use a mac some of my controls/panels may look different than what you would see for windows users.

DOWNLOADING YOUR SOURCE

This step is extremely important to the quality of your gifset. If you want high-quality gifs I would recommend giffing sources in 1080p whenever possible (especially if you’re going for larger dimensions). You may get away with 720p for smaller gifs. For kdramas, your go-to source would be dr*maday or torrents. (you can search my faq tag if you’d like to know specifics on finding and downloading torrents).

IMPORTING + PROCESSING YOUR FILES WITH VAPOURSYNTH (VS)

Please note that this tutorial does not cover basic installation and set-up of vs. If you would like to know how to download and set-up vapoursynth (it works for both mac and pc) along with some of it’s basics you can find more information at: https://hackmd.io/@nibreon/vapoursynth-book/%2F%40nibreon%2Fvapoursynth-book

Once you’ve identified what portion of your video you’d like to gif, simply drag your video file into VS. Specify the start time and duration of the clip you’d like to import. Typically you’ll be aiming for ~3-8 second clip depending on how big your gifs will be. I am very lazy when it comes to importing. The less of it I have to do, the better. Therefore, I often import clips that are 10-15 seconds long, sometimes even up to 20 seconds. I wouldn’t recommend going over 15 seconds most of the time though, because this will usually bring you over the 500 frames photoshop allows you to import at once. (when I do go over, I will sometimes import the processed VS file into PS in segments). You can also choose to import the VS output as segments if you want all your gifs on separate canvases. (I'll go into more detail on this later)

Once you’ve imported the clip into VS your screen should roughly look like this once the resizer pops up:

In the top left is where you will be applying your cropping, sharpening and denoising filters. Cropping: Keep in mind the Tumblr dimensions: 540px for full-width gifs and 268px for half size gifs, 177/178/177px for 3 gifs across. The height is completely up to your own preference. Usually I work in 540x300px. Once you edit those parameters you can drag/resize your video file to fit your new canvas. Sharpening + Denoising: You can choose to skip this if you would rather sharpen in ps. I personally do all my cropping, denoising and sharpening in vs. I use finesharp and KNML for sharpening and denoising respectively. Once you select those two filters from their drop down menus, be sure the select the checkbox as well. You should now notice 2 additional lines of code in the top right box. The line that reads: video = core.knlm.KNLMeansCL(video, 0, 6, 4, 1.2, channels="YUV") is where you will adjust your denoising parameters. You will only be adjusting those 4 numbers. I usually use: 0, 1, 0, 1.2. Now find the line that reads: video = hnw.FineSharp(video, sstr=0.22). These are your sharpening parameters. once again we’re only adjusting the number at the end. I typically use somewhere between 0.33-0.55. Depending on the quality of your source and preferences these parameters may change.

Here is a breakdown of the KNML parameters (source: @/nibreon HackMD):

Once you have finalized your parameters, copy all the code in that top right box and paste it into your vapoursynth editor. Note: you can ‘inactivate’ certain lines of code by adding the # symbol at the start the line. That line of code will then be greyed-out. This is what your code should now look like (the highlighted section is the part I just copy and pasted):

If you would like to preview your filters and see if you need to make any adjustments, simply navigate to the top bar and select script > preview. If you like what you see, great! If not, you can adjust the parameters directly in the editor until you see a result you’re happy with. Once you’re happy you can move onto the final step in vs: processing.

Processing: Once again, navigate to the top bar and select script > encode video. Another window should pop up. Make sure you set ‘header’ to ‘Y4M’ then click ‘start’. Patiently wait for that to finish processing. The longer your clip is and the more filters you add, the longer it will take.

IMPORTING YOUR CLIP INTO PHOTOSHOP (PS)

Now you’re done with the vapoursynth section! Not too hard, right? I use the timeline method when I gif. To import your video file into ps navigate to file > import > video frames to layers. Here you can use the sliders to further specify what range you would like to import. Make sure the ‘make frame animation’ box is checked. To optimize smoothness of your gif, avoid checking the ‘limit to every _ frames’ box. Hit ‘OK’ and wait for the frames to import. Depending on the size of your clip, ps may notify you that you are importing a large file and it may take a long time to process, simply say ‘ok’ to this. UNLESS you get a message saying it will limit to 500 frames. This means your clips contained more than 500 frames and you should select a smaller section to avoid cutting out any critical parts. (Note: you can always go back and repeat this process to select a smaller range of frames from the same video clip until you’ve imported all the frames you need).

Timing: You can adjust the timing of your gifs before converting to timeline. Select all the frames (Navigate to the icon with the 4 bars at the bottom right of you screen. Select “select all frames”). Click the drop down next to the timing of any of the frames. Select ‘other’ and input a your preferred timing. I personally use ‘0.04′ but I've seen people use anywhere from 0.4-0.8ms. Also as a note: when you convert your gif to timeline it has a tendency to mess up your timing so even if you input 0.04 or 0.05 it won’t actually be that timing later. If you want the true frame rate you can set your timing right before saving. You can also adjust timing at the end. (see export/saving gif section for more info)

Now the next part can be tedious and for that reason I’ve created numerous actions to speed up this process. But for the sake of this tutorial I will walk you through the steps. At the bottom of your screen is your timeline. As you can see, it defaults to frames, but we want to convert this into a smart object so that all your coloring/edits are made to all of the layers. To do this: 1) Navigate to the icon with the 4 bars at the bottom right of you screen. Select “select all frames” 2) Now select all your layers in your layer panel. On mac you can use cmd + option + A as a shortcut. 3) Back to the icon with the 4 bars, select “convert to video timeline” 4) Right click on all layers (which should still all be selected) and find “convert to smart object”

(Aside: Actions) actions are SUPER helpful to streamlining your giffing process. you can find actions people have made available on resource blogs like itsphotoshop OR you can choose to make your own custom actions. To do this, all you need to do is locate your action panel. Then from the controls at the bottom of the panel select the one that looks like a sheet of paper to “create a new action” Once you’ve named it and hit ‘ok’ the record icon should now be red. PS will now basically ‘record’ whatever you do. To stop recording hit the square icon. Now whenever you want ps to execute the same set of steps you just did, you can locate the action you just made and ‘play’ it by selecting the triangle icon. I highly recommend making an action for the steps I just outlined above to convert your gif into a smart object timeline. It will make your process much faster and more painless.

COLORING

Now the fun part! I focus on emphasizing the colors already present in the video source or getting rid of some less-than desirable overtones when I color. It gives the gif a natural look, but makes everything pop a little more. We will be working with selective color, curves, levels, and brightness/contrast mostly. This is the original gif I will be using to demonstrate coloring:

Curves: I always start with curves. The first curve layer I use to set a desirable black point. To do this, locate the top dropper icon from the curves panel and select the darkest point of your image. This will set that section to “true black” Feel free to play around with this until you find a desirable outcome. Now add another curves layer. This one we will be using to adjust the brightness/contrast. First, I always start off with ‘auto’ and see where that takes me. If you like the outcome, great! If you don’t play around with the different curve points until you get an outcome you like.

Selective Color: This adjustment layer will be your best friend. For me, I will typically work with reds, yellows, and black. If the source has a lot of blue/cyan I will use those too. Basically look at your source and determine which base colors you’d like to emphasize/alter. For blacks I usually up the black by +1-5 depending on the source. For reds, it also depends on the source. But I will typically either decrease cyan (to make red stand out more) or increase cyan (to make the red not look so overexposed). You want to be careful here. Overexposing the red can make your skin tones look like red tomatoes! And for my content base, where most of the actors are of asian descent, we should be emphasizing the yellows and NOT the reds (see aside on color correction + skin tones for more info). After altering the reds to my liking, I do the same process for the yellows. To bring back natural skin tones and color, you will likely want to darken the yellows, expose them a bit more and maybe even up the yellow slider. A common rule of thumb: if you want to make any of the colors less exposed, increase the cyan. If you want to increase exposure on any of the colors, decrease the cyan. If you want a color to appear more strongly or prominently, increase the black. The magentas and yellows I use more to adjust hues. You can add multiple selective color layers to further emphasize your changes.

Levels: Now we will work on the lighting some more. This creates more contrast and depth to your gif, often making them look ‘crisper’ To emphasize the bright parts, move the right-hand slider to the left. The emphasize the dark parts, move the left-hand slider to the right. You may also choose to move the middle slider to adjust more neutral lighting. Do so until you find a setting to your liking.

Miscellaneous: Depending on your gif you may need to play with other adjustment layers. Some other ones I often use are the brightness/contrast and exposure to adjust lighting and add more dimension to the gif. For additional color correction I use color balance and to a lesser extent hue/saturation and vibrance.

(Aside: Color correction + skin tones): We are anti-whitewashing and anti-redwashing when it comes to asian media. Like I mentioned earlier, natural asian skin tones have yellow undertones, not red/pink. Therefore when you’re bringing in color you should be mindful of this delicate balance. Adding more red does NOT equal un-whiteashing. Be VERY careful how you balance the yellows with selective color/hues/color balance.

^^ Here is an example of what I mean by overexposing the reds. Poor seungho is looking as sunburnt as a cherry tomato. Note: if your original source is already overexposed with red, fix it! You can do this by applying the same basic principles I explained earlier. Try upping the cyan on the reds in selective color, or shifting the color balance to favor cyan over red with the color balance adjustment layer. You may also choose to favor the yellow over blue.

^^ Now this is straight-up whitewashing. This is what happens when you are not careful with your correction of yellow. I’m not saying you can’t touch the yellow slider or get rid of some yellow form the overall image (because sometimes it is very much needed), but you should be very mindful how your corrections can affect skin tones. If you decide to decrease saturation of yellows, or decrease yellow in the selective color section of the reds, do so with caution. If your reds are looking too pink, add some yellow in the red selective color, up the yellow and black of the yellow selective color.

^^ If you hit that happy medium, you can emphasize the natural skin tones without overexposure. Here the underlying tones are very much still in the yellow range.

(Aside: Blending): I will very briefly talk about how to blend two gifs together. First make sure you’ve imported both your gifs into ps and converted them into the timeline format. On one of the gifs, right click the gif layer in the layer panel > duplicate layer > select the canvas of the gif you’d like to blend the gif with. On the canvas you just copied your second gif to, you can now drag the two layers around the on the canvas to get your desired positioning. On the top gif apply a layer mask. This can be found in your layers panel at the bottom, and is indicated by the white rectangle with the circle. Next, make sure you select the mask in the layer panel (it will show up as a white rectangle on the layer you applied the mask). Grab your paintbrush tool and make sure your color is set to black. Now you can effectively ‘erase’ the part of the top gif you don’t want to show anymore. I recommend setting your brush hardness to 0% to get a smoother transition. You can also play with the opacity settings. If you want to add back in a part you erased, just switch to a white paintbrush and you will be able to undo what you had just ‘erased’ with the black. When you merge the gifs, they will play the same number of frames. This means your blended gif length is limited by the gif with the fewer number of frames. You can move around your timeline layer and shorten the included portion by dragging either end of the timeline layer in until you get both gifs to play the parts you want.

CAPTIONS/SUBTITLES

I often get asked about my subtitle font/styling settings. Personally I find the best fonts for subtitles are calibri and arial. I use calibri with the following settings: 12-14px, bold italic plus faux bold, 1px black stroke (optional: drop shadow set to ‘multiply’ at around 85% opacity), and tracking (VA) set to 75. If you would like your subtitles to fade-in or fade-out you can apply the ‘fade effect’. Locate the b/w square icon in your timeline panel. Select fade and drag it onto your text layer in your timeline. You can then right click on the wedge shape to adjust your fade duration. I usually use 0.35s. If you drag and drop the effect towards the beginning of your text you can get the fade-in effect. To get the fade-out, simply drag and drop your fade towards the end of your text layer.

SAVING/EXPORTING YOUR GIF

We’ve reached the final stretch! If you need to adjust your frame rate timing: you will need to revert your timeline to frames. To do this: 1) Navigate to the icon of 4 bars at the right of your timeline panel. Select convert frames > flatten frames into clips. 2) Navigate to the icon of 4 bars at the right of your timeline panel. Select convert frames > convert to frame animation > when promoted hit ’ok’. If at this point you see more than one frame in your timeline panel, delete the frames until only one is left. In the example below I would delete the first frame by hitting the trash icon from the timeline panel.

If there is only one frame, leave it as is. 3) Navigate to the icon of 4 bars at the right of your timeline panel. Select ‘make frames from layers’ You will most likely need to delete the first frame in your timeline panel (it won’t have your coloring). Sometimes ps adds in some ‘blank’ frames as well, delete those too. Now you can adjust your timing.

Once your timing is set: When you’re saving your gif, just keep in mind it must be under 10mb. Navigate to file > export > save for web. When it comes to your save settings I typically use either selective diffusion or adaptive diffusion. I also also occasionally use adaptive pattern (I find this is best for dark scenes without a lot of contrast). Set colors to 256, quality to bicubic and looping options to forever. If you want to preview your gif, hit the preview button in the bottom left. Otherwise, go ahead a hit ‘save’ and you’re DONE!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Feel free to check out my ‘ps things’ tag for more photoshop stuff/mini tutorials. Additionally @/nibreon and the hackmd site I linked previously are your best resources for vs questions. If you would like to see my giffing process in motion feel free to check out this video. It’s sped up but you can slow down the playback. Additionally be sure to check out resource blogs like itsphotoshop for more helpful tutorials and resources.

If you reached the end of this beast, kudos to you! I hope this helps and never be afraid to reach out with any questions.

#gif tutorial #itsphotoshop #resources #kdramaedit #ps things #m:tut

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fresh-prince-of-denmark · 4 years

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New Dawn Fades — Literary References Analysis Part 4: The Id, the Ego, the Superego

Cyberpunk Spoiler Warning

Here’s part four of me going through all the endings and looking for the literary references in each of the endings, which I believe allude to what happens to V/Johnny, possibly in future DLC. If you haven’t read my other posts, you should read them here (Johnny’s Mikoshi poem, V’s Mikoshi Poem, The Star ending) first since we’re gonna loop back to them later.

New Dawn Fades was such a pain in the ass; because Johnny is such an art hoe, I found three different poems/stories scattered around. Not only that, but two of them are translated from Polish, and one of them us from Ovid’s The Metamorphoses. I studied English literature so…forgive me if this is super surface-level. Also, stuff gets lost in translation, so the original meaning sometimes gets lost. If Polish literature is anyones niche, please teach me a thing two, but all I can do now is my best! But from what I could tell, damn…paints a pretty depressing picture. Let’s start with the two Polish writers first:

Bolesław Leśmian, "Why so many candles...”

Why so many candles, these faces above me?

No more harm shall ever meet my body.

Everyone is standing - while here alone I lie -

Grieving, feigning. One must be true when one must die.

And so, buried under these wreathes of leaves, I lie -

Solemnly - Agelessly - Solitarily.

Death, gone silent, once again rushes to my head,

Though by now I know all my comprehension is dead.

How I loathe to become accustomed to this grave,

To be what I once was - that is all I crave.

This one is…yikes. Depressing. As I talked about in previous posts, V’s poem is more pessimistic: nothing we do matters, we’re all just dust in the wind, you know, the good stuff. Johnny’s poem has a very different stance; art makes us immortal, and we can change the world, etc. With this…Johnny seems to have given his larger-than-life attitude up in favor of V’s resignation that life sucks. Much like Prufrock in V’s poem, Johnny is lying “Solemnly - Agelessly - Solitarily.” Almost as if he didn’t want V’s body, not as a selfless gesture…but because he has grown accustom to his previous form. In Johnny’s version of Alt’s poem, it almost seems as if he embraces being a construct — the form of immortality it, and his legacy, grants him (remember all that hokey about being a golden bird to sing his message to the youth?). Blackwall was a kind of death Johnny knew — yet now:

“How I loathe to become accustomed to this grave,

To be what I once was - that is all I crave.”

Interesting. We never find out where Johnny is going when he leaves Night City, but it makes me wonder. Is he truly starting anew? Or hoping to fix what went wrong?

