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yshai-tia · 4 years ago

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. layercake

.LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE

name: y’shai tia

“at yer service, mate. aye, though ye might wanna ask again inna moon ‘er so-- lil’ more papers ‘ta push through an’ the last bit’ll change there. still can’t gods damned believe it if y’ask me.”

eye color: blue (left), green (right)

“pree’ common combo fer seekers, y’know? green from me ma, can only guess the blue from dear ol’ pops. is tha’ how it works? i ain’ a genetics sorta guy.”

hair style/color: black, lackadaisical

“oi now, leas’ it ain’ a qiqirn’s nest. take care ov’ me braids though, if yer lucky jus’ might tell ye what they mean some day.”

height: 5 fulms, 9 ilms

“look, ‘m tall fer a miqo’te, thas’ gotta count fer somethin’. ain’ about the height, mate, s’all ‘bout how ye use what yer slapped with.”

clothing style: predominately black with abhorrent amounts of leather

“what, like either ov’ those things ‘er ev’r gonna go outta style? lookin’ good an’ bein’ durable, ye can’t really go wrong there. an’ it ain’t like ‘m allergic ‘ta change, startin’ ‘ta get used ‘ta this whole buttoned ‘ta the throat business. sorta.”

best physical feature: absolutely everything, take your personal pick

“c’mon now, lookit yers truly, notta shortage ov’ ‘bests’ in sight, choosin’ jus’ one would jus’ be cruel. thick thighs, thick arse-- lil’ thick in th’ head sometimes but, aye, leas’ yer lookin’ at somethin’ nice.”

.LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

your fears: physical restrictions, i.e. being bound, failing to protect those he loves and/or hurting them himself, powerlessness and ineptitude, particularly large coeurls

“cor, jus’ had ‘ta go from a fun question straight ‘ta this. lighten up, mate.”

your guilty pleasure: who’s guilty?

“ain’ nothin’ guilty ‘bout indulgence-- an’ i sure as shit don’ think ‘bout-- ... ah, fuck. guess there was one time... but that was long ‘go now, ain’ no point bringin’ it up.”

your biggest pet peeve: don’t get him started

“the fact that ul’dah exists, does that fuckin’ count? aye, yer right, ‘ta big ‘ta be a peeve. cor, i dunno, what ye cryin’ over spilt yak’s milk fer. i guess... aye, well, this is a personal one-like, but whiddle this fer a second; self-proclaimed sorts ov’ engineers who go off wif’out a single thought fer consequences. ... aye, aye, i hear ye, real fuckin’ bold fer someone like me ‘ta bitch ‘bout that, but, listen, a guy can change. it’s one thing ‘ta fuck ‘round with things ye don’ understand fer the sake of curiousity but ye also don’ see me gettin’ ass deep in allagan bullshit jus’ cause there might be a fancy toy there that tickles me boredom away fer a spell. shit’s got its conveniences, aye, not like i dunno the uses ova’ tomephone-- but most ov’ it is also fuckin’ dangerous, not sayin’ that it shouldn’ be explored proper, but not by some renegade blighter who fancies himself some magitek wiz so far up his own arse it makes yer local garlean look like a dozen o’ roses.

swear, ye got folks out here thinkin’ jus’ cause they can take apart a chronometer ‘er do some basic maintenance on a firearm that they’re ready fer solo-scavenging-- next ye know they’re wadin’ in aetherochemical spills an’ huffin’ ceruleum.

so that’s one fer the road there, ask me again sometime an’ i’ll enlighten ye ‘bout all the fuckin’ joys ov’ seeker racism ‘ve ‘ad the pleasure of gettin’ ‘ta know.”

your ambition for the future: much and more

“one day ‘atta time has always been me go of things, aye, gander though i ain’t without dreams, ‘specially now with tha’ stability in me life-- let me think ‘bout things that i nev’r really thought mattered ‘ta much ‘ta me ‘fore, the future an’ like.

firs’ thing that comes ‘ta mind would be me projects, bein’ able ‘ta have me own workshop has been both a blessin’ an’ a curse; blessin’ fer obvious reasons, curse cause ‘m startin’ ‘ta have one ‘ta many irons in the fire, if ye whiddle me meanin’. the biggest one though... even i gotta admit tha’ this is a generational project at bes’ outlook, but. workin’ ta’wards bein’ able ‘ta purify an’ clean the land ov’ the remnants of war-- speakin’ ov’ ceruleum spills an’ the like. with hope me husband says that we could maybe one day bring th’ elementals’ blessin’ back ‘ta tainted lands, thas’ his field of expertise at work there... jus’ bein’ able ‘ta rid the land ov’ imperial consequence is a worthwhile goal ‘ta me, i reckon.

oth’r than that.. there’s some silly things, aye, winna big marksman competition ov’ sorts, fish up a catch that no one’s ev’r seen ‘fore, get stronger... thas’ one thas’ nev’r changed, fer differ’nt reasons now mind.”

.LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS

your first thoughts waking up: depends on the morning

“considerin’ the curr’nt season an’ all, most of me mornins’ start with me husband latchin’ on ‘ta me an’ not lettin’ me leave the bed at leas’ an extra bell fer the sake of warmth.

which is ‘ta say me first thoughts when wakin’ are pree’ fuckin good ones.”

what you think about the most: his husband, work, personal projects, underlying worries and responsibilities he’s not prone to publicly airing

“i ain’ exactly the ‘fee-low-sof-ick-al’ type, mate. keep it simple-like, thinkin’ ‘bout what’s in front ov’ me, the next step aft’r that.”

what you think about before bed: depends on the night

“‘pends on if ‘m too fucked out ‘ta even think ‘fore sleep takes me ‘er not. still, thoughts still mostly the same ‘gardless-- usually somethin’ long the lines of jus’ how godsdamned lucky i really am.”

you think your best quality is: once again.... take your personal pick

“well, ‘lready mentioned me ass, me thighs... if ye fancy scars me chest an’ back are pree’ damn nice too, me arms got some neat lookin’ ones lemme-- oh, y’don’t mean physical this time. cor, why didn’ ye say so.

shit, uhh... well, i ain’ the type ‘ta give up, come hell ‘er high water. shit tha’ might be a flaw but fuck it, it gets results, at leas’.”

.LAYER FOUR: WHAT’S BETTER?

single or group dates: single

“the hell issa group date? like a bunch’a folk all mated goin’ out? separate mated pairs? yer missin’ me here. only got eyes fer one, so the point is prolly moot.”

to be loved or respected: respected

“this issa easy one. trus’ me, know what is like bein’ ‘loved’ without respect, shit’s fun fer a spell, strokes the ego ‘til yer cummin’ yer own pride an’ fumes, but is all the same as a grog binge down at the Wench-- ev’ry single time ye’ll wake up feelin’ like shite an’ prayin fer death. ye can get mighty high on’a pain an’ pleasure cycle like that, aye, but ‘ventually the pain wins out.”

beauty or brains: they correlate

“me baby’s got both, so it ain’t like i gotta choose. ‘m a spoiled bastard, i know.”

dogs or cats: both

“cute buggers aren’t they, the both ov’ em. been at the mercy ov’ the teeth ov’ ‘em both too-- from coeurls ‘ta imperial trained bloodhounds. still, can’t rightly hate the animal fer instincts an’ trainin’, all jus’ tryin ‘ta survive.”

.LAYER FIVE: DO YOU?

lie: naturally. but also poorly

“ain’ ‘xactly me strongest suit, fair, but ‘ll bullshit me way ‘round somethin’ if i gotta.”

believe in yourself: of course-- sincerity is a non-factor

“fake it ‘til ye make it, mate. call it cheesy writin’ on the wall ‘er what’ver ye like, shit does the job. no one gives a shit how ye feel ‘bout yerself-- jus’ fuckin’ tell yerself that ye got this an’ go. don’ look back.”

believe in love: he’s in it

“kinda hard ‘ta refute somethin’ ‘m experiencin’, y’know.”

want someone: every second of every day

“jus’ ‘cause ye already have it don’ mean that ye stop wantin it. aye, if anythin’ jus’ want ‘em even moreso. constantly, shit never stops. it’s fuckin’ heaven, lemme tell ye.”

.LAYER SIX: EVER?

been on stage: not professionally

“nothin’ like singin’ er dancin’, less ye count bar tables as impromptu stages.”

done drugs: not always consensually. but a moko edible every now and again isn’t such a crime.

“relax, ain’ like i make a habit ov’ it. special occasion, really. don’ fancy bein’ out ov’ it ‘ta of’en.”

changed who you were to fit in: naturally

“ye gotta if ye wanna survive beyond yer own comforts, mate-- that is if yer lucky ‘ta be born inta’ such ‘ta begin with. look, is called adaptin’, an’ if ye haven’ noticed we miqo’te are pree’ fuckin’ good at it. not even mentionin’ tryna fit in at home-- when i left it was change ‘er die; changed when i started learnin’ the common eorzean tongue, changed when i started dressin’ different, when i started learnin’ how ‘ta act, walk an’ talk so as ‘ta survive, hold me own. y’see it all the godsdamn time-- lookit every miqo’te who changed their name once they started livin’ in one ov’ the big cities, aye, not all ov’ ‘em do, but ‘nuff do ‘fer us ‘ta notice.

it’s adaption. it’s survival. hide parts ov’ yerself ‘ta preserve the greater whole. ain’t sayin’ it’s a nice thing tha’ we gotta do it-- but, aye, survival rarely is ev’r nice.

... if yer lucky though, if ye live long ‘nuff, ye can start reclaimin’ them hidden parts ov’ yerself back, aye, s’process.”

.LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES

favorite color: black

“were ye expectin’ anythin’ else? ain’t gonna say no ‘ta gold either-- ‘specially of the rosey sort. they jus’ go ta’gether so well, y’know.”

favorite animal: jaguars, of course

“biased? me? ‘course not.”

favorite food: seafood in general, rustic homecooked meals, spicy food, way too sweet cream-filled coffee, nostalgic preference for almonds, coconuts, and fruit based desserts

“ye ev’r have those lil’ balls of cod deep fried in batter? could get meself sick on those buggers. too damn good. ‘specially if ye add a generous ‘mount ov’ dragon pepper ‘ta the fish ‘fore hand. ‘course if it’s good, fresh catch then ye can’t go wrong with simplicity neither, crab meat straight from the leg with no bells an’ whistles issa snack fit fer the finest.”

favorite game: card games, puzzles, anything that can spur fun competition, whether it be from hunting, to racing, to a snowball fight, isn’t adverse to the cheap thrill of betting on a race chocobo every now and again

“anythin’ can be good, fun competition if yer willin’ an’ rarin’, nothin’ like a lil’ friendly fire under yer arse ‘ta get the legs movin’ an’ cogs whirrin’.”

.LAYER EIGHT: AGE

day your next birthday will be: 28th day of the first umbral moon

“would be pree’ wild if me nameday wasn’ on.... me nameday.”

how old will you be: 29

“ugh, c’mon, i’m tryin’ not ‘ta think ‘bout it. knock it off.”

age you lost your virginity: between the ages of 19 and 21, he does not specify

“whas’ it matter? past is the past. leave it alone.”

does age matter: to an extent

“i ain’ no damn preacher, but it’s pree’ godsdamned obvious when someone is exertin’ power ov’r another. s’reason there be words like kid an’ adult. don’ fuckin’ be that person.”

.LAYER NINE: IN A BOY OR GIRL

best personality: bullheaded, smart, witty, compassionate, strong-hearted and strong-willed, brave, stubborn, impatient, and rather tactless

“maybe toss in a damn fine arse an’ voice like’a songbird-- wait, those ain’t personality traits?”

best eye color: rose gold

“bonus points if they gotta nice, natural glow ‘ta’em.”

best hair color: a warm rose peach with a streak of pale blonde

“what? ‘m a guy who jus’ knows what he likes. an’ i like what i like, cuff me if issa crime.”

best thing to do with a partner: exist with them in the entirety of life’s capacity

“call me fuckin’ sentimental, but learnin’ ‘ta fuckin’ live, really godsdamn live, with ‘em rath’r than jus’ survive... can’t fuckin’ be beat, jus’ can’t. shit’s golden, can’t wait ‘ta do it ev’ry single day on this star ‘til me times’ up.”

.LAYER TEN: FINISH THE SENTENCE

i love: “me husband.”

i feel: “pree’ chuffed, might go fer a nap.”

i hide: “poorly. mean have ye seen me, mate? ain’t easy hidin’ when yer this big. less’ maybe was in a house built with roes in mind.”

i miss: “me ma. aye, still lot’sa things that make me miss home, wouldn’ change where i am now fer the world, mind.”

i wish: “... fish. er, sorry, mind blanked there. they rhyme. been at sea fer the past few days now.”

tagged by: @ffxiv-sunderedsouls tagging: this is a stupidly late response so not sure how alive this particular meme is still but, here’s the deal; you wanna do this? do it and tag me THAT WAY i’ll know in the future to tag you in other things, good deal, right? right?!

#.memes #.sun kissed panther || y'shai #shai really out here like #whatever nothing bothers me #But Actually #And Another Thing #fuck this and that and the kitchen sink actually #what a boomer #for all he's grown he still never shuts up #sorry for the long post ;;;

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k7l4d4 · 3 years ago

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Midnight Striga: Fairy Tail/Owl House Cross Fic Episode 4 Part 2

Here is another piece of Midnight Striga! Everybody Clap Your Hands!!

‘Life,’ Luz mused, ‘is utterly random.’ She slowly turned her latest find over in her hands. An Archive Terminal, a portable link to the information distribution magic system known as Archive. How Eda got her hands on it, Luz didn’t know, but it was an amazing boon for sure. Somehow, the device had full connection, accessing the open source information of Archive; admittedly, this should’ve been impossible in a normal Terminal, which meant she probably had a black-market unit.

Luz smirked. This wasn’t the first time she had handled illegally modified gear, and it probably wouldn’t be the last; the real issue was keeping this thing in good shape. Black-Chapter Magic Items, tools that had been deliberately modified to make illegal operations easier, were typically made to break down easily once they served their purpose or if they became separated from their owners. In the end, she was fairly sure that wouldn’t be a problem, and she just got one of the best teaching aids she could possibly get in her current situation.

Her face shifted into suspicion. On second thought, it shouldn’t be possible for her to have gotten this in her current situation. Luz’s luck had been odd ever since she’d arrived on the Isles, and strange coincidences were starting to pile up, including the appearance of this Terminal. Still, there wasn’t much she could do about the odd goings on around this place, and she couldn’t afford to turn away something this useful, shady circumstances or not.

“LUZ!” King’s voice rang out, jarring Luz from her thoughts. Taking quick stock of her supplies for when she went in for work, Luz sighed, preparing to face the lovable tyrant-wannabe.

“King, whatever this is better be important, please.” Luz groaned, making her way through the door, stuffing the Terminal into the pocket of her jacket. “I really don’t think Eda will be too happy about you interrupting her-” She cut off, eyes widening at the sight before her. Boscha, the bratty girl who had tried, and failed, to give her grief on her first outing into Bonesburough, witnessed her showdown against that creep Adegast, and newly minted Devil Slayer, was currently sitting on the couch, King pacing next to her, looking incredibly uncomfortable. “-Sleep.” Luz numbly finished.

