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romaine2424 · 1 year ago

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Daily Blog June 22, 2023

So that was fun yesterday in starting this blog. I seriously do hope that as time goes by that others will start doing the same. :) I do want to add that in my posts I will be adding some fandom history now and then. Today is one of those days. I may have been a bit self-indulgent. *blushes*

What I'm Reading:

I'm trying to savor the Ginny sorted into Slytherin story I mentioned yesterday. In my first read of it, I raced through it and know that I probably missed enjoying it in it's complete form. I'm on a few Discords and one of them being Harry Potter Fanfiction Club. They have a vote every month to choose what fics the members can read together and discuss. This month they chose for Drarry aideomai's Dwelling. I'd read this masterpiece before but decided to look for a shorter fic by this amazing author. I chose Nice Things. OMG all 22K of this fic is such a treat. If you ever need a warm, dreamylike fic, choose this one. It's an 8th year fic where only 7 of the classmates come back. Ron, Harry, and Hermione are in the mix. Draco is there along with Theo. They are assigned to live in a cottage on the grounds of Hogwarts. The progression of Harry and Draco's relationship is lovely. Read it now or Bookmark it for later when the need for this type of fic hits...as we all know there are times it's needed.

Tumblr Posts of Interest:

I only have one today and that's just because I have a bit to say about it as it holds a special place in my fandom heart.

HD Fan Fair (Career Fair) is open for prompts! They have openings for 250 prompts and so far have 153. Prompt closing is on June 30th. Claiming begins on July 1st.

First of all, I think we need to give a huge shout-out to Fan Fair mod @phoenixacid. This will be her 10th year of modding this fest. I do believe she worked on it even earlier. Anyone who's modded a fest before knows the dedication it takes to see it through. Her co-mod, @sassy-cissa has been involved since 2018.

Here's a little history about this Fest

This fest has been going on annually since 2009, with the exception of 2011. It was conceived by @marguerite26 and myself, with @vaysh11 and Jamie2109 soon joining in. I was unable to mod for personal reasons that first year and only partially the second...after that I pretty much left fandom. Back then, you really couldn't just start a fest when other established fests were already on the calendar. It was considered impolite and it would be posted on LJ about what an arse you were. LOL When hd_inspired closed shop, we jumped in and took their spot in Autumn. Fan Fair started with Career Fair and then moved on to Travel Fair. Since then, they've had Book (books mentioned in HP), Sex, Food, and Pottermore Fairs with repeats for Career, Travel and Food. Both Inspired and then Fan Fair were novel in being a prompt fest as opposed to an exchange fest like @hd-erised (back then it was hd_holidays). We felt it gave greater control to the authors to write to a prompt they liked as opposed to be assigned one, which from personal experience can cause angst and meltdowns. That is why it was called a Fair as opposed to a fest. A fest usually meant an Exchange Fest.

When I came back to fandom, I about cried seeing that @Phoenixacid had not only kept Fan Fair alive but it was thriving. I wrote for it that first year I came back in 2021, and I made a promise to read and comment on every fic and art piece posted for the Fairs. I only skipped one fic last year. It was brilliantly written but was beyond my comfort level for psychological horror. I don't listen to Podfics, I'm sorry to say. When I used to commute hours to and from work, I could but now I don't have the where-with-all to pay attention.

So go PROMPT!!!!! And give tons of love to the two mods!!!! Mods are the backbone of fandom.

For more history on Fan Fair and links to all the previous Fairs and their masterlists, here you go. Fan Fair on Fanlore.

Tumblr Drarry Fic/Art Resource:

Did you know the amazing @snowgall created and maintains a Drarry fanart archive at @snowingalway. She had noticed that fandom art of old was being lost and artists were leaving fandom. The pieces available for viewing are those that the artists have given her permission to archive. She personally contacted the artists to ask for such permission. I think when you visit the sight and view what she's saved, you too will be thrilled and indebted for what she's done for Drarry fandom. Please not she also posts and collect current works, too!

Last Tidbit:

I mentioned yesterday that I'd be reccing a fic today. I'm going to hold off on that until tomorrow. This is long enough. *blushes again*

#romaine2424 daily blog #june 2023

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etes-secrecy-post · 6 months ago

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Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE! (W/ BIGGER TEXT!)⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

😡 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EVER LIKED & REBLOG MY SECRET POST! THIS IS FOR MY SECRET FRIENDS ONLY, NOT YOU! 😡

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

Take a Taste: with Meals from the Next Door Noodles by North Park [Recorded: May 19th, 2024]

Hello! It’s time for another “Take a Taste”! The series is about delicious food with my two paper dolls.

And today's episode is we're at the outside of condo, to a 24-hour restaurant known as the "Next Door Noodles by North Park"! Yum-yum! 🥢🍜🍛🍚🍗🥩😋 So, the question was, is it worth our appetite? 🤔 Let's find out! 😁

BTW: So sorry for the long delay. Looks like, I have to finish this topic before we proceed to next month, we're I have some "unfinished business" with my 2023 photos.

If you haven’t seen my previous episode, then please → [CLICK ME!].

As well as these links about our "staycation" 🏨🌴🏊‍♀️ down below: ↓ • Part 1 [May 18th, 2024] • Part 2 [May 18th, 2024] • Part 3 [May 18th, 2024] • Part 4 [May 18th, 2024]

IMPORTANT NOTE: No #OnThisDay throwback post for this date.

So, without further ado, let’s get started:

1st to 4th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• We're at the "Next Door Noodles by North Park" in Makati City 🍴🏮🏪 outside of our rent condo room, since the restaurants from the Jazz Residence we're closed until the next morning. Anyways, this restaurant have a selection of Asian-based cuisine of dishes, and its not just Filipino dishes and their well-known delicious noodles that they offered. Let my parents, and our siblings do the selection of meals. You just wait, okay you two? Good. 😊

• And now for some share info: The "Next Door Noodles by North Park" is a Filipino-based Chinese restaurant 🇵🇭🥢🍜🏢 established in 1974 by Raphael Soon, with their Peking Duck brought from China 🇨🇳🦆🍗, and sell it to the Philippine consumers (like us). Years later, in 1988, they opened their first establishment in Binondo, Manila 🏮⛩️🏙️ as a "Seafood Restaurant" 🦐🥢🏢, and soon it grows from one restaurant to another venue, and more. They evolved from a "Seafood" to a "Chinese style Noodle Restaurant" and their quality of ingredients to satisfy our taste buds.

5th to 8th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• Anyways, our orders we're served to our table! Man, take a look at our meals from fried Calamaries, to Yang Chow Fried Rice, to Sweet & Sour Chicken, and my picked the "Boneless Chicken Curry" (with steamy rice, included)! Mmmmm! Yum-yum! 🦑🍚🍗🍛😋 But, what about the beverages? 🤔 We stick with nice pure mineral water over sugary beverages. 💧🥤😉

9th to 12th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• Nonetheless, let's try my ordered "Boneless Chicken Curry"! And take a look at my construction, it looks delicious! 🍛🤤 But, let's see who is it tastes like. *munching* Wow! Damn, it's spicy, with no bones of course, and the rich creamy curry was astonishingly worth my taste buds, including my paper dolls who tasted my curry! 😃 But wait, was it spicy to your taste? 🌶️🥵 To me, this is fine! 😁

13th to 16th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• So, how about trying the "Yang Chow Fried Rice", eh you two? 🍚😊 *munching* Wow, this one is amazing fried rice! It has a few chunks of meat spreading over the fried rice, it'll be worth combining with my "Boneless Chicken Curry", which we'll get to that in my next photo. 😋

17th to 19th Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• In addition to our current meals, my mom ordered a little healthy veggies of "Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce"! 🥦😃 And we all know, that "veggies" are the us when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, whether you ate it or not, like it or not, it doesn't matter! (And some of you, you've recognized from watching the "The Powerpuff Girls" episode 🥦🛸. Just saying, and I've been there.) Anyways, my paper dolls want some of that veggies as well, so I had to cut off the broccoli in half before we consumed it, and the taste was pretty damn good with or without oyster sauce/fried rice.😋 Sadly, this is the only one veggie we ate because my entire family ate it all without us to grab more. 😥 Still, it is good broccoli, nonetheless.🤤

20th to 23rd Image(s) 📷📲: ↑

• [20th to 22nd Images] Now, time to combine fried rice and curry to create a worthy meal for our appetite, *munching* and it did not disappoint us! It's so hot, that I can't stop eating it until I drink a glass of water. 🍛🌶️💧🤤

• [23rd Image] Other meals we haven't tried are Sweet & Sour Chicken (left) and fried calamari (that we're split into two chunks) (right) from before. 🍗🦑 Unfortunately, we've run out of fried rice (or steamed rice), so we have no choice but to consume these, anyway. *munching* Mmmm... I'd say they're both good. If I picked one, then I'd say the fried calamari one because of its right tender to ease my chewing! 😋

24th & 25th Image(s), and Overall: ↑

• Man, our stomach was stuffed from our great midnight dinner! 🤤 And overall, I would DEFINITELY... Or rather, WE would gonna go back to any "North Park" restaurants, anytime soon. Not only the decor and the atmosphere we're pretty good, but also the meals from the menu are worth it! We haven't tried their well-known "Noodle Soup", so maybe we'll be planning on that, someday. Price, on the other hand, is a little bit pricey compared to super budget restaurants, but the quality of their food did not disappoint our wallet. Sadly, they don't offer "Peking Duck" based dishes from their menu, anymore. 😥 We wish we wanted it, but I guess we'll just stick with roast chicken dishes, so this is fine by us. 😊

Well, that's all for now. 😊

If you haven’t seen my previous episodes, then I’ll provide some links down below.↓😉

Take a Taste:

○ 2021 Food Reviews: ○

• Popeyes U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich [Dec 6, 2021]

• Jollibee Chick'nwich & Crisscut Fries [Dec 21, 2021]: Part 1 [CLICK ME! #1], Part 2 [CLICK ME! #2]

○ 2022 Food Reviews: ○

• Mini Stop Chicken Fillet XL Sandwich [Feb 7, 2022]

• Minute Burger Cheese Burger(s) [Mar 1, 2022]

• Pepper Lunch Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice w/ Egg (& Honey Brown Sauce) [Mar 5, 2022]

• Bacsilog’s Sulit Combo Bacon-Tocino & Samgyup Day’s Pork Herbs [Mar 12, 2022]

• Burger King Whopper w/ Sides & Drink [May 6, 2022]

• Marshmello’s Limited Edition Coca-Cola Zero [Aug 26, 2022]

• Cheesy Burger McDo with Lettuce & Tomatoes Meal [Recorded: Sept 16, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s PH McSpicy & Apple Pie (featuring their World Famous Fries) [Nov 14, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s McCrispy Hamonado Sandwich [Dec 31st, 2022]

○ 2023 Food Reviews: ○

• Foods from Delicious Restaurant & 1919 Grand Cafe [Jan 8th, 2023]

• Homemade Churros by my lil’ bro [Feb 12th, 2023]

• Lugaw Sisig from Mang Boy Alfredo Lugawan Restaurant [Recorded: Feb 18th, 2023]

• La Prato Stakehouse [Recorded: Apr 10th, 2023]

• Salt ‘n Light Snack Shack’s Cheesy Bacon Burger & Fries [Recorded: Apr 14th, 2023] (Published on May 5th, 2023)

• Delicious burger meal at Tokyo Tokyo Restaurant [Recorded: May 6th, 2023]

• Delicious meals at the Valenzuela Food Fiesta Christmas Bazaar 2023 [Recorded: Dec. 10th, 2023]

○ 2024 Food Reviews: (Chronological) ○

• Mang Inasal Pork Sisig [Recorded: Jan 10th, 2024]

• Mr. Shaw Shawarma Rice [Recorded: Mar 24th, 2024]

• Mang Inasal's Chicken Inasal - Pecho (Chicken Breast) [Recorded: Mar 26th, 2024]

• Uncle John's Chili Con Empanada and Sprite Lemon Plus [Recorded: Mar 30th, 2024]

• Chowking Spicy Chao Fan [Recorded: Mar 30th, 2024]

• Samgyupsal dinner night at the Samgyup Mukbang restaurant [Recorded: May 12th, 2024]

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floraone · 2 years ago

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As promised, this year I'll host it again: September is around the corner, and with it smutember, or at least the Sailor Moon fandom corner side of it, that is, if you're on-board here lol. It's open for all types of fanwork, and all ships within the fandom.

