#the quality of these suck this is what I get for drawing on my IPHONE THIRTEEN 😁 IPHOBE THIRTEEEEEEEN 🎉 🦛 💨

[aaameatloaf]

The original let's players

[kirby-the-gorb]

reply roundup!

highlights:

sticker club [stickers] got printed! you’ve only got a few hours left to sign up for them though sorry

patreon drawings are up for [fleurdelis], [heraldinthedark], and [lukeperiodsun]!

I posted some drawings that made me laugh! even if no one else is that amused! [chomping] and [jello]

on [bubbles]:

@littlemousejelly said: happy baby blob!!!! i'm so glad you're feeling better today op!!

thank you~ :>

@bihchie said: me today!! feelin good on this day 🥰

good! I hope you get more days like that :>

@inexplicably-spookified said: ahhh vibin'... the background is super pretty i love the different bubbles

it’s such a fun brush, I love how it looks.

on [business]:

@arsonistatlarge said: I'm hiring his ass

he’s very pleased for the opportunity! also maybe you should up the budget for break room snack lol

@macro-microcosm said: CUTE!!! if you’re on an iPhone turn up the black point and contrast until you feel it’s suitable. highlights and shadows help even out any parts that look like they may have been lit weird during the picture process. I also usually turn up the brightness because for some reason when I take pictures they turn out dark, or at least less saturated and lit than I like lol

ohhh that’s very useful, thank you! I will be sure to come back to this comment next time I have to take a picture of a drawing :>

on [chomping]:

@dragonsandmollusks said: YEAH!!! EAT THAT UNKNOWN ITEM!!!!

it’s what he does best.

on [grandma]:

@laying-in-a-daisy-meadow said: looks like he is going to yell at me to get off the lawn

no no, it’s okay, he’s just going to offer you cookies.

on [tiny]:

@boycottmilk said: Im such a big fan of your work!!

thank you!

@littlemousejelly said: ohhhh tiny sneepy babie!!! ah sorry for shouting please enjoy your rest littol kirby 😭💕

it’s easy to get excited, I understand! he is a heavy sleeper though so no harm done :>

on [fire]:

@the-halo-of-my-memory said: can you. can you melt kirby? like can he become liquid? is that a thing? anyways its hot af and esp humid today and i hated it. stay cool op

:^) (but yeah the heat is garbage and it sucks I want a house with a/c and a basement. also I love the phrasing on this one -u- )

@laying-in-a-daisy-meadow said: me melting in the summer heat. or in hellfire, i dont know where ill end up when im dead

relatable.

on [leaf]:

@the-halo-of-my-memory said: that smile, that damn smile. so cute. you continue to make such pure content and i respect that op ty

hehe thank you! I love drawing his little ouo

on [spider]:

@laying-in-a-daisy-meadow said: look its my girlfriend when she sees a spider. sometimes its also me but only when im surprised

spiders can be very startling! (tbh they scare my partner too but she’ll still handle the indoor spiders for me cuz I handle the outdoor spiders for her.)

on [pirate]:

@jeaniechibi said: aww what a lovely request! how cute!

right??? sometimes y’all just hand me the cutest ideas to draw :’>

on [puddle]:

@the-halo-of-my-memory said: oop looks like kirby does in fact melt. you gotta pour him into a mold and refreeze him. i wish you cool blessings op i hate the heat

we’ll make it through the summer somehow *^* (he did get refrozen [here])

on [jello]:

@the-halo-of-my-memory said: HE'S JELLO!!!!! bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap bap i love it op lmao

hehehe I’m glad someone else is as delighted by this as I am :3

@epsilonnot said: best quality: his wiggles

true. high quality wiggles.

[tanyaryanmusic]

10 Reasons Why Mellenials Don’t Suck.

Dear Baby Boomers, 

I’m bored with all the memes, the videos, the extensive social media content that pokes fun at the entitlement and laziness of mellenials. It’s overdone people. Let’s move on. The joke is old. 

I mean, outside of the fact that I’m impressed with you for figuring out how to create a meme in the first place. How about start using this new skillset to pick on the generation that decided eating Tide Pods was cool. 

Also, has anyone else picked up on the irony of Baby Boomers making fun of us for our participation ribbons and not being able to lose? Guys. Boomers. YOU DID THAT. 

We didn’t come up with the participation ribbon idea. You did. We were kids at the time. We didn’t have any say in the decision. You thought that was an awesome idea. And so as we are entering our twenties and thirties, please pardon us as we now attempt to navigate the world, and unlearn everything you taught us. Holy smokes man. No wonder I’m looking for my life participation ribbon. I can’t catch a break with you people. 

Here’s the thing, you just don’t have a comprehensive understanding of us. Your opinions on us are lacking a little perspective. We actually aren’t that messed up, we’re doing pretty okay actually; you just have to be looking with your eyes a little wider. But it’s cool man, I get it. You’re getting those bifocal things and sometimes it’s tough to see everything you need to, so I broke it down for you here. All you need to do is grab your readers and you’re good to go. 

10 Reasons Why Mellenials are AWESOME. 

1. Objective and Flexible. 

Think about an opinion you have; maybe one based in politics, religion - or loading the dishwasher. You probably won’t even consider believing me right now when I say you aren’t correct. I’ve seen you baby boomers, your opinions are your truth. We’re a little different than you. We don’t live like that because we know, that there are 3 sides to every story. And one opinion, is just an opinion. Including our own.

What you have mistaken for indecisive or flaky is actually an indication of a high EQ. We have the ability to be compassionate, emphatic and objective. Which means we have the ability to adapt to circumstances as they come at us; and adjust our opinions as new data enters our field. This means we’re smart.

2. Expressive.

We have a voice. And we use it. I think there’s this misunderstanding that because we complain about things or make our discomfort public, that we have no capacity to handle difficulty. Not the case. We can handle it just fine. AND we’re going to talk about it. Because we CAN. We grew up in a world where it’s completely safe to be heard. So we speak. 

3. Hard working. 

I keep seeing these memes about mellenials being lazy. What da fk is this? The vast majority of my peers are incredibly hardworking. Often times holding down a job (or two) while in school - or pursuing music or another entrepreneurial passion. You and The Reading Rainbow guy told us our whole lives that we can do anything we put our minds to. So we’re doing everything we can to fight for what we want from our lives. Where does this lazy thing come from? Did you work with that ONE 24 year old that was always on his phone and then decided to label an entire generation based on that experience? That’s not very fair, is it?  

4. Creative. 

Don’t get mad when we don’t listen to you. Mellenials look for new ways to do things. So even though it frustrates you when we don’t listen to your instruction; we’re finding our own way. 

We had the privilege of having such a safe world to grow up in, that our minds expand into so many wonderful spectrums. And so we get to try things in new and creative ways. Maybe we’ll even do it better than you did originally! And don’t worry, when that’s exactly what happens, we’ll pretend not to notice. We’re pretty mellow, so we can make room to buffer your ego. 

5. Harry Potter. 

We made sure that Harry Potter will live on forever. You’re welcome. 

6. Easy-Going. 

Another symptom of not being fixed in a position is that we can be pretty loose on our schedule too. So we run late sometimes. (All the time.) But hey, turns out running 5-10 minutes late isn’t a big deal (unless it is). So, calm your titties Frank. Everything is going to be fine.  

7. Entitled. 

Sure. You’ve been using this one against us for years, but it’s actually not a bad quality. Read the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell. He discusses the importance of entitlement when in pursuit of goals and actual achievement of successes. Entitlement is the same quality that allows one to speak up against things they feel unjust. It is the quality that makes one feel they deserve more from their life. It also cues up and stimulates the need for the placement of boundaries. A lot of people are uncomfortable drawing boundaries. So maybe the whole entitlement is an issue for Baby Boomers because you actually have to face conflict and draw a boundary. And I get it. That’s hard to do. But that’s not entirely a millennial issue - so let’s share this accountability here, whaddya say? 

8. We say literally, literally all the time. 

And at least half the time use it appropriately. 

9. BEST parents ever. 

Baby Boomers for the win right?  Baby Boomers are easily our most vocal critics, yet, can we all just take a moment to acknowledge that you are also our parents, our teachers, and our mentors. So if you think we’re kinda messed up maybe you could take a little bit of ownership here? We watched YOU. We learned from YOU. You were the ones who told us what we were capable of. What we deserve. And now you’re criticizing us for becoming exactly what you raised us to be? Come on. That’s just rude. Especially because we love you. We think you’re awesome. So can you lay off a little? We’re doing the best we can. 

10. Progressive 

Yep. 

We’re fighting for the LGBTQ, we’re pro-choice, we’re working our asses off for gender equality, we’re loud because Black Lives Matter, and racism is useless. We’re building environmental awareness and uncovering the impact of pollution and the over-use of plastic. We’re giving voice to women that have been harassed, raped, and abused. And we don’t feel that someone’s sexual orientation is the highlight of their story. 

*

There are countless qualities that make Mellenials awesome. Obviously I’m aware that we’re not that we’re entirely unflawed. I’m simply arguing that it’s so easy to find someone’s shortcomings, so maybe try to dig a little deeper for the qualities we possess that are unique of your generation and are actually quite awesome. (Plus, if you don’t stop being mean, we’ll stop helping your iPhone updates and your bluetooth devices.)

My mom always says that someone will become exactly what you expect them to become. So maybe if you changed your expectations of us, we might surprise you.

So can you lay off with the memes and the sh*t-posting? I think we turned out okay, despite your potential belief of the contrary. Millennials are kicking ass. 

Now give me my ribbon. 

[helena-studyblr]

a post no one asked for!

hello so i reblogged a questionnaire a lil bit ago and i’m going to answer them now because...why not

1. how old are you?

im 18!

2.  are you in high school or college(university)?

college

3. what year or grade are you in high school or (university)? 

im a freshman in college

4. what is your school’s grading system look like? do you like it? what problems do you have with it, if any? 

so my university has a standard letter grade system for most classes and pass/fail for some courses that don’t really need a grade. i do like it because it’s what i’m used to, however, a lot of times having a letter grade system can be more stressful because it makes you feel like anything but some kind of A is mediocre and not good enough, when in reality, a 75% or above is better than average.

5. if you are in high school do you plan on going to university or college? if you are in college do you plan on finishing and if you do, do you plan on continuing on to other graduate or professional schools? 

i plan on going to veterinary school after i finish my undergraduate degree! if i end up changing my major to my second choice(music education is my second choice), then of course I won’t be going to vet school.

6. if you are high school what do you plan to study in college, if you plan to go. if not, what do you plan on doing after high school? if you are in college what is your major? do you plan on changing it? 

i am currently studying biochemistry and molecular biology and i have a minor in music! i dont plan on changing it at this point, but if i do, i’d change it to music education.

7. why are you picking or why did you pick what you are currently studying? 

i want to go to vet school, and biochemistry has almost all the requirements for vet school admissions. also, i find it interesting

8. do you go/plan to go to community college, technical college, or a four-year institution? how did you make your decision, or how do you plan to?

i am at a 4 year university, and i went here because it fits what i want to do

9. what factors did you consider when picking a college, or what factors do you plan on considering? 

the college I chose is in my hometown, which is probably one of the deciding factors(i really wanted to be close to home). the campus is very pretty and small as well, and i really wanted to go to a small college. i could have potentially gone to The Ohio State University because i’m about 20 minutes away, but the camous is so big and i know i would have hated it. the school also has a good music program, soi can continue playing even though it isn’t my major

10. what is your favorite pencil?

i love my muji mechanical pencil and also the papermate clearpoint!

11. what are your top three favorite pens?

pilot juice, muji gel pens, and sharpie pens

12. do you prefer wide-ruled paper, college-ruled, dot-grid, or graph paper? 

college ruled is my favorite for class notes, graph paper for revised/nice notes/math work, and blank for planning generally

13. do you use different types of paper for different courses or classes?

i use college ruled for almost everything except math homework(i use graph)

14. do you use a backpack/bag for school or college and what kind is it? why did you choose it? price, quality, function, design? 

i use a backpack, i have no idea what brand it is, but its the perfect size for everything i need to take to classes and its also really pretty(it has a black background with flowers on it)

15. what is your favorite outfit to go to class in and why? 

i generally wear leggings and a sweatshirt/sweater just because they’re comfy and also look cute! if its warm enough, i wear flip flops but if not, i wear my vans or converse.

16. what is something you always have to have in your backpack or bag?

usually my laptop and pencil case

17. what is your least favorite subject and why? 

math!!!!!!! will always hate. guarunteed. 

18. have you ever gone to tutoring, if so, how has it helped your academic endeavors? 

i have not

19. have you ever seeked academic counseling, if so has it helped you?

i haven’t

20. has your mental health ever suffered during high school or college, and what did you do to cope? 

holy shit yes. i suffer from depression and anxiety(depression for almost a year and anxiety for 4 years). i could make a whole post about this but in general, i make sure i give myself time to relax. it can be so so hard to take care of yourself when you suffer with things like this, so even if you can barely get out of bed, try to make time to do things that make you happy. for me, it’s drawing, netflix, and video games.

21. do you like to listen to music when studying? if so, what genre, if you have a playlist share it! 

i do listen to music! i just listen to music i like, which is rock/pop punk/alt rock/etc. (here’s one of my playlists!: https://open.spotify.com/user/helenakitten14/playlist/4R6ZGIlz8K5UDEk80cVfV5?si=cXK0z3HTRUKCQSKx9F8tNA )

22. do you prefer to study at a library or at home at your desk?

depends what i’m working on and how much i have to do. if i feel like i have to be totally focused, i go to the library, but if i have some time to take breaks and get distracted, i just stay in my room. I also hate going to the library on my own, so sometimes i stay in my room anyway if no one can come with.