“Oh, so you live here.” Boscha said blandly. Luz suppressed a shudder, the girl was far worse off than she had feared; it was like she had no life in her at all, as if she had nothing other than a desire to keep going. Or maybe she was misinterpreting this? Either way, it was creepy. Boscha slowly pulled herself to her feet, rolling her neck. “Sorry you’ve got to see me like this.” She said, gesturing at her attire. It was only then that Luz realized that the girl’s clothing was coated in holes and damaged patches, some areas even having the frayed look of burned fabric, yet also damp. Oddly enough, or maybe not if Luz’s suspicions were correct, Boscha herself looked completely fine, if not a bit drenched by the now raging rainstorm outside.

“Yeah,” Luz drawled. “Funny how things like this just happen, you know?” She plopped herself down in the nearby chair, gazing at the potentially dangerous girl in front of her. “So, I hate to be rude for once, but why are you here, exactly?”

Boscha gave a slight lift to her shoulder, a faint blush to her face. “I was practicing in the woods, trying to get myself back to normal, when I spotted the clouds forming.” She looked down at her clothes, a slightly perplexed look on her face. “I was prepared to track down a cave or something after I realized I had no way of getting to shelter in time, when I spotted this place.” She gestured to the house surrounding them, both tuning out Hooty’s preening from outside at the attention. “And I rushed for the barrier, hoping I could get through. I was willing to beg for shelter if I needed to, but…” she looked down at her hands, sliding them over her face in mystified wonder. “The rain caught up to me.” She gave Luz a critical look. “How, exactly, am I not a boiled up husk right now? Just what exactly did you do to me?” She finished, a hint of genuine emotion entering her voice; fear.

“You mean besides saving your life?” Luz asked dryly. Her face shifted into a look of consideration. “To be honest, I’m not sure how much I can tell you.” She held up a hand, holding off any protests. “But that’s mostly because this isn’t a usual situation by any means. Usually implanting a Lacrima will just grant you a boost to whatever magic the Lacrima is based off of. End of story, close the book and all that.” Her eyes snapped to Boscha, a serious look on her face. “However. This isn’t the usual circumstance for something like this, especially not the type of Lacrima you got implanted into you.”

Boscha made a confused noise. “You keep using that word, Lacrima. What even is that?”

Luz snorted. “It’s the proper term for that magic crystal you snagged that night I fought Adegast. Or, more accurately, it’s the proper term for crystals like it; raw magic condensed into the form of a crystal, and chock-full to the brim with power.” A worried grin stretched across Luz’s face. “If I’m being honest, the fact that you have that thing stuck inside you now is honestly pretty terrifying, but it was either that or let you die, not to mention the fact you’d have taken the school with you.”

Boscha slowly nodded, processing the information. “Okay, so that thing was pure magic. What kind?” She folded her arms over her chest. “I’d like to think that I have a right to know just what was messing with my head.” She left out her worry about it happening again.

“Heh, fair enough.” Luz agreed. Her hand idly reached for one of the spare sheets of paper she had left lying around, gripping it. “But first, you hungry?”

The question surprised Boscha, but she nodded, not wanting to pass up free food if it was being offered. Of course, she expected it to be actual food, not… a rolled up piece of paper that had been set on fire.

She turned to Luz. “Are you serious?”

“Uh huh!” Luz glibly stated.

“There is no way I’m going-” Boscha started, only to cut off as a heady scent filled her nose. She slowly turned back to the offered paper, nose twitching. “Going to…” She trailed off, eyes glazing, a line of drool starting to dribble down from her mouth. With a blank look in her eyes, Boscha’s jaw widened… and clamped down on the flame.

With a blissful sigh, she contentedly chewed on the flame, and there was no mistaking she was eating FIRE, seeing as she hadn’t even touched the paper the flame was holding onto. As she chewed, a rich, earthy flavor, like the best vegetable soup she’d ever tasted, filled her mouth. As she slowly swallowed the flame, a look of bliss, the kind that only came from good food, crossed her face… only to switch to dumbfounded shock as she started to process her own actions.

Turning a baffled look to Luz, who was grinning like the cat that got the canary, Boscha tentatively asked. “Did I just eat fire?” At Luz’s slow, grinning nod, Boscha gave a groan, cupping her face in her hands. “What did that thing do to me?”

Luz’s grin faded. “Well, for starters, it turned you into a Devil Slayer, the Flame Devil Slayer from what I can tell.” As Boscha whipped her head up in shock, Luz continued. “Basically, Slayers are mages whose magic is specifically designed to combat and harm specific forms of beings that are ordinarily beyond the abilities of Human Mages to combat.” She leveled a look of warning towards Boscha, who became still under the intense stare. “As a Slayer, you are stronger, faster, more durable, and have an instinctive bond with the element or concept your magic manifests as, and can absorb sources of your element to replenish your magic and as a substitute for food.”

Luz crossed her arms, and leaned back. She just had to wait and see how the girl was going to respond to what had just been dropped on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed King walking off, grumbling about not being able to concentrate. Aw well, his loss.

Boscha stood in place, utterly still. If what the human was saying was true, it basically meant her goal had just been radically changed. Before, she was just trying to get herself to a point where she didn’t have to worry about losing it and killing someone, and gaining control of her magic again was the first step to that. But now, what was the point? The way the human said it, she was basically a Demon-Killing weapon. People could never be safe around her entirely, not here, not in the Demon Realms, and certainly not on the Boiling Isles.

Whether this human realized it or not, her actions had irrevocably changed Boscha’s future. Boscha grit her teeth, temper rising from the cool numbness that clouded her mind so easily ever since that fight she had at the school. Why. Why was this happening? Was she really so awful that something like this was necessary!? As her thoughts started to spiral, Boscha’s fists sparked into flames.

“What kind of crap is this?” She muttered, drawing a confused look from her host, the human cocking her head in bewilderment. “First, I lost control and put a bunch of people in the healer’s offices, then I burned Skara, and now I gained some kind of crazy Human Magic that’s totally wrecked my control!?”

Her voice was growing hysterical, a frantic edge filling it. “By the Titan, I get it, I’m garbage, a worthless nobody who thought she was bigger than she was, but why is this happening?” She collapsed back into her seat, energy draining out of her, her emotions pouring out in a haze of angry tears. “What am I going to do with myself now?” She looked at her hands, the memories of each and every demon she had brutalized over that four day haze coming to the forefront.

A clinking sound drew her attention. She looked up, seeing the human, Luz. She had set a glass of water in front of her. “So, are you done with your little pity party?” Luz asked, giving Boscha a look of sardonic amusement.

Boscha’s temper flared. “What was that?” She bit out.

“You. Having a pity party.” Luz bluntly stated. “Because that’s basically what’s going on.”

Boscha shot to her feet, flames bursting in her hands. “You have no idea what I’ve been going through! I’ve lost almost everything! My friends, my social life, my world view… EVERYTHING!!” She shouted.

“Yadda yadda yadda, I’m in pain and want to take it out on someone.” Luz deadpanned. “Got it.” With a furious shout, Boscha lashed out with her flames, blood red light flaring, only for Luz to catch her arm and lock it to the side, any showing the slightest hints of strain. She raised an eyebrow. “Cute.” Lightly pushing Boscha back into her seat, Luz got in close. “You aren’t the only person who’s got issues in the world, you know? The way you feel is totally valid of course, but acting as if you’ve got nothing left helps no one, especially yourself.”

Boscha snorted. “What could you possibly know about what I’m going through?” She slammed a hand down on the table. “I hurt people, I hurt my best friend! And to make it all just a little bit worse, it turned out I was going to explode, and the only thing that could prevent it ended up costing me my magical ability. I have to learn everything from scratch now!!” She turned slightly teary eyes towards Luz. “How could you possibly understand what’s happening to me?”

Luz sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to be pretty. Working her sleeve up, she showed her upper arm to Boscha, who reeled back, prompting a bitter grin from Luz. The sight of the scarred tissue running from her shoulder to her elbow was certainly stomach turning to look at. “I am intimately familiar with losing control of your magic, and the type of injuries, physical and emotional, that can cause.” Once she was sure Boscha had gotten as good a luck as she needed, Luz rolled her sleeve down, placing both hands on the sides of her face, staring at the girl.

“You are still alive.” She said simply. “Is this a massive change for you, something that you had no control over? Absolutely. But you are still alive, and that means you can change it. You may never get back what you lost, but you can make a new life for yourself, forge new connections and new bonds with others. You have to start over with your magic? Fine, so you have to start from scratch. That just means you can relearn it, and maybe learn something new.” She gently placed Boscha’s shaking hands between her own. “I said before that I would be willing to help you with making the world make sense again. That offer is still on the table. Just let me help you, okay?”

That fateful confrontation with Skara flashed through Boscha’s mind again. Tears pricked at her eyes. “You're right.” She slowly nodded. “I can’t give up just because I got some news I wasn’t expecting. This is a setback, not the end of the world.” She slapped her cheeks. “Gah, I can’t believe I let myself get stuck in my head like that! So embarrassing.”

Luz chuckled. “Hey, it could be worse.”

“How so?” Boscha dryly asked, still reeling from how much her moods had shifted over this conversation.

“You could’ve said all that in public.” Luz grinned impishly.

Boscha blinked, before paling. “Yeah, that would’ve been way worse.” While she didn’t care about social standing and jockeying as much anymore, she still had enough self-respect and pride not to be indifferent to public embarrassment.

Luz stood, stretching herself out. “Well, now that we’ve got that bit of awkwardness out of the way, do you have any more questions?”

“Just two.” Boscha replied, holding up two fingers in response. “Firstly, how did I manage not to get burned by the rain, and secondly, do you think you could help me get my magic under control?” She said her second request with a note of desperation. She really wanted this issue with her control to be done with.

“To the first, as a Flame-Element Slayer, the amount of heat needed to hurt you is so much more than the heat in the rain that it basically instantly cools on contact. No more issues with Boiling Rain for you, right?” Luz grinned at Boscha’s look of relish at the thought of not having to worry about one of the Isles’ most common and annoying forms of weather, before her smile gained a slightly sadistic edge. “And to the second, sure! Of course I can train you. No problem at all.” She chuckled. Boscha had the feeling she may be in danger at that moment.

#the owl house #fairy tail #owl house au #fairy tail au #owl house crossover #fairy tail crossover #luz noceda #boscha the owl house #king the owl house #magic

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cynicgm-blog · 6 years ago

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Præy - pt. 3

Daniel and Cain stood outside. The house was a couple hundred feet away. The trees here grew tall and strong. A small pond existed in the center of the backyard. “I’ve come to call them Arcane Circles, or runes if you’d prefer something shorter. Basically, they are the code of the universe made physical and enacted upon the universe. First we must start with shapes and their relation to reality. Every rune needs at outermost container made of a shape. The more angles the tighter and stronger it’ll direct energy to the center. It seems for the purpose of runes circles are considered to have infinite angles, so for simple runes circles are the easiest to use. I want you to focus, imagine drawing a circle in your mind using some kind of colored light. Right now the color doesn’t matter.” Daniel explained. Cain focused hard. It was surprisingly easier than he had anticipated, a green circle drawing itself in the air in front of him. “Good, good. Is there a particular power you’ve always been interested in? It’s best to start with something you’re actually fascinated by.” Daniel asked. Cain considered the question. “Ergons I guess? I’ve always found lightning magic to be cool. Like Thor and Electro.” Cain said. Daniel nodded.

“To create lightning we need the earth and wind elements in equal parts. Imagine a triangle overlapped by an upside-down triangle with a line through the downward point. It’s important to imagine them as separate shapes and not a hexagon or it’ll screw up the spell.” Daniel said. Cain did as instructed, being very careful to draw or paint it with his mind. “Very good. Now it needs an identifier. Easier magic such as pyros or ergons need only their names. You could use just Ergon or lightning. I’ve taken to learning Greek to keep people from anticipating what ability I’m using. It’s important that you identify the word with the power, not anyone else.” Daniel said. Cain decided to just keep it simple and write lightning in the center. As soon as it completed the circle turned blue and dissolved into static.

Cain moved his hands around. He could feel it - and he understood this must be what all Ergons feel. He could sense the potential static in the air, along every blade of grass. It seemed to have a range of sixty feet or so. He moved his hands, disrupting the static and gathering it along his hands. He pulled as much as he could inward and connecting it to his arms, lightning beginning to arc between his hands and fingers. Once he finished he directed all the lightning to a nearby tree and all the gathered energy cracked away, charring a portion of the tree.

“That was pretty impressive for a first try. I accidentally burned myself the first time. You seem to have a natural grasp for the power.. Or maybe you’re just really good with lightning. Either way having access to a power does not make you experienced with it. An equally powerful person who has used their power their entire life will likely be able to beat you. But we can adapt.” Daniel said. “Can you maybe give me a journal or something with all the runic symbols you’ve worked out? I’d like to study it and experiment.” Cain replied. Daniel nodded, leaving. He returned a few minutes later with a journal detailing shapes ranging from circles to icosahedrons. “Some of these are three dimensional Daniel. How does that work?” Cain asked. “Some incredibly complicated spells require more than a two dimensional space. When making a 3D shape you need only draw the lines and vertices but not the faces.” Daniel answered.

After a week of study and practice Cain wanted to show Daniel what he’d learned and so they gathered outside. Cain lifted his hands and two circles formed, glowing gold. Inside a multitude of circles and shapes drew themselves, becoming increasingly complex and inscribing themselves with Latin. Finally each one finished with a single Latin word in the middle. His right hand had gladio and the left had clypeus. He reached his hands down to the earth, the runes following through the air. The moment they made contact with the earth sparks and energy flew from the circles, the dirt being lifted into them and condensing. A couple seconds later Cain held a metal sword in his right hand and a shield in the other. He smirked.

“I’m impressed. I honestly never bothered to try and make objects with it. I had always been more concerned with researching other powers and how they worked. I find it incredibly amusing that you inlaid multiple sigils and runes, converting raw earth into metal then shaping it. Although I noticed a lot of unnecessary symbols that didn’t seem to fit or make sense.” Daniel said. Cain smiled at this and held the sword and shield up so they could be seen more clearly. Both had similar style runic circles engraved on their metal surfaces, glowing with energy. “They’re both for added durability and permanency. I learned my first time that we can’t create permanent objects. They’d just crumble into dirt again after a few seconds. But there’s a combination of runes that sort of anchor it to my power. As long as I can supply the rune with energy it’ll maintain.” Cain said. The runes stopped glowing and both objects disintegrated back into dirt. Daniel seemed completely baffled. “I’m honestly speechless. That’s ages beyond what I’d discovered. I can’t help but wonder if I was only here to save you from having to discover the base symbols...” Daniel said.

“Honestly I could have gone my entire life never knowing. They’ve always told me my power was just intelligence. I needed this. But I guess my question is why? Why do we have this ability? What am I supposed to do with it?” Cain asked. “That I do not know. I think on some level everyone with powers are supposed to collect more, kill others to obtain their strength. It can be grown naturally over time but it’ll never be as much. I’m not saying you’re here to start murdering people left and right but on some level that’s your job. Maybe work to kill the bad guys.” Daniel answered.

