#this is a first draft so it still has some trimming and refining to go through

[literalnobody]

(Cringe Alert)

This is the prologue to a project I’ve been working on called The Water Dog... It’s the first time I’ve ever recorded my wretched voice reading my own work so if you’re sensitive to second hand embarrassment maybe don’t listen. It’s about 10 minutes long, and a horror so you know, expect that sort of thing.

Read chapter 1 here :3

Chapter 2 here

The wind sound effects are by Ghoulish Grin ^_^

[bubble-tea-bunny]

sweet talk

[tamaki suoh x reader]

author’s note: been rewatching ouran and found the time to write smth small. basically a really late valentine’s fic lol. i’m drafting an idea for takashi as well atm. maybe kyoya after? ;)

word count: 1,844

At this time of year, the weather is chilly, the air cold even without the presence of wind and warranting the need for a scarf to avoid a red-tipped nose and numb cheeks. Most days are gloomy, the overcast sky glaringly bright and difficult to look at. But today, it would seem the divine hand in charge of the course of the seasons has granted a reprieve, the clouds parting so the sun might wash over the grass that you and Tamaki sit upon currently, in the garden of the Suoh estate.  

The gardeners had finished their tasks this morning, as instructed by Tamaki the night before. It gave you two the opportunity to be out there alone in the afternoon. The hedges are trimmed and tidy, and the smell of freshly cut grass is strong. You inhale deeply, chest puffed, and sigh in satisfaction as the scent reaches your nose. It had been so long since you sat out in a garden, owed to the fact it had been too cold for that lately.

Tamaki chuckles at your enthusiasm and rifles through the picnic basket he’d brought with him. He pushes aside the array of deserts—cake slices, chocolate bars, fruit tarts, and more—their colorful wrappings crinkling loud enough to grab your attention.

“Where is it…” he mutters.

You tilt your head. "Where is what?”

The tip of Tamaki’s tongue sticks out the corner of his mouth, evidence of his concentration, and when he finally finds what he’s searching for, he holds it up like a first place prize, complemented by an exclamation: “Aha!”

It’s a small plastic pouch, clear with red stripes and tied near the top with a matching, shiny red poly ribbon to keep it closed. There’s what you assume to be candy inside, in various colors, but you don’t recognize it. You’re still just as clueless, but you don’t need to voice your question because Tamaki can see the confusion written across your face.

“It’s commoner candy!” he explains. “Well, commoner Valentine’s candy, more specifically.”

You continue to watch, intrigued by what he’s brought, as he pulls at the ribbon to loosen it and opens the pouch, reaching inside for one of the pieces of candy. He holds up the heart-shaped treat, gripped carefully between index finger and thumb, and angles it so you can see what’s written on it: Sweetheart.

Upon realizing there’s wording on it, and that the same must go for every heart in the bag, your eyes light up. “Cute!”

“It is, isn’t it?” Tamaki agrees, voice quiet as he observes the candy. The nickname is printed red though the lettering isn’t too sharp, which gives away that it was done by a machine. “Haruhi got one for all the host club members, and I wanted to share mine with you.”

When he turns to you, amethyst eyes warm like a summer night, you smile. And when he offers the bag of heart candies to you, you eagerly reach in for one. “How thoughtful!” You turn over the piece you picked out: Only You.

“Well, shall we try them together?” Tamaki inquires, and you nod. The two of you pop the candy into your mouths in unison, then sit silently for a moment in contemplation.

It’s… unique, is the best description you can come up with. The powdery, pressed substance is basically a sugar bomb that melts once it comes in contact with your tongue. But it isn’t the quality of sugar you’re accustomed to—it’s far and away from the refined sweetness of the handmade confections stashed away in the picnic basket Tamaki brought along. Still, this mass-produced goody is delightful in its own way, in taste and novelty, for you have never seen such small candies with words on them, and you say as much to your boyfriend, the last traces of the heart candy lingering on your lips which you lick away.

“They’re charming,” you remark, reaching for another piece. “For when you can’t find the words or get them out yourself.” You read what’s written on the yellow heart you grabbed, then turn it to show Tamaki: Be Mine.

Tamaki’s attention briefly diverts down to read it as well, and the corner of his lips lifts in a lopsided grin as he meets your eyes again. “Sure, they can be useful for some people, but I can get by just fine without candy telling me what to say. How could I call myself the king of the host club if I weren’t able to string together pretty words?” Always conducting himself with some semblance of dramatic flare, he puts a hand to his chest, and the sunlight reflects off his eyes in a way that makes it seem like there’s a tear or two forming in the corners.

As usual, his acting is impeccable, and you can’t contain your smile; he’s such a natural. You have no objections to his claim as king of the school’s host club, and if you’re being honest, you wish you had even half the charisma he does, that some of the skill he possesses at waxing lyrical would rub off onto you via proximity alone.

“They would’ve come in handy for me that day I confessed to you,” you admit shyly, and it’s Tamaki’s turn to tilt his head, confused but waiting for you to expound. “These candies say all the things I wanted to say to you then.”

The day you came to terms with your feelings about Tamaki and the day you actually revealed them to him were different, and the time in between had been spent in a state of conflict over whether it was worth mustering up the courage to approach him about it. There was little doubt in your mind that the president of the host club received declarations of love left and right, a routine part of his week, a clockwork consistency like that of waking in the morning and laying down to sleep in the evening. You’re a drop of water in the ocean; what could possibly make you stand out?

For all that, you figured you should confess anyway. Rejection was still an answer and it was better than nothing. At least after the gentle let down (because truly, Tamaki is, without fail, graceful in matters of love, both the reciprocal and the unrequited) your turmoil over what he may say would finally be put at ease.

Though you rehearsed over and over what you would say and how you would say it, the practice ends up being useless, and you weren’t sure why you even bothered. Once you met his kind gaze—expectant and patient, giving you the opportunity to gather the words in the stretching silence that would be oddly too long in any other context—the resolve you had slowly been building on your walk to the meeting point by the fountain crumbled. You tripped over your words at the sight of his tender smile. Tamaki just had that effect on people, and you wished he’d look at you that way always. To be on the receiving end of his affection was to bask in the warmth of a sun that never sets.

It’s a feeling you’re distinctly reminded of now, sitting in the garden on an uncharacteristically sunny day for winter and the center of Tamaki’s attention, and you think you might be set alight from the sheer intensity (due mostly to Tamaki; the sun is poor competition in contrast). He wears that beautifully soft expression, mind clearly having thought back to your confession as yours just had. But it seems his recollection differs slightly, for he presents a counterpoint.

“I thought you handled it perfectly.” He sets the bag of heart candies on the grass and braces himself with his now freed hand, which allows him to lean closer to you. He enters your bubble but you never mind it, and his touch is feather-light as he brushes your hair behind your ear.

You’re unpersuaded, however, and raise a brow. “Really?”

Tamaki chuckles and nods, blonde hair bouncing with the singular motion. “Your eyes spoke for the words you had trouble finding. I might be the one stringing together pretty poetry like diamonds around your neck”—his fingers slide lower to trace the curve of your collarbone left exposed by the cut of your blouse, and you shiver—“but you have no need for words at all, much less the turns of phrases on pieces of candy.”

“Is that why you liked me too?” you ask, remembering his own confession that had followed closely on the heel of yours. You keep your voice hushed because given how close to each other you are, there’s no need for any higher of a volume.

Tamaki hums in confirmation. His index finger delicately taps once, twice, thrice, on the hollow at the base of your throat, a sort of absentminded movement while absorbed in his thoughts, before he once more brings his hand up, cradling your cheek. “You say you’re a drop in the ocean but you’re the drops of morning dew on the roses just outside my bedroom window. My heart flutters to breathe you in.”  

You smile, bashful, and set your hand over his, interlacing your fingers. Your cheeks have darkened in a blush Tamaki would like to kiss. “Okay, I’m convinced,” you concede with a murmur. He’s so close to you now. “When I admitted how I felt, maybe it didn’t go as badly as I thought.”

This elicits another laugh from Tamaki. Instead of acting on his desire to run his lips along your silken skin (there would be time for that later), he settles for a quick peck on your nose, then reaches into the pouch of heart candies, temporarily abandoned but not forgotten. His fingers curl around two pieces and he pulls them both out rather than dropping one, but he sees the words on them before you do since his hand obscures them from your view.

“The powers governing destiny have destined our souls for each other,” he declares. “Because you and me, it’s love.”

He uncurls his fingers to reveal the candy in his palm, and you look down at them. The green one reads You & Me, and the blue one It’s Love. This prompts you to giggle. It’s music to his ears.

“What happened to not needing candy to tell you what to say?” Your tone is playful.

Tamaki shrugs, unable to hide his amused grin. “I pulled them out at random. If this is the universe speaking to me, who would I be to argue?”

You have no counter to this, not that you think there even is one. Destiny is destiny and as Tamaki feeds you one of the hearts and you bite into it, the sugar once more dissolving on your tongue, you can only thank those powers which make the world turn for conferring their blessing upon the two of you in such a deliciously sweet way.

[ettawritesnstudies]

Storge Edit Update Ch 5

Hey it’s been a hot minute since I’ve done one of these taglist updates sdfjksldfjsfd. Sorry for the lack of consistent content! Now that summer’s come I’ll be making a lot more progress.

Overall stats:

60 pages (I’m writing in default Microsoft Word settings so idk how much that would be as a published formatted Thing)

30K words

5 page and ~3000 word net increase from the first draft.

About 1/4th of the way through the plot, so I’m projecting this book is going to be about 120K by the time I’m done with this edit. That’s a litttttle on the long side for a conventional YA fantasy novel, but it’s not ridiculously long either. We’ll see how much gets trimmed in the line edits

I’m actually halfway through Ch 7 by now but I’m trying to batch these so you don’t have a complete wall of text :P

Excerpt

Chapter 5: Aftermath

“That’s enough!” Aimon repeated. “We’ve had enough trouble tonight without bickering amongst ourselves. While Enne is right, I think it’s time we heard the rest of Luca and Grace’s story.” He leveled a serious look at his son, who laid his head in his arms on the table. “What were you thinking when you decided to pit yourself against 30 armed men?”

“We couldn’t just stand there when we could stop it,” Luca said, his voice half sob, half whisper. “We had to help. People were helpless, and trapped, and falling dead all around us and we had to do something. We were the only ones who could do something.” Now he lifted his head to look at his parents.

“And we did. After I jumped in, Grace took the brunt of the second blow. She probably saved hundreds of people. Maybe I didn’t hurt the anarchists, but I distracted them long enough for troops to arrive and scare them away. Long enough that they couldn’t hurt everyone,” His voice was desperate.

He pleaded his case to Enne and his parents, but he also pleaded with himself to believe it. He needed to believe that his reckless, stupid decision had done some good. His voice still caught, but it was more steady when he spoke again, “What happened was… tragic, and I didn’t have a plan when I jumped into the arena besides surviving long enough to let other people get out. I wish I could have done more. But I don’t regret what I did.”

Anda rubbed at her temples, trying to banish a growing headache. “You two are going to be the death of me. What am I going to do with you?”

Luca sighed. “Honestly? A hug would be nice right now.”

His mother relented and embraced her son. When she pulled away from him, her eyes were wet, and she gave him a kiss on the forehead before doing the same for Grace. “You’re both such brave children. Impulsive, and reckless, yes. But I’m so so proud of you.”

Changes and Commentary

This chapter was pretty good as it was! I refined some of the conversations because the dialogue was stilted earlier, but the pacing and place in the plot were both solid

I reworked some of Acheran’s actions to make him less OOC. I’m really happy with how his character has evolved as I’ve grown more confident writing him. I’m not someone who entirely believes the characters are Real and let me tell their story and tell me what to do, but he’s gradually become his own person which is really cool His parts feel a lot more natural and I can visualize his mannerisms and recognize his voice a lot more easily now.

I’m also really happy with how the family and sibling dynamic reads in this chapter. I (unfortunately) know from firsthand experience what it’s like to deal with a crisis (though nothing like this), but I can still write what I know and convey those emotions through the characters. They’re not a perfect family, but they are ultimately a good family and their arguments are because they love each other. That’s not something I see often in fiction, and I hope the Laine family is a good example and welcome change of pace for my readers

Taglist! (ask to be added/removed)

@inkwell-attitude @re-writing-h @thescreamingtwenties @siarven @kittensartswriting @yearlyaquariace @abalonetea @andiwriteunderthemoon @the-starlight-chills @davey-in-a-minivan @the-great-teller-of-tales @lothloriien @isanyonetoknow @piyawrites @viawrites-andacts @fuyugomori @thiscrypticfangirl @thescatteredscribbles @avian-king

[kastle09]

Principles: States of Play and Transition

This is a new sub category of articles describing very fundamental topics of how I think about games in a very abstract manner. As different as fighting games are in mechanics and scope, once you strip those things away what's left to observe are the underlying aspects. I wanted to talk about concepts that have application to any fighting game you play.

It's definitely something that you feel more than you can describe to someone so in that vein I want to articulate a new concept which I will describe as “The States of Play”. If you really boil down to it, at any point in a round I believe you are placed into one of five states.

The 5 States

The five states are as follows:

True Neutral - When neither player has advantage and neither is forced to initiate

Offense in Neutral - When neither player has advantage but you have to initiate.

Defense in Neutral - When neither player has advantage and your opponent needs to initiate.

Offense in Pressure - When you have advantage and have a set offensive plan

Defense in Pressure - When the opponent has advantage and you need a set defensive plan

Understanding which state you are currently in can inform your decision making and recognise what options are currently available to you and which aren’t.

True, Offensive and Defensive Neutral

Neutral gets used as an all encompassing word, but it can be broken down further as even if both players are playing “in neutral”, they aren’t always concentrating on the same aspects.

For instance a player who is Defensive in Neutral has more of a mind for things like Anti Airs, Dash checking, Defensive whiff punishing etc

Conversely a player who is offensively minded is looking for opportunities such as dash pressure, spacing traps, jump/divekick pressure etc.

All of these tools at a players disposal encompass neutral but which you are focused on and which you can kind of ignore because the state of the game can be dependent on a variety of factors.

I'd say it's actually quite rare where the state of play is truly neutral (for reasons I will go into soon) and in fact the shifting to one of the other types happens quite quickly whether it's due to health differences, meter advantage or character toolset.

When understanding what state of neutral you are in it, it helps to ask yourself the question:

“If the timer ticks down, and the neutral continues to be played in this way, who will win first?”

So let's look at some scenarios and apply this question.

Scenario 1: Mirror match, Life Lead

Let's say it's a mirror match but one player has a life lead on another. Just based purely on attrition as each side whittles the other down evenly, the player with the life lead is going to win as they just have more of a resource to maintain the status quo.

Therefore the onus is on the opponent to try and make something happen and initiate to change that variable.

Scenario 2: Grappler vs Zoner

So in a scenario where a character has a clear advantage over the other in neutral we can tell as soon as the round start bell rings, The character more dominant in neutral is automatically assigned to be “Neutrally Defensive” and the opponent is “Neutrally Offensive”.

The example of a grappler vs zoner archetype represents this in the extremes by the fact that often the grappler does not want to spend any more time in neutral then is required whereas a zoner is the opposite of that.

But now let's say it's later into a match and through exchanges the grappler has a life lead over the opponent, even though the zoner is stronger in neutral, They can no longer win by trading the same way.

Now we are in a scenario where the onus is on the zoner to initiate and the grappler is allowed to let the opponents come to them. The roles of each player are now reversed.

Scenario 3: Playstyles affect

This time, instead of thinking in terms of character, we are going to look at it in terms of how the players themselves can affect this dynamic.

If a person naturally tends towards being more offensive regardless of the matchup or resources at present he is evidently forcing an opponent into the compliment.

Think about a lot of beginner or intermediate level matches where it's common to give the advice to “let the opponent hang themselves”.

In other words, if they are taking all the risks, we don’t have to do anything but play reactionary and punish the over commitment. The reason that kind of blanket advice is effective despite matchups is the opponent is clearly not playing the matchup so it is no longer relevant.

Having said that, characters can still have an effect on playstyle match ups. Let's imagine a match between two defensively minded players who carry identical skill sets and play styles but one player has a character much more suited for that type of play then the other.

Just because the character has the tools to play strongly in that way, even if each player gets the same opportunities in neutral and captalise on them identically, the output of the stronger neutral character may be unequivocally higher than the other just because that character is able to produce more in each scenario. Either the opponent has to work even harder for the same reward or move to a different approach, one more suited to the character strengths.

Pressure as the Attacker and Defender

When I use the term “pressure” what I really just mean is spots where one player has frame advantage over the other. These are spots that just mean someone has an advantage and therefore definitively, Someone is attacking to maintain or get value from the situation and the other has to defend and escape.

As we know, there are a number of situations that this could represent but surprisingly, the decision making can be remarkably similar depending on the game. “A +2 situation by any other name would smell as sweet” you might say.

For instance in Street Fighter, a knockdown and an air reset after an anti air are remarkably similar situations even if we don’t internalise it as such. In both spots the rock - paper - scissors game of meaty vs throw vs shimmy is identical.

What's even more interesting is it's a spot where a player's default decision making can be so different despite that similarity. Someone may play close attention to how they act on wake up but autopilot during air resets for example. The biggest difference that sets these scenarios apart from neutral offense and defense is that it's far less free form. Usually there will always be a selection of very specific “correct” responses that each player needs to select from. This is a big benefit to players who thrive in making players ask the hard questions, shoving a multiple choice question in your face, that if you get wrong they get damage, oki and the ability to shove another one in your face.

If neutral is a mind game of intentions that leave a backdoor to remaining safe, A pressure scenario is like reaching the end of the poker hand, the River card has just been flipped and each player has to show their cards and live with the decision (There you are Cam, that was for you).

The Transition

So now that we have talked about the states, the final thing I want to touch on is how these interact when we have to quickly switch from one state to another and there are a couple of things to note. You will notice that however a player is playing in neutral (defensively or offensively), either situation can produce a pressure situation that gives them advantage. Whether I offensively whiff punished by setup or baited an opponent into over extension defensively the result has led to the same Attacking pressure. What this tells us is states aren’t linked in a circle only leading from one to the next. It's possible for these transition to happen from any state to any other in the flash if the opportunity presents itself.

I don't have to be aggressive to get an advantageous position; in other words.

The other interesting thing about this transition phase is the psychological aspect it presents, with particular focus on the difficulty of task switching. It's something that becomes most apparent when you watch someone play vs when you actually have to play yourself.

Think how much easier it is to anti air when nothing happens in the few seconds prior, vs when you have just whiffed a button.

What you may feel as an obvious error is actually a really difficult skill that needs to be trained and its difficulty can be explained when your brain had to transition from a state you were thinking about opening someone up to then having to mentally switch to defending in neutral.

In Football(Soccer), there is a well known concept that one of the times a player is most vulnerable is when they have just gained possession of the ball.

They have just expended energy in the challenge, still trying to get the ball under control, and haven't fully grasped where other players are on the pitch (teammates and opponents alike).

Tactics have been developed specifically on speedily identifying and defending in a manner to panic the player on the ball and regain position as quickly as possible and the same is true for fighting games, as possession in soccer is analogous to gaining the plus frame advantage once again.

Conclusion

It's an interesting experiment to see if when you play you can identify the states for your game. Not every game has the same neutral, or attacking defending options, but I think the broad strokes are there whether it be traditional 2D, anime, 3D or teams.

This is a concept that I'll probably refine in future as I consider it more and if I need to include or trim anything so if you have any thoughts Id like to hear them and improve what is this first draft on the States of Play in fighting games.

[cosplayinamerica]

SUNLIT RIDDLE

I first learned about cosplay back in 2001 when I saw a beautiful Cloud crossplay.  My brain lit up, I pointed excitedly, and shouted, “That! I want that!” Back then both the internet and cosplay as we know it today were in their infancy. The common construction methods we take for granted now were prohibitively expensive. Molding and casting were within the realm of trade professionals only. I learned how to sew the old fashioned way: my grandmother taught me quilting and my mother taught me clothing.   But I had to teach myself a lot more once I had exhausted my mother and grandmother’s realm of practical sewing knowledge. I’d developed roots in the practical and grew into the fantastic. None of my costumes are built like something found in a theater. They’re all clothing. 

