#water storage regulations

[marlynnofmany]

Squishy Cybernetics

“Hello!” I said. “Where would you like this?” I waved an arm at the large pallet of boxes, bags, and miscellaneous other packaging. It was on one of our biggest hoversleds, and accompanied by some of the biggest crewmates.

The Waterwill at the loading gate burbled thoughtfully, sounding like a water jug given sentience. She extended what passed for an arm of her own and pointed indoors. “You’d better bring it all the way in. Over here.” She glided inward, moving in that mysterious way I’d never figured out. Someone shaped like a column of jello had no business scooting forward that quickly, no matter how much their lower end rippled against the floor.

But I didn’t have time for galaxy-gazing; I had to help steer the hoversled. Regulations said we needed someone on all four sides for a load this big, just in case of antigrav mishaps. Didn’t want it slamming into something breakable at this client’s facility — or slamming into anything at all, really, but this place was some sort of high-tech manufacturing plant, and I didn’t want to think about what kind of damage a crash could do.

No mishaps today, though. The Frillian twins paced along on either side, all muscles and tight clothes (they’d left the flowy silks behind today; a solid choice). I couldn’t see Zhee in the back, but I heard the quiet click of his bug feet. My own feet were silent in proper Earth shoes as I tugged the steering handle and followed the Waterwill.

I thought we’d just take the thing to the far side of the big loading dock, unload it in an out-of-the-way spot to be unpacked later. But the Waterwill kept going. We passed hovercars and wheeled carts, storage cabinets and bins, along with a baffling arrangement of pipes along one wall. Windows showed glimpses of the busy manufacturing facility. I had no idea what they were making. Maybe I’d get a better look on the way back out.

Oh hey, a human, I thought in surprise as I passed a bigger window. With a Strongarm on his back? What in the world are they making together? I was already moving past, and could only speculate about intricate manufacturing projects that needed hands and tentacles at the same time.

I was still wondering why the Strongarm hadn’t just pulled up a chair next to the human when the Waterwill signalled me to stop. “Stopping,” I announced for Zhee’s benefit. We all came to a halt, and nobody crashed into anything. Hallelujah.

“Here, please,” the Waterwill said. She stretched her arm out into a long tendril to pick up a scrap of something blue that had fallen on the floor, and pointed at an empty space near several foam-topped tables. “I’m needed out front. Heeme, can you oversee?”

“Sure thing,” said a voice from nowhere, then a Strongarm climbed out from under one of the tables. “Found the last of the broken bits, by the way.” Two of his tentacles were curled around pieces of the same blue stuff the Waterwill had picked up. The blue stood out against the dark red of his skin, but not as much as the four mismatched tentacles on other side did. They were a transparent blue-green much like the Waterwill’s own tendrils. I tried not to stare, and failed.

“Thank you,” the Waterwill said. “I’ll be back in a bit.” She set her broken piece of whatever on the nearest table, then scooted through a door that was apparently soundproofed, because a cacophony of whirs and whooshes filled the air until it closed.

“Right,” I said. “Over here, then.” I steered the hoversled into position, then we all worked together to guide the detachable gravity platform onto the ground. That part always made me nervous, since it looked like the giant pallet that could crush me was floating through the air with just a touch of technological magic to make it go. I understand other models of industrial-sized hoversleds have more mechanical-looking gravity platforms, or regular forklift arms. Ours was the glowy magic kind, and it deposited the giant stack of objects with all the precision of the best fairytale enchantment.

“Perfect,” said the Strongarm. “We’ll unpack it from here. Thanks.”

“Our pleasure,” I said.

Zhee, finally able to see over the hoversled, got a good look at who I was talking to. “Oh, I’m sure you’re fast at unpacking,” he said, pointing with his pincher arm. “Does that model form into blades?”

“Sure does!” the Strongarm said, holding up a see-through tentacle that instantly flattened into a shape like a steak knife. “Good for packaging, stubborn latches, and all manner of other things.”

“And stabbing!” Blop put in, to be immediately shushed by his sister.

“No stabbing on the job,” she told him.

The Strongarm laughed. “Yeah, just respectable tool use. They don’t give these out to anyone who’s going to do violence with them.”

I asked, “Is that Waterwill tech? I haven’t seen one before.”

“Yup.” He turned the knife back into a tentacle, then into a variety of other shapes. “One of the perks of working here, for sure. They’re cagey about sharing tech. This is the best prosthesis I’ve ever encountered.”

I thought of the hard metal-and-plastic replacement limbs that were standard on Earth. They would be wildly out of place on this guy’s squishy octopus body. And no amount of interchangeable attachments would be able to beat this kind of easy shapeshifting. I said, “That looks really useful.”

“It is!”

The loud door opened to admit a wall of sound, along with the human-and-Strongarm pair. Which I realized with a start was actually just a human wearing more transparent tentacles on his back.

“Here’s the new set,” he said to the Strongarm, placing a clear box on the table that was full of a stack of more flat blue things. They appeared to be cut into very specific shapes. I might have been curious about what they were for if not for the much more interesting thing to be curious about.

“Hello,” I said. “Does everyone who works here get extra limbs?”

The tan human grinned. “If they want ‘em! And they pass the screening, of course. But you’ve got to leave them here each day if they’re the bonus kind, as opposed to replacements.”

The Strongarm wiggled his tentacles in a taunting manner. “I can open packages and slice food so easily at home.”

The human made a face and wiggled the tentacles on his back. “Yeah yeah, we’re all jealous. Someday I’ll convince the bosses that there’s an actual market for these, and I’ll be the first in line to buy my own.”

“They think there isn’t?” I asked in shock. “Those look so useful! I can’t list the number of times I’ve wished for more hands. Using teeth and feet only goes so far.”

Zhee made a disparaging hiss. “You have that many fingers, and still want more? Greedy.”

“I’m just saying that re-weaving a cargo net would go much faster if I could hold all of the fibers at once,” I told him, then turned to the Frillians. “Back me up. Two arms just isn’t enough sometimes, right?”

Blip and Blop looked at each other and shrugged. “I guess?” Blip said. “But that’s just when it’s time to get another person to help.”

Zhee clicked a pincher. “Exactly so. Or approach the problem differently.”

The human told me, “I’ve had this conversation more than once. Apparently not all species grow up imagining what it’s like to have bird wings or monkey tails or whatnot.”

“Surely other people want to fly,” I said. The expressions around me were dishearteningly blank. “Surely!”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” the human said. “See why I couldn’t convince the bosses?”

“But even on a practicality standpoint!” I exclaimed. “They have you using them here; why wouldn’t they think you’d want to use them at home?”

He shrugged, moving the tentacles in a graceful wave as he did. “Alien brains. I’ve given up trying to fully understand.”

The Strongarm spoke up. “If there are actually a large number of humans who would buy these, then it couldn’t hurt to put together a request from outside sources. The bosses don’t listen to random employees who are probably biased, but they might take an interest in actual buyers.”

I shook my head slowly. “Our courier ship isn’t going to be that kind of buyer, especially not at the scale they’d probably need.”

“What about big human ships?” Blip asked. “We could suggest it to the next one we meet.”

“Or human colonies,” Blop said. “Or large groups at space stations.”

Zhee said, “I heard Captain Sunlight talking about a delivery to Basal Station soon. There are plenty of humans there. You could suggest it to them, if you think this is really that widespread an interest.”

“It couldn’t hurt,” I said, thinking. There was indeed a significant human population on that space station, which might even include the crew I’d met from the droid jousting ship Hold My Beer. They were definitely the type to appreciate some extra arms. Both for working on finicky electronics and general slapfight shenanigans.

“Here, we should have something with the contact information,” said the Strongarm. “Jon, is there a notepad over there?”

“Yeah, got it.” The human leaned over a table and used his tentacles to lift a stack of books so he could pull out the small notepad at the bottom. That may have been showing off. “Here you go!” He handed it to me with his regular hand.

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll see if I can find the right ears to whisper into.”

“Best of luck!” he said. “My partner has asked me no less than half a dozen times if I could sneak my set home to play around with, but I’m not gonna risk the job.”

I laughed, hoping I wasn’t blushing. “Oh man, I wasn’t even going to mention the bedroom applications.”

Of course Zhee had to ask, tilting his head with faceted eyes shining. “The what?”

“Remember how most humans find tentacles a little creepy?” I asked him, pocketing the notepad.

“I recall. It makes this insistence all the stranger.”

“Well, some humans aren’t creeped out at all. Kind of the opposite. They like them a lot. In a, uh, private fashion.”

Jon the human spelled it out for him. “Mating rituals.”

Zhee’s antennae did a complicated dance, then settled in something that looked like disgust. “I was about to ask why, but I’ve decided I don’t want to know.”

“Yeah, best not to,” I agreed. “Anyway! Very useful extra arms. Good for a wide variety of activities. Other humans will likely be interested.”

“Very likely,” Jon agreed.

I activated the hovercart with a nod, and we said our goodbyes. The employees wished me luck. They returned to work while we headed back toward our ship.