Cain thought hard that night. He had everything he needed. He definitely had a long term plan.. Especially if power gathering was his true goal. He had to test a rune, a very simple one. He pricked his thumb and blood flowed onto the paper, into the center. The rune displayed the word magicae, and as the blood touched it it sparked and turned into a blue cloud like substance. Cain drew the cloud in, feeling the magic become part of him. His suspicions were right - if killing someone granted their magic via combining of souls, then their bodies had magic too. And you could change biological matter back into pure magic.

Cain smiled. There was work to be done.

#Præy #modern fantasy #fantasy #magic #runes #alchemy

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techav · 4 years ago

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Before I started down a technology career path I studied art, and specifically I studied ceramics and sculpture.

One of the things that fascinates me about ceramics is it is a permanent process. When the firing is complete stoneware essentially is just that — stone. It can be smashed or ground into dust, but it will remain stone. Bury it or seal it in a tomb, and it's not going to change much for eons.

Pottery is one of humanity's oldest surviving art forms. We have found pieces dating back 20,000 years. We have great painted earthenware pots thousands of years old that still proudly display their scenes. We have clay tablets nearly 4,000 years old that still tell stories of swindling copper merchants.

Ceramics have come a long way since the fragile earthenware our ancestors made. Stoneware is much stronger and more durable. A well-fired stoneware is vitrified and non-porous, and thus less susceptible to destruction by water seeping into it. We've spent centuries studying every element and mineral on this planet to find how to get brilliant colors out of a 1400°C inferno.

Digital storage is temporary. Wood and paper will rot. Steel will rust. Paint will fade. Plastics will embrittle and disintegrate.

Stoneware is as close to permanent as we can get.

Others have written at length about what will anthropologists find when they look back at our era. Our art, largely stored digitally, will have been lost to time. Our identifying artefact will be a layer of fine particles of plastic. What will they be able to read of our culture? Of our stories?

I've often contemplated how we could tell the stories of our time on stoneware. How do we convert the fleeting, ephemeral nature of contemporary culture into something permanent? What would we tell? What lessons are worthy of passing on to generations far into the future? Where do we store it?

I am a child of the digital age. I came of age steeped in the culture of the internet. I have seen memes live and die. I have seen great works of art lost to shuttered businesses, failed hard drives, and the constant march of Progress. One of my hobbies is the Sisyphean task of maintaing 40-year-old digital equipment that was never intended to last more than a few years, just so their history can be remembered a little longer. But always in the back of my mind — this is only temporary.

Perhaps we can hold onto some of it, by throwing it first into the fire.

its so fucked up that optical discs straight up rot though right? something about digital media just feels like it shouldnt be susceptible like that to the forces that govern the physical world and yet discs rot as if theyre an organic thing

#reblog #off-topic #digital preservation #bit rot #art #history #ceramics #stoneware #pottery

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johnwilliam116 · 3 years ago

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Make your Chinese Takeout Packaging boxes handy for customers

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Once you got into any kind of business you have to build a leading and persistent way in the relevant field. That is why quality work helps a lot in doing so. Such as low-quality packaging and ordinary design would not be the right way path to success. Rather, if you use high-quality and durable packaging that would play a huge role in the way of recognition.

As for the question of durability concerns, cardboard is an ample choice that anyone can get for customization. Corrugated is perfect for sending snacks to places that are not near the center of snack manufacturing. By using accurate material at right time is the best way to provide quality snacks with security.

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For having the best quality packaging within a given time there is no one better than Boxes Me. We at our packaging have the best team of professionals and also the best techniques. Here from us, you will get an immediate response and help regarding your packaging. Other than this, our offers are amazing and commendable as we have low and reasonable prices. Not only discounts but immense features of customization are also presented in your service.

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Reference: https://smartpackagingboxes.blogspot.com/2021/09/make-your-chinese-takeout-packaging.html

#Customizedsnackboxes #CustomChinesetakeoutboxes #CustomSnackBoxes #ChineseTakeoutBoxes #CustomSnackBoxesWholesale #SnackBoxesSubscription

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easyfoodnetwork · 5 years ago

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How to Brew Truly Great Coffee at Home

Because the best part of every morning should be the act of making coffee

As the commercial goes, the best part of waking up… is a certain brand of industrial brew often made into a watery thing resembling coffee from a flimsy machine. But really the best part of every morning should be the act of making an actually-great cup of coffee, one at a time, in a Hario V60 or Chemex or French press. The ritual of brewing coffee is itself a satisfying endeavor.

There’s truly nothing wrong with using a machine to brew coffee, and some machines are even better than the methods described here: I liken it to how some people want self-driving cars while others like manual transmissions. As many people isolate at home during the novel coronavirus pandemic, there’s no better time to master the art of manually brewing coffee. Here now, five ways to make coffee almost as good as you would find in a cafe, right in the comfort of your own kitchen.

What you need to start brewing coffee at home:

The best possible locally roasted coffee beans you can buy

There are two main markers that affect a coffee’s taste: the beans and the roast. Buy whole coffee beans from roasters who source from specific coffee-growing regions and show this off on their packaging, because highlighting farms and regions is a sign they’re investing in good-quality beans. Choose either a single-origin or a good blend to start. Single-origins show off the distinct characteristics of a farm or growing region, while blends tend to balance out flavors.

Freshly roasted beans will have the most flavor and will last you the longest. When talking to a roaster, ask about a coffee’s roast profile and find something that aligns to your taste. Coffee drinkers come in all forms, and one could argue that there are two main camps when it comes to roast styles. The first favor medium-to-darker roasts with bolder but ultimately more comforting flavors (basically coffee that tastes like a really good version of what your parents drank). The other type tends to focus on lighter roasting, higher acid (or fruit-forward characteristics), and even floral notes. The flavors of coffee are virtually endless, and exploring them is why you’re getting into brewing coffee at home in the first place.

Generally speaking, for good-quality coffee, don’t expect to pay anything less than $14 to $15, and often close to $20 for a 12-ounce bag (340 grams) of beans.

A way to boil water

You don’t need a fancy kettle with a special spout. A tea kettle or something for your stove is just fine, while electric brewers tend to bring water up to boiling faster (and sometimes to a specific temperature). I reviewed a bunch of pouring kettles here in the past, and can recommend Bonavita’s electric kettle.

A way to grind the coffee

Skip the cheap blade grinders in the appliance section of a drugstore or supermarket; they grind unevenly. Instead, aim to get a decent burr mill grinder, as these will be much more consistent. I use a Breville smart coffee grinder because it can be programmed to a specific length of grind time. But I’ve also owned Baratza grinders such as the Encore and the Preciso. The Encore was a fantastic grinder and performed well for years, while the more expensive Preciso broke on me a few times (I sent it in to get it serviced, too). You could also use hand grinders, and I’ve reviewed them extensively. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend owning one if you plan to brew coffee every day at home — they’re best for camping or traveling.

A kitchen scale

To properly “dial in” or brew coffee to a certain specification, you’ll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh out both the ground coffee and the water. A fancy one with a timer and weight to the gram is probably overkill for most people. Just make sure whatever scale you use is sturdy and water resistant enough to endure a few errant splashes of liquid. I like the Hario drip scale because it comes with a timer, but for a budget option, I recommend the Etekcity digital scale.

A timing device

A wristwatch or a kitchen timer is really helpful brewing coffee. You’ll see why below.

A good mug

Enjoying coffee is about the complete experience — sight, smell, and even sound and touch — so the drinking vessel makes a big difference. Get a nice vintage diner-style mug, or something to maybe swirl around the last few sips. Either way, pick a mug that makes you happy, because you’ve just made yourself a damn fine cup of coffee.

The brewing methods:

Here’s how to make great coffee at home, depending on your skill level and interest. These five brewing methods, from the old-school French press to the more technically challenging, but ultimately fulfilling Kalita Wave brewer, can appeal to every at-home-brewing personality. All of them are something even a novice home barista could learn within a few weeks, and the best part is that almost any result is going to be better than that burnt-tasting Starbucks drip. Remember: Always use fresh, filtered water, because the quality of the water will have a major impact on the flavor of the coffee. I like to brew coffee as hot as possible, bringing water up to a boil and then brewing as soon as possible.

A note about ratios: Each recipe here has specific weights that you can follow, but if you’d like to make more or less, a good ratio to keep is 15 to 1 hot water to ground coffee. If you like your coffee lighter, increase the ratio to 17 or 18 to 1, and if you want it stronger, reduce to 14 to 1.

For the minimalist who likes to keep it simple: Clever Coffee Dripper

The background: When people ask me how they should start making “good” coffee at home, I always direct them to this. The Clever brewer is essentially a French press with a paper filter: full immersion coffee (which refers to the process that takes all the coffee grounds and fully incorporates them into water all at once) without the sludge or grit. The brewer itself can be hard to find, but Amazon or Espresso Parts has it for a bit over $20. It’s very durable and should last years of use at home, and it’s pretty good for traveling, despite its odd shape.

How it works: Grounds go into a filter on the top of the device. Then, when the Clever is placed over a cup or serving kettle, a valve releases the liquid.

How to brew on a Clever: Fold the edges of a No. 4 Melitta filter (which can be found at any grocery store) and place into the brewer. Rinse the filter carefully with hot water and drain through the valve over a sink or a mug (to warm the mug): Rinsing the filter reduces any residual paper flavors. Weigh out 25 grams of medium-fine coffee, reset (aka “tare”) the scale, then carefully pour in 375 grams of nearly boiling hot water (around 200 degrees Fahrenheit). Cover with the plastic lid and wait for two minutes. Using a spoon, gently break the “crust” of coffee on top and give the coffee a little swirl in the brewer so it distributes evenly. Then place the entire Clever over a mug (you’ll want a pretty big mug since the coffee you get will be about 11 ounces), which will automatically release the brewed coffee. Or you can dispense the coffee into a nice glass kettle or other container (like a fancy thick-walled cocktail mixing glass). Cleaning is easy: throw away the filter and grounds, then rinse and wash the brewer before air drying.

For the enthusiast who wants to take their coffee brewing to the next level: Hario V60

The background: When “third wave,” aka hipster, coffee surfaced in the late aughts across the country’s major cities, the Hario V60 was the preferred single-cup pour over for cafes: Any barista worth their salt gets trained to brew on a V60, which was invented in Japan in 1921. Hario makes multiple types of V60s, including glass, plastic, ceramic, and even metal. Plastic is the cheapest and is the best for heat retention, but doesn’t look great. Ceramic and glass look cool, but can chip or break easily. Metal is virtually impossible to break, but the little handles can and will detach over time. Either way, the Hario V60 is the perfect entryway to brewing pour-over coffee. You’ll want a kettle that can pour nice gentle ribbons of water to best control the flow of water.

What I like about the V60 is how it is simple to use, yet challenging to come up with a great cup. If you have some really special coffee and want to get the best out of it, I find the Hario is a way to draw out the most nuances. The sheer clarity of the filter and speed of the relative brewing amplifies the subtle fruit, floral, or spice flavors of a high-quality coffee, and it’s thrilling to taste those notes.

How it works: Grounds go into a filter on the top of the device, which has a big dime-sized hole at the bottom through which the brewed coffee flows out. It requires a specific conical paper filter and ridges inside to keep the paper from sticking to the brewer.

How to brew on a Hario V60: There are multiple schools of thought about brewing on a Hario V60, so I’ll combine some elements from Scott Rao’s excellent instructional video here, and James Hoffmann’s delightful clip here.

Start by folding over the special V60 filter (which you can get on Amazon or at your local coffee shop) and placing into the cone. Wash through with a bit of hot water into a glass kettle or large mug and discard the water. Add 28 grams of medium-fine coffee, then tare the scale. Carefully add about 60 grams of hot water and swirl around the sludge to distribute the water. This allows the coffee to “bloom” and “degas,” releasing any carbon dioxide in the bean from the roasting process. This makes more room for the water to extract the soluble matter from the coffee and draw out the most flavor.

Let the coffee bloom for 45 seconds, then continue brewing. Pour the hot water in a steady stream, almost painfully slow, in a small circular motion, avoiding the walls of the brewer if possible. Stop once after a minute to swirl the cone and redistribute the grinds. Continue pouring until reaching 420 grams of water, stop pouring, then swirl the brewer again to redistribute the grinds. Hoffman’s method employs a small spoon to swirl the grinds so they don’t create a channel for the water to flow unevenly. Either method is pretty good from my experience. Aim for a total brewing time of about three minutes.

The stylish coffee lover who wants a handsome all-in-one brewing device: Chemex

The background: The Chemex is essentially a one-piece brewer and coffee server with some quirks. The design, which was introduced in 1941 by chemist Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, makes it the most beautiful device out there, with thick glass in a conical shape hemmed in by a wooden collar and leather laces. Early versions used hand-blown glass and a more perfectly symmetrical shape, though newer ones have a rounder bulb and even glass handles for easier cleaning.

It looks great on the counter, kitchen table, or anywhere really, and the way the laboratory-like glass refracts and plays with the light when the coffee is in there makes the drink look alluring. Take it from renowned coffee expert and co-founder of London’s Square Mile Coffee James Hoffmann, who seems particularly smitten by the way coffee looks when brewed into a Chemex. And the standard 6-cup size makes more than enough coffee for two people, which makes the Chemex a great weekend brewing method for the family.

How it works: Grounds go into a filter on the top of the flask-shaped device, then you pour water over the top as the coffee drips into the compartment below. Hoffmann asserts that the Chemex isn’t a perfect brewer, as the filters can sometimes lock in air and prevent a smooth flow of water, which is why the pouring spout has a divet to allow air to escape. The paper filters are thick, allowing for even extraction, but Chemex alone sells the filters you need (and they’re not necessarily cheap).

How to brew with a Chemex: The method is pretty similar to the Hario V60. Rinse the paper filter (putting the thick three-ply toward the spout), discard water, and place 42 grams of medium-fine coffee in the filter. You don’t need a coarser grind than a V60, but you can adjust your grinder if you think it helps the coffee brew faster. Tare the scale. Add 100 grams of water to bloom the coffee for 45 to 60 seconds. Then carefully pour water until the scale hits 650 grams. Swirl the brewer and let the coffee drip through, which will take four to five minutes. Discard filter and enjoy.

For the old-school coffee drinker who has a little extra time to burn: French press

The background: The French press was my first foray into brewing coffee at home, and I ended up with grit and sludge in every cup. Brewing with a French press takes more time, and it’s a pain to clean up, but the lack of a paper filter allows some of the oils, texture, and mouthfeel of a coffee to come through. Sometimes I brew a French press because I want to taste a single-origin coffee in a different way after making a bunch of filtered cups. A French press can still make an amazing cup of coffee, and the ritual of making a cup with this still carries that analog satisfaction of years past, feeling positively vintage in the best way. And thankfully, I’ve since picked up some modern techniques to minimize the particulates.

How it works: The device takes ground coffee beans and immerses them fully into hot water, much like the Clever Coffee Brewer, but in a cylindrical vessel. The difference here is that the only thing separating the grinds from the water is a mesh filter and gravity. While brewing, much of the coffee will actually sit at the top of the water and will need to be broken up with a spoon or other utensil. Allowing the grinds to gently fall to the bottom (letting gravity do its work) means that more of the sediment separates and stays out of the cup.

How to brew a French press: Weigh out 30 grams of coffee and pour 500 grams of water into the brewer. Let it sit for five minutes, then use a spoon to break the crust floating on top. Use the spoon to scoop up any floating grinds or foam, then place the top part, which includes the mesh filter, right on top of the coffee (but don’t plunge it down!). Let the coffee sit for another three to four minutes, allowing the grinds to fall to the bottom. Carefully pour coffee into a mug and leave just that last bit of sludge in the brewer. Use a paper towel to scrape out the grinds and wash carefully.