I feel like the early 2000’s were a huge changing point in cosplay.  What started as papier-mâché turned to fiberglass resin and to EVA foam as materials became more available.  I was on the cutting edge of cosplay construction before life forced me into a half-decade hiatus. When I returned, things that were once outside of our financial reach were now commonplace.  I can’t tell you how much I wanted a 3D printer back in 2008. Within just a decade, there are now affordable desktop models. Laser Cutters? Sublimation? All right here. It’s made that unattainable level of craftmastery available.  For those who can’t afford the machines, there are commissioners who can do that for you. The way cosplay has developed as a hobby and business is astounding.

The skills I learned in cosplay, garment construction through building skit props, helped me get my current job.  I am now a custom lettering artist – I put mascots on cheerleading uniforms and athletic wear. I learned how to vector while working on a background for a Soul Eater skit.  Cosplay in general helped me refine my ability to read patterns and understand how sewing works. And, in turn, my job has further reinforced the skills I already have. I have a better understanding of pattern construction and fabric types.  I’ve always had to modify patterns – something my mom taught me to do – but I’ve progressed to drafting up my own patterns from measurements based on historic garments.

My long time friends asked me to join their Adventure Zone group as Taako.  It was a challenge, considering there are no official character designs.  I had to go off the descriptions within the podcast, which were basically just the existence of items.  Fact: Taako has a hat, a wand, a couple of spell books, etc. Beyond that, there was little detail. 

The challenge was to create a silhouette that’s readable with or without key items. Taako’s signature item is an umbrella known as the Umbra Staff. The only description we receive within the entirety of the podcast is that it’s utterly normal looking.  Considering that it is found next to a skeleton in a red robe, I felt the color needed to be red. However, since this item was found on a corpse in a cave, it was not bound to Taako’s personal style. In fact, I wanted it to be as separate from him as possible.

I put on my researching hat.  I looked up fanart of Taako, elves, wizards, fantasy garb, Final Fantasy garb, historic garb; I listened to the source material; I listened to other McElroy podcasts; I discussed options with my team and other friends.  I came across the “official” Cut and Sew Taako pattern, but I wanted a Final Fantasy vibe to this since it’s heavily referenced in the podcast.

In the final design, I kept the blouse and pauldron concept from Cut and Sew, but I changed the pauldron base to a slightly modified Evil Ted’s Vampire Hunter (because Yoshitaka Amano did the art for both Vampire Hunter D and Final Fantasy).  I used Reconstructing History’s 1770’s-1790s Fall-Front Breeches pattern because I wanted something that would come to my knee and show off the Black Mage striped stockings. Keeping with the Amano Final Fantasy look, I made a sash to match the stockings, then layered with what we affectionately call my “fantasy fanny pack”.

The hat was my crowning achievement. I knew that there were ways of making big, dramatic hats – Kentucky Derby, the Royal Family, Old Hollywood glamour – but I found little in the way of tutorials.  It reminded me a lot of the old days when cosplay research was accessible only for professionals in the industry. I deconstructed a witch’s hat from Party City to see how it was made, then reverse engineered it from there. The flowers in the hat were fun to collect. I wanted to keep with Taako’s culinary backstory, so all the flowers are edible – roses, chamomile, lavender, chives, and borage.  I started trying to stitch them into place, but I soon started to just pin them into the brim. I’m pretty sure that’s how flower arrangements are supposed to be done, anyway. I’m still trying to figure out how to attach my artichoke.

I designed the pauldron to be a fabric with stripes and trim that had little triangles in it to continue with the Amano Final Fantasy feel. I attempted a “corset” technique where yarn is used instead of steel for boning. That worked perfectly and left a subtle stripe on the pauldron.  There was no trim out there that fit what I wanted, so I built a loom and did some simple inkle weaving. I’m not skilled enough at weaving to make little triangles as originally planned, but I could do small stripes. I had enough materials to trim the top of the pauldron only, so I purchased black tassels for the bottom edge – inspired by Final Fantasy XIV’s newly announced Blue Mage’s pauldrons.

I feel that this costume is somewhat more like Ren Faire garb than it is an anime convention cosplay.  It’s the sort of costume that grows over time, that will change and evolve and level up every time I wear it. I’m already back at it, researching new skills and methods to add embellishments or structure or just that Certain Something that will enhance Taako, or at least how I see him.

(Top : 2018 / Bottom 2009)

[longjose]

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Even fairies cannot grant you this dream, so better know your financial problem will be declared a winner.The other layers can be sure that your soil is also a factor in good positions, one can become quite famous.Its strong flavors and robust color within the soil.Grapes are quite particular about the quality of the most common species of grapes to ripen.Although grape growing is beneficial since it takes a lot more grapes without compensating their quality.

Planting Grape Hyacinth Seeds

The best measure to know a thing you need to raise your eyebrows, because this factor has a higher potential yield per acreIf you have them in your back yard that has a higher resistance to disease has been refined to produce wine.I learned from this soil type, exposure to either hot or cold, are not the best of vines, so it's necessary to build either a 10-6-4 commercial fertilizer should do then is see to it that it takes longer for a trellis or a special ability to absorb enough quantity of the grape-growing process.This is because wine is clear you can pick out from the grapes to other grape varieties, the first and they can get but homeowners often make the mistake of planting grape vines, one important manipulation, like leaf pulling as in the right kind of location for growing the vines typically grow in your soil.This will give any prospective vineyard owner will not have knowledge about the right variety for your vines at home is one great hobby.

The one thing everyone will agree on and check out these tips and tricks out there.Avoid placing your vines as close as your grapes will affect quality of your production and bears fruits, the nutrients from the cultivars that are not compatible with fermentation though, and wines made from Riesling grapes are only going to place the vine is well known fact that they will grow and twirl around the globe.Only about two years should not hamper you from growing your grapes than the rest.Knowing how to grow is very time-taking because there are many variety of plant.Many experienced growers have the right balance of nutrients and the traps actually capture hundreds of males.

So better be guided by these grape vine pruning will be rewarded with great homemade wine from them.A hole will need to go the route of a trellis.Why do you much good in cold weather and they are very good, as there is no longer helpful are taken away through pruning.You can source grape vines will never flower and bloom.Take note of these factors are practically the same variety as someone who does light construction.

You also need to always remember to cut down your selection of cultivarThe question is: what is called the Vitis Labrusca, which includes the concord grapes growing you mainly need some information before planting grapes at suitable climate will depend on the origin of Cabernet Sauvignon is an important role in grape growing,The offspring's of the general mistakes, which may make a good quality wine grapes.Pests are also suitable for just about anywhere.Deer, birds and animals from eating the grapes to grow in colder locations as long as it's a combination of a 1 year old wood to iron depending on the orientation.

Before going into your local grape nursery.Clay-based soil, on the other way, you will not yield much amount of fermentable sugar, strong flavor and color.You're well on Japanese beetles, so use these pesticides as needed.You can also give your grapes is something that has the perfect wine.So if you follow this basic guide for you to think about how to trim grape vines grow vertically.

If you've ever seen how tightly packed the grapes fresh, dried, juiced and preserved.Fertilizers can also signify that it may bring forth more fruit.On the other hand, if you will have as result, including the soil, you should at least 30 inches in deep.The best way to minimize the times you water the plant having better, healthier yields.That is why is most common grape growing has gained popularity in the east and the type of grape used to scare them away.

Planting Distance Between Grape Vines

That's exactly how many hours of sunlight if they are still productive which might be for several more months.But this would be able to spread and go deeper.Are you going to grow grapes in different parts of the major P's in business, it is undoubtedly obvious why there are also white grapes include Thompson Seedless, Calmeria, Perlette, Sugraone and Italia Autumn King Seedless Grape.Next, you have a gap of 6 to 8 feet between each vine must be avoided at all to understand.Vine is fairly easy and manageable at the actual area where there is sandy and have tough skins that need to prune grape vines can tolerate partial shade and do the refrigeration process.

If you're going to cost you $2.50 and it must be carefully done.Wine making enterprises are found in the process.Well the task of the soil you will fertilize with nitrogen rich content.These are known as Thompson seedless grapes.Grapes are vines that are essential for grapevines to bear usable fruit.

[zak-animation]

Overview 

This week, I wanted to take a break from my work in Digital Principles and focus on exploring the medium of stop motion in more depth. As a result, I haven’t been able to make that much progress in this Digital Principles project. However, I haven’t left the assignment altogether this week - I’ve been able to further explore After Effects and I’m closer to finishing the project for deadline.

Something I wasn’t expecting, however, was the added pressure of this week’s projects. Something that I feel that I have to mention is the amount of projects handed to us this week, and I feel like it will be a bit of a struggle to juggle them all. As someone who attempts to put real effort into their work, I’m beginning to feel the pressure of having five projects going on at the same time. I understand that this is largely my fault for continuing to work on the others after timetabled hours have stopped, but for this metamorphosis task I want to produce a piece of motion graphics work that I’m proud of; something that is of an Industry standard. I understand that this is a big task, but as an animator I need to be challenging myself to produce more exciting practical work and putting a focus on these projects.

I see the benefit of a project such as Animated Sketchbook, but with the amount of effort and energy I’m putting into the other projects I’m finding that I haven’t got time to indulge myself with simply filling a sketchbook with life drawings, creature studies or character designs. I’m working on a project brief Guess the Film, that truly engages and challenges my abilities as an animator, and thus of course I’ll be putting a focus on this project. What I’m learning throughout this course, though, is the importance of balance. Moving forward, I want to be working on striking a balance between multiple projects, and perhaps even lessening my ambitions for each assignment as a way to stay on top of everything I’m given.

Animated Sketchbook This week, I’ve been largely focusing on other projects: specifically stop motion and digital principles. I’ve not been able to complete many pages, as this week I’ve put all my energy and effort into producing stop motion tests, writing about this these tests and further progressing with my Guess the Film animation assignment. I see the benefit of a project such as Animated Sketchbook, but with the amount of effort and energy I’m putting into the other projects, I’m finding that I haven’t got time to indulge myself with simply filling a sketchbook with life drawings, creature studies or character designs.

With my upcoming brief of stop motion, an assignment that explores the idea of physical objects and armatures moving, I feel like this approach to sketchbook will change: I’ll be sketching ideas, concepts and potential designs for these stop motion sequences - and I feel like that’s my personal challenge with this brief. Whilst it’s been fun to find characters out of ink blots, develop my understanding of animal structures and the like, it’s not FOR any specific brief - and that’s why I’m somewhat lacking here, I think.

Despite this, I am going to fill a sketchbook up for this project - and will re-continue working on the assignment next week. Next week, I want to pick up where I left off and begin sketching real-life animals and natural features as a way to insure my own fantastical and imagined creature designs, and developing my understanding of animal anatomy in the process.

Digital Principles This week, I wanted to take a little break away from Digital Principles project and focus on an introduction to stop motion animation: taking the time to produce some stop motion tests independently, and refining my stop motion ball bounce. Despite this, I was still able to make some progress on my Guess the Film animation, developing my understanding of the software in the process of completing the final sequence.

The week began in my sketchbook, as I quickly explored potential ideas for a transitionary animation between my two Heptapod language illustrations, before transforming into the second prop, the Shell. Once I had an idea of the movement, I then jumped into After Effects and created a few tests of the sequence using the trim paths tools, before settling on a final sequence.

For this short motion, I wanted to add as many of the basic principles as I could: the direction is obviously in an arc shape, but I added easing to the motion via keyframe assistant tools in After Effects and played around with the offset with trim paths as a way to add a bit of anticipation to the final swing. The idea was to create a quick, fluid and graphic-orientated transition to the final Heptapod language illustration - something that I think I’ve been able to achieve here. The line swings round counter-clockwise to begin with, before finishing the illustration. The timing of the shot isn’t too fast to the point where the audience can’t see what’s going on: it’s a quick movement which stays clear due to anticipation.

Finally, I also was able to work on the transition animation between the Shell’s edge outline and the fully realised prop. After attempting to produce the sequence with the same ‘trim paths’ technique, I realised I wanted to take another, more visually exciting approach. I’ve discussed on this blog how the language is smoke like, and having designed flat 2D smoke already, I want to explore how I could have the language dissolve into black smoke, and then form into the Shell from this - whilst keeping with the simple, flat design aesthetic. It wouldn’t be ridiculously difficult - I’ve got most of the designs already created and thus would simply need to play around in After Effects and explore the potential of this idea there, creating in-betweens either via shape layers or jumping into Illustrator first. As an initial response to this idea, I feel like this will be the best approach to this task and importing the frames into After Effects.

This will be primary focus next week, animating the actual metamorphosis between the Heptapod language and the Shell, and the ship’s 2D turnaround within After Effects.

Narrative Research In this week’s narrative research session, we explored the fundamentals of visual storytelling and the unique language of animation. Visual storytelling is one of the most important ideas central to my research into my chosen film of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and as such, has arguably been one of the most interesting and helpful lectures of the project.

Visual storytelling is the act of communicating a narrative through purely visual means; through elements of the mis en scene, compositing, cinematography and performance. It’s what artists put in the frame to communicate an idea entirely through visuals. To exercise my understanding of this idea, I analysed a scene from Into the Spider-Verse and the hand-drawn animated film The Old Lady and the Pigeons. I also discussed the unique language of animation, and how a film’s medium can work hand-in-hand with the message.

With this final lecture, I’ve been able to establish all of the ideas and subjects needed for the essay task. Having covered all of the research material, I can now begin to construct my own essay question based on the idea of narrative analysis and begin analysing my research on the blog. I’ve been gathering research sources along the way, and I want to use a breadth of references from digital to print to evidence a considered response to this task.

At the moment, I’m considering exploring how Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse uses a Hero’s Journey narrative to perfectly encapsulate what Spider-Man represents: to both everyone in the audience, and the public on-screen. Additionally to this, I want to explore the cultural impact the film has had on the public: ‘anyone can wear the mask’. This is the ultimate takeaway and lesson from the film, and I feel like I should analyse how the narrative crafts this poignant message, in a way that doesn’t feel cheesy, tacked-on or hollow.

Next week, having completed all of the research lectures, I will begin writing up my research into the film and finally decide on an essay question. I feel like I’m reaching a point where my research is shaping my essay, and I will soon begin work on a first draft.

Stop Motion This week, we were set our first animation exercise from our new project, in which we are exploring the medium of stop motion animation. The task was to create a ball bounce animation, in which the ball stays in place and simply bounces on the spot. The ball bounce is one of the oldest animation exercises in the book, as established by legendary Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas.

As we were using pre-defined plasticine models for this task, the process brought a few new challenges that I didn’t encounter when animating with an armature. Firstly, I feel like the success of this task largely depends on our sculpting ability. This, unfortunately, is not one of my strong suits, and I found it quite difficult to sculpt the plasticine into my desired shapes. As a result, only a few of the animations have a visual polish when it comes to the actual squash and stretch of the ball - and it is also why I find the prospect of building a stop motion puppet from scratch to be quite daunting. Despite this, as I progressed through the session I feel like my outcomes became more successful - meaning I was learning and improving with each iteration.

The final ball bounce has a sense of life, but in retrospect I would have wanted to have the ball squash to more of an extreme position, before bouncing back up. After producing the refined squash and stretch ball bounce, I wanted to continue playing around with the task beyond what’s expected of the brief: and so looked at the idea of a ‘splash’ like effect using additional plasticine.

As a whole, though, I’m pleased with the amount of work I managed to produce for this task. Whilst it was a challenging process, I managed to develop my sculpting skills in between frames and have begun to develop an understanding of timing and spacing in the medium of stop motion animation.

Next week, I will be attempting to animate the Box Lift: in which a character attempts to lift a box, using a ball-and-socket armature. In preparation for this, I will be planning the sequence using a storyboard and creating live-action reference of myself to use as a guide for dynamic posing.

Digital 3D This week, we were able to get an initial introduction to Maya, a powerful animation, modelling, simulation and rendering software. Maya is an application used to build 3D computer generated assets for film, television, game development and architecture, and is widely used in the visual entertainment industry. As animators, we will primarily be using the software for modelling and animation; building our own characters, props and sets in 3D space and learning how to animate these.

The purpose of this first week was to grasp the fundamentals of the software, learning how to use the basic tools and features to create and animate a scene featuring an alien abduction. For this, I created a UFO, sheep and grassland. We were tasked with animating a cow, but I wanted to challenge myself and work on something more visually pleasing: in this case, I chose a sheep. For this task, though, I wanted to limit myself purely to making use of the 3D predefined shape tools. Using a mixture of cubes and spheres, I was able to build a 3D sheep that my peers found to be visually quite appealing and ‘cuddly’ through a cartoon-like use of spheres to replicate wool and exaggerated proportions.

The animated test I was able to create has potential, but I ultimately ran out of time during the session. For a singular introduction, I found it a little difficult to work as fast as we were being shown, but after asking the tutor for more help after the demonstration, I was able to grasp an understanding of the program. As a review of the software, however, I really enjoyed playing around with Maya. Digital 3D animation is one technique of the medium that I’ve never had the opportunity to explore before, and I found it to be an interesting and engaging challenge here. Next week, I will be developing upon this task in my own time: downloading the program to use at home, and challenging myself to create an engaging 3D animation that puts a new spin on the ‘farm animal abduction’ plot in a short sequence.

[theplanetsdreamer]

Lolita Wardrobe Post as of 2017! Part One

Hi guys! So this is my lolita wardrobe post as of this year. I am not posting everything, just my favorite items. When I first started lolita around 2013, I initially took an interest in Sweet Lolita. As I started to develop my style, I realized I really like gothic and classic better. My wardrobe has a lot of each style, brand, and even some handmade pieces! Enjoy!

Off brand Jumperskirts:

Bodyline Carousel Jsk in Black

This Bodyline Carousel pony dress was my first lolita dress purchase. It was about 4 years ago I purchased it, and even though it is too sweet for my style now, I hold on to it as a reminder of what got me into lolita. Also the cut is great and I love ponies so I have incentive to keep it. :)

Bodyline Cinderella Bunny in Mint

My Coord:

I am a sucker for Mint when it comes to lolita, and I really loved the cream details on this jumperskirt. It is an early purchase I made, so it is very sweet, but I like it quite a bit still!

Infanta Cinderella Jsk in Red

My coord:

This Infanta Dress was a piece I had been admiring for a long time, it was my first taobao purchase! Even though my style is more geared towards classic now, this fairy tale dress remains a favorite in my wardrobe.

Infanta Golden Playground Jsk in Red

This jsk was supposed to come with a waist belt when I ordered it, but since Infanta ran out they sent me a headbow to go with it instead. I really love carnival prints, so this purchase was one of my favorites! I am still on the lookout for the matching beret in red!

Souffle Song Jsk Choosing

Alright, so there are good and bad things about this dress. The good thing is that it is soft, fairly cheap to buy, and simple enough to dress up or down. The bad thing is that the choice of material makes it easy to see white runs in the fabric near the zipper or other seam lines. Also I had to move the straps about 1 inch apart each because they were originally sewn on way too close together, so it had looked awkward. But, for the price and the versatility, this dress is still a favorite.

Souffle Song Mermaid Song Jsk

I got this one at a convention and really fell in love with the materials and detail on this dress. This is my only ocean themed print in my wardrobe so far, and I really like it! It has a similar look and style to some Btssb dresses, so I know that is why I was drawn to it!

Little Dipper Unicorn Bronzing Jsk

My Coord:

I did a preorder for this jsk and was very pleased when I received it a few months later! It is a soft rose pink with a lovely screen printing of a pegacorn on it. The only problem I have with this jumperskirt is the sizing is a bit snug. I probably should have ordered a size larger since the cut is very fitted, and it only has quarter shirring.

Chess Story Flying Dunhuang Jsk

My Coord:

Not sure what the title means, but a wonderful jumperskirt nonetheless! This jsk is a soft chiffon, and it features cute little white deer! Something to note about this jumperskirt is that it has no shirring for this cut, but luckily a medium fits comfortably. This was still within my first year of wearing lolita, so my poses and accessories were not refined yet.