Zhee grumbled disparaging things about my species the whole way, but that was nothing new.

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come! And I am currently drafting a sequel!

PS: the story with the good ship Hold My Beer is here, if you're wondering about that. It's fun.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Today, we’re going to explore non-human graveyards. Did you know that there are interesting places around the world where certain groups of things go to deteriorate? This big guy is headed to the FAST as in “Fiberglass Animal Shapes and Trademarks” Graveyard. 

FAST is in Sparta, Wisconsin and has been making fiberglass statues since the 1970s. FAST Fiberglass makes “larger than life” statues, road side attractions, and themed water slides.

To avoid wasting the molds they saved every one they’ve ever made, and it’s accidentally become a tourist attraction. 

England’s red phone booth cemetery.  More than 5,000 have been adopted and converted into all kinds of novel uses.

The Rickshaw resting place of Bangladesh. The traditional rickshaw is facing a challenge from battery-powered vehicles that don’t require quite the same superhuman effort from the driver. Nearly half of all crashes involve them and many roads in the capital have been declared off-limits to rickshaws.

Ben & Jerry’s Graveyard of Discontinued Flavors.  Surrounded by a white picket fence on a grassy knoll in Vermont, lie the headstones of especially beloved flavors or particularly despised flavors.

China’s bicycle graveyard. This is the result of the “dockless bikes” b/c there weren’t enough docks for public bikes. There were no regulations to control how many businesses could operate or how many bikes were being distributed, so it got to the point where gov’t had to put a halt on new bike production.

Where planes go. Outside Tucson, Arizona, the planes first undergo ‘pickling.’    Their engines are removed, the windows covered and the fluids drained.  But these giants are too big to bury so you would be able to see just about every kind of airplane that the military has flown since WWII.

Virginia’s dumping ground for 43 President’s heads, left over from the defunct  ‘Presidents Park’ theme park.

France’s graveyard of big red firetrucks. Fire Depts. used to raise funds to restore them and put them in museums, but that went bust. They were then sold to the public or scrapped. The rest were sent to storage sites like this in the event that maybe a museum would save them. 

And, finally, Portugal’s anchors are all that’s left of a once-bustling tuna fishing industry.

https://www.messynessychic.com/

[mightyflamethrower]

California has become a test case of the suicide of the West. Never before has such a state, so rich in natural resources and endowed with such a bountiful human inheritance, self-destructed so rapidly.

How and why did California so utterly consume its unmatched natural and ancestral inheritance and end up as a warning to Western civilization of what might be in store for anyone who followed its nihilism?

The symptoms of the state’s suicide are indisputable.

Governor Gavin Newsom enjoyed a recent $98 billion budget surplus—gifted from multibillion-dollar federal COVID-19 subsidies, the highest income and gas taxes in the nation, and among the country’s steepest sales and property taxes.

Yet in a year, he turned it into a growing $45 billion budget deficit.

At a time of an over-regulated, overtaxed, and sputtering economy, Newsom spent lavishly on new entitlements, illegal immigrants, and untried and inefficient green projects.

Newsom was endowed with two of the wettest years in recent California history. Yet he and radical environmentalists squandered the water bounty—as snowmelts and runoff long designated for agricultural irrigation were drained from aqueducts and reservoirs to flow out to sea.

Newsom transferred millions of dollars designated by a voter referendum to build dams and aqueducts for water storage and instead blew up four historic dams on the Klamath River. For decades, these now-destroyed scenic lakes provided clean, green hydroelectric power, irrigation storage, flood control, and recreation.

California hosts one-third of the nation’s welfare recipients. Over a fifth of the population lives below the property line. Nearly half the nation’s homeless sleep on the streets of its major cities.

The state’s downtowns are dirty, dangerous, and increasingly abandoned by businesses—most recently Google—that cannot rely on a defunded and shackled police.

Newsom’s California has spent billions on homeless relief and subsidizing millions of new illegal migrant arrivals across the state’s porous southern border.

The result was predictably even more homeless and more illegal immigrants, all front-loaded onto the state’s already overtaxed and broken healthcare, housing, and welfare entitlements.

Newsome raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $22 an hour. The result was wage inflation rippling out to all service areas, unaffordable food for the poor, and massive shut-downs and bankruptcies of fast food outlets.

Twenty-seven percent of Californians were born outside of the United States. It is a minority-majority state. Yet California has long dropped unifying civic education, while the bankrupt state funds exploratory commissions to consider divisive racial reparations.

California’s universities are hotbeds of ethnic, religious, and racial chauvinism and infighting. State officials, however, did little as its campuses were plagued for months by rampant and violent anti-Semitism.

Almost nightly, the nation watches mass smash-and-grab attacks on California retail stores. Carjackers and thieves own the night. They are rarely caught, even more rarely arrested—and almost never convicted.

Currently, Newsom is fighting in the courts to stop the people’s constitutional right to place on the ballot initiatives to restore penalties for violent crime and theft.

Gas prices are the highest in the continental United States, given green mandate formulas and the nation’s highest, and still raising, gasoline taxes—and are scheduled to go well over $6 a gallon.

Yet its ossified roads and highways are among the nation’s most dangerous, as vast sums of transportation funding were siphoned off to the multibillion-dollar high-speed rail boondoggle.

The state imports almost all the costly vitals of modern life, mostly because it prohibits using California’s own vast petroleum, natural gas, timber, and mineral resources.

As California implodes, its embarrassed government turns to the irrelevant, if not ludicrous.

It now outlaws natural gas stoves in new homes. It is adding new income-based surcharges for those who dutifully pay their power bills—to help subsidize the 2.5 million Californians who simply default on their energy bill with impunity.

What happened to the once-beautiful California paradise?

Millions of productive but frustrated, overtaxed, and underserved middle-class residents have fled to low-crime, low-tax, and well-served red states in disgust

In turn, millions of illegal migrants have swarmed the state, given its sanctuary-city policies, refusal to enforce the law, and generous entitlements.

Meanwhile, a tiny coastal elite, empowered by $9 trillion in Silicon Valley market capitalization, fiddled while their state burned.

California became a medieval society of plutocratic barons, subsidized peasants, and a shrinking and fleeing middle class. It is now home to a few rich estates, subsidized apartments, and unaffordable middle-class houses.

California suffers from poorly ranked public schools—but brags about its prestigious private academies. Its highways are lethal—but it hosts the most private jets in the nation.

The fantasies of a protected enclave of Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi, and the masters of the Silicon Valley universe have become the abject nightmares of everyone else.

In sum, a privileged Bay Area elite inherited a California paradise and turned it into purgatory.

[jomindraws]

Next up is Superphylum Archeocarnae (Archaic Meat)

Named aptly for both its appearance, composition, AND age, and typically only troglofauna (cave-dwelling) or some amount of subterranean. Another very very old clade of organisms, splitting off from the rest of Animals only about 20 million years after the first semi-complex multicellular animals started to exist on the planet.

(AN2 B) Clade: Archeocarnae

A clade of animals that contain all ancestors and relatives of Archaic Meat.

Superphylum Archaic Meat

A taxa of animals possessing asymmetrical symmetry and a tissue structure primarily made of mysium and lipids.

(AN2 B1) Clade: Underwraithidae

A clade of archaic meat that produces egg sacs for the production of offspring.

PHYLUM UNDERWRAITH

A taxa of archaic meat that produces egg sacs for the production of offspring.

(AN2 B1-a) Clade: Mobicarnis

A clade of underwraith that uses a proto-nerve net for chemical and photoreactive ambulatory locomotion.

Class Mobile Carnis

Class of ambulatory mobicarnis that is mostly predatory and consumes troglofauna.

(AN2 B1-b) Clade: Carnitoridae

A clade of underwraith that uses non-conscious chemical and ciliary locomotion.

Class Podhive Carnis

Class of carnitoridae that have oral “crowns”, may be singular or colonial, and feed on both autotrophic and heterotrophic troglofauna and stygofauna.

Class Membranous Carnis

Class of carnitoridae that have a thin gel matrix, typically adhere to cave walls, and consume autotrophic organisms, typically absorbing microcosma and other chemotrophic organisms.

(AN2 B2) Clade: Monospermocarnidae

A clade of archaic meat that produces seed-like gametes for production of offspring.

PHYLUM PSEUDOPHYLA

Phylum of monospermocarnids that produce fruit-like nodules for gamete dispersal, and possess fat reservoirs for nutrient storage.

(AN2 B2-a) Clade: Pseudocorodalia

A clade of pseudophyla that produces a layer of calcium salt for dermal protection and moisture regulation, and consume nutrients from mineralized groundwater.

Class Blood Pseudocoral

Only extant class of pseudocorodalia, consuming chemotrophic organisms from cave strata and other planktonic organisms from both flowing and stagnant subterranean water.

(AN2 B2-b) Clade: Vagrange Carnophyae

A clade of pseudophyla that possesses basic chemical navigation to grow towards floral and faunal food sources.

Class Coarse Flowering

Class of vagrange carnophyae that consume slow or sessile organisms with crowned tentacles or toothed flat pads, often directly predatory to fauna; not fully troglofauna and are partially terrestrial.

