#I feel like that's level 2 of the “curate your own experience” challenge

[godbirdart]

in what universe is someone going to see a DNI that applies to them and think "this person is definitely someone im going to enjoy following and get along with". do you go on twitter and see nazis saying they hate trans people and decide to follow them out of spite? of course not, and literally nobody else does that either, even on the other side. hell forget DNIs, I get less conservatives in my notifs than I used to just by having they/them pronouns in my bio because they see it and go "ew, I'm not following them". people dont typically follow people theyre clearly not going to feel welcome around, a DNI is just another way to communicate that.

1 - you don't have to Get Along with someone to follow them. people can and will hate-follow or follow to annoy you, block evade, etc out of spite. some people will interact with you just because you told them, or people like them, not to.

2 - your experiences are not universal. nazis, terfs, bigots in general, they can and will follow and harass people they don't like online. this is spoken from my own experience as someone who has seen his transfem friends be followed and harassed by alt-right nut jobs online.

3 - "forget DNIs, I get less conservatives in my notifs than I used to just by having they/them pronouns in my bio" ← you're right. this is effective because the vast majority of people regardless of political stance or belief will only ever read your bio. not many people are going to jump through hyperlinks to read your DNI. if they don't like what they read in your bio, they'll just leave [or possibly harass you, if they're particularly malicious]. ergo, making a DNI is largely just for yourself and not at all a real, useful barrier people must pass through in order to follow / engage with your posts.

no one is stopping you from making a DNI. you can write a terms-of-service length novel of a Do Not Interact list, put it on its own Carrd and make it aesthetic and pretty with flair. you're completely free to do so and tell people to read it. a few will, sure.

however. the post you're referencing is specifically addressing the glaring reality that most people, regardless if they fit your DNI criteria or not, are simply not going to go out of their way to find and read it. abusive people aren't going to see "DNI abusive assholes" and be deterred because they themselves don't consider themselves abusive. this post, particularly what OP wrote, is saying how it's much more proactive to curate your own space through utilizing the block button and tag filters when you see things and people you don't want to engage with instead of trying to impose your personal boundaries on strangers online.

addendum // i don't really care if teens are making DNIs and being aggressively annoying about em. i remember the era of setting weird arbitrary rules in my developing years while i was forming Who I Was as a person. they're figuring out who they are and what their comfort levels are. i get it. it's the grownass adults that are hyper-virulent about DNIs that i worry about - and i'm not talking about when they're trying to establish an adults-only space with a stern "minors DNI".

note: what i'm talking about below, i am Not referring to literally illegal and harmful activities / content. just want to be clear.

now, i'm not saying you have to welcome and embrace the content you don't like, but it's important to challenge yourself and toe your comfort boundaries. if you over-prune yourself trying to be the bestest morally correct person, at some point you're going to start boxing yourself into this narrowed teeny tiny worldview. you may turn into the person you claim to have loathed, imposing personal beliefs and morals on others, and brandishing your DNI like it's a certificate of righteousness; not unlike how conservatives wave around religious scripture while pruning away LGBTQ+ rights because it goes against their morality. a few examples of this are topics such as: kink at pride, and the language discrepancies between the younger and older generations of the LGBTQ+ community - particularly in regards to self-identifying with words such as Queer and Dyke and Transsexual.

i probably derailed a bit here, i'm answering this before my caffeine's fully kicked in. if i vaguely worded something or yall want more elaboration on something, don't hesitate to ask

#welcome to my incoherent mind i suppose #long post #wall of text

[ahalal-uralma]

I was tagged by @oculus-de-malus. Thank you!🐈

Write down the numbers 1-10, close your eyes, pick a random number (no cheating), and that is the number of songs that are going on your rainy day playlist. The songs are to be of your own curation and taste.

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to make a playlist with vocals or with instrumentals, so made both. Be forewarned this challenge said I could curate to my tastes, so I'm going to be a little more creative.

My number was 9.

Here are my selections:

Instrumental Playlist

1. Lost For Words by Goldbæk

2. Calme by Ever So Blue

3. Allegro In G Minor, RV 107 by Vivaldi

4. In Remembrance by Arcana

5. Ballade No. 1, Op 23 by Frédéric Chopin

6. Honō no Megami (炎の女神) by Adrian von Ziegler

(translation: Goddess Of Fire) Yes, this is ironic.

7. A Hunger Too Deep by Atrium Carceri

8. Low Pressure Zone by Clubroot

9. Hate by Hans Zimmer

Created this one symbolically to be representative of a romance between a Goddess of Fire and a God of Storms, because something about two extremes being drawn to one another seems intriguing.

Vocal Playlist

1. November Rain by Guns N' Roses

2. We Are Electric by Vandal Moon

3. Glass Tears by Harsh Symmetry

4. The Promise by When In Rome

5. Pull Me Under by Dream Theater

6. Wind Of Change by Scorpions

7. Soul Without A Home by Grasslands

8. Torn by Natalie Imbruglia

9. Rainy Monday by Shiny Toy Guns

This playlist is about the turmoils of humanity (feeling depressed, lonely, and disconnected with one another) and the desire for finding that one romantic connection, where we often look for someone to become familiar with and see us for who we are. Rain can be symbolic for more than heartbreak and wanted to show a theme outside of that, it can mean dissociation, peril, renewal of love, or birth of love, etc. I feel this precise way about the choice of songs in themselves, because what songs are often "on a surface level" aesthetically like a heartbreak song never mean that purely for me. I'll always associate those kind of songs with other life and spiritual experience's of relevance.❤️

Tagging @sunkissedfawn @misfit-among-the-angels @rotting-sword-maiden @introversiontherapy @the-wightmare-in-blackx @mariusaddams @poppiesandpromises @theemeraldforesthideout @sororluna @seima-tenshi @zibaldone-di-pensieri no pressure! :)

#tagged #tag game

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Hello

I am here to rant and lose my mind because of Park Jimin for a while and I want to know if I'm the only one feeling this....There are people who are extremely quiet since Tailor of chaos dropped....no comment,no acknowledgement at all....I can't help but keep on wondering if people are intimidated by Jimin....I know I'm not the only who connects with what Jimin is saying 🌈🌈🌈People in this fandom are full of internalized homophobia, fetishizers,ignorant people.....and I just...chapter two is definitely different....it's like to me...at this point....I prefer quality over quantity Army....the more people join...th more it gets stained and nasty and people aren't even trying to understand the people they claim to love....I see people are uncomfortable....I am talking about this from how I've seen my country's fan base reactions....it's just....they are mostly tiktok Army's ,y/n and fetisherzers...and as much as they like to pretend they are okay with everything that represents lgbtq....they cower away and build walls not wanting to understand Jimin's concept....

To be honest....I haven't been okay since the glove hand dropped,and connecting the dots of his process......and this just....I was so elated and anticipating his photofolio to drop but I wasn't ready for that....the thought provoking concept....challenging you...the watcher...jsjskqkskskskiss.....HIS MIND....HIS FREAKING GENIUS MIND 😭😭😭😭😭THE DETAILS..KDKSKAKKSKWKQQK.....I AM JUST A MERE INSIGNIFICANT HUMAN BUT HE HAS ME ON TRANCE LIKE EXPERIENCE....HE'S RENDERED ME SPEECHLESS, HIS LEFT ME STUNNED,AND WRECKED AND RAVAGED AND CONSUMED.....I CANT LOOK AWAY....I can't stop wanting for more and more and just get lost in him😭😭😭😭😭😭😭I wanna hear your thoughts on this.....from a queer lense🌙💛EVERYBODY IN EARTH SHOULD BOW DOWN AT HIS FEET‼️

Anon 2

I am getting more and more intrigued by Jimin's photobook and I might have to try to buy it, lol. The way the photobook is described:

"This photobook created based on Jimin’s own ideas, unveils different moods Jimin creates from the same costumes, the strength Jimin has discovered in himself, the meaning of light in his confusing consciousness, the moment Jimin’s inner self and persona finally met and his chaotic and finally, an immature journey to finding the true “me”."

And the "Jimin’s never-seen inner self visualized in four topics – black, light and darkness, white, color : freedom."

The color:freedom is... I just have more and more questions at this point. He really makes you want to know everything. (And as being part of the lgbt myself, I can't help but draw theories I probably shouldn't, I'm projecting, I know, but it is still very interesting the way Jimin talks about his inner journey. He hasn't shown much, but what he has, has been quite relatable.)

The level of enthusiasm, intrigue, confusion is through the roof here, so I decided to answer both of you in one post because you're touching on the same subject.

First anon, I had no idea that some parts of this fandom are more silent about Jimin's photo-folio. It doesn't reflect the reception I saw, but I guess it all depends on what we follow and what shows up in everyone's curated timeline. Either way, I think that overall, the release of the teasers was a success and had quite an impact, at least for those who are open for appreciation.

As to the second ask, I think that looking at a photoshoot and the message that is trying to convey, along with the photo-folio description, it is bound to be interpreted through whatever lens the audience sees fit. This is a concept focused entirely on identity and how Jimin wants to be perceived. So, in this case, it was made quite clear that the art is a reflection of the artist. That much we know because Jimin said so. But as with all art, and here we have photography, the meaning is also created through interpretation. At least that's my approach and one that I've talked about in the past in various occasions. And if you, second anon, can relate to it in connection to your identity and Jimin's own inner journey, then that's one legitimate way of looking at it. I'm also not denying that projecting is definitely a thing and let's say, it can be detrimental in some cases, especially when it takes away the possibility of that piece being either about something else, or it conveys a multitude of meanings and it's much more complex. But as long as we, the audience, keep that in mind, I see no harm. The message might as well be just that, especially if there are recognizable elements that can be interpreted through a queer lens.

We also need to keep in mind that no artist needs to be completely straightforward when it comes to the methods used when they want to express something. A work based on one's identity can take many shapes and forms and the message doesn't need to be spoon fed or served on a silver platter because the only way everyone will get it is if they're hit in the head with it. Some will have no issue with accepting something that at the end of the day, will remain open to interpretation and not see that as a bad thing and others will not. The best approach is to listen and observe what Jimin has to say and I believe that adding this recent photo-folio into a larger context and everything else Jimin did in connection to art, identity and his own words about his journey, should be sufficient.

#bmt asks #jimin #jimin photofolio

[planet-lifestyle]

Hello, fellow sewing enthusiasts! If you have a passion for sewing, then you've likely encountered the frustration of finding reliable and high-quality sewing patterns online. We are excited to introduce the Sewing Pattern Secrets—a remarkable online sewing pattern library that will completely transform your sewing experience. In this article, I'll provide you with an overview of the Sewing Pattern Secrets and explain why it will help you in your sewing journey as a beginner or an experience seamstress.