Just like the previous years, it runs alongside to the official daily word prompts on the official smutember blog: Smutember is an event that runs all throughout September for all fandoms. The following is meant as an addition, not a replacement. If you want to do daily prompts, please use the official word prompts (linked above). And while these prompts are amazing, for older fandoms such as ours, daily prompts can sometimes be a little intimidating. Because of this, and in now Sailor Moon fandom smutember tradition, I again customized an alternative weekly trope list that can still incorporate the official themes.

As always now, down below you have a list of TROPE AND THEME PROMPTS. This year, since it's our anniversary year in the Sailor Moon fandom, I've added a few of the classic tropes, as well as a remix of some you've seen in the previous years. Because they're meant to spark a variety of ideas, there's a lot of them! You can pick as many of the tropes you want and with them, post once (or if you're motivated, more times) per week, instead of daily.

Be it for fanart or fanfic or any other sort of fanwork, tropes can be combined, (and they can be combined with the daily themes too), whatever floats your boat. Also, specifically: This event isn’t Usamamo-centric only. I will reblog any Sailor Moon content of any pairing as long as it follows the rules! (See below)

The aim of this event is to create sex-positive content together that celebrates a healthy depiction of consentual sexuality. Erotic fanfiction is a beautiful art, especially in a fandom of ours so largely cultivated by women and for women, as well as a strong inclusive focus on queer and gender-queer content and their creators!

And like in 2020 previously, all entries that follow the rules will be compiled in an online-only e-zine! This also means that art that may be too explicit for tumblr can still be included in the e-zine!

Here are the weekly trope challenges:

Reinvent a trope!

WEEK 1 (September 1st - 7th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Bedsharing 🍋 Flirting Under Fire 🍋 You Wake Up In A Room 🍋 Huddling for Warmth 🍋 Second Chance Sex 🍋 You Talk In Your Sleep 🍋 Awkward/Clumsy Sex 🍋 Freaky Friday 🍋 Friends to Lovers 🍋 Bathhouse/Onsen/Shower/Bath 🍋 Traveling 🍋 Sex with the Ex/Break-Up Sex 🍋 Established Relationship

WEEK 2 (September 8th - 14th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Fake Dating 🍋 Shunga 🍋 Battle Couple 🍋 Two-Person Pool Party 🍋 Missing Scene 🍋 Work-Out Sex 🍋 Enemies to Lovers 🍋 Blackout/Quarantine/Lockdown 🍋 Roommates 🍋 Now or Never 🍋 Sleeps With Everyone But You 🍋 Sexual Fantasies 🍋 Slow Burn 🍋 Reality TV AU 🍋 Woke Up Gay

WEEK 3 (September 15th - 21st): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Only One Bed 🍋 Sex At Work 🍋 Pegging 🍋 Hurt/Comfort 🍋 First Times 🍋 Special Delivery 🍋 Friends With Benefits 🍋 Introduction By Hook-Up 🍋 Touch-Starved 🍋 Pining 🍋 Accidental Pornomancer 🍋 Locked In Together In A Small Space/ Trapped Together 🍋 Dry Hump 🍋 Wall Bang 🍋 Guilty Pleasures 🍋 Bad Ideas 🍋 Caught In The Rain 🍋 The Internet Is For Porn 🍋 On The Run 🍋 Stranded

WEEK 4 (September 22nd - 30th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Just the Tip 🍋 Accidental Nudity 🍋 Praise Kink 🍋 _____(pick whatever)___to-lovers 🍋 Mrs. Robinson 🍋 Dr. Chiba 🍋 Talking In Bed 🍋 In Public 🍋 Aroused by your___(pick a feature)___ 🍋 Mindlink 🍋 Quest For Sex 🍋 Sex Games 🍋 Online Dating 🍋 Confessions of lust and love 🍋 Teach Seduction 🍋 Practice Kiss 🍋 Coffee Shop AU 🍋 Identity Reveal 🍋 Middle of the Night Sex

In Addition to these trope themes, now and until September, I'll be posting a few sex-positive cues of the next weeks as a sort of checklist that is meant to help you generate ideas for your sexy trope fics!

RULES

1. Rating: These fics don’t necessarily need to be M or, in the case of Ao3, E- rated. Obviously, they are very, very welcome to be explicit for this event, but you can also go T-rated and stay in lime or ‘blacked out’-territory if you’re uncomfortable with writing explicit scenes! Both is perfectly and absolutely welcome! This of course also goes for fanart - your fanart may depict sexy scenes, but does NOT have to be explicit! (It can, though! Be aware that for tumblr’s guidelines, when sharing your art first, you may have to clip your images as a sort of preview. The original can then be sent to me privately to include into the e-zine!) 2. Minimum Age of Characters: Since this is a community event, if you do go explicit M rated material: age them up where necessary! So that everyone can be comfortable writing and reading these, let them be 18 at the minimum if they’re going to openly and explicitly wohoo. (16-17 is the global average age of consent worldwide, and also the average age for first sex among girls in many western countries. However, since most fanfic readers are located in the US, where the age of consent is 18, we’re going with 18 so that everyone can be comfortable reading!) If you go for canon fics at a time they are below this age, where you do not want to age up (say you’re going for an episode fix!) please stay in T territory for this event. 3. Off limits: Depictions of sexual acts that contain harmful, violent and non-consenting behaviour with non-consenting individuals (or those that aren’t able to consent, for instance because of their age, or state of mind among else!). If it doesn’t fly by law or the ICD in real life, please refrain from depicting it in the context of this event. This means that dubcon and noncon will not be reblogged for the event, so that people can be safely consuming the content without being triggered. All content will be screened in this regard, and I may contact you regarding trigger warnings. This is not at all to censor content, or that this content is in any form less valid (as long as it is properly tagged and not including characters that aren’t of age), but simply to ensure a safe environment for everyone reading. 4. Tag your triggers. Except the aforementioned limitation of harmful content, nothing is off limits. Explore your kinks! But if you write something that might be offensive to your readers, please tag it. This is ALSO a good way for your readers to find exactly what they ARE looking for! On Ao3 this can be done directly on the fic tags, for FF fics and fic links you can do it here on Tumblr via the fic post tags or in ANs. This is in consideration of your readers. 5. You can obviously post art for this event too. All previous rules apply here, as well. Unfortunately, Tumblr is now against tasteful nudity. That doesn’t mean you can’t link to a deviant art or similar account though, should you want to. And, since this year will include an e-zine at the end of it, all art will still be included fully in it. Here too, please tag your triggers. If you still want to post art on Tumblr, choose a T rated image - clip them where needed, or keep them (semi-)clothed, show us a heated kiss, etc! (Obviously we would love ALL the art and the nude body is a beautiful, wonderful thing, but obviously Tumblr doesn’t agree with us anymore!) 6. Have fun! Celebrate sexuality in an open, sex-positive way with us, try to be unapologetic about your likes while you write this, and appreciate the beauty that comes in the form of content with a largely female-gazing creator-base and audience! Smut in fanfiction has been beautifully put as the subjectification of sexuality (as opposed to objectification). So let’s celebrate this art form together! 7. Reviews: No one is forced to review. It can be uncomfortable to review a fic that contains sexual acts for any number of always valid reasons. Keep in mind, however, that much like a Burlesque dancer on stage, putting out sexual content can also be very intimidating to an author, and nothing is more discouraging than silence when baring yourself to an audience like this. That being said: Both Ao3 and FF have the option to review in anon mode. That means you have the option to remain anonymous while cheering the author on all the same. Just like the Burlesque dancer, your resident smut authors prefer to go on stage to loud cheering - it makes it all less awkward for them, and feels a little more like a big celebration!

If you’re unsure what sex positivity entails and want to read up, I wrote a post about it here.

This event is not supposed to cause harm. This means that I will screen all content before I reblog it here, and include it in the e-zine. So that everyone of age can feel safe reading the fanworks in the event, dubcon and noncon will not be reblogged and included in the e-zine, and accurate tagging and content warning will be watched. This does NOT MEAN that you cannot post this material: your own desire to write it and someone else’s desire to explicitly read this material are valid. I do not entitle myself to censor. It just means it will not be reblogged and shared through the event so that everyone may feel safe to read to the best of my ability. (But, of course, remember that I, too, might be biased, and not discover subtle forms of it, either. We’re all, in the end, a product of our upbringing and society, and I cannot be completely unbiased.)

During the event, I will be posting all Sailor Moon Smutember contributions in this format on my blog if you @ me to the post.

The official hashtag for the event is #smutember2022 hosted by the official smutember blog. Using it helps people find the content who search for it as well as those who wish to block it!

#smutember #smutember2022 #smutember sailor moon fandom

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leolo404 · 4 years ago

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🦜Astrology Observations Pt.4🦜

Collaboration with @venusfun 🌈

Huge thanks to my wonderful bestie @venusfun for sharing an amount of observations in this astro notes and helping me with the overall view of this post. Also please check her out if you don't know her yet, she creates a lot of spectacular astrology posts and you can learn a lot about asteroids from her blog❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Part 1. Asteroids

🌈According to research, asteroid Angel(11911) was first discovered when it was still under the sign of Sagittarius

🌈Having your asteroid DNA(55555) in an earth sign can indicate that your children may see you as someone who is grounded, hard working, practical, and very stubborn. They might look up to you because you are capable enough of giving them the best life you could give and they would understand that your hard-work is a way to support the family

🌈Asteroid Psyche(16) in Pisces/Libra craves romance that is fanstasy-like, something out of this world or something magical that just came out of a romantic story. These folks are the types of people who might be actively looking for true love

🌈Vesta in the 7th house might prefer to not get married

🌈People with Psyche(16) conjunct mercury think on the “soul” level (with heart)

🌈Prominent Ceres can indicate being a very loving and supportive mother but if Ceres have many challenging aspects then it can be obsessing

🌈Diana(78) in an aspect with MC(midheaven) can indicate work with animals

🌈Sirene(1009) in 2nd house indicates beautiful voice

Part 2. MBTI & Astrology

Sidenote: There's no correlation between MBTI and Astrology and we are using this only for personality observations

🌈Cancer/Moon dominants fit with the stereotypes of ISFJ. Both are maternal, nurturing, supportive, sympathetic, selfless, always protects their loved ones, and are sick of dealing your shit lmao. Also they tend to be the Mom/Dad of their friend group and the ones who always brings food 😋😋

🌈 I noticed most Sagittarius placements tend be ENFPs or INFPs base on MBTI. Maybe because both are idealistic, goofy, huge procrastinators, creative, and free-spirited. This can also apply to Jupiter/Pisces dominants (For Pisces it's more on INFP)