23. what are your top three items you keep on your desk?

my lamp, my laptop, and whatever drink i’m drinking while working( i always have a drink so i avoid snacking lol)

24. do you feel as if you are more productive during the day or in the evenings? 

evenings for sure

25. if you exercise, do you feel as if it affects your productivity and if so how? 

i do marching band which is usually my exercise, but i don’t work out. working out just exhausts me and i don’t have energy to begin with(ye ye depression)

26. do you participate in any extracurriculars and if so how do you manage your time?

marching band and wind ensemble! i’m also joing KKPsi, which is an honorary fraternity for music service! i am not great at time management, however, i plan out everything to hold myself accountable

27. do you use a bullet journal, a planner, or to-do lists? do you use a combination of all three? 

i use a combo of all three! i’ve been bullet journalling a lot recently, but i also use a planner during busy weeks when i dont have time to make a spread and i make to do lists for weekends

28. do you have a note-taking style?

nothing specific

29. do you have a color-coding system?

i like to make every different topic/spread a different color. also, when i make notes, i like to highlight vocab words.

30. what do you believe is one of the most overrated studyblr trends? 

100 days of productivity. its impossible to be completely productive for 100 days straight. shit happens, and i understand the purpose of the 100 days challenge, but i think it also takes a toll on you mentally.

31. what are your career goals, how do you plan to reach them? 

i want to be a veterinarian or someone that works with animals somehow. i hope to go to vet school and then have my own practice or join another practice.

32. do you use a laptop? if so which model? how does it perform, would you reccomend it? if not, what model would you like?

i use a macbook air! it is nice because it is easy to transport, but occasionally the functionality can be questionable(storage space is always my issue). i do reccommend it, though. if i could get a new laptop, i’d probably get a macbook pro. 

33. do you use a tablet? if so which model? how does it perform, would you reccomend it? if not, what model are you interested in?

i don’t, but i think having an iPad would be nice!

34. if you post pictures to tumblr, do you use a camera or your phone, if so, what is the model? 

i use my iPhone 6s

35. 0.5, 0.7, or 0.9 pencil lead? 

usually .5 or .7

36. 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, or 1.0 pens? 

.5

37. how many hours a day do you spend studying? are your hours consistent daily or do they differ depending on assignments and exams? 

i tend to study for a majority of the day most days, but it always differs. i have no set timetable

38. how many courses do you take? what are they?

so i am in 8 courses right now. Biology, Gen Chem, Bio Lab, Gen Chem Lab, Calculus I, The History of rock n roll, Wind Ensemble, and Marching band.

39. how long until you graduate? in credit hours, semesters, or years?

i still have 3.5 years left of college, which is 7 semesters

40. how did you find the studyblr community?

honestly i dont remember, it was so long ago

41. how did the studyblr community impact you? 

i was in a big funk my sophomore year of high school. i had no motivation, i hated learning, i hated everything tbh. but them i found this community and it inspired me and showed me that studying can be fun and pretty while also being a learning experience!

42. do you go to school in the day or night?

day!

43. what is something you are too afraid to be involved in at school or college and why? 

 in high school, i was very afraid to get involved with a lot of things, such as theatre and some other clubs just because of anxiety.

44. do you type or write your notes? 

i write them mostly, but my biology professor talks really fast so i usually type notes for his class

45. what do you do on your breaks from studying? 

netflix, eat, play video games, probably other stuff i’m forgetting

46. how do you study for math exams?

honestly i just look through lecture notes and hope for the best. occasionally i do practice problems but not often

47. do you rewrite your notes at home after class, or do you just use the ones you have already? why? 

i rewrite them because it helps me memorize things

48. what are your least favorite courses and why?

math of any kind! i also hate biology right now just because my professor sucks

49. are you in a relationship while in school? if so, why? if not, why? 

i recently got out of a relationship, but im open to being in a relationship with someone

50. if you are in a relationship, how do you manage that along with your studies? 

it was very hard to manage it honestly, but i did what i could to make time, even if it was only just having a meal together. 

51. if you aren’t in a relationship, do you plan on entering one while still in school? explain. 

if i find the right person, yea! being in relationsips is great, especially because you have a companion to help you when you’re struggling

52. do you worry about GPA, if so why, if not why?

oh my god yes i do. i have to have a certain GPA to keep my scholarship money and to stay in the honors program, plus i just want to do well.

53. did you or do you plan to take the SAT or ACT, how did you feel about the exams? did you study for them? have you taken it more than once?

i did take both the SAT and ACT. i did well on each, but the SAT was a lot harder for me. I got a 1220(i think) on the SAT and a 31 on the ACT. i took the ACT twice

54. did you or do you plan to take the GRE, LSAT, PCAT, MCAT, DAT (or any other grad exam)? how did it go? how are you or how did you study for it? have you taken it more than once? 

i’m going to take the MCAT

55. do you or did you take AP classes is high school? how do you feel about how they prepared you for college? did your school require you to take the exam?

yes i did take AP classes! i took 9 total, and they overall did help me learn how to manage time better as well as how to study. we weren’t required to take the exams, but i always did

56. do you or did you do the IB program in high school? can you explain it more for those who are unfamiliar with it? 

i did not, however the IB program is basically an intensive high school honors program that is very writing intensive. its like AP on steroids

57. do your or did you take dual-enrollment classes? how did you feel about how they prepared you for college? 

i didnt but i wish i did!

58. how many colleges or universities did you apply to or not? and why?

i applied to 5 colleges. i already knew where i wanted to go, but i wanted to be safe just in case i didnt get in, so i applied to the 5 i was most interested in. I also wanted to see if any other schools would give me a lot more financial aid.

59. how did you make friends in college or high school?

through band! in both situations

60. has your friend group stayed the same throughout your time in school?

yes actually! i’m still very close to all my high school friends and a few of them go to my college as well. of course i’ve met new people but i. also still have the same friends

61. how does your friend group influence your goals?

we all have our own goals, we just encourage each other and act as an outlet for stress

62. what is your favorite thing to learn about in your free time?

music and current events

63. what is your favorite study snack?

i like to eat carrots/pretzels with hummus or oreos

64. what is one thing that can completely make you stop studying? 

being depressed or tired

65. are there days during the week that you keep completely free from studying? 

yes. wednesdays are my hell days class-wise, so i refrain from doing work on those days after my classes are over

66. what do you do when you have to hustle? where do you go? 

i dont know what this means

67. are your parents or family supportive of your goals? if so how does this affect you? 

they’re very supportive!

68. do you like to read? and do you ever have any free time to do so?

i really love reading but i never have time

69. do you wear a watch? why or why not? what kind? 

nope, they annoy me

70. do you like to drink coffee or tea when working? decaf? what do you add to it? why do you like to drink coffee or tea? 

coffee with full caffeine! i always add creamer, and i drink it because it wakes me up 

71. how do you organize your notes after your finish writing them? 

i have notebooks for every class and binders as well

72. what do you do with your notes after the year or semester is over?

i either recycle them if they won’t be necessary anymore or i keep them in my closet

73. what are your favorite studyblrs?

studyign, emmestudies, and a lot more that i can’t think of

74. what are your favorite studygrams?

same as above except add on focusign and revisign!

75. what is the biggest impact a teacher or a professor has had on you?

my band director was very impactful on my life just because he was my teacher for 5 years, so we had a good relationship

76. what is the biggest impact that a class has had on you?

my film and lit class had a massive impact on me. it made me think in very different ways

77. who is your inspiration and who do you look up to academic wise and career wise? 

my dad inspires me a lot because he worked so hard to find a career he loved and kept going until he got there. he’s also endlessly supportive of me

thats it! this took me so long hahaha anyway. thanks for reading!

[pushfox757]

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone X

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 8

Can You Browse The Dark Web On Iphone

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 7

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 11

The DuckDuckGo (DDG) browser comes from DuckDuckGo Inc., one of the foremost names in online privacy. It is a full-fledged web browser on Android and iOS, offering all the features you expect in a modern mobile browser, such as tabs, bookmarks, and even a dark mode. Berry Dark Browser works really well so that users can get the dark mode no matter which web page is opened. You can download it on the iPhone as well as iPad, and you should have iOS 11.0 or later version. Berry Dark Browser has pretty cool gesture support that allows you enable to disable dark theme. Here are our top picks for the best web browsers for the iPhone. The equipped interface, dark and adorned with larger icons than are typically present in mobile browsers, is also a nice touch. UC Browser (iPhone Only) The name UC Browser may sound familiar, and it’s another browser that features a well-implemented dark mode. But unlike Firefox, both the theme and all web pages are.

0

What are the best browsers for iPhone? Well, the built-in Safari is excellent when it comes to browsing the web, but we find its functionalities too essential. After we’ve experimented with different browsers on the iPhone, we discovered that using the default browser sucks.

Do you want a slow and a hanging browser? Then sit back with the default and old Safari browser on your iPhone, or read this piece twice and pick the best alternative browser for iPhone that appears to be the most reliable. Hence, you are free to install all the listed browser apps to get the best browsing experience.

All the listed apps below have been tested and confirmed as the best alternative browser app for the iPhone. So it’s now left for you to pick the one that is more convenient for you.

Best Browsers for iPhone

In this article, I picked out some third-party browsers that are compatible with the iPhone, intending to get the most suitable browser for the iPhone and put them to experiment. After experimenting with all the browsers against some standards, I narrowed the number down to five to save reading stress.

1. Google Chrome

When it comes to browsers, both on mobiles and PCs, Google Chrome is the most dependable.

Google Chrome for iOS is uniquely created to send Safari packing. The Google Chrome browser is made to provide an excellent way to connect to the World Wide Web, but the iOS version offers a significantly better way.

The availability of approximately all features of Google Chrome on regular devices is incredible. The data saver mode is perfect, and the easy tab management makes it a favorite of many. What’s more, you can quickly sign in to the browser and sync with your desktop browser to save all browsing history. It is not necessary, though, and it’s if you want. However, failure to sign in may deny you some of the features. Google Chrome also makes it effortless to browse without being tracked with the support of the “Incognito mode” similar to the “Private Tab” on Safari. However, this browser uses up your CPU and can’t be set as the default browser.

2. Firefox

This article will be insignificant without the mention of Mozilla Firefox. Mozilla, the inventor of Firefox, overwhelmed everyone with their super-fast Mozilla Firefox for Android. However, this appears to be a mirror with Firefox Focus. It is an uncomplicated security-focused browser for iPhone, which ensure you browse smoothly without any issue. There are no tabs, history, or menus. All that was advertised about the browser was the security perspective, which it does well. The browser helps to obstruct trackers and social tracking data. If this is not your thing, and you want a Mozilla product, the regular Firefox browser is still available on the App Store, but I feel this is also worth trying out.

3. Opera Touch

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone X

Opera Touch made it to the list of the best browsers for iPhone. Opera is the most immeasurable software company that won’t just stop building extraordinary browsers for every operating system. Opera has finally released the long-awaited bang into the iOS market by releasing another chart-topping browser, by the name, Opera Touch.

Opera Touch has the most suitable UI for internet surfers who would like to browse on the go. While Opera Touch can brag about some basic features, it isn’t a browser that I recommend as a favorite. The adblocker has been the number one winning feature in all Opera browsers, and Opera Touch seems to maintain the quality. In addition to it, Opera also built in a cryptocurrency wallet directly into the browser, which makes it look like a step too far.

4. Dolphin

Dolphin is a feature-rich browser accessible on both Android and iOS devices. With easier-to-manage tabs and more effective gesture assistance than the default iPhone browser (Safari). Dolphin is one of the most reliable browsers for the iPhone. Dolphin carries built-in gestures but won’t care if you can draw some other gestures by yourself. Also, gesture identification is very accurate.

The dolphin browser encourages sharing in various ways, including a native sharing method termed Dolphin Connect. Hence, Dolphin has an integrated night mode, which many other browsers don’t have. The night mode will save you from eye damage.

Lastly, Dolphin has a massive list of features, and it may be difficult for new users, especially those who are not techy. It also has a built-in translator, password manager, and many more features you would not see in Safari. These make it one of the best browsers for the iPhone.

Knowing how to write an address can sometimes get confusing. Stop second-guessing and check out these rules for the correct address format. Find the address of any place in the US or the world. Click a point to find what address is closest to that point. Enter the name of a famous place or landmark to find its address. The My Address tool works on a computer or a mobile phone. Whether you are exploring a new area or having a road trip, the what is my current address tool will come in handy if you are ever lost. You can share your address, or your gps coordinates with anyone you like for meetup purposes. Postal address lookup by name.

5. Microsoft Edge

Have you used Windows PC with the Microsoft Edge browser? If yes, then you can consider taking a look at Microsoft Edge for iPhone. Sincerely, Microsoft Edge and the Google Chrome browser have a similar design. The tabbed browsing feature mirrors that of Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge also features a setting that enables you to browse in private.

Though, when it comes to syncing with a Windows 10 PC, Microsoft Edge wins Google Chrome. Microsoft Edge links to and empowers your iPhone to share webpages, bookmarks, and other settings with your Windows 10 PC.

It also features a primary password manager, translator, and many more features unavailable in Safari. Microsoft teams competitors. These make it one of the best browsers for the iPhone.

READ MORE: Personal Assistant Apps For iPhone

READ MORE: Free Spy Apps For iPhone

Related Articles

Conclusion

Now you’ve seen the best browsers for iPhone. However, the recommended browser is Google Chrome.

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Hi, I’m Chukwuemeka, and I’m a young writer and a self-taught blogger. My job is to publish informative contents that bring a solution to your tech problem. I love you, cheers!

Although Apple has started including the dark mode in various apps and system, that is not fully functional. That is the reason, why you might face problem to use an iOS device for a long time. If you are one of them, who use an iPhone or iPad to browse the internet for a huge amount of time, the light theme might cause various issues such as eye strain. Therefore, you can use these following web browsers those have dark mode or theme facility so that you can find a better environment to explore various websites.

Best iOS Browsers With Dark Mode

The Apple Safari browser is pretty good in terms of ease of use, features, and options. However, Safari for iOS doesn’t have the dark mode option. But, this is possible to get the dark mode in Safari browser. For that, you can follow this tutorial to enable dark mode in Apple Safari for iOS. If you want to get a browser with a dedicated option of dark mode, you can check out these following browsers.

1) Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is probably the best web browser out there if someone doesn’t like Google Chrome. No matter whether you want to browse the web or watch YouTube videos, you can do everything with the help of Firefox browser. The user interface of Firefox is elegant and it should not give you any problem to open different sites.