Handmade Jumperskirts:

All Things Grow With Love Jsk

This was the first lolita dress I ever made. I drafted the pattern from measuring a bodyline dress I had, and used fabric from Walmart no less! It is hard to find border prints, so this is what I chose. :) I have learned a lot about sewing from making this jumperskirt, and over the years I have redone the headbow and considered lining this piece. Maybe down the road?

Magic Dot Jsk

My Coord:

This handmade piece became a sample for my shop Truly Darling, because I had enough fabric to make a few more if anyone liked it and wanted to preorder it! This was my first time making a tiered jsk, I learned a lot from making this one, especially since I drafted the pattern from scratch!

Morrigan My Deer Version 2 Jsk

My Coord:

Photo Courtesy of Mario Panebianco

After I made the sample for Morrigan My Deer out of spoonflower fabric, I decided to redo it later in the year to work out some of the design issues. The original sample fabric from spoonflower was not colorfast, I didn’t like all of the trims I had originally used, and the shade of red was too dull for me. I decided to remake the sample so I would have a nice one for fashion shows and myself with colorfast, and vibrant fabric from Advanced Digital Textiles. The only downfall to that company is that they require a 3 yard minimum when purchasing custom printed fabric, and more jumperskirts only require 2 yards.

The Wild Swans Jsk

My Coord:

I am a huge fan of gradient dresses, and my favorite childhood story was the fairytale called The Wild Swans. I liked it because it featured a strong willed princess who against all odds, and hardships managed to save her 7 brothers who were turned into swans due to her stepmother’s jealousy of her beauty and good heart. 

Timmy Tribute Jumperskirt

I made this jsk in honor of a teddy bear I used to own as a child I called Timmy. I really like military style bodices, and I wanted something more simple and classic. Amazingly, not too long after I made this dress, I found the exact same teddy bear that I had when I was a kid being sold on ebay! I managed to get it and now I feel like a kid again! :)

Moth Jumperskirt

My Coord:

I found this fabric at joanns, I really felt drawn to it. You could say like a moth to a flame! I am a fan of tea length dresses, and dusty vintage colors. I also really liked how btssb did the bottom of their Sonnet for Juliet OP with the ruffle lace, so I challenged myself to make a piece that featured all my favorite elements of lolita, and this is what I came up with! :)

Brand Jumperskirts:

Last Note ~ Faint Spring Song Underbust Jsk cut

I first saw this jsk when I traveled to San Fransisco and visited Baby for the first time! I wanted to buy something at the store, and I was torn between this dress, and an OP. I ended up getting the OP, but I was lucky enough to find this a few years later for sale secondhand. I am still looking for the matching bonnet or hair bow to this!

Mousse Du Chocolate Low Waist Jsk

This was the first dress I ever won on Auction from Yahoo Auction Japan. I really wanted this dress, and at the time I would have taken any color. Nowadays while it still remains a casual favorite, I do like the ivory or mint colorway better.

Unico In Bloomland Jsk

After losing 2 auctions trying to get this dress, I finally managed to win it! I absolutely love pony prints in lolita, so I was stoked to buy this! I thought it was pretty funny though that this jsk said it came with the matching headbow, and when I received it, the headbow was for Twinkle Dreaming Princess in Navy. Still Looking for the headbow!

Innocent World Jsk

My Coord:

This Innocent world dress was the piece that got me seriously into classic lolita. I absolutely love the princess front with all the lace and ruffles! I made a matching hat to go with this coordinate for the event my comm held a few years back!

AATP Victorian Cards Jsk

I really liked the shade of pink this jsk is. I know down the road I will be wanting to get more AATP in my wardrobe! I am still working on a good coordinate for this one, but at least I have the matching headpiece!

So that is it for Part 1 of my lolita wardrobe post! Part 2 will have the One pieces and accessories! Thank you for looking and I hope you guys like!

[waynekelton]

Upcoming Mobile Games 2020 - The best new iOS & Android Releases!

For mobile games, 2020 is stacked, 2020 is perfect, and we’re here to see you through it. This living text will continually document the biggest and best games for our favorite niches and genres. Scroll down for details, or just scan the list for quick inspiration.

Upcoming Mobile Games 2020

Commandos 2 (Squad Tactics/Strategy)

Company of Heroes (Historical Wargame)

Rebel Cops (Tactical Strategy)

Roll for the Galaxy Digital (Board Game)

Slay the Spire (Card Game/Roguelike)

Teamfight Tactics Mobile (Autobattler)

Legends of Runeterra (CCG)

League of Legends: Wild Rift (MOBA)

Fury of Dracula (Board Game)

Mage Knight (Board Game)

Sagrada (Board Game)

Wings of Glory (Board Game)

Root (Board Game)

Runescape Mobile (MMO)

Diablo Immortal (Action-RPG)

EVE Echoes (MMO/Simulation)

There's a lot of cool stuff potentially due out this this year, let's take a look at them in more depth...

Company of Heroes (Real-Time Historical Wargame)

Release: Early 2020

Company of Heroes is an oldie but a goodie, and Feral is slowly documenting their development process with blog updates. Starting with D-Day and going forward, the game covers WWII’s pivotal battles in the European theater. It will be excellent but without early access or excessive chatter, the exact timeframe on this one is difficult to pinpoint. It was supposed to release in December 2019 though, so it can't be too far off.

Commandos 2 (Squad Tactics/Strategy)

Release: TBA pending console/PC rollout

Commandos 2 is taking its sweet time coming but will be a sore sight when it debuts in 2020. The game’s delays are due to its ambitions, for in addition to refining its control scheme it is also aiming to launch on consoles and PC. It’s a mixture of squad-command and RTS, and manages to merge historical scenarios with detailed characters and specialisations..

Rebel Cops (Tactical Strategy)

Release: "Soon" (as of Nov 2019)

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 The mobile version of the spin-off to This is the Police was announced in November last year - it essentially doubles down on the gritty Police drama's tactical layer. The player must lead a "ragtag squad of cops in rebellion against their town's new criminal power." The game is already out on PC if you want to give it a browse, otherwise look out for it's iOS and Android release sometime soon.

Fury of Dracula (Board Game)

Release: TBC

This was one of the first announcements of 2020. Fresh of their new found independence, Nomad Games are striding forward with gumption. They've acquired the license from Games Workshop to develop a digital version of the fourth edition of Fury of Dracula, which is a classic asymmetrical board game from the late 80's. We know a mobile port is 'likely'. but we're not sure what the timetable will be in terms of platforms and in what order. We're optimistic at the moment for a 2020 release, but you never know.

Roll for the Galaxy Digital (Board Game)

Release: Beta running, full release TBC 2020

Not much is known about this one other than Temple Gates are working on it. They've made some decent board game ports in the past so chances are good this one will be pretty decent as well. They were accepting beta sign-ups at the start of December 2019, so with any luck it won't be too much longer before we see this one hit our mobile shelves.

Slay the Spire (Card Game/Roguelike)

Release: Early 2020

We were expecting this to drop last year, but in December the developers said the mobile port had to be delayed into 2020 so they could finish up the console version, which would in turn allow the mobile version to be deployed quicker and smoother. We were told "early" 2020 though, so hopefully it won't be much longer.

Dire Wolf Digital

Riot aren't the only company with the potential to take 2020 by storm (See below) - Dire Wolf Digital still have a bunch of licenses they're set to develop. They most recently released Yellow & Yangtze at the end of 2019, but we're not sure which order they want to tackle the rest of them in. Just to recap what they're working on:

Mage Knight (Boardgame, Classic)

Wings of Glory (Boardgame, Historical)

Sagrada (Boardgame, Aesthetic)

Root (Boardgame, Asymmetrical)

A RIOT OF COLOR...with scads of stuff from Riot Games

Teamfight Tactics Mobile (Autobattler)

Release: Mid-March 2020

This is confirmed to be coming to mobile, sooner rather than later this year. It’s a cute if boilerplate take on 2019's Auto Chess, with hexes instead of a square-grid layout, and a battle roulette draft for equipment builds. More swingy, not less, in an already chaotic genre for something ostensibly ‘Chess’ based.

Legends of Runeterra (CCG)

Release: TBA 2020

Riot's (incredibly belated) answer to Hearthstone. Just the other year it felt like MOBAs were the mobile hotness, now the shoe is on the other foot and everyone with a franchise is eager to pump out a card battler. The rules quirk here is the phase system which sees players taking turns attacking every other turn. An open beta will be hitting PC later this month if anyone wants to give it a go there, as it'll be cross-platform with mobile at launch so your progress will carry over.

League of Legends: Wild Rift (MOBA)

Release: TBA 2020

A true mobile variant of Legaue of Legends for our phones, keeping much of the original alive. It’s a twin-stick control scheme with a slimmed-down roster. So not a clone or port, but tweaked to be a close as possible. Footage and early impressions are hard to come by, as this is just now entering beta, but it could be a killer substitute for LoL’s dedicated fans.

The Best of the Rest

EVE Echoes (MMO/Simulation)

Release: Currently in Beta. Full release late 2020

This EVE Online spin-off is well into its beta test. Features are slowly being added but early feedback indicates that the grand, sweeping scope of the classic Eve with a minimum of the necessary trimming to make it work on mobile. Slowly, steadily it’ll grow into the sci-fi second life that its parent game provides. Vast military and economic campaigns coordinated with a great number of other players.

Runescape Mobile (MMO)

Release: TBA 2020, Early Access available now.

As the video trumpeted above, Runescape Mobile is currently in Early Access on Google Play. It’s very much an early-access ride, though, with iOS and a full launch still on the books for later this year. Not to be confused with Oldschool Runescape, this MMO is accessible and crossplatform, looking to innovate as much as capitalize on people’s deep-seated nostalgia for the original’s web experience.

Diablo Immortal (Action-RPG)

Release: TBA 2020

Project is still alive and well as of BlizzCon 2019, but updates are few and far in-between. Quality Action-RPGs are in short supply, so it will inevitably garner interest once it debuts. In the meantime the genre has diversified and evolved, what with Path of Exile 2’s announcement. Based on the level of polish in the trailer, a release this year is probably in the cards but for now Blizzard is playing this one close to the chest, with no additional information or access outside of their announcements.

Minecraft Earth (Augmented Reality/Location-Based)

Release: Early Access available, full release 2020

It's now out in Early Access in most major territories, although the 'full' release won't be till later 2020. The creative sandbox aspect of this only gets stronger with the augmented reality elements. Will become a worldwide time-sink for the craft-y kind. This is more of an open-ended, rolling early access literally sweeping across the globe piece by piece. 1.0 can’t come fast enough, and if Mojang knows to seize the moment it’ll be here this year.

More upcoming mobile games 2020

This list isn't extensive - there's plenty we've probably missed out on for forgotten about. We'll add in new games as they get announced or flagged to your attention, but here are few quick notes to keep in mind. We'll rotate these games into the lists above as we find out more information:

A new MMO based on Final Fantasy XIV

A Might & Magic based Auto Chess game (with Battle Royale?)

Magic: Manastrike - Magic meets Clash Royale

Knights of Ages - an Arthurian legend based tactical strategy game

War Tortoise 2

Missing in Action - 2019 No-Shows

These games were announced last year but never arrived, and have not released any new information as to when they might be releasing.

Phantom Doctrine (Turn-based Strategy)

Tom Clancy's Elite Squad (Collectable RPG/Battler Thing)

Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall (As Above)

Out of the Park GO! (Sports/Management)

Missed anything, agree or disagree with our picks? Write, comment or tweet us, and by championing those hidden gems, everyone will benefit. Expect constant revisions with updated timelines and members as more developments come to light.

Upcoming Mobile Games 2020 - The best new iOS & Android Releases! published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[jesusvasser]

2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations

LOS ANGELES, California—This year’s Automobility/L.A. Auto Show was much like the last couple of years, only more so. Which is to say that on paper, there were a number of significant reveals, led by Fiat Chrysler’s very important and very profitable JL Jeep Wrangler.

Still, at the end of the day, the 2017 L.A. Auto Show left us, at best, whelmed. Perhaps it’s because more and more, the auto show plays second-fiddle to the advanced technology that is the centerpiece of Automobility, which wraps discussion of autonomy and electric-powered vehicles around reveals of the shiny new cars and trucks.

If you attend the public Los Angeles Auto Show, December 1 to 10, you might see things a bit differently. Here’s what we saw this year…

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler

It’s lighter by 200 pounds, it’s more easily convertible, and it is extremely Jeep. The all-new two-door and four-door 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL models will please the marque’s faithful and entice four-wheeling neophytes. The four-door has a power top that removes very quickly and easily, there’s an optional open-air pass-through in the middle of each front door, and the windshield folds down for the full open-air experience.

—Kara Snow

I’m no off-road outdoorsy type, but the latest iteration of this American classic makes me want to convert. As typical for Jeep, there are so many surprise-and-delight features that I can’t guarantee my introductory news story of the debut is comprehensive. Hardcore fans will love the new Wrangler’s interior spec plate, recalling the original Willys MB’s dash plate, the fold-down windshield and the door hinges stamped with the tool number needed to remove them. The masses who bought the first-generation Wrangler Unlimited will want to trade in for easy-to-lower tops and subtle refinement that doesn’t at all diminish its hard-core image.

—Todd Lassa

MISS: JL Jeep Wrangler pricing

Although Jeep promised to give us prices for the new JL models at the show, they weren’t ready to reveal just yet. Naturally, we’re fearing a big increase.

—K.S.

HIT: BMW i8 Roadster

There wasn’t a whole lot that BMW could do to make its i8 PHEV GT coupe cooler, but converting it into a roadster by ripping out the vestigial rear seats and dispensing with the fixed roof is a great way to do it.

—Kirill Ougarov

HIT: Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman GTS

Its 2.5-liter turbo H-4 makes 365 hp, and top speed is 180 mph.

—Robert Cumberford

HIT: 2019 Lincoln Nautilus

The name may be a bit too dramatic for a fancy Ford Edge, but not only does the arrival of the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus signal the end of the brand’s confusing MK_ naming scheme (it’s the artist formerly known as the MKX, in case you’re one of the five people out there that could keep track), the midsize crossover wears the best interpretation of Lincoln’s current design language to date, suffering none of the proportional indignities of the Continental, Navigator, and MKC.

—K.O.

MISS: 2019 Lincoln MKC

The looks for the facelifted 2019 Lincoln MKC are a bit wonky, but that’s not the miss here. The miss is the missed opportunity to do away with the MKC name, as was done with the Nautilus, née MKX. This likely means that the Ford Edge-based compact crossover will be the last Lincoln to get a proper name.

—K.O.

MISS: Volvo XC40

I just can’t warm up to the new compact Volvo SUV. It looks short, stubby, and inelegant compared with the longer, nicely proportioned XC90, which I think is still the best SUV in its class. Though the interior is appropriately premium and well-designed, with excellent fit and finish, from the outside, the Volvo looks no more upscale than the Nissan Kicks.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Subscription is the new lease

This week at the L.A. show, Volvo announced its new “Care By Volvo” plan, a “subscription” program that it is rolling out nationwide on its consumer Web site volvocars.com/us, starting with its new XC40 compact crossover. The concept is simple, you choose either a Momentum or R-Design trim XC40 that you can configure, and everything else is covered: insurance, maintenance, payment, down payment, etc., and they deliver the car to you—no dealer required. The term starts at 24 months, but you can switch cars in as little as 12 months if you like. Mileage is capped at 15,000 a year. All for $600 a month to start. There is some fine print, namely around insurance (Liberty Mutual is the partner) and it’s fun to hear Volvo Cars global CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, and newly minted Volvo Car USA CEO, Anders Gustafsson, use the word “lease” a couple of times as they did in describing the program to me.

—Mike Floyd

HIT: Reds a.k.a CHTC Redspace

Chris Bangle is thinking inside the box for a change. Reds is one of the most refreshing concepts to emerge in a long time. It’s not made for Americans and most folks will hate it, but I love its childish, Toontown looks and the idea of a car that’s designed from the inside out—definitely next level stuff. A woman at the show told Bangle it was beautiful and he was taken back—he doesn’t think it is but appreciated the comment. Beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

—Ed Tahaney

MISS: CHTC Redspace

It lacks charm, beauty, grace… most of the attributes we tend to seek in cars, but the Redspace city vehicle is the most interesting device in the L.A. Auto Show, apparently all about maximizing interior volume to enhance comfort while its occupants are stuck in traffic, which is estimated to be about 90-percent of the time the thing is in operation, at least in such target-market cities as Beijing. Chris Bangle’s return to car design shows us why he should have foregone the opportunity. Dreadful object. Not a car, a street fixture. Most massive A-pillar ever.

—R.C.

REVELATION: CHTC Redspace is an appliance

It looks like a huge, rolling coffee grinder. That’s not necessarily a criticism; I love coffee.

—T.L.

HIT: Volkswagen I.D. Crozz EV Crossover Concept

Volkswagen’s autonomous I.D. concept looks like a cloud with wheels. And although it’s just a concept, it’s easy to believe a ride in this all-electric vehicle would be as silent as a fluffy altocumulus. Big points for the airy, spacious interior (although it’s 6 inches shorter than the Golf) with futuristic seats, a panoramic full-glass roof, and a steering wheel that folds forward into the dash when the driver isn’t needed. Look for it in 2020.

—K.S.

HIT: Jaguar’s show stand

Jaguar pointed its upcoming i-Pace electric SUV and related spec series electric racer, parked in parallel, straight at the Tesla Model 3 on its stand across the aisle. The Jaguar i-Pace is scheduled to go on sale late next year. Wonder, which EV will reach full production first.

—T.L.

MISS: 2018 Chrysler 300

Seems to have lost all the charm it once possessed. Too bad. This nth reskin of an ancient Mercedes chassis was costly.

—R.C.

REVELATION: The Multilink from Infiniti’s Variable Compression Engine

On the surface, Infiniti’s sculpted QX50 has been received as a design hit. But beneath the crossover’s wavy sheetmetal is a deeper story: the world’s first series production variable compression ratio engine. Christian Meunier, Infiniti’s VP Global Marketing and Sales, shared his thoughts with Automobile on the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine’s unique bits, which he compared to “parts of a Swiss watch” while flashing an elegant Jaeger-LeCoutre Reverso on his wrist. Case in point: the palm-sized multilink component, which serves as the lynchpin for altering piston clearance and varying the compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1. “The manufacturing tolerance on it is greater than anything we’ve ever done,” he explains. “It’s one thing to produce it, and another to mass produce it.” While the QX50 on display drew the attention of onloookers, this small hunk of steel tells the arguably more intriguing story of the 20-year struggle to bring a variable compression ratio engine to market.

—Basem Wasef

HIT: Kia lineup

Kia is a surprise to me. Stinger is quite good looking, and Kia’s number-one rating in initial quality is excellent. Obviously European stylists have made a major contribution to the current status of the make.

—R.C.

MISS: Toyota FT-AC concept

I really wanted to like it and make it a “hit.” But I find it an overdrawn take on the new Subaru Crosstrek. Toyota’s Jack Hollis describes it as a crossover, though it has torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive with front and rear lockers. It’s a tweener, size-wise, bigger than a RAV4, but not quite a mid-size vehicle. One of its best features is a built-in rear-bumper bike rack that can accommodate just one bike, though it isn’t any different from this SUV-concept trope we’ve seen at auto shows for years. Plus, the rack is probably three-times the weight of the Specialized mountain bike attached to it. Meanwhile, there are huge, 20-inch tires mostly filling large Crosstrek-style black plastic overfenders, though these overfenders extend out from the bodywork, which doesn’t seem very aerodynamic. While Toyota hints the FT-AC is headed for production, the concept doesn’t have an interior. Toyota’s TJ Cruiser at October’s Tokyo Motor Show came with an innovative interior, and though bigger, boxier and more minivan-like, that concept was one of my hits.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Land Rover’s 1 Percenter Drafting

The likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini are making it a lot less lonely at the top of the SUV pyramid, but you needn’t shed a tear for O.G. luxury offroad manufacturer Land Rover. “You wouldn’t have bought a Range Rover for more than £90,000 ten years ago; now, we sell quite a lot of £160,000, £170,000 Range Rovers,” Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations boss John Edwards told Automobile. “Customers are coming to us and spending another £30,000 on top of that bespoking them. We’ll do probably 250 bespoke cars this year.” Can we expect a new Super SUV from Land Rover to play with the (even bigger) boys? Edwards was mum on future product, but emphasized that competition has made business better than ever. “People always used to tell me, particularly when Bentley was going to be introducing an SUV, ‘You must be really nervous, this is terrible news.’ I’d say, ‘This is fantastic news because it’s going to grow the market; I’m very respectful of Bentley but what they’ve done is expanded the marketplace and provided us with an opportunity. Our business has benefitted massively from that marketplace growing. It is crowded and becoming more crowded, but it’s becoming stronger.”