Class Bulbing Carnis

Class of vagrange carnophyae that capture and consume a variety of heterotrophic organisms using deceptive or aggressive mimicry in appearance, scents, pheromone signals, or offering some form of nutrient in exchange for gamete nodule dispersal; not fully troglofauna and are partially terrestrial.

PHYLUM GANGLA

Phylum of monospermocarnids that spread diaspores via air or water currents and possess no fat reservoirs or nutrient storage.

(AN2 B2-c) Clade: Dermogangla

A clade of gangla that use an internal proto-hemocoel around a lipid bilayer to communicate, regulate nutrient flow, and navigate to food sources.

Class Thickflesh Gangla

Class of gangla that consume a variety of chemotrophic and heterotrophic organisms on the floor of cavernous, deep subterranean, or dark and moist terrestrial environments that often form the basis of organism-rich reef-knoll-like environments.

(AN2 B2-d) Clade: Gangla Vascula

A clade of gangla that use a single lipid filament to navigate to food sources and use an outer hair-filament network to communicate.

Class Vessel Cave Gangla

Class of gangla that stretch across various mediums to act as a web to capture prey, including spores, small fauna, and planktonic organisms; organizing into small colonial clusters within a geometric web.

Class Tubelike Cave Gangla

Class of gangla that use capillary action to transport nutrients across large subterranean and below-soil hives; many members of this class gain nutrients from symbiotic relationships with other organisms that are cave-dwelling or exist in subsurface environments.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2024-08-19

Tech companies will give you six interviews and think it's normal.

Listening: Got introduced to Skiltron who unfortunately I don't like very much. I'll see if it grows on me but not quite my speed, which is a shame because normally "metal and it has bagpipes" would have me from minute 0.

This is a metal band that does a bunch of Celtic-y sounds so they are, of course, from Argentina.

I think that this goes too far away from what I'm coming to metal for, their vocals are too clear. Strip out the vocal stem and I think I would like this a normal amount, but the clean vocals pull me out of it. You don't have to go full croak for it but at least growl a little.

Reading: Started up on The Tyrant Baru Cormorant which about ⅕ of the way into the book already feels like I'm getting to the end of a book which is a good and normal sign that everything is going to be smooth sailing for the remaining sections of the book, I'm sure.

Baru is so fucked all the time it's incredible, like, you can see at every point how she just cannot keep herself from playing into the Masquerade's hands because she owes all her power to things she wants to destroy.

The story is very careful to not linger too long on all the horrible things she's doing to herself and others which means that while they're not hard to spot, you feel much more like you're inside her head where these things are the price you pay for the power she wields.

The setting of "sailing around in frigates but with essentially 1920's medicine" kinda rules.

Watching: Watched Blade (1998) which is a great deal of fun. If you can't ignore old CGI you're in trouble but otherwise it's over the top in a really enjoyable way.

Masquerade settings are a lot of fun, I kind of mentioned this in the John Wick entry, the idea that there is a secret parallel world overlaid on the real one scratches some good itches, I need to find more and more diverse kinds of masquerades.

Some motherfuckers always trying to ice skate uphill! Perfect metaphor.

Also more Gundam, up to like, e32? They just got back to space for the first time since arriving on Earth. I think that sometime around Odessa I went from kind of enjoying Gundam to really thinking it's doing something special. It's really dedicated to keeping you off-balance and throwing these very thorny situations and questions at you, even as a show that has to completely ignore a bunch of its deepest questions in order to be a children's toy advert.

Playing: Picked up KSP for a couple hours, I keep on not playing it long enough to do anything interesting so I'm completely ignoring time, I'm allowed to fast forward as much as I want to make missions happen. Trying to "fill time" often kills my desire to do missions, since even a simple mission can require hundreds of days of in game time and even if you have a whole lot of orbital admin within like, Kerbin and Jool systems those only use a couple days at a time.

Built some resource scanners and chucked them at Eve and Gilly, want to try and set up a fuel refinery base on both to operate a fuel interchange where you can launch crew from Eve and refuel in orbit with fuel more economically harvested at Gilly to account for the stupendous fuel expense of leaving Eve. Busy trialling re-entry of a little rover thing for scouting ground sites

Making: Made a bunch of progress on the LED driver, writing to flash storage, updated webui, but it is currently getting stuck after running for an hour or two and I cannot figure out why. Some of these issues seem to be more power delivery related rather than actual issues so it might be time to actually set up regulators and power supply for this thing.

Tools and Equipment: You can just put cups of water in the fridge to cool down. No one can stop you. I've been filling up my Tumblr Colour Of The Sky cup with water and fridging it to help keep cool.

[dungeon-strugglers]

✨New item!✨ Fabien’s Mechanical Mule Wondrous item, legendary

This mechanical apparatus vaguely resembles a mule, and can be ridden by two Medium or smaller-sized creatures. A creature at the front of the saddle can control the mule like you would a mount by manipulating its reins.

The mechanical mule is a Large object with the following statistics: Armor Class: 18 Hit Points: 100 Speed: 40 ft., swim 20 ft. Damage Immunities: necrotic, poison, psychic Damage Vulnerabilities: lightning Condition Immunities: prone

As a bonus action within 60 feet of the mule, you can whistle to it, causing it to follow you autonomously. The mule will follow you until you click your tongue as a bonus action to cause it to stay. The mule will ignore other whistles while it is following you.

The mule weighs 500 pounds and has a carrying capacity of 1,000 pounds. At the rear of the mule is a hatch that can be opened or closed with an action. Inside the hatch is a storage space 2 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. While the hatch is closed, the compartment is airtight and watertight. The mule automatically deploys a pair of flotation devices when submerged in water, allowing it to float along the surface. 

The mule must consume 1 platinum piece daily in order to operate. You can feed the mule a piece of platinum as an action. If it has been more than 24 hours since its last piece of platinum, the mule will cease to function and become dormant until it is fed.

If the mending spell is cast on the mule, or if you spend 1 minute repairing it with tinker’s tools or smith’s tools and succeed on a DC 15 check, it regains 2d8 hit points. If it drops to 0 hit points, it ceases to function until it is repaired.

The mule emits a 10-foot-radius aura of thermal regulation. The atmosphere within this area is a comfortable temperature, regardless of the weather. Creatures within this area have resistance to fire and cold damage.

As an action you can hold an object up to the mule’s face and name a location, and it will direct you to the object’s source as per the find the path spell. The spell does not require any other material components and it does not require spell slots or concentration when cast in this way. The mule will immediately begin moving towards the desired location until it is directed to halt or follow, or it reaches the destination.

The inventor and arcanist, Fantabulous Fabien, fabricated this vehicle to bear him across the vast expanse of harsh desert, snow-blown tundra and muggy jungles without breaking a sweat or catching a chill. It always knows its way home and, as long as it has a steady diet of platinum to munch, it never tires! - 🖌🎨 Like our work? Consider supporting us on Patreon and gain access to the hi-resolution art for over 170 magic items, item cards and card packs, beautiful creature art and stat blocks and setting pdfs with narrative hooks and unique lore!🧙‍♂️

📜 Credit. Art and design by us: the Dungeon Strugglers. Please credit us if you repost elsewhere.

[cognitivejustice]

‘A couple of centuries ago, farmers produced multiple crops to feed their families and maybe put aside some surplus as a safeguard for the coming year. Only if they had an outstanding harvest were they able to sell some of their product,’ he explained.

‘Monoculture emerged as access to much larger distant markets made it increasingly profitable to specialise. Specialisation meant more efficient planting and harvesting, fewer types of expensive equipment, fewer labourers with specialised knowledge of individual crops, and strengthened knowledge of one value chain and commercial market, including all its regulations and tariffs,’ he added.

Farming, once one of the most natural of endeavours, has become ‘artificialised,’ claims Raul Zornoza Belmonte, an expert on sustainable land use and crop diversification and professor of agricultural engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Spain.

‘This globalised capital, chemical and energy-intensive sector is having a negative impact not only on the environment in terms of loss of biodiversity, soil health and greenhouse gas emissions but also on farm productivity and expenses,’ he explained.

Through the Diverfarming project, Zornoza and his team have tackled these challenges by creating a free web-based decision support tool to provide tailor-made solutions, and guidelines for diversified cropping systems. This app also includes a toolbox for adapting the different agricultural activities and even a new prototype of an improved machine for tilling the soil.

Diverfarming’s community of ‘diverfarmers’ implemented these tools and is now enjoying the benefits. ‘In vineyards and orchards, organic farmers have introduced herbs like thyme and oregano alongside or between the main crops. This has reduced the weeds and their expensive and time-consuming removal, and with the same labour, instead of weeds, farmers now have fresh-cut herbs that can be sold as they are or from which their essential oils can be extracted and sold,’ said Zornoza.

‘Aromatic herbs and their beautiful flowers attract beneficial insects – and potentially agritourists, a boon for rural tourism – while increasing soil quality and nutrients and enhancing water retention, and with no effect so far on the quality or production volume of fruits or wine,’ he added.