In the next room, we find another poem, this one an excerpt from Labyrinth by Wisława Szymborska:

So this way or that,

Or no, the other,

By ear or by your gut,

By your wits or by shortcut,

By any means necessary,

Cutting crooked corners.

Past whatever row in a row

Of corridors and gates,

Quickly, in the meantime

Your time grows short,

From one place to another

To one of many still open,

Of darkness and plight

But also delight, held just ajar,

Where there's joy, though sorrow

Lies well-nigh nearby,

And elsewhere, somewhere,

Wheresoever and whereabout,

Fortune in misfortune

Like a parenthetical parenthesis

Acceptance of it all

And suddenly - a fall

I’m a little shaky on the meaning behind this one. My immediate response is to compare it to the poem found in The Star — which contains a piece from The Marriage Between Heaven and Hell by William Blake. The overarching use of this poem, by my interpretation, is an explanation for what the Blackwall is: hell. But not hell how most would perceive it. In fact, according to Blake, hell isn’t so bad. Our views of heaven and hell, good and evil, are wrong. Everyone contains both good and bad within them, and neither is wrong, simply two opposites; between conformity and rebellion, art and obedience. If we were to look at it this way, V would most likely belong in “Heaven,” the world of the obedient, those who play by the worlds rules (at least, in the beginning of the story, before Johnny influences them toward the rebel path), while Johnny represents “Evil,” and would belong to Hell. In some dialogue choices, Johnny will even state that he no longer believes he is a human, and is in fact code, no longer belonging in the world of the living. In this scenario, both have found themselves where they don’t belong. Not only that — but one is supposed to be a healthy mix of so-called “Good” and “Evil.” The “Soul,” and “Body,” are one, not meant to be separated. Uh oh. The tone of this poem in Johnny’s context just seems so…lost, to me. Someone who found their other half, their perfect foil, a soul and body as one…and now it’s gone. What does one do after such a loss?

And finally, the most grim of the three stories: Ovid’s The Metamorphoses. Specifically, Book III, Narcissus and Echo. This one most likely has the greatest significance; not only is it a shard you can pick up, but an open copy of the book can be found in Johnny’s hotel room, drawing further attention to it.

If you haven’t read it, let me give you a quick and dirty summary:

At the beginning of the story, Narcissus’ mother, Liriope, asks the prophet Tiresias if her son will live to see old age, which he replies “only if he does not know himself.” One day when Narcissus is 16, he is out hunting when he finds a mountain Nymph named Echo. Echo, as one might guess, was cursed by Hera and can only repeat what is said back to her. You know. Like an echo. Echo falls in love with Narcissus at first sight and follows him throughout the forest, waiting for him to speak so she can communicate with him. Narcissus eventually gets separated from his hunting group, and calls out for them, which Echo…well, echos. Eventually Echo reveals herself and Narcissus freaks out, telling her basically he’d rather die than be with her. She hides in a cave and pines until she whithers away from hunger, and only her voice remains.

Many other nymphs fall for Narcissus because apparently he’s a straight up snack, but he rejects all of them. Apparently someone gets so salty about it, they summon the Goddess of Vengeance to do something about it. She leads him to a crystal clear pool, in which he is able to see his reflection. Remember the thing about knowing oneself? Yeah…At first, Narcissus thinks the reflection is a different person and falls in love. He smiles, the reflection smiles, so it must like him back, right? Eventually he reaches to touch it, and realizes that it’s him. He freaks out, and much like Echo, stays by his reflections side until he withers away. Having a total meltdown, he cries out “Alas!” which is echoed, by well, Echo. Her voice lived on, and she watches him die as he calls “Farewell, dear boy. Beloved in vain.” Once again, Echo repeats this. Narcissus dies and all the thirsty hoes make a pyre to burn him, but when they go looking for him they find the Narcissus (flower) instead (nooo...dont transform into a flower, you’re so sexy ahaha).

So what does this mean for Johnny/V? Well, two main things pop out to me: transformation, and reflections. Much like Echo and Narcissus are reflections of each other, V and Johnny reflect each other. As @ellitira pointed out in my analysis of the Star, V and Johnny constantly reflect each other. One of the most obvious ways is their literal reflection; if you look in a mirror during a relic malfunction, you’ll see Johnny, not V. But scenes are reflected as well; the first and last time V meets Johnny, they grab him by the shoulder from behind to get his attention as he turn to face them. The first time Johnny and V have a civil conversation, they’re sitting at a table in Tom’s Diner, Johnny’s foot on the table. This mimics their conversation in Mikoshi with Alt. Their conversation about taking a bullet for one another in the Pista Sofia where Johnny is sitting backwards on a chair while V is on the ground is also repeated moments later, as Johnny and V have their final conversation about who will stay and who will go with Alt. Johnny also mentions that he spent his first few weeks in NC laying in bed, staring at the ceiling fan. When he awakens in New Dawn Fades, what is he doing? Staring at the ceiling fan…in Pacifica, not far from the Pista Sofia. The boy who he gives the guitar to is even wearing V’s “favorite shirt”…the one we see them wearing in the first scene they’re introduced. There’s probably loads more, so feel free to share if you find any more. If you want to know more about why this is significant, make sure to read about V’s version of Alt’s poem.

So why do these reflections/echos matter? Well, what does one do with a reflection? Reflect. Johnny begins to examine himself through V, and he begins to realize he doesn’t like what he sees. If V calls him the man who saved her life, he’ll respond with “you have no idea how badly I want that to be true.” He tries his best to right his wrong only after this conversation with V, not only in Burning Love and Chippin’ In, but in other ways too. For example, it’s Johnny’s idea to call V’s loved ones to say goodbye on the roof scene, because “he wished that he had had a chance to.” Because of V, he grows, changes, and becomes a better person, just as much if not more as he seems to change V. As he leaves V’s grave, he even states that he has changed; that he’s wiser now, and won’t make the same mistakes. He states he won’t dwell on what happened, but somehow I doubt that, considering everything above.

The other theme of Narcissus and Echo is of transformation; after all, metamorphosis actually means "to change or transform.” Echo becomes, well, and echo, and Narcissus becomes a flower. V and Johnny also transform; not only physically between engram and human, but they transform one another. Both of them fall in love, and neither will move on. Echo falls in love with Narcissus, and Narcissus falls in love with his reflection. Because they refuse to transform the way they feel, they must die and transform physically. So who represents who in this scenario? In a way, Johnny is both. Johnny is a bit, well, narcissistic. He’s self-absorbed in his flashbacks, and adored by countless fans, yet ignores them in favor of his own company. He thinks everything is about him (Alt’s death, Samurai, etc.) and is willing to die for his beliefs. He is also constantly reflecting on himself through V. However, what really kills him is losing Alt; she tells him not to follow her (much like Narcissus tells Echo to leave him alone). He does anyway, and avenging her leads to his demise.

What’s especially sad about this is the way Johnny views transformation; he is very concerned with the idea of one’s individual identity, and hates the idea of turning into something you’re not. He despises that he’s going to turn V into himself by force. He hates dolls because he sees their behavior chip as something that changes them into something they’re not. He’s scared of V going to Blackwall not because it’s death, but because they “won’t be the same.” I don’t think Johnny ever wanted V’s body; again, not as a courtesy, but because it’s not him. After all, he could have just let nature take its course and let himself re-write their psyche, but instead he actively tries to save them as best he can. If V chooses to let him have their body, he hardly seems happy about it; especially compared to how happy he seems to see that part of him will live on in the way V refuses to give up should they choose to live on. By taking V’s body, he is no longer himself; rebel, rocker-boy, legend, and the guy who promised to save V’s life. Johnny in A New Dawn has lost his entire sense of self, his entire new and improved identity; one that learned from his mistakes and became a better person because of V. Johnny has The Tower tattooed on his arm, the card of (often painful) transformation and change. Yet this is what Johnny is most afraid of; not death, or even the not-so-bad sort-of hell that is Blackwall. He’s afraid of losing himself, and by losing V, he has lost a part of himself. The part of himself that was supposed to be a better person; who was supposed to save V’s life.

#cyberpunk 2077 #cyberpunk2077 #cyberpunk 2077 v #cyberpunk spoilers #v cyberpunk #johnny silverhand #new dawn fades #my posts

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crosshunter321 · 3 years

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After Effects Cc 2014 Mac Download

(UPDATE: Be sure to install the After Effects CC 2014.1.1 (13.1.1) bug-fix update.)

After Effects Cc 2014 Mac Download Crack

After Effects Cc 2014 Mac Download Free

After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1) is available.

If you have a Creative Cloud membership, you always have access to the latest version of After Effects. You can install this update by choosing Help > Updates within any Adobe application or by opening the Creative Cloud desktop application. Go to the Creative Cloud site to download applications or to sign up for Creative Cloud.

Download Adobe After Effects CC for Mac Free. It is full Latest Version setup of Adobe After Effects CC Premium Pro DMG for Apple Macbook OS X. Brief Overview of Adobe After Effects CC for Mac OS X Adobe After Effects CC for Mac is an impressive and powerful application which will let you create professional looking photos and render 3D. Download the After Effects CC 2014 Plug-in SDK Macintosh or Windows The After Effects CC 2014 Plug-in Software Development Kit contains headers defining the After Effects Plug-in APIs, sample projects demonstrating integration features, and the SDK Guide documentation.

For more information about Creative Cloud, see this overview video and the Creative Cloud FAQ list.

For information about updates for all of our professional video and audio applications, see this page.

For details of what was new in After Effects CC 2014 (13.0), see this page.

Please, if you want to ask questions about these new and changed features, come on over to the After Effects user-to-user forum. That’s the best place for questions (and, if you follow that link, you’ll find more information about how to communicate with us). Questions left in comments on a blog post are much harder to work with; the blog comment system just isn’t set up for conversations. If you’d like to submit feature requests (or bug reports), you can do so here.

top new features for After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1)

high-DPI content and UI (Mac OS, Windows)

refreshed user interface design

Copy With Relative Property Links command

color management for Dynamic Link

Adobe Anywhere for Video improvements

Maxon Cinema 4D Lite R16 and Cineware 2.0

Collect Files for Cinema 4D assets

native GoPro CineForm codecs

scripting improvements for text layers

improved Adobe Media Encoder watch folders

mocha AE CC 2014, based on mocha 4.0

many bug fixes

details of all new and changed features in After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1)

Here is a virtually comprehensive list of changes, with detail beyond the summaries of the top items listed above. We’ll be posting a lot more detail over the coming weeks, and the outline below will be populated with links to in-depth articles and tutorials, so bookmark this page and check back.

high-resolution (high DPI) content viewers and user interface elements on Mac OS and Windows

After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1) displays content and user interface items at the appropriate resolution on high-resolution displays (sometimes called “high-DPI” or “HiDPI”) on both Windows and Mac OS. This makes After Effects easier to use on high-pixel-density monitors, like Apple Retina displays and Microsoft Surface Pro devices.

In content viewers, After Effects will take advantage of the pixel density of the display to show each pixel of content in a viewer as a single pixel on the display. This affects the contents of the Footage panel, Layer panel, and Composition panel, including both your video content and some UI overlays and widgets within the content area.

Note that for a given piece of content to appear the same on a high-DPI display as on a non-high-DPI display, the zoom value for the former needs to be twice that of the latter, since the points are half the size. If you drag a panel from a high-DPI display to a non-high-DPI display, you’ll see the zoom value change, while the content occupies the same space on the screen.

User interface elements such as icons, text labels, pointers, buttons, etc. will now scale according the operating system display DPI setting. Mac OS computers with a Retina display will scale to 200%. Windows computers with a high-DPI display will scale to 150% or 200%.

refreshed user interface design

The user interface (UI) of After Effects, as well as Premiere Pro and other Adobe professional video and audio applications, has been updated with a new design. Pointers, icons, text, controllers, and button styles have all been refreshed.

The layout of the interface has not changed significantly, but some simplification has been made to panel functionality.

The icon for the panel menu has been moved from the upper-right corner of the panel to the panel tab, making the panel menu easier to discover.

The panel grabber and frame grabber icons have been removed; you can still drag panels using the panel tab.

The close button (x) has been removed from all panels except the Timeline, Composition, Layer, Footage, Effect Controls, and Flowchart panels. In these panels the close button has moved to the left side of the panel tab. To close a panel without the close button, open the panel menu or right-click on the panel tab and choose Close Panel, or use the keyboard shortcut, Command+W (Mac OS) or Ctrl+W (Windows).

The range of the Brightness slider in the Appearance preference category is more limited than in previous versions; there is no longer a “light” mode for the interface. The default brightness setting is darker than in previous versions.

Because some scripts that create ScriptUI panels have not been updated to accommodate the new user interface design, some of these scripts may appear wrong with the new UI skin. If this occurs with a script that you use, you can make an individual ScriptUI panel appear using the old UI skin by enabling the Use Legacy UI option in the panel menu for the ScriptUI panel.

Copy With Relative Property Links command

A new command in the Edit menu, Copy With Relative Property Links, works like the existing Copy With Property Links command, except that it creates expressions that do not reference the source composition by name. This maintains a relative link between the layer with the expression and the composition containing that layer. This can be useful when, for example, you want to move expression-rigged layers from one composition to another but let the layers reference a control layer only in the same composition. The expressions created using the Copy With Relative Property Links command are identical to those created using the expression pickwhip.

For copying a layer’s Position property, the result would be this: thisComp.layer('control_layer').transform.position

The existing Copy With Property Links command will specifically reference the layer’s source composition in the expression: comp('source_comp').layer('control_layer').transform.position

color management for Dynamic Link

When color management is enabled for an After Effects project, compositions viewed or rendered over Dynamic Link will be transformed using the HDTV (Rec. 709) color profile. This prevents color or gamma shifts in the appearance of these compositions in Premiere Pro and Adobe Media Encoder.

Dynamic Link always assumes that all incoming frames are in the HDTV (Rec. 709) color space. Prior to After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1), compositions in a color-managed project were sent to Dynamic Link in the project’s working color space; they were not adjusted for Dynamic Link’s assumption of HDTV (Rec. 709). This mismatch resulted in a noticeable color or gamma shift when the project’s working color space was significantly different from HDTV (Rec. 709) or when Linearize Working Space was enabled.

In After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1), a color transformation is applied to the composition as a last step before the images are passed to Dynamic Link for use in Premiere Pro or Adobe Media Encoder. This corrects the composition image to the color space used by Dynamic Link, similar to how the View > Enable Display Color Management option in After Effects corrects the image for your monitor.

Maxon Cineware 2.0 plug-in and CINEMA 4D Lite R16

After Effects Cc 2014 Mac Download Crack

After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1) includes a version 2.0 of the Cineware plug-in, which serves as the primary interface for integration with Cinema 4D.

After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1) also includes version R16 of Cinema 4D Lite, which provides several new features, such as the new Reflectance channel. (For details about each edition of Cinema 4D, see the Maxon website.)

John Dickinson summarizes the changes in Cineware 2.0 in a video on the Motionworks website.

Automatic Cineware effect settings synchronization: When adding multiple instances of a CINEMA 4D scene layer in a composition, including adding Multi-Pass layers, you will see an on/off checkbox at the top of the Effect Controls panel labeled Synchronize Layer. It is on by default, meaning that the Cineware effect settings on all instances of the layer will automatically synchronize. If this checkbox is disabled for a specific CINEMA 4D scene layer, then that layer’s settings will not synchronize with the rest of the layers in that composition. The Apply To All button from previous versions of Cineware has been removed.

Default Layer: The CINEMA 4D layers dialog box now shows a Default Layer option if the renderer supports it. Objects that have not been assigned to an explicit layer in the .c4d project file will be visible with Default Layer enabled.

Content Browser: When using a full retail version of CINEMA 4D R16 as the renderer, textures applied via installed content libs (.lib4d files) will render in After Effects using Cineware.

region of interest: If you use the region of interest feature in After Effects to constrain the preview to a subset of the frame, the Cineware effect will respect this setting and limit rendering to the area within the region of interest. This only applies when the Renderer control is set to Standard (Final).