🌈While Virgo placements are more fitting with ISTJ because they are dutiful, loyal, traditional, organized, reliable, practical, and fact-minded. And with ISTJs dominant cognitive function which is Si(introverted sensing) they can use the past as a guide and lesson to be used in the present which explains them relying on the tried and true methods in dealing things

🌈In my own opinion, Scorpio/Pluto dominant just gives me INTJ vibes. Maybe because of their analytical and reserved nature

🌈Since the earth signs are known for being observant and detail-oriented, they are more of a sensing type because sensors can notice every single detail of a certain thing such as noticing that you change your hairstyle or you changed your signature perfume and they can sometimes miss the bigger picture. Also sensing types are more focused on the present(Extraverted sensing) or in the past(Introverted sensing) rather than the future which fits the earth signs who are more focused on experiencing the physical world

Part 3. Composites

🌈Uranus in the 1st can indicate that people might perceive you two as best friends

🌈Neptune in the 1st can indicate that people might see the partners as very spiritual and "usually not seen around" relationship

🌈Pluto in the 1st can indicate that people might project you two as very intense and "deep" relationship

🌈Sagittarius ascendant in the composite chart will indicate that other people see the relationship as very fun and adventurous. It has a philosophical vibe

🌈Earth Ascendant in a composite chart can indicate the relationship as stable or grounded and loyalty is established

🌈Uranus in the 3rd can show that two of you may have some odd ways of conversing with each other or have an unusual way of expressing things that only the two of you can understand

Part 4. Degrees

🌈People with 8th degree on a personal planet (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus) can find success easily, especially when it comes to business. But if a person has at least three 8th degrees, then the individual can be very materialistic and is only “money-oriented"

🌈Having a good amount of Pisces degree(12°, 24°) in your chart can indicate that you are good or capable enough in balancing your fixation between reality and fantasy but having a lot of it can indicate of you having tendencies of escaping reality and isolating yourself from everyone

🌈Even if your placements are full of feminine/introverted signs(earth/water), if you have a lot of fire/air degrees in your chart especially in personal planets or in your ascendant, you may be more sociable and outgoing. This goes vice versa as well

🌈People with a lot of 5 degrees (at least 3) are actually passionate about going to the gym. A lot of athletes have this degree

🌈Having a Virgo/Scorpio degree(6°, 8°, 18°, 20°)in your personal planet can indicate someone who tends to question anything especially out of either curiosity or suspicion, these people need to be sure that you are trustworthy(they might find ways to trick you or manipulate the conversation to see if what you are saying is true)

Part 5. Random

🌈The house where Leo is in is where you are mostly loved for:

Example:

10H Leo = admired by your ambition and your organizational skills,

11H Leo = admired by how you make friends easily and your networking skills

5H Leo = admired by your passion towards your interests or hobby,

3H Leo = admired by your communication or verbal skills,

2H Leo = admired by your voice and how you handle your finances

🌈Water/Moon/Venus dominant 🤝 Can easily connect to music and would be dancing in their own room till someone enters in

🌈Fixed Moon/Venus/Rising are the types of people who when they find a good music, they would replay it endlessly till they are good enough to stop and feel contented already from listening to it

🌈October Scorpios tend to be more outgoing, sociable, and hot-tempered than November Scorpios but this doesn't change the fact both can be mysteriously alluring and are really intense individuals

🌈Pisces with a mix of Scorpio placements tend to have this dreamlike presence and looks. It's like their physical appearance are just oozing a dreamy yet mysterious vibes

Example: Jungwoo from NCT Pisces Sun + Scorpio Moon

🌈Since the 9th house is the house that associates with religion, it also symbolizes the church and God

🌈The last 4 astrological signs in the zodiac wheel(♐︎ ♑︎ ♒︎ ♓︎)are known as the universal signs, these signs are mainly focused on the outer perspectives of life and are less focused with the self and their relationships. Sagittarius is focused on other cultures, religion, and their own opinion towards things, Capricorn is focused on the understanding of our physical self and the underlying achievements of one's hard work, Aquarius is focused on principles and humanity, and Pisces is focused on the spiritual aspects of life and the connection with the infinite universe

🌈Neptune in 1H/5H/9H/12H/Neptune dominant gives me a feeling like they belong during the renaissance era where philosophy and arts was at its highest peak, these folks tend to be abstract, artistic, and philosophical

🌈Mars in Cancer/Taurus/Libra are mostly seen as people who are very laid-back and many underestimate them base on their energy due to Mars being in detriment/fall with these specific signs

🌈Many people agrees that Geminis are great storytellers but no one talks about Virgos being good at story-telling as well. Both are ruled by mercury and they tend to have great ideas or stories that they can share and express with

🌈Pisces/Aquarius/Sagittarius Rising are the types of people who would wander around the mall(or a public place in general) and accidentally separates from their friends or family and gets lost

Damn, this was a long ass ride 😅😅 hope you guys enjoyed this astrology observations made by me, @leolo404 and @venusfun ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

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zexalmonth · 3 years ago

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Since 2021 is the ten year anniversary of Zexal, we on the mod team decided to add a little ‘magic’ to this year’s event. So, you may have noticed that this year’s prompt list is late. Our apologies, everyone! It’s taken a lot of work and is totally not because one mod’s sick and I got really drunk in July.

Regardless! Our fifth Zexal Month begins on the 1st of August and ends on the 31st! Under the cut is a new set of prompts and alternative prompts, so peruse them at your leisure. Keep an eye on this blog and the #zexal month 2021 tag for the event! We certainly had fun prepping the intro posts!

Week 1: Welcome to Heartland City

Day 1: 2nd of August

Who are you? Introduce yourself! When did you get into Zexal? What Fandom are you in at the moment?

Day 2: 3rd of August

Who would you be in Zexal? Champion? Alien? Tomato? Alternatively, what part of Heartland City’s society do you find interesting?

Day 3: 4th of August

What’s your favourite moment or favourite episode in the series?

Day 4: 5th of August

Who’s your favourite character? Which Zexal Characters would you like to meet?

Day 5: 6th of August

Zexal has so many cool locations and backdrops. Where would you want to go in Zexal?

Week 2: Summer Holidays

Day 1: 9th of August

What’s your favourite team? Numbers Club? Numbers Hunters? Arclights? Barians? Fearsome Four? Someone else?

Day 2: 10th of August

Break Time! Imagine the characters chilling out and put the hold on the fighting. What will they do?

Day 3: 11th of August

Let’s have a look through the looking glass: Take a character and make them the opposite of who they are!

Day 4: 12th of August

Place your bets! Pit 2 (or more) characters against each other! In a duel? A fist fight? A game of checkers? Up to you!

Day 5: 13th of August

Super power appreciation day! The people in Zexal can fly, conjure weapons out of nowhere and purge poison from their bodies through sheer force of will. Alternatively, include a power you wished Zexal included!

Week 3: Stranded in a Brave New World

Day 1: 16th of August

Where did they come from? Show us your headcanons about characters’ origins and/or expand on established backstories!

Day 2: 17th of August

Let’s get lost! Choose a character(s) and throw them into the Barian/Astral world/the past/the Duel lodge/etc. What would they do there? Would they survive?

Day 3: 18th of August

Let’s go YA for a moment. Make Zexal a YA novel. Action? Romance? A try-hard dark story? A shameless parody? Honestly, just do what you want. YA novelists do.

Day 4: 19th of August

Everything is the same but... (It’s an AU day! Show us your Zexal AUs)

Day 5: 20th of August

Astral phone home. It’s a free crossover day! Crossover Zexal with whatever series you’d like.

Week 4: Back on the ship!

Day 1: 23rd of August

Ships, ships, ships and vehicle appreciation day! (Show us the pairings you like!)

Day 2: 24th of August

Written in the stars: Zexal is full of lore and incorporates many myths/mythical creatures. What’s your favourite?

Day 3: 25th of August

Alien appreciation! Give the Barians and Astral beings some artefacts, architecture or bling!

Day 4: 26th of August

The true treasure were the friends we made along the way! Tell us about your OCs.

Day 5: 27th of August

There is an imposter among us: Plot points that you liked/ weren’t prepared for!

Week 5: Home Sweet Home

Day 1 and 2: 30th and 31st of August

What’s in store for Zexal’s future? What are some memories you’ll always cherish?

———————————————–

As usual, feel free to do whichever prompts you like. These prompts are a guideline, rather than a hard rule, and you can make art, write fanfiction, make amvs/animatics or just talk about it! Just do what you can manage! No need to do all of them if you don’t want to.

Below here are the more ‘modern’ prompts. That is to say, a list of alternative prompts you can do any day. Pick and choose, go in order, RNG, combine… The sky’s the limit!

———————————————–

Alternative Prompts:

Serendipity: A happy and unexpected discovery

Jentacular: A word used to describe something related to breakfast.

Desuetude: No longer being used

Chaos and Numbers

Music / Musicals

Rain / Sunshine

The Sickness

Mythological beasts

First Time

Death / Resurrection

See you soon! Please share this around and spread the Zexal love!

<3 Mod Pyra

#zexal month #zexal month 2021 #zexal #yugioh zexal #zexalmonth #zexalmonth2021

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doorbloggr · 3 years ago

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Sunday 7/11/21 - Head Full Again; Gotta Braindump or I won't be able to write anything else

So it's been a couple weeks since I've written an article on here, and it's not for lack of stuff to write about, I've just had hit a sort of creative wall. I have lined up a few articles to write and I know what they will feature but it is the process of starting that is making it difficult.

So in order to start pushing myself over that hump, I've decided I'll just brain dump some of my recent frustrations tonight. Because if I write and publish something right now, then that's more than what I've written last week, and I'll have less of an excuse to put off starting other work.

Creative Activation Energy

There's probably established terminology for this issue, but as a man of science, I've come to compare it to a scientific idea. In chemistry there's this concept called Activatiom Energy. A lot of chemical reactions will happen spontaneously, that is, the reaction occurs without putting in extra energy. But often, some energy needs to be put in before the process will flow by itself.

Thermodynamics diagram of Activation Energy

The amount of energy that comes out at the end is more than is put in, but without that push at the start, nothing happens.

I feel the same with a lot of my creative endeavours. The process or starting a new drawing, or writing a new thing results in a lot more stress and requires more mental energy than the bulk of the total process. Once I have started a blog post for example, the writing is easy, and I might spend one afternoon on a shorter piece. But I might stress about starting that blogpost for most of a week before I eventually start. I haven't yet solved how to best tackle creative activation energy, but as I worry more about starting a thing, the amount of energy required to start it gets larger.

This activation energy problem has made a larger problem for how I plan out my blog topics.

Self Imposed Routine Burnout

This October just passed, I participated in a variation of the Inktober format, where you submit a drawing for each day of October, usually from a predetermined list of prompts. Rules as written, you don't necessarily have to do the drawing on the day, or necessarily even have to submit it on the day that drawing is for, you just have to finish 31 drawings.

In previous years, I had better planned this out to minimise stress. Around mid September, I would start doing drawings for Linktober (Legend of Zelda Inktober), so that when October 1st comes around, I've already prepared maybe 10-15 drawings, and by maybe the 20th of October, I've already finished 31 drawings. But this year I decided to do it differently. I restricted myself to a very simplistic artistic and colouring style so I could pump them out quicker, leaving myself time for other, non-Linktober art. This idea on my usual Linktober schedule would've been great, but I decided to do it wrong.

