#50/50 of can and cant recommend

[sleep-nurse]

might do the three fears in the library, any recommendations for levels? i think we’re all around level 35

I COULDN?T TELL YOU IM SO SORRY I DID ALL OF THAT AT LEVEL 50 HJDGJHEGHBHJKEHGJKHEG

#asks #35 is pretty high tho so you might be good #although the fights are. a bit tough. so get ready #if you dont feel like its enough you can go for 40 #i mean TBH I RECOMMEND ATLEAST 45 CUS IDK #i struggled a bit with level 50 so i cant imagine lower #hikikomori route is grindy as hell

[theoneandonlywendell]

wowowowowow

the sky

is so purdy

wow

erth is so purdy

#MY CAMERA CANT CAPTURE IT WASDFGHJ #I tried my vintage cameras that didn't work #tried my normal phone THE DARN THING WONT WACFAGHJAHG #I prefer mirror-less cameras #I have a lot of cameras #recommendations according to google #Best high-end camera: Nikon Z8. #The compact option: Sony a7CR. #A capable Canon: Canon EOS R5. #High-spec high res: Sony a7R V. #IQ above all else: Fujifilm GFX 50S II. #Best for video: Sony FX3. #LIKE NO I CAN USE ANY CAMERA PREFESSIONALY THANK YOU VERY MUCH #can take pictures of anything like asbestos I like that wait I also like #did you guys know #these aliens hovering above earth as dumb as us

[miimibun]

evernote switched how it works and now its basically unusable for free :( guess i have to move to notion now..

#mimi talks #literally as i was recommending it to friends too #basically you can only have 1 notebook and 50 notes in that notebook #but before it was unlimited #so i have like 200 notebooks with thousands of notes #and now i cant use em #LOL #im so sad

[synonymouslyyours]

.

#vent #someones giving me a referral for an internship and im so grateful buts its happening so damn fast and i cant get this goddamn cover letter #its my first time writing a cover letter now that i have actual experience to draw upon and its such a different skillset than #the bullshit i wrote before #and youd think it would be easier but i am just so overwhelmed and cannot handle this #i found out about the internship monday. met with the guy for the referral tuesday. and so he wants my materials to recommend on wednesday #but its 5am and i dont have it done yet and im scared ive already fucked this up because i shouldve tried harder but im just freaking out #cuz i still havent done my homework and i still havent done any of my grading work for 17 fucking students and i need to interview peopl fo #project management stuff in the next couple days and i need to fix my class schedule by thursday and its rosh hashana on friday night and i #just cant do it all im not managing to do any of it #but this is huge opportunity the internship is at a great company and its 50 bucks an hour which is crazy and this guy is a great connectio #which i dont have for any other opportunity so #i dont know if i can afford to fuck this up and i just need to get it done but i just cant i just cant do it and i tried to schedule a #career advising meeting but theyre all taken until THURSDAY and the guy really likes proactive people and hes for sure going to have a #lowered opinion of me for not being able to get a cover letter done which is supposed to only take 15 minutes #so im fucked and i fucking hate everything im just so goddamn done with how stressful everything is even when good things are happening lik #whats the goddamn point #ok i think im having an anxiety attack

[aliensunflower-fics]

My Recommended Fic List

So, I got this ask awhile ago, and since I have been re-reading a bunch of my old favorite fics as a way to cheer up after work I figured why not. This list will be long... and varied but mostly its older fics cuz idk there my favs. Now lets go:

Fashion Upgrade - By @soap-lady : Straight up one of my favorite fics ever, its fun, its creative, it never fails to make me laugh when I need something warm and wholesome after a bad day. Also go check out the rest of her stuff there's so much good okay like shes just a writing queen. Shes on AO3 I don't want to spoil you on her other stuff just GO experience it for yourself.

Ode To Decoy pt 1 / 2 / 3 - By @a-marlene-s : Ive always liked this short sweet little fic about Lila getting caught. Its Lila + class salt though so avoid if that's not your flavor.

EVERYTHING - By @unmaskedagain : They have salt, they have sugar, they have funny, they have crossovers. Like honestly they are a just a great writer with so much variety so go check out the masterlist I linked and I guarantee there will be something there you like.