Purge Memory: This option only works when the CINEMA 4D render path in Options is set to the default render server Cineware R16, or a full retail version of CINEMA 4D R16 or later. For complex scenes, the render server may use memory for internal caches. To free up that memory click “Purge Memory” in order to extend the length of previews in After Effects.

Collect Files for Cinema 4D assets

The Collect Files command in After Effects now collects assets associated with .c4d footage items, such as textures.

automatic encoding of compositions in After Effects project files in Adobe Media Encoder watch folders

If you place an After Effects project (.aep) file in a watch folder that is being monitored by Adobe Media Encoder, the compositions at the top level in the project (i.e., those not in folders in the Project panel) will automatically be added to the Adobe Media Encoder encoding queue.

For more information about what’s new and changed in Adobe Media Encoder CC 2014.1 (8.1), see this page.

native encoding and decoding of movies using GoPro CineForm codecs

After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Adobe Media Encoder can natively decode and encode QuickTime (.mov) files using the GoPro Cineform codecs on Mac OS and Windows, meaning that you do not need to install additional codecs to use and create such files.

At the higher quality settings, this codec is an excellent choice for intermediate files—i.e., files that you create from one application in a post-production pipeline to pass to the next application in the pipeline. Movie files encoded with the GoPro Cineform codec at the higher quality settings include an alpha channel.

To use the GoPro CineForm codec for output, choose QuickTime as the format in the Output Module Settings dialog box, click the Format Options button, and choose GoPro CineForm as the video codec.

For details about quality and pixel format settings for the GoPro CineForm codec, see this page.

scripting improvements for text layers

You can now read additional information through scripting about the font and style used in a text layer, including the location of the font file on disk.

The new read-only attributes for the textDocument object are these:

fontLocation: returns string with path of font file, providing its location on disk (not guaranteed to be returned for all font types; return value may be empty string for some kinds of fonts)

fontStyle: returns string with style information — e.g., “bold”, “italic”

fontFamily: returns a string with the name of the font family

The value returned is for the first character in the text layer at the current time.

mocha AE CC 2014, based on mocha 4.0

mocha AE has been updated to mocha AE CC 2014 (version 4.0.1). This is a major version update that includes compatibility with mocha Pro 4 project files. For details, see this page

miscellaneous new and changed features

The Anchor Point icon on selected layers has been enhanced for better contrast and visibility, and it is now easier to select and use.

The application title bar now shows the full path to the project file.

The Welcome Screen dialog box will automatically close when you open a project by double-clicking it in Finder or Explorer.

While tracking an effect mask, the mask mode no longer temporarily changes to None. This preserves the appearance of the masked effect during tracking.

The motion tracker (point tracker) no longer offers a pre-processing Blur control. This option never worked as designed.

There is now a Render And Replace command in Premiere Pro for replacing a Dynamic Link After Effects composition with a rendered movie.

Use the new Browse Add-ons command in the File menu to go to the new Adobe Exchange, from which you can download and install animation presets, scripts, template projects, et cetera.

The new Adobe Color Themes panel replaces the panel previously named “Adobe Kuler”. Choose Window > Extensions > Adobe Color Themes to open this panel.

a few choice bug fixes

We fixed a lot of bugs in this update. Here are a few that I think are especially worth calling out:

memory leak when scrubbing to preview audio

slow rendering of After Effects compositions used in Premiere Pro through Dynamic Link when the main After Effects application is open

errors when using the Create Stereo 3D Rig

errors when using and creating custom (pseudo) effects

mismatch in interpretation of layer bounds for imported .psd files in projects from previous versions of After Effects

incorrect rendering of vector objects from Photoshop

pixelation and and other problems with RED (.r3d) files

incorrect VRAM amount reported for some AMD GPUs on Mac OS

crash when copying and pasting layer styles from one layer to another

problems with effect eyedropper control

incorrect date when using Current Date option in Numbers effect

many other causes of crashes and errors

Summary of what’s fixed in the After Effects CC 2014.1.1 (13.1.1) update

If you applied an effect without properties or opened a project containing an effect without properties, then After Effects would give a long series of error messages: “After Effects error: internal verification failure, sorry! (unexpected match name searched for in group) ( 29 :: 0 )”. This bug is now fixed. Examples of effects that triggered this problem inlcude Knoll UnMult and BAO Mask Avenger.

Tooltips now appear correctly in the Timeline, Project, and Effect Controls panels.

The middle mouse button again works as expected for such purposes as activating the Hand tool in viewer panels, using the Unified Camera tool, or repositioning shape layers or masks.

Panels no longer flash red when resizing or rearranging panels.

The Graph Editor works correctly on Windows high-DPI systems. In the previous version (After Effects 13.1.0), clicks within the Graph Editor were registered in the wrong place on Windows high-DPI systems.

RED (.r3d) files no longer cause a 15-second delay when the resolution of the image being requested from the importer is less than 1/8. This could occur when the thumbnail was generated on import, when Adaptive Resolution was engaged, et cetera.

BridgeTalk is now set up correctly, so that scripting calls from ExtendScript Toolkit, Bridge, and Premiere Pro correctly target After Effects.

The installer cleans up stale components better, including updated Cinema 4D components.

Top new features for After Effects CC 2014.1 (13.1)

high-DPI content and UI (Mac OS, Windows)

refreshed user interface design

Copy With Relative Property Links command

color management for Dynamic Link

Adobe Anywhere for Video improvements

Maxon Cinema 4D Lite R16 and Cineware 2.0

Collect Files for Cinema 4D assets

native GoPro CineForm codecs

scripting improvements for text layers

improved Adobe Media Encoder watch folders

mocha AE CC 2014, based on mocha 4.0

many bug fixes

After Effects Cc 2014 Mac Download Free

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sientificwritingeducation · 4 years

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How to Take Effective Notes in Class, Effective Notes During the Lecture Without Being Distracted?!

It is expected to think that writing notes during class or lecture even though it sounds a simple process, is frightening and sometimes stressful.

How many of us faced this problem, where the feeling of distraction, lost focus with the teacher, and mess writing notes as well.

In the following context, I will help you to manage your thoughts and make your self ready to come up with the most successful notes in your next classes. We can note that even though the meantime classes and meetings are “online” due to COVID 19 breakout; probably it is making the task of note writing more relaxed and easier.

Can I keep listening without taking any notes?

It has been proven that taking a good note in class is a significant part of your success. Effectively taking notes during class can assist you with focusing and better comprehend primary ideas. Also, you will improve the following:

As a result, keep listening without taking any notes will be against the aim of gaining the best quality of effective listening during the time of the class.

The 8 Best tips that help to take effective notes in class or during the lecture

Be prepared before the class

Before the class is started, and in a comfortable and wide time, you can preview the topic about which the class will be, and accordingly, you will enter it while you are ready, comfortable and your mind is identifying the main concepts and ideas, so you will arrange thoughts of the topic that you have already seen briefly.

Be organized

For each separate class or lecture, write the subject and the date at the top of the page, try to keep for each one of your school subjects a separate notebook, or in the same notebook but divided according to the number of subjects you have.

Write Brief notes

Try to be a good listener to your teacher, and catch the most important points then write them down in a form of word or abbreviations. Don’t try to write the whole spoken sentences, it will lead you to lose your lecture’s talk and your notes.

Jot down any specific information that you can define later like, dates, names, countries, or references.

Use abbreviations

Write the words in a form of known abbreviations or state your own. This will help keep your hand and mind flowing in the same rhythm of the lecture. You can adopt these shortcuts to make them familiar to you.

Fill in the gaps

Even if you don’t have enough time after the lecture to study the whole subject thoroughly, it will be helpful to quickly review your notes. At this point, you will find yourself remembering the teacher’s talk and you will start filling the gaps between your notes to make it more meaningful and clearer.

Write down your questions

During the class, write down any question that would come to your mind. You can specify the right part of the page for any question may arise, your question’s answer can be during a following part in the lecture, otherwise, you can ask your teacher at the end of the class and state down the answer in brief. Don’t try to neglect your questions even if you find them simple or “silly” from your point of view.

Make it clear and neat

The most important is not to make your page full of notes, then you find it in a mess or not easy to read. Specify what exactly you need to write to give your self the chance to keep them in an organized manner. You can make them like points, Cornell notes (see the description down), or like a mind maps/ flowchart.

Click here & find: Mind Maps: The Student Best Study Facility & the Recommended Mind Mapping Software 2020

Choose one format

Make your own format for writing notes. That will improve your in-class note-taking and with the time you will be faster and it will be easier to target the point of interest.

How to know what is important to write down from in class-notes

Listen carefully to your teacher’s introduction, the important is the main remarks that you can specify and then write down.

Be aware of any words like the main reason/s……, there are three factors……, you can avoid that in two ways……, three methods of…… etc.

Points that are stated in a form of question usually important to be noted.

Take into consideration any brief points written on the whiteboard during the class.

The final part of the lecture often includes a summary, try to highlight its keywords.

Choose to write the in-class note-taking by handwriting or digital method

You have to consider some points before choosing the handwriting or digital way of in-class note-taking; neither the handwriting nor the digital could be judged as better than the other. It is fully personalized and different from one student to another. Studies stated that the handwriting method is more effective in getting better comprehension of the stated notes. The digital method may be more clear, organized, and neat and might give you additional coloring, mapping, or ready formatting features. However, handwriting will be easier, faster with no worry about charge and storage issues.

Some new available and “so simple structured” devices, such as writing tablets that may be useful and great in some situations; while taking care to not lose the notes is an issue though.

Click here to explore The Writing Tablet

Also

The Awesome Calculator with a Writing Tablet

Formats that you can follow for in-class note-taking

Cornell notes

It’s a systematic format for note-taking. This form is simple, fast, and easy to apply; it’s just by dividing the page into two columns: first in the left for keywords and questions, the other in the right and twice space of the first one, and it is dedicated for the notes related to each keyword or question. The upper part of the page will show the subject, the date, and your name if necessary. Down area is to state in brief the summery by keywords or short sentences.

Mind maps/ flowchart

You can simply by hand draw a mind map that will summaries and organize your lecture. The mind map is one of the best ways to make the note-taking job easy and enjoyable with perfect results for memory and retention.

Example:

Also, check HERE detailed article about mind mapping and how it can be used for your study and many other purposes to make it easy and joyful.

Find more in the great article: 5 ways to make your study time Easy & Enjoyable

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laptoprentalworld · 4 years

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Laptop on Rent Delhi, Noida, Gurugram INDIA

55 Laptop Shortcuts To Increase Your Productivity

Ever been in a situation when you are in a productive zone while working on your laptop and you have to take a moment to use the mouse or drag your cursor to complete your next action? How does it feel?

The moment your momentum takes a pause is one of the worst feelings ever because you're riding the horse of maximum productivity who just ate the creative power bar and is forced to slow down only to reach that highest gear of efficiency again.

We all have been there and through these situations. It doesn't feel right at all. First of all, we rarely achieve this samurai state of working in our day and then when we achieve it we are taking a break only because we are unaware of the few hacks or shortcuts we can take to avoid such pit-stops and continue to ride our momentum to task completions.

So here are a few keyboard shortcuts to save our precious seconds and streamline our work process. We should practice these regularly and add them to our arsenal.

Windows logo key to the rescue

Open or hide start screen - Windows Key or CTRL + Esc

Maximize/minimize your window - Windows Key + Up/Down Arrow (Up arrow for maximize and Down arrow for minimize) Laptop on Rent

Cycle through apps on the taskbar - Windows Key + T

Switch between open apps - Windows Key or Alt + Tab

Switch to Desktop - Windows Key + D or M

Shutdown options - Windows Key + X

Take a screenshot - Windows Key + PrntScr

Snap. Split the screen evenly between two to four applications.

Snap a window to the left side of the screen - Windows Key + Left Arrow

Snap a window to the right side of the screen - Windows Key + Right Arrow

Now snapping into the quarters after dividing the screen into 2 parts -

Windows + Up Arrow or Windows Key + Down Arrow

It's important to lock your computer whenever you walk away - Windows Key + L or to switch users.

Output your screen to a projector, connect to external monitors or broadcast to a wireless display - Windows Key + P

Open my computer or file explorer to view all your drives and folders - Windows Key + E

Move app from one monitor to another - Windows Key + Shift + (Left/Right) Arrow Key

Open ease of access center - Windows Key + E

Open quick link menu - Windows Key + X

Open Run dialog box - Windows Key + R

Search quickly in your computer - Windows Key + F

Find other PC's in your network - Windows Key + Ctrl + F

Selection and actions

Selecting a required area requires precision. And our touch screen PC's and sometimes even the mouse fail to deliver this accuracy.

Select all of the content in a given window - Ctrl + A.

Select rows in an Excel spreadsheet, blocks of text in Word or files in File Explorer - Shift + Click the first row or the first line, hold down the Shift key and then click the last row or line.

Iterate through words and select the desired area as per your requirements - Shift + Arrow Key.

Select two or more non-adjacent items at the same time - Hold down Ctrl and Ctrl + Click all the items. If you click without Ctrl being pressed down, you'll lose all the previous selections.

Basic actions that can be taken now –

Copy the content - Ctrl + C

Cut the selected the area - Ctrl + X

Paste the cut or copied content - Ctrl + V

Open formatting options in MS Word after selection - Ctrl + D

If you want to skip the wide variety of options presented by the Format Dialog Box simply use -

To make the text bold or to remove the bold effect - Ctrl + B

To make the text italic or to remove the italic effect - Ctrl + I

To add or remove the underline on the selected area - Ctrl + U

Everyone loves a fresh piece of content. Thesaurus or online search for particular words can add these vibes to your language. To do so, highlight the word and press Shift + F7 and Word shows a comprehensive list of related terms in a panel on the right side of the screen.

If you want to reverse your recent actions use UNDO - Ctrl + Z and if you want to reverse the undo command use REDO program - Ctrl + Y. If nothing was undone then the Redo option will not do anything.

If you want to order a print, use this command - Ctrl + P

Open task manager to view the currently active tasks and manage them in case a task is not responding - Ctrl + Alt + Delete

Permanently delete files by skipping their entry to recycle bin - Shift + Del

Zoom in - Ctrl + plus sign(+) | Zoom Out - Ctrl + minus sign(-)

Shutdown windows - Alt + F4

Save your work - Ctrl + S

Rename a file - Fn Key + F2

Rename multiple files at the same time by selecting all the files at once using the shortcuts mentioned above and then press F2. Enter the new name and Vola, all your files will have the same name and a number in the end.

Browsing made easy

You don't need to rush to your mouse to take you to the previous page. Alt + Left Arrow takes you to the previous page of the current tab and Alt + Right Arrow takes you forward. Computer on Rent

Eliminate unwanted format when you paste in a snippet of text from a web page or any other document by using Ctrl + Shift + V. This copies the content into your browsers clipboard, free of all the formatting provided by the page or document owner and from there you can select and paste the content into your desired file.

Restore the recent opened tabs in case you wildly closed the tab you were working on using CTRL + SHIFT + T. This works for all the major web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer.

Select or highlight cells or rows while editing a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Docs by using Shift + Space. Furthermore you delete the selected rows using Ctrl + minus sign(-). In case you wish to select all the rows below or above the current row, use Ctrl + Shift + Up or Down Arrow.

Hide or reveal the bookmarks bar using Ctrl + Shift + B

Open bookmarks menu in chrome in a new tab using Ctrl + Shift + O

If you want to send your email with the speed of light after you're done composing it use Alt + S Outlook or other desktop mail clients. If you want to perform the same lighting action in Gmail use Ctrl + Enter.

Initiate a quick reply to an email in Outlook using Ctrl + R

You can create your own custom keyboard shortcuts in Gmail by switching on the keyboard shortcuts settings.

Update, reload, Refresh the stuck pages using F5 or Ctrl + R in any Windows web browser.