Section 1: The Challenge with Most Sewing Patterns

Have you ever stumbled upon sewing patterns on the internet that left you with more questions than answers? I know exactly how that feels! Most of the sewing patterns available online simply don't meet the mark. They lack the comprehensive instructions and step-by-step guidance necessary for a smooth and enjoyable sewing experience. This can make sewing feel overwhelming and challenging, particularly for beginners. But fear not! Sewing Pattern Secrets has successfully addressed this issue by curating the most extensive collection of sewing patterns ever assembled in a single online database.

Section 2: The Distinctive Features of Sewing Pattern Secrets

2.1 Simple Instructions

Sewing Pattern Secrets offers detailed projects and simple instructions that make sewing projects incredibly fast, easy, and fun. It's like having a master seamstress right beside you, guiding you through each project and ensuring that you complete them in a fraction of the time it used to take.

2.2 Cutting & Material Lists

Bid farewell to wasting your hard-earned money on the wrong fabrics and materials! Sewing Pattern Secrets provides precise cutting and material lists for every sewing project, saving you time, money, and the frustration of trial and error.

2.3 Detailed Schematics

No more guesswork! Sewing Pattern Secrets includes clear and sharp schematics with each pattern, eliminating any confusion and turning even the most challenging sewing projects into a breeze. With these precise instructions, your project practically sews itself!

2.4 Multiple Views From All Angles

Unlike many other patterns available online, Sewing Pattern Secrets offers multiple views of each project, ensuring that you have a crystal-clear understanding of how everything should look before you even begin. You'll never end up sewing something that doesn't match the drawing, thanks to the intricate details and clear visuals provided.

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The Sewing Pattern Secrets contains patterns for all levels of skill and competency, whether you're a complete novice, an amateur, or a seasoned pro. To use these patterns, you do not need to be a professional seamstress or own an expensive sewing machine. From simple crafts to ambitious clothing projects, there's something for everyone.

Click here to access the patterns ==> https://tinyurl.com/sewingpatternssecrets

Section 3: The Benefits of Sewing Pattern Secrets

3.1 Over 125 High-Quality Patterns

With Sewing Pattern Secrets, you have access to a vast collection of over 125 high-quality and popular sewing patterns. Women's, men's, and children's clothing, as well as dolls and toy animals, are all available. You'll be able to finish any task you can think of!

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As a Sewing Pattern Secrets member, you receive lifelong access to a membership area where you can download new patterns every month. These patterns are specially crafted for workshop classes and cover a wide range of exciting projects.

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Sewing may often be seen as a solitary activity, but with Sewing Pattern Secrets, you become part of a vibrant and supportive community. Connect with fellow sewing enthusiasts, share your projects, ask questions, and receive valuable feedback. The community serves as an incredible resource for inspiration, troubleshooting, and forging lasting friendships with individuals who share your passion for sewing.

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By utilizing Sewing Pattern Secrets, you can save a significant amount of money. Instead of buying expensive pre-made outfits or paying for expensive sewing classes, you may make your own high-quality garments and crafts for a fraction of the price. The patterns are intended to make the best use of fabric while minimizing waste and saving you money in the long term.

3.5 Personalized Fit

One of the most common complaints about ready-made apparel is the absence of an exact fit. With Sewing Pattern Secrets, you can tailor the fit of your items to your body type and preferences. The patterns come with clear instructions on taking accurate measurements and making necessary adjustments, ensuring that you achieve a personalized fit that flatters your unique figure.

3.6 Versatility and Creativity

Sewing Pattern Secrets empowers you to unleash your creativity and explore endless possibilities. While the patterns serve as an excellent foundation, you can customize and adapt them to match your particular taste. Make each project your own by adding embellishments and experimenting with different materials and colours. Sewing becomes an outlet for self-expression and artistic exploration.

3.7 Educational Resource

Sewing Pattern Secrets is more than just a pattern collection; it's also a fantastic educational resource. You'll learn key sewing methods, acquire confidence in your abilities, and gain a deeper understanding of garment construction as you progress through the patterns. The detailed instructions and clear illustrations act as mini sewing lessons, equipping you with the knowledge to tackle more complex projects in the future.

Click link to learn more about the Sewing Pattern Secrets ==> https://tinyurl.com/sewingpatternssecrets

In Conclusion

Sewing Pattern Secrets is a game-changer for sewing enthusiasts of all levels. With its extensive collection of high-quality patterns, detailed instructions, ongoing support, and a vibrant community, it provides everything you need to elevate your sewing skills to new heights. Say goodbye to frustrating and confusing sewing patterns and say hello to a world of creativity and enjoyment. Join Sewing Pattern Secrets today and unlock the secrets to sewing success!

#sewing patterns #sewing #crafting #arts and crafts #sew #mending

[musical-shenanigans]

Show #2

Title: The Run Me Out of Green Guyville Edition

(Note: Show titles have and will always be a challenge.)

Show Release Date: April 28, 2021

Welcome aboard, Dave!!!

At the start of the show, I ask Dave if he likes music and if he plays music, which is a callback to an interview I did of Scott.  It was one of those little things I was trying out, and if I wanted to be an interviewer, I have a long way to go.

The show itself really has no name and at the time of recording, it did not have a home either.  You may likely notice that the first three shows all release on the same day.  There was not some long marathon weekend of recording, there was just a period when I needed to find a place to host these recordings.

For a short time, I was trying to create my own site for the shows through that whole WQRZ thing, but going into this show, I dropped that pretext completely.  This show was going to be its own thing, and it was going to have to do it without a name for the time being.  (Note: when the name of the show starts being used, I will share the big elaborate flowchart and brainstorming that went into the name.) 

Needless to say, with Dave on board, we immediately had a great vibe and dynamic going.  Of course, we were just discussing these albums, and it would not be until the seventh show when we started to pit the albums against one another - and there will be more on that paradigm shift when we get to that episode.  Otherwise, we found that we had a nice little rhythm going and the ability to discuss these albums with some semblance of musical intelligence.

There is one aspect of the Top 500 that irked us all, and that was the use of "greatest hits."  Each time we stumble upon one of these, or a compilation album (later episodes with Elvis, Little Richard, and The Beatles), we say that these albums were thrown together and are not part of one cohesive endeavor for an artist.  In this show, we have Al Green with his Greatest Hits, and yet, he has two other albums in the Top 500 - so the spot, we feel, was wasted.

But please walk away with this: we realized that we played well together and complimented each to a level that we believed we potentially had something.

The "Playlist Masters" commercial is a disaster.  I still say it is a good bit, but the execution was not very good.  Imagine if you will, K-Tel getting onto your computer, into your cassette and CD collection, and into your browser history to curate the best musical playlist for you.  (For those of you unfamiliar with K-Tel, I point you down to the new reference section below.)  As it happens, the victim in this commercial has three embarrassing songs played back that best befit what was gleaned from a deep dive search of all his media.  Where this bit epically fails is that the clips are entirely too short.  The clips are as follows:  Wilson Phillips  - "Hold On", Air Supply - "Making Love Out of Nothing at All", and the last clip is a song called "The Money Shot" from a compilation album called "Sex-O-Rama 2", with the subtitle of "Classic Adult Film Music" - obviously portraying that the victim of the commercial is surfing recreational procreation.   As I said, the bit has its merits, but I did not stick the landing.

Make note, that going forward, there will be a "references" section here with either relevant links or an explanation to a bit we made. If any music is used, I will site where it originated to the best of my ability.

References:

When discussing Sleater-Kinney, we mention that the drummer's name is Janet Weiss, which is also the name of the character Susan Sarandon plays in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and just about every time someone says Janet, or Janet Weiss, the audience shouts out "SLUT!"  Now, if you are unfamiliar with the audience experience that is "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", I am incredibly sad for you.  Here is a clip with what occurs in a screening of the movie with local actors portraying the film in front of the screen.  It truly is an experience you should have in this lifetime.

In our discussion on Al Green, Dave makes mention of his cover of "Take Me to the River" and we were all surprised that this song was not included on the greatest hits album.  Seriously, check it out here.

We mentioned two songs by Liz Phair in the show, and note, at this point in time I am not playing clips from the aritsts (there was some concerns about copyrights and such that we later discussed).  Flower is an odd song, kind of Liz's Revolution #9, and you can hear it here.  The other song we mention, that is not on the Exile in Guyville album is called Supernova, and you can check out the video for it here.

When we were all digging on RUN-DMC, we mentioned the omnipresence of the song My Addidas back at the time it was released.  It still stands the test of the time, so please give the video a view here.

K-Tel Records - folks, if you can remember what a "Mix Tape" was - and not a short album release (see Drake in a future show) - this was the industry putting most of Kasey Kasem's American Top 40 (more like the top 10 of that year) or created themes, and shoving all these popular songs onto one album or cassette for your listening pleasure.  So, if you were one of those that just liked the singles and did not want to own whole albums, this was the ideal medium for you.  Ergo, the curated playlist was directly influenced by K-Tel.  Oh yeah, and their commercials were ridiculous!! 

Straight From the Heart Collection

Songs of Joy Collection (the original Kidz Bop)

26 Sing Along Honky Tonk Greats Collection - and it comes with a songbook!!!

The albums as described by ChatGPT

Sleater-Kinney - "Dig Me Out" (1997):

"Dig Me Out" is the third studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney. Released in 1997, the album is considered a landmark in feminist punk rock and indie rock. The band's signature sound of distorted guitars, intricate rhythms, and powerful vocals are showcased in songs such as "One More Hour," "Words and Guitar," and the title track "Dig Me Out." The album received critical acclaim upon its release and helped to establish Sleater-Kinney as one of the most important bands in the Pacific Northwest music scene.

Al Green - "Greatest Hits" (1975):

"Greatest Hits" is a compilation album by the legendary soul singer Al Green. Released in 1975, the album features some of his most well-known and beloved songs, including "Let's Stay Together," "Tired of Being Alone," and "Love and Happiness." Green's smooth, silky voice and emotive delivery make these songs timeless classics, and his influence can be heard in countless soul and R&B artists that have followed in his footsteps.

Liz Phair - "Exile in Guyville" (1993):

"Exile in Guyville" is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair. Released in 1993, the album is a raw and unapologetic exploration of sexuality, relationships, and the experience of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. The album's lo-fi sound, combined with Phair's candid and confessional lyrics, created a sensation in the indie rock scene and has since been regarded as a groundbreaking album for women in rock.

Run-DMC - "Raising Hell" (1986):

"Raising Hell" is the third studio album by the influential hip-hop group Run-DMC. Released in 1986, the album helped to popularize hip-hop in mainstream music and solidified Run-DMC's place in music history. The album features hits such as "Walk This Way," a collaboration with Aerosmith, "It's Tricky," and "My Adidas." The group's signature style of stripped-down beats, booming basslines, and aggressive rhymes paved the way for future generations of hip-hop artists.