For the perfectionist: Kalita Wave

The background: This circular style of brewer is perhaps the final destination for many home coffee brewers. All the equipment is difficult to find in a retail setting, though easily available online. The brewing method is essentially a pour over, but with a specific circular filter with smooth ridges to encourage a steady flow of water. The flat bottom with just three small holes ensures an even extraction, preventing the coffee from channeling to one side as it would in a conical shape (looking at you, Hario V60 and Chemex). If the Hario V60 was the first pour-over brewer of choice in the late aughts, the Kalita Wave gained prominence and popularity in cafes in the past five to eight years. It’s my preferred coffee-making method every morning, unless I run out of those pesky (and expensive) Wave filters.

How it works: Gently place the somewhat delicate filter into the brewer and place ground coffee inside. In design, the Kalita Wave probably most resembles a standard automatic coffee machine (like a Krups or Mr. Coffee), but the shape of the paper filter allows for water to flow evenly through the coffee. And since you can control the temperature and flow of that water manually, the resulting brew is fine-tuned instead of erratic, as it often is with a countertop machine.

How to brew a Kalita Wave: Similar to a V60, carefully place a Wave filter onto a glass kettle or even just a large mug, and rinse with hot water. Dump out the hot water, then place the brewer and kettle onto the scale and tare. Add 24 grams of medium-fine coffee and bloom with 60 grams of water for 30 to 45 seconds. Then pour water in a circular motion, making sure to get the coffee stuck on the edges of the filter every few pours. Stop pouring when the water gets close to the top and wait for the water to flow. Continue doing this until scale hits 380 grams total.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3fwfIyL https://ift.tt/2A8XAef

Because the best part of every morning should be the act of making coffee

What you need to start brewing coffee at home:

The best possible locally roasted coffee beans you can buy

Generally speaking, for good-quality coffee, don’t expect to pay anything less than $14 to $15, and often close to $20 for a 12-ounce bag (340 grams) of beans.

A way to boil water

A way to grind the coffee

A kitchen scale

A timing device

A wristwatch or a kitchen timer is really helpful brewing coffee. You’ll see why below.

A good mug

The brewing methods:

For the minimalist who likes to keep it simple: Clever Coffee Dripper

How it works: Grounds go into a filter on the top of the device. Then, when the Clever is placed over a cup or serving kettle, a valve releases the liquid.

For the enthusiast who wants to take their coffee brewing to the next level: Hario V60

The stylish coffee lover who wants a handsome all-in-one brewing device: Chemex

For the old-school coffee drinker who has a little extra time to burn: French press

For the perfectionist: Kalita Wave

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3fwfIyL via Blogger https://ift.tt/2zm2Mew

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

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crystalelemental · 8 years ago

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And now the other completed game: Fire Emblem Echoes. I’ve mentioned this many, many times before, but I hated Fates, and honestly expected this game to not be doing much better. Fates just left such a terrible taste in my mouth, and no, I will never shut up about how bad it was. Thankfully, Echoes did a lot right, and seems to have fixed a lot of issues while incorporating elements of the last two games.

Let’s start with the big stand-out: weapon durability is still gone, but is done in a way that it’s the stupidest bullshit I’ve ever seen. Weapons don’t break, and instead offer a change in stats, usually higher power or defense in exchange for speed. It’s a really cool way to handle things, and it allows for there to be stronger weapon types available without having such horrific drawbacks that they’re worthless. There’s still a forge mechanic, but it’s straight-forward again and only needs money instead of eleventy-fuckbillion pieces of the same arbitrary resource you have to collect two at a time of by visiting thousands of people over My Castle. It’s just a simple, straight-forward mechanic that isn’t complete bullshit.

Also relevant: magic. Magic is forever, but takes some of your health. To balance that out, it is unaffected by terrain, but also has a flat accuracy so it will miss more often than an accurate weapon when there’s no evasion bonus. Healers work differently, in that their base spell absorbs damage, but has a lower hit rate. As a result, there are some incredible tactics that happen in this game, where Mages use magic to blast holes in enemies, and your healing units recover them at the cost of their own HP, only to heal back up periodically. A cleric with enough HP and Defense may as well be immortal. So basically, Faye. Faye as a cleric is ridiculous. Also any of them with a Dracoshield. They’re not even using that speed stat. Physical attackers are straight-forward, but often lack resistance, so they have trouble with things in the late-game. Except the Dread Fighters, who tear through magic attackers like tissue paper, but struggle against physical attackers. There’s just such a wide range of unique skills that each unit type has, and they mesh together really well. I have to admit, as much as I get invested in min-maxing child skills and stats in Awakening, I much prefer this type of skill system, where characters have different lists of spells and classes have different innate abilities, or learn them through the use of new weapons.

I’m not the biggest fan of gender-exclusive classes, though. Pegasus Knight is really the only one that ever made sense, and even then I’m fine with removing it as a gender-locked thing. What’s really stupid is that Archer is male-only. Faye’s introduction was in Heroes, where she was an archer. Get it together, game.

The other big sticking point, for me, is stat growth and stat caps. Look, if growths are going to be low, that’s fine. I’m actually on-board for this kind of setup. But stat caps should not have been at like 40. They should be around 30, at best. Set limits where they’re achievable, game, otherwise I can and will go insane trying to get people to their stat caps.

Then there’s promotions. Promotions work by adjusting the base stats of a unit to meet the class’ base stats. So if adjusting to a Mercenary, you gain enough speed to hit 10. If you already have those stats, then promotion gains like 1 point of HP and nothing else. It’s an interesting mechanic...but resistance isn’t factored in. I feel like that’s a really shitty limitation. Resistance is the stat most needed, and yet it doesn’t adjust at all when promoting. So even with the classes sometimes having like 10 base resistance, they don’t ever gain resistance to meet that. The ONE STAT where this would be super useful, and it doesn’t happen. Ridiculous.

On to characters. I actually liked a lot of them! Favoritism goes to, interestingly enough, Tatiana and Zeke. Aside from being really solid units, the two of them have a great romance, with a good amount of sorrow behind it. There’s a lot going on with these two and their relationship, and I like it a lot. Genny is also fantastic, being a fairly quirky kid who likes to write her own stories of intrigue. Clair is great, being the right kind of stuffy noble who means well. Celica is arguably my favorite Fire Emblem lord now, but is held back pretty significantly by a thing I’ll talk about later. And of course, outside of the protagonists, we have Berkut and Rinea, who are just...an excellent amount of suffering. Characters as a whole just felt really good this time around.

Then there is story. I’ll start with the world at large: I love Valentia. I think the concept of two kingdoms ruled through different philosophies both going into the shitter for different reasons related to their respective ideals is fantastic. Rigel is a shithole that’s so over-focused on strength that is has become all that matters. Their clergy are sacrificing women for greater power and eternal youth, turning the sacrifices into soulless husks of great magical power. Their nobility is so power-obsessed that defeat results in a complete existential crisis and a devastating blow to Berkut’s sense of self-worth. By comparison, Zofia kinda just languishes away in its bounty, while the nobles become a bunch of entitled snobs that approach life with the sense that they’ve earned their positions just for showing up. Fernand is a great example of this, being outraged that Alm would lead the Deliverance despite his talents and skills, and insisting that he and Clive should lead simply because they are nobility and that is their right. The contrast between things is exceptional in the early-game, and I love it.

The story itself is that Rigel has invaded, and the land of Zofia is kinda falling apart without Mila’s bounty. Alm is on the war-path to defeat the emperor of Rigel and restore peace, while Celica is on the path to find Mila and restore order to Zofia. Having the two lords go down separate paths is an interesting way to handle things, and I get a vibe of an improved Radiant Dawn, where you actually follow multiple paths simultaneously.

One major, major problem I have is for Celica herself in terms of story. It’s apparently a component that was added in this game, and I really do not like it. The ending of her route. She goes along with Jedah, and becomes a witch. Now...on its own, this is stupid enough, falling for the age-old “go with what the villain says or he’ll hurt people” as if they ever had the intention of keeping their side of the promise. And then, as if that stupid gambit wasn’t enough, Falchion is able to stab her, and somehow restore her soul so that the witchification process is reversed. Because that makes sense. It’s just such a contrived load of bullshit, and honestly, because it comes from Celica being an idiot, it all comes back to a stupid way to handle her actions. Which is the main thing holding her back, I think. Which is a shame.

Also, on a more minor note, did anyone notice how many female characters have to be rescued to join your ranks? Clair, Mathilda, Delthea, Est, Tatiana... It’s a lot. Too many, I think. I could be fine with one or two. But that’s five off the top of my head, and I am certain there are others. It’s really not good.

Overall though, I loved the game, and is definitely better than Fates. Possibly good enough to be my favorite since FE7. It’s such a great return to form, and has such a unique and interesting magic system. I really enjoyed just about everything about this entry, and I sincerely hope this is an indication of the direction the series will take from here on out. Not necessarily in terms of mechanics, but definitely in terms of story, characters, and decision of art and translation team.

#fire emblem echoes

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impudentmiscengenation · 8 years ago

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The List

Since the portal accident when he was fourteen, he’d been keeping a record of all ghostly abilities that he exhibited as well as a short explanation of each power. At age fifteen, with everything that had happened and continued to happen, Danny was still just as confused about his ghost-half as he had been a year previously.

Maddie and Jack had offered to analyze his notes to determine whether or not his abilities were finite or if they would continue to grow along with him, which Danny had refused at first. When Danny discovered that he was continuing to add to his ever-growing and ever-changing list of powers, the boy consented to letting his parents look at his recordings. His only question was: “Am I finished getting new powers, or should I expect more?”

This was why both adults were slack-jawed in their lab, Danny and Jazz upstairs with their own business to attend to, staring at the expanse of paper before them. This was his latest, most recently revised list and it was more than impressive; organized by the amount of energy spent on each ability.

Accelerated Healing - The title underestimates the actual ability. Mortal wounds become not-so-mortal when in ghost form, unless the central-core energy is specifically targeted to be harmed or weakened. When in ghost form and with enough energy, anything but complete disintegration would bring me little (real) harm. In human form, I can tap into these healing abilities to a lesser extent of my ghost self. (Energy Drain - Instinctual)

Enhanced Sensation - All of my five senses are much more sensitive. (Energy Drain - Instinctual)

Ecto-Location (Ghost Sense) - When a ghost is nearby, a cold puff of air from my core is sent out (usually through my mouth). If I focus just slightly, I can also determine the ecto-signature of the particular ghost (provided they are familiar to me, i.e. Skulker, Box Ghost, etc.…) (Energy Drain - Instinctual) Invisibility - Manipulating both myself and the light around me, I can make it so I am unable to be seen without special equipment. (Energy Drain - Instinctual)

Intangibility - I can become abstract in a way that means I cannot be touched by any human-world item not meant for catching and/or harming ghosts. Tied slightly to invisibility; often, when intangible, I revert to a more corporeal form that is difficult to see (not impossible, but difficult nonetheless). (Energy Drain - Instinctual)

Flight - Probably because of the composition of ectoplasm in comparison to the Earth’s atmosphere, I can fly without accessories. (Energy Drain - Instinctual)

Body Modification - Includes (but probably not limited to): formation of a ghostly tail when flying at high speeds, ethereal fog materializing between body parts to stretch them, also I can shift to a rubber-like constitution at will. (Energy Drain - Instinctual to Low)

Ghost Stinger - If I react quickly enough, I can turn other ghost’s ectoplasmic energy against them and re-direct the energy. Often this produces an electrified effect on the ‘already-used’ (meaning the energy wasn’t mine to begin with) ectoplasm. If I choose to, I can use energy from my own core to amplify this effect. (Energy Drain - Low)

Ecto-Blasts - I can release energy from my ghostly core outwards in varying degrees of power (up to my control when coming to how much I want to release). (Energy Drain - Low to Moderate)

Ectoplasmic Manipulation - Instead of unfocused ectoplasmic energy, I can dictate what the energy from my core does. Shields, ecto-weapons, and bindings (like chain or rope) are my most often used forms of ectoplasmic manipulation. (Energy Drain - Low to Moderate)

Cryokinesis - Same premise as Ecto-Blasts, provided I concentrate on cold energy rather than unfocused ectoplasm. (Energy Drain - Low to Moderate)

Telekinesis - By surrounding an object (or objects) with a light form of ectoplasm, I can move things around. Size and weight of the item are factors, but longer distances make it harder to move the object(s). (Energy Drain - Moderate)

Ice Fog - If I slowly release cold energy from my core and with it releasing minute amounts of raw ectoplasmic energy, I can create a dense icy fog that decreases visibility around a particular area. (Energy Drain - Moderate to High)

Beacon - Using energy from my core, I can create a beacon of white-green light (from my hands) that attracts ghosts in the near vicinity-friend or foe. The stronger the beacon, the greater area the light reaches (meaning more ghosts the beacon calls to). They seem to be entranced by the light enough so that they’re unaware of their surroundings until I stop the beacon. (Energy Drain - Moderate to High)

Duplication - While making sure not to split my central core, I can manipulate the ectoplasm inside of me to create an identical copy of myself. The more core energy I use, the easier the copy is to maintain, the more durable they are, and the closer they are to. Side note, memory transfer is still a pain. Currently able to maintain 2 low-stamina clones, 1 moderate-stamina clone. (Energy Drain - High)

Ghostly Wail - Using the raw energy from my central core, I can create a series of ectoplasmic sound-waves that do severe damage to those in range of the attack. Also slightly inflicts damage on those not in direct attack but who are close enough to me that the screams penetrate their ears. (Energy Drain - High to Critical)

Arctic Howl - Using more central core energy with focus on its element of ice, a much more devastating effect to the original Wail can be achieved by the waves manifesting into a blizzard. The above effects of the original Ghostly Wail remain in place with the addition of the deep-freeze extending the attack radius. (Energy Drain - Critical)

Jack was the first to speak up.

“Heh… Who knew he was holding out on us this whole time?” He chuckled with an odd sort of smile, still unable to process that his fifteen-year-old son possessed the power that he did. Maddie was still gobsmacked as she flipped through the pages of edits that her son had done.

How he was doing abysmally in English class with this obvious mastery of the language was beyond her, for one thing. For another; after his list of powers, Danny had composed several theories and hypotheses that could put other doctors in the Paranormal sciences to shame. They were well thought out and carefully laid down with just enough proof threaded in with his theories that made them seem credible. The woman seated herself and blinked. Who knew? She’d always thought that it would be her daughter to follow in her footsteps, even when Jasmine had proclaimed her love for psychology. Jazz had been the one with the book-smarts and Danny had been the boy with his heart in anything he does. The way his notebook looked, however, told her that Danny wasn’t letting on nearly how intelligent he actually was; and it also told her that he had a knack for the thing that her and Jack had devoted their lives to. Rather than her eldest taking over the Fenton family tradition of ghost-hunting when they were gone, it seemed that her youngest was more than equipped with the knowledge to step up to the plate now.