Search the web pages for a particular phrase or your desirable words using CTRL + F

If you like what you are reading on the internet it's better to bookmark that page and revisit it and gain precious seconds by not taking your cursor or mouse to the star button, using CTRL + D.

Rent A PC

#rent #pc #it #hardware #software #macbook #desktop #technology #renting #hp #dell #apple #lenovo

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shapedepot-blog · 5 years

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HOME

Nowadays you have all successful backups in the past five hours. You will require a Win7 install disk. Always check to make sure the difficult drive you are just about to rebuild is actually sound from a hardware perspective. There is not anything wrong with the computer if you see several of the exact same processes open at exactly the same time. If it is not active, or if the scheduled service is not running at the specified job time, the schedule service runs the specified job on the next day at the specified time. Remember that different processes will be found in various parts of the Task Scheduler Library. Collecting the user's activity information isn't a substantial problem, but the primary issue is the fact that it takes high CPU resources sometimes.

In the Task Scheduler library, locate a task you want to backup. To start automated disk defragmentation at times apart from on a schedule, click the Begin the task drop down and make selection which best fits when you need defrag to begin. You may also set the task to run on a particular day of a particular week. The task that's causing the error message when opening the Task Scheduler ought to be listed as a key underneath the principal folder. Choose how frequently you need to run the job. In the webpage, you will also have the ability to observe all your tasks with information, like the triggers, once the task run last and when it'll run the next moment. Moreover, you are able to have the task run once the computer starts or when you log on. After you are finished setting as soon as the undertaking will be executed, click or tap Next. An employee task scheduler of very good quality should once again come in handy when it has to do with keeping an eye on employee qualifications.

Finally, the Full level accounts for gathering the comprehensive information from the rest of the levels and sends it to the company to improve the program. In the long run the pain level is most likely equally as high, but I didn't need to mess with the registry. When task scheduler errors creating the shortcut, you just have to bear in mind that the target ought to be taskschd.msc. With a shift scheduler, you will have the ability to create daily scheduling targets in order to figure out the difference between the true number of scheduled employees and the target number. It is possible to also specify a number of triggers and actions for instance, you could have Windows display a reminder and launch an application at the exact moment. You're going to be asked what type of task action to do at a fixed moment.

When you are finished, press Next. Ultimately, you can observe an overview of the task and the settings which you have made. You have to provide additional information about when the task should run, based on the option you've chosen previously. Even Windows store can barely get updated. As stated above, a task runner is very good for task that should be run sooner or later later on, or on a schedule. The new cmdlet we'll use is named Optimize-Volume. You ought to do a whole re-install.

Producing the exe ought to be the ideal method. If you prefer, you may also attach a file. If you believe it is a malicious file, then you may be wrong as the file accountable for many processes in a Windows system. Batch files could possibly be considered old hat by lots of people (or a comprehensive mystery to the younger ones!)

If you would like to display a message or send an email, you are going to be requested to specify the particulars of the message or email that you want to create. The error message was puzzling, as I was unable to recognize the task in the slightest. There may be several circumstances that may trigger a system file error. Based on your requirements, you're want to configure extra parameters. Instead you've got to use the Verbose parameter. You may download the Get-DefragAnalysis function. The specified module couldn't be found.

Task Scheduler enables you to choose from several triggers, including on a particular date, during startup, or any time you or a specific user signs in. On Windows 10, it is a tool that allows you to create and run virtually any task automatically. It is a built-in utility in Windows that allows you to run an application, service or script at a certain time. In order to do all that, you first have to understand how to open the Task Scheduler. If you would like to utilize Task Scheduler, utilize the Task Scheduler API. In case you haven't used Windows Task Scheduler, it is straightforward.

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#task

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pazuneto-blog · 5 years

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Why Everybody Is Talking About Japan Visa...The Simple Truth Revealed

https://es.ivisa.com/japan-visa

If you're exempt, you're going to be granted entry into the nation for as many as 90 days as a Temporary Visitor. Should you need emergency medical assistance during your journey, dial 119 and request an ambulance. If you wish to stay in Japan for longer than 1 year, you should submit an application for a Japanese driving licence.

Be ready and know what things to do in case of an earthquake. To be a Japanese citizen you have to have lived in the nation for five or more decades and be over twenty years old. There is a great chance that it'll be completed in about a couple of weeks or less.

Regardless of what visa you require, you are going to want to prepare certain documents before your visa application. The requirements for each sort of visa varies, so make certain you've chosen the suitable sort of visa to apply for. In case the visa isn't issued, zero fees are required.

Most Noticeable Japan Visa Be certain that the validity of the passport extends for over 6 months after the conclusion of your intended trip. Make certain to always write your name since it's written in your passport. Your Passport has to be valid for a minimum of three months and have a minimum of two blank pages at the right time of application.

Japan Visa - Dead or Alive? The card includes many benefits in conditions of their point system. It's possible to download the form here. So please read these instructions carefully to learn whether you desire a visa.

Choosing Good Japan Visa You should also think about checking with your transport provider or travel company to make certain your passport and other travel documents satisfy their requirements. If you intend to travel to other nations in the area, check passport validity requirements for the countries you intend to see. The application costs for a Japan visa is dependent on the class of visa you're applying for.

Canada is among Japan's visa exempt nations. If your sponsor provider requires some support to turn in an application for a Certificate of Eligibility, Visa Navi Japan can give the precise support required. Australia is among Japan's visa exempt nations.

Requirements list below is for Filipinos who would like to submit an application for a tourist visa to go to Japan. You get started counting once it's been submitted to Japan embassy. Japan is still a favorite destination for expats worldwide.

If you are unable to do so you will need to leave the nation and submit an application for a new visa at a foreign embassy. Passport services aren't available at the airport. If there is a chance a trip outside Japan will last for over 12 months, an individual holding Spouse (Dependents) SOR should guarantee that they've a Re-entry Permit.

Choosing Japan Visa Is Simple The rules are extremely strict and it's not possible to acquire the pass without showing the stamp (tourists with other kinds of visas aren't qualified for the Pass). There are lots of companies which specialize in finding and placing foreign staff. At the present time there are many distinct forms of visas and more will be introduced later on, for example, eVisa.

You could possibly be asked a few questions regarding your work and the aim of your trip to Korea. Categorizing jobs can be hard because sometimes what the work description sounds like and what the work actually does are various things. Comment 1 on my Japan visa FAQ page will offer you a notion of the type of trouble it's possible to get yourself in should you try overstaying by even 1 day.

| As an example, even you're a seasoned waitress, there's no such working visa category. You are able to just set the info of the hotel that you're considering staying in. Although traveller's cheques have become an antiquated type of travel money, they continue to be employed by those who are trying to take money to Japan.

You could possibly be asked a few questions regarding your work and the aim of your trip to Korea. To be able to work in Japan, you should have the specific kind of working visa which matches your job. Comment 1 on my Japan visa FAQ page will offer you a notion of the type of trouble it's possible to get yourself in should you try overstaying by even 1 day.

Travel card foreign exchange prices are different to the rate your bank offers you once you send money online or any time you buy foreign money. If you intend to travel to other nations in the area, check passport validity requirements for the countries you intend to see. The application costs for a Japan visa is dependent on the class of visa you're applying for.

Quite a few documents are required as a member of the application. If you're asking for a different kind of visa, kindly get in touch with your travel agency for the particular documents that you must submit. Any blank periods have to be explained.

The Battle Over Japan Visa and How to Win It Be certain that the validity of the passport extends for over 6 months after the conclusion of your intended trip. In addition, the passport should ideally be issued within the past ten decades. It must be valid for at least 3 months and have at least 2 blank pages at the time of application 5.

Still, it appears that Japan is slowly accepting that immigration may be a feasible solution for their ageing population, and so we might observe a gain in opportunities in the nation for foreign nationals in the approaching years. Certainly, it's paradisiac island. A whole lot of people now are interested, go to Japan on account of the affordable flights being provided by some regional airlines here in the Philippines.

Type of Japan Visa Tourists from the rest of the nationalities must submit an application for a visa before they enter the nation. Passport services aren't available at the airport. Passports should be valid past the length of the trip.

Japan Visa - Dead or Alive? Please confirm whether you need to submit an application for a visa. There are two kinds of visit visas. From the last 5-year validity period, multiple-entry visas are now able to be extended to a maximum of 10 decades.

New Step by Step Roadmap for Japan Visa Moreover, the child visa applicants have to be physically present in Japan. There are many types of Japan visas you could apply for, so you've got to first determine the aim of your travel. A work visa can enable you to live in Japan for as many as 5 decades.

Unfortunately, there's no particular retirement visa available for foreigners wishing to reside in Japan as an expatriate. You may also redeem your cheques at Japan's key post offices. Chinese passport-holders require a visa to visit Japan.

| The Key to Successful Japan Visa Quite a few documents are required as a member of the application. If you're asking for a different kind of visa, kindly get in touch with your travel agency for the particular documents that you must submit. Actually, so as to qualify for an instructor visa for the aims of teaching a foreign language, one must have been educated in that language for twelve or more decades.

The Debate Over Japan Visa Still, it appears that Japan is slowly accepting that immigration may be a feasible solution for their ageing population, and so we might observe a gain in opportunities in the nation for foreign nationals in the approaching years. The greater part of foreigners residing in Japan are living in the nation on work visas, which are issued for a single year at one time and renewed alongside their position. A whole lot of people now are interested, go to Japan on account of the affordable flights being provided by some regional airlines here in the Philippines.

The call center cannot help you finish your DS-160. To be a Japanese citizen you have to have lived in the nation for five or more decades and be over twenty years old. There is a great chance that it'll be completed in about a couple of weeks or less.

The Death of Japan Visa If you are unable to do so you will need to leave the nation and submit an application for a new visa at a foreign embassy. The tedious portion of travelling for Philippine passport holders is as soon as the destination country demands a visa. Passports should be valid past the length of the trip.

The rules are extremely strict and it's not possible to acquire the pass without showing the stamp (tourists with other kinds of visas aren't qualified for the Pass). As always, officials may want to see proof that you are able to support yourself and your loved ones. A good deal of people wish to understand how to find a 3 year residency status as opposed to a 1 year one.

If you write tourism they normally don't ask any questions unless you want to stay long. To be able to work in Japan, you should have the specific kind of working visa which matches your job. A No response to any question is not a great one.

The History of Japan Visa Refuted You should also think about checking with your transport provider or travel company to make certain your passport and other travel documents satisfy their requirements. Check for a comprehensive collection of the kinds of visa you may apply for here. The application costs for a Japan visa is dependent on the class of visa you're applying for.

Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Japan Visa Please confirm whether you need to submit an application for a visa. Bear in mind that different kinds of visas may call for distinctive documents. Work visas are issued for certain fields.

Be certain that the validity of the passport extends for over 6 months after the conclusion of your intended trip. In addition, the passport should ideally be issued within the past ten decades. It must be valid for at least 3 months and have at least 2 blank pages at the time of application 5.

Moreover, the child visa applicants have to be physically present in Japan. There are many types of Japan visas you could apply for, so you've got to first determine the aim of your travel. As soon as your visa is granted, you're now prepared to stop by Japan!

Unfortunately, there's no particular retirement visa available for foreigners wishing to reside in Japan as an expatriate. Moreover, to be realistic, you will need to check whether there are any companies who would like to employ applicants living outside of Japan. The good thing is that nationals of over 60 countries don't will need to submit an application for a visa to go to Japan for brief stays.

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higokaxu-blog · 5 years

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Canada Visa Eta Tips

https://de.ivisa.com/canada-visa-eta

So you might need to travel to a different nation that's accountable for the immigration applications of your house country to be able to submit the application collection. If you're asking for a visa which you are not eligible for, then you're not simply disappointed but are also wasting a good deal of resources. Do not start to work off campus until you've received your work permit.

For different classes, there are unique applications. Your work permit will typically be valid for the exact same period as your study permit. Letter of explanation sometimes, you might wish to make an application for a study permit even when you don't need one right away.

In order to acquire your application package you will need to answer a few questions about yourself on the CIC site. When you've completed the form, press Validate at the very top of the form, which will generate barcodes at the conclusion of the webpage. You are going to be requested to review all of the info you entered in the last step.

The Unexpected Truth About Canada Visa Eta ETA application usually requires a few minutes but sometimes it could take some days for approval. With their assistance and support, you can anticipate getting your Canadian visa success in a far shorter quantity of time. The kind of visa that you select is dependent on the length of time you desire to remain in the nation and the aim of stay.

The Do's and Don'ts of Canada Visa Eta Moreover, it actually depends upon why your Canadian visa application was denied in the very first location. There are scores and scores of different application forms. The application procedure is quick, easy and efficient.

Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Canada Visa Eta You may make an application for a job immediately, but you maynot legally work off campus in Canada until you get an off-campus work permit. Each travel ought to have an official ETA. Before you think about the price of moving to Canada, you need to understand the simplest route you'll be able to become there.

Applicants can stop by any of the CVAC to turn in an application for a visa to Canada. Depending on the kind of applicant and their immigration targets, there are a lot of visa categories. If you reapply for a tourist visa by yourself, you could possibly be denied the exact same as you were previously.

Any candidate are able to apply for the Canadian visa through the aid of the VACs or Visa Application Center. All you have to do so as to find access to your visa is an online connection and a valid passport.

Tourists will stop by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website at the place where they need to supply personal information like their name and birth date and possibly their fingerprints as a way to get their eTA. It's now feasible to get there provided that you get your Electronic Travel Authorization. For any additional info or questions, the Contact Centre has the ability to help with any inquiries.

Since you must prove to immigration commission you could legally access the sum to use if you land in Canada. Before you're travelling to Canada, you should require to do just a little planning and research that is truly worth to perform. The immigration experts will cause you to understand Express Entry program and additionally the process involved with the PR.

| What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About Canada Visa Eta Based on the particular program, applicants have to submit the application form alongside specific documents. If you don't need to give other supporting documents, then your ETA visa Canada is going to be granted in a couple minutes following your sending your on-line application.

You may only complete an ESTA form online. Based on the time your passport info and application are submitted, it may take up to 72 hours. If you submit an application for one, you could discover that your application was rejected.

Let's pretend you're getting an extremely spontaneous offer to travel or some personal reasons force you to take on the journey in a very brief time period. If you're planning to pay a visit to Canada in your next vacation, you need to make a comprehensive plan by taking assistance from a trusted tour operator and pack your bags beforehand. To acquire the eTA Canada granted you will have to provide also some information regarding your occupation and a number of facts regarding your wellbeing or the sum of money you'll be carrying.

Here's What I Know About Canada Visa Eta You have to incorporate the original letter by means of your study permit application. Your work permit will typically be valid for the exact same period as your study permit. During the program, the applicant could possibly be supplied with a choice to work part-time.

So you might need to travel to a different nation that's accountable for the immigration applications of your house country to be able to submit the application collection. Do not begin to work off campus till you've received your work permit. A work permit doesn't guarantee that you'll find work.

Tourists will stop by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website at the place where they need to supply personal information like their name and birth date and possibly their fingerprints as a way to get their eTA. Traveling abroad isn't as simple as it seems. For any additional info or questions, the Contact Centre has the ability to help with any inquiries.

You can also go to the Quebec immigration site in order to find out the way to apply. Then their stops will come and they'll leave. Since the Canadian Government doesn't support the Start Up ventures, therefore, you should have the proof you have the sufficient funds.

What is Really Happening with Canada Visa Eta If you're refused a visa, you will just get an email saying your application was denied. In case you have any query concerning the paperwork required to be completed for a smooth and hassle-free visa process for Canada, you might get in touch with a top visa consulting supplier. Visa fee isn't refundable in the event of refusal or in the event the application is withdrawn.

Life After Canada Visa Eta You may make an application for a job immediately, but you maynot legally work off campus in Canada until you get an off-campus work permit. Each travel ought to have an official ETA. Before you think about the price of moving to Canada, you need to understand the simplest route you'll be able to become there.

| In order to acquire your application package you will need to answer a few questions about yourself on the CIC site. If you're found eligible, you will obtain a personal checklist code, valid for 60 days, which you will have to have to be able to submit your application online. In the event you would like to re-apply, do so only after you've got significant new info to submit.