“ In vineyards and orchards, organic farmers have introduced herbs like thyme and oregano alongside or between the main crops. This has reduced the weeds and their expensive and time-consuming removal, and with the same labour, instead of weeds, farmers now have fresh-cut herbs that can be sold as they are or from which their essential oils can be extracted and sold.

But the advantages of growing different crops together don’t stop here, the practice can also limit erosion, improve the storage of soil carbon and reduce the amount of nitrogen in water. It also provides home to a much greater range of life both below the soil and above from tiny microbes and creepy crawlies to reptiles, birds and mammals.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this Op-Ed from the New York Times:

To keep the lights on, many utility companies are proposing to build dozens of new power plants that burn natural gas. North Carolina-based Duke Energy alone wants to add 8.9 gigawatts of new gas-fired capacity — more than the entire country added in 2023. Using their own projections of soaring energy demands as justification, these companies are also pushing back on the climate targets set by their states and the Biden administration.

If state regulators sign off on these plans, they will be gambling with our country’s future. We need to electrify everything from cars to appliances to slow climate change, but we won’t be able to reach our climate goals if we power all of those machines with dirty energy.

There is a better way. But to get there, legislators will need to overhaul the incentives driving utilities to double down on natural gas, so that they can turn a profit without cooking the planet.

Companies like Duke, Dominion Energy and Georgia Power argue that they need more gas-fired plants to reliably provide power during times of peak demand — for instance, on a hot summer weekday afternoon when home cooling systems and data servers are all humming at maximum output, and the grid strains to keep up. But those peaks tend to materialize only for a few dozen hours per year, and there are ways to deal with them that don’t require a massive amount of new methane-burning infrastructure.

The real reason the utilities want to build these plants is quite simple: The more stuff they build, the more money they make. Regulators let utilities charge their customers enough money to cover what they spend on assets like combustion turbines and wires, plus a generous rate of return (up to 10 percent) for their investors. This longstanding arrangement incentivizes power providers to build expensive things whether society needs them or not, in lieu of lower-cost, cleaner options, and to invoke their duty to keep the lights on as a post hoc rationalization.

Fortunately, utilities have plenty of ways to meet this new need.

They include “virtual power plants” — when technologies such as home batteries, rooftop solar systems, smart water heaters and thermostats are linked together and managed via software to provide the same services as a conventional power plant. Utilities in Vermont, Colorado and Massachusetts are already using them, to quickly respond to rising demand at a much lower cost than operating natural gas combustion turbines. According to one estimate, virtual power plants could lower U.S. utilities’ costs by as much as $35 billion over the next decade.

Utilities could also accelerate efforts to replace outdated transmission lines with newer ones that can carry double the electric current and to bring more battery storage online. They can compensate customers for using less energy during times when demand is high and invest far more in energy efficiency, helping customers to adopt devices that use less electricity.

All of these solutions would save customers money and reduce carbon emissions. They could, according to a Department of Energy analysis, meet the entire projected growth in U.S. peak electricity demand over the next decade.

[seabeck]

Trout fishing for beginners on a budget!

Do you ever look at salmon fillets in the supermarket and water at the mouth but find the price far too high? Well this guide is for you! I tried to keep this guide fairly short and to the point so if you need more info, feel free to ask.

Reasons to fish for trout:

Trout taste quite similar to salmon, a fish that's typically unaffordable expensive even here in the PNW (I find trout to be better because they're much more mild and don't overcook as easily, ymmv)

They can be caught without a boat and you don't need an expensive set up.

Fishing licenses fund conservation!

It's fun and allows you to see where your dinner is coming from, from start to finish.

Before you start: Get your fishing license. You can purchase these at Walmart in the sporting good section, stores like Cabellas, online, and many other places. Some states have separate saltwater and freshwater licenses (you want freshwater), others may require a separate stamp to keep trout in some areas. Once you have your license, find a place you can fish. Check if it’s been stocked, when, what size the fish were, and how many. Bigger fish and more recent is always better. Regulations can very a lot from body of water to body of water and state to state. Some lakes may be catch and release only, no barbed hooks, etc and it is on you to know. There are also disabled only lakes (with wheelchair friendly docks). Your fish and wildlife department will have the info online. Some states, like WA, even have interactive map apps and you can always email or call them as well. 

Gear on a budget: Rods and reels are expensive new, even low end ones. Check out garage sales, thrift shops, outlet malls, Craigslist, etc. You can often find a good rod and reel combo for cheap. Check to make sure all the parts are in order, things that spin will spin and things that don’t, don’t. Minor wear and tear can often be repaired with a dab of superglue. When buying second hand spools of line, make sure time and the sun hasn’t made it brittle, give it a test tug to see if it breaks. You’re less likely to find artificial bait and hooks used but luckily those are fairly cheap even new, and sometimes you get lucky.

Rod: 5-7′, rated for no more than 10lbs is perfect. It should be flexible to allow it to cast far and not snap when you get a fish on. Ideally your rod should split into two pieces for ease of storage.

Reel: We’re going to be talking about spinning reels and spinning reels only. You want a lighter weight one where the line comes off smoothly. Make sure everything spins as it should and doesn’t make noise (some older styled ones have an intentional clicking sound that will drive you up a wall very quickly, apparently that used to be cool). The side the arm is on can be changed easily.

Line: 8-10lb test, anything more is overkill and may scare the fish. Braided for the mainline, fluorocarbon or monofilament for the leader line. Mono can be used for the mainline too but braided is tougher/stronger. Good line is worth it, here’s what I use for my mainline.  You want your reel full of line so it doesn’t catch on the reel and so you don’t hit the end while casting. I recommend a cheaper mono line to tie onto your reel for the first many feet to help fill it up, then tie on your good leader line to the mono line using a double uni knot.

A leader line is useful when you get a snag or a fish takes off with your gear, instead of losing all your line, you just lose your leader.

Hooks: Size 6-8 octopus, circle, or bait hooks. Barbed if legal and if you plan on eating what you catch, barbless if you plan on releasing or regulations require it.

Swivel: Medium/small sized, get snapping ones

Weight: Get egg sinkers in a variety of sizes (they often come in mixed size kits). Note: Most fishing weights are lead, do not consume them or allow pets/children to play with them. Steel weights are an option but they have less size/shape variety and will be bigger than their same weighted lead counterparts. Some places do not allow for the use of lead weights.

Bead: Used to prevent wear on the line/knot from the lead. I personally only use one on my leader line, not below my lead, and that’s my weird angler superstition. They’re very cheap, buy a smaller sized one if you plan on using them.

Net: Seems really self explanatory but I recommend a catch and release friendly net (not knotted, typically a softer material). It's better to have that kind than the kind that may damage their scales in case you need to or decide to release.

Slip/sliding sinker rig:

Ideal for floating bait, the leader line length will depend on the depth the fish will be at (which varies with weather and body of water, 2′ is a good starting point). The lead will sit on the bottom while the bait floats and suspends itself in the water column. The sliding egg sinker weight means the fish won’t feel resistance when it tugs on the bait, fish don’t like resistance. Watch for your line moving away, then set the hook with a quick upwards motion with the rod. Sometimes you won't even need to set the hook because the fish will already be running with it.

Fixed bobber rig:

This set up can be used with or without a leader line but as always I recommend a swivel + leader line (this would be below the bobber). This set up is ideal for sinking baits or when you need to keep all of your gear and line off the bottom of the lake because of weeds, snags, etc. Most bobbers allow you to easily change the length of line below it, useful if you started out with too much or too little line. Since bobbers float, they will move with the current or the wind, this may be a pain or may be a blessing.  When the bobber goes down, fish on!

Bait options:

Earthworms/nightcrawlers. This is your cheapest option, you can dig them from your own yard for free. Earthworms sink so they’re best with a bobber set up unless you buy worm blower. I do not use live bait as I find it rather cruel (and most earthworms are not native to my area, no need to help them spread further) but ultimately it’s up to you. Crickets, superworms, mealworms. waxworms, etc are also options, some of which you can breed at home easily. 

Fake worms: some float (1, 2), some don’t (1, 2). Don’t get those giant rubber worms meant for bass.

Dough: Ideal for slip sinker set up. Scented Playdo textured dough. Roll enough out to cover your hook and make it float, but not so much that it’s a waste. While this stuff works well, it doesn’t like to stay on the hook. Treble hooks will hold dough on better but they aren’t always allowed and are not suitable for catch and release (if that’s your goal). Also comes in nuggets (costs more per oz). I recommend pink, orange, or yellow. 

Artificial eggs: Ideal for slip sinker set up . My preferred bait, I use 3 on a hook and often can reuse the same eggs for several trout. You don’t even need to buy these, they can often be scavenged from places where anglers gather. My mom did this (or used ones I bought) for months with great success. Power eggs and similar ones typically float but there are sinking ones, always check the label. I personally use red, white, or gold ones that are half clear but I’ve also caught them on solid yellow and pink. A family or group of friends could buy multiple colors and split them. 