#sleater kinney #dig me out #al green #liz phair #exile in guyville #run dmc #raising hell #k-tel #music #music commentary #rolling stone magazine #musical shenanigans

[careersway]

9 Must-Watch Ted Talks That WILL Inspire you to Achieve Big in Your Career

The path to a successful career is rarely without its bends and curves. There are times of frustration, of uninspiration; times when you are riddled with self-doubt, and even utter powerlessness. Precisely in times like these, you can benefit from a little dose of inspiration and encouragement, to tackle the periods of demotivation and despair.

For this very reason, here is a list of 9 carefully-curated Ted and Tedx Talks, that are sure to instil purpose and direction into your career. Each of these videos carry some very significant lessons that will help you at every single point of your career journey.

1. When life is throwing curveballs at you

Living Beyond Limits | Amy Purdy

Amy Purdy is a professional snowboarder despite having lost both her legs to bacterial meningitis. She describes her experiences with her disability, the power of imagination, and explains how life rarely proceeds the way we plan it to go, yet it is the choices we make that determine our lives in the end.

2. …and you are feeling down in the dumps

 My Philosophy for a Happy Life | Sam Berns

Sam’s life isn’t exactly what most would define as “perfect”. However, he has never let his circumstances get the better of him. In this uplifting talk, Sam Berns shares the ways he keeps negativity out of his life, to embrace life, warts and all.

 3. …it is important to keep the negative elements out of your life 

The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong | Amy Morin

Mental strength is not just a matter of integrating certain beliefs or habits, it is also about getting rid of the bad ones. Having faced her fair share of storms in life, Amy Morin shares a few habits that mentally strong people do not engage in, habits that often prevent us from being the people we can be.

4. When you are trying to figure out what makes you tick

Life is Your Talents Discovered | Sir Ken Robinson

“Knowledge isn’t about what you know, it is about what you don’t know.” Sir Ken Robinson talks about how talents are not always visible on the surface, one has to go look for it.

  5. …and need that extra effort to chase your dreams

 How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over | Mel Robbins

Mel Robbins, in this highly motivating talk, teaches us how to stop making excuses, and not give up. This talk is guaranteed to jolt you out of your bed, and on to your study chair/work desk.

6. When you are not feeling particularly powerful and in control

Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are | Amy Cuddy

This one has proved most useful to me. We are often cognizant of other people’s body language, and the effect it has on us. Yet we rarely stop to think that our own body language too has a profound effect on our emotions, confidence levels, and ultimately, our chances of success. Social psychologist, Mel Robbins, tells us how you can “fake it till you become it.”

7. …and need that extra boost of motivation

 Why did I Ski to the North Pole? | Ben Saunders

“No one else is the authority on your potential. You’re the only person that decides how far you go and what you’re capable of.” Ben Saunders is the youngest person ever to ski solo to the North Pole. Hi talk about how he succeeded to fulfil his aspirations, in the face of harrowing challenges, is sure to leave you inspired to pursue whatever you put your mind to.

8. When you are trying to find the mantra to success

The Happy Secret to Better Work | Shawn Achor

In this humour-filled talk, Shawn Achor talks about the ‘happiness advantage’, i.e. how happiness drives success, rather than the other way round. He shares some ways how you can bring about small changes in your happiness and positivity levels, to move a step closer to success.

9. …and need the secret behind self-motivation to help

The Psychology of Self-Motivation | Scott Geller

Scott Geller uses psychological research and concepts to elucidate how self-motivation works, and the four factors that contribute to the feeling of competence, motivation, and success.

(Bonus) When all is said and done, some insightful words from a brilliant man can do wonders.

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

In his commencement speech at Stanford University’s graduation ceremony, the great man talks about life, fulfilling dreams, and making a mark, drawing from some of the defining moments of his life.

Stay strong, stay positive.

To get more details about career counselling for graduates visit Mindler

#how to make big career #career counselling for graduates

[la-llama-sims]

The Sims 4 Marvel Legacy Challenge

In my search for a new challenge to play to spice up my gameplay, I thought “hey, I love Marvel! Let’s make a challenge!” To make sure I wasn’t ripping anyone off, the only other similar challenge I found was CheetahAlyssa’s MCU Legacy Challenge (so definitely check that out if you’ve only seen the mainstream Marvel movies!). I, however, still developed my own challenge as an excuse to drag the X-Men into this (because they’re so cool!). At the moment, this is a 10 Generation Legacy Challenge, but I’m not opposed to adding more optional generations later on that incorporate other Marvel characters (ie. The Fantastic Four, Eternals, Spider-Man, etc.). So for starters, I’ve included some of my favorite characters/characters who’s stories I felt could work together and build off of each other. I was also inspired by the Not So Berry Challenge to structure my challenge in that this is an experience challenge– doing things out of the norm of your gameplay! Let me know if you have any further suggestions to build this challenge and if you end up playing, feel free to tag me in your screenshots (or use the hashtag, #LLS4MarvelLegacy)!

Rules are below the cut! 💕

@sims-4-challenges-ideas​ @sims-4-challenges​

Starting Out

Create a Young Adult sim (see Generation 1 for Aspiration and Traits)

Turn on Aging (Feel free to choose the Lifespan length, but Aging must be turned on. If you want more of a challenge, choose a shorter Lifespan).

For more of a challenge, move into an empty lot and set funds to §0 (aka, play Rags to Riches style). However, at the end of the day, it’s your game (so if you don’t want to play Rags to Riches, use starting funds to move into a starter home). 

Generation 1: ⚠️Wolverine⚠️

Although many details of your past are fuzzy, all you know is that you’re alone. But everyone has to start somewhere. Living a simple life, your survival instincts set in, making you weary of others and focused on staying alive.

Aspiration: The Curator

Traits: Loner, Hot-Headed, Loves Outdoors

Live Off-The-Grid

Do not have a formal career; make money from foraging, fishing, etc.

Complete Aspiration and max Gardening and Handiness skills

Have 4 enemies (fight often)

During Young Adulthood, only reach “Friend” level with other sims. In Adulthood, begin developing further relationships.

In Adulthood, find love (getting married is optional) and have only one child (For extra drama, try falling in love with a sim who’s already married/in a relationship. We love a Jean/Scott/Logan love triangle lol).

Generation 2: 🎆♠️Gambit♠️🎆

Growing up, you didn’t have much, but you had enough to survive. Like your parent, you always felt like luck was never on your side, but you want to do something to change that– to make a better life for yourself. Although you may make mistakes along the way, fate will guide you to the place where you belong.

Aspiration: Chief of Mischief

Traits: Romantic, Kleptomaniac, Goofball

Start working in the Criminal Career (towards the Boss Branch); also make money from stealing. Eventually, stop stealing and join the Culinary Career (Chef Branch) (yes I based Gambit’s secret love for cooking off of that one scene from the 90s cartoon lol).

Complete aspiration and max out Mischief and Cooking skill

Own a card-playing table and use it often

Have a “Friends with Benefits” relationship with partner; eventually become Soulmates and get married (I stan Rogue and Gambit).

Have only one child (you may adopt more if you’d like)

Generation 3: 🧢🇺🇸Captain America🇺🇸🧢

Seeing how your parent turned their life around, you’ve always strived to fight for what’s right. You’re all about helping others and supporting the greater good, even if that means making the sacrifice play. 

Aspiration: Neighborhood Confidante

Traits: Active, Good, Gloomy

Complete aspiration and max Fitness and Dancing Skills

Reach max level of the Military career (Officer branch)

Become Best Friends with another sim (preferably one also in the Military career). Eventually have a falling out with Best Friend (or have friend die prematurely for more ✨accuracy✨)

Find “the one.” Date, but break up. Eventually get back together then get married. Have 2 children.

Generation 4: 🕸🩸Black Widow🩸🕸

You idolized your parents’ relationship growing up, but never felt you deserved love yourself. You make a lot of mistakes and you’re your own worse critic, but you constantly work towards doing the right thing as you were taught from a young age. Even though you start with a lot of red in your ledger, you learn from your mistakes.

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Traits: Unflirty, Perfectionist, Outgoing

Reach max level of Secret Agent career (Diamond Agent Branch)

Complete Aspiration and max Charisma skill

Have 3 enemies during Young Adulthood and resolve relationships in Adulthood (get rid of the red in your ledger)

Have one constant Best Friend

Have a falling out with your sibling as they move out, but reconnect in Late Young Adulthood/Early Adulthood

Getting married is optional, but have only one biological child and adopt at least one other child

Generation 5: ⚡️Thor⚡️

You’ve spent your life searching for your place in the world, even if that meant not living up to the expectations of others, including your parents. While you have a good head on your shoulders, you can’t help but want to live your life and see where fate takes you until you finally find your purpose.

Aspiration: Party Animal (its Party Thor lol)

Traits: Cheerful, Adventurous, Clumsy

Have an adopted sibling; have a poor relationship until Teen years. Resolve differences starting in Young Adulthood.

Complete Aspiration and max Comedy skill (Entertainer Branch)

Party often as Young Adult and become more career-driven as Adult

Use odd-end ways to make money in Young Adulthood (ie. part-time jobs, foraging, etc). Discover passion in Adulthood by joining the Entertainment Career (Comedian Branch)

Eventually get married and have children (preferably in Adulthood)

Generation 6: 🩺🌀Doctor Strange🌀🩺

Your parent had a late start in life when it comes to their career, but that changes with you. You want to be the best and learn all that you can, but little do you know that it comes at the expense of the relationships in your life.

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Traits: Self-Absorbed, Noncommittal, Ambitious

Reach max level of the Doctor Career

Complete Aspiration and max Writing skill

Become enemies with at least one co-worker

Have a long-term relationship in Young Adulthood (preferably with a co-worker), but break up when entering Adulthood (because you’re always so focused on work, your relationship is strained)

Either have a child before breaking up with long-term partner or have a child with a random hook-up; never get married.

Generation 7: 🧲Magneto🧲

Although your parent had a successful, lucrative career, you can’t help but want more for yourself. You feel you have the potential to make a real difference in the world– that the world is in the palm of your head and only you have the power to take it, doing whatever it takes. But perhaps that determination will cloud your better judgment.

Aspiration: Successful Lineage

Traits: Jealous, Self-Assured, Snob

Max Politician Career (Politician branch)

Complete up to Stage 3 of Aspiration (because you’ll have a falling out with your children)

Max Research and Debate and Logic skills

Get married early. Have 3 kids (preferably at least one set of twins. Also shout out to my girl Polaris), then get divorced.

Have at least 5 enemies and a somewhat strained relationship with your children (the extent of how strained you want that relationship to be is up to you).

Generation 8: 🔮💥The Scarlet Witch💥🔮

Despite having a rocky relationship with your parent in their pursuit of power, you’ve always been really close to your siblings. Living a relatively lavish life, you never felt like it was right for you and pursue to see a different side of the world. While partially disheartened because of your past, you choose to live a life that brings you happiness through family (because that’s what brought you the most joy growing up), instead of through power.