Canada Visa Eta - the Conspiracy Moreover, it actually depends upon why your Canadian visa application was denied in the very first location. There are scores and scores of different application forms. The application procedure is quick, easy and efficient.

Electronic visa frameworks around the world have enhanced security and energized tourism wherever they've been actualized. Depending on the kind of applicant and their immigration targets, there are a lot of visa categories. The visa could be a non-immigrant visa in case the person intends to stay in the U.S. temporarily.

Tourists will stop by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website at the place where they need to supply personal information like their name and birth date and possibly their fingerprints as a way to get their eTA. Traveling abroad isn't as simple as it seems. Tipping is a typical practice in Canada.

Since you must prove to immigration commission you could legally access the sum to use if you land in Canada. Before you're travelling to Canada, you should require to do just a little planning and research that is truly worth to perform. Since the Canadian Government doesn't support the Start Up ventures, therefore, you should have the proof you have the sufficient funds.

The Appeal of Canada Visa Eta You have to incorporate the original letter by means of your study permit application. As you aren't obliged to look for the aid of an immigration consultant, doing this will make certain that all your documents are submitted with regard to the Canadian immigration law. During the program, the applicant could possibly be supplied with a choice to work part-time.

Life After Canada Visa Eta Sometimes you'll have extra delays and you'll need to be patient. While you're traveling to Canada, be certain about the weather that's prevailing there. Even in the event that you work off campus, your studies have to be the principal reason you're in Canada.

What Canada Visa Eta Is - and What it Is Not Canadian employers intending to employ a foreign worker must get prior approval. If you're asking for a visa which you are not eligible for, then you're not simply disappointed but are also wasting a good deal of resources. Do not start to work off campus until you've received your work permit.

Top Choices of Canada Visa Eta Let's pretend you're getting an extremely spontaneous offer to travel or some personal reasons force you to take on the journey in a very brief time period. If you're planning to pay a visit to Canada in your next vacation, you need to make a comprehensive plan by taking assistance from a trusted tour operator and pack your bags beforehand. To acquire the eTA Canada granted you will have to provide also some information regarding your occupation and a number of facts regarding your wellbeing or the sum of money you'll be carrying.

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bethsblog-languageandnewmed-blog · 6 years

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The History of Emoji’s

Ah, emojis. Known by many names, ideograms, pictograms (yes, apparently people do actually call them these) smileys, emoticons and emojis, if you aren’t familiar with these little extensions of every day language then get ready, because I’m about to take you on a comprehensive historical journey from their creation (which is a lot longer ago than you would have thought) to our current day use of the little characters.

The word “emoji” can roughly be translated to “image character” which, I would say is pretty accurate...

Emojis were actually created out of something much more boring than the bright, inclusive and much-loved collection we use today: punctuation.

In 1881, the first evidence of emojis were printed in a magazine. These “emojis” consisted of punctuation marks such as brackets, colons, semi colons and hyphens to create facial expressions to demonstrate the following emotions: joy, melancholy, indifference, and astonishment.So... pretty different to the hundreds of emojis we have now, that I would say has got your back providing an emoji for every emotion there is. (Although, maybe not melancholy...)

In 1999, just over one hundred years later, a Japanese man, Shigetaka Kunita, who was working for a company called Docomo at the time, created the first widely-used emoji, the classic love heart. Unfortunately, due to lack of a reliable coding system, recipients weren’t guaranteed to receive this to their pagers (kind of like our present day version of having an old iOS software installed on our iPhones which results in receiving a question mark in a box) until trusty Google stepped in.

Fortunately, with help from Google and the subsequent constant development of coding and emoji software with new characters coming out on a rapid basis, the emojis we know and love today exist. To some, these little characters are nothing more than an annoyance and just another example of what a bitter old man would call “millennial rubbish”, others credit this little invention for their contextualisation. Lack of contextualisation is a hugely discussed and criticised aspect of online communication, as many believe that with a lack of social cues such as vocal quality, facial expressions and tone of voice, we can never be sure of the real meaning that the sender of a message intended to portray - but do you think emojis eradicate this criticism? I think that whilst emojis help to unpick sometimes pretty vague messages and really brighten up an otherwise pretty dull and blunt sounding message and so do help with contextualisation, sometimes, they can actually create more confusion. Whilst a lot of emojis have a clear meaning - others... not so much. Take this one, for example:

I’ve had an iPhone for about five years now, and have used this emoji countless times as a praying symbol, maybe after passing an exam or praying that the essay I’ve just submitted will get me a good grade. So, they can be pretty subjective.

Much like how emojis were originally created, my first memories of emojis were also through using punctuation to create facial expressions and other small pictures. I hope you all remember the days of secondary school, when every evening we sat in that room of your house donned the “computer room” with a huge leather desk chair, dell desktop computer and we spent our evenings on MSN (if you know, you know). This is where our knowledge of keyboard shortcuts such as (8) for the music note emoji, of course - one of my favourites which allowed me to regularly update everyone on my current music favourites, was born. If you don’t remember, here’s a little something to jog your memory:

Due to the highly popular and somewhat influential nature of emojis, which is as a result of their prevalence in all communication platforms (Facebook has their own emoji board, as does Microsoft, Android...) it is increasingly important that their designs are constantly updated and developed to ensure representation. As internet communication and social media networks hold such a huge presence in the everyday lives of so many people, as 1.52 billion people* on average log onto Facebook daily and are considered daily active users suggesting that aspects of these communicative methods and platforms are increasingly important, and some may say, influential.

To add to a list of long-awaited emojis which in the past has included ginger-haired emojis, the new set of emojis, Emoji 12.0, which was approved on February 5, 2019 with 230 new additions to the existing collection, will be coming to Apple and all major communication platforms this year. Within these 230 new emojis, there are menstrual cycle emojis, an otter, an ice cube, and a waffle.

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However, you’d think with the sheer number of emojis that we already have and for how long the things have been around, that emojis would be inclusive, right?Wrong. With every new update this criticism of emojis is squashed further and further and this update is no different, with more hotly anticipated and well overdue additions including interracial couples, disabled and accessible emojis such as a blind person, bionic arm, and a person in a wheelchair. Some may argue that it isn’t a big deal if there aren’t inclusive emoji, but this quote eliminates that pretty narrow-minded idea perfectly:

“If you enhance opportunities for people to represent their experience in the world, the possible negative impacts of that disability are diminished, similar to how a functional crosswalk can lessen the challenge of crossing the street if you’re visually impaired. Being able to represent the non-typical bodily state can be not only empowering, but a way in which people can communicate their experiences.” *

So, even though they’re “just emojis”, I think they are a small representation of a much bigger picture. Internet communication is at the heart of so many daily activities and has such a huge influence on the way we work, live and learn. As a result of this, small aspects of this online world do actually have a great effect in peoples perception and experiences. I would say this influence is particularly important when focusing on young people and the huge presence social media has in their lives, as growing up on the internet, the representation around you is a really important thing, as these create and reinforce societal standards, thus effecting a young persons self esteem. So, taking all this into account, if inclusive emojis are something that makes fitting in a little bit easier for someone, even if that does seem like a silly and insignificant thing to someone else, then I’m all for it.

NBC News. (2019). From interracial couples to people with disabilities: Why inclusive emojis matter. [online] Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/interracial-couples-people-disabilities-new-inclusive-emojis-are-their-way-ncna969331 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019].

Zephoria.com. (2019). [online] Available at: https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019].

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thegreatpikminzx789 · 6 years

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In the Deepest Darkness - Chapter 4

Wattpad|Archive of Our Own|Fanfiction.Net

Wowzers, I actually wrote a ton for this one chapter. I was even considering just slapping ‘the end’ on this chapter’s draft and calling it a day, but I want to at least end this off on five chapters. But either way, before we get to it, I was unsure how to approach this fight, whether to have a few chapters dedicated to this one particular fight. But then again, I’ve only fought this thing on Picnic, so I’ll never be able to call myself a master of EO2U if I don’t beat Ur-Child on Expert...

Anyways, I decided to include at least a few phases here, leaving the remainder of the final phase for the next part, seeing as I could write more beyond what I originally wanted the fight to end on. For the most part, I believe I did an alright job with combat a lot better than what I wanted in an Etrian Odyssey Untold story I previously had up before removing it due to wanting to remake it. I may have mindlessly tossed a mention for the first remake there, but that was also a thing my brain told me “Hey, you should totally do this thing”. That’s hard to stop sometimes, and I feel like I’m gonna regret adding it in either for the cool factor or because of other reasons sooner or later... ^ ^;

Shen, Tobyn, Lynus, Axel, Magnus, and Macerio all belong to @theshatteredrose

Hibiki belongs to me.

Although the location the Gungnir Guild found themselves on is the Forbidden Woods, Shen quickly reassures them that they arrived on the thirty-first floor. Korey and the others glance around.

"No wildlife here... Just like Shen said." Korey concluded, turning around to face the Ronin. "So, where do we go from here?" He asked, as the Ronin motioned for him and the others to follow him to a batch of bushes.

"This passage is the only safer way to get to Ur-Devil without having to deal with the FOEs on this floor." Shen explained, shifting some of the plants to reveal the pathway. "Well, we'd love to explore the floor at some point, but-"

As Flavio speaks, Shen quickly intervenes. "You really don't want to deal with these types of FOEs. Their movement is... unpredictable, to say the least."

Bertrand couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that statement. "Unpredictable movement, eh? Sounds irksome..." He began, rolling his eyes. He disliked the idea that an FOE would have free will to move about anywhere with no set path.

"Also obnoxious." Chloe added, adjusting her glasses. Fafnir started to go through the shortcut. "Yeah... But, we can deal with them later to complete our monster encyclopedia. Come on."

As Fafnir goes through, the rest of the guild members of Guild Gungnir and Shen go through the shortcut one at a time. Korey easily sees a door and makes his way towards it, as the others follow close behind. When he reaches for the door, he stops as he senses the extreme amount of malice and darkness coming from behind the door, causing the Highlander to gasp and take a few steps back.

"Sir Korey, are you alright?" Arianna inquired her worry to the shaking Highlander. It was all so sudden, yet, he hasn't felt this afraid since the journey through his Yggdrasil's sixth stratum. The being that was sealed away... it's mere strength was enough to send fear down his spine.

This... this was just like if that same monster got reincarnated and got even stronger than before! Perhaps it was a mistake to accept helping Shen after all... "Sir Korey!" Arianna's yell snapped him back to the reality of the situation, causing him to turn to face the purple haired girl.

"I-I'm fine, Arianna... I-It's just cold up here, is all!" Korey stuttered, trying to mask his fear. Ricky sighed and rolled her eyes, seeing how obvious his lie is.

"Stop lying, Korey. It's not like you to just straight up lie to try and cover up your fears..." Ricky states, as the Highlander turned to face the Millennium Girl to bear the brunt of her worry. He sighs, holding his arm as his gaze at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Ricky... I guess it's just deja vu from the last time I've dealt with a dangerous being..." He admitted, his eyes shifting to Chloe as he saw her approach him.

"You don't have to be scared. In truth, all of us are scared. But that won't stop Chloe from doing her best." She began, holding onto one of Korey's hands in an attempt to comfort him. How someone like Chloe can manage to admit her worry and fear, yet manage to be brave was beyond his comprehension.

"I may not be able to live my life normally anymore, but I ain't letting that, nor whatever this Ur-Devil has in store, get the best of me." Bertrand continued, seeing as the Highlander could use a little encouragement. "And I'm sure there might have been moments in Sir Shen's life where he was scared..." Arianna commented, as Shen looks away, giving a nod a few seconds later.

"But we're all scared of something. This is just one more monster we need to strike down for the safety of those we care about." She continued, facing the worried Highlander with pride. He felt Fafnir's hand place itself on one of his shoulders, shifting his attention to Fafnir. Although he didn't have much to say, he gave a silent nod and a comforting smile... it was almost enough to remind him of his loved one prior to the battle with his Yggdrasil's toughest monster beyond its fifth stratum.

And he, too, smiled back, faith restored in the guild he helped along the way. "You're right... Thanks guys. I'm glad to have friends such as you." Korey beamed, looking the guild members before him with newfound determination.

"Not a problem. Now, let's go." Fafnir hummed, as he began pushing on the door, fearless of what lied within that room. As Korey and the others went through, they were astonished to see the being that Gradriel proclaimed to be the 'deepest darkness'.

If there was even a word to describe it, it probably would lose all sense of meaning here. While the Ur-Devil was drastically different from Ur-Child, both name and appearance as the latter was looking angelic in a way, Ur-Devil expertly puts its appearance to represent all that is humanity's greatest sin. Six large claw-like protrusions from it's back, that could easily resemble six wings, a mass of tentacles coming from below it, almost giving off the illusion that it's sitting on it, the green, rotund belly its once human body has acting as a connecting piece to the being that stands before the Guild it now gazes upon...

It was... frightening.

"Sweet mother of Iorys..." Korey spoke, mouth agape as any hope he previously had seem to evaporate from his entire being. "T-THAT's what we're up against?" The blonde girl questioned, turning to Shen when she asked. He gazed back at her and responded, "Even worse when it's the real thing, isn't it?"

"Y-Yeah! This thing just screams dark and evil!" Flavio yelled, unintentionally clutching onto Fafnir's arm as he did so.

"Sheesh, even though I'm not one to care for these types of monsters, it's malice sure knows no bounds..." Bertrand noted, seeming to stare at the huge being standing before them.

"But, here we stand, the only ones standing in its way..." The Sovereign braved herself, taking out her weapon, as Bertrand, Chloe, Ricky, and Flavio did the same. Korey glanced at Fafnir and Shen, giving each other silent nods before facing Ur-Devil, and drew their weapons.

No more games. The time for battle is nigh, as they make their way towards Ur-Devil. As if sensing their approach, Ur-Devil prepares for battle as well. "Our best bet is to keep it blinded at all times. Flavio, I entrust that task to you." Shen declared, as the Survivalist nodded in return.

"Leave it to me." Flavio took out an arrow and dipped it in some of the blinding gas in his pocket, before pocketing the item and taking aim with his bow. "Take this!"

Releasing the string on his bow, the arrow launched high into the air, hitting Ur-Devil and somehow causing it to be blinded. "Hell yeah! The Shaved Ice seems to be doing its job!" Flavio cheered, not questioning how this thing has no eyes whatsoever.

"Don't celebrate too soon, Flavio. We still need to take it down." Fafnir addressed, as Ricky aimed her gun towards the giant. "Not like it wants to go down that easily..." Ricky added, seeing as the fight had just begun.

"Then we'll just have to start dishing out the damage while we can! Hiyyyaah!" Korey declared, charging at Ur-Devil and jumps at it, using his Delayed Charge skill on it. As Ur-Devil attempts to find what hurt it, Shen takes advantage of its confusion and used his Frigid Slash skill, causing the creature to scream in pain.

"Sheesh, for being weak to elementals, you sure have quite the mouth to blab about how much it hurts." Bertrand sighed, taking a strike at it with his sword. "Mr. Deepest Darkness won't be feeling it once we're done with it." Chloe addressed, using her Guard Slash skill on Ur-Devil, as the creature seems to have its defenses lowered a bit.

Ricky focuses her aim, and shoots two bullets at the arms, hitting them as vines grew on them, binding themselves to Ur-Devil. Their green texture easily stood out from the mix of purple the black human bod has attached itself to. However, Ur-Devil grows a smile on its face, sending out some sort of energy wave, hitting everyone and draining their TP, heavily exhausting them.

"What the... hell was that about?!" Korey gasped, gritting his teeth as he attempted to stand. "It's trying to tire us out... right out of the gate..." Shen tried to explain, falling on his knee from his attempt of standing up.

"Not something... a Healing Remedy can fix!" Arianna declared, getting the remedy out and uses it on everyone. Bertrand helps Chloe stand up, and Arianna goes to assist Shen, the Ronin thanking the Sovereign for helping him stand.