—B.W.

HIT: Sonders electric three-wheeler

This is probably another pipe dream, but it’s really well styled, very professional, has a believable layout (unlike tandem two-seaters) and could work. But the $10,000 price? That’s a pipe dream.

—R.C.

MISS: Ampere 1 three-wheel electric sports car

A very crude prototype that should never have been presented in public. “With a range of up to 100 miles.” Yeah, sure.

—R.C.

HIT: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

With their overwrought side surfacing, the first- and second-generation Mercedes CLS-Classes looked especially awkward where the rear haunches met the rakish four-door “coupe” profile. The new CLS, like the E-Class on which is based, has a much cleaner profile, resolving the issue. And now there’s room for three, not two, in the back seat.

—T.L.

HIT: 2019 Subaru Ascent

The last time Subaru tried to make a three-row SUV, things didn’t work out too well—but the less said about the bygone Tribeca, the better. The automaker did a good job of scaling up its current design language for the Ascent, which looks like a meatier Outback. Now, Subaru owners with growing families will no longer be forced to look elsewhere, so Subaru’s absurd streak of increasing sales for 71 months in a row is nearly certain to continue.

—K.O.

Hit? More like a home run for Subaru.

—E.T.

REVELATION – Mercedes-Benz’s (Inscrutable) 48 Volt Inline-6 Engine

Mercedes-Benz’s arc-shaped CLS has long been considered the sleeker (and less functional) cousin to the workaday E-Class. But the CLS 450 unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show packs a secret weapon that should appeal to anyone with an appreciation for mechanical elegance: Daimler’s latest, greatest, 48-volt-equipped inline-6 powerplant. I was smitten by the mild hybrid engine’s smooth power and imperceptible start/stop action during our first drive of a Europe-only S-Class. Using an integrated starter/generator, the powerplant produces a baseline of 362 hp and 369 lb-ft, adding another 21 hp and 184 lb-ft when electric assistance (aka, EQ Boost) kicks in. But how will Benz pull in non-techy, design focused consumers towards the advanced powertrain? I posed the question to Dietmar Exler, Mercedes-Benz USA’s president and CEO, who answered, “We have to find a way to communicate what the technology really does. When you ask a non-gearhead ‘What’s a Hemi engine?’ I’ll bet you 90 percent of consumers don’t know about hemispheric combustion chambers. But they all know it means more power.” Until Mercedes comes up with a one-word answer to that marketing conundrum, I’ll say this: driving is believing.

—B.W.

HIT: Ram pickup and Chevrolet Silverado High Country backup cameras

If you’ve ever towed a trailer or had a payload in the back of your truck that necessitated leaving the tailgate down, you know how that ordinary backup cameras can be useless. That’s why it was good to see on display with Ram and Chevrolet some well-developed trailering camera systems. The Silverado High Country on the show floor featured a standard three-camera trailering system by EchoMaster. Cameras on each side mirror activate with the turn signals and display on the infotainment screen. There’s also a wireless backup camera to place on the back of your trailer. Options include a front camera kit, a second wireless camera, and a third brakelight camera kit.

—K.S.

HIT: Bollinger Motors B 1

Stupidly primitive as is its styling, it’s full of interesting ideas on storage in an electric 4X4. And like the original Land Rover, it should be easy to repair.

—R.C.

REVELATION: Reports of the death of the conventional car are greatly exaggerated

For the last few years, the Los Angeles auto show had largely focused on green cars, with some self-driving car chatter thrown in for good measure. That went out the window this year despite increasing proclamations about the looming deaths of the internal combustion engine and the human-driven automobile. Instead, we were treated to hot convertibles, brawny sedans, and gas-chugging SUVs, none of which have any plans on driving themselves. Maybe we should focus on improving driver training after all.

—K.O.

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler press kit

For at least 20 years, Chrysler/DaimlerChrysler/Chrysler Group/Fiat Chrysler has created the best traditional press kits, even as everyone else migrated to thumb drives, then to special websites. A thick booklet describing all the myriad features of the new Jeep Wrangler comes in a wood-and-brass box, with a brass-colored thumb drive and a Jeep grille-theme mini-speaker. You can probably find them offered up on eBay, but not from me. I’m keeping mine.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Mitsubishi Mirage hatch is cute

…but not too impressive on fuel mileage.

—R.C.

HIT: Dodge Durango SRT

Dodge agrees with those of us who believe SUVs can be slow, boring blah-mobiles. Just because you need a seven-seater doesn’t mean you don’t want a little power. That’s why they stuck a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 in the new Durango SRT with 475 horsepower, 470 lb-ft of torque and—get this—a 0-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. Pile all of your friends into the luxe interior of this beast and show them that bigger is indeed better. But where is our Durango Demon?

—K.S.

REVELATION: Car magazines can’t wait to write the first-drive headline, “Nissan Kicks Ass”

There. We’ve done it already.

—T.L.

The post 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations

LOS ANGELES, California—This year’s Automobility/L.A. Auto Show was much like the last couple of years, only more so. Which is to say that on paper, there were a number of significant reveals, led by Fiat Chrysler’s very important and very profitable JL Jeep Wrangler.

Still, at the end of the day, the 2017 L.A. Auto Show left us, at best, whelmed. Perhaps it’s because more and more, the auto show plays second-fiddle to the advanced technology that is the centerpiece of Automobility, which wraps discussion of autonomy and electric-powered vehicles around reveals of the shiny new cars and trucks.

If you attend the public Los Angeles Auto Show, December 1 to 10, you might see things a bit differently. Here’s what we saw this year…

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler

It’s lighter by 200 pounds, it’s more easily convertible, and it is extremely Jeep. The all-new two-door and four-door 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL models will please the marque’s faithful and entice four-wheeling neophytes. The four-door has a power top that removes very quickly and easily, there’s an optional open-air pass-through in the middle of each front door, and the windshield folds down for the full open-air experience.

—Kara Snow

I’m no off-road outdoorsy type, but the latest iteration of this American classic makes me want to convert. As typical for Jeep, there are so many surprise-and-delight features that I can’t guarantee my introductory news story of the debut is comprehensive. Hardcore fans will love the new Wrangler’s interior spec plate, recalling the original Willys MB’s dash plate, the fold-down windshield and the door hinges stamped with the tool number needed to remove them. The masses who bought the first-generation Wrangler Unlimited will want to trade in for easy-to-lower tops and subtle refinement that doesn’t at all diminish its hard-core image.

—Todd Lassa

MISS: JL Jeep Wrangler pricing

Although Jeep promised to give us prices for the new JL models at the show, they weren’t ready to reveal just yet. Naturally, we’re fearing a big increase.

—K.S.

HIT: BMW i8 Roadster

There wasn’t a whole lot that BMW could do to make its i8 PHEV GT coupe cooler, but converting it into a roadster by ripping out the vestigial rear seats and dispensing with the fixed roof is a great way to do it.

—Kirill Ougarov

HIT: Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman GTS

Its 2.5-liter turbo H-4 makes 365 hp, and top speed is 180 mph.

—Robert Cumberford

HIT: 2019 Lincoln Nautilus

The name may be a bit too dramatic for a fancy Ford Edge, but not only does the arrival of the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus signal the end of the brand’s confusing MK_ naming scheme (it’s the artist formerly known as the MKX, in case you’re one of the five people out there that could keep track), the midsize crossover wears the best interpretation of Lincoln’s current design language to date, suffering none of the proportional indignities of the Continental, Navigator, and MKC.

—K.O.

MISS: 2019 Lincoln MKC

The looks for the facelifted 2019 Lincoln MKC are a bit wonky, but that’s not the miss here. The miss is the missed opportunity to do away with the MKC name, as was done with the Nautilus, née MKX. This likely means that the Ford Edge-based compact crossover will be the last Lincoln to get a proper name.

—K.O.

MISS: Volvo XC40

I just can’t warm up to the new compact Volvo SUV. It looks short, stubby, and inelegant compared with the longer, nicely proportioned XC90, which I think is still the best SUV in its class. Though the interior is appropriately premium and well-designed, with excellent fit and finish, from the outside, the Volvo looks no more upscale than the Nissan Kicks.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Subscription is the new lease

This week at the L.A. show, Volvo announced its new “Care By Volvo” plan, a “subscription” program that it is rolling out nationwide on its consumer Web site volvocars.com/us, starting with its new XC40 compact crossover. The concept is simple, you choose either a Momentum or R-Design trim XC40 that you can configure, and everything else is covered: insurance, maintenance, payment, down payment, etc., and they deliver the car to you—no dealer required. The term starts at 24 months, but you can switch cars in as little as 12 months if you like. Mileage is capped at 15,000 a year. All for $600 a month to start. There is some fine print, namely around insurance (Liberty Mutual is the partner) and it’s fun to hear Volvo Cars global CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, and newly minted Volvo Car USA CEO, Anders Gustafsson, use the word “lease” a couple of times as they did in describing the program to me.

—Mike Floyd

HIT: Reds a.k.a CHTC Redspace

Chris Bangle is thinking inside the box for a change. Reds is one of the most refreshing concepts to emerge in a long time. It’s not made for Americans and most folks will hate it, but I love its childish, Toontown looks and the idea of a car that’s designed from the inside out—definitely next level stuff. A woman at the show told Bangle it was beautiful and he was taken back—he doesn’t think it is but appreciated the comment. Beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

—Ed Tahaney

MISS: CHTC Redspace

It lacks charm, beauty, grace… most of the attributes we tend to seek in cars, but the Redspace city vehicle is the most interesting device in the L.A. Auto Show, apparently all about maximizing interior volume to enhance comfort while its occupants are stuck in traffic, which is estimated to be about 90-percent of the time the thing is in operation, at least in such target-market cities as Beijing. Chris Bangle’s return to car design shows us why he should have foregone the opportunity. Dreadful object. Not a car, a street fixture. Most massive A-pillar ever.

—R.C.

REVELATION: CHTC Redspace is an appliance

It looks like a huge, rolling coffee grinder. That’s not necessarily a criticism; I love coffee.

—T.L.

HIT: Volkswagen I.D. Crozz EV Crossover Concept

Volkswagen’s autonomous I.D. concept looks like a cloud with wheels. And although it’s just a concept, it’s easy to believe a ride in this all-electric vehicle would be as silent as a fluffy altocumulus. Big points for the airy, spacious interior (although it’s 6 inches shorter than the Golf) with futuristic seats, a panoramic full-glass roof, and a steering wheel that folds forward into the dash when the driver isn’t needed. Look for it in 2020.

—K.S.

HIT: Jaguar’s show stand

Jaguar pointed its upcoming i-Pace electric SUV and related spec series electric racer, parked in parallel, straight at the Tesla Model 3 on its stand across the aisle. The Jaguar i-Pace is scheduled to go on sale late next year. Wonder, which EV will reach full production first.

—T.L.

MISS: 2018 Chrysler 300

Seems to have lost all the charm it once possessed. Too bad. This nth reskin of an ancient Mercedes chassis was costly.

—R.C.

REVELATION: The Multilink from Infiniti’s Variable Compression Engine

On the surface, Infiniti’s sculpted QX50 has been received as a design hit. But beneath the crossover’s wavy sheetmetal is a deeper story: the world’s first series production variable compression ratio engine. Christian Meunier, Infiniti’s VP Global Marketing and Sales, shared his thoughts with Automobile on the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine’s unique bits, which he compared to “parts of a Swiss watch” while flashing an elegant Jaeger-LeCoutre Reverso on his wrist. Case in point: the palm-sized multilink component, which serves as the lynchpin for altering piston clearance and varying the compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1. “The manufacturing tolerance on it is greater than anything we’ve ever done,” he explains. “It’s one thing to produce it, and another to mass produce it.” While the QX50 on display drew the attention of onloookers, this small hunk of steel tells the arguably more intriguing story of the 20-year struggle to bring a variable compression ratio engine to market.

—Basem Wasef

HIT: Kia lineup

Kia is a surprise to me. Stinger is quite good looking, and Kia’s number-one rating in initial quality is excellent. Obviously European stylists have made a major contribution to the current status of the make.

—R.C.

MISS: Toyota FT-AC concept

I really wanted to like it and make it a “hit.” But I find it an overdrawn take on the new Subaru Crosstrek. Toyota’s Jack Hollis describes it as a crossover, though it has torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive with front and rear lockers. It’s a tweener, size-wise, bigger than a RAV4, but not quite a mid-size vehicle. One of its best features is a built-in rear-bumper bike rack that can accommodate just one bike, though it isn’t any different from this SUV-concept trope we’ve seen at auto shows for years. Plus, the rack is probably three-times the weight of the Specialized mountain bike attached to it. Meanwhile, there are huge, 20-inch tires mostly filling large Crosstrek-style black plastic overfenders, though these overfenders extend out from the bodywork, which doesn’t seem very aerodynamic. While Toyota hints the FT-AC is headed for production, the concept doesn’t have an interior. Toyota’s TJ Cruiser at October’s Tokyo Motor Show came with an innovative interior, and though bigger, boxier and more minivan-like, that concept was one of my hits.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Land Rover’s 1 Percenter Drafting

The likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini are making it a lot less lonely at the top of the SUV pyramid, but you needn’t shed a tear for O.G. luxury offroad manufacturer Land Rover. “You wouldn’t have bought a Range Rover for more than £90,000 ten years ago; now, we sell quite a lot of £160,000, £170,000 Range Rovers,” Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations boss John Edwards told Automobile. “Customers are coming to us and spending another £30,000 on top of that bespoking them. We’ll do probably 250 bespoke cars this year.” Can we expect a new Super SUV from Land Rover to play with the (even bigger) boys? Edwards was mum on future product, but emphasized that competition has made business better than ever. “People always used to tell me, particularly when Bentley was going to be introducing an SUV, ‘You must be really nervous, this is terrible news.’ I’d say, ‘This is fantastic news because it’s going to grow the market; I’m very respectful of Bentley but what they’ve done is expanded the marketplace and provided us with an opportunity. Our business has benefitted massively from that marketplace growing. It is crowded and becoming more crowded, but it’s becoming stronger.”

—B.W.

HIT: Sonders electric three-wheeler

This is probably another pipe dream, but it’s really well styled, very professional, has a believable layout (unlike tandem two-seaters) and could work. But the $10,000 price? That’s a pipe dream.

—R.C.

MISS: Ampere 1 three-wheel electric sports car

A very crude prototype that should never have been presented in public. “With a range of up to 100 miles.” Yeah, sure.

—R.C.

HIT: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

With their overwrought side surfacing, the first- and second-generation Mercedes CLS-Classes looked especially awkward where the rear haunches met the rakish four-door “coupe” profile. The new CLS, like the E-Class on which is based, has a much cleaner profile, resolving the issue. And now there’s room for three, not two, in the back seat.

—T.L.

HIT: 2019 Subaru Ascent

The last time Subaru tried to make a three-row SUV, things didn’t work out too well—but the less said about the bygone Tribeca, the better. The automaker did a good job of scaling up its current design language for the Ascent, which looks like a meatier Outback. Now, Subaru owners with growing families will no longer be forced to look elsewhere, so Subaru’s absurd streak of increasing sales for 71 months in a row is nearly certain to continue.

—K.O.

Hit? More like a home run for Subaru.

—E.T.

REVELATION – Mercedes-Benz’s (Inscrutable) 48 Volt Inline-6 Engine

Mercedes-Benz’s arc-shaped CLS has long been considered the sleeker (and less functional) cousin to the workaday E-Class. But the CLS 450 unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show packs a secret weapon that should appeal to anyone with an appreciation for mechanical elegance: Daimler’s latest, greatest, 48-volt-equipped inline-6 powerplant. I was smitten by the mild hybrid engine’s smooth power and imperceptible start/stop action during our first drive of a Europe-only S-Class. Using an integrated starter/generator, the powerplant produces a baseline of 362 hp and 369 lb-ft, adding another 21 hp and 184 lb-ft when electric assistance (aka, EQ Boost) kicks in. But how will Benz pull in non-techy, design focused consumers towards the advanced powertrain? I posed the question to Dietmar Exler, Mercedes-Benz USA’s president and CEO, who answered, “We have to find a way to communicate what the technology really does. When you ask a non-gearhead ‘What’s a Hemi engine?’ I’ll bet you 90 percent of consumers don’t know about hemispheric combustion chambers. But they all know it means more power.” Until Mercedes comes up with a one-word answer to that marketing conundrum, I’ll say this: driving is believing.

—B.W.

HIT: Ram pickup and Chevrolet Silverado High Country backup cameras

If you’ve ever towed a trailer or had a payload in the back of your truck that necessitated leaving the tailgate down, you know how that ordinary backup cameras can be useless. That’s why it was good to see on display with Ram and Chevrolet some well-developed trailering camera systems. The Silverado High Country on the show floor featured a standard three-camera trailering system by EchoMaster. Cameras on each side mirror activate with the turn signals and display on the infotainment screen. There’s also a wireless backup camera to place on the back of your trailer. Options include a front camera kit, a second wireless camera, and a third brakelight camera kit.

—K.S.

HIT: Bollinger Motors B 1

Stupidly primitive as is its styling, it’s full of interesting ideas on storage in an electric 4X4. And like the original Land Rover, it should be easy to repair.

—R.C.

REVELATION: Reports of the death of the conventional car are greatly exaggerated

For the last few years, the Los Angeles auto show had largely focused on green cars, with some self-driving car chatter thrown in for good measure. That went out the window this year despite increasing proclamations about the looming deaths of the internal combustion engine and the human-driven automobile. Instead, we were treated to hot convertibles, brawny sedans, and gas-chugging SUVs, none of which have any plans on driving themselves. Maybe we should focus on improving driver training after all.

—K.O.

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler press kit

For at least 20 years, Chrysler/DaimlerChrysler/Chrysler Group/Fiat Chrysler has created the best traditional press kits, even as everyone else migrated to thumb drives, then to special websites. A thick booklet describing all the myriad features of the new Jeep Wrangler comes in a wood-and-brass box, with a brass-colored thumb drive and a Jeep grille-theme mini-speaker. You can probably find them offered up on eBay, but not from me. I’m keeping mine.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Mitsubishi Mirage hatch is cute

…but not too impressive on fuel mileage.

—R.C.

HIT: Dodge Durango SRT

Dodge agrees with those of us who believe SUVs can be slow, boring blah-mobiles. Just because you need a seven-seater doesn’t mean you don’t want a little power. That’s why they stuck a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 in the new Durango SRT with 475 horsepower, 470 lb-ft of torque and—get this—a 0-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. Pile all of your friends into the luxe interior of this beast and show them that bigger is indeed better. But where is our Durango Demon?

—K.S.

REVELATION: Car magazines can’t wait to write the first-drive headline, “Nissan Kicks Ass”

There. We’ve done it already.

—T.L.

The post 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[eddiejpoplar]

2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations

LOS ANGELES, California—This year’s Automobility/L.A. Auto Show was much like the last couple of years, only more so. Which is to say that on paper, there were a number of significant reveals, led by Fiat Chrysler’s very important and very profitable JL Jeep Wrangler.

Still, at the end of the day, the 2017 L.A. Auto Show left us, at best, whelmed. Perhaps it’s because more and more, the auto show plays second-fiddle to the advanced technology that is the centerpiece of Automobility, which wraps discussion of autonomy and electric-powered vehicles around reveals of the shiny new cars and trucks.

If you attend the public Los Angeles Auto Show, December 1 to 10, you might see things a bit differently. Here’s what we saw this year…

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler

It’s lighter by 200 pounds, it’s more easily convertible, and it is extremely Jeep. The all-new two-door and four-door 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL models will please the marque’s faithful and entice four-wheeling neophytes. The four-door has a power top that removes very quickly and easily, there’s an optional open-air pass-through in the middle of each front door, and the windshield folds down for the full open-air experience.