My Linktober 2021

I started prep for Linktober 2021 like 5 days before October and then after that, my headstart only got shorter, until October 27th when I fell behind. It was a very stressful Linktober and by the end I was not enjoying myself. And doing art in a way that makes you hate doing art is the worst thing for an artist. It kills creativity.

It never occurred to me that I could keep doing Linktober at a slower rate later just as long as I finished 31 drawings sometime before next October, but I did finish Linktober 2021 and I feel a lot freer. Since I have oodles of free time left over now, I need to get around a different type of activation energy. The energy to use free time passively.

Doing nothing to get better at doing something

Since one of my regular blogpost topics is recommending media, it necessitates that I need to sit down and experience it. This is part of the reason why I've gone a few weeks without recommending something new. I haven't been able to force myself to watch or play anything new.

Anytime I get free time, I've been forcing myself to make something. It was mostly Linktober recently, but less so is my dedication to D&D with my friends. My enjoyment of Dungeons and Dragons has led me to making weekly fanart of the events that happen. So after we play a session on the weekend, I spend a lot of time over the next week stressing that I need to finish that previous week's session art. So anytime I get a day off work, or have an afternoon with some energy left over, I spend it on creating. And that's not even mentioning that I've been DMing too lately and so have to do planning over the week too.

Art for the latest D&D session I DM'd for

But the issue is, if I want to make just leisure art, or write, I need to stop spending my free time making art or writing for D&D and just watch anime or play games sometimes. Because without that inspiration, my creative well will run dry and the process of making new art or D&D plans, or blogposts will only become more drawn out and painful.

We didn't get to play D&D this weekend just passed, so I'm ahead on planning and caught up on art. This might be the chance I needed.

So I'm using this blogpost to make a promise to myself. I will not force myself to draw this week unless I really feel inspiration strikes, and I'm not putting a deadline on finishing it either. I WILL sit down and watch some anime so that I can sit down on Thursday and Friday and tell my readers about that anime.

And for my palaeontology readers, I plan to write at least one more entry in the Dinosaurs of the World series this week.

That was my braindump for the week. Pray for me that this helps.

#blog #blogpost #brain dump #train of thought #creativity #creative burnout

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astroismypassion · 4 years ago

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Hi I'm the June 17th birthday. I couldn't respond to your message on Kofi but I am totally fine with you putting my reading on your blog. Thank you for doing your best to work around the messages issue!

Hi!

Thank you for buying me this delicious hot beverage. I drank irish cream black coffee with rice milk while writing your interpretation. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing! I listened to some old George Ezra while writing. ;)

Your dominant planets are: 1. Sun, 2. Jupiter and 3. Pluto. Your dominant signs are: 1. Scorpio, 2. Gemini and 3. Leo. Your main mode is Fixed. You are Water dominant.

FAMILY, SIBLINGS, EARLY LIFE

You have Aquarius IC. You had an unconventional, unique upbringing. Your 4th house is in Aquarius and Pisces. You like to play on your own. Or you created an imaginary world for yourself. Or you could have escaped through music, arts, TV series or film. You were sheltered from what was really going on around you. You might have a hard time establishing healthy boundaries with your family members. They seem to completely merge with you and rely on you emotionally or be completely cold and detached. There were many traditions and superstitions in your family that might have been passed down through generations. If you have any siblings, they are Capricorn, Aquarius or Pisces. In your elementary and high school years you might have been drawing a lot during classes you didn’t find stimulating. Or you daydream often. You were a mature and responsible student. You seemed a lot older than your peers. You might have viewed your schoolmates as weird sometimes, but they viewed you the same back. You might have often asked yourself if you’re the “weird one” or they are. You have Uranus in the 4th house. You may have changed residence or moved around often, even change schools. There were a lot of unpredictable, sudden changes and events in your early life that were hard to control (and to grasp). You have Sun square Moon. Your mother and father have different personalities and traits. They did not agree on the parenting style, how to raise you. They might have had different views. You have Sun conjunct Mercury. Your father emphasized the importance of communication or that you keep good relations with your siblings. This is also a writer’s placements! You can flatter or cut deep with words. You know how to appeal through words and find exactly the right words. You can sometimes think you “feel” words, because some words would be funny to you or have a “weird” sound to it. You might visualize a lot in your mind. Words, think in imagery and pictures and you have a strong, vivid imagination. You have Sun conjunct Mars. He probably met your open emotional expression with resistance.

PARTNERSHIPS AND FRIENDSHIPS Your friends are Pisces, Aries, Cancer, Sagittarius, Libra and Virgo. In your romantic relationships you attract Taurus, Gemini, Leo, Virgo and Aries. You have Taurus Venus in the 7th house. You desire, respect and value (also attract) stable, loyal, stubborn, highly opinionated people. Those who like to debate with you. People that have “go to” phrases and are polite, kind, have good manners. You might easily sense fragile egos, self esteem and weak points of other people. You have Gemini Mars in the 8th house. This is how you take action. How you approach your crush. You like to play mind games a bit, use a bit of world play and double entendre. You like to know everything about them and how their mind works. You wonder how they are thinking, what their thought process is. You like to have shared learning experiences with potential partners or dates where you go to an escape room or take a cooking class together and learn a new skill. You like to constantly evolve, expand and regenerate. You need a mental connection and great mental rapport to introduce physical intimacy into a relationship. You have Aries Moon in the 5th house. You have the potential of a serial dater. You need some passion, excitement and playful energy to get the connection started. But even in the early stages of your love affairs, you need a great deal of emotional comfort. You have to feel safe and secure around the person, like they are your family already. You know what you like and you might cut off people instantly when you notice red flags or just something that you don’t like. You know you can’t save people, so you understand the person needs to help themselves first. Otherwise, they would become another one of your problems. You have Venus sextile Jupiter. You might be very generous when you’re in love. You like to spoil your partner and take them out for dinner often. You might be over generous or over loving. With you money, time, affection, attention, praise and compliments. You have Venus square Uranus. You might like some odd, quirky, hard to figure of people. You are fascinated by those. You might have a long distance relationship at some point. Or you could date your friends or online date. You might even have a platonic connection with someone before it being romantic. You have Venus trine Neptune. You might idealize your partner or they do that to you. You might view them through rose tinted glasses. You are attracted to musicians, artists, singers, creators and people who play instruments.

CAREER, PROFESSIONAL LIFE, PUBLIC IMAGE

You have Pluto in the 2nd house. You fear poverty, homelessness and being hungry. You are very private when it comes to your financial matters. You don’t discuss it openly or ever. It’s a weird topic for you. Sometimes you fear it, it’s like you’re scared of what it can do. You are very passionate about gaining financial stability. Sometimes your dreams scare you or you might think “too big” or see just the bigger picture and forget to focus on the now as well. You have Sagittarius and Capricorn over your 2nd house. You might be over indulgent and flashy when you have money to spend. But with Capricorn there you also work hard for it. You have Leo MC. You might gain recognition for your accomplishments. You could also be attracted to film, theatre, drama, modelling. Or politics, governmental jobs, administration. Even publishing, media, public relations and public affairs. You could be a representative for a company. You might like to post on your social media. But you perfect your image, caption and you check for grammar errors. You like to be seen as creative, funny, healthy, bright and hard working. You have Virgo North Node in the 10th house. This indicates your life purpose. In this lifetime you are called to organise, to establish healthy boundaries with others, routine, daily habits. To take care of your daily duties, responsibilities, your health and even your pets if you have any. If you don’t. You’d benefit from owning a pet greatly, so that it calms down your Virgo mental restlessness. You could work in accounting, counselling, therapy, even health fields, such as nutrition, dietetics, nursing etc. You could be interested in physical and mental wellbeing. You could be into fitness and wellness. You might like communication, publishing, bookkeeping or even library work. You could use your keen eye for details. You have Leo and Virgo over your 10th house. You will shine and be in the spotlight, yet you’ll have to learn humility as well. Sometimes you might feel underappreciated or undervalued by authority figures, such as your parents, mentors, teachers, bosses. You might feel like you are putting much more effort in your responsibilities and work than you get credit for it. You have Aries and Taurus over the 6th house. This means you like a stable job, because it means stable income (Taurus in the 6th, Capricorn in the 2nd). But at some point in your life, you might desire to be your own boss, be self employed or become a businessperson, since it gives you the freedom of expression, expansion you value (Aries in the 6th house, Sagittarius in the 2nd house). You might even do something athletic or sporty daily or even as a part of your job! You have Cancer Mercury in the 8th house. You need to communicate a lot with your intimate partners. You like to think about your family, siblings, your home, your comforts and safety. You like talking about deep, occult and taboo topics. You might entertain the idea of conspiracy theories as well. You have an excellent memory. You can remember scents, colours, how people made you feel like no other. You have a long term memory. You have Mercury square Jupiter. Sometimes you might be a bit judgemental or be prone to overthinking and overanalyzing. You might also read between the lines. You have Mercury sextile Saturn. You have great power and focus to concentrate for long periods of time when you have a tunnel vision.

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS

You have Pluto, Jupiter and Saturn currently transiting your 3rd house. You might spend more time alone and less with your friends, siblings and family members. You might have to work hard daily or commute to another city for work or just travel daily to a different part of the city. You might reevaluate and reconsider, rethink and transform your attitude to the local community, neighbourhood, city, to your siblings, peers, schoolmates. You might meet some new people, some new friends too, when Jupiter enters the scene since it’s a one and a half to two years long transit. You have Scorpio Chiron in the 1st house. You might not like your own name, or there is a visible spot, mark on your face, body that you don’t like. Or you could have been picked on by others for that. You might not like your physical appearance and you’re self conscious about it. You often nit pick it. At some point in life you might have had an identity crisis or just really doubted your personality, ego, self worth, character and traits. You might have been bullied or the power was taken away from you. You often felt powerless. Or scared of your own potential and power. You have Taurus Ceres in the 7th house. This represents how you wish to be nurtured and how you nurture others. You like to cook for them, buy them food, share meals with them and buy them little gifts. You like to listen to them. You might be a therapist for many. I’m sure you received compliments as “you’d be an excellent therapist”. You might empathize with them and really try to understand the other’s perspective and where they are coming from. You like to put yourself in others' shoes. You have Virgo Juno in the 11th house. This indicted your “ideal soulmate”, ideal partner, be it platonic or romantic. You like someone friendly, intelligent, who isn’t afraid to discuss social issues, society and question it all. You like someone who is clean, smells nice and grooms themselves. You like platonic, friendly connections at first. You need a lot of mental simulation. You have Libra Lilith in the 12th house. You might have been accused that you lack ambition. But you just don’t like competition that much or participation in the rat race. You value the inner core and being. You have rich inner workings. You have Leo Part of Fortune in the 9th house. This is where you experience good luck and charm. You might be praised for your views, beliefs, opinions on life. How you choose to constantly expand your horizons. You are at your happiest when you travel, even when you get lost in a good book, TV series or a foreign film. You like to constantly learn something new and you’ll be a life long student.

CHART RULER

Your chart ruler is Pluto. The chart ruler of the 1st house is in the 2nd house. Your ego is directly tied to your self worth, financial status, your talents. You might develop your personality, character, ego, self esteem through 2nd house topics, such as working on your talents and pursuing new skills, earning money and becoming financially independent, self care and developing your own set of values.