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Traits: Erratic, Family Oriented, Creative

Become a Paranormal Investigator (Optionally, become a full level Spell caster)

Complete up to Stage 3 of Aspiration (if you have enough time in your sim’s Lifespan, then you can try completing Stage 4) and Max Logic and Medium Skills (or if Spell caster, work towards learning all spells and potions)

Become Best Friends with siblings

Get married and have 2 kids (preferably twins). Have spouse die prematurely. Do not remarry.

Become enemies with 2 sims after spouse dies

Generation 9: 🌟☄️Captain Marvel☄️🌟

While you had a happy upbringing, things changed when your parent died as the other was consumed with grief. And while that experience numbed you to some emotions, your happy place lay beyond the stars, where you knew you could escape the reality you faced on Earth. 

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Traits: Proper, Geek, Insider

Reach max level of Astronaut career (Space Ranger Branch)

Complete Aspiration and max Rocket Science and Charisma skills

Build a Rocketship and go to space often (optionally, visit Sixam)

Own a telescope

Adopt a cat (preferably an orange-looking one named Goose 😉)

Have at least one enemy and one best friend to start. Eventually, become enemies with former best friend and best friend with former enemy.

Join a club with other space enthusiasts! (for extra fun, have rival club with opposite interests to yours, aka Kree vs Skrulls).

Get married and have children (for extra fun, optionally marry an alien sim)

Generation 10: 🛑💰Iron Man💰🛑

Thanks to your parent, you’ve been both equally intrigued and terrified at what lies beyond the stars. However, sometimes you can be too smart for your own good. You make a name for yourself as a master inventor, but you tend to put your relationships on the back burner as you’re drowned in the spotlight. Nonetheless, you want to build your legacy and be known for your contributions to the world, just as those before you and you refuse to fail them.

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Traits: Genius, Materialistic, Paranoid

Max Engineer Career (Mechanical Engineer Branch; you can also pursue the Business Career through the Investor Branch)

Complete Aspiration and max Robotics and Mixology Skills

Create an ExoMech suit

Gain Fame and become at least a 3-Star Celebrity

Become Best Friends with a sim

Have no serious relationships in Young Adulthood (only flings). Find “the one” and get married in Adulthood. Have children (that you love 3,000).

#ts4 #ts4 challenge #sims 4 challenge #marvel #ts4 marvel challenge #the sims 4 #LLS4MarvelChallenge

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Jintian

Jintian has 21 X-Files stories at AO3 all posted during the original run of the show and all fics you should read if you like beautiful words and lovely character insights (and you do!). I've recced some of my favorites here before, including Argus, Diving, God's Breath, and Seven Days. Big thanks to Jintian for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

Many authors from the original run still loom large in my mind, so I'm glad to hear it. The show had great production values and cinematography and iconic characters, and I think that level of quality was reflected in fanworks. Good writing is good writing no matter how old. For myself, I'm happy if anything I made still resonates with people. What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

Just doing the math, I first discovered XF over half my lifetime ago. I was a sheltered introverted young'un. Online fandom introduced me to a diversity of people and perspectives I couldn't have found in my "real" life at the time. I'm especially grateful for the wisdom of women who, over the years, advised or supported me or simply led by example – not only with writing, but with everything from relationships to job interviews to finances. And I love that in so many places I've lived or traveled, I've been able to meet someone local who already feels like a friend.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)? The Scullyfic mailing list, ATXC, and archives were my main venues. Scullyfic was such a well-run group, with structured discussion topics, post-episode commentary, and writing challenges.

Also, an image comes to mind: for some reason my dad put our computer in the garage, where we had a fan but no air conditioning, and we lived in the US southeast which feels like the armpit of hell in the summertime. I'd sit in that sweltering muggy heat for hours getting my fandom fix. And the only way to connect to the internet was via landline, which I couldn't tie up during the day, so that meant a lot of late nights as well. My fandom equivalent of trudging miles uphill in the snow?

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general? With regard to fanfic, I learned how to receive and give constructive criticism, before and after posting. Even if it was "just" fanfic, most everyone wanted to improve their writing. I think that was a good mindset for me to cultivate, personally and professionally.

With regard to fandom, I learned how to be an active and analytical consumer, and that there can be many (many!) interpretations of a text. What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show? The fanfic, actually. Somehow in my internet wanderings, I stumbled across Gossamer. Dawson Rambo's casefiles were also early finds. Curiosity about the characters drove me to check out the show.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

As far as writing my own, I had an image in my head which I jotted down, and over several months I kept adding to it – mostly navel-gazing, not much plot. The resulting story was a hodgepodge of different POVs and different tenses. *facepalm* But I received some lovely feedback, and I felt very welcomed. For me the XF community, with everyone's creativity and dedication, was just as inspiring and motivating for fanfic as the show.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

I think of it like school. I learned a lot, I graduated, and now it's primarily occupied by a new generation. Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

If XF was like university, then afterward was like graduate school. Sophiahelix and I started a multi-fandom mailing list called Glass Onion and met lots of folks. Livejournal/Dreamwidth became big public platforms which enabled tons of cross-fandom links, recs, and discussions – and sometimes clashes. Although it wasn't as intensely formative for me as XF, I realized that fandom in general has had an undeniable impact on my life. [Lilydale note: That’s a link to a wonderful little essay Jintian wrote about fandom.]

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why? I love the sneak attackers, the ones who seem unassuming or perhaps disadvantaged, but they're actually out here killing the game. Dana Scully was a small-statured person who had to move the driver's seat to reach the pedals – like me – but she was an FBI agent, medical doctor, and forensic pathologist – unlike me, but goals. Other similar faves are Toph Beifong (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Mat Cauthon (Wheel of Time), and Jang Geurae (Misaeng). Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully? Several years ago I had the notion to introduce my husband to the show, and it was totally enjoyable and could stand up with shows airing today. (Husband queried: "What is the deal with Mulder? He should have been fired 19 times already." We were in Season 2.)

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

No XF lately, but I'll check AO3 whenever I encounter a shiny new ship. Reading fic is my only fannish activity these days, so I stay happy and conflict-free.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors? It's been ages, but today I'm thinking of torch, Jane St Clair, Jordan, RivkaT, MustangSally, Khyber, nevdull, Justin Glasser, Vehemently, Nascent... On any other day it could be a whole different list. The fandom was so rich and deep in writers. What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

My XF stuff was kind of all over the place. I experimented a lot, with mixed results. I guess I'm glad about some of the subject matter I tackled, like Scully's trauma and post-abduction state of mind (and body) in Loss of Yesterday, and the thematically similar Longer Gone, which explored Samantha.

What's the story behind your pen name? Jintian means "today" in Mandarin Chinese. I was feeling existential. 🤷‍♀️

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions? I've only ever told an ex and my husband. They were allowed to read one story – which I chose. They thought it was cool, I guess. I can't remember clearly because I had my fingers stuck in my ears going "lalalala!"

However, I can always count on my husband to say something savagely funny about fandom mess, so I just try to curate his exposure. For instance, he could recap the Msscribe saga but couldn't tell you any of my usernames. He's also met a number of my fannish friends so he knows how we get, hah.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

AO3 Is there anything else you'd like to share with fans of X-Files fic?

As I'm writing this, the world is grappling with COVID-19. I'm wishing everyone safety and health, both physical and mental. If fandom provides a positive escape, embrace and enjoy it!

(Posted by Lilydale on October 6, 2020)

#new post #old school x #xfiles fanfic #xf fanfic #xf fanfic author interviews #jintian

[magick-sims]

20 Gen. Disney Princess Challenge- Sims 4

Generation 1: Snow White "I'm wishing for the one I love to find me today"

Founders have humble beginnings, so what's better than Snow White? To start, create Snow White. Storytellers may create her as a teenager and make her evil stepmother, but this is not a requirement. When Snow White becomes a young adult, this story begins.

- Must be female

- Must have 7 children (dwarfs)

- Each child must have one negative trait (e.g Gloomy, Glutton)

- Each child must have the same baby daddy

- Each child must achieve something before their teenage years - this can be reaching level 5 in a toddler skill, reaching level 3 in all toddler skills, completing their childhood aspiration, or becoming an A grade student in school

- Snow may never answer the door to strangers or talk to elderly women

[EPS]: Parenthood - each child must age up with at least one positive character trait. This number can be increased if you're looking for more of a challenge.

Generation 2: Cinderella "A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep"

Although you had six brothers and sisters, you always did the cooking and cleaning. Yet, somehow you loved it, as it transported you away from your chaotic home life. When Cinderella becomes a teenager, this story begins.

- Must have 'Neat' and 'Foodie' traits

- Must clean the house everyday and cook every meal

- May not marry until mother dies (This does not have to be of old age, but it may not be cheated)

- Have a maximum of 3 children

Generation 3: Tiana "The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work"

Your family has barely accomplished anything over the past two generations, and you're here to change that. This story begins when Tiana becomes a YA.

- Must have 'Ambitious' trait

- Father must die before end of YA

- Must have food Aspiration

- Must marry a Sim with green (This can be hair, eyes, skin etc)

[EPS]: Dine Out - Tiana must own and run her own restaurant

Generation 4: Aurora "I walked with you once upon a dream"

Thanks to your mother's hard work, you have everything you always wanted in life, apart from love. Your father was overprotective of you, and rarely let you out of the house. This story begins when Aurora becomes a YA.

- Must have the 'Lazy' trait.

- May only have 3 or less friends. (Family can count if you wish)

- Must meet future spouse at night while parents are asleep

- Elope (you can run away if you wish)

- Have a maximum of 2 children - (twin girls are preferred if playing Anna or Elsa next)

Generation 5: Anna "We only have each other, it's just you and me"

Your sister locked you away and you never knew why. As toddlers, you were the best of friends but now all you have are dreams. When Anna is a child, this story begins.

- Lose all contact with your sister until YA

- Find love with a criminal

- Experience near death at the hands of your lover

- Find someone new after becoming BFFs with your sister

- Marry, have one child

Generation 6: Rapunzel "You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me"

Your mother never trusted you or the outside world. You never knew of her past, and never wanted to. All you ever got was solitude, but that didn't matter. When Rapunzel is a teenager this story begins

- Must have 'Loner' and 'Art Lover' traits

- Must reach at least level 8 painting before YA

- May only ever leave the house for school

- May never have friends until wedding

- Elope - you have no friends anyway, have kids

Generation 7: Belle "People think I'm odd, so I know how it feels to be different"

You always loved books and visited the library often. You never cared for looks, just beauty within. Everyone wanted you, but you turned them all down. You wanted to chose your own destiny. When Belle becomes a YA, this story begins.