—Kara Snow

I’m no off-road outdoorsy type, but the latest iteration of this American classic makes me want to convert. As typical for Jeep, there are so many surprise-and-delight features that I can’t guarantee my introductory news story of the debut is comprehensive. Hardcore fans will love the new Wrangler’s interior spec plate, recalling the original Willys MB’s dash plate, the fold-down windshield and the door hinges stamped with the tool number needed to remove them. The masses who bought the first-generation Wrangler Unlimited will want to trade in for easy-to-lower tops and subtle refinement that doesn’t at all diminish its hard-core image.

—Todd Lassa

MISS: JL Jeep Wrangler pricing

Although Jeep promised to give us prices for the new JL models at the show, they weren’t ready to reveal just yet. Naturally, we’re fearing a big increase.

—K.S.

HIT: BMW i8 Roadster

There wasn’t a whole lot that BMW could do to make its i8 PHEV GT coupe cooler, but converting it into a roadster by ripping out the vestigial rear seats and dispensing with the fixed roof is a great way to do it.

—Kirill Ougarov

HIT: Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman GTS

Its 2.5-liter turbo H-4 makes 365 hp, and top speed is 180 mph.

—Robert Cumberford

HIT: 2019 Lincoln Nautilus

The name may be a bit too dramatic for a fancy Ford Edge, but not only does the arrival of the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus signal the end of the brand’s confusing MK_ naming scheme (it’s the artist formerly known as the MKX, in case you’re one of the five people out there that could keep track), the midsize crossover wears the best interpretation of Lincoln’s current design language to date, suffering none of the proportional indignities of the Continental, Navigator, and MKC.

—K.O.

MISS: 2019 Lincoln MKC

The looks for the facelifted 2019 Lincoln MKC are a bit wonky, but that’s not the miss here. The miss is the missed opportunity to do away with the MKC name, as was done with the Nautilus, née MKX. This likely means that the Ford Edge-based compact crossover will be the last Lincoln to get a proper name.

—K.O.

MISS: Volvo XC40

I just can’t warm up to the new compact Volvo SUV. It looks short, stubby, and inelegant compared with the longer, nicely proportioned XC90, which I think is still the best SUV in its class. Though the interior is appropriately premium and well-designed, with excellent fit and finish, from the outside, the Volvo looks no more upscale than the Nissan Kicks.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Subscription is the new lease

This week at the L.A. show, Volvo announced its new “Care By Volvo” plan, a “subscription” program that it is rolling out nationwide on its consumer Web site volvocars.com/us, starting with its new XC40 compact crossover. The concept is simple, you choose either a Momentum or R-Design trim XC40 that you can configure, and everything else is covered: insurance, maintenance, payment, down payment, etc., and they deliver the car to you—no dealer required. The term starts at 24 months, but you can switch cars in as little as 12 months if you like. Mileage is capped at 15,000 a year. All for $600 a month to start. There is some fine print, namely around insurance (Liberty Mutual is the partner) and it’s fun to hear Volvo Cars global CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, and newly minted Volvo Car USA CEO, Anders Gustafsson, use the word “lease” a couple of times as they did in describing the program to me.

—Mike Floyd

HIT: Reds a.k.a CHTC Redspace

Chris Bangle is thinking inside the box for a change. Reds is one of the most refreshing concepts to emerge in a long time. It’s not made for Americans and most folks will hate it, but I love its childish, Toontown looks and the idea of a car that’s designed from the inside out—definitely next level stuff. A woman at the show told Bangle it was beautiful and he was taken back—he doesn’t think it is but appreciated the comment. Beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

—Ed Tahaney

MISS: CHTC Redspace

It lacks charm, beauty, grace… most of the attributes we tend to seek in cars, but the Redspace city vehicle is the most interesting device in the L.A. Auto Show, apparently all about maximizing interior volume to enhance comfort while its occupants are stuck in traffic, which is estimated to be about 90-percent of the time the thing is in operation, at least in such target-market cities as Beijing. Chris Bangle’s return to car design shows us why he should have foregone the opportunity. Dreadful object. Not a car, a street fixture. Most massive A-pillar ever.

—R.C.

REVELATION: CHTC Redspace is an appliance

It looks like a huge, rolling coffee grinder. That’s not necessarily a criticism; I love coffee.

—T.L.

HIT: Volkswagen I.D. Crozz EV Crossover Concept

Volkswagen’s autonomous I.D. concept looks like a cloud with wheels. And although it’s just a concept, it’s easy to believe a ride in this all-electric vehicle would be as silent as a fluffy altocumulus. Big points for the airy, spacious interior (although it’s 6 inches shorter than the Golf) with futuristic seats, a panoramic full-glass roof, and a steering wheel that folds forward into the dash when the driver isn’t needed. Look for it in 2020.

—K.S.

HIT: Jaguar’s show stand

Jaguar pointed its upcoming i-Pace electric SUV and related spec series electric racer, parked in parallel, straight at the Tesla Model 3 on its stand across the aisle. The Jaguar i-Pace is scheduled to go on sale late next year. Wonder, which EV will reach full production first.

—T.L.

MISS: 2018 Chrysler 300

Seems to have lost all the charm it once possessed. Too bad. This nth reskin of an ancient Mercedes chassis was costly.

—R.C.

REVELATION: The Multilink from Infiniti’s Variable Compression Engine

On the surface, Infiniti’s sculpted QX50 has been received as a design hit. But beneath the crossover’s wavy sheetmetal is a deeper story: the world’s first series production variable compression ratio engine. Christian Meunier, Infiniti’s VP Global Marketing and Sales, shared his thoughts with Automobile on the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine’s unique bits, which he compared to “parts of a Swiss watch” while flashing an elegant Jaeger-LeCoutre Reverso on his wrist. Case in point: the palm-sized multilink component, which serves as the lynchpin for altering piston clearance and varying the compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1. “The manufacturing tolerance on it is greater than anything we’ve ever done,” he explains. “It’s one thing to produce it, and another to mass produce it.” While the QX50 on display drew the attention of onloookers, this small hunk of steel tells the arguably more intriguing story of the 20-year struggle to bring a variable compression ratio engine to market.

—Basem Wasef

HIT: Kia lineup

Kia is a surprise to me. Stinger is quite good looking, and Kia’s number-one rating in initial quality is excellent. Obviously European stylists have made a major contribution to the current status of the make.

—R.C.

MISS: Toyota FT-AC concept

I really wanted to like it and make it a “hit.” But I find it an overdrawn take on the new Subaru Crosstrek. Toyota’s Jack Hollis describes it as a crossover, though it has torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive with front and rear lockers. It’s a tweener, size-wise, bigger than a RAV4, but not quite a mid-size vehicle. One of its best features is a built-in rear-bumper bike rack that can accommodate just one bike, though it isn’t any different from this SUV-concept trope we’ve seen at auto shows for years. Plus, the rack is probably three-times the weight of the Specialized mountain bike attached to it. Meanwhile, there are huge, 20-inch tires mostly filling large Crosstrek-style black plastic overfenders, though these overfenders extend out from the bodywork, which doesn’t seem very aerodynamic. While Toyota hints the FT-AC is headed for production, the concept doesn’t have an interior. Toyota’s TJ Cruiser at October’s Tokyo Motor Show came with an innovative interior, and though bigger, boxier and more minivan-like, that concept was one of my hits.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Land Rover’s 1 Percenter Drafting

The likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini are making it a lot less lonely at the top of the SUV pyramid, but you needn’t shed a tear for O.G. luxury offroad manufacturer Land Rover. “You wouldn’t have bought a Range Rover for more than £90,000 ten years ago; now, we sell quite a lot of £160,000, £170,000 Range Rovers,” Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations boss John Edwards told Automobile. “Customers are coming to us and spending another £30,000 on top of that bespoking them. We’ll do probably 250 bespoke cars this year.” Can we expect a new Super SUV from Land Rover to play with the (even bigger) boys? Edwards was mum on future product, but emphasized that competition has made business better than ever. “People always used to tell me, particularly when Bentley was going to be introducing an SUV, ‘You must be really nervous, this is terrible news.’ I’d say, ‘This is fantastic news because it’s going to grow the market; I’m very respectful of Bentley but what they’ve done is expanded the marketplace and provided us with an opportunity. Our business has benefitted massively from that marketplace growing. It is crowded and becoming more crowded, but it’s becoming stronger.”

—B.W.

HIT: Sonders electric three-wheeler

This is probably another pipe dream, but it’s really well styled, very professional, has a believable layout (unlike tandem two-seaters) and could work. But the $10,000 price? That’s a pipe dream.

—R.C.

MISS: Ampere 1 three-wheel electric sports car

A very crude prototype that should never have been presented in public. “With a range of up to 100 miles.” Yeah, sure.

—R.C.

HIT: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

With their overwrought side surfacing, the first- and second-generation Mercedes CLS-Classes looked especially awkward where the rear haunches met the rakish four-door “coupe” profile. The new CLS, like the E-Class on which is based, has a much cleaner profile, resolving the issue. And now there’s room for three, not two, in the back seat.

—T.L.

HIT: 2019 Subaru Ascent

The last time Subaru tried to make a three-row SUV, things didn’t work out too well—but the less said about the bygone Tribeca, the better. The automaker did a good job of scaling up its current design language for the Ascent, which looks like a meatier Outback. Now, Subaru owners with growing families will no longer be forced to look elsewhere, so Subaru’s absurd streak of increasing sales for 71 months in a row is nearly certain to continue.

—K.O.

Hit? More like a home run for Subaru.

—E.T.

REVELATION – Mercedes-Benz’s (Inscrutable) 48 Volt Inline-6 Engine

Mercedes-Benz’s arc-shaped CLS has long been considered the sleeker (and less functional) cousin to the workaday E-Class. But the CLS 450 unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show packs a secret weapon that should appeal to anyone with an appreciation for mechanical elegance: Daimler’s latest, greatest, 48-volt-equipped inline-6 powerplant. I was smitten by the mild hybrid engine’s smooth power and imperceptible start/stop action during our first drive of a Europe-only S-Class. Using an integrated starter/generator, the powerplant produces a baseline of 362 hp and 369 lb-ft, adding another 21 hp and 184 lb-ft when electric assistance (aka, EQ Boost) kicks in. But how will Benz pull in non-techy, design focused consumers towards the advanced powertrain? I posed the question to Dietmar Exler, Mercedes-Benz USA’s president and CEO, who answered, “We have to find a way to communicate what the technology really does. When you ask a non-gearhead ‘What’s a Hemi engine?’ I’ll bet you 90 percent of consumers don’t know about hemispheric combustion chambers. But they all know it means more power.” Until Mercedes comes up with a one-word answer to that marketing conundrum, I’ll say this: driving is believing.

—B.W.

HIT: Ram pickup and Chevrolet Silverado High Country backup cameras

If you’ve ever towed a trailer or had a payload in the back of your truck that necessitated leaving the tailgate down, you know how that ordinary backup cameras can be useless. That’s why it was good to see on display with Ram and Chevrolet some well-developed trailering camera systems. The Silverado High Country on the show floor featured a standard three-camera trailering system by EchoMaster. Cameras on each side mirror activate with the turn signals and display on the infotainment screen. There’s also a wireless backup camera to place on the back of your trailer. Options include a front camera kit, a second wireless camera, and a third brakelight camera kit.

—K.S.

HIT: Bollinger Motors B 1

Stupidly primitive as is its styling, it’s full of interesting ideas on storage in an electric 4X4. And like the original Land Rover, it should be easy to repair.

—R.C.

REVELATION: Reports of the death of the conventional car are greatly exaggerated

For the last few years, the Los Angeles auto show had largely focused on green cars, with some self-driving car chatter thrown in for good measure. That went out the window this year despite increasing proclamations about the looming deaths of the internal combustion engine and the human-driven automobile. Instead, we were treated to hot convertibles, brawny sedans, and gas-chugging SUVs, none of which have any plans on driving themselves. Maybe we should focus on improving driver training after all.

—K.O.

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler press kit

For at least 20 years, Chrysler/DaimlerChrysler/Chrysler Group/Fiat Chrysler has created the best traditional press kits, even as everyone else migrated to thumb drives, then to special websites. A thick booklet describing all the myriad features of the new Jeep Wrangler comes in a wood-and-brass box, with a brass-colored thumb drive and a Jeep grille-theme mini-speaker. You can probably find them offered up on eBay, but not from me. I’m keeping mine.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Mitsubishi Mirage hatch is cute

…but not too impressive on fuel mileage.

—R.C.

HIT: Dodge Durango SRT

Dodge agrees with those of us who believe SUVs can be slow, boring blah-mobiles. Just because you need a seven-seater doesn’t mean you don’t want a little power. That’s why they stuck a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 in the new Durango SRT with 475 horsepower, 470 lb-ft of torque and—get this—a 0-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. Pile all of your friends into the luxe interior of this beast and show them that bigger is indeed better. But where is our Durango Demon?

—K.S.

REVELATION: Car magazines can’t wait to write the first-drive headline, “Nissan Kicks Ass”

There. We’ve done it already.

—T.L.

The post 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[doctortdesigns]

I can’t believe I made it all the way to the final round of this year’s Sewing Bee!  Last year was my fist year to participate, and I was ecstatic to have made it through to the second round.  It feels like such an accomplishment this year to be participating all the way through to the finals!  I’m also really excited with all of the garments I’ve made.  While some of them are certainly more wearable than others, I feel really happy with the way all of them turned out.  In some sense the final round was perhaps my least successful – I had a lot of sewing and non-sewing trials and tribulations during this 10-day challenge.  Without the time constraint I would have muslined the trousers of the jumpsuit a second time after making major sizing changes, I would likely have taken the time to get some double welt pockets on the back of the trouser, I would have ordered some different hardware for the buckle, and i might have refined my jacket embellishment a bit more.  I also would have modified under garments to work a bit better with the jumpsuit design.  However, given everything I had to deal with during this challenge and the time crunch it created, I am very pleased with what I was able to accomplish for this round.

School Reunion Inspiration: When the challenge came up school reunion I was actually pretty excited.  I was shocked to receive a postcard earlier this year reminding me that my 10 year college reunion is coming up in 2018.  So, even though I might not *actually* go to all the festivities, making this outfit felt pretty applicable.  Of all my school experiences, my undergraduate years are probably the ones I have the most mixed feelings about.  On the one hand, I have very fond memories of being at school, and my professors and my educational experience there.  On the other hand, I have some rather negative associations with a certain individual who may have, how shall I say?  Disabused my notions of the fairy tale ending alluded to in so many of the Disney films of my youth.  I’m sure you can relate.  It’s long past, and I’m a much happier person now, yet the idea of “revenge sewing” a knockout outfit appealed very much to my vindictive side.  What can I say?  I’m human.

So, what to make?  It needed to be elegant, yet relaxed.  Powerful, yet understated. Not too fussy, yet it needed to make a statement.  Oh, and it had to be drop dead sexy.  But in a self-aware and empowered sort of way.  A look screaming “desperate for attention” was not what I was going for.  Of course, the first thing that came to mind was a jumpsuit, and what better pattern to use for revenge sewing than Rebecca Vallance’s Vogue 1524?  I figured if I used a little jacket as a cover-up, I’d be able to use it for any networking events during the day, and with a quick removal of the jacket it’d be the revenge sewing project of perfection for the evening.

I wanted to use my school colors in the look, so I searched LA for the perfect royal blue color (not as easy to find as you’d think!) and gold accents.  I sort of came up empty on the gold hardware, but it turned out I had the perfect separating zipper in my stash, and I wasn’t above using Sharpie paint pens to help me transform a plastic buckle.  I’d like to replace the buckle in the future, but the turnaround time of the Bee dictated that I be resourceful and use what I could find on hand.

As for the jacket, I originally wanted to do something simple, but an offhanded comment from my dad convinced me that this piece is where the fun “wow” factor could go.  My college mascot is the anteater, so I thought it would be cool to add an abstract anteater to the back of my jacket.

Challenges:  I feel like this week conspired against me.  First, fabric shopping in LA was entirely stressful, as I normally don’t have such an issue finding fabrics that speak to me.  Although I was able to find everything I wanted in the end, it took a *lot* of searching to find a serviceable royal blue for the trouser portion of the jumpsuit.  Then, on Monday, the California wildfires forced me and my family to evacuate our home.  Although we did have some time to pack our cars, and my family was great in helping me rescue materials for the Bee, I did essentially lose 2-3 sewing days due to ransacking my sewing room, then trying to restore it to some semblance of working order to get the projects done in time.  Granted, having a home is to return to is more important than finishing items for the Bee, but I know there are many people who would have loved to be a finalist, and I felt like I couldn’t so easily give up when I still had time to try to make something.  Of course, my level of ambition hadn’t factored in needing to evacuate, and I think I was a bit over-ambitious in my plans.  It didn’t help that the poor air quality and stress sent my grandmother to the hospital (she is fine), or that I really hadn’t planned to make it this far and had scheduled work events for the weekend.  I ditched as many things as I could, but I was still scrambling, which meant sloppy sewing, which meant mistakes.  I was almost done making the back welt pockets on the trousers when I decided to scrap them – they just weren’t good enough, and they weren’t salvageable.  Due to time constraints I recut the back trouser piece, and move forward sans welts.  I would have loved to have that detail, but I just couldn’t risk another botchy job when I was so punchy from lack of sleep and liable to make another error.

Special Techniques:  Aside from the time issue, I did choose a rather technical Vogue designer pattern, which had complex fitting, multiple closures, and a metal separating zip that needed to be shortened.  I also added the anteater design in metallic fabrics to the back of my jacket.  I drafted my own lining pieces for the trousers of the jumpsuit and for the jacket because my fabrics were a little itchy.

Pattern Description:

Vogue 1524 is a Rebecca Vallance Vogue Designer pattern with cup sizing.  It is a jumpsuit with open back, exposed separating zipper, buckle, and collar on the top.  It has wide-legged trousers with side pockets and back welt pockets on the bottom of the jumpsuit.

Simplicity 8178 is a wardrobe pattern with a jumpsuit, dress, and jacket.  I made the jacket (view D) as an accent to the Vogue jumpsuit.

Pattern Sizing: Both patterns come in sizes 6-14 and 14-22.  I traced a size 12 at the bust, a 14 at the waist, and a 16/18 at the hip for each.  For the Vogue pattern I used the D cup sizing.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Vogue: Yes, I thought the instructions were quite good.  There were times attaching the back straps when it told me to hand-sew, but I wasn’t sure why when a machine stitch was easily achieved.  Similarly, I machine-sewed the straps with the back buckle, but I wish I’d hand-tacked that for a cleaner finish.  I may go back and re-do that after the Bee has ended.  Otherwise I followed the instructions and everything worked out great, except the welt pockets.  That was more an error from rushing and exhaustion than from any problems with the instruction though.

Simplicity:  These instructions were fine.  I was a bit perplexed by calling one piece the “front and under collar” because it sounded like these should be two pieces you attach together, but really that is the title for just one pattern piece.  I did not follow all the instructions for finishing the inside of the jacket since I added a lining, but it does look like you would get a neat finish on an unlined jacket using these instructions.  There rest of the instructions were great, the pattern sews together very neatly.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope once you were done with it?

Vogue: Yes, very much!  It is a super distinctive design, but I love the way it turned out.

Simplicity: Yes, I think so!  It would perhaps lie better in a ponte knit or something with a bit less body, but I couldn’t resit the sparkles for my reunion look.

What did you particularly like or dislike about this pattern?

Vogue: Likes: The style is great, and it is super comfortable.  Dislikes: It is a bit tricky to zip the upper portion without help, and I had to jerry-rig a bra that would work with the look.  The undergarments still need a bit of tweaking, but they are almost there.

Simplicity: Likes: The jacket is super cute!  It is the perfect accent to add to a jumpsuit or dress.  Dislikes: The arms are quite fitted and the collar does stand a bit away from the body.  I think in a different fabric this would not be an issue though.

Fabric used: Since this was a fancy outfit (and the final round of the Bee!) I decided to splurge a bit and went on a shopping trip in the LA garment district.  All of the fabrics in this look were bought at Michael Levine’s, except the trouser portion and the trim fabrics, which were bought from the smaller stores on 9th street in Downtown LA.