The dark mode in Firefox works pretty well. There are two ways you can apply the night mode in Firefox. You can either turn it on all the time, or you can set it to be applied automatically. If you choose the second option, it will enable the night mode based on the daylight situation.

This is possible to synchronize bookmarks across multiple devices, block different trackers so that you can get a hustle free browsing experience and many more functionalities. As the security of this browser is very tight, you may not be able to find any loophole in the backend. Also, it supports add-ons, and that means you will be able to enrich the functions with ease.

To enable the Dark Mode in Firefox for iOS, you can open the menu button. Here you will get an option called Enable Night Mode. If you toggle the corresponding button, the night mode will be activated immediately.

2) Microsoft Edge

If you need a simple web browser with dark mode support, Microsoft Edge is probably the best option for you. As the name defines, this browser is being developed by Microsoft, which is one of the biggest software development companies out there. Microsoft Edge is comparatively new browser than others. However, feature wise, it is not lagging behind other browsers. In the initial days, it was available for Windows 10 only. But, now you can download it for Android as well as iOS. It doesn’t matter whether you have an iPhone or iPad; you can download it on both and use it accordingly.

The night mode works pretty well in Microsoft Edge for iOS. Having said that, you can find this functionality on all the platforms including Windows and Android. Although you cannot see the dark theme across all the websites, it should appear across all the panel of this browser.

Microsoft Edge comes with several useful options. The best thing is Continue On PC. Let’s assume that you are working on a website on your mobile and you want to open the same webpage on a computer. At such moment, if you are using Microsoft account on both of the devices, you can move your work from mobile to PC without any problem.

You can download the Microsoft Edge on any iOS device running iOS 10.0 or later version. This is quite easy to enable the dark mode in Microsoft Edge. To turn it on, you can find an option in the menu bar.

3) UC Browser

UC Browser has faced several problems for spying and other security breaches, but those things passed a long time ago. Now if you want to experience a clean browsing experience, UC Browser might help you get that on an iOS device. The only drawback is you cannot install UC Browser on an iPad as it is available for iPhone only. Talking about compatibility, you should have iOS 7.0 or later version. Satanism sigils.

It doesn’t matter whether you want to get a desktop-like experience or share a webpage with friends, everything is possible with the help of UC Browser. The user interface is pretty good, neat, and clean. It offers some additional options so that users can get most out of the browser while browsing a webpage or site.

This is quite easy to enable dark mode in UC Browser. In this browser, this functionality is known as Night Mode. Therefore, you can open the menu and find out Night Mode. To enable it, you need to tap the corresponding button. After that, you should find the dark theme across the browser.

4) Berry Dark Browser

As the name suggests, this web browser is mainly for them, who do not like the light theme and use the dark mode all the times. Berry Dark Browser works really well so that users can get the dark mode no matter which web page is opened. You can download it on the iPhone as well as iPad, and you should have iOS 11.0 or later version.

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 8

Berry Dark Browser has pretty cool gesture support that allows you enable to disable dark theme. You can open any webpage and use three fingers to swipe from top to bottom or vice versa to enable and change the depth of dark theme.

Can You Browse The Dark Web On Iphone

Talking about features, it offers almost all the options you might need. From sharing a webpage to open the desktop site, everything is included in the browser.

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 7

How to enable dark mode in Apple Safari

Best Dark Web Browser Iphone 11

With the iOS 14 update, you can enable dark mode in Apple Safari browser as well. As Safari browser is optimized for iOS, many people do not like to move from this browser. If you are one of them, you can use the in-built browser with dark theme turned ON. Here is what you need to do.

For your information, you cannot enable dark theme in Safari browser only. When you enable the dark mode system-wide, it gets activated for the browser as well. To get started, open the Settings app and go to Display & Brightness section.

From here, select the Dark option on your screen. Now, open the Safari browser on your mobile to check whether the dark theme has activated for this browser or not.

[johnboothus]

Willett Pot Still: The Liquid #BourbonTok Loves to Hate

For more stories on TikTok, check out our whole series here.

“What’s up Bourbon TikTok? … Today I want to tell you about my least favorite bottle in my collection,” says Chad Watson, a Lexington, Ky.-based bourbon enthusiast who goes by @mydailybourbon. Wearing a black tie with a zippered gray jacket, over the next 40 seconds Watson discusses how much he dislikes Willett Pot Still Reserve — “too malty, too earthy, too grassy” — which has become the bourbon that TikTokers most love to hate.

Spend any amount of time on so-called Bourbon TikTok and you can’t help but run across hundreds of reviews for Willett Pot Still Reserve. Some are professional, most are amateur, a few are earnest, many more are comical, bordering on cruel. And they’re nearly all negative, as though slamming this particular whiskey is a rite of passage in becoming a bourbon reviewer on the exceedingly popular platform.

So how did Willett Pot Still Reserve become the most dunked-on bourbon in all of TikTok?

“TikTokers are doing a service that others in the blogging, YouTube, Instagram, and even the podcast space can’t,” believes Kenny Coleman, host of the Bourbon Pursuit podcast. He says that once something like these Willett Pot Still slams take off via TikTok’s algorithm, more are certain to follow. “So now bourbon reviewers on TikTok are getting a message out to people who didn’t necessarily know there even are bourbon reviews,” he says.

@whiskeydizz

Honest and Unbiased Review #willett #potstill #bourbon #fyp #bourbontiktok #whiskey

♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose

Zero Point Zero

For connoisseurs, Willett holds a hallowed position in the American whiskey pantheon. The company humbly began in 1984 when Even Kulsveen purchased it from his father-in-law, Thompson Willett, and renamed it Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. But Kulsveen wasn’t actually distilling anything, instead sourcing unwanted stock from nearby distilleries like Bernheim, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, and the vaunted Stitzel-Weller.

As the modern American whiskey boom began to take shape in the early aughts, Kulsveen’s son Drew began releasing their most primo stock as cask-strength, non-chill-filtered single barrels under the umbrella Willett Family Estate. Some of these, with names like Red Hook Rye, Doug’s Green Ink, and Rathskeller Rye, became some of the most acclaimed releases in American whiskey history. Pretty much all Willett Family Estate bottlings released since 2006 now sell for hundreds if not thousands of dollars — and, if you lack knowledge and connections, you really have no chance to ever score any.

“Purple tops, green tops, that’s fun stuff, but when it comes to [Pot Still] … it’s just not for me,” says Watson.

Unfortunately, almost all Willett looks identical — Cognac-style bottles topped with, as Watson mentions, purple foil tops, green foil tops, or white wax. All are slapped with stark white labels featuring the Willett family crest, with the only identifying differences being tiny, handwritten details indicating each bottle’s age, proof, and sometimes an esoteric barrel number. (For a while, the whiskey internet circulated a Google spreadsheet to keep track of these barrel numbers.) All this is what makes the Willett portfolio, if you will, completely inscrutable to newcomers.

“Willett is a very notable brand and people love to chase their limited releases,” says Watson. “So Willett does what most brands would do in that case: creates a product that draws people with their eyes, is priced decently, and is pretty much always available.”

That product, of course, being Willett Pot Still Reserve, the only Willett whiskey ever released into the mainstream. And that’s where I suspect the cognitive dissonance sets in.

Newcomers to the bourbon hobby see the reverent tones Willett is spoken with online, then assume that all Willett is the great Willett that whiskey geeks have been stockpiling for years. The fact that Willett Pot Still Reserve comes in an eye-catching glass decanter — meant to look like a literal copper pot still — solidifies the fact they’ve stumbled upon a good score, which makes the ensuing disappointment once they finally taste it all the worse.

“What’s up guys and gals, this is Kent Davis, wanting to give you an honest bourbon review,” says @kentedavis33, speaking over a still image of the Pot Still bottle. His following nine-second TikTok is a succinct slam:

“Nice bottle, but zero point zero.”

@mattybourbon

Willett Pot Still Reserve Review#bourbon #bourbonreview #whiskey #whiskeyreview

♬ original sound – MATTYBOURBON

Nicest Looking Bottle in My Collection

That “nice” bottle is exactly what leads to so much animus, claims Watson.

“Once people try the juice inside, they realize they have been duped,” says Watson. “For what seems like an amazing art piece, the liquid inside just doesn’t match the standard. It tastes young, earthy, and very green.”

Almost all Pot Still appearances on TikTok begin with the reviewer mentioning how much they like the bottle. In his review, Watson notes that the “bottle shape … is really cool.” “Pretty neat bottle…” says @glennflashwells. “Nicest looking bottle in my collection hands down,” says @mattybourbon. In many cases that will be the last wholly positive thing uttered by the reviewer.

Florida-based Andy Mauldin (@ronbourbondy) chose Willett Pot Still for his first-ever TikTok review earlier this year, claiming he’s never tried it before. Though even that doesn’t stop him from comically coughing after his first sip.

“Whahoooooaa, that is hot!” he exclaims as he struggles to clear his throat. He eventually calls Willett Pot Still Reserve “trash,” noting that the bottle is its “only redeeming quality.” Josh Grundemann (@bassinandbourbon) also coughs, nearly choking after sipping his first-ever Pot Still pour.

“That might be the worst bourbon I’ve ever tasted,” states the Louisiana man.

@bassinandbourbon

Is Willet Pot Still worth it? @60secondbourbonreview and @caseywarr do! Here’s my thoughts! #BourbonTikTok #Bourbon #fyp

♬ original sound – Josh Grundmann

In a way, you could say a TikToker’s first sip of Willett Pot Still is the baptism by firewater that catapults them to the next level of connoisseurship. Maybe they’ll now be ready to get more serious with their bourbon reviewing. Or, maybe they’ll just want to milk the “Pot Still sucks” joke even further — by now it’s started to become a sort of TikTok meme.

Maudlin, for his part, did a follow-up TikTok where he dumps his remaining Pot Still into a fancy crystal decanter, jokingly hoping his wife will now assume it’s the “good stuff,” and thus drink it after running out of her preferred rosé.

If many Pot Still bashers go for the laughs regarding how awful it is compared to the luxe accommodations of the bottle it is housed in, there are a scant few TikTokers who are more earnest in their reviews. Steve Higdon (@60secondbourbonreview) finds Pot Still “pretty mellow” and “easy to drink.” Casey Warr thinks it’s “okay stuff.” While @mattybourbon calls it “not a great bourbon,” though admits it has a nice nose with notes of buttered popcorn, scoring it a decent 5 out of 10.

Those reviews might not elicit laughs or a viral view count, but they’re more accurate in their assessments. Pot Still Reserve is certainly not good — and I would never keep a bottle of it in my house — but it’s not as bad as TikTok would have you believe. Distiller rates it an 88 (out of 100), while Drink Hacker scores it a B+. That feels about right to me. Rumors abound that the spirit has gotten worse over the years, changing from a rye-flavored single-barrel bourbon to a wheated “small batch” blend of undisclosed origins. Whatever the case, it is almost certainly not 100 percent distilled via pot still, which makes the name and bottle design even more amusing.

That’s why the online anger continues to flow, with neophytes thinking they scored the world-famous Willett, seeing the fancy bottle suitable for displaying on the back bar, resting their iPhones facing them in selfie mode, firing up TikTok, taking a big sip, and then realizing (on video) that they just threw 50 bucks down the drain.

And, comical though these may be, maybe Willett should start paying more attention to them.

“Whiskey appeals differently to everyone. So there will be camps that like or dislike a certain whiskey,” says Coleman. “But when a majority of people are consistently giving the same message, the brand should take note and adjust.”

Or maybe not, as there continues to be a seemingly endless stream of fresh-faced TikTokers very excited about their recent Pot Still scores. Like @whiskeymorning, who enters his house clutching two bottles of Pot Still by their necks as he dances to Saweetie’s “My Time.”

We’ll wait for his TikTok review once he finally cracks it. My guess is that it will almost certainly involve coughing.

The article Willett Pot Still: The Liquid #BourbonTok Loves to Hate appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/86ed-proof-willett-pot-still/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/willett-pot-still-the-liquid-bourbontok-loves-to-hate

[orangepunkwitch-blog]

Not dead!  Not an abandoned blog, either!  This kinda happens from time to time, so lemme explain myself:

Did the read-more page-breaking thing so nobody has to scroll for eons if they don’t care to read...

Anyway, my absence.  My mental and physical health have been absolute shit, and I’m starting to think I may have seasonal depression on top of situational depression as well since every damn winter I have no energy to do much of anything.  But as this year progresses, I’m finding myself perking up some.  My physical health is largely due to flare-ups (I haven’t been diagnosed but it’s strongly considered that I may have endometriosis; I need to get a laparoscopy to find out and currently cannot afford that, etc. etc. long story for another time) and lack of proper dieting and exercise.  The flare-ups and shitty periods are why I can’t exercise when I’d like to, and we can’t always afford healthy food for strength and energy I need to do things (my metabolism is high enough to where gaining weight isn’t exactly an issue with me despite being almost 30).  The worst of my pain occurs the first couple of days on my period, to which I have ultimately resorted to smoking marijuana which helps tremendously.  The only time I use it off the rag is during an extremely bad flare-up, which are thankfully rare.

‘Kay... mental health...  My husband and I still live with my parents here on the farm and it’s been stressful to the point where I’m getting anxiety-related chest-pains from time to time lately (long story-short: my parents---especially my dad---are assholes and even Loki said that no amount of magick can help them so I just rely on my wards in my room to have a safe haven).  This and the fact that we may have a lack of proper oxygen in this house might be contributing to it.  I plan on beginning my luck at growing pet-safe indoor house plants such as succulents and aloe vera to help with this after visiting a friend’s house whose mom pretty much has an indoor garden and realizing how much better I feel just being there for a few minutes.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about a topic relating to what this blog is about: Paganism, witchcraft, and being a Lokean.

Nope, still a solid Pagan with Druid beliefs and such, still a Lokean, but I haven’t practiced entirely too much witchcraft because there haven’t really been ways for me to use it where it’s needed.  You can’t expect certain spells to work if you’re not doing anything to help it along (such as a job wouldn’t just fall into your lap because you still have to apply for a job).  Money spells can get expensive if you’re doing it constantly for your spouse or parents because you’ll eventually run out of candles and such (I can’t do it without ingredients because I’m scatterbrained and need a damn decent point of focus and stuff).