@ravennm84 Is a writer on the saltier side but they have a wonderful selection of weird wacky tales from the salty but oh so well written Damning Evidence that sees Lila get caught in the best way to the 3 part Horror inspired Serafina other great fics from them include Marinettes Family Court Circus pt 1 / 2 and Of Moldy Bread and Cockroaches / Be Kind to Servers honestly its worth giving there blog a look.

@mochinek0 Is another writer with several beloved fics. They write a lot of Maribat and we love them for it. Ones to check out would be Blind Date / Bruce vs Gabriel just go check out there tag list of daminette for more.

Accidental Crime Boss Marinette - By @lady-literature : This is a wonderful idea and a wonderful little fic and I just... I just like it okay. Sadly I haven't read a lot of there other stuff... But I might after finishing this list considering how much I enjoy this one.

@nobodyfamousposts I love a LOT of there fics. They are one of the best when it comes to striking that sweet spot of calling out the show for some of its garbage while not getting so salty that you cant have fun lighthearted goodness. I have been looking for a masterlist of there work but cant find one so just go stalk there tags. I do recommend there Chloe's Lament Series 1 / 2 exploring how certain 'wishes' would backfire. Guardian Assistant Kevin is also a good one Miracle Queen Aftermath pt 1 / 2 / The 8 parter Burn the Witch series / The Wisdom Teeth Reveal / Kagami Vs The Wall of Faces / Resigning With Grace & Spite / I tried to give a lot of links cuz they have a lot of stuff

Kill Them With Kindness - By @luki-fanfic : Well written, good salt without going overboard. Just good vibes. I havent stalked there other stuff but if its anything like this fic its probably excellent quality.

Stephen Vladislav pt 1 / 2 - By @stormiclown : Adrien centered salt on the idea of finally giving Adrien his own proper rival. I like the idea of Adrien having a rival because its usually Marinette and this was just the right length to get those creative ideas flowing. Also just well written what more can you ask for.

Power Trip - By @storygirl000 : This was the first fic that made me go... Wait would it be more fun if Lila was actually competent? And that set me on the path to writing my own fics where Lila is more villainous and more capable. Its short, well written. Good.

Your Wish is My Command - By DemiGoddess28 on AO3 : A great 11 chapter fic looking into Lila's life if she were to win and get a miraculous wish. Its got sugary goodness for our protagonists and the class and salt for our dearest friend Lila.

LadyBugOut AU - By Miraculous-Content on AO3 : A 50 chapter fic made up of snippets and ideas. I found it really inspiring in many ways. I also love how it redeems Marinettes classmates showing how and why they were tricked but holding them accountable anyway its just... Good.

Juleka vs The Forces of the Universe - By goldenlaurelleaves on AO3 : For those of us not yet ready to accept the death of luka/mari we have this wonderful fic showing Juleka being the biggest wingman as she helps these idiots find there way together.

ChaoticNeutral on AO3 has there own Chloe's Lament fic as well as a Gabriel's Lament fic for people who need sweet salty of those two characters.

BroadwayCutie16 was Inspired by the person above and DemiGoddesses your wish is my command fic to write Lila's Lament fic going over Lilas failed wish. Honestly I always love these fics because there just so interesting and the way wishes can be taken and twisted is always a fascinating idea to me.

#WayneAngel - By Tired-Writing-Teach on AO3 : For us Maribat lovers. Its fun and lighthearted with some good gags and some light fluff.

Damian in Paris - By Lilliesandliveries on AO3 : A sweet Maribat series showing what would happen if Damian ran away from home and found himself in Paris and getting therapy.

How a Demon Commissions an Angel - By AlixAnonymous : Damian blackmails Marinette into letting him be her client so he can get his bros the best gifts, they end up becoming penpal buddies.

Mythomania - By LadyEnna_50 on AO3 : Proof that I dont hate Adrien or Mari/Adrien. In this fic Adrien's spine gets titanium plating and he sees just how bad Lila is hurting Marinette and does something about it.

The Contingency - By AbyssalGuardian on AO3 : SALT. Also Tim/Mari but even still I love the way this was written, the style, and some of the ideas just ugh love it. Its not for those who dont like salt so just avoid at your own discretion. Its about a chaotic Marinette done with her life running away to Gotham where she meets her true black cat, and gets her life back on track.