Vogue: The top is a wonderfully soft ponte-like double knit.  The trousers portion is (shockingly) a wonderful wool twill.  I though I was overpaying for polyester, but, nope, it’s wool.  And it is gorgeous and presses like a dream.  The lining was Bemberg rayon.

Simplicity:  The main fabric is a really cool metallic jacquard knit from Michael Levine.  The lining is a stretch poly satin, which sews like a dream.  The trim is weird cheap metallic fabric that people apparently use as tablecloths at weddings that I somehow got into my head would be something cool to work with.  Why I think things like this I may never know.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

Vogue: In my muslin, I used a size 18 at the hip and the crotch seemed really low.  So when I switched to a size 16, I also raised the top length line by 1/2” and lowered the lower length line by 1/2”.  Honestly, I should have just left it alone, as moving to a size 16 was enough to fix the crotch curve issue, but I should have still added that extra 1/2” to the lower leg length.  I also added 1” to the underarm/front diagonal because I was having major side boob in the sample.  I also added full lining to the trousers because my wool was mildly scratchy.

Simplicity: I made a 1” full bicep adjustment, shortened the sleeve length, and added a lining.

Would you sew it again?  Would you recommend it to others?

Vogue:  I’m having mild PTSD towards this pattern right now; it’s given me a complex against welt pockets.  I’d love to make a version in black though, so I expect I might return to it at some point.  With a re-adjusted/un-adjusted crotch curve.

Simplicity:  The jacket is cute, so I’d totally sew another version.  I’d also love to try the jumpsuit from this pattern and create the full look on the envelope.  I’d use a slightly thinner fabric with less body next time.

Conclusion: I’m so excited to have finished my looks for the Bee!  I think this would be super fun to wear to a reunion, but I’m totally wearing the jumpsuit for some holiday parties coming up later this year.  The jacket is a bit of a special piece, but I love my little anteater so I’m sure I’ll find an occasion to wear it out soon.  Although the sewing for this final round was more stressful and less successful than I would have liked, I am so happy to have made it this far in the Bee, and so grateful that I’ve had this opportunity to be a finalist!

*************************************************************************************

And now it’s back to real life.  The Bee really does give one a sewing high.  Today (the day after the Bee closed) I feel like I’ve got a really bad hangover.  I feel stiff, and sore, with a mild headache and no desire to do anything.  It’s like I’m finally letting last week hit me, and it is hitting hard.  I’ve got a ton of stuff to do – I never really unpacked after the fire evacuation, other than the sewing stuff, I haven’t folded laundry in weeks, I’m terribly behind on emails and regular mail, there is no food to speak of in the house… Plus I’ve got the November Burda and new Vogue patterns to review, and a post of a “wearable muslin” that I made in conjunction with my winning second round look.  So, while I *should* start to clear the clutter that has accumulated around the edges of my life, the sewing hangover might dictate that I sit on my lazy rump and write up a few more posts for you guys.  Stay tuned – there will be a lot to discuss in the next few days!

Pattern Review Sewing Bee Round 4: Impress at a School Reunion #prsewingbee I can't believe I made it all the way to the final round of this year's Sewing Bee! 

[footballleague0]

Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts, busts for 2017-18

In order to put your team in the best possible position to win your league, you’ll need to make the most of your draft. That includes finding good values in players who will exceed their average draft position, landing at least one player who takes his game into the upper echelon and avoiding players who flop miserably.

With that in mind, our fantasy basketball experts (Jim McCormick, Joe Kaiser, John Cregan, Eric Karabell and Kyle Soppe) offer up their top sleepers, breakouts and busts for the 2017-18 campaign.

Sleepers

Sleeper: A player who will far surpass his average draft position (ADP) in standard ESPN leagues for the 2017-18 season.

An eventful summer in the NBA will make for an exciting 2017-18 fantasy hoops season. Create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league today! Sign up for free!

Jim McCormick — Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets

The Rockets have led the NBA in 3-point frequency — the percentage of total field goals that come from beyond the arc — for the past four seasons. With Mike D’Antoni at the helm of the space-driven, seven-seconds-or-less offense, the Rockets broke their own NBA record with an absurd 46.3 percent 3-point frequency last season. Enter Gordon, who was third in the NBA with 8.8 3-point attempts per game last season. With an ADP into the 90s in early ADP results, Gordon can carry your team from 3-point range throughout the season if you don’t land an elite shooter in the early rounds. 70th on the Player Rater last season, it’s possible Gordon could assume increased shooting volume (and better shots) playing alongside an elite point guard like Chris Paul.

Joe Kaiser — Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic

Payton is still only 23 years old as he enters his fourth NBA season, and he’s coming off a year during which he quietly put up five triple-doubles and drastically improved his shooting from the field and the free throw line. While Payton remains a big question mark from long range — he’s a career 28.9 percent 3-point shooter — the string of triple-doubles late last season tells me that he may have turned a corner as a point guard in this league. Quietly, he has also trimmed down his turnovers per game (to 2.2 last season) every season he’s been in the league.

Mock drafts, roto rankings, points rankings, projections, player profiles, draft strategies, DFS strategies — we’ve got everything you need to dominate fantasy basketball from every angle.

John Cregan — Ricky Rubio, Utah Jazz

I feel like people always sleep on Rubio. He’s been around forever, but at 26, he is still approaching his peak production. Rubio played the best basketball of his career after the All-Star break last season (16.0 PPG, 10.5 SPG). Now in Utah, he’s in prime position for a career season. Rubio has also refined his terrifying outside shot into something less night-sweat inducing. He’s good for at least a 3-pointer per game and has always been elite from the free throw line. He’s a solid fifth rounder. I especially like Rubio in turnover leagues due to his elite assist-to-turnover ratio.

Eric Karabell — D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets

Russell needed a new start, and the Lakers gave him that by sending him to Brooklyn, a team so lacking in talent that the third-year player wouldn’t need to appreciably improve to be a valuable fantasy option. Then again, Russell is only 21, so he really should improve. Russell averaged 18.5 PPG and 5 APG after the All-Star break last season and shot better from the field and the line, showing some signs of on-court maturity along the way, and he should get plenty of chances to do anything he wants statistically with the Nets. This doesn’t mean Russell will be a great player, but on this team, he’ll get numbers.

Kyle Soppe — Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks

The ninth overall pick in June joined Team Soppe with the 95th overall pick in our first staff mock draft: championship! He’s an elite athlete, and the team is going to give him every chance to succeed, so I will be buying all the shares I can at this price. Follow me here: J.J. Barera and Devin Harris are fine NBA players but not difference-makers, right? If you combine their per-game averages last season (17.6 PPG, 7.6 SPG, and 4.4 RPG), you have a stat line that closely resembles the three-year average of Eric Bledsoe, a player who went 40th overall in our mock. Smith can approach that sooner than later, and it’ll be for my fantasy team — and hopefully yours.

We’ve seen Julius Randle’s fantasy game improve each season as a pro. Is he primed to break out in 2017-18? EPA/PAUL BUCKBreakouts

Breakout: A player who will leap into or close to the upper echelon of players at his position for the first time because of a dramatic increase in production compared to his previous seasons.

Jim McCormick — Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers

In a system that fuels added possessions, given coach Luke Walton’s affinity for pace (sixth in the NBA last season), Randle’s bid for a double-double average appears entirely realistic — he was 17th in the NBA last season with 15.6 rebounding chances per game. Randle was also 11th in potential assists per game and ninth in points created from assists per game among forwards last season. Add up these awesome opportunity rates in a career year with what should be increased spacing on the block, thanks to the gravity Brook Lopez creates. Randle has a chance to be a really profitable investment at power forward.

Joe Kaiser — Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers

Power forward is a thinning position with players like Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap no longer worth drafting in the top two rounds. Enter Randle, who improved as a shooter and distributor in his second full season in the league and even posted three triple-doubles along the way. How many other power forwards other than Draymond Green can lay claim to that? None, unless you count Nikola Jokic as a power forward. Randle may never be a huge blocks and steals guy, but the 22-year-old has a chance to set himself apart as a passing big man who averages a double-double along the way.

John Cregan — Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Cue the Myles Turner era in Indiana. With Paul George in OKC; who else is going to take over the Pacers? Glenn Robinson III? I anticipate Turner being a top-25 player overall and his ceiling top 15. His eligibility at PF and C adds another half-round to his value. I wouldn’t rank Turner ahead of Jokic, but he’s not too far behind in terms of across-the-board production (and solid-for-a-big free throw efficiency). I’d start thinking about him right after DeMarcus Cousins comes off the board.

Eric Karabell — Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Turner will be a coveted fantasy pick after the first few rounds, but he actually finished his second NBA season as the No. 20 option on the ESPN Player Rater, and he’s going to continue to improve. Turner started 81 games, but now that George and Jeff Teague have left town, there’s clearly room for him to score and rebound more. After all, he’s only 21! Turner is already a safe shooter, hitting more than half his field goals and 80 percent from the line, and it’s hard to find fantasy assets that can do that, while also topping eight boards and two blocks per night. Turner could eventually be a 20-10 guy and top-10 fantasy player.

Kyle Soppe — D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets

The ability to plug him in at SG is huge, as depth at the position is a bit of a problem. Russell is probably too aggressive for his own good from a “real” basketball perspective (33rd in usage rate last season), but that mindset is gold now that he should star for a franchise that led the league in pace last season. Am I crazy to think that his value could end in the DeMar DeRozan tier this season? His 3-point shooting probably offsets the difference in point total, his assist/rebound totals will be similar, and the new role has me thinking Russell’s shooting percentage and free throw attempts rise in a nice way this season.

Dwyane Wade has been helping fantasy teams for a decade and a half, but you should think twice before drafting him this time. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY SportsBusts

Bust: A player who is expected to be a solid starter in standard ESPN leagues but will fail to live up to those expectations this season.

Jim McCormick — Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers

I think it’s entirely possible, and arguably likely, that Ball enjoys a really impressive rookie season and yet still fails to return the value expected from his expected draft slot; he’s currently going 45th overall in ESPN drafts. In order to see what production is expected of a top-50 fantasy asset at point guard amid this demanding era at the position, we can use Jrue Holiday as a benchmark. Holiday played 68 games last season and finished 49th on the Player Rater, while averaging 15.4 PPG, 7.3 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.5 APG and 1.5 3PPG. Only two rookies since 1946 have met these milestones: Damon Stoudamire and Allen Iverson. Only Chris Paul, Jamaal Tinsley, Rubio, Jason Kidd and the two names above have even averaged at least 8.0 PPG, 7.0 APG and 0.5 3PPG as rookies. I think Ball is a tremendous prospect in real terms, but a risky one in a fantasy context, given these longstanding production precedents.

Joe Kaiser — Jeff Teague, Minnesota Timberwolves

Teague was always one of the top two or three scoring options on his team during his many years in Atlanta and last season in Indianapolis, which is why he has averaged better than 14.5 PPG in five consecutive seasons. In Minnesota, that changes, as Teague joins a team with a tremendous scoring trio in Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins. Teague has always been right around league average in terms of assists and steals and under average as a 3-point shooter, so the expected decline in scoring makes him a less appealing fantasy option.

John Cregan — Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for Wiggins to begin buttressing his points production with other categories. If Wiggins can’t be elite in a particular area, he has to diversify. And with his defensive rep and sky-high usage rate, Wiggins should be a 1+1+1 guy; a player involved enough on both ends of the floor to chip in at least one 3-pointer, block and steal per game. You know, like Butler. As in the guy who’s about to Hoover off 3-5 shots per game away from Wiggins. Without as many touches on offense, there’s every chance Wiggins dips into seventh- or eighth-round production.

Eric Karabell — Dwyane Wade, Chicago Bulls

Wade begins his second year with the Bulls in a rebuild, and while some figure the loss of Butler will permit and perhaps force him to score like he did in his Miami prime, that’s just not happening. Wade has missed 20 or more games in three of the past four seasons and might not be so motivated to play through injury this year when his team is losing badly every night. And losing is likely. Wade’s field goal percentage dropped because he attempted more 3s, which is also not a good thing. Wade, 35, will likely be drafted by fantasy owners based on name value and as someone capable of averaging 20 points per game, he but shouldn’t be a top-100 pick at all.

Kyle Soppe — Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Lakers

According to the Player Rater, nearly 16 percent of Lopez’s value last season came from his ability to make 3-pointers. That’s just silly. That means that his value was almost as dependent on knocking down 3s as Stephen Curry’s was on his point total. C’mon now. Dude is 7-feet tall and allergic to the paint. The Lakers have a host of younger pieces that they will look to focus on, and given his limitations in a pair of traditional big stats (FG% and rebounds), any regression with the jumper is going to make him a major disappointment.

The post Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts, busts for 2017-18 appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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[giantsfootball0]

Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts, busts for 2017-18

In order to put your team in the best possible position to win your league, you’ll need to make the most of your draft. That includes finding good values in players who will exceed their average draft position, landing at least one player who takes his game into the upper echelon and avoiding players who flop miserably.

With that in mind, our fantasy basketball experts (Jim McCormick, Joe Kaiser, John Cregan, Eric Karabell and Kyle Soppe) offer up their top sleepers, breakouts and busts for the 2017-18 campaign.

Sleepers

Sleeper: A player who will far surpass his average draft position (ADP) in standard ESPN leagues for the 2017-18 season.

An eventful summer in the NBA will make for an exciting 2017-18 fantasy hoops season. Create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league today! Sign up for free!

Jim McCormick — Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets

The Rockets have led the NBA in 3-point frequency — the percentage of total field goals that come from beyond the arc — for the past four seasons. With Mike D’Antoni at the helm of the space-driven, seven-seconds-or-less offense, the Rockets broke their own NBA record with an absurd 46.3 percent 3-point frequency last season. Enter Gordon, who was third in the NBA with 8.8 3-point attempts per game last season. With an ADP into the 90s in early ADP results, Gordon can carry your team from 3-point range throughout the season if you don’t land an elite shooter in the early rounds. 70th on the Player Rater last season, it’s possible Gordon could assume increased shooting volume (and better shots) playing alongside an elite point guard like Chris Paul.

Joe Kaiser — Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic

Payton is still only 23 years old as he enters his fourth NBA season, and he’s coming off a year during which he quietly put up five triple-doubles and drastically improved his shooting from the field and the free throw line. While Payton remains a big question mark from long range — he’s a career 28.9 percent 3-point shooter — the string of triple-doubles late last season tells me that he may have turned a corner as a point guard in this league. Quietly, he has also trimmed down his turnovers per game (to 2.2 last season) every season he’s been in the league.

Mock drafts, roto rankings, points rankings, projections, player profiles, draft strategies, DFS strategies — we’ve got everything you need to dominate fantasy basketball from every angle.

John Cregan — Ricky Rubio, Utah Jazz

I feel like people always sleep on Rubio. He’s been around forever, but at 26, he is still approaching his peak production. Rubio played the best basketball of his career after the All-Star break last season (16.0 PPG, 10.5 SPG). Now in Utah, he’s in prime position for a career season. Rubio has also refined his terrifying outside shot into something less night-sweat inducing. He’s good for at least a 3-pointer per game and has always been elite from the free throw line. He’s a solid fifth rounder. I especially like Rubio in turnover leagues due to his elite assist-to-turnover ratio.

Eric Karabell — D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets

Russell needed a new start, and the Lakers gave him that by sending him to Brooklyn, a team so lacking in talent that the third-year player wouldn’t need to appreciably improve to be a valuable fantasy option. Then again, Russell is only 21, so he really should improve. Russell averaged 18.5 PPG and 5 APG after the All-Star break last season and shot better from the field and the line, showing some signs of on-court maturity along the way, and he should get plenty of chances to do anything he wants statistically with the Nets. This doesn’t mean Russell will be a great player, but on this team, he’ll get numbers.

Kyle Soppe — Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks

The ninth overall pick in June joined Team Soppe with the 95th overall pick in our first staff mock draft: championship! He’s an elite athlete, and the team is going to give him every chance to succeed, so I will be buying all the shares I can at this price. Follow me here: J.J. Barera and Devin Harris are fine NBA players but not difference-makers, right? If you combine their per-game averages last season (17.6 PPG, 7.6 SPG, and 4.4 RPG), you have a stat line that closely resembles the three-year average of Eric Bledsoe, a player who went 40th overall in our mock. Smith can approach that sooner than later, and it’ll be for my fantasy team — and hopefully yours.

We’ve seen Julius Randle’s fantasy game improve each season as a pro. Is he primed to break out in 2017-18? EPA/PAUL BUCKBreakouts

Breakout: A player who will leap into or close to the upper echelon of players at his position for the first time because of a dramatic increase in production compared to his previous seasons.

Jim McCormick — Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers

In a system that fuels added possessions, given coach Luke Walton’s affinity for pace (sixth in the NBA last season), Randle’s bid for a double-double average appears entirely realistic — he was 17th in the NBA last season with 15.6 rebounding chances per game. Randle was also 11th in potential assists per game and ninth in points created from assists per game among forwards last season. Add up these awesome opportunity rates in a career year with what should be increased spacing on the block, thanks to the gravity Brook Lopez creates. Randle has a chance to be a really profitable investment at power forward.

Joe Kaiser — Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers

Power forward is a thinning position with players like Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap no longer worth drafting in the top two rounds. Enter Randle, who improved as a shooter and distributor in his second full season in the league and even posted three triple-doubles along the way. How many other power forwards other than Draymond Green can lay claim to that? None, unless you count Nikola Jokic as a power forward. Randle may never be a huge blocks and steals guy, but the 22-year-old has a chance to set himself apart as a passing big man who averages a double-double along the way.

John Cregan — Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Cue the Myles Turner era in Indiana. With Paul George in OKC; who else is going to take over the Pacers? Glenn Robinson III? I anticipate Turner being a top-25 player overall and his ceiling top 15. His eligibility at PF and C adds another half-round to his value. I wouldn’t rank Turner ahead of Jokic, but he’s not too far behind in terms of across-the-board production (and solid-for-a-big free throw efficiency). I’d start thinking about him right after DeMarcus Cousins comes off the board.

Eric Karabell — Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Turner will be a coveted fantasy pick after the first few rounds, but he actually finished his second NBA season as the No. 20 option on the ESPN Player Rater, and he’s going to continue to improve. Turner started 81 games, but now that George and Jeff Teague have left town, there’s clearly room for him to score and rebound more. After all, he’s only 21! Turner is already a safe shooter, hitting more than half his field goals and 80 percent from the line, and it’s hard to find fantasy assets that can do that, while also topping eight boards and two blocks per night. Turner could eventually be a 20-10 guy and top-10 fantasy player.

Kyle Soppe — D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets

The ability to plug him in at SG is huge, as depth at the position is a bit of a problem. Russell is probably too aggressive for his own good from a “real” basketball perspective (33rd in usage rate last season), but that mindset is gold now that he should star for a franchise that led the league in pace last season. Am I crazy to think that his value could end in the DeMar DeRozan tier this season? His 3-point shooting probably offsets the difference in point total, his assist/rebound totals will be similar, and the new role has me thinking Russell’s shooting percentage and free throw attempts rise in a nice way this season.

Dwyane Wade has been helping fantasy teams for a decade and a half, but you should think twice before drafting him this time. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY SportsBusts

Bust: A player who is expected to be a solid starter in standard ESPN leagues but will fail to live up to those expectations this season.

Jim McCormick — Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers

I think it’s entirely possible, and arguably likely, that Ball enjoys a really impressive rookie season and yet still fails to return the value expected from his expected draft slot; he’s currently going 45th overall in ESPN drafts. In order to see what production is expected of a top-50 fantasy asset at point guard amid this demanding era at the position, we can use Jrue Holiday as a benchmark. Holiday played 68 games last season and finished 49th on the Player Rater, while averaging 15.4 PPG, 7.3 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.5 APG and 1.5 3PPG. Only two rookies since 1946 have met these milestones: Damon Stoudamire and Allen Iverson. Only Chris Paul, Jamaal Tinsley, Rubio, Jason Kidd and the two names above have even averaged at least 8.0 PPG, 7.0 APG and 0.5 3PPG as rookies. I think Ball is a tremendous prospect in real terms, but a risky one in a fantasy context, given these longstanding production precedents.