"Well, that was something... Best to keep those remedies as back up, Arianna. Something tells me we'll be needing to rely on them a lot." Korey insisted, as the princess nodded.

"You got it, Sir Korey!" Arianna and Bertrand simultaneously go up to Ur-Devil and strike it, as Flavio takes an arrow and shoots it upward, hoping it will land on Ur-Devil. Fafnir glances at Flavio, smirking at his friend's plan. "Confident in that Sagittarius Arrow, eh?" He queried.

"Well sometimes, it's best to try than to not try at all, Fafnir!" Flavio blurted, as Fafnir simply chuckled before taking a swing at Ur-Devil, letting Korey and Shen take their turns at it. The sky turned red, as Ur-Devil tried releasing red energy waves towards its attackers, but thanks to a combination of missing and dodging, everyone survived being hurt.

"You know, it's a lot easier with allies around than having none at all, Shen. You know what you're doing when it comes together in one solid plan." The brown haired Highlander commented, and although he wasn't sure if Shen took it as a compliment or not, he still took some time to respond to him. "You say that now, but it'll get tougher as we go on. Don't let your guard down for a second!"

"Easier said than done, knowing my luck..." Korey uttered, using his Cross Charge attack on Ur-Devil. As time passed, they seem to made gradual progress with striking Ur-Devil, and being lucky with avoiding some of its attacks. But even mortals cannot dodge forever...

As the Gungnir Guild and Shen continue their onslaught on the Ur-Devil, it eventually breaks free of its arm bind and finally lands an attack after being able to see - sending blue energy waves at Korey, Arianna, Ricky and Fafnir.

"Gagghh!" Korey screamed in pain, as Ricky used her turn to send a healing bullet his way. "Damn it, it's able to see again!" Fafnir growled, standing up after being launched back by its attack.

"Not that I'm one to question how it's able to see much like Ur-Child, but how is it able to hit us, exactly?" Flavio queried, as he dips another arrow in the blinding gas, and using his Blind Arrow skill, manages to land another blind effect on Ur-Devil. The less its able to see, somehow, the better.

"It probably has high senses that it counts as seeing through, probably? I'm not one for monster biology." Shen tried explaining, giving up halfway through his explanation.

"Not to mention the Overlord is dead, so we can't straight up ask him why he made them that way." Korey added, as he grabbed his spear and stood up. "Less talking, more fighting, Korey. Ammunition can't be sustained forever, you know!" Ricky urged, trying to take considerate care for her means of attacking in this fight.

"Yeah, yeah..." Korey sighed, as he gets up to make his move on Ur-Devil. "I swear... by the Order... protect us!" Arianna chanted, as a healing aura flows through Korey, Ricky, Flavio, and Fafnir. She proceeds to do the same for herself, and the others that she didn't use it on before.

As swords and attacks from both sides continued for some time, Ur-Devil begins shaking. "What is it doing now?!" The Highlander questioned.

"Look, something's coming out from those sockets!" Chloe exclaimed, as everyone looks at the empty sockets from the large claw-like wings. From the top most socket and the bottom left holes, two huge red eyes appear. Everyone but Shen gasps at the surprise.

"Ur-Eyes." Shen grunts, much less to his amusement. Flavio couldn't help but shiver at seeing those things appear.

"So is THAT how it's able to see?!" He asked, freaking out a little bit at the thought that it was hiding eyes within itself the entire time.

"Beats me, but if it's able to summon those, we'll gonna be in deep trouble. Let's diverge our attention to defeat those eyes!" Korey issued without hesitation. Even though Fafnir was technically the guild's leader, seeing the Highlander act upon a dangerous situation for himself was honestly a sight to behold for the Fafnir Knight.

"Right! How about this, you horrid monster?!" Ricky yells, shooting a few elemental Ice Rounds at the eyes, causing them to bulge from the surprise attack. Shen uses his Frigid Slash to deal some more damage to one of them taking it out surprisingly well thanks to Fafnir's assistance. Thankfully, Korey, with his Spear Assist, and Flavio worked well together thanks to the earlier Ice Rounds from Ricky, to take down the other eye.

"Talk about quick work." Fafnir commented, as Korey lands on the ground and turns to Fafnir. "You know, what can I say? I know troublesome assistants when I see them." Korey remarked, scratching the back of his head as if he was caught doing something a child would do.

Though things quickly changed, as Ur-Devil begins to charge up, seeming to amplify something for its upcoming attack. Shen gasps, "It's charging up! If it's doing what I think it's doing...!"

"Heh, doesn't hurt to be safe than sorry. Perfect Defense!" Bertrand smirks, using his Force Break, as everyone was guarded by some kind of invisible aura. Once Ur-Devil finished charging, it unleashes its most devastating attack; Eternal Exodus. As the shots hit everyone, they weren't launched back from the attack. In fact, they were relatively unfazed by the attack thanks to Bertrand's quick thinking.

"Nice one, Bertrand! Talk about a close one!" Flavio complimented, as Bertrand glanced at him. "Kid, now's not the time to-"

Before Bertrand can even finish, a bright gleam shined from Ur-Devil, causing everyone to shield their eyes for a few seconds, before it fades. It didn't take long to realize it must have taken their Force away. Kind of like Ur-Child did. And it also manage to be able to see after that gleam occurred.

"Well shoot." Was all Bertrand said, not bothering to lash out in anger on his friend. Although Korey decided to do just that.

"Gee, way to jinx things, Flavio!" Korey hollered, as Flavio wasn't gonna have any of that jinxing remark thrown his way. "Heeey! Not my fault I was trying to compliment Bertrand!"

"Just get to binding the damn legs of this thing. I'll try blinding it with this blinding gas!" Shen ordered, searching through his bag to get the item in question.

"Easier said than done!" Ricky declared, shooting two bullets at the legs, as green vines attached itself onto Ur-Devil again. Shen took the blinding gas and threw it at Ur-Devil, as the bottle explodes on impact. When the gas clears...

Well, needless to say, Shen was surprised. Legitimately surprised. Even when the gas hit its target, it wasn't blinded whatsoever. "What...?! It should have worked as intended!" He questioned, having never seen this kind of situation happen in his solo encounter with the Ur-Devil.

Everyone was surprised at this turn of events. Their strategy that they had used might be starting to lose its use in this battle. "Unless it might be trying to build up a resistance to being blind as the fight drags on..." Fafnir began.

"That could spell disastrous news for us...!" Arianna gulped, starting to become afraid of the worst possible outcome. "We have to get it blinded, or we'll never win this battle..." Chloe declared, but before anyone had a chance to comment, another gleam came from Ur-Devil.

"...Huh. At least it was forgiving enough to give us back our Force power." Korey hesitated at first, but felt more or less back at normal fighting capacity with his Force back.

"Yeah, unlike the Ur-Child... However, granting us back our Force will be its biggest mistake." Fafnir concurred, as he transformed into his signature form, the Fafnir Knight.

"Let's show this damned ultimate life form what for!" The transformed knight declared, as everyone, brave enough to hopefully turn some of the tide of battle, stood by his side. "Magnus... please, for my sake, give me the strength to live on through this battle..." Shen utters to himself for a brief moment before glancing back at the almighty being before him.

Back down at the base of Yggdrasil, Hibiki fumbles with the Geomagnetic Pole as she finally finds the place the Gungnir Guild went to. "...They're in Dark Paradise." Hibiki declared.

"Dark Paradise?" Axel queried, feeling the Forest Girl gaze at him. "A secluded area in the sixth stratum that has been sealed long before any explorers dared to climb Yggdrasil. At least, that's how the rumors go..." She explained to the best of her knowledge.

"If it's in the sixth stratum, why give it that name to differentiate from the main stratum?" Lynus asked, bringing up a valid question. "Probably to prevent explorers from mindlessly finding it, if I had to venture a guess." Magnus suggested, seeing as Hibiki did not have an answer for the Medic.

"Let's just go already. The more we wait, time's running out for Shen and the others." Tobyn insisted, going through the Geomagnetic Pole. The others, including Hibiki, soon followed, warping above Yggdrasil to the same floor the previous guild had entered. As they move away from the Geomagnetic Pole, they hear an indescribable scream.

"The hell was that?!" Tobyn gasped in surprise, looking around desperately trying to find the source of the sound. "Must be the deepest darkness. Thy friends must still be fighting it as we speak." Hibiki deduced, hearing some sounds of yells and words are coming from somewhere in the labyrinth.

"Shen..." Magnus sighed, clutching his chest, hoping the Ronin was still alive. Lynus notices a dirt trail coming from the magnetic pole.

"Lynus? What is it?" Axel inquired as soon as he saw Lynus follow a trail he had not seen before. The Medic soon arrives at the shortcut, seeing some shrubbery discarded beside it.

"This trail leads directly to this bush. It must be a shortcut of sorts... And judging from the way it was made, it must have been from the tip of a sword." Lynus exclaimed, as the others followed behind him.

"Likely Shen's sword...?" Magnus inquired. "That's a possibility, though I may be wrong and it could have been a spear..." The orange haired medic responded, at most educating a guess.

"We must make haste. I can sense the deepest darkness is up to something." Hibiki declared, urging the others to hurry on through the shortcut. They soon hear grunts and yells coming from a slightly open door, proceeding to make their way to it. As Lynus opens it, he reels back from the sight of something, as Axel grabs Lynus to prevent him from falling backwards.

"Lynus, are you alright?!" Axel shouted, hoping to calm the medic down. "T-T-That... thing... it's too..." Lynus stuttered, unable to find the right words to express the fear he felt.

"Lynus, get a grip, man!" Macerio yelled, helping Axel in calming down the frightened Medic. Magnus peeks through the door, witnessing the sight of Ur-Devil for himself.

"Ugh... This damn thing refuses to die..." Korey grunts, taking a few steps back after using an attack of his. "Being sparse with our damage output isn't helping in this part either..." Arianna added, taking a deep breath as she tries to stand.

"But we must... Ugh, stand tall!" Fafnir urged, picking up his sword. "I can dodge at least one more attack, but I'm unsure whether blinding it will still work when it's resistance seems to be building up more and more..." Flavio suggested, struggling to stand up.

Magnus notices Shen is on his knees, seemingly running out of strength to continue. Was he too late? He felt his hand clench around something, and turns to see a blinding gas that Hibiki placed in his hand.

"Hibiki, what are you-"

"Thou must not hesitate. Throw it with everything thou possess to strike that thing with this." Hibiki quickly urged.

Not having enough time to process this opportunity, Magnus goes through the door and throws the blinding gas at the Ur-Devil. The bottle hits its mark, as Ur-Devil flinches back and unleashing its attack, missing all of them in the process.

"Huh?!" Ricky jumped in surprise when that blinding gas came out of nowhere and managed to blind the Ur-Devil. Before anyone could ask who did that, Magnus runs up to Shen and brings him into a hug.

"M-Magnus?!" Shen stuttered, not believing what was happening right this moment... "You can be one real idiot sometimes, Shen... But when we stick together, we do JUST that!" Magnus declared, looking into Shen's eyes like a strict parent tells their child to look at them in the eyes.

"Hey, it's Mr. Medic and his guild." Chloe announced, seeing Lynus, Axel, Macerio, and Tobyn come through the door and approach Shen. "What are they doing here?" Fafnir questioned.

"Easy enough to have concerns for a fellow guild member." Axel replied, as he makes a glare towards the Ur-Devil. "So, you're this so called 'Ur-Devil', huh? That's gonna change very soon, cause I'm gonna bash your sorry skull into the ground!" The red haired Landsknecht threatened, taking out his axe.

"Here, some Amrita's. You'll need them." Tobyn gives out some Amritas to everyone on the Gungnir Guild. Korey notices Hibiki standing right beside him.

"H-Hibiki? What are you doing here?!" Korey questioned, seeing as he never seen her with such a determined glare in her eyes.

"We have no time to speak about why I am here. The enemy prepares to strike." Hibiki replies, as the Highlander quickly turns to see Ur-Devil use Shed thy Tears on Magnus, Macerio, and Tobyn.

"Guaah!" Tobyn yelled, caught off guard by the attack. "Ugh...! You ungrateful-!" Magnus growled, glaring at the giant creature for daring to attack him.

"Here, some heals." Chloe spoke up, using a healing skill of hers, greatly recovering the injuries of the three boys that were targeted. For good measure, she also heals everyone.

"Ah, thank you, miss." Macerio thanked, as Chloe gave him a small smile. "Chloe's just doing her job."

Magnus, however, still wasn't happy with the Ur-Devil. "Hope you love the taste of fire, motherfucker, cause I'm gonna burn you to the ground!" Magnus hand gauntlets ignited with fire, sending off a powerful Flame Formula towards it, making direct contact with it.

"Here goes!" Tobyn yelled, using his Multi-Shot skill to back up Magnus' Flame Formula, hitting Ur-Devil directly. Hibiki then steps forward, with a Grimoire stone in hand.

"Deepest Darkness..." She began. "Thou shall face the wrath of not only that of the princess of the Forest Folk, but of those who will stand by me, and accomplish the deed tasked onto us by Lady Gradriel! Null thy Strength!"

The Grimoire Stone shines, as Hibiki charged forward and slashed at Ur-Devil, making its attack lowered.

"We shall not Pity the Weak! Not even for a bastard like you!" She continued, going for another attack while the Ur-Devil is reeling from the first one, now lowering its defenses.

"Look at Dame Hibiki..." Arianna said, astonished at the Forest Girl's quick thinking. "She's quite skilled for not being able to fight all that often..." Korey remarked.

"Quite astonishing, if I must say so myself. Are Forest Folk usually this naive when it comes to fighting?" Axel inquired the Highlander, giving him a few seconds to think of an answer.

"Well, since Lagaard doesn't have any Forest Folk within it... Probably not..." Korey shrugged, as a gleam from Ur-Devil catches everyone off guard, granting the Gungnir Guild back their Force. However, it then summons a blue Ur-Eye and a yellow Ur-Eye along with its red Ur-Eye from the holes it had in its claw-like wings.

Everyone on the Guardian Guild was surprised when it occurred. Though Tobyn was easily shocked by that fact. "What the hell?!" Tobyn screamed, blinking his eyes to reassure he wasn't dreaming of that had happened.

"T-That thing has EYES?!" Lynus soon followed suit in the confusion. "And they come from those holes on it?!" Followed by Axel.

"Pretty much everyone's reaction to when that happened..." Shen remarked, specifically mentioning the Gungnir Guild. "Now's not the time to be joking around, Shen!" Magnus sighed, as Shen simply shrugged before re-assuming his battle stance.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood..." Shen uttered to himself. "Focus, you guys! We came this far into the fight when you showed up, and we're gonna need help to finish it off!" Ricky declared, shooting at Ur-Devil so she can get another bind off on it.

"All I can really do is heal, so-"

"No need to worry, Lynus. Leave the smashing part to me, you just heal us whenever necessary!" Axel reassured the Medic, as he proceeds to charge towards Ur-Devil. Macerio fires some volt elemental bullets, hitting the blue Ur-Eye, and Ricky fires some fire elemental bullets, hitting the yellow Ur-Eye shortly after the blue eye took its hit.

"Stunning Smash!" Axel yells, jumping up to hit the red Ur-Eye with his axe, causing the eye to spasm and explode, causing Axel to be launched back. "Axel!" Lynus yelled as he quickly rushes over to him and heals him.

"Are you alright?!" The Medic queried, as the red haired Landsknecht sat up. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just surprised it did that after hitting it..." He replied, picking up his axe and taking Lynus' hand to help him stand up.

"Taste electricity, you damned beast!" Magnus yelled, using a Spark Formula to strike the blue Ur-Eye. Shen uses his Flame Grater attack to strike the yellow Ur-Eye as Ur-Devil recovers health while the enemies standing before it striked at its eyes.

"We got to get rid of those damn eyes... Force Boost!" Korey growled, activating his Hero Boost Force Boost, using his Spear Assist to kill off the red Ur-Eye, exploding upon defeat, healing from Bertrand's Fire Wall skill.