For once in her life, Madeline Cassandra Fenton was truly stumped. She’d thought that she’d have an easy answer to her son’s question, but she was absolutely, 100% baffled just by what Danny was stating simply in his journal as if it were nothing. Jack was too, if his calculating expression told her anything. Despite his tactless way of approaching situations and his general lack of common sense, Jack Fenton was truly a genius and had a wonderfully creative mind; it was one of the many reasons that she’d fallen in love with him. He was deep in his ‘scientist-mode’, as he said it to be. Brows drawn together, the man nodded and looked to his wife.

“I think that he’s yet to apex, as far as these powers go. From the looks of things in here,” he referred to the generous edits made to the notebook-including the changing ‘energy-drain’ levels, “the longer he has these powers, the more control he has. Probably even the strongest attacks he has now will be nothing if we give it a couple years.” Jack grinned like a child in a candy shop. “Who knows, Mads, he might just be the most powerful ghost ever! And he’s only halfway there!” Maddie found herself smiling at her husband’s eagerness. “Maybe, Jack, maybe…” She trailed off in favor of looking over the book again while Jack began rambling about he and Danny teaming up to be a dynamic duo of sorts. Through all of the questions that his notebook had left her with, one thing was clear to Maddie when she finally left the lab that evening; she had really only just begun to learn the double-life her son had been leading for the past year and a half.

And she was more than ready to continue learning, as any good scientist would be.

#danny phantom #fanfic #fanfiction #ghost powers #this is more of a list #but oh well #damn this list #but also praise this list #I took ecto-location from a post on here #it was a beautiful pun #but I turned it into something I think is neat too #impudentmiscengenation

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weddquotes · 5 years ago

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Learn How to Organize +64 Inspirations

New Post has been published on https://weddquotes.com/wedding-decor/learn-how-to-organize-64-inspirations/

Learn How to Organize +64 Inspirations

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The wedding anniversary celebration is something very important for every couple, after all, it is another year of the couple united with much love and overcoming all obstacles along the way. The wedding anniversary is also known as the wedding anniversary, and as you can imagine, it happens every year on the date that the couple has chosen to establish their union.

And for you passionate couples who are thinking about having a wedding anniversary party but have doubts about this topic, we at Viva Decora have put together several inspiring tips to make your wedding anniversary party beautiful and unforgettable. Check it out!

1. Make a beautiful and romantic decoration for your wedding anniversary – Photo: Pesona Pengantin

See also

Wedding anniversary year by year

The wedding or wedding anniversary, as you already know, happens every year on the day the couple’s wedding was made, but some years are celebrated with more party, because they indicate a significant passage of time for the couple.

So, see below the list with the main names of the anniversary years and understand a little of their meanings.

2. Invest in a decoration for the wedding anniversary party that has to do with the wedding that the couple is celebrating – Photo: From the Front to the Sea

1st Paper Wedding

The first wedding anniversary is called paper wedding, and it is so special because it marks the first year of marriage. The paper is chosen to represent this wedding anniversary, because the union is still young and needs to know how to take care of it so that it stays stronger every year.

15th Crystal Wedding

The crystal wedding marks 15 years of marriage, and the crystal is chosen for this celebration because it is a strong and pure element.

25th Silver Wedding

The silver wedding is undoubtedly a remarkable moment for a couple, after all, they are celebrating a wedding anniversary that already lasts 25 years. Therefore, it is quite common to have a big wedding anniversary party when celebrating the 25 years of union, gathering all family and friends on this very special day.

30th Pearl Wedding

Many couples also throw a big pearl wedding anniversary party to celebrate 30 years of union.

50th Golden Anniversary

The golden wedding anniversary is one of the most awaited wedding anniversaries, and not only for the couple, but also for the whole family, after all, few couples are able to maintain a beautiful union for 50 years of marriage. Gold is chosen to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary, because besides being a resistant metal, it is also very valuable and durable.

60th Diamond Wedding

Valuable, resistant and hard, the diamond is one of the most valuable stones in the world, so it was chosen to represent the wedding anniversary 60 years, after all, it is a lasting marriage and that probably has passed through many obstacles, but nothing has shaken the strength and love of this union.

3. Have a special table for the couple at the wedding anniversary party – Photo: 100 Layer Cake

How to organize a wedding anniversary

Many couples dream of being able to celebrate with a beautiful wedding anniversary party, and of course, for this you need to know how to organize all the details, be it a simple wedding anniversary party or even a super sophisticated one.

The first tip to organize a wedding anniversary is to know which wedding the couple is celebrating, so you can think better in the details of the wedding anniversary decoration. For example, if it is to celebrate the golden wedding, i.e. 50 years of being married, it is interesting that the wedding anniversary decoration has several details in gold, from the birthday cake to the simple wedding invitation and even the table arrangements and so on.

4. Think about the decoration details for the wedding anniversary as the couple is celebrating – Photo: Ideas for Decoration

It is also important to remember that the wedding anniversary party doesn’t always have to be super grand. Nowadays many couples choose to have a simple and very intimate wedding anniversary party, just for family and close friends. This ensures that the couple can save money and so they can even make a new honeymoon trip.

But whether it’s a grand party or a simple wedding anniversary, it’s important to think of all the details, from the wedding anniversary decoration, to the renewal of vows, and of course, don’t forget to make a delicious menu that pleases both the couple and the guests.

If it’s a wedding anniversary by day the most interesting thing is to make a lunch or even a brunch, but if you prefer something more sophisticated, the tip is to invest in a wedding anniversary party at night with a nice dinner.

5. Invest in cozy lighting for your wedding anniversary party at night – Photo: Bride’s Pencil

Wedding anniversary cake

Something you can’t miss at your party is a beautiful wedding anniversary cake, and it is important to remember that the birthday cake should follow the same style as the rest of the party. So if you have opted for a more rustic decoration, choose a birthday cake that also has a more rustic finish, like a naked cake, for example, if it is a sophisticated party the cake should also have a more sophisticated finish.

6. Choose a birthday cake model that has to do with the rest of the party style – Photo: iCasei

Also remembering that the wedding anniversary cake may contain details that remind the couple which wedding they are celebrating. Therefore, if it is a silver wedding, the cake can be decorated with details in silver, already if it is a cotton wedding, the cake can have a sugar decoration that imitates cotton, so on.

In addition, it is also important to know how many guests the wedding anniversary party will have, as this makes it easier when choosing the size of the birthday cake. The most traditional are the famous wedding cakes with 3 or 4 floors, but for a simple birthday party and for a few people, the most interesting is to invest in, a smaller birthday cake, because this avoids waste.

7. Beautiful naked cake model for wedding anniversary decorated with white roses – Photo: Style me Pretty

See our gallery with more ideas for wedding anniversary party

8. The delicate finish of the wedding anniversary cake will make all the difference on your decorated table – Photo: Save the Bride

9. Wedding anniversary decoration with cotton details to put a touch of the wedding the couple is celebrating – Photo: Love Our Wedding

10. Idea for silver wedding anniversary decoration – Photo: Pinosy

11. Modern and delicate decoration for wedding anniversary with flower arrangement in dry twigs – Photo: Home Fashion Trend

12. Romantic details with flowers and candles for outdoor wedding anniversary decoration – Photo: Papo Glamour

13. Arrangement with leaves and white balls for simple wedding anniversary party – Photo: Home Decor Ideas

14. Flower arrangements can’t be missing in the decoration of your wedding anniversary party – Photo: Come Piace a Te

15. Simple flower arrangement for home wedding anniversary party – Photo: Home Fashion Trend

16. Golden wedding anniversary cake – Photo: Pinterest

17. Beautiful white and gold wedding anniversary cake decorated with white and red flowers – Photo: Assetproject

18. Wedding anniversary cake decorated with red fruits – Photo: 100 Layer Cake

19. Wedding anniversary cake decorated with roses – Photo: HappyWedding

20. Beautiful wedding anniversary cake with modern finishing – Photo: Glamour & Grace

21. To choose the right size of your birthday cake it is important to know how many guests the party will have – Photo: Danielle Noce

22. Delicate simple wedding anniversary cake – Photo: Pinterest

23. Simple wedding anniversary cake with personalized top – Photo: Weddbook

24. Traditional all white 2-story wedding anniversary cake model – Photo: Chic Vintage Brides

25. All white wedding anniversary cake decorated with orchids – Photo: A Thousand Party Tips

26. Simple birthday cake model decorated with roses and mosquito flower – Photo: Easy Weddings

27. The personalized sweets are also part of the decorated wedding anniversary party – Photo: Pinosy

28. Have you ever thought about decorating the chairs you’ll be using at the wedding anniversary party? It looks beautiful! – Photo: Glamour & Woods

29. Clean and delicate decoration for simple wedding anniversary party – Photo: Style Me Pretty

30. Decoration with colorful flower arrangement for wedding anniversary at home – Photo: Home Decoo

31. Outdoor wedding anniversary decoration – Photo: We Heart It

32. Outdoor wedding anniversary decoration with leaves and white roses – Photo: Pinterest

33. Simple and rustic wedding anniversary decoration – Photo: Linda Locações

34. Simple wedding anniversary decoration with foliage panel and flashing – Photo: Style Me Pretty

35. Delicate decoration for silver wedding anniversary with mosquito flower arrangement – Photo: House and Party

36. Modern wedding anniversary decoration with candles and delicate flower arrangement – Photo: Every Golden Detail

37. Modern decoration for wedding anniversary party with white flowers – Photo: Viva La Rosa

38. Simple wedding anniversary party – Photo: Wedding Trousseau

39. Simple and rustic wedding anniversary party decoration idea with colorful flowers and foliage – Photo: Wedding Forward

40. The hanging candles make the wedding anniversary decoration more beautiful and romantic – Photo: MODwedding

41. Rustic decoration for wedding anniversary party with lamps and flower arrangement – Photo: iCasei

42. Sophisticated decoration for golden wedding anniversary with white flower arrangement – Photo: House and Party

43. Sophisticated decoration for golden wedding anniversary party – Photo: Weddbook

44. Outdoor wedding anniversary party – Photo: Ruffled Blog

45. Invest in souvenirs for your wedding anniversary party guests – Photo: Pinterest

46. Wedding anniversary party decorated with white flowers and acrylic chairs – Photo: Weddbook

47. Rustic wedding anniversary party – Photo: Bel Ornelas

48. Simple wedding anniversary party decoration with colorful flower arrangement – Photo: Pinterest

49. Wedding anniversary cake idea decorated with flowers – Photo: Opulent Treasures

50. Idea of decorating wedding anniversary outdoors by day – Photo: Webcomunica

51. Invest in a beautiful arrangement of flowers to decorate the simple wedding anniversary table – Photo: HappyWedd

52. Choose carefully the cutlery, glasses and crockery that will be used at the wedding anniversary party – Photo: 100 Layer Cake

53. Idea for simple wedding anniversary – Photo: Baú das Dicas

54. Beautiful 3-story wedding anniversary cake with white roses and metallic detail – Photo: ELLE Decoration

55. Simple wedding anniversary table decorated with small flower arrangements and golden cutlery – Photo: Alluring Designs

56. Wedding anniversary table decorated with foliage and candles – Photo: Pinterest

57. Decoration for wedding table with leaves and white roses – Photo: Glamour & Woods

58. Decorated table for silver wedding anniversary – Photo: Decor-Ar

59. Decorated table for cotton wedding anniversary party – Photo: Fanny Soulier

60. Delicate table decoration set for wedding anniversary party – Photo: Pinterest

61. Simple decorated table for wedding anniversary party – Photo: Premier Table Linens

62. Golden wedding anniversary table decorated in Tiffany blue and gold – Photo: WeddingOmania

63. Rustic table for simple wedding anniversary decorated with lace path – Photo: Pinterest

64. Modern wedding anniversary cake model with pink flowers – Photo: Style me Pretty

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crayonghana37-blog · 6 years ago

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High Altitude Ultralight Camping Test

Modern Hiker’s Corey Caffrey and Jonathan Legg hiked the 40 mile Capitol Peak Loop in Colorado’s Snowmass Wilderness to test out a new generation of lightweight gear from Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Six Moons Designs, Sierra Designs, Thermarest, Patagonia, Vargo and MSR.

JL: The start of a high mountain backpacking trip can be a system shock. Heading up the first ascent with a loaded pack, the body is in full protest and the mind full of self-doubt. The end of the trip is typically an achy knee descent. But … what if a chunk of weight was removed from the equation? What would ten fewer pounds do for the spirit and joints? A new wave of ultralight camping gear seeks to answer that question, moving past its fringe roots into the mainstream. Curiously, the less the equipment weighs, the heavier its price tag hangs. Should you pay more for something potentially less durable? Corey and I selected a rugged route with five high passes to give the latest ultralight designs a thorough test.

Our setup:

Jonathan – Pack: Six Moon Minimalist / Shelter: Six Moon Deschutes Tarp / Sleeping: Sierra Designs Nitro 800 (35˚)

Corey – Pack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear – Windrider / Shelter: Hyperlite Tarp w Echo Insert / Sleeping: Thermarest Corus Quilt + NeoAir Xlite

Bonus Gear: Vargo Outdoors BOT 700 & Dig Tool / MSR Pocket Rocket 2 / Patagonia Storm Racer

Ultralight Packs

JL: On my back was the 48L ç Minimalist , weighing just 36 oz (1020 g) with a thin stay configuration transferring weight directly to its hip belt. I’d selected the optional vest front with an array of pockets and attachment points.

The Minimalist‘s greatest asset is its imperceptibility. Once adjusted properly, the pack sat so snugly that I often forgot about it. The material felt ultra-durable and the side pockets held water bottles tightly. One of the side pockets is designed taller than the other to also fit an ultralight tent or hydration bladder.

The innovative vest lets you keep a lot of items within easy reach (sunblock, sunglasses, snacks, etc), however this seemed a bit extraneous with two deep hip containers built into the waist belt. The chest straps were a bit constrictive on my breath so I had them unclipped the majority of the hike. Perhaps with a lighter load the design would become useful when bombing downhill in a run.

Although the main compartment rolls shut like a dry bag, it was a mistake to assume this meant it was waterproof. After a harsh 30 minutes of rain and hail I found gear to be wet in all kinds of peculiar places throughout the pack. There is, however, one waterproof pocket on the top compartment ideal for protecting maps, permits, and electronics.

CC: I’d long been a fan of Hyperlite, but only from afar. This was my first time wearing one for any length of time. At just 32 oz, the Windrider is among the absolute lightest packs available.

Coming fresh from the Outdoor Retailer show, I’d just seen the latest and greatest new suspension systems, articulating hips, shoulders and whatever other new tech was aimed at making your backpacking load easier to carry. When I pulled the Windrider out of the box I couldn’t help but wonder if this super minimal, no-bells-and-whistles pack was somehow lacking in the construction required for a comfortable ride. I was wrong — the Hyperlite was one of the most comfortable packs I’ve worn for an extended period of time. In 40 miles and 5 mountain passes it needed only minimal adjustments along the way. The pack really is “set it and forget it”.

As far as organization goes, it doesn’t get much simpler. 1 large main compartment with a dry bag style closure, 3 large exterior pockets made of netting, and 2 generous hip belt pockets. If you like a pocket for everything, this isn’t your pack, but I found it to be adequate, and in exchange for the weight savings the simplicity was a welcome feature. I really loved the netting on the exterior pockets. The netting let me see exactly where everything was and access it quickly. For example, when we came to a water source, refilling was as easy as spotting my filter in the exterior pocket and grabbing it. No digging around and unpacking.