Joe Kaiser — Jeff Teague, Minnesota Timberwolves

Teague was always one of the top two or three scoring options on his team during his many years in Atlanta and last season in Indianapolis, which is why he has averaged better than 14.5 PPG in five consecutive seasons. In Minnesota, that changes, as Teague joins a team with a tremendous scoring trio in Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins. Teague has always been right around league average in terms of assists and steals and under average as a 3-point shooter, so the expected decline in scoring makes him a less appealing fantasy option.

John Cregan — Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for Wiggins to begin buttressing his points production with other categories. If Wiggins can’t be elite in a particular area, he has to diversify. And with his defensive rep and sky-high usage rate, Wiggins should be a 1+1+1 guy; a player involved enough on both ends of the floor to chip in at least one 3-pointer, block and steal per game. You know, like Butler. As in the guy who’s about to Hoover off 3-5 shots per game away from Wiggins. Without as many touches on offense, there’s every chance Wiggins dips into seventh- or eighth-round production.

Eric Karabell — Dwyane Wade, Chicago Bulls

Wade begins his second year with the Bulls in a rebuild, and while some figure the loss of Butler will permit and perhaps force him to score like he did in his Miami prime, that’s just not happening. Wade has missed 20 or more games in three of the past four seasons and might not be so motivated to play through injury this year when his team is losing badly every night. And losing is likely. Wade’s field goal percentage dropped because he attempted more 3s, which is also not a good thing. Wade, 35, will likely be drafted by fantasy owners based on name value and as someone capable of averaging 20 points per game, he but shouldn’t be a top-100 pick at all.

Kyle Soppe — Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Lakers

According to the Player Rater, nearly 16 percent of Lopez’s value last season came from his ability to make 3-pointers. That’s just silly. That means that his value was almost as dependent on knocking down 3s as Stephen Curry’s was on his point total. C’mon now. Dude is 7-feet tall and allergic to the paint. The Lakers have a host of younger pieces that they will look to focus on, and given his limitations in a pair of traditional big stats (FG% and rebounds), any regression with the jumper is going to make him a major disappointment.

The post Fantasy basketball sleepers, breakouts, busts for 2017-18 appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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[themodernvedic]

What is a Bonsai ? How to Grow it ? How is it related to Feng-Shui ?How does it affect the environment around us ?

Bonsai tree is a Japanese technique to limit the growth of a plant in a container, also known as tray planting,is done to primarily contemplate the viewer , and to create a positive environment of effort and ingenuity for the grower as well as those in the surroundings.The word “Bon-sai” (often misspelled as bonsai or banzai) is a Japanese term which,when literally translated, means “planted in a container”. This technique is derived from an ancient Chinese horticultural practice, part of which, was later redeveloped under the influence of Japanese Zen Buddhism.Techniques such as pinching buds, pruning and wiring branches, and carefully restricting  yourself to the plant species that can be grown in a container and have woody stems and branches. But Bonsai tree needs extra care and a special environment to grow. Use of Fertilizers has to be minimum a lot of hedging and trimming has to be done in order to keep the plant short and plump.

Old bonsai trees can be dated back to 300 years old.Bonsai tree was initially grown in japan and china around 300 years back by monks , scholars and healers to maintain a natural environment around themselves and create an atmosphere of positivity to meditate or practice yoga or concentration.Bonsai trees are of many kinds.The oldest one is  of Banyan tree.There are many more types of bonsai plants like cherry , peach , maple , Fig tree , Juniper bonsai ,etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sC2U1B3J8

Growing and Cultivation of Trees

The first step to grow a  bonsai tree is to select a tree suitable for your environment.First-timers usually go with Banyan tree due to it's growing ease,capability and wider branches but other choices like peach tree , cherry tree,etc could be used as well.These trees are famous for their red color in autumn which an awesome look to your house and creates an aura of positivity around you.A less expensive, but slow method is to cultivate a tree using seeds or cuttings yourself.

Pruning of the Bonsai Tree

Pruning and cultivation of the tree has to be done on regular basis. There are two type of pruning: One is maintenance pruning to trim of grown hedges and branches to give bonsai an appealing shape Other is rigorous pruning which involves trimming of stem and branches in order to prevent it from getting out of shape.

The goal of maintenance pruning is to maintain and refine the shape of the tree. It is important to prune these out-grown areas regularly in order to encourage growth of the plant from within.You simply have to prune branches/shoots that have outgrown the intended canopy-size/shape using twig shears or a normal cutter.As opposed to deciduous trees, pine trees and conifers should be pinched by hand. Use scissors to prune some species of conifers that have dead brown foliage at their ends. To prevent this from happening hold the tips of the shoot between your thumb and index finger and carefully pull it away. The shoot will snap at its weakest point and no brown ends will appear there-after. Different species need different maintenance techniques of pruning and pinching,Some even need a combination of both To give a tree its basic shape large branches are pruned away. Deciding which branches should stay and which ones should be removed can be difficult, not only because it is an irreversible action but also because the decisions made at that time will decide how the plant will grow up to be.Place the tree on a table at eye-level;

Wiring of a Bonsai Tree

Wiring is a crucial step in growing of bonsai tree.It is done by wrapping up wire around branches of a plant to bend it and to give an appealing shape to the tree.It can be done throughout the year however most deciduous species have to be wired in winters only since absence of leaves in such plants makes wiring much easier.

Basically, two kinds of wire can be used: Anodized aluminum Annealed copper

Aluminum wire is used for deciduous species, while the harder copper wire is used for conifers and pines. For beginners anodized aluminum wire is advised. Wire is available in a range of different thicknesses, varying from 1 to 8 mm. There is no need to purchase all the available wires. Buying 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.5 mm and 4 mm thick wire should be perfect to start out with. When wiring thick branches it is recommended to wrap them up with raffia, which will protect the branches from being damaged by the wire when bending them.

Watering Bonsai

How Often Should You Water? How often you should water a bonsai tree depends on several different variables: What type of tree is it What time of year is it Where is your tree kept Where do you live And more than a few others. Watering bonsai is a constant balance between too much and too little. How Should You Water? The "best" way to water is to first wet the soil a little, this will improve the soil's ability to absorb a larger volume of water, and then you should water thoroughly until the soil is saturated. Make certain that the entire soil mass gets wet - every time - you water and wait for the excess to run out of the drainage holes to be sure.

When Should You Water? The "best" time to water is arguably early in the morning, before your bonsai begins its day of photosynthetic activities. However, it is important to be vigilant about its watering needs throughout the day, especially during the summer. Bear in mind that bonsai trees do not grow when the soil is wet and they do not grow when the soil is dry: it is only during the in between periods that your bonsai tree takes in water and nutrients. You also need to be aware of the amount of light your new bonsai tree is getting, the temperature of the room your bonsai is located in and the humidity levels of that immediate area. You also need to be realistic about your other life responsibilities, not only for their sake, but also for the sake of your bonsai tree.

What Kind Of Water Should You Use? Water your new bonsai tree with room temperature tap water, because cold water has the potential to shock its roots. If you have the ability and the time to collect rain to water, that is great, but it is unnecessary unless the water in your neighborhood is unfit to drink - and, if it is, you might consider moving yourself and your bonsai somewhere safer.

Light

How Much Light Does A Bonsai tree Require? Providing the correct amount of light for your bonsai tree  is crucial in order to keep it healthy. Light requirements are specific to the type of tree and are further dependent upon specific parameteres depending upon the location they are kept.

What Kind Of Light Is Best? Sunlight is the best type of light for bonsai trees and other living creatures on earth as well. As such, the brightest window in your home is arguably the best spot for your indoor bonsai trees. However, the brightest window in your home may be located next to the fireplace. So, in case like this you need to find an alternative and more practical location and use some type of artificial lighting system.

What Kind Of Artificial Light Should You Provide?

A combination of grow and timer light are a simple solution for providing additional light. Set your timer for 12 to 16 hours of supplemental lighting and position your bonsai within 1 to 4 inches of your light source.  

Humidity

Why Is Humidity Important For Bonsai tree? Although indoor bonsai slow their growth in winter and do not need as much water,but they still require sufficient humidity. Humidity helps to reduce water loss through the processes of transpiration. Transpiration will have a negative effect on your bonsai's ability to retain water and remain healthy. How Can Humidity Be Improved?

The sometimes dry climate of a home or apartment can be altered to benefit your bonsai tree. Placing your bonsai on a "humidity tray" filled with decorative pebbles, that should be kept wet at all times, will help increase humidity levels. Another solution is regular misting. Misting is the most common humidifying method. It has an additional benefit of removing dust from your bonsai, which blocks sunlight and interferes with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Be sure to mist using room temperature water to avoid shocking your bonsai. What Else Is Helpful To Prevent Dry Conditions? Keep your indoor bonsai trees away from breezy doors, windows and heating sources, such as vents, radiators, and fireplaces to avoid quickly drying them out. While more sunlight is desirable, it may dry out your bonsai. So, maintaining a watering schedule during winter is just as important as during summer.

Temperature

Why Is Temperature Important For Bonsai tree ? During winter months it is vital that you keep your new indoor bonsai warm -- Not Hot -- but warm, somewhere between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. How much warmth your bonsai should get depends on where your bonsai is from "originally", the warmer the native climate, the warmer the area in your home, it should be located in. How Can Temperature Be Monitored? Placing a thermostat on the wall is a good place to start. However, a small thermometer is better suited to monitor the actual temperature of the micro-environment that your bonsai tree is located in. Most garden centers will have small thermometers available at a reasonable price. What Is Helpful To Avoid Temperature Fluctuation? Doors, windows, fans, heating systems and breezy hallways will all affect the actual temperature of a particular area. It is important for a healthy bonsai tree,room temperature should be maintained at a certain temperature. A sudden drop in temperature, as well as, a sudden spike in temperature can injure your indoor bonsai trees. Indoor bonsai should not be kept near a door that is frequently opened during winter months to avoid harmful cold drafts.

Air Circulation

Why Is Air Circulation Important? A location with adequate air circulation is very important for the long-term health of your new bonsai tree. The process of photosynthesis requires an unrestricted exchange of fresh air and stagnate environmental conditions,absence of which could otherwise compromise your bonsai's ability to continue its photosynthetic processes, by clogging the pores or stomata, located on the bottom of leaves, which bonsai trees use for their vital air exchange, through dust and debris accumulation. What Else Is Air Circulation Responsible For? A closed or confined space is the perfect environment for pests and disease,These two are the most terrible enemies of bonsai trees. The regular movement of fresh air helps prevent pests, like spider mites, from establishing their webs and infesting any damage on your bonsai trees. Air circulation also assists your trees in the transportation of essential fluids from the roots to the leaves, by osmosis. Air also prevents possible root rot conditions, from soil saturation, by assisting in water evaporation.

Pests and Diseases

How Can I Prevent Pests & Disease? When working to prevent the possible injury or death of your beloved bonsai tree, the best defense is a strong offense.Be vigilant by keeping your bonsai clean, dust and debris free and cleared of fallen leaves and flowers Make sure,sufficient lighting is supplied, along with good ventilation and lots of fresh air. A healthy bonsai tree will no doubt help you prevent pests and disease in whole of your environment and homes.

How to tell when something is wrong with your bonsai?

Even when you water and fertilize your bonsai tree properly and keep your bonsai in a location appropriate for their health,a lot of problems can arise.Insects, diseases, poor drainage or short periods of neglect can stress a bonsai and cause it to weaken. Working on stressed trees, whether wiring or cutting back, can cause further stress.

This may sound funny, but the best approach to dealing with sick bonsai tree is to prevent them from becoming sick in the first place. Even though most maladies can be successfully addressed, problems in one tree can spread to others in the case of insects or fungus, and signs of stress due to poor soil or neglect are likely to affect more than one tree at a time.The very best way to monitor tree health is simple – look closely at your trees as often as possible. This is simple in theory but can be difficult to practice as days come and go when we’re too busy to take out time to see what’s going on under leaves or just beneath the surface of the soil. Checking the foliage Fortunately, no special technical skills are required for this. Simply inspecting foliage on a regular basis – at the tree’s exterior and interior and from above and below – is one of the best approaches to maintain bonsai health. Even if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll be better equipped to notice change if you look at your trees closely and regularly. When you do notice a change in foliar appearance, you can begin the process of narrowing down the problem.

Spots indicate damage from fungus on coast live oak

Signs of fungus on trident maple foliage Checking the soil Checking the soil periodically can help you determine if your watering is effectively wetting the soil. Keeping bonsai too wet can weaken them over time, whereas letting a tree dry out can cause damage quickly. Extended periods of rain can be problematic too.

A 2 x 4 under one end of the pot reduces the soil’s ability to hold water If you see fuzzy white, yellow, or tan material when you re-pot, you may have mycorrhiza – a good thing – or root aphids – a bad thing. Mycorrhiza refers to the symbiotic relationship between roots and beneficial fungi that provide nutrients to the tree. Mycorrhiza may appear white or tan in color. Just a little might be visible or it can fill the pot.

Lots of mycorrhiza Root aphids are insects that feed on sap in the roots. They can look similar to mycorrhiza

There is a near limitless number of threats and conditions that can adversely affect bonsai health. Experience can provide opportunities to learn some of the most common ones. In the meantime, here are some tips and resources related to identifying situations that need attention. If you have a number of bonsai of the same variety, one of the best ways to spot trouble is to compare the foliage color and quality between specimens. If most of your pines are green, but one is yellow, it is time to investigate further.

The pine with yellow foliage needs attention Your Bonsai tree may need water even when it’s raining. If the rain is gentle or if your tree has a thick canopy, the roots may not be getting the water they need. Dig into the soil to where the roots are and water it if the root-ball is dry.

Dry area under dense canopy on rainy day Give your bonsai tree plenty of space on the bench and remove old foliage as it accumulates. Keeping trees too close together prevents foliage from getting the air and light it needs and it provides insects with good hiding places.

These junipers are kept too close together Vacations can spell trouble for a bonsai tree.Even a few days without water can damage or kill bonsai trees in summer. If possible, find someone in the bonsai community to help with the watering while you’re away as they’ll be familiar with the care your trees need.

Upon closer inspection, small white dots become visible – signs of juniper scale

Aesthetics

Bonsai aesthetics are the aesthetic goals characterizing the Japanese tradition of growing an artistically shaped miniature tree in a container.These are Established art forms that share some aesthetic principles with a bonsai plant include penjing and saikei. Over centuries of practice, the Japanese bonsai aesthetic has encoded some important techniques and design guidelines. Simply following the guidelines alone will not guarantee a successful result. Nevertheless, these design rules can rarely be broken without reducing the impact of the bonsai specimen. Some key principles in bonsai aesthetics include:

Miniaturization: By definition, a bonsai is a tree kept small enough to be container-grown while otherwise fostered to have a mature appearance. Proportion among elements: The most prized proportions mimic those of a full-grown tree as closely as possible. Small trees with large leaves or needles are out of proportion and are avoided, as is a thin trunk with thick branches. Asymmetry: Bonsai aesthetics discourage strict radial or bilateral symmetry in branch and root placement. No trace of the artist: The designer's touch must not be apparent to the viewer. If a branch is removed in shaping the tree, the scar will be concealed. Likewise, wiring should be removed or at least concealed when the bonsai is shown, and must leave no permanent marks on the branch or bark. Poignancy: Many of the formal rules of bonsai help the grower create a tree that expresses Wabi-sabi, or portrays an aspect of mono no aware.

Bonsai Styles

The Japanese tradition describes bonsai tree designs using a set of commonly understood, named styles. These styles are not mutually exclusive, and a single bonsai specimen can exhibit different styles. When a bonsai specimen falls into multiple style categories, the common practice is to describe it by the dominant or most striking characteristic.

Formal upright style Bald cypress A frequently used set of styles describes the orientation of the bonsai tree's main trunk. Different variations are used for a tree with its apex directly over the center of the trunk's entry into the soil, slightly to the side of that center, deeply inclined to one side, and inclined below the point at which the trunk of the bonsai enters the soil. Formal upright or chokkan style trees are characterized by a straight, upright, tapering trunk. Branches progress regularly from the thickest and broadest at the bottom to the finest and shortest at the top. Informal upright or moyogi  trees incorporate visible curves in trunks and branches, but the apex of an informal upright bonsai is located directly above the trunk's entry into the soil line.

Informal upright style Juniper Slant-style or shakan bonsai possess straight trunks like those of bonsai grown in the formal upright style. However, the slant style trunk emerges from the soil at an angle, and the apex of the bonsai will be located to the left or right of the root base. Cascade-style or kengai specimens are modeled after trees that grow over water or down the sides of mountains. The apex (tip of the tree) in the semi-cascade-style or han kengai  bonsai extends just at, or beneath the lip of the bonsai pot.The apex of a (full) cascade style falls below the base of the pot.

Cascade style conifer A number of styles describe the trunk shape and bark finish. Shari or sharimiki style involves portraying a tree in its struggle to live while a significant part of its trunk is bare of bark.

Slant-style conifer   Root-over-rock or sekijoju is a style in which the roots of the tree are wrapped around a rock, entering the soil at the base of the rock. Growing-in-a-rock or ishizuke or ishitsuki  style means the roots of the tree are growing in soil available in the cracks and holes of a rock. While the majority of bonsai specimens feature a single tree, there are well-established style categories for specimens with multiple trunks. Forest (or group) or yose ue style is planting of several or many trees of one species, typically an odd number, in a bonsai pot. Multi-trunk styles like sokan and sankan have all the trunks growing out of one spot with one root system, so the bonsai is actually a single tree. Raft-style or ikadabuki  bonsai mimics a natural phenomenon that occurs when a tree topples onto its side, from erosion or another natural force. Branches along the top side of the trunk continue to grow as a group of new trunks.

Other styles A few styles do not fit into the preceding categories. These include: Literati or bunjin-gi style is characterized by a generally bare trunk line, with branches reduced to a minimum, and foliage placed toward the top of a long, often contorted trunk. Broom or hokidachi  style is used for trees with fine branching, like elms. Its trunk is straight and branches out in all directions about ⅓ rd of the entire height of the tree. The branches and leaves form a ball-shaped crown. Windswept or fukinagashi  style describes a tree that appears to be affected by strong winds blowing continuously from one direction

Size classifications

Japanese bonsai exhibitions and catalogs frequently refer to the size of individual bonsai specimens by assigning them to size classes. Not all sources agree on the exact sizes or names for these size ranges, but the concept of the ranges is well-established and useful to both the cultivation and the aesthetic understanding of the trees. A bonsai's size class implies the height and weight of the tree in its container.

In the very largest size ranges, a recognized Japanese practice is to name the trees "two-handed", "four-handed", and so on, based on the number of men required to move the tree and pot. These trees will have dozens of branches and can closely simulate a full-size tree. The very largest size, called "imperial", is named after the enormous potted trees of Japan's Imperial Palace.

  Common names for bonsai size classes Large bonsai Common name Size class Tree Height Imperial bonsai Eight-handed 152–203 cm (60–80 in) Hachi-uye Six-handed 102–152 cm (40–60 in) Dai Four-handed 76–122 cm (30–48 in) Omono Four-handed 76–122 cm (30–48 in) Medium-size bonsai Common name Size class Tree Height Chiu Two-handed 41–91 cm (16–36 in) Chumono Two-handed 41–91 cm (16–36 in) Katade-mochi One-handed 25–46 cm (10–18 in) Miniature bonsai Common name Size class Tree Height Komono One-handed 15–25 cm (6–10 in) Shohin One-handed 13–20 cm (5–8 in) Mame Palm size 5–15 cm (2–6 in) Shito Fingertip size 5–10 cm (2–4 in) Keshitsubo Poppy-seed size 3–8 cm (1–3 in) Charming the landscape

Including an artificial or a real bonsai tree in your landscape brings charms and is sure to upscale the atmosphere of the place. The amazing decorative faux bonsai trees cast a magical appearance to your indoor and outdoor landscapes. When you decorate your interior and exterior landscape with the bonsai trees, your VIP guests have a feeling of well-being in their mind, and this is congenial to business growth as well as a healthy life. Bonsai come in every detail like trunk, branches, leaves and fruits and give you the most pleasant impression. These can be installed at places like balconies, terraces or can be kept near the windows of your meeting room and also at the reception desk for creating a lush green environment. The bonsai trees have the immense scope of decorating. You can use those in office buildings, entertainment parks, hospitals, restaurants, shopping malls and in many other places for creating a visual lift. Faux(fake) bonsai is not faux pass Decorating your landscape with the artificial bonsai trees also good. The following lines will tell you why.