- Must have 'Bookworm' trait

- Date at least 5 men

- Meet the man of your dreams - an ugly Sim

- Marry, have kids

- Your spouse becomes beautiful (Changed in CAS) after first born child

Generation 8: Mulan "Could it be, that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart"

Your parents always wanted you to bring fortune back to the family and marry someone of high status, but you didn't dream of love, you dreamed of glory. When Mulan becomes a YA this story begins

- Must have 'Active' trait

- Must join Astronaut career

- Fall in love with a co-worker once you reach the top of the career choice

- Marry, have kids

Generation 9: Jasmine "A whole new world, a hundred thousand things to see"

You hated being rich and living like a princess. You find comfort in Raja, but nowhere else. All your father wants is for you to marry rich, but you want a life without riches. When Jasmine becomes a teenager this story begins.

- Have a best friend (Raja)

- You cannot leave the house unless it is for school

- Must marry a poor street rat

- Lover must be in the criminal career

- Have a maximum of 4 children

[EPS]: Cats and Dogs - Raja must be a pet and reach companions while children

Generation 10: Merida "If you had the chance to change your fate, would you?"

You always wondered why your mother gave up her riches for a poor boy. Your adventures lead you into trouble, and you were nearly always grounded. When Merida becomes a teenager this story begins.

- Have the 'Self Assured' trait

- Lose your siblings and mother in an unfortunate accident

- Seek out a way to change the past but fail

-marry and have more than one child

Generation 11/optional 5 : Elsa "Yes I'm alone, but I'm alone and free"

Your parents always questioned where your powers came from. You were a quiet type after... the accident. All you wanted was to be alone, unable to harm anyone. When Elsa becomes a teenager, this story begins.

- Must have the 'Loner' trait

- Must not talk to siblings until YA

- Must be different in some way

- Run away as a teenager (Storytellers may have her sister find her and bring her home)

- Never marry and only have one child (it was an accident, you swear by it)

Generation 12: Pocahontas "You think I'm an ignorant savage, you've been so many places, I guess it must be so."

You come from different worlds, yet the love of your life is forbidden by your family. When Pocahontas becomes a teenager this story begins.

-Fall in love with a "different" kind of Sim

-Marry that "different" kind of Sim.

-Run away and elope

-Have a maximum of 4 kids

Generation 13: Megara "I won't say (I'm in love)"

You never had much attention as a child, but you didn't mind, everyone only seemed to do you wrong. Now you're set on finding love just as your mother before you but just as life before things aren't as easy as they seem. When Megara becomes a toddler this story begins.

-must have the 'Independent' trait as a toddler and max all skills

-must have the 'Loner', 'Unflirty', and 'Free spirited' traits after aging up

-must join some kind of club of only women

-must marry a man she meets at the gym (her hercules), any man she has a romantic interest in that she doesnt marry they must despise each other

-may only have 1 child

Generation 14: Giselle "I guess a new experience, could be worth trying"

You grew up in a perfect fantasy world where everything was perfect for you but when you grow up a tragic event leaves your family broke and you have no choice but to leave home and face the real world. When Giselle becomes a YA this story begins.

-must have 'loves animals', and 'perfectionist' traits

-must move out of her family home to a different city

-cannot marry her first love

-must marry someone who is married already and has at least 1 child, they then can have their own children only once they get married

Generation 15: Elena "Born to lead with fire in her soul, grace in her heart. This is her time."

You grew up as a princess in a kingdom full of magic, but at a young age you were forced away from your parents to find your own way in life. When Elena becomes a teenager, this story begins.

-she, along with any siblings, must live with her grandparents

-traits: 'ambitious', and 'kindness ambassador'

-must be in the politician career and work your way up to national leader

-after achieving this she may marry and have children

Generation 16: Moana "One day I'll know, how far I'll go"

You grew up as the heir to a legacy, born to rule over others; however you want to explore and see the world. You know your choices make you who you are and you hope that one day they will show you the world. When Moana becomes a teenager, this story begins.

- Must have the the 'Loves the Outdoors' trait.

- Must have 'Curator' aspiration

- Must have a close relationship with her Grandmother (who dies before Moana becomes a YA)

- Run away from home and meet Maui and become BBFs with him.

- Marry and have children (7 if ariel is the next generation, does not have to be the same father, all girls, ariel is last born)

Generation 17: Ariel "Someday I'll be part of your world"

You've always loved the water and dreamed of becoming a mermaid. Sadly, this never came true but you did find the man of your dreams, and that was good enough. When Ariel becomes a teenager this story begins.

- Must have a 'Loves the Outdoors' trait

- Must own a pool and swim in it everyday

- Must marry a beautiful Sim with at least one trait the same as your own

- Have kids

[EPS] Island Living - Ariel is a mermaid, adjust the above rules to fit the EP.

Generation 18: Melody "What's too dangerous?"

You always wanted to be a mermaid like your mother but you didn't get so lucky. You were always kept away from anything too adventurous as your parents saw danger at every turn. When Melody becomes a teenager this story begins.

-must have somekind of socially akward trait, and an adventurous trait

-must gain the cold resistance trait from points store

-must have at least level five skill in dancing and singing

-must find merkelp and become a mermaid without buying or cheating for it

-must marry a merman

-have twins(1 girl and 1 boy) and adopt 1 child(sofia)

Generation 19: Sofia the First "The new girl in crown"

You were adopted into a rich, noble family, very different from the orphange you grew up in. You plan to learn to be the perfect princess unlike your mother before you. When Sophia is a child this story begins.

-must max the following skills: charisma, piano, singing, and violin before becoming a young adult

-must have a good relationship with her two siblings

-must complete any degree at university while living at home

-may only move away from home after marrying and then they may have as many children as they like

Final, Generation 20: Venelope "You really are a bad guy"

You're different than your perfect ancestors before, you've never fit in so you're here to be the best despite what everyone thinks of you. You want to take down the big bad guys in town even though your childish ways may have you stumble along the way. When Venelope becomes a YA this story begins.

-must have 'Childish' trait

-(bonus)have to get an A in school before aging up

-rank up to triple agent in the secret agent career

-take down Nancy Landgrab one way or another

-eventually live in a big mansion and do what you want because you have completed all the generations

#sims #sims 4 #sims challenge #disney #disney princess #disney princess challenge #sims 4 disney #sims 4 disney princess challenge #sims cc #sims 4 cc #sims 4 challenge #sims 4 story #sims 4 gameplay

[antivirusprogram2020]

I am an antivirus program (2020)