Trout Magnet(tm): Never personally had much luck with these, they can be recasted over and over as a lure or used under a bobber, they do sink. Also useful for panfish.

Lures: I’m not really going to go over lures much since that’s a whole other can of worms, but they are very reusable and can often be found for free in bushes at lakes. They require a different set up and more work to use than bait still fishing. Some do function under a bobber hence the mention.

Now to the actual fishing!

Set up your rig, whichever one you're planning on using, and adjust your leader line accordingly.

Hold the rod with your dominant hand, you want about a foot of mainline hanging off the tip of your rod

Align your line roller (labeled diagram of a reel here) to be pointing your rod.

Use the index (or if you're weird like me your middle) finger to hold the line against the rod

Use your non dominant hand to flip the bail up. Line can now freely fall from the reel so it's important to keep your finger on the line.

Bring the rod over your head, I personally have mine like this before casting. Use a forward throwing motion and release your line. The last step will take lots of practice and I personally recommend practicing at home with just a swivel + weight on. Always be aware of your surroundings, you don't want to hook someone or lose your gear in a tree.

When you feel a bite, set the hook with a quick upwards motion while holding the rod. Sometimes the fish will hook themselves just fine.

Once you have a fish on, reel in! Large fish may need a looser drag and to be played a bit (let them run with the line, then reel in, repeat until fish is tired) but most stocked trout come quietly.

Once you've reeled your fish in, use a net to catch it (if needed) and decide if you're going to release it or keep it for dinner. Fish you're planning on releasing need to be handled gently and with wet hands to protect their fishy coating. Don't take them out of water for too long. Remove the hook quickly with fishing pliers.

If you're going to keep it, it needs to be killed quickly and humanely. Please don't be that person with a bunch of half dead fish on a stringer, or letting your fish aspirate, it's cruel. How you kill your fish is up to you and will depend on the size. For smaller ones I do cervical dislocation, head bonking and cutting the head/spine also work. If I'm killing a fish I always wait until after to remove it's hook so it suffers less.

Cleaning your fish: Ok you have a dead fish, now what? Find the fish butt, it'll be before the tail fins. Insert your fillet knife in and carefully slice up the belly. Ideally you don't want to slice too far in lest you rupture the intestines. Remove the guts. I personally toss all the guts back into the water, as to return the nutrients but there are fish organs you can eat. Use a fingernail to scrape the kidney off of the spine and rinse. From there you can fillet or cook the fish whole. Here's the video that helped me learn to fillet. Keep fish on ice until you're home. They can be frozen, cooked immediately, or refrigerated for a few days.

I hope this guide helped you and as always, if you have questions feel free to ask!

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Info for Faith In The Future World Tour GILFORD, NH May 27 2023

With special guests THE ACADEMIC & SNARLS!

Important Times:

5:00 PM: Parking Opens

5:30 PM: Doors Open

5:30 PM Emily Rae (Hazy Little Stage - side stage in the venue)

7:00 PM Snarls

7:45 PM The Academic

8:30 PM Louis Tomlinson

General admission (pit tickets):

NO QUEUEING ALLOWED

Lines allowed to form 15 minutes before doors open at 5:15pm

The pit for this event is really small, you will be close regardless!

Please be aware that this is a destination venue in the woods. Arrive as close to 5pm as possible.

Subject to change. Check the venue's socials for updates!

Here are important policies:

Please be aware that this is a destination venue in the woods. Arrive as close to 5pm as possible. Any later and risk missing part of the show!

The venue is CASHLESS! Pay with a card or mobile pay!

Upgrade Add-ons: Coors Light VIP Club ($75) and Sam Adams Brewhouse ($25)

Parking MUST be purchased here ($15-$65). Parking map here. Parking details here.

Tailgating: the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, in our parking areas, actually violates a local Gilford ordinance. Underage drinking and/or intoxication, will most certainly cause you to miss the show and may lead to being arrested.

Camping pass available here ($65-$75). Spend the night in the Campground area, which is only a short walk away from the venue. We offer 2 tenting options: Set up in the grass right next to your vehicle or escape to a tent site in the woods. Gather your friends and camping gear and stay with us after the show! Check out the rules and regulations here.

ADA info here and here

Cameras: must be non-professional without a detachable lens. No video cameras.

NO food

NO drugs

NO glass, plastic or metal containers

NO coolers

NO knives, firearms or weapons of any kind

NO Ipads

NO selfie sticks

NO blankets

Strollers allowed, but subject to search by security (no stroller storage available)

ONE factory-sealed water bottle, max 20 oz., per person ALLOWED.

Refillable Water Bottles allowed but only completely empty. There are fill stations inside. No metal straws!

Umbrellas ALLOWED but may not be open during the performance. We recommend quality rain gear.

No lawn chairs allowed. Lawn closed for Louis' show.

View food and drink menus and restaurants here.

There is NO RE-ENTRY!

VIEW VENUE MAP

VIEW SEAT MAP

For more details click here

Bag Policy

ONLY small clutch purses with a maximum size of 6" x 9" or a clear tote with a maximum size of 12" Wide x 12" High x 6" Deep. Fanny-packs are also allowed.

For more details click here

Banners, signs and flag policy:

Signs and flags are ALLOWED

Signs larger than 8.5 X 11 in are not permitted into the venue. This size is a standard sheet of paper. 

All signs must be appropriate in nature and not be a distraction to the artist.

For more details click here and here

Contact:

For additional questions please call the venue at (603) 293-4700. Use the online chat here. Email them BNHP@Livenation.com. You can also access their website. Check their twitter here and IG here for updates. Address: 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, NH 03249.

[goggles-mcgee]

Dropping this because I shared my newest Winx Club art and realized I had in fact not shared my older ones which are redesigns! So imma do that with this post.

This is going to to be a long post just a warning as I will share little tidbits about the redesigns!

This is the group shot and as you can see I literally just put the individual pictures together to make the group shot XD

First up! Bloom!

Not much of a change in her casual outfit besides the swap of wedge heels with tennis shoes which I felt fit her more seeing as Bloom is a very active character.

I mean come on she rides a bike and no one wants to do that in wedge heels. I added some detailing to her jeans that I headcanon she added herself since we know she is a very artsy and crafty person herself. The jeans used to be her mom's (Vanessa's) when Bloom found them in their storage and decided to upcycle them.

Before she awakened her fairy side, the only tell that she was not completely human was the fact that her ears with slightly pointed and her canines stayed sharp. After she awakened her magic (her Winx) her appearance changed a lot. Her ears grew longer but still retained their pointed ends, her hair became flame like in color and her eyes became dragon-like!

When Bloom enters the Magical Dimension she learns that many magical folk, if not all, go through what is known as Drawbacks. Something that occurs because of a Magicals magic growing inside them. For many the drawbacks aren't too bad but for Bloom they are because her powers and magic sat dormant for so long.

So the bracelet in the second slide helps regulate her body temperature since it is now abnormally high. She would be fine if she was living in her original Magical Realm: Domino, but seeing as it no longer exists (allegedly) she constantly needs to wear the bracelet otherwise she would start to burn from the inside. It wouldn't be so bad if she hadn't been living as a non magical being for so long. The pouch she wears is full of water drops, kind of like cough drops. If Bloom starts to get angry or annoyed, she starts to cough up smoke so the drops help stop that before it can damage her throat.

As for her Winx Transformation I really just wanted to add more dragon to our Princess and Fairy of the Dragon Flame!

Next, Flora!

She has always been my favorite. Not much of a redesign for her normal design but I did make the skirt more flowy and gave her sandals instead of her heels. I did give her glasses because in her concept art she had some and I thought they were cute!

Now you may notice in her Winx Transformation that she's not wearing shoes, well I headcanon that Lympheans don't actually wear shoes in their home realm as they believe it brings them closer to the nature they live with. Some even claim that it helps you feel the magic of nature better. For this reason Lymphea doesn't actually have a lot of shoe stores, but Lympheans will wear shoes when not in their home realm. Thus Flora wears sandals but she finds shoes uncomfortable.

With Bloom I mentioned that Magical Folk have drawbacks due to their magic. Flora's drawbacks at first aren't that bad but as her powers grow so do the drawbacks. Flora can feel the pain of any plant nearby her, physically she can it. The pain levels vary but it is very reminiscent to Fibromyalgia. The radius of plants nearby that she feels the pain of grows. For the pain the most she can do is take a pain potion every now and then but they don't take the pain away fully, she carries some mini Potions with her in her little bag.

Her second drawback is that from a very young age that nature has always reacted strongly to Flora's emotions. Many Lympheans don't believe this is a drawback but for Flora and her parents it was because if she ever had a temper tantrum thorny or poisonous plants would bloom rapidly. Or on rare occasions the plants would lash out and attack whatever made Flora upset. This too grows stronger the older Flora got. She did end up hurting someone one time due to this connection so she makes herself take calming candies which are also in her little bag.

Flora is adamant about remaining calm and collected as much as she can so she purposely makes herself weaker.

Now as for her Winx Transformation redesign I really just wanted to incorporate more color in besides pink and most of her outfits are green and pink so I decided to throw in some green!