Ultralight Pack Takeaways:

Six Moon’s new vest straps are very innovative. Definitely going to be an issue of personal preference, but if you run or day hike with a vest style pack you will find this familiar and helpful in spreading out the load.

While both packs are really light, the Dyneema material in the Hyperlite felt much stronger.

The downside of using Dyneema is price, at $340 the Hyperlite is more than $100 more expensive than the Six Moon.

Both packs were very comfortable, we recommend trying both to see which fits you best.

Ultralight Shelters:

JL: At the bottom of my pack sat a Six Moon Deschutes Plus Tarp, adding just 16 oz (450 g) to the tally. The first time I fumbled with the setup was in the pitch dark, but even with a janky setup it kept me safe from morning sprinkles. The fabric is light as tissue paper, it dries incredibly fast, and has a thoughtful mesh skirt for allowing a breeze in while keeping the mozzies out.

CC: For my shelter, I used a modular system: the Hyperlite Tarp w Echo Insert. I personally don’t love just sleeping under the tarp, so I thought this setup could be perfect: Tarp for when conditions are ideal with the option of adding the Insert when I wanted a little more protection from the elements and anything creepy and/or crawly. On this trip, both performed wonderfully. I did 2.5 nights with the tarp + insert and 1.5 under just the tarp. Why the .5? Well that night I had 3 visits from a little pika who apparently wanted to cuddle. After my third wake up call I decided enough was enough and added the insert. One great feature is that the insert doesn’t require additional setup, simply grab it and clip it to the tarp. Within a few minutes I was back under the shelter, this time with a little extra security that provided a great night’s sleep.

Ultralight Shelter Takeaways:

Similar to the packs, the Dyneema Fabric felt stronger than the Silnylon in the Six Moon shelter.

Again, you get what you pay for. The Hyperlite sleep system retails for ~$700, while the Six Moon is a more reasonable $250.

The Six Moon single pole design makes one person setup much easier than the Hyperlite.

In rain the Hyperlite held up slightly better, but it’s important to note that neither of these shelters are billed as bomber, storm shelters. In rain they did the job as expected.

Ultralight Sleep Systems

JL: In late August the weather in the Rockies is already coming over the cold bend. Wildflowers are mostly gone, leaves are beginning to turn, and at 10,000 feet I was mummied up like King Tut in the bag with all my clothes on. I always got over the hump, but there were moments that a degree lower would have sent me over to Corey’s tent ready to little-spoon. The 35 degree Sierra Designs Nitro 800 (35˚) barely did the job, though I marveled at its feather-light weight and enjoyed the ability to pop my feet out of a convenient ventilation slot. The zipper tracks are advertised as anti-snag, but we all know how mischievous bag zippers are, especially if there is any urgency to get out. Overall the features and weight of the bag were awesome, I just underestimated the temperature at altitude.

CC: I have heard rumblings about sleeping quilts for a while now in the ultralight community. Since most of the insulating power of a sleeping bag is lost when you lay on it, why not simply remove the bottom of the sleeping bag and sleep directly on the mat? Armed with the Thermarest Corus Quilt and NeoAir Xlite, I set out to see what all the hype is about. As someone who typically sleeps on my side, I loved the quilt. I finally had room to toss and turn unencumbered by zippers. The quilt came with velcro loops that I attached to my pad, avoiding that middle of the night wake up call triggered by sliding off my pad and ending up on the cold ground. Like Jonathan, I tested the lower limits of the comfort range on the quilt at 35 degrees. Anything colder and I would opt for a full bag, but for the bulk of 3 season camping I am a fully converted quilt sleeper.

Ultralight Sleeping Takeaways:

The reality is neither of us brought enough sleeping bag for the trip. Our gear was rated to 35 degrees and with the temperature dipping into the mid 30s or even colder, we both wish we had brought something warmer. It was a good reminder to keep an eye on temps and bring the right gear for the job.

The 800 fill down for the Nitro made for a super light and super comfortable sleeping experience.

The Corus Quilt is an awesome alternative to the traditional bag. If you love to toss and turn or are simply looking to shave some weight, give a quilt a try.

Bonus Gear / Shoutouts:

I wanted to give a couple other shoutouts to stand-out pieces of gear. For cooking, I used a single pot / cup set up in the Vargo Outdoors BOT 700. This titanium cup sealed tight, allowing me to cold soak food as I walked, resulting in meals that were either ready to eat (cold) or quickly warmed up, already hydrated with minimal fuel usage. To round out my ultralight cook setup, I brought along the MSR Pocket Rocket 2. The stove worked like a dream, however the built in lighter on the latest version, didn’t work from the start. I highly recommend the stove, but would suggest opting for the version without the built in lighter. For a shell, Patagonia sent over a Storm Racer lightweight shell to try. On days 4 of our hike, a light rainstorm quickly turned into a downpour / hailstorm. The shell was perfect, totally breathable and with a light stretch I was able to soldier on, my temperature perfectly regulated and my body dry.

Are you an ultralight backpacker? Curious to learn more? Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Modern Hiker occasionally receives products or services from companies for free or at-cost for review purposes. Modern Hiker may receive a percentage of sales via affiliate links from these companies but does not accept compensation for editorial reviews. Companies being reviewed are not allowed to exercise creative or editorial control over these posts.

Source: https://modernhiker.com/high-altitude-ultralight-camping-test/

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tigerrobot · 6 years ago

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This one will leave you howling

Ritual magic is alive. Battle magic, like what I normally use, is more like a thing, a tool. A fireball or a lightning bolt or a burst of air, that's just taking things and shaping them, borrowing energy from the elemental planes and manifesting it in our world. Ritual magic can do anything from track someone down to raising the dead if you are so inclined.

Casting battle magic requires only words. In my case, they are in the form of runes tattooed onto my skin. This serves many purposes. If you write the words down on paper, infuse them with power when you do, you create a scroll. But paper is weak and will be destroyed by the release of the power. Others memorize the magic from books but, like paper, memory is thin. Once used, the memory is changed forever, your mind cannot recall it in exactly the same way, effectively destroying the spell. It was actually a wizard that put forward that very idea to psychology papers. Skin is more malleable, more durable. My tattoos can be re-used as often as I need to, provided my body can withstand the forces trying to escape.

When I cast a fire-bolt, it is the same every time. I could cast it at the same surface a thousand times and it would explode in the exactly same way each time. Ritual magic is never the same twice. Use the exact same focus, the same subject, the same kind of ritual, and during the ride it will be different. I say 'during the ride' because that is the easiest way to describe how it works. You ride a ritual. The better your handle on the spell, the easier it is to hold on. Some spells are just too big for 1 person and you need help staying on.

And then, some rituals are so delicate that any more than 1 person could cause minor fluctuations that would send the whole thing spinning out of control.

"So, Pen... Umm. I've got something to tell you and, at the same time, I need to ask for your help." Benny was looking at the ground, which was definitely out of the ordinary for a guy who was pretty popular. Benny was 6'1" at 16, funny, and probably the nicest guy you'd ever meet. He genuinely cared about other people and always went out of his way to make me feel welcome and included.

"Yeah, of course Benny, what's up?" I was worried for him immediately. This timidity was strange.

He looked up at me, a sheepish smile crossing his lips. "I like Amelia. Would you be able to help me ask her out?" I scoffed. Every guy in the school like Amelia. I swear, if I charged every guy who asked me to hook them up with her, I'd be able to retire by the time I left High School. I could only imagine how much worse it would get when we got to college.

I laughed and his smile faded. "Seriously, Benny, really? You are basically the most popular, out-going, and self-confident guy in school. You can ask her out yourself!" I shook my head. I didn't say it harshly or anything. I understood why everyone wanted Ames, aside from her being beautiful, she was smart, nice, and didn't take people's shit. That drew a lot of attention, like a flame. And, like a flame, most people couldn't stand close to it for long.

"But... She listens to you! And, if she tells you she's not interested then, like, it'll be easier for you to tell me, right?" This got me upset. This jackass was asking me to do all of the emotional labour of him asking out my best friend.

"Benny, get fucked." I laughed at him again and shook my head once more. "Man, you are a king to most of the school already. Nobody is going to think less of you if she shoots you down. Some advice? Just ask her out for a piece of pizza and ice cream. Then you can talk to her a little less publicly. Cool?"

He nodded, a little dejected, and shuffled away. I rolled my eyes. I had no idea why guys get all unsure and pathetic when they wanna ask a girl out. Being vulnerable isn't less 'manly' or anything like that. Surprise, most chicks like a guy who can be confident and vulnerable at the same time. I didn't realize this fact until the first time I asked a girl out when I was 16, about 8 months after this tale, but even when I was 15 I didn't understand the fear. There was a lot of other things to be afraid of.

I was leaning against my locker, waiting for Ames to get out of class and listening to my 90s play list, before Benny walked up to me. I slipped my headphones back on and closed my eyes. Another song and a half went by when Amelia shoulder checked me, lightly driving me into the locker. I grabbed her and spun, pinning her against the locker and stepped back.

"You might be the academic champion of the world, but you ain't got nothing on me." I smirked at her as I let my headphones drop back to hanging around my neck. I shouldn't have. She grabbed my arm and spun me back into the locker, I tried to resist but she had gotten stronger since starting jujitsu classes.

"Come on, you've got your magic thing, I've got everything else. That's what makes us a great team!" Then she booped my nose and pushed me out of the way so she could get into her locker. Sometimes she was just too damned cute.

"So, what's up tonight? And why weren't you in class?" She put her books away and then crossed her arms, looking at me with a critical gaze, one that would have made the headmasters of old proud.

"History? Yeah, no. If I have to sit through another class talking about how great Christopher Columbus was I might be physically ill. Why do we still use textbooks from the 80s?" We both laughed and then sighed in resignation of how bad it got sometimes. I didn't consider myself anywhere near the academic that Amelia was but even I had read a new history book or two. Part of learning magic was to learn where this power comes from. And that involved a lot of reading about the true history of the world. So history class was one place I couldn't really stand.

"As for tonight, Lance asked for my help with something. Wanna come along?" Lance was a friend who had started being nice to me to get closer to Amelia before realizing we actually had more stuff in common and became friends ourselves. I didn't begrudge Lance for it, everyone wanted to be friends with Amelia, though how I came off as more approachable I'll never know. People are weird.

"Yeah, sure, it's been awhile since we hung out. I'd like to see what they're up to." Lance was non-binary, preferring they and their. Some people gave them a hard time about it but, thanks to the internet, it was becoming easier for Lance to be themselves. Having friends who would call those people out when they were shitty to them helped too.

Ames grabbed the books she'd need for her evenings unnecessary homework and we walked out together. The bus ride home usually sucked but if we got to it early enough we could snag the back seats and then at least nobody threw shit at the back of my head. Today we got lucky and just chatted about various school stuff until we got to my place.

I'd agreed to meet with Lance after dinner. Dad made a giant salad for all of us and we headed over to Lance's parents' place after eating. The lights were out on the main floor but the back porch light was on so we went around and Lance let us in. Their parents were out of town for the week and it seemed like Lance didn't want to run up the electricity bill because none of the lights were on. They led us down to the basement and Amelia and I froze.

In the center of the floor was a giant ring, made with what looked like glitter. "Uh, Lance, buddy... What the hell?" I looked up at them and they immediately looked away from me.

"Yeah, so, um... I..." Lance seemed to be struggling to find the words. Lance was never uncomfortable around me but people being awkward around me seemed to be the norm today.

"Come on, spit it out. You know whatever it is, we got this." I tried to sound encouraging, Amelia nodded along with me and added her own "Yeah, we're friends, you can tell us."

"I need your help with controlling myself. It's a full moon tonight and it's hardest during a full moon." Now they looked up at us and I noticed the small change. Their nostrils were flared and their eyes had a slight yellow tinge to them. "That ring is made with silver shavings. I shouldn't be able to pass it if my research is right. I hope that'll give you time to do... well, what you do."

"Whoa..." I took a step toward them. "Lance, are you saying you're a werewolf?!" It came out a little more aggressive than I was hoping and Lance flinched.

"Yeah, Pen. Happened a couple months ago. My parents know and they helped me last month with it but we knew we needed a more permanent solution and then... I'm sorry, I told them about you." Lance looked away again.

I walked over to them and pulled their chin up, so that I could look them in the eyes. "Hey, we can talk about sharing my secrets another time. We've got something WAY more important to deal with right now. Get in the circle, it's getting dark."

I hadn't met a werewolf before, though part of my education had been learning about them. The silver circle probably wouldn't do much so I planned on using a sleep spell and then working from there. I knew I couldn't cure them, but I did know that 'weres' could learn to control the change, and even control themselves when in that form. I just had to reach Lance's personality and pull it up while their body was a wolf.

Mental rituals were probably my least favourite. It was almost impossible to plan for, since everyone thinks differently and you never knew what you were going to get when you dove in. Normally, I tried to control as many variables as I could, hence the tattoos so I was ready for any battle.

I sat down outside of the circle and started casting the sleep spell, pulling in the energy for it, wrapping Lance up in a soft, warm blanket of power. Amelia came and sat beside me. She put her head on my shoulder, lending me whatever of her strength I needed. Some people were served as conduits, some as vessels, and some as batteries. Amelia was one hell of a battery. She nearly doubled my own reserves of power and, while I didn't like borrowing it from her, it was always good to know it was there if I did need it.

At this point I was only half using my physical senses, I felt Lance change by the way it shifted the energy I had wrapped around them. That's when I released the power and the spell completed, gently pull them down into a slumber so deep, the massive wolf was practically snoring.

Now the fun would begin. Being in the same room as the wolf made it easy to connect to it's mind. No special focus or tie to it was needed to find the right pathways and I slipped right in.

As of now, Lance's mind was a mess. If I had waited a little longer it would be simpler, the mind of a wolf, but that would have made it much more difficult to dive in and find our Lance. Now, it was like trying to surf when you've never even stood up on a skateboard. Keeping my balance was nearly impossible and I was faintly aware of Amelia holding me upright. I let the remaining ties to my own mind slip away and got lost in the chaos of a half-wolf, half-human brain.

The first thing I needed to do would be to find a memory. With Lance's mind fractured like it was now, there would be two sets. If I could find a human memory, it could follow that thread to the rest of Lance's consciousness, or so I hoped. Images flashed by like photographs as I tumbled around. A stray thought slammed into me and sent me spinning. Images of running in the woods outside of town invaded my own thoughts as Lance's mind tried to assimilate me. When it realized I wasn't a memory to be filed away, it would start trying to reject me. The mind, human or animal, was an amazingly powerful thing and if it was already starting to hone in on me, it was time to get moving.

With Lance's wolf side only being a few months old, it limited the amount of memories I needed to trudge through before deeper memories surfaced. This was the biggest reason I hated being in someone else's head. Every memory Lance had formed swirled around me. Had I wanted to, I could have looked into how Lance perceived every interaction they and I had ever had. Fortunately, all I needed to do was pull these memories forward now, make Lance remember they were a person, not a wolf.

The best way to describe it is a mental lasso. I focused my mind on as many of Lance's memories as I could, trying not to commit them to my own memory but to simply let them exist in front of me. Then I pulled with all my strength back toward my own body. This was where things got dangerous. This is how you steal someone's thoughts. Essentially that was exactly what I was trying to do. When the mind splits like it does in a 'were', the 2 parts often become separate. That's why werewolves never remember what they did the next day, it wasn't actually them doing it. I needed to steal the memories from Lance's mind, give them to the wolf mind, and create a bridge between the two. You know, kid's stuff.