Hibiki soon takes her turn against one of the Ur-Eyes, targeting the blue one as she takes a leap at it. "Take this!" She yelled, slashing at it, and backing away once Bertrand hits it as well. It then explodes, as Bertrand easily shields himself and Hibiki with his Ice Wall skill.

As if getting desperate, Ur-Devil releases some kind of aura. "Oh no... that can't be good..." Lynus gulped.

"Why? This thing's already not good!" Axel spoke, landing from striking at the Ur-Devil. "N-No... it's just that... if anyone of you falls... I d-don't think reviving you will work while its up..." Lynus tried to explain loud and clear so everyone could hear him.

"Great... this thing must really be that desperate." Bertrand sighed, getting up from hiding behind his shield.

"Stay determined, everyone! We can't give up!" Korey ordered, feeling rather frustrated at the tricks Ur-Devil seems to be trying to stoop to.

Tobyn uses his Multi-Shot attack on the yellow Ur-Eye, as Arianna goes over to protect Tobyn with her Volt Wall Grimoire, shielding him from the Ur-Eye's death explosion, as the last Ur-Eye faded away to nothingness. "All Ur-Eyes eliminated." Shen shouted, signaling repeating his sentence one more time to make sure everyone was paying full attention.

"And here comes an Eternal Exodus with our names on it." Korey huffed as he notices Ur-Devil began charging up for the attack.

"You sound as if you're not excited for it when I have the perfect counter against it." Bertrand grinned, using his Perfect Defense Force Break, nulling the damage Eternal Exodus could have done to everyone. Although a bright gleam from Ur-Devil then takes their Force away.

"Huh-?! What's happening?!" Lynus questioned, looking around to find out what happened. "Hey, what gives, I was gonna use my Force, you son of a bitch!" Axel snarled at the giant being.

"Relax, kid. If it's gonna be as forgiving as it was earlier, it's going to give us a fighting chance by giving it back to us." Bertrand reassured the Landsknecht.

"Wait, just like that? But why would it-?" Magnus questioned, confused about why a being as powerful as Ur-Devil would give its enemies a fighting chance.

"I wish we knew, Magnus... I wish we knew..." Shen simply shrugged, unable to really answer his love's question. The Forest Girl glares at the giant being, feeling the atmosphere tense up around her, letting out a gasp as a realization hit her.

"Hibiki? What's up?" Korey asked, the first to hear the girl's sudden worry, before she turned to face everyone. "I regret to inform you all at such a short notice, but..."

Hibiki gulps before continuing. "I'm afraid... we're running out of time." That couldn't be good news, as everyone lets out a gasp in surprise.

"Imminent doom is about to rain down on all of us if we don't defeat it before it will infinitely charge up... And by that point, we might all be considered dead." Hibiki explained, shifting her eyes downward, as if she was disappointed in defeating it before it had reached this point.

"No way...!" Arianna shuttered, trying not to cry upon hearing the Forest Girl's explanation. "Then... did we really just come here to die to some unholy abomination?" Magnus questioned, clenching his fists in anger.

"After all, it seemed like it recovered some of the damage that was dealt to it..." Macerio added, further adding to the distraught and worry on everyone. Although Hibiki did not state how long it will take it, they have no idea when its gonna do exactly that.

"To hell with that logic." Korey blinked, seeming to recall a similar situation in Gladshiem weeks before the trip to High Lagaard. Simon's words still lingered in his head...

"Even if we're running out of time, we must still do something to prevent the end of Etria. I've lost my hometown because of this mechanism, but I will not let another town suffer the same incident. Not ever again... That's why we're in this together. We won't stop until we've stopped the threat to our world."

The amount of care the Midgard Library's Medic expressed in his words on that day still had a place in the Highlander's heart. Glancing at his spear, where an old friend once sacrificed her life to empower him... For some reason, gave him a sense of calming. Even when told that they were nearing death's doorstep, he found the thought of fighting in a dire situation to be calming. He blinked, eyes fueling with an undying flame.

"Even if it may cost our lives... Even if I might never see my loved one ever again..." Korey began, soon pointing his spear towards the almighty creature. "No matter what the enemy may do to break us down... the future is always ours to shape!" Axel and Lynus looked at the determined Highlander, seeing his confidence unflinching from the Ur-Devil's clear motive.

"I'm not giving up. I've made it clear once before, that no matter what the enemy is, we'll be there to strike them down. If we give in to fear, we won't accomplish anything. That is why... despite everything... I still fight. Not just for me, but for everyone I care for - to make everyone happy!"

Hibiki simply stares in awe of the Highlander's determination. Nobody dared to oppose his words, as silence filled the battlefield, before Axel approaches the Highlander, causing him to look at the Landsknecht.

"You know," Axel began. "you might have to work a bit on your motivational speeches. But if there's one thing we can agree on, is the safety of those we cherish. I've missed Lynus so much in the past, I thought I'd never really see him again. But we're together now, and that's one thing I don't want to lose. So we'll help too."

Axel places a hand on the Highlander's shoulder, giving him a confident smile. Fafnir soon approaches, as Korey's eyes turn to face him. "Honestly, meeting you was, as they say, chosen by destiny." Fafnir began, chuckling at the mere idea of saying that line.

"But those you care for can't be chosen by such a fate. It's something we make as we travel, or grow up with each other. And there are those that I wish to protect, especially Flavio and Arianna. Of course, now that I'm cursed to wander forever, it might not be a great thing, but I'm willing to set that aside to be with the friends and ones that I care about." Fafnir bravely spoke, feeling like contributed to the speech department.

Korey felt like he was leading an army, but that didn't stop him from giving the Fafnir Knight a brotherly hug. Although Fafnir questioned to himself why he would do it, he simply placed an arm around Korey's back and returned with a hug. If they were going down, best to go down as close friends than mere strangers to each other's past.

"Art thou really willing to go through with this?" Hibiki's voice brought Korey's attention to her, as he replied, in the arms of Fafnir, "We've come so far. To stop now would not only waste resources, but we also risk other explorers to die to this thing." Korey began, soon being freed of Fafnir's bro-hug.

"So that's why, despite knowing that I may die..." He continued, moving aside his his brown hair, soon charging towards Ur-Devil.

"I will fight for everyone's happiness!"

#EO2U #etrian odyssey fanfiction #writing #holy crap how did I write this

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kingofthewilderwest · 7 years

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Is Toothless a Mary sue? why should we care about him? or what makes him special from different dragons? or from Hookfang for example?

I think one of the challenges of the word “Mary Sue” or “Gary Stu” is that I feel it has undergone significant semantic broadening. We still understand the core meaning that a Mary Sue is an idealized, overpowered character - but I feel it has become a quick, lazy criticism for any character that seems unoriginal. Now, I’m not someone who personally spends any time on TV Tropes, but I’m amused that even here they have commented that “What that character type is, exactly, differs wildly from circle to circle, and often from person to person,” and, “There are dozens upon dozens of essays that offer interpretations of what the term means, generally basing it off of some usages of it, but none of them are truly comprehensive or accepted.”

In general the most common traits a prototypical Mary Sue has are:

Extremely good looks and unusual appearance/name/etc. traits

A tragic backstory to give us the angst

Extremely powerful abilities, often in multiple areas (ex: sciences and fighting skills), outstripping the skills of the other characters with almost no sign that the Mary Sue has flaw or challenge

Disproportionate over-importance in the story, flaunted about

But there are plenty of other things to discuss, too, like if the Mary Sue is portrayed in a light that they’re always the one wronged - even if with some decent thought we’d realize they’re not some angel, either. Another one to talk about: is the Mary Sue self-insertion of the author, or who the author wants to be?

Now, I’ve come to dislike the term “Mary Sue” because of its overapplication in character criticism. As I already mentioned, I feel like sometimes we’ve washed away the criticism to simply mean “unoriginal” or “not unique.” So many people slap the word “Mary Sue” on without taking any analytical thought, time, or attention to explain what it is bothersome about this character or makes them unappealing to us. It makes it all too easy and all too simplistic to toss aside interest in a character; call them “Mary Sue,” and congratulations, you’ve given your “full” reason for why they’re not cool. It’s a shortcut label that prevents actual dialogue about character weaknesses, strengths, and narrative tropes.

If a character is unoriginal, we should have the right to say and explain so without a blanket term. If a character truly is problematic, hyper-idealized, or lacking uniqueness… then we should be able to provide a full explanation and analysis without relying on a two word appellation. The name “Mary Sue” is just as overused as the unoriginal characters that people are decrying.

Now, as far as whether or not Toothless is overpowered, or unoriginal, or special, that’s definitely something important I think we can talk about in depth! And there are many different routes we could discuss, among them…

Toothless’ missing tail fin is an enormous weakness and limitation for the character. He’s given a rather large limitation that counterbalances the plasma blast strength he has. Toothless is just as likely to be vulnerable in a skirmish as helpful, and indeed we see many instances where Toothless’ weaknesses are exploited and he is overpowered.

The friendship between Toothless and Hiccup is written with a manner of equal respect between human and dragon, and with a lot of tenderness, depth, and power. They grow through the friendship, they struggle through the friendship, they make up and grow again through the friendship. Toothless isn’t a character that’s written to hog the spotlight - the basis of this partnership alone is beautiful treatment that you won’t see in someone’s wish fulfillment Mary Sue. It’s one (of many) reasons to legitimately care about him, and to see how he interacts meaningfully between the other characters of the story.

Toothless has complex but comprehensible reactions to situations. He’s not someone who has a two dimensional personality that is flat and predictable in all circumstances. There will be times when he’s brave, times that he’s nervous, times that he’s penitent, times that he’s stubborn, times that he’s friendly, times that he’s hostile, times that he’s silly, times that he’s serious, times that he’s sarcastic, times that he’s sincere. But in all these instances, they don’t contradict or build an inconsistent character. All these interactions make sense based upon his personality and his current context. If characters react three-dimensionally to the circumstances around them, such that they’re both individual and understandable, then you have a character who ain’t a cardboard cutout.

All dragons have unique fire powers that are incredibly strong; the Night Fury might have a dramatic reputation because of its speed and plasma blasts, but let’s be real… all the dragons are pretty darned powerful in their own unique, interesting ways. Toothless can’t light his entire body on fire like Hookfang and other Monstrous Nightmares. Toothless can’t create an enormous gas explosion like the Hideous Zipplebacks. Toothless can’t track people across miles through scent like the Rumblehorn or Deadly Nadders. He can’t lure dragons through sonic calls like the Death Song, nor emit damaging sonic blasts like the Thunder Drum, nor paralyze victims like the Speed Stinger or Flightmare. But in all these cool powers, the dragons create uniqueness, variety, and counterbalancing measures; Toothless isn’t overly powerful in a world of powerful dragons - he’s just powerful in specific facets, while other dragons are powerful in other unique, specific facets. Everyone’s very unique and everyone has cool abilities that don’t drastically overpower one of the others.

And then there’s one specific thing that I want to talk about, because I feel like it’s the number one easiest way to squash anyone’s suggestion that a character is not unique…

Personality Quirks.

If a character has a list of personality quirks - unique behaviors personal to only them, silly little penchants they do, odd aspects to them you don’t see across fictional personalities - well, then obviously this character is original. If a writer takes the time to think of their characters’ tiny idiosyncrasies, then chances are they’ve thought also about the broad, overarching ways the character is unique. Idiosyncrasies are ways we can laugh about a character, find them charming and relatable or likable, and to think of them as a special person different from the crowd of fictional and nonfictional people we know.

And Toothless? Ohohohoho does Toothless have his quirks.

1. We have Toothless’ little smile. It starts by him trying to imitate into Hiccup. It turns into his own gesture of friendliness to humans. Dragon mouths are not meant to twist that way, no other dragon tries it, but Toothless has decided this is a facial gesture he can use to emit friendliness to others (especially when hanging upside-down).

2. We have Toothless’ rambunctious drawing sprees. He gets so excited at people drawing pictures in the dirt or snow that he has to do it, too! He nabs the nearest stick-like object - something usually preposterously big - and begins to dance hyperactively across the world. He spins and he twirls and he trots and he whirls… and he makes a big mess of everything.

Please tell me how many characters do this in HTTYD. Or how many characters do this in any franchise you can think of. I’ll wait. ^.^

Point is, this is a pretty big quirk because this is something that he and he alone does - and it makes us laugh for it.

3. Even how Toothless curls up and lies down to rest is unique, something not shared by other dragon characters or species.

4. And how about his dry sarcasm? The face says it all.

5. There are a number of other endearing behaviors Toothless does. Some of them aren’t unique to the dragon alone - Toothless isn’t the only creature who likes being scratched under the chin, or rubbing around in dragon nip, or chasing after spots of light. But just because lots of our pet dogs get wildly excited for food doesn’t make it less entertaining. Just because more than one pet cat of ours romps wildly up and down the house… doesn’t take away from the endearment of that activity. It’s still damn hilarious and adorable (when they’re not knocking over lamps, anyway). And it’s still a tiny little detail to how these characters react that makes them interesting rather than flat.

Now, this only gets at the tip of the iceberg. We haven’t talked about Toothless’ energy bouncing around areas, or when he’s Done™ with Hiccup for doing dangerous activities, or where he’s really proud for doing something for Hiccup even though he got some things wrong (like spitting a saliva-filled helmet all over Hiccup’s head), or how he responds to meeting potential foes, or the different ways in which he vocalizes to express his emotions, or all sorts of behaviors that are entirely unique to him.

I mean… like… what a dork.

If I can call a character a “dork,” there’s probably something fun and special about them! XD

As far as why we should care for him? That’s an essay on its own. It’s related to the idea of whether or not he’s special or a Mary Sue… and there’s something to be said that we can’t be forced to like any character… but honestly… I feel like if we need to ask if or why Toothless should be cared about, then we have missed the very meaning of HTTYD’s inherent narrative.

#long post #httyd #How to Train Your Dragon #httyd2 #httyd 2 #How to Train Your Dragon 2 #Toothless #analysis #my analysis #ask #ask me #awesome anonymous friend #Anonymous #Mary Sue #Gary Stu

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findingmarvinchavez · 3 years

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hello quins!! 😊 my name is kaitlyn and i’m excited to finally reveal myself :D

how was the end of your year? i hope it was wonderful and i am so glad to hear that you got home safely!! ❤️

i will definitely let you know when i continue with 911!!:)

ooh you mentioned you haven’t even mentioned the movies with twilight, were you really into those, too? 👀

oh, okay!! i honestly had never heard much about the city of bones, or the author, but i feel the same with that stuff i don’t really understand the entire thing with people who try to defend the things authors (or like any famous person) have done so as to like justify their consumption of it?? i agree like if i hear they do harm i don’t see why you wouldn’t take it as that but people are very strange with the way they interact with stuff ig (i will stop there bc it is something i could go on about for a bit, but i feel like i understood how you meant it (like re: it being comprehensible) and i 100% agree). and i definitely get what you mean about not having high standards for a genre you like, i feel like if it’s a concept i like (esp when i was younger as well) i would just consume it all haha

in terms of 1d, i definitely listen to harry and louis’ music the most, but probnably more louis’, but my favorite song of harry’s is ‘lights up’ and of louis’ i would say ‘defenceless’ but i like a lot of them :)) also i agree, once in a lifetime is great! now that i am revealing who i am, my favorite song from 1d is called ‘end of the day’ and that is where my url comes from :~) i am actually thinking of getting a tattoo inspired by the lyrics!!

i love that you started using that emoji because of me aklfja, i have picked some up from people too haha (for instance the🧍🥴 (hopefully these are the right ones, i am on my computer and i found like a shortcut that pops them up on desktop but sometimes i cannot tell lkajfa). those two and the 👀 are definitely my favorites, they can express emotions i would never be able to tbh <3

omg supernatural i know a ridiculous amount about that show because someone i am very close with and my mom (who is currently on the second to last season for the first time) are very into it and talk to me about it a lot. i have seen like two episodes but i have a lot of knowledge haha. i think it seems very interesting

yeah that’s true they will have a lot of similarities in that genre, and i like them both so it’s fun that there’s two songs that are similar :)). poison is such an unusual song, i agree, and i think that’s part of why it stuck out to me as a favorite!!

thank you for the kind wishes <3 i am trying to learn to be more patient with myself, definitely, but it takes a lot of practice!

i understand the “brain not being your friend” thing so deeply and i’m sorry you feel that way too! i hope that this year we will both exist in better harmony with it, but that’s not always easy :/. i hope you ended up having a lovely holidays and a great reunion with your friends : )).

p.s. i just wanted to apologize for how late this message is, this week was just A Week but i’m really sorry this came so late, but i am so happy to finally reveal myself and i have enjoyed these messages so much. i am so glad i was paired with you, you’re so fun to talk with :))

p.p.s. please let me know if you watch cruel summer!! :D

Hii kaitlyn!