HOUSE RULERS

The house ruler of the 1st house is in the 2nd house. The way you look depends on your self-esteem. Life is oriented to discovering personal values and creating self-esteem. Appearance is a source of security issues. The house ruler of the 2nd house is in the 5th house. You use your money for artistic projects. You are possessive of creative projects. Financial security depends upon your personal creativity. The house ruler of the 3rd house is in the 6th house. Daily conversation revolves around work and health. Your mind is oriented to daily life. Thoughts are oriented to daily routine and work. You are curious about diet and nutrition. You have an efficient mind. You take information and organize it. You have an actively curious mind. The house ruler of the 4th house is in the 4th house. You want a home of your own. Private time is spent with family. Home and family bring up strong core feelings, for better or worse. You want a family for the sake of having a family. The house ruler of the 5th house is in the 3rd house. Creative talents and gifts are hidden. Hobbies revolve around the taboo or occult. The house ruler of the 6th house is in the 8th house. The daily work environment must serve your need to form deep relationships. You use your knowledge of diet, nutrition and exercise to help other people transform. You want an intense work environment. The house ruler of the 7th house is in the 7th house. The partner needs to be willing negotiate and cooperate with you. Marriage partners are business partners, business partners are marriage partners. You want to be with someone who is cooperative. You want a partner who is a good negotiator. The house ruler of the 8th house is in the 8th house. You enter sexual relationships for sex. You get emotionally entangled with other people to form deep connections. Your attitude to life and death affects your ability to deeply connect with other people. The house ruler of the 9th house is in the 5th house. You are philosophical about the way you raise children. You find meaning through the creative arts. You like to take romantic getaways. You enjoy the artistic expression of other cultures. Traveling is for leisure and pleasure. The house ruler of the 10th house is in the 8th house. You bring a professional approach to depth psychology. You find your true vocation by exploring occult subjects. Your career revolves around the need for intensity of experience. Your career involves working with other people’s emotional baggage. Your true vocation involves depth interactions with other people. You achieve recognition as a researcher. You receive awards for your work with people on the fringe of society. The house ruler of the 11th house is in the 8th house. You associate with people who are involved in the occult. Your friends have emotional baggage. You keep your group involvements hidden. You don’t talk about your long term hopes and wishes. The house ruler of the 12th house is in the 7th house. Your partner desires to escape from reality as much as you do. You lose your boundaries when it comes to significant relationships. Your grief and sorrow affect your relationships. The desire to escape reality affects your ability to maintain a serious relationship.

#astrology #astro chart #natal chart #birth chart #chart reading #chart interpretation

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sugoikawaiimiyafuji420 · 6 years ago

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My Life Can’t Be This Boring! (Level Design Thoughts)

Ah, level design…. What does that mean?

It is such a broad and complex component of game design, seemingly a subtle and overlooked element, yet critical to a game’s quality. I have a sneaking suspicion that level design is an unsung hero to a game’s success, it is a versatile tool capable of supporting different aspects of the game. Driving an emotional impact of the narrative with scenic beauty or perhaps enhancing the gameplay mechanics with tricky platform placements. Good level design can carry a game far and I’ve always wondered what is considered “good” level design?

I’m not a game developer, but a mere game hobbyist, so the topic of what is “good level design” is interesting to me since I pretty much know next to nothing. Well, what I set out to do for this blog post is to dive down and traverse through the ramblings of my labyrinth-like ponderings to hopefully dig out what I think is a good level design personally, and what I think level designers should aim to achieve.

Before I start, I should mention that like with art, good or bad level design is subjective in relation to the game’s core values. That being, I believe a game shouldn’t be solely praised or defined by a specific component, such as gameplay or music, for example. I like to think of each game aspect as a member of a ragtag orchestral band. Each [member] plays a role in constructing the overall composition and do their best to support each other for the core values of the game. Like with snazzy character art, or a technical battle system, or an eerie sound direction, level design is a member of this metaphorical game orchestra. Perhaps seemingly analogous to the drums by laying down the beat and pacing for the other members to play to. With that thinking established, if a game does not need a complex level design inherently, then it does not need a complex level design to succeed. A simple or perhaps even no level design will suffice if that’s all it needs to do to drive the game’s thematic vision home.

~/~Introduction to the Labyrinth~/~

Let’s first start off with the responsibilities of level design. Off the top of my head, level design should strive for the following:

-Provider of immersion and atmosphere

-Support story narratives

-Dictate game’s pacing

-Support gameplay

For the sake of laziness, I will only focus on level design supporting gameplay, namely in single player-focused games due to having no friends. Woe is me! But my self-deprecating blog post will be saved for another time. Back on track, time and time again, I have seen games with thoughtless map design. As a lurker and observer from afar, I remember the times when games used to be bogged down with map linearity during the Wii/PS3/360 gaming generation. Since then, many complaints were voiced and there was a paradigm shift from a linear world design to an open world trend. Examples being with The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Final Fantasy XV. But even as I played through these games, I can’t help but feel that something was amiss. It felt to me that the mainstream game developers went from one extreme end of the spectrum to the other extreme end. Expanding a linear world to a more open one does not automatically mean that the game has good level design fundamentally. It felt to me that game developers radically went shallow on the concept of open world that they forgot the basics of what a level design should uphold. I would dare say that a more “linear” game can have better level design than an open world game.

If the benefits of open world were supposedly to give a large quantity of choices and freedom to the player, and I feel that these attributes are not what constitutes for a good level design, then what does? Am I just being retarded?

~/~ Good questions, difficult answers ~/~

For this analysis, we should start with the basic of basics and try to see what are the building blocks into creating an interesting level. Yep, that’s right, we are going to start with a motherfucking corridor.

This level design is as crude as the quality of this drawing that was spent 234712394 hours in MS paint. There is nothing interesting to say about this level design. The player marches forward, encounters an enemy represented by the letter “E”, and then goes to fight a boss and exits the map. That’s it and you’re done with the game. If I were to start thinking about what could make this level more interesting, the most obvious and simple answer is to add a fork in the road.

A fork has an importance. The fork itself isn’t necessarily important, but what it conveys to the player is significant.

“Go left or go right”?

One of the pillars of level design is providing questions and forcing the player to come to a decision. The concept of asking questions through level design is such a complicated artform that many subtle details can impact the player’s choice in how to traverse through the map.

With that being established, let’s refer back to the fork picture again for a moment. So, obviously after defeating the enemy, the player reaches the fork and decides whether to go left or right. From the entrance of the fork, the player can see that by taking the right path, there is a treasure chest and it is a dead end. So, clearly to the player, the right path would be taken first to obtain the treasure, and then backtrack to the correct main route which is the left path towards the boss. This decision is very easily made and the player proceeds with the game...

…

… that’s it?! That’s all the fork did?! What the fork?!

These type of questions are painfully boring and not engaging to the player. In fact, there is hardly any difference from the straight corridor picture if you were to put the treasure chest just behind the enemy. Yet, I feel many games keep falling for this same mistake repeatedly. The illusion of the fork is dispelled and there was not a hard decision to be made in the first place. All that happened was padding the game time by 10 seconds longer to walk over to get the dumb scrubby 10 gold reward from a dumb treasure chest bought from Ikea.

Let’s change this bad boy up in a slightly different way.

Instead of placing the enemy in front of the fork, let’s place the enemy in front of the treasure chest. And just to make this decision harder, let’s also say that the player fought a few enemies prior to the start of this level so that the health bar is ‘less than perfect’. Already, we can see that the decision to go left or go right is a lot harder and needs to be heavily taken into consideration. There is a sense of risk management that the player needs to take. Attempt to fight the enemy and risk losing more health, or preserve what health is left and go toward the boss. But of course, the player can chalk it up to luck and hope to get a potion from the treasure chest if the enemy was successfully defeated. This is one of the few out of an infinite amount of interesting questions that the game can possibly give to the player through level design. Level design isn’t just about the layout of the map, but how the layout of the map interacts with enemy placements, how it interacts with gameplay mechanics, and how it makes the player analyze their skill and choices and perceive their current situation.

Harking back to the previous comment about open world, “If the benefits of open world were supposedly to give a large quantity of choices and freedom to the player, and I feel that these attributes are not what constitutes for a good level design, then what does?” It’s not about the quantity of the choices, but rather the quality of the choices. What are the consequences if I go to point A and do the potential benefits outweigh the consequences if I were to go to point B? It is fine to give the players freedom to go anywhere they like, but having a steady flow and pacing of interesting questions presented to the players makes for a more engaging experience on their journey.

~/~Brick by Brick~/~

As I walked farther into the maze-like wonderings about level design, I thought a lot about the techniques that can be used to implement a sauve level. One might say… (one being myself of course), that if it is all that it takes to create an interesting level design is player engagement, then supposedly we could just concatenate interesting “questions” together in a chain. Or go balls out and strap a multitude of interesting “questions” together at once!

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Technically, there is nothing wrong with these two designs, but there is something head-scratching and puke-inducing about them. Level design is not as simple as taking a box of lego bricks and stacking them up until you have a reasonable proper looking house. Rather, it is more about diversifying the types and shapes of the bricks and building a creative shape from them. Repeating the same “question” lessens the impact and critical thinking the player must undergo. By reinforcing the same question constantly, the player is being conditioned and their line of thinking would eventually become streamlined. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is dependent on the game’s goal in that current situation.

Let’s open up MS paint again to edit Figure 1 and see if we can diversify the types of questions to the player and apply what has been learnt so far.

Figure 1a.

Figure 1b.

Upon start in Figure 1a., the first half of the map, the player will see the 1st path to the right that there is a treasure chest miraculously unguarded. As stated previously, I frown seethingly upon this type of design, but I would want the level to make a clear statement in the 2nd fork that treasure chests would not come for free in the future. The 3rd fork serves to condition the player further emphasizing the risk & reward ordeal. Upon traversing onto the latter half of the map in Figure 1b., is where things start to become interesting. The 4th fork is not really a fork per se, but rather a body of water that the player cannot traverse through. Yet, from the gaping hole, the player is able to view a treasure chest just out of reach. There is significance in presenting a question with no immediate answer. One, it entices the player’s curiosity and two, it forces the player to make mental mappings about points of interests and be aware of their surroundings. Naturally, the level is highly encouraging the player to explore more of its design. With a sudden change in pattern from the 2nd & 3rd fork to the 4th fork, we conditioned and toyed with the player’s expectations, and in doing so, we are engaging the player’s mindset and thinking. A shift of mindset from a risk management type to more of an exploratory type.

Of course, the answer to this specific situation is not all that interesting, as the player simply has to walk a bit farther on the current path, go through the next path on the left, defeat a dumb enemy and walk straight downward. What to take away from this is an important one however : motivation. Level designs motivate players that there is something worthwhile exploring. View of a city in the distance beyond the obstacle mountains, or a bottle across the river bank. Introductions of reward with an unknown solution is a powerful idea. I would like to think that mankind are natural problem solvers, and if we are, rather than give the players a number, give them an equation, aka the “2+2 theory”. Straying away from the metaphorical, what I mean is perhaps instead of a quest pointer that most games do, design the levels in a way that makes for an interesting yet complicated navigation towards their goal. Seemingly inaccessible locations tell the player that they most likely cannot go there, but a thoughtful placement of a viewable object tells the player that they can. And perhaps thoughtful placements of enemies and objects or interactable environments using gameplay mechanics can help lead the player to their destination like food crumbs leading a wet puppy. Establishing unique landmarks as a navigating relative beacon of distance and direction goes a long way as well.

In a more creative art perspective, the lighting and color contrast, flow and weight of lines in an architectural structure, path sizes, audio feedback and other clever environmental details can be easily utilized to direct the player’s eyes and feed crucial hints about questions with unknown solutions. Educating the player is powerful. Back to Figure 1b., allowing the player to not only see the treasure chest, but as well as the spatial layout of its relative area, helps formulate an estimated projection of the level’s interior design. The player can guess based on seeing the opening north of the chest, that from their current path, there eventually will be a route that will go in the opposite direction. Level previews give a sense of mystery, and I think because of that, the intrigue of the unknown gives a purpose to the journey. Because after all, it would be nice to see the full picture if you know what I mean.