The wolf was gaining power and I could feel the mental connection I had beginning to weaken. The flip side of this, was, if the magic tether snapped or was broken, I could get lost in Lance's mind. While this wouldn't kill me, my body wouldn't have a mind left to control it. And I was certain Lance didn't want another permanent house guest in their head.

Lance's wolf mind became like a torrent, thoughts ripping at me like ice and hail in a storm. At first it merely stung. Then the thoughts hardened, becoming more aware of my intrusion. Instead of a passive defense against invaders, the wolf was now trying to expel me. I knew I was getting closer to the exit, the bomb of Lance's memories were still trailing behind me but not yet deep enough into the wolf mind to start the reaction. Plus, I still had to build the bridge between the 2.

I began folding power into the tether. It was the most important thing. Even if I couldn't merge the 2 minds, I needed to be able to get out. Lance would understand if I failed. I knew they'd be pissed if I got myself lost doing this. And mostly they'd be mad at themselves. An angry wolf could do some serious damage.

The thoughts, like steel, tore at my mental projection and I vaguely felt the damage it was doing to my physical body. The projection instinctively tapped the back of my right hand, where the rune for my shield spell normally was. But, in the mind of Wolf-Lance, that spell wouldn't work. It took a long time before I learn proper mental combat. Fear crept up my spine as I began thinking I was in over my head.

I dropped my hold on the bundle of memories I had been dragging along and chaos erupted. Instead of a slow, steady merging there was a tornado. At this point, there was nothing else I could do and, as I was battered and thrown about, I knew I had to get out. As though sensing this, a sharp memory sliced across the tether, the magic threatening to break down. I redoubled my effects but it wasn't enough as another attack against the tether caused it to sever. I watched as it slipped away from me, the other end retreating back through the portal that would lead me home.

Panic overtook me, and I pulled in every ounce of power I had. All I could think to do was close the distance, I couldn't let that portal close, I couldn't lost sight of it. I was always closest to fire, and that's what I envisioned. My projection burst into flame, every memory that touched it instantly disintegrated, and I flew into motion, racing toward the closing gateway. The thoughts and memories pulled away, which I would later realize was a good thing for more reasons than just my own safety. I hit my own body like a sack of bricks, snapping to consciousness roughly and falling over. Amelia was over me, crying my name, tears running down her cheeks.

When I was able to focus again, I noticed her fretting over me. When I looked down, the pain hit as my eyes saw the thousands of tiny cuts and the bloody mess of my shirt and jeans. I could already feel the wounds stitching themselves back together as my magic set about correcting the mistake my mind had made but this outfit was ruined. Amelia hugged me, muttering something about me being an idiot while hugging me tighter. It was then that I noticed the wolf in the circle had begun to change back into the form of Lance.

In an awkward moment, can confirm that the clothing does not go with the change, as Lance was left trying to cover themselves. I broke the circle and they grabbed some clothes from the nearby dryer, the ones they were wearing now shredded and all over the floor.

We discovered that a few memories were lost in my panicked flight. The first time Lance ever swam in the public pool, which was when they had first realized they loved water, was the most notable memory lost. Lance shrugged it off but it obviously hurt them.

During the next full moon, I stayed with them. They had to focus intensely at first to stop the change from coming on but it appeared the ritual was successful. After that came bringing on the change by decision. Then controlling the actions of the wolf. All in all, it took about 3 months before they were comfortable not being locked in the basement during a full moon but it was about 5 months before I had those 3 nights a month back to myself again. I was more than happy to help, especially knowing that I now had a bad-ass werewolf buddy to call on if I needed it.

#original fiction #female protagonist #pen's tales

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georgialou25 · 7 years ago

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Final Evaluation

My final piece is both similar and different to my project proposal. In my proposal, I stated that I wanted to create an interactive/educative piece which would more than likely be targeted towards children. I feel I accomplished this by the fact that I created a board game inspired by survival in space which was fully playable and subtly educative. Examples of my educative elements include the items that I created which are vital for space survival as well as the descriptions of their purpose/function show on the game cards. However, my final piece differed from my initial proposal in terms of ideas. Although it still follows the overall theme of space, in my proposal, I described that I wanted to look at creating my own life forms and potentially its habitat which would be inspired by my love of sci-fi film and TV but after some in-depth research I released this idea was a bit cliché because there are already so many visuals linked to this theme. It also lacked room for development or experimentation which was another reason why I chose not to pursue this idea.

I explored several ideas for this project before finally settling on the idea of combining space survival and a board game. I looked at the idea life forms, constellation, extra-terrestrial communication, space travel, space habitation and surviving in space. In fact, it wasn’t until I watched the film The Martian that I decided I wanted to look at space survival. Before that, I was going to look at creating my own extra-terrestrial language which was why I experimented with symbolism from the film Arrival at the start of the project. I chose to base my project off The Martian because I liked the idea that it was quite scientific and complex. Most sci-fi films tend to be all about the action and graphics rather than the story but this one was different which was why I based my project off it. After deciding my theme, it took me a while to decide I wanted to create a board game. At first, I looked at life-size interactive installation pieces, with the idea that they would be displayed in the discovery section at the National Space station which I visited. Unfortunately, I felt I didn’t have time to produce something this big and still keep high quality detail in my piece, due to only having a few weeks to test out an make an installation. So I scale my ideas down which was when I moved onto board games. I felt this was actually a better because it would allow me to look at the advertising side of things too which was why I displayed my game on a plinth created (out of plaster of paris) to look like the surface of Mars. I tested out lots of different games ideas before finally choosing on and creating ‘Escape from Mars’.

I did lots of research for this project. These included both primary and secondary research:

I felt the primary research I collected was substantial and gave me lots of inspiration even if I chose not to pursue these ideas any further. For every idea I had from both primary and second research, I evaluated its strengths and weaknesses before deciding whether it was worth exploring an further.

Although I think I visited enough places for my primary research, I wish I had visited even more places to provide even more inspiration for this project as they could have influenced my ideas in different ways and provided different opportunities for what I could have created within this project. Example of other places I could have visited included – Sherwood Observatory or the Science Museum. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places around here that are associated with space so I would have had to travel substantial distances to get to these places which would make it quite expensive. This was why I didn’t visit them.

In terms of secondary research, I think I might have collected too much, especially in the earlier stages because I didn’t even use half of the research I collected in the earlier stages. If I was to start the project again, I would have only researched key stages throughout space history and developed my ideas from there because I researched a lot of things that I knew I wouldn’t need. So doing it in this way would save me a lot of time, allowing me to move onto the experimental and design process a lot sooner.

I ran into a lot of problems in this project, some of these were bigger and harder to solve than others. However, I managed to solve them all in the end. Here are a few examples of the problems that arised throughout this project and how I resolved them.

The first problem I had was related to the scaling of my board game. The software that I used to create the board base didn’t have a ruler with measurements on so I didn’t have any way of knowing what side I needed to make all the zones on the board base. To solve this had to create a template on Microsoft publisher and save it as an image before importing it onto sketchbook. I then scaled it up to match the side of my board game. From where I could fill in the zones. This actually saved time in the long run because I could just fill in all zones simultaneously using the same (airbrush) tool.

The next issue was a much bigger issue. The astronaut playing pieces I created were inspired by drawing that I drew in one on my initial game ideas in the earlier stages of my project. I foolishly when straight to the design process from here without testing out the back. Drawing up the front of the astronaut was fine. It was I moved onto designing the back of the astronaut that I ran into some problems. The way I drew the astronaut’s boots from the front of the astronaut made it impossible for me to manipulate them from behind without changing the shape of the outline which I couldn’t do because the front and back needed to be symmetrical in order to stick back-to-back. There were 2 solutions to this problem. The first was to go back and re-draw the astronaut boots from the front so that they could be manipulated from behind. The second was the make the astronaut back a solid block of colour matching team colour. Although it was harder and more time consuming, I chose to try solution one because it would show off my skills more and looks better on both sides in the long run. Had I not been able to do this after a few attempts I would have used solution 2.

My third problem example was getting the astronaut playing pieces and base camp to stand up. I wanted to create these digitally, print them off and have them standing up but I had a few issues with trying to do this. The first was that I had to cut around both sides to the piece accurately so that they would match perfectly when stuck together. The only way I could do this was to cut them out really carefully using a staple and ruler. I then had to find a way to get them to stand vertically. I had a few ways I could resolve this. The first was to put blobs of glue on the bottom of the pieces. Making little tab extensions would also help with this as it would prevent the glue covering up any sections of my piece. The second solution would be to create paper slots the piece would slot into perpendicularly, increasing its surface area and allowing it to stand up. After testing both solution out, I went for the glue blob solution because it was stronger and more durable which better around kids. I also like the idea that the glue could be painted to match the colour of the pieces, so that they wouldn’t stand out as much. I chose not to use the paper slot idea, not only it was fiddly to get it to align properly but also because it covered up apiece with would be distracting for the player. I’m glad I went for these solutions because they made my piece look really professional in the end.

I used several practical methods throughout this project. Some of which were new to me, whilst other I was quite confident in using. These new medias included ink and foam, nail varnish and water as well as plaster of paris. I used the ink and foam, and nail varnish and water when experimenting with ways I could recreate the Heptapod language from the film Arrival. I was only going to test the ink and foam idea initially. It wasn’t until some suggested trying nail varnish and water because it looked similar to the ink and foam that I actually tested it. Although I really enjoyed using these medias and felt the ink and foam idea worked really effectively, unfortunately I chose not to develop these ideas any further because I changed my idea from extra-terrestrial communication to space survival after this point because I didn’t know how I could develop these ideas any further. The other new media was plaster of Paris. I used this to decorate my plinth. Initially I was going to use modroc which I had used briefly in a previous project and quite enjoyed using, and then again earlier on in this project when I tested it out as a potential base for my board game. I really enjoyed creating the tester piece. I basically used to cover over basic structure that I’d created out of newspaper and card board in order to recreate the surface of Mars. The only reason I didn’t use this in my game was because I couldn’t make it flat/smooth to get items to stand up on it. Fortunately, I could transfer the skill I learnt in this test onto a larger scale when I decorated my plinth. As I was making this, I was told I should create plaster of Paris because it works in the same was as modroc if I combine it with sheets. Using plaster of Paris just allowed me to create it on a larger scale and quicker. I wasn’t sure about this working when I tried it but I’m glad I pushed myself to take this risk because it payed off and looked really effective, especially when I’d applied the paint to it because it looked authentic. People could easily see that it was supposed to represent the surface of Mars.

There were also some medias that I used that I was quite confident in using because I tried and tested them in previous projects allowing me to develop them as skills. These medias were chalk and charcoal, stick and ink, pen pencil and digital drawing. The chalk and charcoal, stick and ink, pen and pencil were only used in the initial stages of my project as a form of experimentation but I chose not to develop them any further as I didn’t feel they looked professional enough to incorporate onto a board game. This was why I created it digitally. I’ve created elements of my work digitally in precious and found that it really worked. The quality of the finish and level of detail that I could incorporate was really high. This was I chose to use it in this project. Before committing to this fully, I tested it out to see whether it would work in this project because it needed to fit within the vector-style theme I was trying to capture in my game because it would be more appealing to children. I found this worked perfectly and showed off my skills as a designer, even on a really basic level. All elements of the board game that were created after the board base were adapted to follow the same theme because it worked so well.

I think I managed my time really well. I recorded evaluations of my progress on a daily basis onto my Tumblr blog allowing me to stay on track of what I’d done, how productive I’d been in doing so as well as what I intended to do next so that I always had clear plan. This was supported by a weekly plan which I used to plan my schedule at the start of the week and evaluated and the in a different colour to see whether I’d stayed on track. I learnt that I often fell behind schedule during this project but I think that was due to me being a bit over-ambitious with what I thought could achieve in a day. I also recorded any drawings I did to plan or develop my work in my sketchbook before testing or creating any pieces of work to visualize how I intend them to look. These were then photographed and posted onto Tumblr before evaluating them. Personally, I don’t think I could do anything more to improve the way I recorded this.

I think the overall outcome of my final piece was really successful. I have been able to create a fully playable board game to illustrate the idea of surviving in space to children. What I particularly like about this piece is all the details, particularly on the astronaut playing pieces, board base and item boxes. They made the game appear more and professional, as though it could actually be sold in a shop. I like to think of this piece as the prototype. Obviously, a few tweaks would be made in terms of practicality for children before sale as would be the same for any product being manufactured, but as a general concept it works which I’m really proud off. My favourite elements of the board game are the astronaut playing pieces because I spent so long on them, trying to get them to look right. I just love how small and dink they are. I particularly like that I was able make them double sided because it made them seem more realistic. Most playing pieces would only have the design on the front and then a colour on the back. This to me would have made the pieces look a bit basic and tacky because it lacks thought and imagination. It was hard to make these astronauts because I had to spend quite a lot of time making them perfectly symmetrical. This took a few attempts to get right but I’m glad I persevered because of how detailed and interesting they looked in the end.

I also like the plinth I designed which was intended to look like the surface of Mars. I like the way it draws you in to go and look at it because it’s so big and unusual. This really works from an advertising perspective. I didn’t actually plan for it to be as big initially but looking back at it, I don’t think it would have worked any smaller. I would have lost some of definition on the shape of the mounds, even if it would have saved me some time.

I don’t think there are any changes that I would make to this game aside from a few basic and subtle things like the size of the item box as they were a fraction too big but there a few more things that I would have liked to try or add to the piece given more time. For example, I would have liked to have explored the advertising side of things a little more. By this I mean, given more time, I would have researched into the current sales market for my target consumer (young children) for how I could advertise this piece if I was to sell it. Could I have created a TV advert? A Website? A poster? A display in a shop window? What would be the best form of advertisement or combination of advertisements to make the best profit. It would have been nice to try some of these out too, like the poster which could have been displayed on the wall behind the plinth

If I had more time I would have also designed and made a box for the game to be stored in. This was part of my original plan but I do it which was a shame because I could have really advertised that the game was intended for sale. I could have even incorporated things like prices onto the box to emphasise point of sale even further. This would have brought the piece together a little more and allowed me to think about the practicality and durability of the game. Would I have needed to change the materials I created some of the components with? For example, should the boxes and playing pieces been made out of plastic or given a protective coating? Should the cards have been laminated. These are some things I would have been able to consider given more time.

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usatrendingsports · 7 years ago

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Bellator 194 — Matt Mitrione vs. Roy Nelson: Prediction, preview, struggle card, location

When the bracket was introduced for Bellator MMA’s World Grand Prix heavyweight event, the eight-man discipline revealed a mix of fighters boasting every thing from superstar (Chael Sonnen) and legend (Fedor Emelianenko) to earlier UFC title glory (Frank Mir and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson).

The event, designed to fill Bellator’s vacant heavyweight championship, additionally featured among the promotion’s high gentle heavyweights, together with present champion Ryan Bader. When it got here time for oddsmakers to tab the event’s betting favourite, nevertheless, journeyman heavyweight Matt Mitrione obtained the nod.