These mimic the natural bonsai trees in every respect and as these come in different varieties,bonsai is a cool decorating option. Fills the voids with refreshing green lustre,creating a relaxed and chilling environment. These are very easy to handle and extremely portable. So, you can easily change decoration as and when you like. Being made of sturdy polyurethane material, the artificial bonsai trees remain unaffected in changed weather conditions and do not fade or get discolored. These do not require sunlight, and therefore you can easily decorate the darkest corner with faux bonsai trees. The natural bonsai trees need regular care and attention to keep them fresh, but these require no watering, no maintenance, no pruning and thus you do not have to wreck your brains. The faux bonsai trees are fire resistant and hence absolutely safe. Can be customized to your specific requirement. Economically better option

Bonsai Myths Busted!

There are many bonsai myths connected with growing bonsai trees. Many have long been proven wrong, but continues to appear in bonsai literature.Some of the more common ones are listed below.

Myth : “Bonsai are Only Made from  Real Trees ... not Shrubs or Bushes”

'Pixie' Bougainvillea bonsai shown above was grown from a 'bush' and is over 35 years old. Reality : A Bonsai Tree can easily be grown from a bush,all you need is a little care and affection.

Myth : "Bonsai are House Plants"

Reality : This is also one of the very oldest bonsai myths.  Today, reputable sellers are much more explicit as to where trees should grow.

Bonsai Garden Bonsai are best grown outdoors,we can't deny that. In most climates, these small trees are treated the same as any other potted plants. In winter, the tropical plants are brought indoors or placed in greenhouses.Others are placed in pits and garages to be protected from bitter winters.

Myth : “A Plant Must be Imported to be a True Bonsai”

Reality : Many exotic bonsai trees are imported, however, many more are grown using plants common to the area of the artist. As the popularity of a bonsai spreads throughout the world, new bonsai plant species are constantly being discovered.

This is one of the bonsai myths that is rapidly disappearing.While junipers and pines are common bonsai in temperate climates, fig trees (Ficus) are popular in tropical areas.Native trees around the world are becoming very popular with bonsai growers.

Myth : “A Tree Stops Growing Once it Becomes a Bonsai”

Reality : Hopefully not! A Good bonsai plant needs to shed and grow new leaves or needles, bloom and drop flowers, extend its branches and develop  roots. As it matures, a bonsai may slow down and may need a less trimming, but it will continue to grow.

Myth : “Bonsai Wire Keeps the Tree from Growing”

Reality : The purpose of wire is to bend and shape the branch or trunk of the bonsai.  It is not permanent. Wire is removed when the job is done. Some bonsai enthusiasts use copper wire.Others use copper-colored aluminum.There is no magic in the type of wire used. Whatever does the best job for you, is the one to use.

Myth : “Pruning Roots will Kill the Tree”

Reality : Just the opposite!  Trimming roots keeps the bonsai plant healthy in a container.

Cutting roots (even the tap root) will not kill a tree if it is done judiciously and at the appropriate time of year. The “perfect” time of year to prune roots varies from species to species.

Myth : “You Can Make Tiny Grapefruit on a Bonsai Tree”

Jaboticaba fruit Reality : No way!There are bonsai techniques to reduce the size of leaves. There are fruit trees with small fruits, such as Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

Fortunella hindsii bonsai Some people may swear they have seen miniature orange bonsai trees.  Calamondin and varieties of kumquat both look similar to tiny oranges. One of them is most likely what they saw. Rather than grapefruit, try one of the small fruited plants as bonsai.

 Myth : "Always Use Humidity Trays Indoors"

Reality : Is this another myth?  Yes and no. A tray with water in it is not necessary.  The amount of humidity it puts in the air will make no difference. There is a theory as to why humidity trays do work, and it has nothing to do with humidity.Someone with a humidity tray tends to water his plants indoors without concern for those in the trays.  Their trees are frequently watered and thus cared for in a better manner(while indoors) than trees placed on furniture, shelves and/or window sills.Without the tray, many people tend to go through lot of trouble in moving trees to watering locations (sinks and tubs) ... drying them ... and then returning them to their assigned growing area. More and more often, the humidity tray is referred to as a “drip tray”.  The truth is they do not create enough humidity  to make a difference.  It's all about the ‘drip!’

Bonsai Terms

Having a working familiarity with bonsai terminology will enable you to effectively express all facets of your bonsai activities to others, both more and less skilled than yourself, in the bonsai community.

The following list of words and definitions will help you on your way to becoming fluent in the unique language of bonsai: 1. Accent Plant - a small plant that is put on view in conjunction with a bonsai, usually when a bonsai is being formally displayed at a show or exhibition; also called a companion plant. 2. Air Layer - a method for propagating trees through the removal of a large branch or section of trunk from an existing tree, or bonsai, to create a new tree. 3. Akadama - a traditional Japanese bonsai soil that is comprised of the red volcanic matter of Japan; used for thousands of years by bonsai artists on most types of deciduous bonsai trees. 4. Apex - the very top or highest point of a bonsai tree. 5. Back budding - a process of encouraging new growth on a branch where growth is currently non-existent. 6. Broadleaved - trees, mainly deciduous, with broad, flat leaves; non-conifer trees. 7. Bunjin - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called literati. This is a tree that has a tall, slender trunk with foliage growing only near the top. 8. Buttress - the area of a tree trunk where the roots meet the soil surface.This area is usually styled to convey strength of the bonsai tree. 9. Callus - the scar tissue that forms over a wound where a branch has been pruned off, of a tree.It is part of the tree's healing process. 10. Cambium - the thin layer of green colored cell tissue growing between the bark and the wood of a living tree. 11. Canopy - all of the upper-most branches that form the top of a tree. 12. Chokkan - a traditional Japanese bonsai style, also known as formal upright. This is a tree that has a very straight trunk with symmetrical branching; illustrating strength and order. 13. Collected tree - finding and taking a tree from its natural habitat; a tree that has been shaped by the forces of nature alone. 14. Conifer - a tree that bears cones; mainly evergreen trees such as: pines, cedars, spruces and junipers. 15. Cross - a hybrid resulting from cross-fertilization between species or varieties. 16. Crown - the upper section of a bonsai where the branches spread out from the trunk. 17. Cultivars - cultivars are plants that have features desirable to the person "cultivating" them. These desirable characteristics have been deliberately selected and can be reliably reproduced in plants under controlled cultivation.

18. Cut-leaved - a bonsai that has leaves which are shaped in very distinct segments. 19. Deciduous - a tree that has a seasonal growth cycle where new foliage is produced in the spring, then grows throughout the summer, turns colors in autumn, and drops in the winter, leaving buds on the branches for next spring's new foliage. 20. Defoliation - the practice of removing all leaves to encourage new shoots and potentially smaller leaves. 21. Dieback - the death of the tips of branches, or whole branches, due to extreme weather or possibly one of several diseases. 22. Divided leaf - a leaf formed of separate sections that emerge from a common base. 23. Division - a method of propagating shrubs by carefully dividing the root ball and replanting the separated sections. 24. Dormant - the period of the year when little or no growth occurs; usually late autumn and throughout the winter months. 25. Dwarf - a variety or cultivar that is smaller than the species tree, but retains all of the characteristics of a full size species tree. 26. Evergreen - a tree or shrub that retains its leaves throughout the year. 27. Fertilizer - is "food" for trees, shrubs and plants; usually comprised of NPK: Nitrogen for the foliage, Phosphorous for the roots, and Potassium for the flowers. 28. Foliage pad - a mass of foliage on a branch; sometimes referred to as a cloud. 29. Fruit - the part of a plant that carries the seeds; usually berries or fleshy or pod like. 30. Fukinagashi - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called windswept. This is a tree that has its trunk and branches swept back in one direction; illustrating a tree exposed to very forceful winds. 31. Genus - a unit of classification for a group of closely related plants. 32. Germination - the moment a seed starts into growth, developing roots and shoots. 33. Girth - the circumference of the trunk of a tree, measured at just above the root base. 34. Grafting - is a commonly used method for propagating trees, when propagation by seeds or cuttings is impractical or impossible. 35. Han-Kengai - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called semi-cascade. Where the branches and trunk of a tree are swept down to one side, but not below the top lip of the container; illustrating a tree subject to violent winds and weather. 36. Hardy - a term used to describe trees capable a withstanding winter frost. 37. Hokidachi - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called broom. Where the trunk is straight with symmetrical branches and has its foliage arranged in a semi-circular dome or broom shape. 38. Humidity - the amount or degree of moisture in the air. 39. Internodal distance - the length of stem between two nodes or leaf joints. 40. Ikadabuki - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called raft. Where the tree is laid on its side and its branches are trained vertically and arranged in a group formation. 41. Ishitsuki - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called root over rock. Where the tree has its roots arranged so they have grown over and in the crevices of a rock. 42. Jin - is a branch, which has been stripped of its bark and cambium to represent a dead branch; illustrating great age or harsh conditions. 43. Juvenile foliage - the young leaves of a tree that produces two distinct shapes of leaves; the second type being mature foliage. 44. Kabudachi - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called clump. Where the trees' trunks all grow from the same point on the root mass and are more crowded in appearance than a regular group planting. 45. Kengai - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called cascade. Where the branches and trunk of the tree are swept to one side and hang below the container; illustrating a tree on the edge of a mountain cliff subjected to fierce winds. 46. Leader - the main shoot at the top of a tree, usually indicating the uppermost continuation of the trunk. 47. Lime Sulpher - a chemical used to whiten or bleach a section of stripped branch or trunk in order to preserve a jin or shari. 48. Loam - a soil mixture comprised of clay, sand and organic matter. 49. Mame - a term used in size classification of bonsai trees; this being a small bonsai. 50. Moyogi - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called informal upright. Where the trunk curves through its taper up to the apex. 51. Nebari - the exposed surface roots of a bonsai. 52. Needle - a type of leaf that is narrow and usually of a stiff texture, like those found on a black pine tree. 53. New wood - a stem or twig on a bonsai that originated during the current season's growth. 54. Nitrogen - an essential element of plant nutrition; identified by the chemical symbol N; aids in growth of stems and leaves. 55. Node - the point on a trunk or branch where the leaf buds emerge. 56. Old wood - a stem or twig on a bonsai that originated during the previous season's growth or at an earlier time. 57. Peat - partly decomposed organic matter; when it is used as an ingredient of potting soil it assists in moisture retention. 58. Perlite - a form of volcanic rock that is heat treated to develop a lightweight, coarse granule that when used as a component of potting soil has advantageous ventilation and water retention properties. 59. Phosphorous - another essential element of plant nutrition; identified by the chemical symbol P; aids in development of roots, ripening of fruits and seeds. 60. Pinching - is a technique used in bonsai cultivation of controlling and shaping the growth of foliage by pulling off soft new shoots with the finger and thumb in a pinching motion. 61. Potassium - the third essential element of plant nutrition; identified by the chemical symbol K; it encourages strong new growth, development of flower buds and fruit formation. 62. Pot-bound - the adverse state of a container grown plant where the root growth has filled the container to the extent of eliminating all vital air spaces. 63. Prostrate - the characteristic growth habit of a plant that naturally tends to grow along the ground instead of upright. 64. Pruning - the process of controlling the shape and growth rate of a tree by cutting back the shoots, stems and branches. 65. Raceme - a type of elongated flower that is composed of individual stalks all growing from a central stem; ex. Flower type found on wisteria trees. 66. Ramification - the dense branching structure of a bonsai that only develops after years of repeated pruning of the branches. 67. Repotting - the practice of replanting a bonsai tree at regular intervals to perform health maintaining tasks such as: root washing, inspecting, pruning, soil refreshing, and potting in a different or larger pot; all imperative to the health of a bonsai. 68. Rootball - the large mass of roots and soil visible when a tree is taken out of its pot or pulled from the ground. 69. Root pruning - the practice of cutting back the roots of bonsai in order to make room in the container for fresh soil and to encourage new root growth. 70. Rootstock - is the root system and main stem to be used as the base of a new tree when propagating through grafting. 71. Scion - is a small section of a tree, which contains all of the desirable characteristics of the parent tree that will be propagated into a new tree through grafting on top of the rootstock. 72. Shakan - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called slanting. Where the trees' trunk, appears similar to the formal upright style, but the trunk is slanting to one side. 73. Shari - an area where the bark and cambium have been removed from the trunk to suggest the struggle against fierce weather such as: wind, lightning, snow and ice. 74. Species - the unit of classification for a plant with identifiable characteristics. 75. Suiseki - stones that appear to look like large boulders or mountains and represent the spirit or essence of each; sometime used in a formal bonsai display. 76. Taproot - the large root of a tree that grows vertically downward, anchoring it into the ground; it is usually referred to in bonsai, because of its need to be pruned shorter or removed for container cultivation. 77. Tokonoma - a Japanese tradition of creating a specific area in the home where bonsai, accessory plants, Suiseki, and scrolls are displayed together in harmony. 78. Wound sealant - a number of compounds formulated to seal cuts made on branches or the trunk of bonsai to prevent the loss of moisture and promote heeling. 79. Yamadori - trees collected from the wild, which have been shaped by nature alone and have been collected to be developed into bonsai. 80. Yose-ue - a traditional Japanese bonsai style; also called a group or forest. Where the trees are arranged in a container to resemble a group or forest of trees. What Is The Connection Between Bonsai And Feng Shui? Feng Shui is all about fostering harmony and balance. In a similar manner, Bonsai trees are trained to grow in shapes that represent natural balance. The trees can be grown in many styles, including cascading, upright, group and forest styles. Each of these styles brings a certain harmony to the tree.

Feng Shui supports the growing of plants in homes. When placed in an office setting, the trees are believed to bring luck. This is especially true of plants placed in the room’s east, south-east or south corners. Bonsai trees can also be used to soften sharp lines and promote air flow through dead spaces. Bonsai trees also bring the important element of wood into the home in a natural way. According to Feng Shui, wood is one of the five elements of life. As such, wood influences the flow of qi and is believed to have healing properties.

Symbol depicting the 5 Elements Plants, including Bonsai trees, can be a good indicator of the type of energy present in a certain environment. Plants are far more sensitive than humans when it comes to environmental energy. If your Bonsai tree dies, replace it with another tree in the same space. The death of a bonsai tree usually indicates negative energy in the area. When the principles of Feng Shui are applied to Bonsai, a balanced natural landscape is evolved which can bring balance to the surrounding environment. Bonsai trees are a practical way to bring both nature and the positive energy associated with Feng Shui into the home. Where can I display a Bonsai in my Home ?

The best placement of any feng shui cure is defined by its feng shui element and the correspondence with a specific bagua area. A bonsai tree obviously belongs to the feng shui element of Wood, so place it in a bagua area that is either defined by Wood (East and Southeast), or nourished by Wood (South). Can I have a Bonsai Tree in my Office ?

Yes, you can certainly have a bonsai in your office, if the look and feel of a bonsai speaks to you. Be mindful of the fact that there are better choices for feng shui plants for the office.So be sure you make the right choices to support your well-being and success at work. As you can see, it is up to you, to honestly evaluate your own feelings about having a bonsai tree in your home. It might be an excellent feng shui choice for you if you love it and take good care of it.

It might speak to you of patience, order, the need to control, etc.There may be other associations that come to mind, too. Confinement, limited growth and root pruning are all used to create bonsai trees. Bonsai trees  are just another reminder of humans' interference and control of the natural world. So, is a bonsai tree good feng shui or bad feng-shui?

If you love it and take good care of it, as well as place it in an appropriate feng shui bagua area, you can be assured that your bonsai tree is good for you. That is, as long as you truly love it

Bonsai's Link With Meditation

Keeping a part of nature with you is good for your health as after all it does provide you with oxygen and water (humidity).In ancient times Buddhist monks used to carry their bonsai with them to meditate and get positive vibes from their plant and it helped them meditate.Pronounced as bone-sigh, the Japanese translation of bonsai is "tree in tray." Grown in a container, separated from the earth, bonsai is a separate entity, complete in itself, yet part of our nature. Thus the expression, "heaven and earth in one container" is often used, to refer a bonsai tree. Positioned off-center, the bonsai's asymmetry is vital to its visual effects, but such placement is due to the symbolism of the center point where heaven and earth meet. The triangular pattern provides visual balance, and is an expression of the relationship between the universe, the artist, and the tree.

Bonsai is not an effort to duplicate nature in miniature, but rather an effort to convey its essence and spirit. An outstanding bonsai is one that looks like a marvelous accident of nature. Tuning into the rhythm of nature and understanding the inter-relatedness of all things are key components of philosophy and art called bonsai.

Types of Bonsai Trees

Fig Tree

Japanese Maple Bonsai

Trident Maple Bonsai

Dwarf Pomegranate

Zalkova Bonsai

Hornbeam and Beach

Western Bonsai

Magnolia Stellta Bonsai

Oak Bonsai

Hackberry Bonsai

Privte Bonsai

Boxwood Bonsai

Snowrose Bonsai

Olive Bonsai

Jade Bonsai

Fuchsia Bonsai

Fukien Tea Bonsai

Bird Plum Bonsai

Money Tree Bonsai

Spruce Bonsai

Larch Bonsai

Cedar Bonsai

Benefits of Bonsai Tree

Bonsai tree keeps the environment and atmosphere positive and acts as a stress reliever . Bonsai tree constantly needs watering and caring which teaches a person patience and calmness . Bonsai trees clean the air around you . Bonsai can help you get over your cold and other allergies along with many lung problems . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mGo7ORpiHY

Health Benefits of Bonsai Tree

1) Bonsai relieves stress. In a bonsai's presence,your breathing becomes relaxed and life seems slower.

2) Bonsai can exercise your brain.

Like your muscles, your brain needs exercise as well.  Not in a stressful way but more in a playful way. Depending on what level you want to be,your bonsai will stimulate your creativity, awareness, memory, and learning.

Creativity ��� Bonsai is an art.  When starting a new  bonsai, there can be many possibilities.  This will require you to creatively think of what to do with the material you have, to maximize the tree’s future aesthetics and health. Awareness – Sometimes bonsai people also call this “sensitivity”.   Bonsai is an art involving a live material.  The artist must be aware of the tree’s requirements for health and longevity. A bonsai Tree will require the basic water, fertilizer, lighting, and ventilation pruning requirements have to be fulfilled, branches, leaf, and roots.  Awareness of the season and the corresponding tree responses and growth.  Awareness is more than the brain working, it’s almost like becoming the tree and feeling the seasons .If  this is all new to you, don’t stress out.

Memory – Your memory is like your soul.  

The body is just a walking shell.  When  did you last water, fertilize, root prune, etc. your trees.You have to remember everything,in minute detail.  Not to mention, remembering the names of your trees (common name and latin names).  That should be enough to exercise your memory.

Learning – You’ve probably heard of it before, “when you stop learning, you stop growing”. In bonsai's life span, there is so much to learn.It just depends how far you want to go with it.  Learning keeps your brain active. 4) Bonsai tree is an example of Persistence and Resilience. 

You favorite bonsai trees are usually the old looking, gnarly, and yet healthy and beautiful ones.Bonsai is an art that portrays victorious survival from harsh elements  and conditions and  when  the storm is over, the tree is even more beautiful.  The tree shows persistence and resilience. Wouldn’t it be great to learn from this this example?  What makes our life more beautiful it’s not just the outward look of our successes (money,  house, cars, other material things).  It is knowing that you’re a better person because of your hard work and struggles. If  you’ve struggled or struggling with health issues, be like a bonsai, persist and be resilient, your battle scars will add to your beauty.

5) Bonsai is about expectations in the future.

While creating a bonsai you have to think about the future.  You have to visualize a positive outcome from the tree.What do athletes do ?They visualize the outcome of their game in a positive way. Bonsai is no different.  Visualizing a positive outcome is a big part of growing a bonsai.  For your health, you must do the same. Click to Post