The String That Binds Us - By FaithAndATypeWriter on AO3 : Okay so is there any Mari/Bat fan who hasnt already heard of this one? Who cares its good, its cute, I love it. May the author be blessed with snacks.

The Great IKEA Game - By @batsandbugs : Okay again... I think every Mari/Bat fan has probably heard of this one already because its just that good and that popular. But who cares I am recommending it anyway. Don't read if your allergic to fun I guess.

If this list still doesn't somehow have enough salt for you then try @goggles-mcgee fics here is a link to there Masterlist. They are in a way a professional at salt and angst and they make you want to adopt Marinette and pop her in a blanket fort.

Honestly I could keep going but this list already feels so long for other great recs though I can link you to @jayphoenic who has some great Daminette Fic Recs and some Lila Salt Fic Recs!

Feel free to reblog this and add some links to stuff you would think I or others might like! Also lets just acknowledge how many talented authors the community has like wow.

#its just me #miraculous ladybug #not my fic #fic rec #lila salt #dc x mlb #daminette #kagaminette #adrienette #lukanette #ml salt #adrien salt

[transmasc-advice-blog]

Binding

Binders

I found that Spectrum Outfitters worked best for me (prices range from $50-$39). I also have binders that are older and stretched out or that don’t work as well (like gc2b) that I use when I don’t need as flat of a chest because they are easier on my rib cage lol. If you do that, do NOT count that as a break!

Practice safe binding!

Don't bind for more than 8 hours

Don't sleep in a binder

Don't exercise in a binder

Get the right size

Try to only wear a binder for 5 or 6 days a week (this one is hard, I know)

If it hurts, take it off!

If you notice bruising, something is wrong! Your binder might be too small or you may be wearing it for too long.

TransTape

Wearing binders all the time is not too good for you so I recommend using a variety of different binding techniques. One is TransTape!

The reason Ace bandages are unsafe is because as you breathe it gets tighter and tighter and can really hurt you. But TransTape doesn't do that, it's like the tape athletes use when they sprain their ankle or something. It's safe as long as it is used properly. Plus, you can wear it for up to 5 days, exercise and sleep while wearing it, and it's water proof!

TransTape isn't the only brand of course, but they do have a lot of great resources.

Learn more at their website here. I recommend starting with this page and the FAQ.

KT tape is another option if you cant afford/arent allowed to order TransTape. You can find it at most drugstores and box stores for relatively cheap. The adhesive isnt as strong as TransTape, keep that in mind when applying.

Men's Compression Shirts *I have not used these myself (yet) but I hear they work pretty well*

Made for cis men with gynecomastia but hey we can use em. Obviously will work much better for smaller chests, but could still do something for bigger chests, maybe for under a hoodie?

They won't flatten you as well as binders but the goal is more to masculinize the shape of your chest than to completely flatten it. They are also safer than binders.

Other stuff

The color black will make you look flatter

Layers! Lots of layers! (don't overheat)

Sports bras

Compression bras

Button ups <3333

Resources

Pain-Free Binding Techniques | Youtube Video by Arthur Rockwell

Binding 101 - Point of Pride

Binding Safely - Spectrum Outfitters

How to Hide Your Chest (without a binder) | Youtube Video by Iris Olympia

Binder Care - Spectrum Outfitters

Please free feel to add!

#binders #chest binding #chest binders #trans tape #transtape #binding techniques #safe binding #ftm #transgender #trans #transmasc

[msperfect777]

the world within the mind + the 5 senses

⭐️part ten of the understanding consciousness & non dualism series

this delicious post is based on ArshaBodha's youtube video and he is a traditional teacher of Vedanta (non dualism). this video was recommended to me by one of my amazing followers💋

the 5 senses are more limited than you think. the world we "see" is not what the world actually is. it is what the mind perceives which is not the same as the reality of the world.

some examples:

"the sky looks blue, but air is colorless"

when you watch a video, it is actually a series of still images projected on a screen, 30 images per second

when you watch the sunset it seems as if the sun is moving down and "setting" but really "the horizon moves up as the earth turns on its axis"

science proves that "you can only perceive a minute fraction of what actually exists" -> "a dog can sniff and differentiate 50 times more smells than you can. your ears can hear only a narrow range of pitches. and you eyes can only see colors from red to violet."