> CHAPTER 2 The new human type cannot be properly understood without an awareness of what he is continuously exposed to from the world - Theodor Adorno. Minima Moralia, 1951 We can not change the medium as the medium is predicated on the message (use my square space code for a 10% discount)- we are fixed in this web 2.0 and the control of knowledge will be met with the streamlining of UI and UX design. Design tools like the adobe programs will continue to increase their premium and their monopoly hold on the design space - to be a designer is to be implicated with this process, regardless if you pirate software or notThis is where I raise flags against the tepid conglomeration of blog sites and web in general, the astroturfing of the internet has only amplified the feedback of Graphic Design. You’d typically call this commercial design. Commercial design fits the criteria of an evolving media world, “It is important to note that this ultimate stage of pictorialization was a reversal of pattern. The world of body and mind...was not photographical at all, but anonvisual set of relations”1. Commercial Design started to drive an efficiency science behind it’s aesthetic - you make the access mode immediate and your engagement success is far higher, and you do this through the pictogram, and when photography came about, that too was made into a design appendage. “To understand the medium of the photograph is quite impossible, then, without grasping its relations to other media, both old and new. For media, as extensions of our physical and nervous systems, constitute a world of biochemical interactions that must ever seek new equilibrium as new extensions occur.”1 This is potentially a valuable understanding of media, and thus design, presented by media theorist Marshall Mcluhan, commercial design (and all art and design in a sense) are schizophrenic presentations of the world, they accumulate meanings outside the presented scope of an advertisement, or typography - they link the relational experience of the mass media consumer, as Mcluhan states. However, this is not all, he states an ‘equilibrium as new extensions occur’ - in my context now this weighs with a great importance, we know the new extensions already, something that Mcluhan unfortunately didn’t get to experience fully, and that’s the web, the modern computer, the pocket mobile device. These are in their own rights mediums, your OS (operating system) is a computer language medium that dictates other program mediums, the access mode to the rest of the systems of design, websites contain live feeds and streams to distant realities, it’s all so lucid but at the same time it feels like an astral projection. At times this can feel nauseating, that collapsing feeling of ‘space’ and ‘time’. This presents a wider problem with modern design, technology has embedded itself into the core of the practice since the dawn of paper and pen, stone and chisel etc. The problem being that while technology has stopped gapped connectivity, it refuses to go further - refuses to return the creativity of a design practice unless commandeered. This has led to the necessity for the designer to code, and script, to kit bend and utilise AI - once again “fragmenting” the work role. “Under conditions of electric circuitry, all the fragmented job patterns tend to blend once more into involving and demanding roles or forms of work that more and more resemble teaching, learning, and “human” service, in the older sense of dedicated loyalty.” Graphic design namely has done well to adapt and reshape, showing its versatility in the age of digital design. Not only that, it hybridizes aesthetic models much like a fashion season generates new styles, which keeps design itself fresh and alive, while sometimes slipping into the contrived and over-saturated. But is the “human” service really what Graphic Design is becoming? It certainly hints to this with the proactive design studio model. Interaction and Bureaucracy, it’s an efficiency tactic. All design requires hierarchy even if that hierarchy is to not have one. I see the office space, I remember the spider plant, I see the shore line, I see the whitecaps. The workers space is a micro-territorial space of capital politics and a grab for faux socialism in most cases, in some, it is an honest attempt to form comradery - the cafeteria is an effective grounds to reinforce or detourne this thinking. People like artist Olafur Eliasson effectively install a commons space for the studio team to interact and communicate, job roles are made equal in that space. “The studio, as much as we don’t like it, means working in your own little departments, compartmentalised. And there are hierarchies even though everyone’s a part of the democracy. The kitchen is a nice leveller.” It’s a universal ideology that falls into a majority of Eliasson’s work that provides an effective future-proof for how the operations of studio practice should be carried out (see the Auteur myth). My cynicism is only symptomatic of the consumerist prerequisite that allows design to exist in the first place - a degree in the topic definitely is met with a careerist sentiment, to be financially viable within a milieu of art and design subjects. Graphic Design should not try to divorce itself from this grouping, it stands stronger with the complex wovings and multitudes that allow it to bloom as an individual practice that arranges the practice of others. The efforts here are a concern with the design practice no less, and how ethics and politics are sequestered by a shifting responsibility of effects, how and why Graphic design mutated into the corporate virus that it is now. ”All media work us over completely.”8 This is Mcluhan’s sentiment from his writings in the 60’s, and It stands up true to this day, more so than ever. Algoration (the use of data algorithms to curate a web feed) are notorious and globally implemented into most ‘social media’, but outside social media, it’s used as predictive data. This is the “reversal pattern”, Graphic Design puts a face to this slippery coded underbelly. The automation of design media has become an efficient business strategy to overmine its user base data, and subsequently requires illustration. To be concise, the study of the Graphic Designer is in part the study of Media, the study of media is the lens of relational activities and connectivity. And this is the permitted virus. Adversely, the antivirus program is a research protocol invested in studying the autonomy available to a Graphic Designer, and an extended hand to all fragmented sectors that require a similar reclamation. Language dictates media – media manufactures consent, therefore language manufactures consent. A small quibble no less, that the Graphic Designer goes to bed with media every day. And in the morning they arise with vast spawns of editorials, emailing lists, content posts - lots of fucking content posts by content creatures. The homogeneous sprawl of media is a compounded expository of new design conditions. “Today, the mass audience can be used as a creative, participating force. It is, instead, merely given packages of passive entertainment.”8 The passive entertainment is reflexive of its audience, an audience that is content on not being challenged when engaging and consuming media, not being challenged when creating and releasing it - the language logic is a false preposition - things don’t have to occur in the forefront of our percepts, media can be a stealth operation for critical theory or a dog whistle for nazis. Even a glass of milk is steeped in meaning. “The photograph is just as useful for collective, as for individual, postures and gestures, whereas written and printed language is biased toward the private and individual(s) posture.”1 Mcluhan and designer Rapheal Roake seem to fit perfectly in collusion with one another here, “All design is a political act”, this fits Mcluhan’s collective principle for the photograph precisely, as this explicitly gives backing to the relational dynamics of media itself, it sits in the collective sphere - the global village. It all begins to feel like a fever dream, the spectres of Helvetica, Comic sans and Papyrus jumping on your chest as you’re paralysed in a waking dream. Blink and you’ll miss the horses head 144hz refresh rate. The grid settings of your life are closing in tighter and tighter as you cant kern in a moment for peace, please adobe I’m plugged in to your creative cloud let me use my kettle already, yes dear, they’re wacom tablet plates, we threw out the cutlery and replaced them for tote bags and ironic panel hats. The decoherence of the 21st century is here and it’s got anthropocene smeared all over its lips. Everyone wants to fuck their OLED displays, the screen is constantly flirting with me, it bulges and writhes along with it’s circuitry like an obscene Cronenburg slide show, and with a tilt of the hinge, it rips my hands straight off the bone. It’s simultaneously psychosexual and completely meaningless, but there doesn’t seem to be any Big Other alternative, can you see the demons wearing the guise of post-modernity, and where they emit a solar flare? Just tryna game the system can’t you see, if I shake it at just the right moment, at the right angle, I’ll get an additional diet coke. You don’t understand how fucking much I like diet coke. A man who finds himself among others drinking diet coke is irritated because he does not know why he is not one of the others drinking diet coke. I have graphic design Stockholm syndrome, what do you mean you don’t know who Gerrit Noordzij is? At this point going outside will trigger my flight or fight response, I’m afraid of being swooped by seagulls while I’m bound on a rock, I sleep in a bed with a faraday blanket, I’m absolutely glowing, washed in sunlight. “As for the anticipation of reality by images, the precession of images and media in relation to events, such that the connection between cause and effect becomes scrambled and it becomes impossible to tell which is the effect of the other” These collective postures translate into all modern media and are littered with effects. One is singular and rhizomatic in any given instance of engagement towards media and the invisible hand of the ‘designer’. And on the contrary the medium is an assemblage of arborescence and is later politicised in the factory line assembly - a by-product of ‘essential’ capital labor. The capital fiction is overwritten by the post-market mythos of a company and it’s figureheads, it’s in-house publishing team use individual members to feature in nice magazines. Effects, we are overcome by so many different effects daily, to the extent that we become desensitized to the potential the subsequent causes and effects, modern reality makes sure to compound these consequences of media to a sensory overload of hysteria, the neurotic ones take to pinterest to organise themselves. We like to order things, It gives clarity and comfort within the dysphoria and entropy of our lives, pinterest, tumblr, are.na, instagram are all negentropical solutions in an overstimulated digital environment. “Instant communication insures that all factors of the environment and of experience coexist in a state of active interplay.”8 To understand this I need to clarify that the medium, the message, the photograph and all subsets of visual and nonvisual information are communication - it goes without saying - but this establishes the politicised and astroturfed space of Graphic Design, a designer is expected to make commercially viable work to thrive, and usually this is achieved by co-opting styles to any degree appropriate to a brief. This results is the parody, the hyperstition and hyperobject - an overly ironic and self aware ventilation apparatus that keeps the gimmicks of Graphic Design alive. The overtures of a design piece can appear stark placid and regurgitated. It’s very much easy to default to a ctrl-c, ctrl-v automation process. Reinforced no less by an autodidact push of some educational institutions - more concerned with juggling design briefs than focusing their teachings on a core design system (despite their ever love for the Bauhaus - yes huni the library is open). Of course, with the new emphasis on a technology dominated world we are expected to rely and reinforce the techno-dependent designer (work smart not hard). And we are yet to catch up to this mutation in design, where design was once a phylogeny of different features that collected to assume a physical medium, centrered on type, constrained by fibres and ink and oil - these components have congealed onto the Macbook, the ergonomics of physical/digital unbound the Designer from the difficulties of a physical medium. So why do we remain in the realm of rehashing typefaces and conventional media, why are we tied down to the revolving doors of design trends - surely now than ever we have all the components, all the tools to produce new design movements, this can’t keep up “When the circuit learns your job, what are you going to do?”8

#antivirus #ual #graphicdesign #art #line drawing #stock #stock image #meme #chapter 2 #ANTIVIRUS%20TEXT

[amateurasstrologer]

THE HOUSES #2 URANUS

You all know how I feel about the Transcendental crew. Uranus is #1 on the Transcendental scene, and when you can consciously work with this bad boy, the energy triggers transformative brilliance and other worldly intuition. But, Uranus vibes are fast as fuck, so if you're not up for hopping on that crazy train, Uranus energy can end up feeling upsetting, unsettling, and random as fuck. Here's the T1 breakdown:

FIRST HOUSE URANUS (1)

Never ending self-transformation.

Uranus in the first got you feelin like you're part of a continuous cycle of self-transformation. Every experience flows into the next and these people feel like they're riding wave after wave of positive change. Intuition level 3000. The issue? Little babies with this placement need a lot of support early in life or they can end up feeling like freaks and alienating themselves from society. If you're one of those always dissatisfied types, you can end up just feeling restless. Gotta keep a positive mental framework to squeeze the shit out of this placement.

SECOND HOUSE URANUS (2)

Full time job fucking loving yourself.

This placement gives you a wild ability to literally feel (2nd house, Taurus) creative energy pulsing through you. This gives these individuals deep deep feeling-insights into their own potential. They got the power. They want to shake shit up and restructure the status quo. Gotta keep focused on using your power for the greater good, or run the risk of becoming feeling junkies getting off on their own power at their own leisure.

THIRD HOUSE URANUS (3)

Smart-as-shit free thinking wizard of learning.

Third house is always dealing with your environment. When Trancendental 1 shows up in the 3rd house, we got someone who's hyper-sensitive to their every day life. These babies need to develop their ideas about freedom, which can give them the confidence to revolutionize and (re)organize their mind and soul. A new kind of learner. An underlying sense of not fitting in with their environment triggers this whole process, so if these people don't have the confidence to take charge of their situation, they can end up feeling restless and resentful towards their living situation and life in general.

FOURTH HOUSE URANUS (4)

Developing the deepest, most stable inner space imaginable.

This is a tricky placement!! But the rewards are high if handled with class. These people got emotional intelligence working on a crazy level. The key? They must, must trust their intuition. Forget trusting in any outside authority. Not trusting their intuition is not an option if these freaks wanna thrive in their lives. They're wading through fake-ass shit to get to their deepest, realest identity. And what type of deep shit are they wading through? Raw emotions. When these guys don't sit with themselves regularly and make an effort to regulate their feelings, they can become so restless that they start feeding on unhealthy emotions and let their entire life disintegrate. Uh oh. Gotta hold onto yourself, people.

FIFTH HOUSE URANUS (5)

Other worldly self-expression and positivity.

Fifth house Uranus supports ridiculous creative abilities and brilliant self-expression. It gives individuals the push to meet crisis with a positive attitude and keep pushing for new potentials and joyful living. When you're not aware of the Uranus influence here, you're at risk for expressing yourself wildly in an uncentered way. These people can develop unrealistic expectations for themselves and a heavy attraction to hype shit. Must stay grounded in yourself and allow self-expression to flow freely from your core, nowhere else!!

SIXTH HOUSE URANUS (6)

Crisis control and positive life reformer.

Uranus here gifts you with a special ability to focus and work through crisis. When they're working it, these people want to change things for the greater good and take their life in new directions. Wonderful experimenters, they're clever as fuck when it comes to making positive changes from an ugly-ass situation. People must be aware of their ability to focus and curate social change, or else they can unconsciously get their blinders on and forge ahead at all costs. Clever methods can become straight up evil methods, or people can act good purely out of fear of being labeled a "bad person," instead of acting freely from their own ideas.

SEVENTH HOUSE URANUS (7)

Influential social presence, free living and trend setter.

This is very a powerful position for T1. These individuals feel an urge to transform the mindsets of their peers and beyond that, their entire generation. Loving relationships are the means to changing people's consciousness. These guys need to be leaders in their relationships and set a positive, loving tone. When these people are overcome with insecurity or fear, they end up using criticism and subtle manipulation to control their loved ones. They must remain positive at all costs, especially in the face of little upsets and life changes, or else they can run into instability and end up struggling in relationships, feeling unfulfilled, or feeling like a victim.

EIGHTH HOUSE URANUS (8)

Fresh starts, new beginnings and bad-ass illuminations.

An interesting spot for Uranus, these people are pros at facilitating their own, and others', spiritual renewal. They can empower others to use crisis to fuel self-renewal, and have a strong desire to oversee postitive social change in big ways. They need to check their strong desire for social transformation, or they run the risk of getting out of control and using force, coercion, or (in extreme cases) violence to see their own insights through. With compassion on their side, these little helpers can heal broken relationships and refresh all of society.

NINTH HOUSE URANUS (9)

The Pope or not.

Ninth house Uranus babies have an urge to challenge traditional values and break free of old-ass social conventions. Remember, Sag loves symbolism. These guys utilize symbols to regulate self-transformation in times of crisis. For example, if one of these babes is going through big, life altering changes, she might hang on to the idea of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly to hold her down through the entire process. 9th house Uranus wants to create new symbols to inspire everyone to transform. The struggle comes when these babies get too rigid in their thinking and force dogmatic ideologies or controlling religious values onto everyone else. Good intentions, bad impact.

TENTH HOUSE URANUS (10)

The Social Power House.

This is another powerful social position for Uranus. These people can feel like their public life has been zapped with a lightning bolt of crazy energy. 10th house ladies and gentlemen feel urged to adopt particular social roles to exemplify revolutionary ideas or lifestyles. These motherfuckers want to bring on the revolution. It's important (as with any other 10th house planet) that these people keep in mind the social responsibility that comes with this position. Ugly behavior comes out when these folks use their social influence to push their own agenda or feed their own personal desires.