Stella!

Miss Stella, my beloved Princess of Solaria got quite a bit of a redesign. I am a sucker for her green and orange palette and wanted to keep that for her main outfit. You may notice she has pants instead of a skirt and the shirt is longer, no it's not because I thought she showed too much skin but purely because I figured the weather in Magix is different to Solaria and she's not too used to it yet.

Therefore this outfit is just a variation of many she loves to wear in this palette.

Solaria, in my version of Winx Club is daytime 6 months out of the year and nighttime the remaining 6, as far as weather it is actually really warm and just cool in its nighttime. Like a desert! You may have also noticed the hair difference in the two pictures of Stella and it's definitely due to her powers but also due to her Kingdom's daytime and nighttime. Once the daytime changes to night, her hair turns platinum blonde. This also affects her Winx form though she can still use both her Sun and Moon powers in either form, just one power will come more naturally at the time.

She, like Bloom and Flora has drawbacks which is where her extra accessories come in. The necklace she wears holds a piece of starlight that is supposed to help her incase she is anywhere without light (sun or moon) as without any kind of light she feels weak. The anklet she wears actually helps regulate her gravity if she's not in Solaria. Without it, of she were to leave her home she may just float a bit or a lot or even just crumple to the ground. It also helps regulate her gravitational pull, it's small but if she were to not wear the anklet things not held down or heavy in weight would start to gravitate towards her.

Musa!

I love this music fairy so much! Not much change in her casual outfit design, I just added a Harmony deco on the shirt and gave her light up shoes!

It's hard to see but Musa is wearing noise-cancelling ear phones. They can cancel noise or if she needs them too. They will play her music from her MagiMusi Player that is held in the armband she wears. She uses these when her Supersonic Hearing gets to be too overwhelming for her. During times like those she reads lips or her friends and her sign. She also carries migraine potions or candies with her if she doesn't put the ear phones in fast enough. If she's having a bad day and forgets to pack the migraine potions or candies she doesn't worry because she knows Flora carries some for her.

Her Winx form: I love the red theme. LOVE IT. And I love when they started bringing in purple but then they brought in too much. Anyways I brought the purple in earlier to give her look something to play off of and added the piano keys because I just thought they looked nice. As for the style of the top I gave it a Hanfu look! And of course her wings are more CD inspired.

Tecna!

Tecna! Tecna's casual look also didn't go through much of a change but the clothes themselves were made in Zenith and are therefore infused with magic that will make sure the clothing lasts longer. She also modified them to help her boost her technological signals of her devices. Though it's not just her devices that perform better when around her. It's all technology!

The binary code on her shirt actually is her name which I thought was cute but dorky, aka Tecna. No heels for her, she thinks they are illogical. The band around her arm is essentially her computer and phone, the earring and thumb ring are connected to the band and all work together. This is a top of the line product of Zenith that she tinkered with to modify and improve it.

The drawbacks Tecna has is purely based off her insecurities and technology. Originally, Tecna was supposed to be half-fairy half-robot, in my version she has robotic parts, her heart it Zenith made and she has an electronic leg also made on Zenith. Because of her mechanical heart it was believed she wouldn't be a fairy. To the surprise of many, it was discovered she in fact was a fairy.

She has days where she is nonverbal because she fears saying the wrong thing to her friends and others. She fears she it too machine when she doesn't understand a social que or situation.

In extreme cold she feels stiff and even in winter she aches a little so she wears heated clothing.

Her Winx form I just added more shapes and shades of purple! Her headset can turn into a magical helmet if she feels the need for it!

Aisha/Layla!

Here's Aisha! Main outfit changes are I gave her boots, cargo pants and the vest sweater! My reasons being these are the clothes she went into ShadowHaunt in to rescue the Pixies. They are more active then she would normally be allowed to wear as the Crown Princess of Andros.

You may have noticed she has muscles and for those who say she is too ripped for her princess role, I raise you she is princess of a kingdom surrounded by water, a kingdom that is basically semi-aquatic. She grew up swimming and she snuck in workouts when she could.

The tattoos she has is because when the children of Andros reach a certain age they get their tattoos. Also since Andros is semi-aquatic, all citizens have some kind of aquatic mutation if they are not a full-fledged water creature. Because of her gills, Aisha is required to carry around the bottle in her armband, it is a bottle of water from Andros that magically refills. She uses it to spray her gills and keep them moisturized. She also carries around noise-cancelling ear phones fit for the people of Andros because she is sensitive to sound.

Her Winx form! The sashes in her original design became nets because I said so. She doesn't have boots and instead her feet are wrapped in seaweed. The necklace and hair pearls are what signify that she is Andros royalty. And her wings look like water drops!

Surprise character Mirta!

Changes to casual are a wee bit obvious as I gave her a long bohemian skirt, gloves, long overshirt and curly hair! She also has a bat necklace because bats often symbolize illusion!

Witches in my version do get transformations but they are not as flashy as fairies. Mirta in her transformation has her hair straighten only to curl at the ends, her bangs part so her third eye can see and her tights have a pattern that is distracting on them. Something that is good for a witch of Illusion.

Her drawbacks for her powers are being able to see peoples memories, the good times, the bad times, anytime she comes into skin contact with them hence the gloves. The reason she has these powers are because they make it easy for her to know what to make an illusion of.

I never got the chance to do her fairy form but since I am re-redesigning everyone I will finally do her fairy form!

[ultimate-worldbuilding]

Creating a Space Station

Name and Location:

Name of the space station

Orbital location (e.g., around a planet, moon, or in deep space)

Any unique features or characteristics of the location

Background and Purpose:

Brief history and reasons for the station's construction

Primary purpose or mission of the station (e.g., research, colonization, defense, trade, mining, etc.)

Key organizations or entities involved in its establishment

Design and Structure:

Overview of the station's architectural design and layout

Different modules or sections of the station (e.g., living quarters, research labs, docking bays, etc.)

Key engineering feats or technological advancements used in its construction

Size and Population:

Dimensions of the space station (length, width, height)

Estimated population and demographics (humans, aliens, robots, etc.)

Capacity for expansion and accommodating future growth

Systems and Resources:

Life support and Resource systems: Air generation and filtration, Water purification and recycling, Waste management, Artificial gravity, Temperature and air pressure control, Radiation protection, Fire suppression systems, Medical supplies and tools, Food production, Maintenance and Repair tools and facilities

Energy source and storage: Solar power, Nuclear fusion, Advanced batteries, Fusion reactors, Harvesting solar flares

Living Quarters and Facilities

Description of residential areas (individual quarters, communal spaces, recreational facilities)

Water block

Medical facilities and healthcare services available

Education and training facilities for residents and their families

Scientific Research and Laboratories

Different types of laboratories and equipment available depending on the stations’s mission

Astronomical observatories, Biological Laboratory, Climate and Environmental Studies, Planet observation and Research, Rock Analysis Facility

Transportation and Docking:

Docking bays for spacecraft and shuttle services

Transportation systems within the station (elevators, maglev trains, etc.)

Maintenance and repair facilities for visiting spacecraft

Security and Defense:

Security measures and protocols

Defense systems against potential threats: Shielding technology, Defensive satellites & space drones, Cloaking Technology, Countermeasures (flares, countershots, etc), Intruder Detection Systems, Surveillance and AI protection, Protection by AI or Hacker from outside hacks, Self-Repair System

Security personnel and their roles and ranks

Communication and Information Systems:

Communication technology used for inter-station and interstellar communication

Data storage and retrieval systems

Access to networks anddatabases

Trade and Economy:

Types of goods and resources traded on the station

Cargo of the space station

Economic systems

Currency used

Marketplaces within the station

Social and Cultural Aspects:

Societal norms and cultural diversity among the station's residents

Recreational and entertainment facilities (cinemas, sports arenas, etc.)

Events or celebrations unique to the station's culture

Governance and Administration:

Station hierarchy and governing bodies (administrators, council, etc.)

Laws and regulations specific to the station

Interactions with external governing entities (planetary governments, interstellar alliances, etc.)

Exploration and Discovery:

Expeditions or missions launched from the station

Discoveries made during exploration and sample gathering efforts

Spacecrafts and vehicles associated with the station's exploration activities

Environmental Considerations:

Measures taken to mitigate the effects of microgravity or radiation on residents' health

Environmental controls and simulations for recreating gravity and natural environments

Preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity on the station (if applicable)

Emergency Response and Crisis Management:

Protocols for handling emergencies (fires, system failures, medical emergencies, etc.)

Emergency evacuation plans and escape pods

Training programs for emergency response teams

Relations with Other Space Stations or Entities:

Collaborative projects or joint initiatives with other space stations

Trade agreements or diplomatic relations with neighboring stations or colonies

Conflict resolution mechanisms for inter-station disputes

Notable Individuals or Figures:

Prominent leaders from the station

Accomplishments and contributions of notable residents

Astronauts, scientists, or pioneers who have called the station home

Challenges and Risks:

Environmental and technological risks faced by the station

Political and social tensions within the station's community

External threats and conflicts affecting the station's stability

Future Expansion and Development:

Plans for future expansion and upgrades (where are they gonna get the resources for this?)