"beyond those pitches and colors lies a vast range of sound and light that you simply cant perceive. the point is, because the range of your senses is so limited, you cant fully and accurately perceive the world around you. only a tiny part is accessible."

"appearances can be deceiving. its natural to believe that your five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch give you an accurate representation of the world around you. but the fact is, your powers of perception are extremely limited. experiencing the world through your five senses is like looking through five little pinholes pierced in a heavy blanket covering your head."

sorry the video is blurry asf its bc its a 3min vid💀

video recaps:

the mind, based on the 5 senses, creates an image or representation of the world which is not an accurate representation of the world

the room your in is just a 3d representation of the room produced by the mind

because of how limited the 5 senses are, you arent able to accurately see the world

brain + 5 senses = inaccurate perception

"waking world" is based on senses (mind) and "dreaming world" is based on memories (mind) so both are created by the mind; they are imaginary; not real

if you had no senses, you would not know the difference between being awake and dreaming bc both are unreal

"the waking world and dream world both arise in your mind. every day, they come and go."

this is all a dream

© msperfect777

#consciousness #non dualism #non duality #observer #advaita

[blackpilljesus]

Pls elaborate how Y works like rabies I need to know

The `/ chromosome is a parasitic-like virus. It cant be "caught" per se but it operates similarly to rabies. It manifests itself as a host and seeks to reproduce itself to cause more terror. The end goal of the `/ chromosome is reproduction & destruction; this post will focus on the reproduction aspect. Once a part of it gets into another body the process begins all over again. Similar to how rabies gets into a new host to make it's way to the brain to spread.

I mention rabies particularly bc some symptoms rabies exudes makes it spread easily and difficult to combat. For example, fear of water (to reject being washed away), foaming at the mouth, nocturnal animals out in the day and appearing friendly to humans (when they otherwise wouldnt be), animals that are typically reserve attacking others, etc. The `/ chromosome takes a mutated form of human -well woman- & wants to reproduce itself through women. Anything that threatens its chances of reproduction is ruthlessly cut off.

Note the obsession moids have with wanting sons (and used to name sons after themselves) & how sons are typically born in cases of tragedies like rape? Y chromosome mutation. A big part of ♂️inflation occured as most women were raped multiple times & had no autonomy or way of fighting back so from these conditions more moids were born because I dont believe the gender ratio was ever meant to be 50/50 -consider that despite all the femicides, having to live in a maIe centric world, and son preferences, the overall gender ratio is roughly 50/50 give or take a few points.

I saw this the other day, pregnancy is not the happy go lucky romanticised bs that women are indoctrinated into; their bodies are taken captive to reproduce on a biological level. The y chromosome is fighting to be reproduced and will take whatever it can -born or unborn- to do so. The womans genes are trying to fight back. I believe a big reason why sons are born from tragedy more often is because the womans body has already undergone stress so theres not enough energy to fight back the `/ chromosome invasion. Remember the sperm determines sex.

Genetics arent perfect however there's sometimes often outliers for example an xx is born despite the Ys effort. My 2 theories is either a mutation on the y chromosome part (causing it to be weaker) or the mothers body was strong enough to fight off the y chromosome. Now I'm no biologist or geneticist all of this is just rough speculation.

Also recommend reading trust your perception blog about the y chromosome.

#This isn't to say that the xx chromosome doesn't want to reproduce either it just typically isnt as obsessed about it #the xx reproduction strategy does not operate this way. #female separatism #female separatist #radical feminism #radical feminist #feminism #blackpill feminism #feminist #blackpill feminist #wineauntmovement #moids are terrorists #xy evil #y chromosome evil #pregnancy #start fucking aborting your sons #also the hormones excreted by the y chromo makes women endearing to them so that women dont mass abort their to-be oppressors in future #and the y chromo can unfortunately live on #zeeanswers

[poisonouswaters]

im looking for donations for a cane atm, its urgent. more info below.

i have diagnosed cps (chronic pain syndrome) and it affects me daily. sometimes i cannot physically move because of it and sometimes i collapse fully and get hurt. my mother is REFUSING to get me mobility aid and refusing to get me a cane (which was heavily recommended by doctors and councillors i see) so im asking for donations right now to buy me my own. anything helps, the cheapest one i can find at the moment is 24.99 plus shipping to canada (my mom wont let me use her amazon prime.) so ill need around 35/40 bucks. any bit helps, if you cant donate, please share as i have been collapsing a bunch lately and a cane is something i feel like i need, and has been heavily recommended by professionals. thank you all.

my pxypxl is @/ppowfu

(replace x's with a's)

thank you so much.