ELEVENTH HOUSE URANUS (11)

Next level Sage or next level selfish.

Ah yes, Trancendental 1's home position. Uranus here does what it does best: promotes social change. These individuals want so badly to bring on new collective goals and social reforms. These little sages and teachers promote big changes that are inclusive and useful for everyone. They can make people feel free. But, it's not all good all the time – Uranus can also do what it does second best in this position: be selfish as fuck. If these people start to feel like their messages aren't getting across, they run the risk of becoming isolated adventures who use their brilliance and unique experiences to better their own lives only, without giving a fuck about whether or not they pass learned insights onto others.

TWELFTH HOUSE URANUS (12)

Developing new social values and collective responsibility.

Twelfth house placements always give you the ability to focus 100% on the greater good. Here, Uranus develops deep feelings of responsibility for all of humanity, which urges these people to think up new social values to help reorganize society into a more compassionate, better functioning whole. These guys genuinely want all people to live a quality life, and can use their intuition and personal genius to make that shit a reality. Issues arise when these people feel like society owes them something for being a pioneer. Then they can become dramatic as fuck and glamorize their relationship to the world. Not a cute look.

Happy reforming, Astrology bitches. Wake up!!

XO BULLSHIT FREE ASTROLOGY

#astrology #uranus #uranus in the houses #aquarius #first house uranus #second house uranus #third house uranus #fourth house uranus #fifth house uranus #sixth house uranus #seventh house uranus #ninth house uranus #tenth house uranus #eleventh house uranus #twelfth house uranus #eighth house uranus

[opallene]

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

So... This might be little known about me, but I was deeply into the Toy Story fandom (such as it is/was) back when Toy Story 3 came out in 2010.  Yes, I saw the original films as a child in theaters, and yes, Toy Story 3 shattered and wildly surpassed any expectations I might have had going in.  It was immediately, and I believe still is, my favorite film.  Period.  My love for Toy Story 3 is many layers deep.  I’ve produced fanfiction (the latter of which has suddenly aged poorly in some respects with the introduction of TS4!) and a carefully curated fanmix that I am still very proud of and still enjoy myself in regular rotation.

So now I’ve seen Toy Story 4.  It was certainly a good movie, and also certainly an entertaining entry in the Toy Story saga.  Did it live up to its predecessor?  No, it didn’t, but I didn’t necessarily expect it to, because that would be a very difficult feat to accomplish at this point.  But it had some very strong narrative points, which I’ll attempt to dissect and discuss.

Spoilers for Toy Story 4 ahead.

The thing is - Even though each entry in the series was probably written to be “final” at the time, TS3 brought a level of narrative closure and completeness that the previous films hadn’t.  3 made a perfect trilogy.  The end of TS3 led everyone to a metaphorical life-after-life.  Their struggles (literally to hell and back) complete, they could finally relax and be their truest selves, “into the wild blue yonder.”

Maybe I was forgetting that every film was actually very much about Woody, and that there were still lessons he could learn (and thereby teach the audience).  By the end of TS3, Woody had finally overcome his laserlike loyalty to a particular person -- But, we now realize, not his loyalty to his “career,” and to his very rigid ideas about how to perform that function.

(1) Single-child “Ownership”.  This idea has been out there throughout the series -- Either you’re an “owned” toy belonging to a particular person, or you’re “lost” (with a generally negative connotation, up until now).  This distinction has been drawn in especially black-and-white terms by Woody himself, while the other toys have been open to a gray area in the middle (e.g. Sunnyside Daycare, TS3).  In TS4, Woody is challenged to consider the extreme other end from his position - and lo and behold, he experiences firsthand the merits of it (namely, charitable work to enable other toys to live out their purpose) and decides it’s a shift in thinking that he can live with.  By the end of the film - radical character growth accomplished.

(2) Leadership means always being in charge.  This was made plain in the beginning of the film.  It’s difficult for Woody to fit in when there’s already an established leader, and he just can’t take orders.  He continues to act erratically (listening to his “inner voice” and acting on what he thinks is best) throughout the movie.  When he’s really out of his element (and his solitary efforts fail), Bo Peep is the only one who succeeds in “leading” him.  Woody finally learns to take a back seat when there’s an expert around.

Did Woody make the right decision at the end of the film?  For purely personal (sob sob sob) reasons, I want to say “WHAT, how could they?!”  For narrative reasons, I’ll resoundingly say Yes.  For all the talk Woody has done about the cycle of childhood, “Watching them grow up and then go on to do other things that you never get to see,” and so on, Woody himself has been stuck in a childlike mode perpetually.  Now, he has finally gotten to mature.

Exhibit A: He experiences a genuine (romantic) peer-to-peer connection and eventually throws himself into investing in it.  I’ve always seen the toy-child relationship as a deified one; a duty that must be done; the only way to Know your Creator, religious overtones and all that.  Personally, as a nonreligious person, I am rejoicing inside more than I thought possible to see Woody finally free himself from that dogmatism and to put some focus on an equal, of-his-own-world partnership.  He’s broadened his horizons in terms of the types of love that are out there to be had.

Exhibit B: He learns a new type of altruism that is completely non-self-serving (unless you count the positive emotion of gratification as self-serving, but that’s a whole other argument to be had).  Let’s face it: Pretty much everything Woody has ever done up until now has been fairly transparently self-serving, even when it’s under the guise of altruism.  He is even called out for it point-blank by Bo in this movie.  (Yess!)  I’m actually very impressed with how the whole “voice box transfer” went down.  Gabby started out as your conventional villain, but all it took was an appeal to logic to obtain Woody’s willing participation.  Woody was at a vulnerable place emotionally, but I do not believe he was ultimately taken advantage of.  Gabby’s logic was accurate and convincing.  Organ donation is by definition one of the most selfless things a person can do.  After donating his non-essential voicebox, Woody goes on to witness new life breathed into another (and, that person doing what she was meant to do) as a direct result of his gift.  In the end, Woody stays on with Bo Peep and the others to perform more “matchmaking” acts of getting toys together with children.  The thing that Woody can no longer do himself, he can go on to pay forward through others and make a greater impact in that way.  Ultimately, this is how I now see and accept that Toy Story 3 didn’t have to be the end, much as it seemed it should be at the time.

And plus, I like crying at movies.  If I’m crying, it means they did something right.

There was one thing that kinda bothered me.  As "good with toys” as Bonnie was supposed to be, she really cast Woody aside.  Even when Woody and Forky both went missing together, there was nary a mention of Woody’s absence.  Brutal.  I understand why they had to do this -- to drive Woody’s emotional crisis, to further establish that he really wasn’t needed in his current post and to free him to choose his own path at the end.  Also, kids will be kids, and it’s realistic for a child to act that way.  Still.  Brutal. ;(

I was also disappointed not to see much of Buzz and Jessie’s romantic relationship in this movie (I fell for them, HARD, in TS3), but - This was Woody’s movie.  Woody’s and Bo Peep’s - It was their turn.  And you can be darn sure, I Felt the Feels.  Shout-out to the lighting and color storyboardist(s) for the entire ending sequence of the film.  It was perfect. :’)

The pace, at times, was also frenetic.  Being a toy has always been portrayed as a stressful existence, but in TS4 it felt like every-time-you-blink-augh-there-he-goes-again-I’m-stressed-out-by-all-the-constant-separation!!

In all, TS4 wasn’t as sweeping of a narrative as TS3, and the themes were nowhere near as universal.  It’s hard to beat themes of aging, becoming a burden, feeling your obsolescence, confronting your inevitable mortality (TS3) - And although TS4 obviously touched on the big theme “Why am I here?”, it seemed a little directionless in its execution of that.  Are we supposed to relate to Forky’s exhibiting constant suicidal tendencies until he’s taught there is a good reason for him not to be that way? (?)  Most living creatures, including humans, have an innate self-preservation instinct, and the will not to live arises under extenuating circumstances, so that didn’t particularly ring true to me.

Where TS4 really shone was in its treatment of Woody’s character specifically.  I was pleasantly surprised to see his character elevated another level.  There are lessons we can all learn here.  It was no TS3, but it was still quite solid and I’m sure it will be getting many of my repeated viewings!

Thanks for reading...Hit me up if you’d like to chat about Toy Story!

#toy story #toy story meta #toy story 4 #woody toy story #meta #ts4 #toy story 4 spoilers

[dailyaudiobible]

11/04/2019 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 10:1-11:25, Hebrews 6:1-20, Psalms 105:16-36, Proverbs 27:1-2

Today is the 4th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm Brian. It's great to be here with you as we move into our work week together and really get fully moved into this brand-new month that we’re engaging with. So, it’s great to settle into the rhythm, keep moving forward, taking the next step. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. Today, Ezekiel chapters 10 and 11.

Commentary:

Okay. So, let's have a little real talk here the beginning of this week. From the Proverbs today, we probably…probably know people who are really, really self-absorbed. Like, we might be that person, but you know people that when you when you have a conversation with them even though you love them, the conversation no matter what the conversations about is going end up being about them in one way or another and is going to be the subtle comparison. Like maybe you’re having coffee, you’re talking about, I don’t know. What…what your kids are up to, what they’ve been doing, but you can’t even finish your story before they have jumped over you and they're telling an even better story about their own kids so that…so...so that you'll see that they're just overcoming in every possible way and we should look at them and really acknowledge that. So, that…that's what Proverbs is talking about today. “Don't brag about tomorrow each day brings its own surprises. Don't brag about yourself, let others praise you.” The interesting thing about those kinds of relationships, at least in my experience, is that it actually can't hold up, like it can't last. You can't maintain an ongoing relationship with a person like that forever and ever without there being some kind of conflict along the way because eventually you’re repelled by that behavior. Like a person who's so self-absorbed that they're not even aware that everything is about them, you eventually get tired of it so you start making distance cause it’s not life-giving back-and-forth, right? It's a one-sided thing. Usually underneath that is somebody who really, really needs or wants to be seen, and they don't feel seen unless they’re being praised in some way. Bu the kind of “seen” that they’re kind of demanding isn't really being seen at all. Like, it's simply allowing a person to observe the life you've curated and given to them but they’re not really seeing you because of the self-absorption and the bragging that gets in the way and…and that's repellent. So, if you have... if you have people in your life that are like that then the proverb here gives some perspective. If it's you and you find yourself in that situation, then the Proverbs is inviting some pretty…pretty soul-searching reflection. And if we’re honest, maybe we’re not behaving to this extreme, like what we’re talking about but this actually does speak to all of us in some sort of way because it is all of us. We’re wanting to be seen, we’re wanting to be validated. On the path that we’re walking, often we’re looking in the wrong places for that validation and then if we don't feel validated by God, then we will do what we've seen all through the Bible we’ll chase the imposter. What we really want is to actually be seen for who we are and what we usually do is try to curate who we are so that what's seen, it is palatable and good but isn't true or real. So, the bottom line is that we need someone that we can trust that we can be completely vulnerable that we can actually truly be seen because a person only sees of you what you reveal. That…that's all they know. So, you can have relationships with people where you have just revealed a very, very small part of your life and that's who they think you are because that's all they've ever known of you, but that's just the tip of the iceberg on who you truly are. And we want to actually be seen truly, as we are and accepted and validated from that place. And, so, we’ll search for the imposter when there's only one place to get. We have to trust God, which brings us to a leap of faith as the Scriptures do and as faith always does. We have to step out into the unknown and believe that our Father does see us and He does love what He sees and He is eager about the possibilities that we could share together because the proverb tells us we don't know what the day will bring. And we can live in fear of the day or we can treat today as an adventure with God. So, what would happen if we did like throw caution to the window however you want to describe it and just take that leap of faith and go all in? The book of Hebrews talks about that today. It says now His promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place. That's what we’re really looking for friends. Isn’t that what you’re…that's what I'm looking for. And we won't get there by inflating ourselves and living as if the world revolves around us.