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A former NFL defensive lineman, Mitrione made his professional debut at age 31 in the course of the 2009 finale of UFC’s “The Final Fighter: Heavyweights” season. A 6-foot-Three southpaw with a background in karate, Mitrione’s awkward model has slowly developed as contemporaries his age with extra mileage accrued have begun to fade.

Mitrione, who faces fellow UFC veteran Roy “Large Nation” Nelson in Friday’s rematch, has no downside coming into their first spherical matchup on the Mohegan Solar On line casino in Uncasville, Connecticut (Paramount Community, 9 p.m. ET), because the event favourite.

“I do not actually see that as any stress, to be sincere,” Mitrione instructed CBS Sports activities throughout Monday’s look on the “In This Nook” podcast. “Why ought to it’s? I am the perfect heavyweight in Bellator, so why ought to there be any stress that I really feel from that? On high of that, I really feel that if I am asking for the torch to hold for Bellator, then one thing so simple as being the percentages favourite should not be any kind of stress in any respect.

“If that is who individuals need to put their cash on, it is a very good guess. You are going to win your mortgage cash. If you wish to put your hire cash on another person, than it may be what it may be and also you’re in all probability going to lose it. It is going to be a tough go.”

Bellator 194 struggle card

Matt Mitrione -190

Roy Nelson +155

Heavyweight

Patricky Pitbull -240

Derek Campos +190

Light-weight

Liam McGeary -125

Vadim Nemkov -105

Mild heavyweight

Heather Hardy -360

Ana Julaton +270

Ladies’s flyweight

Nelson (23-14) enters the bout recent off a choice win over Javy Ayala in his Bellator debut final September. The 41-year-old closed out his eight-year UFC run (he was housemates with Mitrione on TUF) by shedding seven of his final 10 bouts.

The one factor Nelson, identified for his strong stomach, mullet and unkept beard, has over Mitrione coming into their rematch is a first-round TKO victory when the 2 met in 2012 in Las Vegas. Mitrione discovered success on his ft with overhand lefts and arduous kicks, however succumbed to a proper uppercut earlier than being stopped in just below three minutes.

From Mitrione’s perspective, the loss spoke volumes of his inexperience in simply his seventh professional struggle (in comparison with 25th for Nelson). Whereas Mitrione admits his private life wasn’t uncontrolled from the angle of partying or medicine, he hadn’t but discovered what it took to accumulate skilled focus.

“I believe greater than it was bodily adjustments, I believe it was life adjustments,” Mitrione mentioned. “I do not need to go into element as a result of I do not need to give excuses and take away from Roy beating me 5 years in the past, however typically you undergo some issues and also you’re distracted. You do not have the main focus it’s essential to have in your life and I blame that so much on my extracurricular actions.

“I’ve a way more targeted life now. I’ve a routine and my life is so as. I really feel that’s going to be the distinction. I had the instruments to beat him again then however I wasn’t as targeted as I ought to have been. Roy’s preventing model actually would not change that a lot and mine has solely getting higher.”

Nelson had a a lot less complicated breakdown of how he was victorious of their first bout.

“He punched me and kicked me and I punched him,” Nelson mentioned. “That was just about the struggle. We punched one another so much, however I hit him extra instances and hit him more durable than he hit me.”

The Bellator event kicked off on Jan. 20 when Sonnen defeated Jackson by determination and awaits the winner of Mir-Emelianenko on April 28 in Chicago. In the meantime, the winner of Mitrione-Nelson II will face the winner of Bader’s struggle in opposition to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal on Might 12 in San Jose.

Lawal, a co-host on the “In This Nook” MMA podcast, spoke of Mitrione’s enchancment from the primary struggle in opposition to Nelson.

“He has developed and is extra affected person within the cage,” Lawal mentioned. “He is extra relaxed. You may inform he is a vet and would not waste his punches. He already has the bodily instruments however his evolution has been extra psychological.

“In case you have a look at that first struggle, Mitrione was getting off on Roy and he was touching Roy up. He made the error of beginning to again as much as the cage and Roy gave him a three-punch combo and sat Matt down. If he can keep along with his boxing and transfer the struggle alongside, it may be a protracted evening for Roy [on Friday].”

Prediction

Relating to who Lawal hopes to face, his choice is Mitrione, largely as a result of he is a longtime coaching accomplice and good friend of Nelson. However he favors Mitrione on paper regardless of his weak spot in wrestling and Nelson’s highly effective proper hand, which works finest in opposition to southpaws.

“[Mitrione] has the ability to get a knockout,” Lawal mentioned. “At heavyweight, all it takes is that one punch you do not see. Matt is a giant dude and if you grow old and keep within the sport [like Nelson], your chin would not get stronger, it will get weaker. In case you watch Roy struggle, he would not transfer his head an excessive amount of and he will get hit.

“I believe that I need Roy to win however Matt is so harmful. He is fast, athletic and is definitely bettering. Matt has improved greater than Roy as a result of he has extra room to develop. He is assured and it is a rematch so I do know he desires revenge.”

Though Mitrione has retained his pace pushing 40 and Nelson has solely slowed to a extra one-dimensional model, what cannot be neglected is the vulnerabilities of Mitrione’s chin. Not solely was he dropped arduous by Emelianenko final July earlier than rallying to complete him, he was pressured to do the identical the earlier 12 months in opposition to Oli Thompson.

Choose: Mitrione by unanimous determination.

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nofomoartworld · 7 years ago

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Hyperallergic: Artist-Built Environments to Rescue and Preserve

The artist Bernard Langlais on his art-filled property in Cushing, Maine, where real farm animals roamed alongside his sculptures (photo by David Hiser, courtesy of Colby College Museum of Art)

For some artists, a sheet of paper, a length of canvas, a block of wood or stone, or a computer screen might not provide a large enough starting point for communicating their biggest, boldest, most expansive ideas.

Sometimes such artists have been known to conjure up ambitious “art environments” — gardens, parks, houses, or unique architectural structures filled or covered with works of art. In the United States, some of the best-known of such all-encompassing artworks include the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, which the Italian immigrant Sabato (“Simon”) Rodia (1879-1965) began constructing in 1921, and Paradise Garden, which the Baptist preacher and “Man of Visions,” Howard Finster (1916-2001), built in Summerville, Georgia.

On view at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin: Undated photos of Sabato (“Simon”) Rodia’s Watts Towers in Los Angeles, shot by the late Seymour Rosen, a pioneering researcher of California-based, vernacular art forms (photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center)

In numerous cases, these environmental works are fragile and become imperiled after their makers die if they are left without capable, resourceful caretakers, only to deteriorate at the mercy of the elements. How much does the long-term care of such artistic properties cost, and who can — or should — pay for it? A corollary to that question is: Can or should they be restored and, if so, to what extent?

Such topics were among the main themes of The Road Less Traveled, an illuminating conference that took place at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in late September. The confab brought together curators, collectors, art dealers, researchers and, most notably, conservators who have worked on art-environment restoration projects, as well as administrators, both volunteer and professional, who oversee the care and maintenance of such sites. (Many of them are open to the public.)

Karen Patterson, JMKAC curator and the moderator of the conference’s first panel, pointed out that, whenever some or all of the parts of an artist’s multi-element, site-specific environment are removed to a museum for the sake of preserving them, a host of aesthetic and custodial issues may emerge. Patterson noted that she and her colleagues regularly ask: What were an artist’s intentions for the presentation of his or her work, and, since museums cannot or perhaps should not exactly replicate the conditions of a site, how can they evoke its original ambiance in an exhibition setting?

What are the aesthetic effects of moving all or part of an artist’s site-specific art environment from its original location into a museum? After Loy Allen Bowlin (1909-1995), the Mississippi-based “Original Rhinestone Cowboy,” died, his artwork-home was acquired by and moved to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center)

Katherine Jentleson, the curator of folk and self-taught art at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, recalled that her institution began working directly with Finster in the 1990s, acquiring a sizable quantity of the prolific artist’s paintings on cut-out boards, as well as his signs and objects. She stated that the museum set out to take “an object-specific approach” to displaying them; for example, it installed a large Finster signboard above viewers’ heads, just as it had been mounted in Paradise Garden, where it had helped demarcate different sections of the property.

Similarly, Jentleson and her colleagues placed some of Finster’s sculptural objects on the floor, emulating their original locations in the artist’s garden, where they had helped to shape the overall, crafted environment, and visitors could walk around them. Jentleson joked, “My fantasy is that someday someone will make a hologram of Howard Finster that can be displayed along with his works; that would be perfect for a ‘man of visions’ whose work managed to reach a wide audience that included rock-music fans and many people in the contemporary-art world.”

The ornately decorated interiors of the home of Loy Allen Bowlin, the Mississippi-based “Original Rhinestone Cowboy,” were integral parts of the work of art he created and in which he resided (photo courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center)

Lisa Stone is the curator of the Roger Brown Study Collection of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an associate professor in the SAIC’s art history, theory, and criticism department. Offering a model of how works from a self-taught art-maker’s site-specific environment can be displayed, Stone looked back at an exhibition that the late Chicago Imagist painter Roger Brown (1941-1997) curated in 1971 at the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago. Its subject: the cathedral-shaped birdhouses that the Chicago-based, Italian-immigrant artist Aldo Piacenza (1888-1976) had hand-crafted and displayed all around his house. He also had made cut-out constructions and filled the walls of his home with hand-painted scenes of Italy.

Stone, who has long worked in the preservation field, recalled that, in the exhibition, Brown, who had famously collected and was influenced by folk art, outsider art, tribal art, and offbeat pop-culture and vernacular artifacts, remained faithful to Piacenza’s creative vision. “Roger definitely did not stick with the white-cube approach,” Stone explained. Instead, in setting up Piacenza’s work at the art center, “he brought in picket fencing, plastic foliage, and a painted cloudscape. His installation of the birdhouse cathedrals on posts may have referenced the way Piacenza had placed them on posts in his garden.”

Finding inspiration in the arts of various civilizations and eras, the artist Eddie Owens Martin (1908-1986), who called himself “St. EOM,” created his seven-acre Pasaquan compound in Buena Vista, Georgia, beginning in 1957; in recent years it was restored thanks to the aid of the Kohler Foundation (photo by Brianna Wright, 2016; courtesy of Columbus State University)

As curators wrestle with aesthetic issues surrounding art environments, conservators do, too, often in relation to the technical and scientific aspects of their work. Jason Church, a conservator at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in Louisiana, described the challenges of conserving the work of a living artist when her grand production is still evolving. In recent years, Church has been assisting Juanita Leonard, a preacher and artist in Montgomery, Louisiana. He noted, “She has a church on her property, and everything there is a work of art.”

He added, “She had been making angel sculptures with plaster of Paris and plywood, but in time, they started to slump. One time, when I was visiting Juanita, I suggested that maybe she could use stronger materials. Later, she made all-new angels using metal sheets. She told me that she believed the Lord had sent me to tell her to use more durable materials. I wondered: Had I influenced her? Was that good or bad? I had just been thinking like a conservator.” Church also noted that it is important for specialists like himself to routinely shoot photos of a living artist’s evolving art environment so that there will be a visual record for future reference. “The question, though,” Church observed, “is, in the future, looking back, to which stage of its development should conservators aim to restore a work like Juanita’s?”

One of the restored interiors at Pasaquan, in Buena Vista, Georgia, created by Eddie Owens Martin, the self-styled “St. EOM” (photo by Brianna Wright, 2016; courtesy of Columbus State University)

Hannah Blunt, an associate curator at Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in Massachusetts, spoke about her work several years ago on the restoration of a rural site created by the artist Bernard Langlais (1921-1977). Trained at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC, and other schools, Langlais became a successful modernist painter in New York. However, in 1956, after making a mosaic-like wall composition with wood scraps, he abandoned oil painting and retreated to a farm in Cushing, Maine, where he made more than 65 large-scale, painted wooden sculptures of elephants and other animals. Blunt explained that Langlais “articulated a desire to use the land the way a farmer uses it, to create what he described as his ‘environmental complex.’”

Blunt recalled that, in 2010, Langlais’s estate, “including 3300 works of art and the sprawling Cushing property, passed to the Colby College Museum of Art as a bequest.” The museum hired her to manage that huge gift, and she moved into the artist’s former residence. She said, “Like many colleagues here who have had the rare privilege of occupying an artist’s home or built environment, I soon discovered […] the primacy of place [in] Langlais’s art.”

To restore Langlais’s on-the-land sculptures, Blunt reached out to the Wisconsin-based Kohler Foundation, which sends experts out to such sites to evaluate their conservation needs. The foundation requires would-be recipients of its aid to partner with third-party institutions — schools, museums, other foundations — that can maintain restored art environments for the long term. In the case of Langlais’s property, Blunt explained, the Maine-based Georges River Land Trust eventually agreed to “take ownership of the site in perpetuity.” Somewhat controversially but, ultimately, successfully, many works from Langlais’s estate were given to museums, libraries, schools, and communities around Maine, in effect making the artist’s original property a bit more manageable, while raising his region-wide profile.

The artist Bernard Langlais (1921-1977), seen here in 1976, gave up painting to make large-scale wooden sculptures, which he placed on his property in rural Maine (photo by David Hiser, courtesy of Colby College Museum of Art)

Ronald Harvey is an artist-turned-conservator from Maine who worked with Blunt on the Langlais project. He said, “I understand how artists love to experiment with materials; I try to approach conservation work artistically.” Harvey has worked on the big, mixed-media whirlygigs that the self-taught artist Vollis Simpson (1919-2013), a skilled repairman and inveterate tinkerer, made and installed on his rural property near Wilson, in eastern North Carolina’s tobacco country. As Simpson grew older, he could not take care of his rusting, found-object sculptures. They deteriorated, but some local residents reached out to Harvey and Dennis Montagna of the National Park Service’s Monument Research and Preservation Program. They oversaw the restoration of the weary whirlygigs’ worn-out mechanisms; the sculptures were repainted and then relocated to a new park, which will soon open in Wilson. In this instance, as with other art-environment rescue projects, community leaders recognized the potential for tourism development surrounding a unique cultural attraction.

On display during the conference and remaining on view through February 18, 2018, the exhibition In Celebration of Ourselves: Seymour Rosen + SPACES Archive examines the legacy of Seymour Rosen (1935-2006), a California-based pioneer in the preservation of artist-built environments. In the 1960s, he founded SPACES Archive, an organization that gathers information about such works around the world. The exhibition features archival photographs of California art sites examined by Rosen and objects from an exhibition he organized in the 1970s. Now, in partnership with the Kohler Foundation, SPACES Archive is digitizing Rosen’s vast collection of photos and documents, and depositing the originals at the JMKAC for future study by researchers.

SPACES Archive’s director, Jo Farb Hernández, who has documented art environments in Spain and other parts of the world for the past 45 years, spoke movingly following one of the conference’s panels. She echoed the sense of something big and complex that one often feels when encountering — or working in or with — artist-built environments. She evoked their creators’ open-heartedness, which seems to characterize many of them.

Speaking from experience, Hernández said, “With this kind of art, we come to the aid of the people who made it if and when they need it. It’s a different kind of relationship than the one you have with a conventional contemporary artist who makes art for the market. These artists created their works with a deep sense of commitment. Those of us who love what they’ve given us — we owe it to them to make a personal commitment to them as well, advocating for the preservation of their work whenever and however we can.”

The post Artist-Built Environments to Rescue and Preserve appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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