Integration of new technologies, scientific advancements into the station's infrastructure

Long-term goals for the station

[neoatlantiscodex]

How to Build a House (Part I-IV)

Because we've evolved beyond the need for our buildings to suit our environment. You can go to Vegas and see signs everywhere about water conservation, and then go out to their perfect golf courses, where the green transitions immediately into sand dunes.

Part I: Foundation

Most of our traditional building techniques focus on wood. We don't need to build with wood anymore, but that doesn't mean we cannot learn anything from it. One of the big problems with wood is that it will rot if put directly into the ground, and so you need something else there. Namely rocks.

Reminder: Concrete is just artificial rocks.

The size and depths of your foundation is dependant upon the size of your building, and your ground conditions. The bigger your house, and the worse your soil, the more complex your foundation needs to be.

Part II: Basement

If you extend the foundation upwards, you get a basement. We normally think of basements as underground, but we are wrong in doing this. Basements are just another word for the Undercroft. Because you don't want to add wood to your lowest level, having a floor made of stone was a great idea. Stone was more expensive, so you make it the smallest floor.

Which is wild for us modern people to think that medieval houses often had the lower floor be the smallest.

Part III: Jettying

Why? Hubris? To spite God?

Because it was practical, and it lowers your tax footprint. There was a lot of older construction practices who's primary goal was lowering your tax footprint. We've come down hard on them, but, quite frankly, if the rules are reasonable, and people do something really cool to avoid them, then we don't need to change them. They would sometimes build over river to avoid paying property taxes.

The practical part is that pre-modern houses were built using single beams spanning any open space. Long beams tend to sag over time, but if you put weight on the outside, it evens it out. So, by building the higher floor a step larger, you put weight on the team, and get more space.

Medieval houses would typically pay tax/rent based off either the size of the base, or the size of the frontage. This is actually an incredibly simple way to run building regulations, and the simpler the regulations, the easiest it is to build.

Part II-II: Basement II

In the modern era we've decided to start finishing our basement, only to lo-and-behold discover that it's cold. Not only is the earth cold in northern climates, but heat rises.

Stone has a high heat capacity, meaning it takes a lot of energy, either way, to change the temperature. This means they are great for holding a constant temperature. Before the era of AC, if you wanted to keep something cool, you kept it in a cold room in your basement, or in a room that goes into a hill. If you prevent light from getting in, it would keep colder.

Basements were also used for general storage, or for a business. Because back in the day, most people lived in the same place they worked, and in cities, where space was scarce, you built up. In the modern age, we literally have laws to prevent people from working out of their house, because we're utterly insane.

Once we started added plumbing, furnaces, electricity, etc., having an unfinished basement made it simple to maintain these. When you added cars, it was also a great place for a garage/car port.

Do we need basements, now? No. But they are useful and practical. And understanding their limitations can dramatically reduce your future energy use, and improve your quality of life.

Part IV: Car Port / Garage

Amazingly lost technology. Partially because we started finishing basements. What's worse, is that in most modern countries, parking is getting extremely expensive, as the space is valuable. So valuable that people have died over parking disputes.

A car port is a room in your basement that you can park your car in. If you fully enclose it, it becomes a garage.

If we extend this to apartments, ground floor apartments suck. For everyone. So, you can lift it up a bit, and give them parking under the same foot print. Because a problem we have is that the companies building apartments just do NOT want to build underground parking.

Now, if you have protected underground parking, people could park a car. Or a bike. Or a scooter. Or keep a canoe. Or do maintenance on their car, which is difficult if not impossible to do on apartment parking lots. And this also gives you a place to keep your waste disposal, and other heavy machinery. So, this is another reason to make people pay based off the rote value of the land itself, not the profits that can be made from it. You could also have a bus / train station there.

Thank you @noneatnonedotcom.

[healthy444]

What are some tips for specifically losing belly fat?

Losing belly fat specifically can be challenging, but with the right approach, it's achievable. Here's an extensive guide on how to effectively target and reduce belly fat. This guide will cover dietary strategies, exercise routines, lifestyle changes, and mental health considerations that can help you achieve your goals.

1. Understanding Belly Fat: Types and Causes

Belly fat, also known as abdominal fat, is not just a nuisance that makes your clothes feel tight; it’s harmful to your health. There are two types of belly fat:

Subcutaneous Fat: This is the pinchable fat that lies just under the skin.

Visceral Fat: This fat surrounds your organs and is associated with various health problems like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

The causes of belly fat are multifaceted and can include poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, genetics, and hormonal imbalances. Understanding these causes can help tailor your approach to losing belly fat.

2. Dietary Strategies

a. Reduce Caloric Intake

To lose belly fat, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than your body needs. This forces your body to burn stored fat for energy, including belly fat.

Track Your Calories: Use apps or food diaries to track your daily caloric intake.

Portion Control: Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid overeating.

Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods: Opt for foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber but low in calories.

b. Focus on a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is crucial for fat loss and overall health.

Increase Protein Intake: Protein can boost metabolism, reduce appetite, and aid in fat loss. Include lean meats, fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts in your diet.

Eat Healthy Fats: Incorporate sources of healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and nuts. These fats can help reduce inflammation and support weight loss.

Prioritize Fiber: Fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains help you feel full longer, reducing overall calorie intake.

Limit Sugars and Refined Carbs: These foods can lead to fat storage, especially around the belly. Reduce consumption of sugary drinks, sweets, and refined grains.

c. Hydration

Staying hydrated is essential for metabolism and can help reduce belly fat.

Drink Plenty of Water: Aim for at least 8 glasses a day.

Limit Alcohol: Alcohol is high in empty calories and can lead to weight gain, especially around the midsection.

3. Exercise Regimen

a. Cardiovascular Exercises

Cardio exercises are effective for burning calories and reducing overall body fat, including belly fat.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest or low-intensity exercise. HIIT is known for its efficiency in burning fat.

Steady-State Cardio: Activities like running, swimming, or cycling at a steady pace can also help burn calories and reduce fat.

b. Strength Training

Building muscle through strength training can help increase your metabolism and burn more calories, even at rest.

Compound Movements: Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses target multiple muscle groups and are effective for fat loss.

Core Strengthening: Exercises like planks, Russian twists, and leg raises specifically target the abdominal muscles, helping to tone the area.

c. Flexibility and Stability Exercises

Incorporating flexibility and stability exercises can improve overall body function and reduce the risk of injury, aiding in a more effective workout routine.

Yoga: Yoga can help reduce stress (a contributor to belly fat) and improve flexibility.

Pilates: This focuses on core strength, stability, and flexibility, which can help tone the abdominal area.

4. Lifestyle Changes

a. Sleep

Getting enough sleep is crucial for fat loss. Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, especially around the belly.

Aim for 7-9 Hours of Sleep: Quality sleep helps regulate hormones that control hunger and stress, aiding in weight management.

Establish a Sleep Routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to regulate your body’s internal clock.

b. Stress Management

Stress can lead to weight gain by increasing cortisol levels, which promote fat storage in the belly.

Practice Relaxation Techniques: Activities like meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness can help reduce stress.

Engage in Hobbies: Spend time doing things you enjoy to help lower stress levels.

c. Limit Sedentary Behavior

Reducing sedentary time is crucial for losing belly fat.

Move More Throughout the Day: Stand up, stretch, or take short walks regularly, especially if you have a desk job.

Incorporate Physical Activity: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week, along with muscle-strengthening activities.

5. Hormonal Balance

Hormonal imbalances can contribute to weight gain, particularly around the belly.

Monitor Thyroid Function: An underactive thyroid can slow metabolism and lead to weight gain. Consult with a healthcare provider if you suspect thyroid issues.

Manage Insulin Levels: High insulin levels can promote fat storage. A low-carb diet and regular exercise can help regulate insulin.

Balance Estrogen Levels: Imbalances in estrogen, especially during menopause, can lead to increased belly fat. Focus on a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management to maintain hormonal balance.

6. Mental Health Considerations

Your mindset plays a significant role in your ability to lose belly fat.

a. Set Realistic Goals

Setting achievable goals helps maintain motivation and encourages consistency.

Short-Term Goals: Break your overall goal into smaller, manageable steps, such as losing 1-2 pounds per week.

Long-Term Vision: Keep the big picture in mind, focusing on overall health and wellness rather than just aesthetics.

b. Stay Consistent

Consistency is key to losing belly fat.

Stick to a Routine: Create a workout and meal plan that fits your lifestyle and stick to it.

Be Patient: Fat loss, especially from the belly, takes time. Avoid getting discouraged if results aren’t immediate.

c. Positive Mindset

Maintaining a positive attitude can help you stay motivated and committed to your goals.

Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Celebrate small victories and improvements in your health, even if they’re not directly related to belly fat.

Practice Self-Compassion: Avoid negative self-talk and be kind to yourself throughout the journey.