I’ve got plans, though!  I still haven’t invoked Loki for practice (which he’s cool with) so there’s that; I need to work out a ritual, and Loki says that for me, being short, sweet, and too the point is the best way to go.  So I’ll be working something out with him in the (hopefully) near future.  There’s also the fact that I plan to try out my green thumb and see about growing pumpkins and sunflowers.  The sunflowers are to help with luck or prosperity or something on the property (honestly, I really wanna grow some out front to make the place look nice and having half a field of these flowers will be great for the faeries living there).  The pumpkins are because I fucking love Halloween and love pumpkin pie and have a few recipes involving pumpkin I wanna try.  I’d also like to try my luck at selling some, too.

While Loki tells me he isn’t associated with pumpkins, he sure as fuck likes to press the whole “come on, you know you wanna” bit onto me with growing them, and I’m getting this feeling that he’ll show up presence-wise whenever I go out to the pumpkin patch, so...  Whatever, I’m gonna grow pumpkins because pumpkins are fucking awesome.

I’ll be asking the neighbor that owns the property across the street from us if I can do some bone-hunting and maybe a little bit of fossil-hunting.  I still have the deer bones that my friend gave me that I need to wash, plus a dead young skunk I’m trying to decompose for bones, but winter makes this shit hard, so that’s part of my spring/summer activities.  Loki wants me to try and articulate the skunk and have it mounted on a wooden platform and put onto his altar and I’m sitting here like: uuuuhhhhhh you don’t have much in a way of room...  Regardless, articulating a mammalian skeleton will be beneficial in starting myself out in first-hand osteological studying, which is something you kinda have to know if you wanna be a paleontologist (which I do).  I’m also interested in creating a staff involving animal bones, but I’m not sure what I’ll be using it for.  If not for magick use, then it’d make for a great bring-along prop for a future druid character for D&D night (my husband and friends and I are just starting out with D&D because we haven’t been able to afford the books to play in the past, so we’re real excited about this).

Speaking of osteology, I plan on going to the museum with my husband and some friends in Pittsburgh and taking as many reference photos of all the fossil skeletons as I possibly can so I have decent and varied angles of the animals for reference when I practice to better my paleoart.  I don’t wanna keep on using artistic renditions or limited angles of the same damn pics of fossils on the internet for references.  I just need a decent camera, and I’m hoping my mom will stop acting immature and demand from a supposed friend that they give her her camera back.  She has more authority to demand it back than I do, and I never talk to those people anyways, so it would make sense if she tried getting the damn thing back.  Even though it’s sort of old, it’s still very high quality even for today’s standards and cost my parents nearly a grand to purchase.  If not, my husband (who is extremely knowledgeable in technology and quality) can help me get a new decent camera (because my iphone sucks and his samsung phone can only hold so much memory for the amount of pictures I wanna take).

I do plan on doing more magick this summer, largely to help with learning a new instrument.  While I do wanna properly learn the French Horn since I simply have the instrument, I need the proper mouthpiece (not sure if I’ve bitched about this in past posts), but every damn time I try to get the proper mouthpiece that I need, shit happens and I never get it.  However...  There’s a very strong possibility I could be learning how to play drums.  I’ve always wanted to play but my parents did their damnedest to keep me from that thinking I’d just be annoying on drums.  Turns out I’m quite proficient in terms of knowledge on how to play after a clerk at the local music store permitted me to play around on a drum set in one of the tutoring rooms because I paid very close attention to my band teacher helping the percussion section back in middle school.  That knowledge stuck with me because I wanted to play drums so damn bad.  So as it turns out, looks like I’ll be a drummer after all!  It’d be a great way to help me stay in some upper-body shape and help relieve stress through movement while creating music.  I’ll worry about starting a band later once I’ve actually become proficient in actually playing the drums, though.

Loki has made sure I stayed on the right path to where I don’t completely go on hiatus regarding creativity.  I have a deviantART now if anyone is interested, and I’ve been working on some DIY punk clothing for myself.  I’ll also be working on getting my hair how I want and learning how to apply makeup.  It’s apparently time that I start expressing myself how I want now that I know what I’m doing.  I’m going to go for a goth-punk look that I’ve always wanted since forever, just didn’t know how to achieve the look without spending a fuck ton of money (turns out that I never needed to in the first place).

....yay tangents.

Loki’s basically been trying to teach me to stop relying on the pendulum so damn much.  Basically I have to accept that I’m not going to know everything and find some other coping mechanism unless I absolutely have to consult with a pendulum, otherwise he’s just going to lie to me to hammer the lesson into my head.  I mean, his opinions?  Fine, sometimes I can’t take a hint on my own, he knows it, and sees the pendulum being something that could work.  But other stuff I won’t get into, he’s like, “Okay look...”  He’s also apparently preferring that I use tarot readings in general divination than runes.  I think it’s because the runes were a nice beginner’s way of helping me figure out the whole divination thing.  I’ll Sometimes combine tarot with the pendulum if I’m not sure and very damn confused on certain things, but other than that, I’ve been getting the hang of it.  I still need the handbook because holy dumbfuck, I can’t remember every little thing about every damn card.

Actually, this one tarot spread tried to basically tell me to compare what I’m going through to a caterpillar’s life and I’m currently in the pupa stage.  Meaning: I’m working on the appearance that I want, and when I finally achieve it, something something butterfly/moth analogy.  Of course, it isn’t narrating my whole damn life, just a part of my life.

Regarding art, I’ve been working with Kenaz, and that’s the rune I have on the Loki painting I may or may not have shared here sometime ago (I’m pretty sure I did but I’m too lazy to go get it so...)  The painting has now been moved to a new part of my room (after rearranging shit for the millionth time) and it’s lined up to where it’s directly across from where I sit to do art.  Ever since then, I’ve been able to dish out projects with higher quality than what I usually do at a faster rate.  It’s just that lately, thanks to precipitation, I can’t do charcoal drawings for a while.  Reason being is that I have to go to the outer garage to spray fixatif on it when I’m done and I need proper air circulation for that, and my windows aren’t meant to be opened... the architect of this house was a fucking idiot.

I am not entirely sure if I’ll be purchasing and reading anymore Pagan/witchcraft books for a good while, especially after being better informed, checking my amazon wish list, and finding out that some of the stuff I wish-listed is empty garbage because a lot of crud cranked out by Llewelynn tends to be garbage for money (note: I said “a lot,” not “all.”)  But I do make purchases of incense from a small business witchy shop (they make their incense sticks).  Lately, I’ve been focused on finding affordable boxes suitable for Bast’s, Thoth’s, and Cernunnos’ altars because my asshole cat likes to knock only the tiny shit off them.  I’d also like to get proper statues for Bast and Thoth, too.

I’m also interested in making a smaller besom for general workings, and putting my bigger one up above the front door for protection purposes.

I don’t know how to end a ridiculous post like this, so that’s all I’ve got for now.  I’m not disinterested, it’s just I don’t have a whole lot going for me, plus my health isn’t entirely the best right now.  Take care, everyone!

[ymd3signs]

How to become a designer without going to design school

This is a guide to show yourself design.

Update: I first published this blog post over a year ago. Since then, I've gotten many emails posing for more guidance and more comfortable to follow steps, and that I finally found one: Designlab. This course wasn't around once I was learning, but man does I wish it had been – it might have made the entire process tons less daunting. I like it's that it gives you project assignments and then connects you to a design mentor who gives you feedback (they have specialized ones who work on Facebook).

Step 1. Learn to ascertain 

The biggest mistake is jumping into Photoshop too fast. Learning Photoshop doesn't cause you to a designer, a bit like buying paintbrushes doesn't force you to an artist. Start with inspiration.

First, find out how to draw.

You don't need to sit during a room with a bunch of other artists trying to draw an unadorned woman.

You don't even need to get that good at drawing. Just learn some basics so you'll be comfortable sketching with a pen.

You only need to do one thing to find out the way to draw: get the book you can draw in 30 days and practice for half an hour a day for a month. I've checked out tons of drawing books, and this is often one among the simplest.

Learn graphic design theory

Start with the book Picture This. It's a storybook of Little Red Riding hood but will teach you the foundations of graphic design at an equivalent time.

Learn about color, typography, and designing with a grid. If you'll find an area class to show the fundamentals of graphic design, take it.

Go through a couple of those tutorials a day.

Learn some basics in user experience

There are tons of books about user experience. Start with these two quick reads which will get you within the right mindset:

The Design of Everyday Things

Don't Make Me Think!

Learn how to write down

Here may be a sure sign of a nasty designer: their mockups are crammed with placeholder text like Lorem Ipsum. An honest designer may be a good communicator. A genuine designer thinks through the whole experience, choosing every word carefully. Write for humans. Don't write within the academic tone; you wont to make yourself sound smart in-class papers.

Read Made to Stick, one among my favorite books of all time. it'll teach you ways to suck in your readers.

Voice and Tone maybe a website filled with gems of excellent writing examples.

Step 2. find out how to use Photoshop and Illustrator.

Hooray! Now you've got a reasonably solid foundation – both visual and UX. You're able to learn Photoshop. I like to recommend starting with Illustrator first then moving on to Photoshop after. Illustrator is what designers use to form logos and icons.

Learn Illustrator

There are plenty of books, online tutorials, and in-person classes to find out Illustrator. Choose the design that works best for you. Here are the books I found especially helpful to find out the fundamentals of Illustrator:

Adobe Illustrator Classroom in a Book – It's boring, but if you get through a minimum of half it, you'll know your way around Illustrator pretty much.

Vector Basic Training – This book teaches you ways to form things in Illustrator that look good.

Now for the fun stuff! Follow these online tutorials and be impressed by what you'll make. Here are two of my favorites – a logo and a scenic landscape.

Learn Photoshop

There are 1,000,000 and one tutorials out there. Tons of them are crap. Fortunately, there are sites with really top quality tutorials. PSDTuts by TutsPlus is one among them.

Here's a simple photoshop tutorial to form an iPhone app.

Here's another good photoshop tutorial to make an internet site mockup.

Carve out an hour or two a day to travel through some tutorials, and you'll be impressed by how quickly you progress.

Step 3. Learn some specialties

Do you want to style mobile apps? Websites? Infographics? Explore all of them, and pick and choose those you enjoy to urge better at them.

Learn Logo Design

Learn how to form a logo that doesn't suck: Logo Design Love

You'll want to require it a step further than a logo, though. Learn to make a uniform brand – from the web site to the business cards. Inspect this book, Designing Brand Identity.

Learn Mobile App Design

Start with this tutorial to urge your feet wet on visual design for mobile apps.

Read this short but very comprehensive and well-thought-out book on iPhone design: Tapworthy. it'll teach you ways to form an app that looks good and straightforward to use.

Geek out on the apps on your phone. Critique them. What works and what doesn't?

Learn Web Design

Read Don't Make Me Think to find out how to make an internet site that folks find it easy to use and navigate.

Read The Principles of Beautiful Web Design if you would like help making an internet site look good.

Make an inventory of the websites you think that are beautifully designed. Note what they need in common.

Now for the hairy question of whether you would like to understand HTML/CSS as a designer: It depends on the work. Knowing it'll offer you a foothold within the job market. Albeit you don't want to be an internet developer, it helps to understand some basics. That way, you recognize what's possible and what isn't.

There are numerous excellent resources to find out HTML and CSS:

My favorite free one is Web Design Tuts.

My favorite paid one (pretty affordable at $25/month) is Treehouse. If you're ranging from the start and need someone to elucidate things clearly and comprehensively, splurge for Treehouse tutorials.

Step 4. Build your portfolio

You don't get to attend a flowery design school to urge employment as a designer. But you are doing need a solid portfolio.

How does one build a portfolio if you're starting for the primary time? The great news is you don't get to work on real projects with real clients to create a portfolio. Structure your side projects. Here are a couple of ideas:

Design silly ideas for t-shirts.

Find poorly designed websites and redesign them.

Got a thought for an iPhone app? Mock it up.

Join a team at Startup Weekend and be a designer on a weekend project.

Enter a 99 designs contest to practice designing to a quick.

Do the graphic design exercises within the Creative Workshop book.

Find an area nonprofit and offer to design for free.

Resist the temptation to incorporate everything you've ever designed in your portfolio. This is often an area for your most vital work only.

Steal, steal, steal initially. Don't worry about being original – which will come later, once you're more comfortable with your craft. Once you learn an instrument, you find out how to play other people's songs before composing your own. The same goes for design. Steal like an artist.

Go to Dribbble for inspiration on a number of the simplest designers. Inspect pttrns for iOS inspiration, and patterntap for website inspiration.

Step 5: Get employment as a designer.

When I first started learning design, I visited an employment search workshop for designers. I walked into an area filled with designers who had far more experience than I did – 5, 10, 15 years experience. All of them were trying to find jobs. That wasn't very safe. There I used to be, trying to show myself design, knowing I used to be competing with these experienced designers.

And yet six months later, I got a design job. There was one key difference between many opposite designers that gave me an edge and me: I knew how to work with developers.

The most significant factor to spice up your employability is to be ready to work with developers. Learn some interaction design. Learn some basic HTML and CSS. Designers within the tech industry (interaction designers, web designers, app designers) are in too high demand and are paid well. That's where the roles are immediate.

If you don't have any experience working with developers, get some. Attend Startup Weekend, attend hackathons, or find a developer through a project collaboration site.

Make a private website and make your portfolio the centerpiece.

Go out and make serendipity happen – tell everyone you recognize that you're trying to find employment as a designer. You never know who might know someone.

Research companies and agencies you would possibly have an interest in. Look on LinkedIn for 2nd and 3rd-degree connections to people that work on those companies and invite intros. The most uncomplicated thanks to getting employment is thru a link. If you don't have a connection, there's still tons you'll do to offer yourself a foothold.

Once you've got the work, continue learning.