$7/50

#;ㅤmisc﹒ #please share (reblog) if you can #this is very urgent as of rn

[meowzilla93]

Fancy meeting you here! Baxter in the five years after Step 4 please!!!

We both love this man to bits and pieces, but we are also realistic

This is a jumble of my thoughts put to paper, it may not be in order but it still all matters!

ALERT: I had so much to say I needed to split this into two posts cause i maxed the character limit......

Long distance relationships are hard work, no one said this was going to be easy

The two of you are making sure to keep up that hard work, keeping up the contact, looking after each other even with the many miles between you, and supporting each other

Thing is, Baxter only has two modes – 0 or 100.

He wasn’t kidding when he said he would text you multiple times a day when you first left, because this man really did

Asking about your day, hoping you are doing well, sending confidence boosting messages, the works

If this is something you love then its all fine!

But if this is a bit much for you, or your work really cant have you being distracted multiple times day, a chat will be needed

He understands, he is a little bashful that his actioned cause this convo but he understands

Idiot he is though, pulls back a touch too much and ends up messaging maybe once a day or once ever few days

You are going to need to teach him what it means to run at 50

And over time he will understand, he just needs that patience and understanding and OPEN COMMUNICATION!!!

You alternate visits with each other, trying to do it as often as work is possible but sometimes work does get in the way and it can be months before you see each other face to face again

You are REQUIRED to be prepared to be wrapped up in a Baxter Burrito TM as soon as he sees you and you are not going anywhere for the next 24-48 business hours

I have said it before, this mans love language is physical touch, and he is clingy

He almost puts Cove to shame with how clingy he is

Being together makes him realise a lot of things about himself, and that he needs to work on some trauma that he has from his childhood, and with your support starts seeing a psychologist

The changes are slow but steady; He might not realise it himself at first, but with the activities that the psychologist recommend he do, and learning how to channel his emotions correctly, you certainly do

And you couldn’t be more proud of him! Make sure you let him know!

He is the one to drop the ‘I love you’ bomb first

It just happened, he wasn’t thinking about anything specific, it wasn’t planned

He is simply cuddled up to you, on the couch talking nonsense with a glass of wine each

You had just finished laughing at one of his ridiculous stories, and he was just staring at you as you did with hearts in his eyes

As you wipe the tears from your eyes from laughter, he moves in close, kisses your temple and with a hum, just says those three little words

He doesn’t realise it at first; You froze and slowly turned to look at him

Suddenly the gears click and WHOOF he goes bright red

But he doesn’t take it back, he just looks anywhere else but you, unable to deal with what he did, but refusing to deny it

Please put him out of his misery and say it back, or kiss his first to relax him a touch and then say it

Those dimples of his have never looked sweeter than in that moment

Its been a year, and he really wants to see you more, but you both live so far away from each other

You both have careers in your cities and he refuses to pull you away from your success

Because of this, he is very hesitant to ask you to move in with him, or even vice versa

6 months down the track, you are at his apartment again but it’s the final night you are with him

He is in such a state, its winter, he doesn’t want to let you go home and knows it’ll be a probably a few months before he sees you again because he worries about travelling conditions and wants you to be safe

As you are cuddling in bed, he holds you with such a firm grip, like he is so afraid you’ll disappear if he lets go

Whilst in that Baxter Burrito TM, he whispers gently into your shoulder “Please stay…”

He thinks it was quiet enough that you wont hear, or that you’ve fallen asleep

But you heard it

Gently you turn around, he thinks you are just getting comfortable and you look him in the eyes

MC “Ask me Baxter.”

Baxter “What?”

MC “Ask me.”

You can see all the emotions run a race in his eyes as he realises that you are asking of him

Cupping your face, gently stroking your cheek with his thumb he asks again, without whispering

“Stay with me.”