~/~Layer by Layer~/~

I’ve wondered if increasing the number of choices in a game is a good thing. Now, this might sound weird.

“More choices? That should be great! Think of the number of possibilities! Are you dumb, Sugoi Kawaii Miyafuji 420?!”

You may laugh at me all you want, but you can’t hurt the feelings of a person with accepted low self-esteem! I want go in the opposite direction of this wondering path and think about the consequence of overwhelming the player with choices. A sudden B20 bombardment of decisions can lead to a paralysis-type effect onto a player. Like being given a restaurant menu and taking ten minutes to figure which among the hundred of choices you want to eat, only to end with a small bitter soup like an old grumpy man barking at a deli sandwich store.

Too many choices can lead to too many distractions, which can potentially lead the player down a path that the map does not actually want them to go yet. It’s important to let the player know of what is the overarching question that they should be answering. And from that high-level layer, sub-questions can be formed at a more granular layer that is encompassed by the journey for the higher answer. This helps keep the adventure on a singular focus.

Referring back to puke-stained Figure 2:

If I was not lazy and actually made each branch to be more windy, obscuring the fact that there is a chest and an enemy at the end of each, the player might pause and ponder briefly which path to take first. In addition, the layout of this map could potentially give an unfulfilling sense of progress now that I think about it. As the player goes through each path and back to the main hub, he always end back at square 1, with less, but still a number of choices to make still. Is this map a lost cause and a failure? Is it impossible to stop the puking? Should I erase all those horrible crude branches instead?

And here is where I came with an orgasmic epiphany.

Rather than erasing, let’s bluntly not let the players go through the branches instead. Turn the choices into exploratory questions. But how do we do that?

….

…...with motherfucking locked doors....

Let’s take this map and apply all of the lessons that we have learned thus far.

Tada~! I present to you the new and improved Figure 2 map!

Let’s do a walkthrough of this bad boy and analyze a few of the steps. From the start, 5 out of the 7 branches are blocked, leaving the player to decide between 2 paths. A statue of a human is placed in the center of the main room, serving as a beacon of navigation. Immediately, if we look to the top left, the door leading to the boss room is unnaturally big and girthy (heh). The structural size indicates it is the overarching highest layered question that the player should seek the answer for. The open path to the left is optional and up to the player to decide if they want to risk fighting the enemy for the reward. The green and yellow door are smaller sub-questions for the player. An inaccessible chest to the top right is viewable from the statue’s location, beckoning yet an another sub-question and encourages the player to explore the top right area.

Traversing through the top right path, a lower layered question to the sub-question is formed, as the player needs to decide which fork path to take. And upon exploration of the top right area, there is yet another inaccessible chest in view as the player grabs the green key. New questions are being raised as old questions are being answered. After the acquirement of the green key, the player looks straight ahead across the body of the water, knowing his relative location based on the statue, and knowing the next question to answer with the new accessible green door just behind the statue.

Going back to the main hub is no longer an unfulfilling sense of progress. Accessing previous blocked paths gives a feeling of accomplishment, and reuses the same space for different questions. The way the questions and answers are presented one after another, overlaying each other, creates a dynamic, interconnecting, and polymorphic feel of the level. Questions should shuffle in and out of each other like a knitting stick weaving through fabrics of yarn, dancing with the player in a steady tempo and manner, in the hopes of reaching the end of a tightly formed level.

~/~The light at the end of the level~/~

Level design is a component that can be as creative as art and music. The art of directing a player through a location is a complicated topic, but a worthwhile one to explore. The endless possibilities are unimaginable and unbound. For example, in the new and improved Figure 2 map, instead of a body of water, I could have easily used lava. Instead of doors, I could have used huge difficult monsters as deterrence. Instead of keys, I could have used newfound abilities. Instead of being interior, I could have made the whole map be an exterior map, replacing walls with tall, tall mountains and replacing chests with towns. And what do you know? We have an “open world” design.

The principles of level design remain the same throughout the spectrum from small-scale linear maps to large-scale open maps. If gameplay mechanics was the hero, level design would be the trusty sidekick, covering the gameplay and providing opportunities where each unique aspect of the hero can resonate brighter in this melodic game symphony.

And I would like to think that one of the best gifts level design can give to the player is the sense of greatness. As the player crawls out of the dark menacing level and into the light, ragged and weary from all the ordeals within, it would be nice if the player can turn around and take one last look at the unsung and silent entity.

The joy of accomplishment from conquering a space of hardships, whether big or small...

...the grand scale of victory.

#blog #level design

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etes-secrecy-post · 2 years ago

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Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE! (W/ BIGGER TEXT!)⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

😡 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EVER LIKED & REBLOG MY SECRET POST! THIS IS FOR MY SECRET FRIENDS ONLY, NOT YOU! 😡

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

Journey to Manila w/ my Paper Dolls [Recorded Jan 8th, 2023]

Hello, my secret friends! Here's what I'm promised. A journey to Manila, featuring my family & my paper dolls. 🙂🌃🇵🇭

If you haven't seen my 1st episode of "Take a Taste" 2023, then please [CLICK ME!].😉

So, without further ado, let's get started:

1st to 5th Image(s): ↑

• This is before we go to "1919 Grand Cafe" for some delicious sweet treats, and also after we ate at the "Delicious Restaurant".

• Before we proceed to another eating established, let's take a look at the "New Binondo Chinatown Arch". ⛩️🇨🇳🏙️ Isn't it pretty, you two? Love the changing colors! 😊💡

Fun fact #1: Did you know, that "Binondo's Chinatown" in Manila was considered the most oldest Chinatown in the world? That's right! It was established in 1594; 182 years before the United States of America declares their independence (July 4th, 1776) 🇺🇸📖🪶, and 304 years before the Philippines (my country) declares our independence (June 12th, 1898) 🇵🇭📖🪶. That's old! 😁 Know about more "Binondo's Chinatown"? Then please [CLICK ME!].

6th to 8th Image(s): ↑

• And this is after we're leaving the "1919 Grand Cafe".

• Here are my last three photos, as we stroll along at the new improved "Jones Bridge" 🌉. Yes, I said it "new improved" because of Mayor of Manila (Isko Moreno) order the officials to renovate the bridge into a nostalgic looking reminiscent of the past, and it amazed us. Don't ya think, you two? 😊 Love the scenery w/ the Philippine iconic structure; the "Manila Central Post Office". ✉️🏛️🇵🇭

Fun Fact #2: The original name of this bridge was "William A. Jones Memorial Bridge", It is named after the United States legislator William Atkinson Jones [CLICK ME! #1], although, Mr. Jones didn't architect the bridge, but rather a Filipino designer named Juan M. Arellano [CLICK ME! #2]. The original style of the "Jones Bridge" was the "Neoclassical arch bridge", from 1919 to 1945, where the latter was bombed by Japanese Army forces during WWII. A year later, they revived the Jones Bridge w/ several alterations until 2019. Which, I've already mentioned before.

Final Overall:

• My entire family are satisfied our stroll & eating delicious food from two establishments, at the same time. We're haven't done this since the pandemic, and we're missing out some great places in Manila (and other parts in my country). Here's hoping, that we planning another bonding, someday. 😊 And don't worry, we're always wearing face mask & arming some sanitation sprays. 😷😉

Well, that’s all for now. More journey moments, coming soon. 😊

And If you haven’t seen my previous episodes of "Take a Taste", then I’ll provide some links down below.↓😉

Take a Taste 2022:

• Popeyes U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich [Dec 6, 2021]

• Jollibee Chick'nwich & Crisscut Fries [Dec 21, 2021]: Part 1 [CLICK ME! #1], Part 2 [CLICK ME! #2]

• Mini Stop Chicken Fillet XL Sandwich [Feb 7, 2022]

• Minute Burger Cheese Burger(s) [Mar 1, 2022]

• Pepper Lunch Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice w/ Egg (& Honey Brown Sauce) [Mar 5, 2022]

• Bacsilog’s Sulit Combo Bacon-Tocino & Samgyup Day’s Pork Herbs [Mar 12, 2022]

• Burger King Whopper w/ Sides & Drink [May 6, 2022]

• Marshmello’s Limited Edition Coca-Cola Zero [Aug 26, 2022]

• Cheesy Burger McDo with Lettuce & Tomatoes Meal [Recorded: Sept 16, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s PH McSpicy & Apple Pie (featuring their World Famous Fries) [Nov 14, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s McCrispy Hamonado Sandwich [Dec 31st, 2022]

Take a Taste 2023:

• Foods from Delicious Restaurant & 1919 Grand Cafe [Jan 8th, 2023]

Tagged: @bryan360, @carmenramcat, @leapant

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sevmeyinkimseyifazla-blog · 6 years ago

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24 Hours to Improving SEO

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All these great elements is going to be useful for a successful marketing plus branding strategy and finally increases your SEO rank. However, using the development of technology and Google most recent updates you can improve ratings by adopting voice search, sped up mobile pages, content marketing, cellular optimization, user-experience optimization, long-tail key phrases, local SEO, Google Quick Reply Box, Microformat and Artificial Cleverness in your SEO strategy 2018. SEO is the particular series of strategic approaches plus practices that are implemented in order to organically generate a high-rank placement in the search engine web page outcomes of internet search motors like Google, Bing, and Google.

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floraone · 4 years ago

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So, September is coming up, and with it smutember, and we’re doing it again! (At least I hope you’re with me, lol).

Just like last year, it runs alongside to the official daily word prompts on the official smutember blog: Smutember is an event that runs all throughout September for all fandoms. The following is meant as an addition, not a replacement. If you want to do daily prompts, please use the official words prompts (linked above). However, since daily prompts can be a bit intimidating (especially for a fandom corner that’s 25+ years old like ours and people in it have busy lives), as the resident smut advocate in our fandom, I again customized an alternative that can still incorporate the official themes.

Just like last year, down below you have a list of TROPE AND THEME PROMPTS. They’re a remix of sorts of last year’s tropes, with some you’ve seen before and some new ones, meant to spark a variety of ideas. The idea is that with these you can post once (or twice) per week instead of daily.

What’s new: I’m taking a page out of the mini-bang’s impressive book, and when smutember is over, I will compile all entries that followed the rules into an online-only e-zine! This also means that art that may be too explicit for tumblr can still be included in the e-zine!

Here are the weekly trope challenges:

Reinvent a trope!

WEEK 1 (September 1st - 7th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Reunion Sex 🍋 Sex Fails 🍋 Second Chance Sex 🍋 You Talk In Your Sleep 🍋 Unresolved Sexual Tension 🍋 New Old Flame 🍋 Go Seduce My Archnemesis 🍋 Bedsharing 🍋 Sex with the Ex/Break-Up Sex 🍋 In Public

WEEK 2 (September 8th - 14th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Make-Up Sex 🍋 Battle Couple 🍋 Mission Sex 🍋 Work-Out Sex 🍋 Accidental Pervert 🍋 Bathing/Shower 🍋 Pool/Onsen 🍋 Sexual Fantasies 🍋 Blind Date 🍋 Aroused By Your____ (pick a feature)

WEEK 3 (September 15th - 21st): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Established Relationship 🍋 “Thank God We’re Alive” 🍋 Caught In The Act 🍋 First Times 🍋 Introduction By Hook-Up 🍋 Pining 🍋 Locked In Together In A Small Space/ Trapped Together 🍋 Huddling For Warmth 🍋 Socially Distanced Sex 🍋 Stupid Sexy Friend 🍋 Caught In The Rain 🍋 Living Food Platter/Eating Off You 🍋 Shunga

WEEK 4 (September 22nd - 30th): Pick 1 or 2

🍋 Mutual Masturbation 🍋 Awkward/Clumsy Sex 🍋 Oh Crap There’s Fanfic Of Us 🍋 Talking In Bed 🍋 Fidelity Test 🍋 Fake-NOT-Dating 🍋 Mindlink 🍋 Sex Games 🍋 Tinder 🍋 Blackout/Quarantine/Disaster Warning/Weathering The Storm

RULES

If you’re unsure what sex positivity entails and want to read up, I wrote a post about it here.