I've been at Exec for a year now and have learned plenty of the work. I hunt down designers who are far more talented than I'm and learn from them. I find design classes (good online ones are Skillshare, General Assembly, Treehouse, and TutsPlus). I work on side projects. I geek out at the planning section of bookstores. there's still such a lot to find out and to enhance on.

Keep your skills sharp, and always continue learning.

[heyhihelloidontusethisanymo-blog]

deh cell phone/social media headcanons (?)

ok so I like rarely post on this blog but I couldn’t stop thinking about like what they’d all be like using their phones and stuff?? idk im tired this is gonna be shitty but less go

jared:

ok but he would def have an ifunny and have like 1834384 followers (or whatever idk how it works but he’d be popular ya know)

and like brag about it  constantly

like “guys I’m like,,, ,, kind of famous not to brag”

(but he would be bragging)

(110%)

ok hear me out,, but he would SO be one of those people who have an android phone and believe that apple products are Spawned From Satan™

like if anyone would be like “haha lol why do u have that crappy phone” he would launch into a fULL ON RANT about how much apple sucks and all the cool stuff on his phone and how much better it is

he would probs have a meme account on insta too tbh

he would have a voicemail that goes “hello?” and trick the person to start talking ya know

and like ten seconds in he would be like “SiKe i’m not here rn hahAAA leave a message”

he would text in all lowercase for sURE

lots of crytyping and excessive commas obvi

uh he would have the highest snapscore (or whatever it’ ever it’s called)

his story would always be sooo long 

all just vids of his day and people doing funny things

he would have 23859320495803 snapchat memories ok

he would just be v funny idk i love him

connor:

connor frekaing murphy okay

just hear me out pls

,he would probably have a tumblr that’s like surprisingly aesthetic?

(idk how to word that but you now what i’m trying to say)

but it would be a Major Secret™ like if someone asked him he would be like “lol tumblr who is that”

his screen on his phone would always be shattered

he wouldn’t really care tho tbh

his insta would probably be like empty except for one picture he posted when he was really young

but after he meets evan he posts a lot more

like really really random candids that most people would just delete

that would be his entire account okay

(also pictures of evan being Cute)

he would most likely always have the second newest iphone

like when everyone had an iphone 7 he would have a 6 know what i mean

ok but 

cmon

he would DEF take so many selfies

and like keep them in his my eyes only on snapchat

he would never post them anywhere but one day he decided to post one on insta and everyone was s h o o k 

and freaked out

im talking like 200 comments

anyway

I just don’t picture him using snapchat that much

i think he would like have a streak with evan and maybe like a 3 day one with jared every once in a while but other than that nothin

his voicemail would be like “u can leave a message but ill probably not listen to it so just text me instead bye”

yeah that’s connor

zoe:

zoe i love her omg

ok 

so she would have an insta and it would have The Best Theme Ever™

it would be v pastel i feel

and there would be a lot of pictures of flowers

and of alana

obvi

she would also post vids of her like playing the guitar and other instruments and they would be so good and get like so many likes

her bio would be something really deep but in french?

like she would probably go on google translate and type in a cool quote and just copy and paste it into her bio tbh 

but it would be so cute and cool

she would have a rose gold iphone

no matter what

it would always be the newest kind

and she would like n e v e r wear a case on her phone 

(except for those clear ones, in which case she would like draw on them or put stickers on)

but her phone would never crack or get scratched

ever

and everyone would be like “????? how???”

she would DEF have a tumblr

she would have a personal blog and then an aesthetic one and like 39483 extra sideblogs

her voicemail would be the typical “hey, it’s zoe! can’t get to the phone right now, pls leave a message!”

she would have had it as one like jared’s before but it probably somehow screwed her over

so she changed it

she would text in all caps a lot i feel

i just love her?? ok??

alana:

guys.

GUYS

i have so many for this girl

she would have a tumblr too

and she would follow every single one of zoe’s blogs

she would SO have a studyblr okay

like she would for sure have a bullet journal 

and have such pretty and high quality pens and highlighters

it would be everyone’s goals

her insta probably doesn’t have a theme tho

I feel like she wouldn’t post often?? ?

but when she would it would either be a long political thing or just a cute pic of zoe

she would have like mostly perfect grammar when she texts

except she would just use like SO MANY question marks

not like?? this??

but it would be like Wow?????????

like that

that made no sense

ok moving on

her voicemail. her voicemail

would be so extra okay

like she would have definetly (that’s not how u spell that ok) have found a way to make it so u have to press the numbers when u call her

like “for work calls, press 1. for family calls, press 2. zoe murphy, press 3.” that type thing

and she would have SO MANY different categories for everyone

people would get annoyed with it and give passive agressive messages sometimes but she wouldn’t care reallu

she loves her organized voicemail

she would def save her own money to buy her phone

but she would like mostly buy the iphone 6

idk why

she just would

SHE WOULD HAVE A SNAPCHAT STREAK WITH EVERYONE. dont fight me on this i know it

i love alana too 

evan:

okay okay okay guys

i saved the best for last

i like,,,, love evan so much ok

what a little bean

anyways

so first of all 

he would probably have the iphone 5s

and it would run out of battery in about .2 seconds

he wouldn’t really care but he feels bad missing his mom’s calls so he’s always asking for a car charger 

his background would be of trees on his lock screen (obvi okay)

but his homescreen would be a pic of connor 

4 sure

of course

and once they’re like “official” his lockscreen would be a pic of them

just bein cute

aw 

ok this is for a different time but id like to mention that i feel like he would have a dog?

moving on

his voicemail would probably be the standard “your call has been transfered to an automated voice messaging system. blah blah blah.”

but jared would be like “dude. u gotta change that.”

so after like 203857 tries he finally just goes

“hithisisevanimnothererightnowpleaseleaveamessage”

(connor would think it’s adorable btw)

his instagram would be adorable

he would probably post every two seconds

he would post a lot of pics of trees

but when becomes closer with alana and zoe and connor he starts posting pics of all them together and like cute blurry selfies

his bio would be like “HI, this is evan! Here are my pictures.”

he would have a snap but not post on it much

like maybe every once in a while

but he would of course have a streak with connor

(probably alana too tbh)

oh i forgot to mention this but he would be terrified to crack his phone

he would have a big clunky case 

(like an off brand otter box but worse)

he would text with perfect grammar

it would be so cute

like “Hello, how are you?”

aaaaa

but when he would get really anxious he would pull up like one of those soothing sounds apps

and put use the apple headphones that you get with the phone in

(he would still have those and never loose them btw)

and he’d just try to breathe and listen

i love this boy so much. so so much. yeah. 

wow this was longer than i expected lol hope u enjoyed that crappy headcanon!

(ps i ended up actually making the pets headcanon so if u wanna see it lmk and i can post it lol)

[klainelynch]

2017 in review

I always say that I’m going to post a “how my year was” at the end of the year, but I have an awful memory so I never remember what happened in each month. This year, I tried to post about each month as it finished- the good and the bad. Under a cut because of course it got long, and I never seem to post about my real life, so this may be boring if you don’t actually know me.

January

Got a snow day after having students for just one day

Accidentially read a book in one night (Perfect) because of aforementioned snow day/borrowing it electronically from the library/not knowing how many pages there were (not that many since it’s YA)

Got two more snow/ice days because my county has mountains in it and we’re in the South, so we’re not prepared for winter

Saw Hidden Figures and cried about how good humanity can be when we actually allow and encourage all people to be their best (black women!!!! they did that!!!!!!!)

Helped my students navigate our county’s program of going one-to-one with Chromebooks (there were many good things, such as getting my kids to play freerice for extra credit; there were many bad things, such as a quiz getting screwed up because I shuffled the questions but had asked my co-teacher to help me by reading the quiz [as she normally does] to a half dozen students...who all had a different order of questions...).

Went to a conference for new teachers and while a lot of the information was repetitive, there were a few things I got from it (such as 6.5 professional development hours aw yis).

Got to see lots of family I don’t usually see on this weekend!

Started reading The Diary of Anne Frank with my students because this country allowed fascism to be A Thing™ and I’m going to resist however I can.

Got two (!!!!!!) days off at the end of January for sick days (apparently other students in the county? not us but we benefitted!!!!)

February

Finally had an entire 5-day week of school

Then got another two days off for sickness (8th grade was doing our part by asking ENTIRE classes “Hey! Anyone feel sick? Anyone want to go get their temp checked???”)

Went to an open house at a local mosque, and y’all, I live in The South™ but their parking lot filled up a good 15 minutes before the event even started and there was an overflow room and so much support for this community during the Muslim Ban and it just filled my heart with joy

Got a haircut (it was literally down to my butt y’all!!!!) and now it’s right below my shoulders

Had pedal extensions installed in my car because I’m 4′9 and would have literally died if the airbags went off.

March

Got my professional teaching license! I’m no longer an apprentice! I don’t have to have 4 observations a year!!! Only 2! And while I’m REALLY good at playing the observation game (and am MUCH better at this than the testing game), it will be nice to not think about it so much.

My mom came to stay for a few days because it was her and my sister’s spring break.

During that week, I had a LONG 4 day week, which included staying at my school until 7:30 for a town hall meeting/carnival/extravaganza. F U N.

My spring break was purposefully low-key. I rested a lot, read books, caught up on Netflix, shopped at Old Navy, and went to the local art museum for the first time (I’ve only been in this city for 8 years...)

April

I found that I actually enjoy teaching how to write an essay. The 5 paragraph essay, while it has many faults, is a really good place for beginning writers (which 8th graders are) to begin. I had a student tell me that she liked how I made each sentence have a specific purpose because she was able to plug in her evidence and thoughts more easily- this honestly made my whole day.

That being said, I HATE teaching essays when students are absent. Trying to get them caught up and keep everyone else on track is SO MUCH WORK. Especially when the absent students don’t come to me during my plan to make up their work...

For two whole days, my last period class was not allowed to use erasers because some people (two boys, as it turned out) were shredding and throwing them at each other.

I turned 26

The Welcome to Night Vale Live Show FINALLY TRAVELED TO TENNESSEE AND Y’ALL CECIL (REAL CECIL NOT THE CHARACTER) IS FROM KNOXVILLE!!!! The weather singer was super fun (she played Rocky Top and we ate that shit up like biscuits and gravy with no shame whatsoever) and the show itself was just so much fun even though I went alone. It was almost an hour of normal segments with the plot of the glow cloud, but they also brought in Steve Carlsburg and Tamika Flynn (I diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied when she walked on stage because I majorly crush on that actress whoops) and watching those actors interact on stage was so much fun.

May

End of the school year is always chaotic and better left forgotten tbh

We took the 8th graders to the local theme park, and it was really good (though my expectations were super low because last year’s trip SUCKED). The weather looked like it might rain, but it was nice all day, the kids were pretty good, and the rides were fun.

There were some really sad community deaths around this time :(

The teacher who normally MCs the 8th grade commencement is now an administrator, so while we still had him open the ceremony, I gave out several of the awards, and I don’t think I did a bad job (two of the other teachers hate public speaking and the last one was new to the team this year, so I was really the only choice).

June

Worked my church’s festival, which is always fun. The crowds are never what they ought to be (due to a combination of rain threats and poor marketing), so a lot of people missed out on some really great food and music.

Great music included a new band- Southern Avenue- that I got to see again later in the year.

I had to miss the third day of the festival because of a friend’s baby shower. I knew a few people (besides the couple), but they left early; luckily, the people throwing it were a lot of fun. We played games (don’t get caught saying “baby”; pin the sperm on the egg; etc) and decorated diapers/onesies/bibs for the baby). The next day, we went to church (IN A MOTHERFUCKING MONSOON) and for Mexican food.

Started my reread of Harry Potter (it had been about 5 years since I’d last read the series). I cried in almost every book, and not always at sad parts. I’ve become very protective of Harry as I’ve gotten older.

My younger brother found an NES, which was the console I grew up with and my parents gave away years ago. They really loved to play on it, so this was a wedding anniversary present for them. The Legend of Zelda is the shit.

July

I finally got a new phone (I’d had mine about 3 years, and it died in May) and I know it’s fun for iphone users to shit on Android users, but I really do love the camera quality on my Samsung.

Rachel came to visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We drank wine and went to the zoo and got real bbq and the best donuts in the world

Had a Treat Yo Self Day which included:

WAFFLE HOUSE

BITCH!!!! B I T C H

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN GET AT THE WAFFLE HOUSE

DO

YOU

KNOW

COUNTRY HASHBROWNS!!!!!

aka

biscuits and gravy minus the biscuits plus the hashbrowns

I just had regular biscuits and gravy BUT ALLI HAD THE GLORY

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

McKay’s

I bought Pokemon yellow because I never played/watched it as a kid, and while at my house for the summer, I found the old black & white gameboy an older cousin gave me, so naturally I had to do it.

Pokemon Go

yes still

You know what once I was back in town I went to my favorite library almost every day for an hour or two and read while opening Pokemon Go every few minutes so there

Went with some of my best friends to visit another one of our best friends who lives in the middle of fucking nowhere and had adventures including, but not limited to: getting pizza because we were too weak to change out the gas’s grill, waiting 5ever for food at dinner, and watching the entire Flowers in the Attic series.

August

School started back up, and at the kick-off for all the teachers, I won $500 in a drawing of all the people who hadn’t used a sick day last year!!!!!

And I didn’t even realize that I’d won $200 at the previous school board meeting in the same type drawing!!!!

New class started off with 85 students. It was a DREAM to be able to focus on individuals and not just herd cats.

I actually felt more confident in the classroom with my early units (poetry & our whole class novel).

September

Still felt confident in the classroom!

I got my testing scores back from the previous year (this shit takes 5ever and it’s dumb) and did better in about the only way I could have, so that was good to see.

I had about 10 county people in my classroom (principals, academic coaches, etc) to see a certain style of teaching ELA that the county is working on. It’s basically making sure that teachers keep students engaged in complex text (which is what I do almost every day anyway) and I had been to two of these trainings already, so I knew what sort of lesson worked. Well...they LOVED it!!! The kids were in small groups and did SO GOOD discussing evidence/answering questions (they all got candy afterwards) and I got some good feedback about how I talk to my students. Then that same day the superintendent came in my room (one of several rooms he visited while doing his yearly observation on the principal). That visit was super unannounced, but still fine.