“Next time, I will stay.”

Elated is a far too gentle word to explain his emotion but you can guarantee he is over the moon with joy

It takes time to organise the move, after all you both had your own separate lives and now you need to figure out how to merge the two together, but you make it work

Moving jobs is also something that needs to be considered, but if you work remotely, it doesn’t even really matter

It takes around 4-6 months to sort out the move with all the moving pieces, but you two are finally together, for good

Baxter loves to dance, and having you around more means he gets to indulge in his love two fold and tries to do it as often as he can

Are you a good dancer too? If you suggest to him to join an amateurs comp, he is ecstatic! He hasn’t choreographed in years and he gets a chance to use that skill once again

If you just prefer it being the two of you, he is more than happy to keep at that, dancing in the living area, the kitchen, shower, bedroom….

He is a plant guy

You can take this headcannon from my cold dead hands

He loves being able to water them and tend to them and they just add colour to his place and warmth

It becomes one of his favourite hobbies

Be careful as this means you will need to keep an eye out for any new plants he snuck into your home

If you have a pet he is very careful to ensure that he only has plants that are pet friendly

Oh he for sure has a little corner dedicated to pure black plants, how could he not

The next year flies buy with little issue

Oh there where teething issues living with each other for certain, but you both learnt how to talk with each other so that it didn’t turn into an argument

Boundaries were set and honoured and life couldn’t be easier

He starts being a touch more nostalgic about his childhood; He has managed to make some wonderful friends and kept those relationships up but he cant help but think about the friends he left behind in Golden Grove

PART TWO WILL BE REBLOGGED WITH THIS ASK!!!

#our life beginnings and always #baxter ward #olba #our life #olba baxter #olba mc #baxter x mc #our life headcannons #meow asks!

[charlottan]

every book i read at least a good chunk of in 2023 ranked under the cut grin😁

1. American Gods (2001)  by Neil Gaiman (currently reading) - simply a terrific book. Neil Gaiman at what I believe to be his best. Classic novel

2. Dhalgren (1975) by Samuel R. Delaney (currently reading) - monolithic 70s postmodern book that touches on issues of gender and race. very very good

3. Shantaram (2003) by Gregory David Roberts (currently reading) - very loveable and long book about the true story of an Australian man, arrested on heroin charges, who escapes prison to India and gets involved in arms trading. I'm only on like page 70 out of 900 but I'm deeply in love.

4. Going Postal (2004) by Terry Pratchett (currently reading) - discworld’s postal service! Plenty of hijinks. excellent book

5. Catch-22 (1961) by Joseph Heller (currently reading) - classic anti war satire, what can you say. Still ridiculously funny, the humor really doesnt age at all. it’s very screwball in a way that holds up. Such a joy to read

6. Sirens of Titan (1959) by Kurt Vonnegut - beautiful book, definitely my favorite of the three Vonnys that i finished this year. you can feel his love, as always

7. Cloud Cuckoo Land (2021) by Anthony Doerr- Charming book that spans multiple characters and time periods, all concerned with an ancient codex that symbolizes a sense of faith. I don't really remember this one much but I know I had a lot of fun reading it. Would recommend to anybody

8. Hell’s Angels (1967) by Hunter S. Thompson (currently reading) - very interesting book about, of course, the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club. Thompson becomes a fly on the wall, giving the reader a very, very, perhaps almost too close look at the bikers’ ways and rituals. Very good book if you’re into that sort of thing

9. Infinite Jest (1996) by David Foster Wallace (currently reading)- not much to say about the old Jest. classic annoying book. i read a good chunk this year :thumbsup:

10. Bag of Bones (1998) by Stephen King - average 90s era King. still just as gripping as his 70s and 80s work but with a more comfortable writing style i think. pretty good

11. Detransition, Baby (2021) by Torrey Peters (currently reading) - not much to say about this one really. Its pretty good so far though, pretty classic transfem lit

12. The Dead Zone (1979) by Stephen King - this book had a terrifically gripping second act but then it kindof goes off in a different direction in act 3. Or rather, it feels like act 3 could have been its own decent short story, with the first two acts together being their own novel.