During the event, I will be posting all Sailor Moon Smutember contributions in this format on my blog if you @ me to the post.

The official hashtag for the event is #smutember2020 hosted by the official smutember blog. Using it helps people find the content who search for it as well as those who wish to block it!

#smutember2020 #smutember sailor moon fandom #smutember usamamo fandom corner #smutember2020 rules #Spread the word!

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empireintheair · 6 years ago

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– ChiChai@Empire –

The universe brought my mom and I to Dubai in 2013. A company chose Project PEARLS as its benefactor for a gala and sponsored us to join. You can read about our visit to the Gold Market, Dubai Museum, Old Dubai, and Dubai Mall here. Since then, revisiting Dubai or the UAE itself has barely really crossed our minds. That trip was fast-paced and too glammed up for our taste (read about the gala here.) But, five years later, the universe decided we needed to go back.

We travelled to the UAE for the first week of August. This time around, we grew a deeper appreciation for the country and were surrounded by loving company. The two cities we visited were Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it and execute it.”

– HH Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai

Dubai

The Company

Why Dubai?

Ezra Santos – a couture designer and a Project PEARLS supporter based in Dubai – generously offered me one of the greatest wedding gifts that I’ll receive. (By the way, if you don’t follow the Empire Team personally, Chris@Empire and I are getting married this year lol.)

I won’t get into too much details about what that gift is or how beautiful it is or how much I feel glowed up like a princess who’s dreams are coming true. Instead, let’s take time to appreciate Ezra’s fashion studio and gallery!

Ezra not only welcomed us in his art space but he gave us that warm mabuhay-hospitality by treating us to a local eatery.

My favorite of the food was the dessert: kanafeh, an Arab dessert made of dough, cheese, and nuts meant to be drizzled with syrup. Mm!

He also showed us around La Mer — a beachfront that turned into an outdoor mall, theme park, public art space, and foodie spot.

Some of my favorite murals were the following:

Another person that made our trip worthwhile was my cousin Pamela. This favorite cousin and airman of mine is currently stationed in Abu Dhabi. Lucky for us, her day off just so happen to coincide with our travel days!

The Places

My mom and I realized that we saw maybe only 10% of the Dubai Mall in our initial visit. This time, we ended up spending hours in it… unintentionally. This mall just has so much going on! Here are some of my favorite views within the mall itself:

My favorite spot in the second-largest-mall-in-the-whole-freakin-world is the Kinokuniya bookstore.

We meant to only pass by it but ended up spending nearly two hours within the bookstore alone. They had numerous bookshelves for different segments of art (as supposed to one or two shelves like at Barnes & Noble.) Their amount of international literature was incomparable to bookstores I’ve gone too before — for adults and children!

Plus… it was toy galore as well.

My pick-ups included these must-reads from the political and social science section and… these wedding cake-toppers for Chris@Empire and I

The grandness of Dubai is shown in its metro stations as well. Here’s one near the hotel we stayed at:

Considering Dubai’s climate, plenty of air-conditioned walkways connect buildings to buildings. And, of course, even the views from those walkways were incredible.

Abu Dhabi

My mom and I decided to dedicate a day to tour Abu Dhabi. We wanted to tour somewhere new since we saw Dubai’s major sites during our first trip. Within this one day, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Emirates Palace, and the Louvre (yes! there’s a Louvre in Abu Dhabi!)

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The founder of the United Arab of Emirates — late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan — envisioned this mosque to become a unifying foundation for Islam’s cultural diversity with history and the modern world. (source)

When visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, it’s easy to get mesmerized by the symmetry and the harmony of light and colors. I learned that the Mosque’s design plays a key role in representing its Islamic faith; Islam’s art is geometric, symmetric, and patterned in order to represent order and balance and to welcome those inside for contemplation.

To treat every person, no matter what his creed or race, as a special soul, is a mark of Islam.”

“To treat every person, no matter what his creed or race, as a special soul is a mark of Islam.”

– Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Emirates Palace

We thought, “Cool! Our tour guide is taking us to a palace!” Um. It turns out that the Emirates Palace is a hotel.

I’m pretty sure our tour guide here took us just so we can get photos in front of it. But that’s about all we got from it. Most of it was blocked off unless you were a guest (which costs about $300/night!?) Yup… Well, I suppose the tour guide was right. We got a few photos out of it.

The Louvre

See Humanity in a new light.

– The slogan of The Louvre – Abu Dhabi

Established in 2007, France and the UAE “came together to develop a new kind of cultural institution” that focuses on “universal human values.” (source) This institution became the Louvre.

Upon entering the museum, you are greeted by this quote by poet and scholar Jalal Al-Din Rumi

Everything in the universe is within in you

Many know the original Louvre as the world’s largest art museum. It’s beautiful, grand, and full of treasures from all over the globe. However, the history behind the French Louvre’s origins isn’t as beautiful. It began as somewhat a treasure room for royalty then became a prejudice art collector who “considered cultural traditions outside Europe to be of lesser quality, value, and importance.” (source) The introduction of art outside of Europe and Egypt into the Louvre actually didn’t happen until the year 2000!

The Abu Dhabi Louvre addresses the original Louvre’s fault of segmenting Europe and “the Other.” Rather than organizing the museum by region or Western art periods, the Abu Dhabi Louvre celebrates similarities among the world’s people by creating sections of “shared themes and ideas that reveal common connections throughout humanity.” (source)

The artwork and relics were often paired or grouped in threes to show the similarities between different groups of people. For instance, this statue of “Orator” from Rome and Bodhisattva from Gandhara were both sculpted in 1st Century CE with the intent of a more natural look as supposed to stylistic and show the Greek influences that came to both areas in that time. Even the poses of the two are similar.

One of the themes I found most powerful was “Universal Religions.” As emphasized in the museum, what makes religions universal are the humans’ need and spiritual urge to create them and follow them.

In this photo alone, products of faith peacefully coexist with one another although belonging to different religions.

The most picturesque part of the Louvre’s architecture is the “Rain of Light,” a domed courtyard in which several light beams softly shine through.

‎ستأسر كلاً من أشعة الشمس وضوء القمر زوار متحف #اللوفر_أبوظبي مع شروق الشمس وغروبها. إذ سيسري شعاع النور في أرجاء قبة المتحف المصمّمة بعناية فائقة، مما سيسمح بتسرب الضوء إلى داخل المتحف مع توفير الظل للفن ومحبيه عندما يفتتح المتحف أبوابه بعد أربعين يوماً ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With the rising and the setting of the sun, #LouvreAbuDhabi's visitors will be delicately drenched in sunlight and starlight. The #RainofLight will shine through the museum's dome, bathing the museum in patterns made by the sun. We open our doors to the world in 40 days! #WorldArchitectureDay. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ‎©اللوفر أبوظبي – تصوير محمد سومجي ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ © Louvre Abu Dhabi – Photography by Mohamed Somji

A post shared by Louvre Abu Dhabi (@louvreabudhabi) on Oct 2, 2017 at 7:44am PDT

As you can see from the photo above… my lens got fogged up lol. Even my camera couldn’t handle the Louvre’s beauty. Luckily my mom was able to take photos with her phone:

Regardless of the photo quality/format, the brilliance of the “Rain of Light” is undeniable. If you are ever visiting the UAE, soaking in the sun-rays at the Louvre is already worth the trip.

The travel blogging for this summer has just begun! Coming soon: Manila, Tagaytay, and Camarines Norte of the Philippines. To stay up to date on my travels (and behind-the-scenes of Empire!) visit my Instagram here.

ChiChai’s Reunion with the UAE - ChiChai@Empire - The universe brought my mom and I to Dubai in 2013. A company chose…

#abu dhabi #abudhabi #dubai #letsgosomewhere #louvre #Travel #travel blogger #UAE #wanderer #wanderlust

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maskthrown · 4 years ago

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RULES

Short, sweet, and to the point. Follow these rules and we all have a great time.

1. Mutuals only. I must be following you and you must be following me. Only those that I follow can like starter calls, send in character asks, and reply to posts.

1a. I will not interact with non-Mutuals, that includes asks, unless it’s done anonymously and it doesn’t have a url attached. Anyone who breaks this rule will get about a few pardons but after that will be blocked.

2. My time is limited here in what I can do. This means that I am very selective in what I reply to. Doesn’t necessary mean that I am ignoring anyone. Some days I reply to everything and everyone, others I am so burnt out from irl things or work that I just lurk and do the bare minimum. My mental health and well-being comes before anything else.

2a. Replies vary by length and time. I normally work eight to ten hours a day and experience a lot of exhaustion. Unless I don’t see a thread or an ask going anywhere and publicly make a post saying it’s been dropped, consider everything as pending / will do ASAP. Memes are okay to send in late unless it clearly states, not accepting. My timezone is Eastern Standard Time or EST. United States is where I am located at. I am usually online from 10 PM EST to 3 AM EST unless it’s a day off from work, which the online time will vary from 12 PM EST to 3 AM EST.

2b. Role-playing is a hobby, not a job. Do not pester me for replies or asks to be answered. I am not obligated to owe anyone anything on this website. I am human and can’t cater to everyone’s needs. Being persistent here is not going to make me answer yours faster than other people.

2c. Don’t follow, unfollow, and then refollow my blog. It’s not going to make me want to follow you back, ever. It’s annoying and no one is being crafty by doing that. If you continue to do this and it isn’t a tumblr glitch, I will be inclined to block and possibly report for spam.

3. If you do need to break mutuals with me, HARD BLOCK my blog. Don’t just UNFOLLOW or SOFT BLOCK because chances are that I could mistakenly follow you again. And that’s something we both don’t want since it would be quite awkward.

3a. I have the right to unfollow whoever I want to and so do you. Please don’t go on a hunt and try to guilt trip me into following you back again. Just don’t. I can and will tell you the reason why I unfollowed you but other than that, just let me leave in peace.

3b. Personal blogs and non RP blogs will be blocked on sight. Please, if you have a side blog let me know through asks so I don’t accidentally block you. IMs are not a good way to let me know since they are closed for non-mutuals.

4. Duplicates are welcomed to follow me. The more the merrier. I do not suffer from same muse anxiety and encourage any of the same muse to follow me. Only request is that you don’t steal my headcanons, edits or icons. Other than that, we should all be able to have a good time. I’m always up for twin verses or alternate universes shenanigans.

4a. Original Characters are allowed to follow me. However, they need to be a little flesh out before I make a decision to follow them back or not. Just a small backstory or biography is all that I need. Headcanons also work if there isn’t an about page but must have about one page worth for me to consider following.

4b. Crossover Characters from other shows are allowed to follow me but I must know about said muse or else I’ll have a hard time whether to follow or not. Few fandoms I won’t interact with because I have no interest in these series are: Avatar the Last Airbender, Avatar the Legend of Korra. ( more to be added ).