The academic coach got rid of my classroom’s desks and found tables and chairs instead!!!! My classroom is tiny and weird shaped, so this works SO MUCH BETTER.

I help coach volleyball (aka I keep the books) and the girls won district (beating out a team with a redneck grandma in the stands who literally came up to our girls and yelled at them for cheering on their own damn team in the previous game). They didn’t do so well at sectionals, but that’s ok.

October

Holy shit I won another $200 in that drawing!!! And this time my parents let me buy them plane tickets so we could see family over Christmas.

LESLIE ODOM JR CAME TO MY CITY AND HE PERFORMED BEAUTIFUL MUSIC AND I WAS THERE AND I DIED

Got to see a lot of family at my cousin’s ‘wedding party’ (he got married last year in Europe since he met his now wife over there, and wanted to have a family party here). I learned that my uncle and his son dance exactly the same at the same level of alcohol.

November

I should have known something was up when my first 9 weeks went so well. Apparently my county is in the bottom tier for the state, and now everyone is freaking out (never mind that the data to support this was mONTHS LATE AND BASED ON STANDARDIZED TESTS WHICH WERE A CLUSTERFUCK TO BEGIN WITH) so there was a lot of school stress during this time.

Nice things though- got to see friends when their baby was baptized and went home for Thanksgiving, where my dad came into the Catholic Church.

I organized most of the 8th grade field trip for the semester- going to see “A Christmas Carol” put on by my old college’s theatre. I was stressed the entire time because if something went wrong it would be on ME, but it was absolutely wonderful and I cried which honestly surprised me. We went to the local mall for our lunch and it was good to see the kids just relax. It was a great field trip and several people including the principal thanked me for my hard work which felt great after a hard month.

December

School was nothing but survival mode per usual.

Hosted the Christmas party for my friend group at church and it was a lot of fun.

The actual break was fast- we flew to Texas with one of my mom’s sisters and her family to visit their brother and his family. I hadn’t been to Texas since high school, so it was fun to explore and eat good food.

My final count for books was 93 (67 new and 26 reread) (I’m trying to finish an audiobook I’m borrowing from the library but I still have 80 minutes left and literally 4 hours to finish it so we’ll see!!!).

[rachelkulagodfrey-blog]

Minimizing My Creative Interests: My Greatest [and Worst] Magic Trick Yet

Originally published on March 17, 2019.

I want to start this post off by naming 5 things I know to be certain in this lifetime.

Objectivity is an ugly myth.

We may not deserve Solange, but we need her.

I need to feel emotionally supported during sex to have fun.

I’d be a hideously different bitch if it weren’t for Fueled by Ramen.

I’ll die someday.

2 and 4 were pretty easy to realize. 5 wakes me up in the middle of the night sometimes. 1 and 3 took a lot of hard conversations and arguing with myself at 3 A.M to fully grasp.

Imagining a Fueled by Ramen-less life is kind of terrifying…let’s actually change things up and think of this as a Venn Diagram. Throw 4 in with 5, too.

If you’re reading this, you probably didn’t come here for math and/or logic puzzles. As an ex-middle school mathlete, I can’t help but incorporate it into this new craft. You can take the girl out of the “Want Sum of This?” community, but you can’t take the “I Won’t Learn Healthy Social Skills Until Age 30” out of the girl.

(I looked older at 13 than I do at 22.)

I wanted to start this post off by naming 5 things I know to be certain as a method of grounding myself. I left school for break a few days early after reaching my self-doubting capacity (see the last post for the low-down), and have since kept my interactions limited to my immediate family and friends. I’ve been relaxing, rejuvenating, and manifesting. I’ve been feeling and doing okay. YUH. The extended time away from people and this beautiful platform has granted me the necessary time to flesh out my priorities. Why did I start this blog? Why do I write? To which relationships, projects, and passions am I giving the most time and energy? To which am I not?

I love creating. I love building critical discussion spaces, narrative pieces, poems, self-portraits, stories-through-pictures, soundscapes, mind-numbing blowjob experiences. I love it all. Every time I’m doing creative work along these lines, I know that I’m putting my heart into something that can genuinely benefit me and the people who may see/feel it. Spiritually, creatively, sexually, and otherwise. Knowing all of this helps me foresee a future in which I flex my creativity for a living. But every single time I get ready to take tangible, intentional steps in this direction, I stumble over my own lack of conviction. I’m scared of exploring all of my passions in-depth, and it’s killing my storytelling ability slowly.

As someone who wants to create for her people, I have to really think about what I’m saying when I say, “I don’t care what people think about me.” When people act up and project their insecurities onto me, I have to think it through for a minute. Normally, I decide it’s not worth me spending extra time on. It still informs how I move. When people send out kind messages about the work I’m doing and trying to do, it encourages me to keep going. It informs how I move. When I say, “I don’t care what people think about me,” I’m trying to remind myself and others that it’s natural – inevitable, really – to converse with the energy people send your way, but what you can’t let it do is consume you. I can’t let thoughts of people’s feedback, no matter where it falls on a spectrum of “constructive”, put me in a position where I am only thinking about what they may want, instead of a combination of what we all may want and need.

I’m full of dick-sucking anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek pop culture reads. But this platform and this work excite the hell out of me because I can explore these storytelling routes among a shit ton of others. I just need to give myself the full permission to actually do so.

Consider this post to be me doing exactly that. It’s also me begging you to allow yourself to do the same. And if you don’t give a fuck about what I think, take the advice from Solange: she recently talked about how difficult it was to expand on her production, filmmaking, and visual artistry as a whole when people have boxed her in as “just a musician.” She notes how there are things that she knows that she can’t do, but others that she loves doing and wants to grow in, like producing. This, in turn, created room for her spectacular curatorial abilities. WHICH WE CAN SEE SHINE ALL THE WAY THE FUCK THROUGH ON THE NEW ALBUM. YES! WE! CAN! BIH! A multifaceted H-Town baddie. She cannot be stopped.

Where were we? Ah. Yes.

Stay-in-your-lane creative culture can make you feel like you have to stick to one medium, to one rigid path. It makes you feel like you have to be absolutely perfect at whatever you’re doing, no matter what your interest level may be. I love blogging as much as I love writing and sharing poetry. I’ve been neglecting my creative writing out of a fear of judgment. I’ve put a halt on curating because of my fear of another low turnout to an amazing show. But I know all of these crafts teach me so much about my identity as an artist, from different – but not mutually exclusive – angles. I know it’s a matter of becoming more conscious of my audiences, and about putting more into what I’m doing without shaming myself the entire time. I wouldn’t even be fucking “creating” had it not been for my poetic origins.

“Poetic origins” makes me sound like an asshole. But in a few years time, I’ll probably be someone who eats ass and enjoys it. I’m just setting myself up for a cheeky future. Ha. Ha. Ha.

I’ve made a private list of creative promises to myself. These are moves that I don’t want to be rushed. If there’s anything we can take away from Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho, it’s that “quantity>quality” makes for awkward mediocrity. Oop. I don’t want to rush the process, but I want to push myself. I want to let myself know that I can create whatever the fuck I want to create whenever it feels right and that no one can tell me anything that will halt me in my tracks. I’ve even been downplaying how much I love writing these blog posts and doing interviews for The Bay Leaf Archive. One thing I will share, though, is that I want to be more consistent and post more frequently on C&S. I’ve got a lot of fun ideas that I want to see come to fruition. I’m ready to make them happen. 

If I decide one day that I want to go and make some studio recordings to accompany my poems because it feels right and necessary to do so, I’ll fucking do it. If I want to pick up a camera and start learning more about photography and portraiture, I absolutely will. I don’t really have money like that so the camera would be probably be borrowed… but… iPhone 6s camera is alright… I mean…you get what I mean… ANYWAY. 

...I’ll probably pass up on drawing. 

At the risk of sounding like a white parent who used to “do pot”, I’m ready to let my passions and interests guide the fuck out of me. I owe it to myself. No more “lmao”s to downplay how I actually feel. I can’t scream Megan Thee Stallion lyrics morning, noon, and night and not own up to what’s coming out of my mouth.

Clink clink, friends. It’s time to explore.

[clownmoontoon]

TRADITIONAL ARTISTS LISTEN UP

OR ANY ARTIST THAT MAY DO TRAD ART AT SOME POINT

BC IVE SEEN THIS SHIT INFORMATION PERPETUATED ENOUGH TO GET ME PRETTY FUCKING HEATED

EVEN IN FUCKING ART SCHOOL I WAS TOLD LIES AND IM SURE YOU WERE TOO IF YOURE AN ADULT ARTIST SO PLS LISTEN

LIE #1: YOU NEED EXPENSIVE MATERIALS TO CREATE QUALITY COLORS OR QUALITY ART IN GENERAL

FUCK THAT PIECE OF SHIT LIE THAT IVE BEEN TOLD SINCE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY MADE ME BUY THAT SHIT I NEVER EVEN USED

yknow that term “starving artist” that people like to throw around as a joke?? hey guess what i bet those starving artists cant afford ““““quality”“““ materials but yknow what THEIR WORKS ARE STILL SO DAMN FINE THAT EVEN STARVING AND BROKE THEY ARE CALLED ARTISTS

i use CRAYOLA COLORED PENCILS for EVERYTHING i draw. i have never used markers or paints bc tbh i dont know how (i should learn haha)

BUT LOOK W CRAYOLA PENCILS YOU CAN MAKE COLORS AND ARTWORKS LIKE THESE

YOU CAN LEARN TO MAKE QUALITY ART W QUALITY COLORS WITH ANY FUCKING MATERIAL YOU DO NOT NEED TO THROW DOWN $200 FOR A PACK OF PRISMAS

PEOPLE MAKE AMAZING WORKS OF ART W FUCKING KETCHUP AND SPILLED COFFEE ON NAPKINS AND IM PRETTY SURE THAT DIDNT COST THEM $200

IVE SEEN PEOPLE USE THEIR OWN FUCKING BLOOD TO MAKE AMAZING WORKS i dont recommend this or like it personally bUT HEY EVEN BLOOD IS FREE COFFEE MIGHT COST YOU $2???

actually i have used prismas in the past for like..two drawings aND TBH THE QUALITY IS P MUCH THE SAME SO...?????

i used prismas to color this one and crayolas for all the ones above and tbh i see no difference in quality (other than the drawing itself not being as good bc its hella old haha)

LIE #2: YOU NEED A QUALITY CAMERA AND TRIPOD TO TAKE GOOD, PRESENTABLE PHOTOS OF YOUR ART.

FUCK THIS REALLY HARD TBH

not to toot my own horn but i think my photos are hella

the colors look crisp, the photo itself is not blurry ITS GOOD SHIT OK???? AND I WORK HARD FOR THAT GOOD SHIT

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I USE TO TAKE THESE PHOTOS???

THIS FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT OUTDATED IPHONE W A HELLA CRACKED SCREEN

I CANT MAKE PHONE CALLS, SEND TEXTS OR DO ANYTHING WITH IT OTHER THAN TAKE PHOTOS AND GET ON NEARBY WIFFY WIFI

WHAT MATTERS IS NOT THE QUALITY OF THE CAMERA

IT IS THE LIGHT YOU TAKE YOUR PHOTO IN

different lighting creates different moods. i recommend trying a few to see which you like better: daylight coming in through a window, a ceiling light w a mostly yellow tint, a white neon light from your kitchen etc

YOU MAY TAKE MANY PHOTOS BEFORE YOU GET ONE WITHOUT BLUR

IT MAY SUCK AND YOU MAY FEEL LIKE SHIT

BUT THEN WHEN YOU GET THAT ONE THAT IS PERFECT AND CRISP AND THE LIGHT HITS IT JUST RIGHT

LIE #3: YOU NEED TO GO TO ART SCHOOL TO HONE YOUR SKILL

ok here’s the thing about art school

a SECRET, if you will

when you apply to art school they will only accept you if you already show some promising artistic skill or talent

then you will have classes where they will give you drawing as homework.

they will tell you to study from life and encourage you to push yourself to experiment and go out of your comfort zone to improve.

THE THING IS

YOU CAN DO THIS FOR YOURSELF

you just need DISCIPLINE. if you can make yourself practice everyday, draw from life, go out of your comfort zone to try new things YOU WILL IMPROVE

AND YOU DONT NEED TO GO TO ART SCHOOL FOR THAT IMPROVEMENT

what art school provides is a closed space w consequences if you fail to do the experiments and drawing they assigned.

on your own you wont have consequences for not trying besides the knowledge that your art has not improved. you need to make yourself CARE. you need to be so full of that goddamn good DETERMINATION that you wont settle for “good enough”. if you can make yourself work hard to be your best AND I MEAN ACTUALLY WORK HARD then you will improve w your art and coloring more than you will ever think possible

AS A CONCLUSION FOR THIS LONG ASS POST LEMME JUST POINT OUT A THEME YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED

I DO NOT SHELL OUT MUCH MONEY ON MY ART

I AM A BROKE ASS 27 YEAR OLD ARTIST WHO HAS TO MAKE DUE WITH WHAT I CAN AFFORD

in the words of this guy i adore, Timm Gunn:

if youre like me you may not have the money to buy the fancy art materials that are “must haves” for the true artist, or the money to buy a fancy camera w +1 billion resolution, OR ESPECIALLY THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR AN EXPENSIVE FANCY ART SCHOOL

AND THAT IS OK!!!!!!!

you make what you do have WORK FOR YOU. WHEN YOU SHOCK PEOPLE WITH THESE AMAZING WORKS YOU CAN MAKE W YOUR CHEAP ASS MATERIALS IT WILL FEEL SO MUCH BETTER TO BE ABLE TO SAY “I ONLY SPENT $7 ON THE MATERIALS TO MAKE THAT $100+ DRAWING”

TLDR;;

PRACTICE AND HARD WORK WILL MAKE YOUR ART LOOK AMAZING EVEN IF YOU NEVER WENT TO ART SCHOOL OR BOUGHT EXPENSIVE MATERIALS

[panclownrights]

Get To Know The Blogger (Repost)

1. If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Binge watch my current favorite shows and movies. (Currently: Parenthood, Skam, and 13 Reasons Why

2. What is your favorite piece of clothing you own / owned?

Leggings because they’re comfortable as fuck. 