7. Supplements and Additional Support

While diet and exercise are the most effective ways to lose belly fat, some supplements can support your efforts.

a. Probiotics

Probiotics can improve gut health, which is linked to a reduction in belly fat.

Sources: Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and probiotic supplements.

b. Green Tea Extract

Green tea extract is rich in antioxidants and can help increase fat burning.

Usage: Drink green tea or take a supplement as directed.

c. Fiber Supplements

If you’re not getting enough fiber from your diet, consider taking a fiber supplement.

Types: Psyllium husk, glucomannan, and inulin.

8. Professional Guidance

If you’re struggling to lose belly fat, consider seeking professional help.

a. Nutritionist or Dietitian

A registered dietitian can help create a personalized meal plan that meets your specific needs.

b. Personal Trainer

A personal trainer can design a workout routine tailored to your goals and fitness level.

c. Medical Consultation

If you have underlying health conditions that make losing belly fat difficult, consult with a healthcare provider for medical advice and treatment options.

9. The Importance of Consistency and Patience

It’s essential to remember that losing belly fat is a gradual process. Consistency in your diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices will yield the best results. It’s also important to be patient and not to get discouraged by temporary setbacks.

10. Long-Term Maintenance

Once you’ve achieved your goal of losing belly fat, maintaining your results requires ongoing effort.

Continue Healthy Eating: Keep up with a balanced diet rich in whole foods.

Sustain Physical Activity: Regular exercise should remain a part of your lifestyle.

Monitor Your Weight: Keep track of your weight to catch any potential weight gain early.

Adjust as Needed: Life changes, and so should your approach to maintaining your weight. Be flexible and willing to adapt your habits as necessary.

Conclusion

Losing belly fat requires a comprehensive approach that includes dietary changes, regular exercise, lifestyle adjustments, and a positive mindset. By understanding the factors that contribute to belly fat and implementing the strategies outlined in this guide, you can achieve a healthier, leaner midsection and improve your overall well-being.

Remember, the journey to losing belly fat is not just about looking good; it’s about feeling good and taking control of your health. Stay consistent, be patient, and celebrate your progress along the way. With dedication and effort, you can reach your goals and maintain them for the long term.

P.S. "Lose Belly Fat Effortlessly with This Breakthrough Supplement!"

[tinyreviews]

Rabbit Hole: Fiber and Health

The difference between soluble and insoluble fiber

Soluble and insoluble fibers are both essential components of a healthy diet, particularly for gut health, but they differ in their properties and how they function in the digestive system.

Soluble Fiber:

Dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance.

Fermentable by gut bacteria.

Benefits for Gut Health:

Feeds Gut Bacteria: Acts as a prebiotic, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Regulates Blood Sugar: Slows down digestion, leading to a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream.

Lowers Cholesterol: Binds with bile acids, helping to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Improves Digestion: Softens stool, making it easier to pass and helping to prevent constipation.

Insoluble Fiber:

Does not dissolve in water.

Adds bulk to stool.

Benefits for Gut Health:

Promotes Regularity: Adds bulk to stool and helps it pass more quickly through the intestines, reducing the risk of constipation.

Prevents Diverticulitis: Helps prevent small pouches from forming in the colon, which can become inflamed or infected.

Supports Weight Management: Adds bulk to the diet without adding calories, which can help with feeling full and reducing overall food intake.

What are good common sources of fiber?

Soluble Fiber: Oats, barley, nuts, seeds (e.g., chia seeds, flaxseeds), beans and legumes (e.g., lentils, chickpeas), fruits (e.g., apples, oranges, pears), vegetables (e.g., carrots, Brussels sprouts).

Insoluble Fiber: Whole grains (e.g., whole wheat, brown rice, bulgur), nuts and seeds (e.g., almonds, sunflower seeds), vegetables (e.g., cauliflower, green beans, potatoes with skin), fruits (e.g., apples with skin, berries, bananas), bran (e.g., wheat bran, corn bran).

Do gut bacteria break down fiber to produce beneficial compounds like vitamins? What other beneficial compounds do they produce?

Vitamins

Vitamin K: Certain gut bacteria synthesize vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and bone health.

B Vitamins: Some gut bacteria produce B vitamins, such as biotin (B7), folate (B9), and riboflavin (B2), which are crucial for energy metabolism and overall cellular function.

Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)

Acetate, Propionate, and Butyrate: These SCFAs are produced when gut bacteria ferment soluble fiber. They have numerous health benefits:

Butyrate: Acts as a primary energy source for colon cells, helps maintain the integrity of the gut barrier, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Propionate: Metabolized in the liver and can help regulate glucose production.

Acetate: Used in various metabolic processes and can influence fat storage and appetite regulation.

Other Beneficial Compounds

Gases: Such as hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, which are normal byproducts of fermentation and usually harmless.

Phenolic Compounds: Fermentation of polyphenols (a type of antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables) by gut bacteria can produce bioactive phenolic compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLAs): Produced from the fermentation of certain fats, CLAs have been shown to have anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Health Benefits

Improved Gut Health: SCFAs, particularly butyrate, nourish the cells lining the colon, reducing the risk of gastrointestinal disorders.

Enhanced Immune Function: A healthy gut microbiome can help modulate immune responses, reducing inflammation and protecting against infections.

Metabolic Health: The production of SCFAs can influence metabolic health, helping regulate blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Mental Health: There is emerging evidence that SCFAs and other metabolites produced by gut bacteria can influence brain function and mood, potentially impacting conditions like anxiety and depression.

Specific benefits of SCFAs

Digestive Health

Nourishment of Colonocytes: Butyrate serves as the primary energy source for colonocytes (cells lining the colon), promoting a healthy gut lining and reducing the risk of gastrointestinal disorders.

Gut Barrier Function: SCFAs enhance the integrity of the gut barrier, preventing the leakage of harmful substances from the gut into the bloodstream, which can lead to systemic inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory Effects: Butyrate has potent anti-inflammatory properties, helping to reduce inflammation in the gut, which is beneficial for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Metabolic Health

Blood Sugar Regulation: Propionate can help regulate blood glucose levels by influencing gluconeogenesis (the production of glucose) in the liver.

Lipid Metabolism: Acetate and propionate are involved in lipid metabolism, which can influence cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Appetite Regulation: SCFAs can influence the release of hormones that regulate appetite and satiety, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), potentially aiding in weight management.

Immune Function

Immune Modulation: SCFAs play a role in modulating the immune system by influencing the activity of various immune cells, including T cells and macrophages, which helps maintain immune balance and reduce chronic inflammation.

Anti-carcinogenic Properties: Butyrate has been shown to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancerous cells in the colon, reducing the risk of colorectal cancer.

Brain Health and Mental Well-being

Neurotransmitter Production: SCFAs can influence the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is involved in mood regulation.

Blood-brain Barrier Integrity: Butyrate can enhance the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, protecting the brain from harmful substances.

Anti-inflammatory Effects on the Brain: By reducing systemic inflammation, SCFAs can help protect against neuroinflammatory conditions, potentially lowering the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

General Health Benefits

Reduction of Systemic Inflammation: SCFAs help reduce systemic inflammation, which is linked to numerous chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity.

Bone Health: Propionate may have a role in calcium absorption and bone health, although more research is needed in this area.

The above is the result of my curiosity going down the rabbithole with ChatGPT. I post my rabbithole curiosities to this blog.

[krishna0424]

How to Lose Belly Fat in 2 Weeks

Introduction:

Introduce the common desire to lose belly fat quickly.

Highlight the importance of a balanced approach for sustainable results.

Understanding Belly Fat:

Explain the different types of belly fat (subcutaneous vs. visceral).

Discuss why visceral fat (around organs) is more harmful.

Key Factors in Losing Belly Fat:

Dietary Adjustments:

Reduce Caloric Intake: Tips on portion control and choosing nutrient-dense foods.

Focus on Whole Foods: Importance of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Limit Sugar and Processed Foods: Impact of sugar on belly fat accumulation.

Effective Exercise Regimens:

Cardiovascular Exercises: Importance of aerobic exercises like running, swimming, or cycling.

Strength Training: Benefits of resistance exercises for building muscle and boosting metabolism.

Core Strengthening: Specific exercises targeting abdominal muscles.

Lifestyle Changes:

Sleep: Importance of quality sleep in regulating hormones related to appetite and fat storage.

Stress Management: How stress can contribute to belly fat and strategies to reduce stress levels.

Hydration: Drinking enough water to support metabolism and overall health.

Additional Tips for Quick Results:

Intermittent Fasting: Overview of intermittent fasting and its potential benefits for fat loss.

Hydration: Importance of staying hydrated for metabolic processes.

Avoiding Alcohol: Impact of alcohol on belly fat accumulation and overall health.

Conclusion:

Recap the key points on how to lose belly fat in 2 weeks.

Emphasize the importance of consistency and adopting healthy habits for long-term results.

Call to Action:

Encourage readers to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet or exercise regimen.

Invite them to explore related articles on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

This structure should provide a comprehensive guide while adhering to your target of losing belly fat effectively in a short period.