5. I am a multi-ship blog. All ships are separate in their own standings. I am open to all kinds of ships, not just romantic ones. I also enjoy platonic, rivalry, and familiar bonds. All ships are open to discussions through my IM(s) or otherwise known as Instant Messenger. Chemistry is key. As long as we interact a little, there’s always the chance that both muses can be in a relationship.

6. Things for you to tag for me are: BIRDS, CHAIN LETTERS, ORGANS, DOGS. For the birds and dogs, just irl ones trigger me. I am fine with cartoon / art / video game ones as they are not real.

6a. This blog will contain sensitive themes from time to time. However, I will tag common things like those mentioned below. If you need anything tagged, please let me know through instant messaging / IMs. Things I’ll tag for you are but not limited to: BLOOD, GORE, DEATH, BODY HORROR, EYE HORROR, INSECTS, MAGGOTS, BRUISES, SCARS, GUNS, KNIVES, CLOWNS.

7. I am over the age of eighteen. However, I refuse to write smut as I am not comfortable with that subject to begin with and most of my muses here are minors. Please never force me to write this with you and if you keep sending things to me in this type of nature, I will report you, no questions asked.

7a. If I see any form of hate and I find out it was you that sent it, I will immediately BLOCK you. No questions asked. Life is too short to send unwanted hate, anon or not. All anon hate and hate towards me and my characters ( s ) in general will be reported and then blocked, no questions asked.

8. My pen name on here is SERE. Obliviously, that is not my real name but it’s what I go by. It’s short for ‘Serena’, the English name that DIC gave Usagi Tsukino in the Americanized version of Sailor Moon. It’s pronounced; SIR-REE.

9. I am not a meme source. If you need to reblog a meme from my blog and don’t plan to send me anything, reblog from the source. I hardly get asks as it is, and for you to just use me as a meme source puts a bad taste in my mouth and I feel like I’m being used, which isn’t a good feeling. If you wonder if you should send in a meme to me, please do. I love getting asks. I do hoard them from time to time like a dragon hoards treasure but I do get to them eventually. The more memes / asks, the merrier.

9a. Feel free to turn inbox replies into threads. Just remember to make separate post when replying. Do not reblog threads not meant for you and don’t reblog my headcanons. It’s okay to reblog my asks though if you want them to be keepsakes on your own blog. Also, it’s alright to reblog musings and images from me.

10. I usually am not considered spoiler free. However, I do tag recent released games, which is Persona 5 Scramble / Strikers. All other games in the Persona 5 series ( original game, dancing in starlight, pq2, and royal ) will NOT be tagged. Follow at your own risk to avoid spoilers.

10a. Knowledge in the Persona series is about ABOVE AVERAGE, please don’t keep pointing out mistakes. I know and will correct them due time.

10b. Please tag the popular ship AkeShu / ShuAke ( Goro Akechi x Persona 5 Protagonist ) / ( Persona 5 Protagonist x Goro Akechi ). I am not a fan of this ship at all and would request it to tagged at all times. Tags can be as simple as ‘akeshu’ and ‘shuake’.

11. I rather not be bothered by callout posts and any potential drama that might accumulate. I am just here to have fun and I hope everyone else can too. Life is too short to spend on certain things that don’t matter in the long run. If I see multiple call out posts from you in a single day or that’s all you post, I will quietly unfollow you.

12. Out of character posts will be on here from time to time. Mostly talking about life in general or me venting once in a great while. If this annoys you, please remember that this is my blog, not yours. You are welcomed to unfollow / block at any time.

12a. The best way to interact with me is to send memes / asks / inbox things. I am always up for unprompted things in my inbox. Also, my instant messenger is always open if someone needs to contact me out of character or to plot something. Don’t hesitate to talk to me. I will try my best to respond.

12b. Not interacting after a month or two with me and my blog will make me silently unfollow you or result in a soft block. Or if you don’t interact with me at all, even out of character. Also, if you are gone for more than 6 months, I consider your blog inactive and will probably assume that you aren’t going to return.

13. I’m really laid-back in nature so don’t feel pressured to reply to anything I send to you. I understand that life happens and that sometimes you just need to unwind from the stress of daily life.

14. For pronouns; either SHE/HER or THEY/THEM is okay with me. My orientation is DEMIROMANTIC ASEXUAL. I love anime, manga, video games, music, drawing, and writing. If you read all of this, then thank you! I won’t ask for passcodes but please still try to remember these at some point. That’s all I ask. <3.

**DISCLAIMERS.

This blog has been established since January 1st, 2021. Independent and not affiliated with any role play group. Written by SERE.

( rules may be updated from time to time so please check here once in awhile. I will also post when these are updated as well ).

#long post;;#rules;;#mobile rules;;#mobile laws;;

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thesimplyluxuriouslife · 5 years ago

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266: 10 Activities to Savor Pre-Holidays in November

Here in the states, we may officially wait for the holiday energy to be set free, but by the time November arrives, it can easily begin to feel as though the holidays have begun. Whether that is due in part to marketers and shops shifting from Halloween on October 31st to red and green everything on November 1st, or an earnest desire for the holidays to begin by the public, I cannot quite be sure, but what I do know is that I love the three weeks leading up to Thanksgiving of which I am calling the "pre-holiday" season.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the holiday time between Thanksgiving and New Year's, but during the first third of November (Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November which this year is quite late in the month), I just linger with absolute contentment.

Today I would like to share with you 10 activities or ideas for savoring the pre-season period as the year that is begins to wind down to celebration and festive gathering.

1.Set the mood in your home without pulling out the decorations

From placing simmering spices on the stovetop to fill the house with luscious, warm and citrus as well as spice-filled flavors (check out my simple recipe here) or simply switching the wreath on the front door to an autumn theme (if you have not done so already), protect, yet acknowledge this time of year that is truly meant to be savored after a summer and early fall of harvest as we gear up for the bustle of the holiday season.

2. Put the yard and exterior of the home to bed for the winter

Depending upon where you live and when the temperatures begin to drop, take this time to be outside and winterize the home, tend to the plants that need to be mulched and trim the perennials, as well as plant the new bulbs that will emerge in the spring. Tending to the exterior of your home will enable you to sleep soundly at night during the snowstorms and frigid temperatures knowing all is taken care of so that you can simply enjoy the winter wonderland that appears out the front door.

~Trusted British gardener Monty Don shares a worth-keeping monthly list of what to tend to in the garden during the month of November.

3. Assess your fitness routine and improve now to feel your best during the holidays

When we are conscious of the benefit of a good and regular fitness routine as well as a well-balanced eating regimen, we are more likely to do well during the holidays. Establish or cement what is working well and plan now to figure out how you will maintain your ability to stay active and eat well even if you are traveling or removed from your regular environment.

4. Make a favorite fall dessert or main dish for you and the household just because it's fall.

From Apple Tart Tatin (check out my recipe and video tutorial below) to butternut squash and apples roasted to perfection for a lovely side dish with pork chops. (The image at the top of the post is a favorite fall dessert inspired by Julia Child - look for my adaptation to be shared in season 3 of the cooking show!)

~Quick recipe for roasted butternut squash and apples: Combine cubes of butternut squash and apples on a parchment lined sheet pan, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, toss the squash and apples with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, roast for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and enjoy!

5. Make sure you have something to look forward to just after the holidays wrap up - something simple, low-key and maybe just for yourself.

6. Have fun with fall foliage - arrangements, playing in the leaves, taking photos of unique compositions that catch your eye

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4qMNBZgx64/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

7. Take advantage of weekend sales as businesses clear out inventory for the holiday season.

Currently many business are having sales during our long weekend here in the states, but that is just a start to what is to come. Whether you are beginning to shop for gifts for the holidays or have a list of items you love but are waiting for a sale, be sure to take advantage if the price is right and the item is exactly what you want. As I shared yesterday, I am looking for a fresh holiday wreath for my front door, and was pleased with Williams-Sonoma' 20% off sale.

As well, examine your fall, winter and holiday wardrobe: Do you have what you need? Are there any gaps? The fall collections are about to go on drastic reduction and scooping up your preferred and needed items at great prices will make you and your budget quite happy, not to mention ensure you look your best and feel comfortable going about your day.

8. Forage for the arts and literature and culture you love

On Wednesday of this week I will share a list of books, podcasts, television shows and art exhibits to enjoy during the winter season, but what I love most about these three weeks leading up to the holidays is that I cozy inside my house far more than I would during warmer weather and pull out a book (or two, or three) and let the time pass by. The same happens when I discover a great show or when I toodling about the house or walking the boys while listening to a podcast in which I learn something but lifts my spirits or ensures my day will be better after listening to it by either teaching me something or deepending my understanding on something that matters.

Perhaps why I enjoyed my visit to Portland last weekend so much and stopping (and lingering) at Powell's Independent Book Store was because books and late fall and winter, along with the shorter days means more time to get lost in a book. Of course reading is savoring year-round, but there is all the more reason to further our knowledge and let ideas percolate giving them time to germinate so that they can bloom fully when spring arrives and summer follows.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ZHszngxkf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

9. Get cosy often and lose track of time

At the foundation of these three weeks is time without apology for self-care. Self-care needs to happen year-round and on a regular basis most certainly, but since we know what awaits in the near future, no matter how much we greatly look forward to it, we can enjoy it all the more with a fully rested self.

As 2019 began, the first Petit Plaisir of the year was the book Cosy: The British Art of Comfort by Laura Weir. Released in early November 2018, her timing was not on accident. The cosy/cozy season truly feels as though it begins with November's arrival.

"Cosiness, for me, is radio 4, slow-cooking, everyday Sunday supplement, long breakfasts, long movies, long phone calls, big jumpers, tangled limbs in a bed or sofa. I enjoy those things even more now that I know indulging them doesn't mean I'm missing out on the big party of life happening somewhere outside and that life can be just as wild and precious in the quiet as it is in the noise."

—Laura Weir from her book Cosy: The British Art of Comfort

10. Find time to be with yourself, not just introverts researchs finds

~image via The New York Times~

In a recent New York Times article, research was shared that "valuing solitude doesn’t really hurt your social life, in fact, it might add to it". Why?

With the new and different, wanted and unwanted people you will see and spend time with during the holiday season, there will undoubtedly be swells of emotion, good and perhaps not so good. Knowing how to regulate our emotions will help us navigate what has the potential to be a truly joyous time of year well and most beneficially not only for our own mental health but those around us. And it is with giving ourselves time to be alone that we learn to regulate our emotions.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is something we have talked about often here on the blog, podcast and in TSLL's 2nd book, and continued research finds that mastering this skill has life enhancing qualities. By giving ourselves time to learn how to monitor our emotions which when we are alone with ourselves and our thoughts expectedly will provide plenty of practice until we learn how to calm the tide and just be present, we give ourselves an awesome gift. Perhaps the best give to give during the holiday season, non? ;)

So cosy up in your favorite spot, turn on a lovely playlist that will wash over you and just do something that you love. At this very moment I am snuggled up with Oscar by my side in my oversized, very well-used chaise armchair, the jazz fills the house and I am watching the many birds dance around the birdfeeder determining who will have the opportunity to snack for a moment. The emotions are certainly swimming about, especially after the week my family has had with the loss of someone truly special to all of us, but because of much practice spending time with myself, I savor such moments and am thankful to have them.

May these three weeks, this "pre-holiday" season prior to the holiday festivities be joy-filled and provide many moments of contentment.