3. What hobby would you pick up if time & money weren't an issue?

Yoga seems fun and I try to be a chilled person. 

4. What does your perfect room look like?

A rustic/vintage style room with a bunch of old cameras and maps and books but then also plants and fairy lights.

5. How often do you play sports?

If I played sports often I would not be on here. 

6. What fictional place would you like to visit?

I want to visit Idris (Shadowhunters).

7. What job would you be terrible at?

I’m terrible at any job that you have to do under pressure (most jobs) so I would be a really bad waitress. 

8. When was the last time you climbed a tree?

I have never climbed a tree. 

9. If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance of winning a medal for?

Being able to find out certain information on anyone about anything.

10. What is the most annoying habit that you or other people have?

I am ALWAYS late. I can never be on time for anything. 

11. What job do you think you'd be really good at?

I think I would be good as a retail person or a makeup artist. 

12. What skill would you like to master?

Drumming, guitar, piano, singing, and reading fast. 

13. What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?

A road trip across the US with my friends.

14. If you had unlimited funds to build a house to live on for the rest of your life, what would the finished house look like?

An apartment type place that is an industrial building with old brick and a spiral staircase with a bunch of rustic accessories, located in a city. 

15. What's your favorite drink?

Hot chocolate.

16. What state or country do you never want to go back to?

I have never been there but I never want to go to Idaho.. I don’t know why??

17. What songs do you have completely memorized?

Anything Troye Sivan, 5sos, most One Direction. A bunch of songs.

18. What game or movie universe would you like to live in?

Twilight in Forks, Washington. 

19. What do you consider to be your best find?

Um... I dont know?

20. Are you usually early or late?

Late forever and always.

21. What pets did you have when you were growing up?

Two cats, two hamsters, a bunch of fish, hermit crabs, and a dog. 

22. When people come to you for help, what do they usually need help with?

Mainly any type of advice. Boys usually with girls and girls usually with rumors and gossip. 

23. What takes up too much of your time?

My phone, specifically a website called Quotev. 

24. What do you wish you knew more about?

I wish I knew more about psychology. 

25. What would be your first question after waking up from being frozen for 100 years?

Who the fuck froze me?

26. What are some small things that make your day better?

When an idol of mine posts a new picture or video. Or when a new clip or episode of one of my favorite shows comes out. 

27. Who's your go-to band or artist when you don't know who or what to listen to?

5 Seconds of Summer. 

28. What's the best way to start the day?

Waking up around 9 am, showering, and having a fruit with coffee. 

29. What TV shows do you like?

Skam, Shameless, American Horror Story, Shadowhunters, Scream Queens, 13 Reasons Why, Modern Family, The Fosters, Riverdale, and Parenthood. 

30. What TV channel doesn't exist but really should?

LGBTQ+ channel.

31. Who has impressed you most with what they've accomplished?

Any actors that started at a later age (19-23) and are on successful, popular shows or movies now. 

32. What age do you wish you could stay at permanently?

22 seems pretty great. 

33. What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch?

I refuse to watch most horror movies. 

34. What's your ideal way to spend a weekend?

A successful binge weekend of movies and tv. 

35. What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don't think you could live without?

My iphone. 

36. What is your claim to fame?

I don’t know, acting??

37. What is something you enjoy doing the old-fashioned way?

I enjoy writing letters and reading physical books. 

38. What's your favorite book or movie genre?

Fantasy or realistic - fiction. 

39. How often do you people-watch?

Basically everyday. 

40. What have you only recently formed an opinion about?

On how teenagers in high school need to be kinder towards each other and watch what they say and do that could be hurtful to someone else. 

41. What's the best day of the year?

Halloween.

42. What subject interests you that not many people have heard of?

I’m pretty sure most people have heard of psychology and astronomy. 

43. How do you relax after a long day of work?

Laying in bed and watching Netflix. 

44. What's the best book series or TV series you've ever read or watched?

I have been watching Shadowhunters ever since it aired then watched the movie and now am currently reading the books. 

45. Where is the farthest you've ever been from home?

I went from Florida to Boston without my family one summer. 

46. What's the most heartwarming thing you've ever seen?

I have seen many heartwarming things. 

47. What is the most annoying question people ask you?

Where do you want to go to college? 

48. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with no preparation?

Either Shadowhunters or Evan Peters. 

49. If you were the dictator on a small island nation, what crazy dictator stuff would you do?

Make them all have some form of sparkly accessory and have any of my favorite shows air on each person’s televisions whenever they are on. 

50. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

They should take a trip alone. 

51. Would you rather go hand gliding or whitewater rafting?

Whitewater rafting. 

52. What's your dream car?

A purple jeep or a Volkswagen van. 

53. What's worth spending more on to get the best?

Foundation always. 

54. What is something a ton of people are obsessed with, but you just don't get?

Actually most trends like the thing on the back of people’s phones or the unicorn frap I do not understand. 

55. What are you most looking forward to in the next 10 years?

Being able to travel. 

56. Where is the most interesting place you've been?

Disney World. 

57. What's something you've been meaning to try but haven't gotten around to it?

Playing the drums and yoga. 

58. What is the best thing that happened to you last week?

I went on vacation.

59. What piece of entertainment do you wish you could erase from your mind, only to experience it for the first time again?

The Malec kiss scene in season 1 episode 12 on Shadowhunters. 

60. If all jobs had the same pay rate and hours, what job would you want to have?

A retail job at Barnes & Noble. 

61. What amazing thing have you done that no one was around to see?

Ace a Biology tests since I suck at science. 

62. How different was your life 1 year ago?

I lived in a different state, went to public school, and had friends. 

63. What quirks do you have?

I rant about my current obsessions, I do not know how to make eye contact, and I dodge away from conversations. 

64. What would you rate 10/10?

My gay ships. 

65. What fad or trend do you think should come back?

I thought the Rainbow Loom was awesome. 

66. What is the most interesting piece of art you've seen?

Shirtless guys.

67. What kind of art do you enjoy most?

I enjoy face paint.

68. What do you hope never changes?

Our freedom of speech. 

69. What city would you most like to live in?

Boston or New York City. 

70. What movie title best describes your life?

The Art of Getting By. (The movie is basically me)

71. Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now?

I am not doing any work. 

72. What's the best way a person can spend their time?

Doing what they are most passionate about and feeling care free about it. 

73. If you suddenly became a master at woodworking, what would you make?

I would make furniture that looked like it was from a fairy tale world

74. Where is the most relaxing place you've ever been?

In a spa.

75. What's the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you?

I won a cute and expensive bag without realizing that’s what I signed up for.

76. Where would you rather be from?

I am from New York and I like being from there.

77. What are some things you've had to unlearn?

I did not have to, but every summer I forget everything I learned that year in math.

78. What do you look forward to in the next 6 months?

I am going on vacation with my cousins. 

79. What website do you visit most often?

Quotev or Instagram.

80. What one thing do you really want but can't afford?

High quality makeup. 

81. Where do you usually go when you have free time?

I go to my bedroom.

82. Where would you spend all your time if you could?

My bedroom. 

83. What's special about the place you grew up?

I have never grown up in one place. I move every 4 years. 

84. What age do you want to live to?

95 seems like a good age.

85. What are you most likely to become famous for?

Makeup or acting. 

86. What are you absolutely determined to do?

To live my life to the fullest and not have regrets on things I did not do. 

87. What is the most impressive thing you know how to do?

How to draw a skull on my face using just eye shadow. 

88. What do you wish you knew more about?

I answered this question earlier on. 

89. What question would you most like to know the answer to?

What is my future going to be?

90. What question can you ask to find out the most about a person?

What are your passions?

91. When was the last time you changed your opinion or belief about something major?

I stopped believing in my religion and the political opinions my family has. 

92. What's the best compliment you've ever received?

You are really interesting to talk to. 

93. As the only human left on earth, what would you do?

Scream as loud as possible. 

94. Who inspires you to be better?

My idols (there are a lot).

95. What do you want your epitaph to be?

She lived a long, full life doing what she loved. 

96. What haven't you grown out of?

Hugging my mom in public. 

97. In what situation or place would you feel most out of place in?

A high school.

98. What's the dumbest thing you've done that actually turned out pretty well?

Throw a party. 

99. If someone wrote a book on an event in your life, what would the book be about?

Nothing at all. I am not interesting. 

100. What's something you will never do again?

Throw a party. 

101. How do you hope you'll change as a person in the future?

I hope to be more confident, daring, and adventurous. 

102. What keeps you up at night?

Things I keep putting off or events that happen the next day. 

103. What's the most surprising self-realization you've had?

That I was a negative person and needed to change for the better. 

104. What is the most illegal thing you've ever done?

Drink underage. Risky, I know. 

105. How do you get in the way of your own success?

I am a big procrastinator. 

106. What are you afraid people see when they look at you?

My body.

107. What is your biggest regret?

Not applying myself more (I’m still working on that).

108. What do you look down on people for?

The way they behave and treat others. 

109. What bridges do you not regret burning?

Toxic or one sided relationships. 

110. What lie do you tell most often?

I’m almost ready.  

111. What would be your spirit animal?

A hedgehog. 

112. What is the best & worst thing about getting older?

Living on your own.

113. What are you most likely very wrong about?

A lot of things. 

114. If you had a personal flag, what would be on it?

A rainbow and glitter.

115. What's happened that changed your view on the world?

How negative or hurtful people can be.

116. What is the biggest lesson you've learned?

That there is no point in being negative about a situation because it will not do anything to fix it. 

117. What is the most immature thing you do?

Wear hair bows.

118. What are you famous for among your friends & family?

Being the outcast. 

119. If your childhood had a smell, what would it be?

The pool. 

120. What one responsibility do you wish you didn't have?

Making money to live even if it is something you do not enjoy. 

121. What are 3 things you want to accomplish before you die?

Travel to all the places I want to visit, being successful in some sort of way, and helping to make a difference somewhere. 

122. What do you want to tell your 10-year-old self?

So far, 10 was back when things were simple so stay there till further notice. 

123. What's the best thing you got from your parents?

Their attitude on doing what makes you happy. 

124. What's the best thing about you?

I am passionate about many things and have big dreams. 

125. What blows your mind?

How people think it is cool to not care about things. 

126. Have you ever saved someone's life?

No. 

127. What are you really good at but embarrassed to be good at?

How easy I can find out information about people. 

128. What would a mirror opposite of you look like?

Black hair, dark skin, brown eyes, tall, skinny. 

129. What are 3 interesting facts about you?

I watch about 5 movies a week, I am homeschooled, I have been to Disney 25 times. 

130. Which of your scars has the best story behind it?

None of my scars have interesting stories. 

131. What's the title of the current chapter in your life?

A work in progress. 

132. What were some of the biggest turning points in your life?

When I went from public school to high school. 

133. What's the hardest lesson you've learned?

It is hard to find genuine people who care about you when you’re young. 

134. What do people think is weird about you?

My obsession with sparkles. 

135. What mistake do you keep making?

Trusting people. 

136. What have you created that you're most proud of?

I rewrote an alternate version of the ending to The Fault In Our Stars. 

137. What do you doubt?

I have a bad habit of doubting my ability to be confident and social. 

138. What are some of your morals?

Be kind, always. Do what you love. Have goals and make dreams. If you try hard enough and work your ass off, you will succeed. You are not getting anywhere with a negative attitude. 

139. What do you want to be remembered for?

Making a difference in somebody’s life. 

140. What do you regret not doing in your childhood years?

Having more of an opinion about things and standing up for myself. 

141. What is your favorite fragrance?

The A&F store. 

142. What do you think your last words will be?

I love you. 

143. Who or what do you take for granted?

The amount of free time I have. 

144. Why would you be annoying as a roommate?

I stay up super late with the lights on and take very long showers. 

145. What is something you're insecure about?

My body. 

146. What's the best & worst piece of advice you've received?

Do what you love is the best. Get a high paying job to make money is the worst. 

147. What irrational fears do you have?

Not knowing what my future is. 

148. What makes a good life?

Living the exact way you want to live with little regrets. 

149. What's the last adventure you went on?

I don’t even know. 

150. What is the most memorable gift you've received?

A ring my aunt gave me that was made from one of her mother’s stones she had on her old jewelry. 

[piscesofart-blog]

Staying afloat

Hello, tumblr. I’m here with a new blog, and a purpose for this blog. So I’ll start with the basics, so you can understand why I’m here with a whole new blog. 

My name is Frida, I’m 20 years old, and I’m a vet student, struggling with the life of every college student: lack of sleep, lack of time, lots of homework to do, and trying to stay motivated. 

Long story short: many people who know me will tell you I’m a highly artistic person, and many of them felt confused when I told them I wanted to be a veterinarian, since all of them expected me to chose something related to art in college (specially my high school teachers). So, this blog, is sort of, a personal project for me, where I intend to publish some of my work, whether if it’s writing or drawing, even photography although I suck at it, I hope I’ll get better at it soon.  And it’s hard to keep that inner artist alive, when all my studying atmosphere is highly scientific. Reason why, I decided to start this blog, to let that inner artist express itself freely.

There’s a long story on why people consider me artistic, so, if you want to know what forms or art I like, feel free to click to read the whole post. 

When I was in kindergarten, I would always draw, like any other kid, however, when I was in second grade, I noticed I liked drawing and kept drawing, unlike most kids who eventually stopped drawing as a hobby. 

When I was in fifth grade, I started my first novel, fortunately unfortunately, I never got to finish writing it..(and god, it was cringy). Since then, I found a new love in writing fiction, which later on would expand to poetry and prose poetry. 