13. Equal Rites (1987) by Terry Pratchett - transmasc king. Girl wants to be a wizard instead of a witch, average discworld novel, nothing memorable but still pretty good

14. Galapagos (1985) by Kurt Vonnegut - Ok vonny book. It definitely had some strong Vonny moments but overall felt a little Different from the rest of his stuff. But maybe in a good way

15. Deadeye Dick (1982) by Kurt Vonnegut - middling vonnegut novel. It was ok. But an ok kurt vonnegut book is still a really good book

16. On the Road (1957) by Jack Kerouac - classic beat novel. pretty good if you're into slice of life 1940s/50s stuff, which you probably arent, but if you are and you haven’t checked this out, go for it!

17. Nevada (2013) by Imogen Binnie - Decent, however it felt very bare bones in a way that, for instance, Detransition, Baby makes up for.

18. The Rum Diary (1998) by Hunter S. Thompson - To be honest I don’t remember this one At All but i know i read it in like 3 days so its gotta be good. Still cant put it too high in the ranking though sorry hunter

19. And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks (1945) by Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs - first ever book written by either of them, and it’s ok. It’s supposed to be a murder mystery but the murder doesnt happen until like the last 20 pages so idk

20. The Colour of Magic (1983) by Terry Pratchett - first discworld. Not that memorable but i wouldnt say it was bad either

21. 1Q84 (2009) by Haruki Murakami (dropped) - I really wanted to like this one. And i did, *mostly*. However, Murakami has this writing style that is obsessively technical and formal and makes for incredibly unnatural monologues, for one thing. This is just a personal preference though; I know it's very acclaimed. I'm honestly sad I couldn't make it past the writing style to enjoy it at least enough to make it through.

22. The Road (2006) by Cormac McCarthy (dropped) - too edgy

#book talk

[smiggles]

hey smi!!!! im dying for all this merch you're making. it's so my kind of stuff (slams card repeatedly on table)

ANYWAY as a fellow creator i was wondering if you could share where you get your stuff printed at?

Im always happy to share my resources!!

read more under the cut

For a lot of my stuff lately Ive been using alibaba to find manus to work with that are willing to do things a bit out of the mold Which is great if you know how to look for a reputable manufacturer (If they do refunds, if they allow samples, if they will send you photos/videos of their products, et cetera) For my charms, lanyards and dakis I use vograce Their charms are some of the best Ive ever gotten produced. Vibrant, last forever, great quality and lots of options. Shipping is pricey and takes a long time due to it being from China. But the customer service is fast, reliable and they do a lot of deals (Im subbed to their membership and get discounts) For my stickers I use stickerapp. Very affordable and their glossy stickers are incredibly weather resistant (but not weather proof) The matte stickers have a great texture however these scratch and wear easily.

My prints are done locally (as well as my business cards). I recommend looking locally ANY TIME YOU CAN I get my patches from this manu. They lack communication on some aspects but will send you a photo of your product before its mass produced and the detail they get on their patches is amazing. Wonderful.

My enamel pins are from this manu. They have been able to do minute details without screen printing (so far) on the designs Ive made and the quality has been perfect. I havent used this manu THAT much so I dont know for a fact how well their range is. However their customer service is great. They are quick and willing to communicate This manu is the one that Ive used to make plushies. I have only made one with them so I cant give a good review on them. Stickermule I use ONLY when they have crazy deals (1 dollar for 50 stickers) Their quality of stickers is amazing but pricey as WELL as there is some controversy surrounding them due to financially supporting Trump's campaign in the past. Their charms and pins are VERY BAD quality. I do NOT recommend. They do not put protective sealant on them and they are easily scratched. Additionally they use a poor method for attaching the ring/clip on the charms and they break

#smigglesask #resources

[pothosrays]

i think i asked before but i cant find it 😅, but i was wondering what youd recommend for someone to look into who's only just now starting to get into digital art? like if you could recomment certain programs or devices or just any advice? also your work is rlly rlly cool btw

start with a free program like medibang, firealpaca, or krita or if u have windows just fuck around in mspaint tbh. (don't let people lie to u about mspaint it can be used for really good artwork people r just weird about it for some reason) if u wanna use ur phone ibispaint is still pretty good. just watch the ad and u get free things for like. idk what. 18 hours? still good.

for things like tablets there's plenty of cheap small starter graphics tablets out there for like 50 USD or less, idk what your currency is. A huion display is what I use but I've heard good things about their regular pen tabs too. Do your own research there, but you really don't need a super fancy tablet tbh. Also don't let people lie to you, you can use a mouse to draw it's not impossible. it's difficult but like it's possible LOL. I don't recommend it long term though it can fuck up your wrist.