My end of the year was fun and chill, I was finally with my friends again after these last couple of months! Hope you're on the other side of A Week now and still going strong! ✨ Happy new year!!

Yep, the Twilight movies had me as good as the books did lol cannot count the hours I spent in that universe 🤠

good to hear you feel similarly about the defending authors/creators even when they appear to be assholes irl 🙃

oh I'll definitely give your fave songs a listen! Thanks for sharing! my first tattoo was also inspired by music! 🎉 (The red hot chili peppers asterisk)

supernatural knowledge by proxy haha, crazy how that show pops up everywhere!

wishing you all the best as we struggle with ourselves and work on being more patient with how successful that journey is!

no need to apologize at all ♥️ I'm also very thankful for this little event and it was always a joy to read your messages!

see you around!

-- quins ♥️

p.s. I'll def let you know if I start cruel summer!

p.p.s. as you might notice this blog is exclusively 911 so if you get annoyed by that but still wanna stay in touch there's always my main where's there's a lot more diversity content-wise haha otherwise enjoy the 911 craze! 😎

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years

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A Comprehensive Guide to Blue Weber Agave

It sounds like a question from a pub quiz: What is tequila made from? Most Margarita fans know enough to shout that their favorite spirit is made with Blue Weber Agave — a large, spiky plant that grows in the rich soil of Jalisco and several surrounding states in central Mexico. But in fact, the world of Blue Weber Agave includes enough obscure information and oddball detail to supply more than a month’s worth of trivia contests.

If you want to win the next competition, here’s a guide to the drinking world’s best-loved succulent.

A Natural Beauty

Everyone knows that a great tequila is made from 100 percent Blue Weber Agave plants. But what exactly are they?

Agave is a monocotyledon, a.k.a. a monocot, the smaller of the two groups of flowering plants that also includes most grains, grasses, and canes. Somewhat surprisingly, it’s a member of the large Asparagaceae family, which makes it a (distant) relative of the same delicious asparagus that’s often served under a blanket of hollandaise sauce.

Agave’s subfamily, Agavoideae, features even more closely related botanical wonders like yucca plants, hyacinths, and the Joshua Tree. When you drill down into the pure Agave genus, there are about 270 different species of the spiky plants we know and love. Some, like the Queen Victoria agave, are grown ornamentally. Blue Weber Agave is the most prized cultivar of just one species, the blue agave or agave azul, known to science as Agave tequilana.

A note for those of us who love shortcuts: When it comes to Blue Weber Agave, the color is not optional. If you just say “Weber Agave” you’re actually referring to a different species, Agave weberi, a smaller plant in Mexico that can also be found in Texas and Florida. Also known as the wild century plant or Small Agave, Weber Agave without the word blue isn’t what lies at the heart of a great tequila.

Native to the Mexican state of Jalisco and surrounding regions, the beautiful Blue Weber Agave takes a long time to reach maturity, generally only flowering after five years or more. Left alone, the plant will then send out a very long stalk — think “shopping mall Christmas tree” — called a quiote, which will be topped with bushy clusters of yellow flowers. In nature, those flowers are pollinated by insects, hummingbirds, and the greater long-nosed bat, an endangered species that mates in only one known cave. (In case someone asks, it’s the Cueva del Diablo in Tepoztlán, Mexico.)

A Crucial Crop

While agave plants naturally grow in the fertile, sandy soils of central Mexico, the Blue Weber Agave is now an important agricultural crop. To facilitate growth, the long quiote stalk is cut on cultivated plants, which results in a beefed-up central core, called the cabeza, or head. After the quiote is cut, the plant is generally harvested within a year. Farmed in widely spaced rows, the sprawling agave fields make a striking image for visitors: acres of door-sized plants resembling giant thistles, whose thick, bluish-turquoise leaves contrast sharply against the deep red soil.

Native to the Mexican state of Jalisco and surrounding regions, the beautiful Blue Weber Agave takes a long time to reach maturity, generally only flowering after five years or more.

The growing global demand for tequila is balanced by the lengthy amount of time the plants require to grow. It takes around eight years — and often 12 or more years — before an agave is ready to make tequila. Some 400 to 500 million Blue Weber Agave plants are currently under cultivation in Mexico, of which roughly 50 million are harvested each year. Trimmed of its leaves into a piña, or pineapple, a single ripe agave usually weighs between 80 and 200 pounds, though many can clock in well over 300 pounds.

In Jalisco, Blue Weber Agave is mainly grown in two regions with two distinct microclimates: the Tequila Region of Origin, sometimes called Tequila Valley, and Los Altos, also known as the Highlands. The Tequila Region of Origin is located northwest of Guadalajara, close to the eponymous city of Tequila, with a moderate elevation — about 4,300 feet above sea level in the town of Amatitán, the heart of the area’s agave cultivation. That’s a distinct difference from Los Altos, where many agaves are grown at 7,000 feet, or even higher.

The two regions have very different soils and growing conditions — and, connoisseurs will tell you, result in tequilas with very different flavor profiles. The darker, volcanic soil in the Tequila Region of Origin is said to create spirits with more peppery, earthy, and “grittier” flavors. Tequilas sourced from agaves grown in Los Altos, where the time to maturity is generally longer than in Tequila Valley, are said to be more mineral, floral, and sweeter in flavor.

What’s in a Name?

While cheaper, “mixto” tequilas are allowed to include up to 49 percent other sugars, the term 100 percent agave is reserved for spirits of the highest quality, which, by law, must be made entirely from Blue Weber Agave. Regulations allow the synonyms 100 percent de agave, 100 percent puro de agave, and 100 percent puro agave, to which the word “azul” [“blue”] may be added.

While tequila and the Blue Weber Agave in it must come from Mexico, the agave’s name came from France — specifically, from Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber. A French military doctor and botanist, Weber was a member of the French expeditionary forces during the Second French Intervention in Mexico, when the country was temporarily part of the French Empire. In fact, Weber’s botanical studies during his 1864-1867 Mexican tour of duty focused on cacti, though he also scientifically described a few species of agave, including the two that bear his name today.

If that question comes up on your next pub quiz, you know who to thank.

Please Drink Responsibly. DON JULIO Tequila. 40% Alc/Vol.

This article is sponsored by Don Julio.

The article A Comprehensive Guide to Blue Weber Agave appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/guide-to-blue-weber-agave/

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secretcupcakesublime · 3 years

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Reducing the risk of design

Light, flexible, do even less, and more. Again and again, design culture encourages us to push rapidly to the point where design is a pure thread in the larger corporate spool and trim research and design operations. Writer and author Nikki Anderson describes the implications of this pressure to perform high speed research: "Once we are asked to synthesize at light pace, user research is a way for teams to take a shortcut — to create conclusions based on quick associations, thoughts, and quotes."

The effect is design based on assumptions, or incomplete user and customer knowledge. For example, a Fortune 500 company (let's call it Company Q) hired me to do a usability test for a complex user interface (usability testing includes a series of one-on-one sessions with actual users who are asked to perform different tasks when using a product or piece of software).

The study yielded what would possibly become identifiable patterns and when I was told to pause and send the results to the client immediately I was halfway through the research. My clarification of the need for more time to perform a detailed and nuanced review fell on deaf ears: "Just send a short video." I reticently submitted a video snippet of a user interface ( UI) struggling participant.

There was no time for context, background or nuance. Company Q product manager remembered the person in the video from a previous experience and dismissed his struggles: "He's a crank, we can't base decisions on him." Without discussing this serious UI problem, the company passed on.

This sales manager had been addicted to his client emotionally (see endowment effect below). This emotional attachment impeded his capacity to objectively assess the strengths and weaknesses of the product. It's no wonder that professionals are forming positive feelings about their products.

Comprehensible but also troublesome. As explained in an article about UX's ROI by UX guru Jared Spool, ignoring user needs carries a high cost: assume you get a lot of support calls, for example, because the design doesn't do anything that users expect. That's a high cost because of a bad judgment on the design. How expensive? The average cost of a single support call in North America is $15,56 according to HDI's Jeffrey Rumburg. Even though support calls only increase by 83,000 per month, the annual cost is more than $15 million.

Conversely, functions to solve interface issues. According to the McKinsey report, "The Business Value of Design": "One online gaming company found that a slight increase in the usability of its homepage was followed by a dramatic 25 percent increase in sales." Note: For this study, McKinsey tracked the design practices of 300 publicly listed companies in multiple countries and industries over a five-year period. This interviewed or questioned their senior management and architecture members. The McKinsey team gathered more than two million pieces of financial information and reported over 100,000 design actions.

Such figures illustrate the direct financial costs of rushing market research and shortchanging customer and company interests. We also demonstrate the financial value of addressing consumer issues. I will shed light on the approaches used in this article to resolve these concerns: carefully choosing a study location; negotiating with stakeholders to provide ample time for review without disrupting the design process; making rational, evidence-based design decisions; engaging in design reduction. 1. Background Over Comfort: Why Location Matters

Where you carry out analysis, matters as much as the method of study. Consider the value of the venue before booking a room for your next interview with users. You may not want to book a quiet meeting room if the users operate with multiple distractions in a noisy environment. The user experience will actually help you determine the best research approach for collecting feedback (interviews, diary analyses, observation / contextual enquiry, usability tests, cognitive walkthroughs, etc.).

That is exactly what happened when our team conducted UX research for a major construction equipment manufacturer. We should have taken machine operators to a quiet showroom to ask them questions about the machinery and what was working well and what was not. That would have been the easy choice but the wrong one. Instead, we traveled to U.S. , Mexico, and Colombia construction sites where we observed operators using the equipment outside where it was dusty, dirty, and noisy.

Observations on the field included: chances of traffic accidents due to noise, and poor visibility in high winds. The challenge faced by shorter operators when they entered the cab for certain controls (operators in Latin America were, on average, smaller than their counterparts in the USA). The rapid corrosion of metal equipment on a construction site near the ocean, caused by salt.Observing consumers in their real-world work environment: Minimized the chance of solving the wrong problem, because we did not rely on sales or product second-hand knowledge (this occurs more frequently than you would think). We (the researchers) were allowed to hear the wind, see the dust and feel the bumps when riding on these massive machines. Given actionable information not collected in an office. Our study at sites in Mexico and Colombia has shown the old adage to be valid. Meeting users where they worked on a daily basis yielded rich, qualitative data which our client used to inform important design decisions. 2. Concession

That was a good result. Real-world problems were identified in the fieldwork in Mexico and Colombia, and stakeholders acted on that information. That's not always the case here. As happened with Walmart when management decided to change aisle and shelving design based on a customer survey, there is a temptation to make design decisions quickly based on incomplete information. When asked to customers if the stores were too cluttered they said yes. Walmart spent millions re-designing stores only to lose sales in excess of $ 1 billion. Sales increased when Walmart reverted to the cluttered aisles. What went wrong?

A poorly worded survey and inadequate study were undoubtedly two factors for the debacle. Walmart depended too much on what customers said and not what they were doing. In consumer and user experience the value of putting significant weight on what applications and consumers are doing is a cornerstone concept.

Underhill, a business and market research pioneer, is completely correct. Unfortunately, even when stakeholders decide to finance research (ride-alongs, shop-alongs, contextual inquiry), tremendous pressure is exerted to move forward when a UX or market study is completed, leaving little time for detailed examination.

The goal is to strike a balance between pace and thoroughness in these situations. Brand managers and other stakeholders have a lot of responsibility and are often under pressure to rapidly transfer goods into the market. Nevertheless, rushing the design process will result in the emergence of research into ignoring key user needs.

Compromise serves two purposes throughout the passage from study review to design. Firstly, it provides ample time for researchers to study, evaluate and report reliable and actionable results that will help the design team move forward. Second, as with any undertaking, a willingness to compromise sets a degree of confidence. 3. Decisions on better functionality

Compromise and trust are a solid basis for establishing a collaborative partnership between researchers, designers and stakeholders. These partnerships lead to an conducive environment for better design decisions. Those points tend to be simple, even transparent.Perhaps straightforward but not easily attainable. Why? For what? Human character. Human beings are subject to what psychologists term the endowment effect, the tendency simply because they belong to you to overvalue objects that you own. A typical example of selling a house is. You are emotionally attached to your house as the landlord, as you have put effort into repairs and upgrades. The house has pretty good memories. You live there, after all. The buyer does not say much of this. She just cares about the objective market value and for the least amount of money, she gets the best house. It is difficult for people to part from the object, a house in this case, once the endowment effect holds onto. Changing a UI or physical object in the sense of design is approximately equal to parting with it. For example, the product manager announced to me and a room full of stakeholders while reviewing a complex UI for a programmable logic controller: "My name is Jim, and I love this product." Honesty points. As predicted, Jim held fast to his conviction when I presented the report that the UI was perfect and didn't need change. He was attached, unsurprisingly, to the computer and the UI.

The evidence supports this statement. According to the McKinsey study listed above: "Less than 5 percent of those we surveyed indicated that their members could make rational design decisions." One of the challenges to making sound design decisions is the endowment effect. See A Designer's Guide to Good Decisions to learn how to avoid other can mistakes in making decisions.

Knowledge of the endowment effect and other decision traps leads to better design, as it helps us to make difficult decisions during the actual process. 4. Reduction of Architecture One such option is whether to delete from an current design or from early iteration of design. For instance, the image below left could easily be an early iteration of a mobile app. Few would dispute the power of simple, elegant, and engaging design. Sometimes, these results benefit from deliberate, thoughtful reduction. From the number and size of the elements on the screen to the simplicity or complexity of the color palette, it's all about the the design to the point that it's simple and easy to use without losing something significant.

A designer could also ask in the cleaner example (above right) if "This Month" and "165: Max Pulse" are required. If not, cutting them will be another downsizing. The point is not to discuss the specifics of the UI for this fake fitness program. Instead, designers will expect the "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" effect and recommend eliminating unnecessary elements of design. Effective strategies include: Gently remembering the dangers of a high cognitive load to stakeholders and other team members. Sharing cluttered designs with the team (any app or website will do) and asking them to quickly find a particular feature. Their battle to find the feature should make the case.Sharing video clips of your company's past research projects demonstrating how quickly users get overwhelmed while communicating with a crowded UI.

By adhering to this reduction strategy early in the design process, the company gains by reducing the risk of customer frustration, task or cart abandonment, and dissatisfied clients. Design reduction is important for creating engaging, user-centric design but works only when combined with robust user research that leads to informed design decisions. Conclusion

Since analysis, decisions, and the design process go hand in hand, the focus of this article has been on identifying the risks of user testing and design rushing. Mitigating this risk does not demand that research and design teams double in size. We have also introduced four concrete strategies that teams can quickly implement: Meaning over Convenience: Position matters. Either at home, in a café, or on a noisy construction site, perform UX and market research where consumers engage with your product.

Compromise Compromise If market customers can not necessarily demand a detailed review, compromise. The design team will move forward with minor design changes in the direction of the stakeholder, while promising not to make significant changes until the final review of the study is complete.

Better design decisions Allow better choices by keeping an eye out for the all-too-human propensity to get attached to a design you made. Reduction Remove redundant UI components leaving only what users and clients need to complete the task at hand.

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