In middle school, for whatever reason, I found out I liked acting. Although I sucked at talking before lots of people, I realised, staying in character helped me with that, and always participated in my school plays, and always improvised dramatic scenes with one of my best friends at the moment (since she went to acting classes, and always asked me to help her rehears her scenes)

In high school, I began enjoying photography,although my dream was forever crushed when I realised the only way I could take good quality photos would be either buying a camera with my own money, or an iPhone (sorry Android, I love you, but, your camera’s could be a lot better) plus I suck at saving, and where I’m from, both cameras and iPhones are painfully expensive. However, I still have faith that I’ll make my way through this form of art as well with a crappy regular phone camera

Up to this day, I still do many of these things. I draw and write constantly. I try to learn more about photography, and want to save up money for a camera. And it’s a bit hard to keep that inner artist fully alive, because my studies are highly scientific, and I’m always working in labs and absorbing tons and tons of scientific knowledge. 

I hope this blog helps my inner artist to stay afloat, and swim freely, without worrying about drowning, crushed by all that scientific pressure. 

[lifesobeautiful]

5 Everyday Things That Will Disappear Really Soon

What happens to the world around us is called exponential growth. The most powerful processor, the fastest connection, the highest video quality— all of them double in performance each time a new module is out.

If you hear someone complaining how everything sucks, remind them that this is the best we’ve been off since forever. And no matter what it seems like, the facts prove that it gets better each year.

That’s why ordinary things that surround us now will be gone soon and you will only miss them in the 90s-nostalgia-kind of way. What comes to replace them is infinitely better.

So, what are the things that will disappear in our lifetime?

Passwords

Replaced by: fingerprint scanners

Passwords are already migrating inside browsers and all-in-one apps, but that entails obvious security issues. So, the clear trend would be advanced fingerprint recognition.

Surprisingly enough, the technology has been around for quite some time. In fact, the concept has been around 1859 to be exact.

In that glorious year, Sir William Herschel came up with using handprints to tell his Indian employees from non-employees during payday. It must have been a hell of a turnout in his cabin by the end of the month that prompted that idea.

There are, however, a few troubles with current fingerprint scanners.

For one, fingerprints are actually not as unique as we’d like to think. There can be other people with the same or dangerously similar finger patterns as yours. The chances that this person gets near your smartphone are low, but they exist.

Scanning your fingers when they’re sweaty can be tricky. The same goes for older people whose skin is not elastic and clear enough for their scanners.

Apps

Replaced by: smart assistants and built-in tools

You’re probably surprised to see this on the list when there are millions of apps out there. Well, that is exactly the reason why they’ll be gone.

Apps have grown too niche and small.

People don’t need 500 icons on their Macs or iPhones and people shouldn’t be forced to pick only the best apps for their phone.

That can mean wasting time assessing quality, reading reviews, and ranking choices.

That’s why apps will soon merge into a single tool that can help us do stuff.

You can already see it happening with services like Setapp. Keeping up with the spirit of shared economy and subscription-based goods, Setapp rents us apps. You pay once a month for nearly a hundred of apps that can be used without separate purchases.

You still have to look for the app you need for a specific task, but it’s way faster than browsing the Mac App Store.

The next step would be merging all the apps into one intelligent assistant that draws the tools out when the need arises.

For instance, you’ll be telling your future assistant:

“Ok, Samantha, I want to edit this picture and then have it as a closing slide in my presentation.”

And your helper goes:

“You got it, Johnny.”

Done. You get your picture in your presentation.

Wires

Replaced by: WiGig

We already have wireless internet, chargers, headphones, and laptops.

No more than twenty years ago, having such technology as everyday items was unthinkable. With the progress speed we’ve picked up, wires will be entirely gone in three to five years.

The trouble with current WiFi is that it’s too slow for the amount of data we use, like VR and augmented reality. But the new Wireless Gigabit Alliance technology allows multi-gigabit per second speed of communication, which is exactly what we needed. It just needs time to get adopted.

And the headphone jack you’ve joked about since the iPhone 7 keynote. Yeah, that will be gone, too.

Smartphones

Replaced by: wearable AI and the internet of things

Smartphones are slowly dissolving into watches, ear-pods, your own hands, and other small wearables. People want them gone because it’s clearly not the best way to interact with the world anymore.

The futuristic vision is obviously a built-in connection via direct brain implants, like Neuralink or digital eye lenses. If it scares you, remember that trains were once called “the devil’s machines”.

So far, we’re stuck with less intrusive tools, like small wireless headphones or watches that can call, play music, and track your heart rate.

Home appliances will soon be converted into self-controlled and mainly voice-operated systems. Also, they will eventually be unified so you won’t have to use separate interfaces or commands for lights, kitchenware, and cleaning utilities.

You’ll get a real, actual “smart home” that welcomes you back from work, cooks you dinner, and kisses you goodnight (ok, scratch that, there should be a line somewhere).

Credit cards

Replaced by: all things cashless

We’re already almost cashless and we’ll soon forget about credit cards as well.

The only remaining ethical question on our way to becoming a completely cashless society is the privacy of our purchases. What if you are not interested in letting your bank know your sex toy preferences?

Norway refused to adopt a nationwide cashless system because they decided to let their people buy stuff privately. However, this doesn’t seem to be a general trend or a major concern for most countries.

And after all, even if we still have cash, credit cards are over for good.

We can expect Apple Pay, Android Pay, and all kinds of pays to take over plastic cards within the next few years. When paired with advanced fingerprint scanning, it will eliminate or dramatically reduce fraud, speed up transactions, and improve shopping.

The future shines upon us with its beautiful artificial intelligence, drone deliveries, and car-charging roads. And the coolest thing is we’ve lived up to witness it all.

See Also: 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider AI Automation for Small Business

The post 5 Everyday Things That Will Disappear Really Soon appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

This article was first shared from Dumb Little Man

[andrewdburton]

Death by a thousand cuts

I've been on the internet for a long, long time.

Via local Bulletin Board Systems, I started reading USENET newsgroups — mostly Star Trek and comic book and computer game stuff — during college in the late 1980s. I got sucked into the world of MUDs. Soon after graduating, I heard about this new thing called the World Wide Web, so I installed Mosaic on my Macintosh SE.

Before long, I taught myself HTML and built my first website. Eventually, in 1997, I started my first blog — back before blog was even a word!

I was drawn to the web (and the internet) in part because it seemed so egalitarian. Anyone could start a website about anything, and as long as they produced great stuff and shared it, people would read. I also liked the fact that almost everything was free. It didn't cost anything (besides your $19.95 monthly dial-up service) to access any of this information. The early web was a de facto sharing economy.

Best of all? The web was a wide open space, a blank slate, a platform free from dominance by mainstream media. Little people like me could have a voice.

None of this lasted long.

The Monetization of the Web

Soon, banner ads came along. I hated banner ads when they first appeared. “My site will never have banner ads,” I told my friends. (This was my first real lesson that you should never say never. My friends have been giving me grief about this for more than fifteen years!)

In 1998, Google arrived and changed everything. Until that point, web search was a miserable experience. It wasn't very good and it was overly monetized. Google was the opposite. It was amazing and had no monetization at all.

Hahahahahahahaha. How things have changed. Today, Google is all about ads. And using it is more and more a miserable experience. Look at this mess:

How long until Google has transformed itself into AltaVista?

In time, the mainstream media realized that the web wasn't going anywhere. By the early 2000s, they were treating it as an important part of their operations. By the early 2010s, the web had become the most important part of most media companies' platforms. And if it hadn't, those companies would soon be dead.

Meanwhile, two parallel (but related) trends developed.

First, there was the rise of “software as a service” (Saas). In the olden days — 1995, say — when you wanted a computer program, you went down to Circuit City and bought it. You paid for it once and you owned it forever. As “web apps” became a thing, companies shifted from one-time payments to a subscription model. Today, even big companies like Microsoft and Adobe have adopted the practice of continually charging for their products. (And if they don't use a subscription model, they often “sunset” their software, which is essentially the same damn thing.)

Second, forward-thinking sites and companies learned there was money to be made by disrupting existing business models. Netflix is a great example. Founded in 1997, this company has single-handedly destroyed multiple industries, most notably retail video. And, eventually, Netflix began to disrupt the monolithic television industry itself! Initially, this was beneficial to consumers. Now, in 2019, it's become apparent that oops, nope it's not. (See also.)

Twenty-five years ago, when the web was young, it was all about free. Anyone who could afford a computer and a $19.95/month dial-up connection was free to create and publish whatever they wanted — and free to consume what other people had created. It was like some sort of digital utopia.

Death by a Thousand Cuts

Today, the web is most decidedly not free. And it's getting less free with every passing month. Let's be honest: More and more, life online is fucking expensive. It's like death by a thousand cuts.

This morning as I was pulling together the latest edition of the GRS Insider — this site's weekly email — I experienced the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. And that prompted this article. (And delayed the newsletter haha.)

First, I tried to read a New York Times article: “Health facts aren't enough. Should persuasion become a priority?” But I couldn't. I've already read one article from the NYT this month: “D.I.Y. Private Equity Is Luring Small Investors”. It used to be that the NYT was free. Then they instituted a limit on article consumption unless you subscribed, but it was a limit I could live with (something like ten articles per month). Besides, I could bypass the paywall with my browser's incognito mode. Then they got wise to incognito mode, which is fair enough. Now, apparently, you get one free article per month.

Next, I wanted to read this article: “Families Go Deep in Debt to Stay in the Middle Class”. I mean, I really want to read that article. But I can't. It's at The Wall Street Journal and the WSJ has been locked behind a paywall for years.

Crashing into paywalls is a daily occurence now. No — it's an hourly occurrence. I follow a promising link and bam I'm brought up short because I have to pay to access the article. This happens at newspapers, magazines, and even internet-only sites. It makes me grateful for the publications that produce terrific content and still provide it for free. (One example? I find that I'm frequently drawn to articles at The Atlantic. They provide top-notch quality without asking for payment. But for how long?)

Meanwhile, the subscription software model is starting to take its toll too. I completely understand that some apps and services require subscriptions in order to function properly. I pay a monthly fee to have Get Rich Slowly hosted on a webserver. That makes sense.

It does not make sense to me that some of the tools we use to build Get Rich Slowly require monthly (or yearly) subscriptions. There's no ongoing maintenance. There's no draw on the vendor's resources.

It does not make sense to me that my favorite weather app for the iPhone requires an annual subscription. In fact, it's insane. (Yet I still pay it.)

It does not make sense to my that Pzizz, a sleep tool that I've used for over a decade, moved from standalone pricing to subscription pricing. (And hey, Pzizz people, how many times do I have to pay for your product before you give me lifetime access? Because I've paid three or four times already.)

Generally speaking, SaaS and subscription plans aren't necessary — they're just profitable for the companies that use them. And as long as we keep paying, they'll stick to the model.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

The “cut” that's really going to mess with people's minds? The upcoming high price of television.

When Netflix and Hulu and similar companies came along, they offered low-cost alternatives to cable. Cord cutting became an act of frugality. I ditched cable television in 2007 and have never looked back. Until now.

Now, big media companies have recognized that they too can get on the act. They too can inflict one of the thousand cuts.

CBS was quick on the draw. Want to watch the latest Star Trek shows? No Netflix for you! You have to pay $10 per month for CBS All Access — or $6 per month if you're willing to put up with commercials.

Disney is a heavy hitter and they want to get in on the act. Disney+ — coming November 12th — will cost $8 per month. Want to watch the latest Marvel and Star Wars shows? Want to watch Disney and Pixar movies? This is your only option.

By far, the most popular show on Netflix is NBC's The Office, which accounts for a mind-boggling 7% of all Netflix viewing in the U.S. NBC knows a golden goose when it sees one. When its current deal with Netflix expires, it's yanking The Office and using it as a tent pole to launch its own subscription service.

Meanwhile, Netflix and Hulu and Amazon all offer their own original programming. (At least the latter is free for folks who pay for Prime, which is nearly one-third of the United States. Holy shit!) Apple will soon get in on the game and they're using big names to draw viewers: Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and more.

Streaming used to be a cheaper alternative to cable television. As Consumer Reports notes, these days it's a toss-up. And soon, streaming is likely to be the more expensive option.

Note: The one huge advantage to this proliferation of options? Users can pick and choose which content they subscribe to. For years (or decades), folks had been asking for a la carte pricing for cable channels. Well, I guess now we have it.

No Free Lunch

To provide supporting evidence for this article, I started to make a list of all of the software subscriptions I have, my software that's being “sunsetted” and needs to be upgraded (Quickbooks 2016 just notified me yesterday that it's no longer supported), the most common paywalls I encounter, and the television-related payments I make. I gave up. It's a doable thing, but it'd take too much time right now. It's a project for another day.

I know I sound like a cranky old man (again!), but I've had enough. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore! Except that I probably am.

“Don't you expect to pay for services?” Kim asked me as I bitched to her this morning. “How does anybody run a business if it's free? In your mind, their business model should be to not charge the customer?”

Okay, fair point. I don't want to be taken for a choosing beggar.

As somebody who runs a website himself and knows how much it costs (in terms of time and money) just to maintain my tiny corner of the web, I absolutely do not begrudge anyone the desire to make money.

And, in fact, my biggest challenge since repurchasing Get Rich Slowly two years ago has been balancing my desire to provide excellent information without destroying the user experience with monetization. It's a delicate balance, one that I'm not sure I'm achieving. (But hey, I'm working on it!)

My frustration is that there are just so many companies extracting a pound of flesh from me. It's too much.

Yes, I realize most (of not all) of these expenses are voluntary. Yes, I realize this is capitalism in action. Yes, I realize there are often free (or cheaper) options. Yes, I realize we can't reset the internet to 1995. Believe me: I've been thinking about this issue for years now. I understand all of this stuff. But I don't like it.

In the end, my solution recently has been to KonMari my digital life. I've removed most of the apps from my iPhone and iPad, opting to cut those with subscription fees first. When possible, choose software with a one-time fee instead of an ongoing subscription. I try to steer clear of sites with paywalls. I killed Hulu. (But then Kim promptly joined.) Even though I love Star Trek and the Marvel Universe, I refuse to pay for CBS All Access and Disney+. I never will.

But then, I was never going to have banner ads on my website either, was I?

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