I use paid products but I don't recommend that for beginners anyways. just get something free and have fun with it, that's honestly like the most important thing. Just have fun, don't worry about perfection or making something look good at first. Just enjoy the process because that's the most important thing anyways. Experiment a bunch and fuck around, eventually you'll learn things as time goes on cause that's just how it be.

Don't worry about the overwhelming amounts of settings on art apps right now either, all you really need to know is layers, brushes/erasers, eyedropper tools, color wheels, and select/transform tools since they're the more important ones anyways. I would recommend simplifying your app layouts to those core things if Possible, but if not then just remember where they are and only pay attention to those for now.

I hope u have fun starting out :] it can be overwhelming at first but it's really enjoyable i prommy.

#ask #txt #long read

[mossylane]

hi im having a problem w/ topaz clean- i was wondering where u downloaded it from? i recently updated to windows 11 and now my topaz clean 3 doesn’t work anymore, it giving me. stupid microsoft visual c++ runtime error whenever i try to open it. i want to redownload it but the other downloads dont work for me

so it seems like topaz clean isn't supported anymore and I don't think they ever made a version past 3. if you cant get it to work at all, i recommend using the oil paint and/or diffuse settings together in photoshop/photopea. also also if you use reshade try the warp sharp shader with negative values. there's also these actions early-grape made that don't use topaz clean. some of these as well by poolbrop. example below the cut !!!

here's a picture i took edited with reshade only, and my warpsharp settings. no post editing at all, if you play around with it, you can get a pretty similar smooooth buttery look as topaz clean i think....

values are .50 for strength and .8 for scale just in case it's hard to read !!!

#wcif #moss

[safety-pin-punk]

I've been wanting to dress more punk but I'm worried because the place I live is more on the conservative, "why would anyone dress like that around children" kind of place. Any ideas for subtle and/or cheap (I'm disabled and making money I don't need to live off of is difficult) punk stuff I can add to my wardrobe?

Cheap:

Do you have clothes that are so worn they are falling apart? Or you just dont wear them? Those are your DIY/repairing your other clothes fabric now.

If you struggle to DIY, see if someone can help out a bit here and there

When you have to shop for more clothes, hit the thrift stores. Most shops have weekly discounts on some pieces one way or another. At the store I work at, if something has been in the store for 5 weeks, it goes to 50%, and at the end of that week its 99¢. Its a good way to stock pile clothes for cheap

Ive gotten a lot of cool patches at garage sales and flea markets for pretty cheap, if you are able, I recommend taking time to find and go to some every now and then

Subtle:

If you are straight edge, variations of SXE or X

Variations of ACAB (a favorite of mine is All Cats Are Beautiful)

A black cat is used as an anarchy symbol I believe (someone should fact check me there)

Patches about adventure/individuality usually fly by just fine (“I was not made to be subtle” or “Dare to live the life you’ve always wanted”)

Book quotes. I have 2+2=5 on my jacket. It confuses some people, but anyone whose read 1984 knows that theres a good chance I’m anti government. If anyone else asks, well they cant complain too much about you reading. Just ask if they’d rather you be on your phone all day

Things that sound patriotic or non punk opinions but really are if you think too hard about them (“We the people are upset” or “With freedom comes responsibly”)

#mail tag #add to masterlist

[whumpsday]

after reading (i think) chapter 50 i realized i have strong crvings for jewish whump characters

have you got any recs? i cant find much. no pressure 💛

i don't! i haven't read any other whump series besides my own with jewish characters. to be fair, only 0.2% of people are jewish, and i can see why gentiles might be hesitant to write a jewish whumpee considering All Of History.

i'm so glad you enjoyed chapter 50! i liked putting a bit of my own culture into the story :D

anyone feel free to comment with any recommendations you have! i would like to see them too :)

#ask