Prayer:

Father, we invite You into that. It’s challenging. It's challenging on so many levels but thank You for the challenge. Thank You for exposing us to ourselves so that we can even see what's true. And, so we invite Your Holy Spirit into what it is that we’re projecting out into the world. Are we being true because we know were being seen and validated and loved by our Father, our Creator or are we chasing the imposter? Come Holy Spirit Into this question we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, I thank you. With all of my heart I thank you. We certainly wouldn’t be in his rhythm of life every day together if we weren’t in this together. And, so, I’m grateful. So, you can partner at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi Emily from New Mexico and I’m calling in for prayer for my aunty __ cousin __ and thank you for the Daily Audio Bible. Lord, thank you for all you’ve done for everybody and I hope that you can help my aunty in what she does and help her through trying times that she is going through and that she can make better choices in life. Thank you, Lord amen. Thank you for the Daily Audio Bible. __ you’ve given.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible community that I love so much. This is Diane Olive of Brown calling from new brand work Indiana. It is 1253 in the morning and I’m listening to the Wednesday, October 30th, 2019 podcast. And a few people have cried out for help. One dear sister was really missing and wanting her sister back. Nobody knows where she is, and she has a problem with drug addiction. And Bernie, you have family members who have…have dealt with some not so nice issues and one of your family members struggles with bipolar and drug addiction. And my son struggles with drug addiction and also sometimes we don’t know where he is. And I know it’s easy…it’s easy for us to look at the situation and be concerned and be worried but one thing has really helped me since I’ve been doing this and I hope this helps you, is to listen to the daily reading and listen to the heart of God. And also, I stand on Proverbs 11:21 that says, “the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.” That doesn’t have anything to do them but you are righteous so your seed shall be delivered. Shalom shalom God is good.

Hi community this is Shelley I called about 6 to 8 weeks ago to ask for prayer for a couple by the name of Katie and Cameron Martin. Just to give you a little bit of background, in late spring Katie was diagnosed with sarcoma. She’s also pregnant with their first child. Doctors decided…they moved to Texas…doctors decided that she needed to go undergo a leg amputation while she was still pregnant, and this happened late August. She bounced back and everything was great. The baby was healthy during the operation. She was going to physical therapy for her amputation. She was fit with a prosthetic and as her cancer progressed doctors decided that they needed to deliver the baby early. And, so, there was a baby born, Abigail, Abigail James Martin was born on October the 3rd and she is gaining weight and she’s doing really really well. And Katie had to undergo chemo treatment after just a week or two of Abigail being born, which required that she live closer to the hospit. And, so, she had to make a move and she’s been undergoing chemo which has been really really difficult with her. The good thing is that Abigail’s gaining weight. But last week they found out that she had some spots on her lungs and Katie’s had such a positive attitude up until now. But this really truly broke her spirit. They’re hoping, the doctors are hoping that it’s just…

Hello DAB church this is Janet and Mobil. I went to the doctor today in the news was not so good. The test results came back with pretty ugly test results as the world always gives us ugly results. And I thank you all so much for your prayers. I thank you all so much for being my brothers and my sisters and I look forward to the day that we get to commiserate about heaven and about how much time we spent together caring for each other on the earth, but in the meantime just please stand with me that I see in my creative energy a health, a wealth, and a well-being that Jesus died to give me. I love you guys. I appreciate everything that everybody has done to keep this thing on the air because it’s a mainstay, it’s a part of my life, it is my life’s blood, it is part of my life’s blood every day hearing the word of God spoken out of Brian’s and Jill’s mouth and just testifying to how steadfast the word of God is. God bless every one of you. My time is up. I appreciate your prayers and I pray for each of you. Amen.

Hello DAB family this is Lisa from Wisconsin it’s a glorious day here. Brian, I want to thank you for persevering in this ministry and serving your community of believers with this Audio Bible. I’m very grateful for it as my husband has never been able to get into the word because of learning disabilities and reading is hard for him. So, it’s a wonderful blessing for us. Thank you. I also would like to pray for believers who struggle with discouragement as I often do. And I just would like to pray with all of you and hope that you can join me in this prayer. Lord God we humbly thank You for Your many blessings. Help us to know that we are right where You want us to be and that Your hand is on our lives even when we feel that You’re not paying attention to our circumstances. We know that You are in control. Help us to be content and to continue to serve You and be faithful even when You are…as You are faithful to us. Thank You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[liesonthefloordramatically]

@nomettesbizzareadventure told me she’d like to see my characterization points for Jotaro and Kakyoin so...here they are...  (You can see her much more eloquent characterization points for Rohan over here.)  I think this is less...canon meta (writing straight up meta is very intimidating to me) and more the cluster of things that I tend to focus on when writing the two of them.  It’s probably obvious, but the big things I focus on for characterization are 1. narration/dialogue quirks, 2. self-perception, and 3. interaction with others.  I also tend to find it useful to figure out narrative constraints imposed by characterization, but maybe that’s just because...I like...making writing more challenging???  Don’t worry about it.

Below a cut because this got absurdly long.

Jotaro (this is mainly SDC!Jotaro):

Perceives a lot, (correctly) interprets little: I really enjoy Jotaro as an unreliable narrator because he sees a lot of details (hypervigilance will do that to you, but so will having a hyperperceptive Stand) but compartmentalizes like wild and ignores details that he doesn’t understand, can’t figure out how to interpret, or just doesn’t want to think about.

Laconic: We all know that Jotaro is not very talkative, and there are a lot of different ways to interpret why that is, but I think it’s a question of A. his verbal skills not being great (and him knowing it) plus B. his brain-to-mouth filter being...way too strong.  You can tell it’s Queenie writing Jotaro if only about ⅓ of what he thinks actually comes out of his mouth (and when he does talk, he frequently overthinks it and it comes out sounding different than he wants it to).

Self-perception: Related to the last point, Jotaro’s aware of how other people perceive him (he’s a mixed race kid growing up in Japan in the 1970s and 1980s, so, uh) and has intentionally curated a public-facing persona.  Having people think that he’s this intense, edgy, scary loner is easier for him to deal with than them thinking he’s stupid or a huge dork or any number of other negative stereotypes.  There’s an extent to which his juvenile delinquent persona is because he thinks that’s how to be cool but there’s also an extent to which it’s about making himself less of an easy target.

Physical/visceral: I tend to think of and write Jotaro as a very physical  character (“you can only trust your fists,” I whisper into the void)--he occupies a lot of space; he has a Stand that attacks by punching (he’s the only member of the SDC crew who regularly attacks with his Stand��s body rather than a weapon, elemental attack, etc.); a lot of his strategy is based on just getting really close to his opponents and then beating the crap out of them; etc.  One of the rules I set for myself in writing Jotaro is that his narration has to be visceral--so, for example, almost all emotions he experiences are accompanied by or framed with a physical sensation.  Speaking of which…

Low emotional fluency: He’s not good at identifying/dealing with his own emotions or identifying/dealing with others’ emotions.  A lot of his strategy for dealing with his own emotions is either ignoring them or smothering them with anger (see: Joseph is dead --> time to get as mad as possible).  I think this is actually something that Jotaro gets worse at with time (because trauma can do that to some folks).

Smart/analytical: We know Jotaro’s a bit of a nerd, he’s a good enough scholar to make a name for himself in DIU and beyond, and consistently showcases his analytical skills in SDC.  I think Kakyoin is frequently written as “the smart one” in fanfic, but I think they’re both smart in different ways--Kakyoin has a good memory while Jotaro is good at gathering data and analyzing it (when he feels like doing so).

Stand: Jotaro sees Star Platinum as something separate from himself and maybe not entirely friendly.  (“Stands are spirit possession, or at least Jotaro understands them as such!” I scream futilely off the rooftops.)  This is another narrative constraint I decided on early on--Jotaro consistently refers to Star Platinum as though it’s a separate entity from himself.

Kakyoin:

Self-awareness: Kakyoin knows who he is and what he wants.  I imagine him as a foil to Jotaro--while Jotaro thinks that if he ignores an emotion hard enough he won’t be feeling it, Kakyoin is hyperaware of what he’s feeling.  This is sort of a double-edged sword for him, because I think he’s also aware of ways in which he’s different--he knows that a lot of bits of his personality are weird and unpalatable.  (Death 13 is fascinating if you think about it as...all of Kakyoin’s worst fears about being too weird/mentally ill for the group manifesting.)

Social flexibility/social skills: Like Jotaro, Kakyoin’s also aware of how others perceive him, but is much more socially flexible--Jotaro has the “juvenile delinquent” persona, but Kakyoin adapts himself to his conversational partner.  He’s a very different person depending on who he’s interacting with--the way he interacts with Jotaro is wildly different than how he interacts with Polnareff or Avdol or random passersby.  He’s relatively good at reading people--he certainly has an easier time reading Jotaro than most people around him.  I don’t think he’s actually that great at engaging with people beyond a superficial level (see: Kakyoin “Wikipedia moment” Noriaki), but he is good at superficial interactions.  I also think that he uses some of his social aptitude to try to disguise the bits of his personality that might be off-putting to other people (but stops putting in as much effort when he gets close enough to someone to feel like he can drop the facade).

Sharp: Kakyoin is mean, sadistic, and angry.  He can hold himself back (related to the first point, I think he is self-aware and has pretty decent self-control, which is why we never quite see him reach the levels of viciousness of fleshbud!Kakyoin), but at the end of the day, he is a kid who carries a knife on his person and kills every opponent he beats with the exception of the baby.  He has a very long fuse, but he does have a bad temper.  You won’t cut yourself with a knife if you know how to handle it, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still sharp; Kakyoin is the same way.

Reserved: I think this point is frequently depicted as being shy or quiet in fanfic, but I think it’s more that he’s hesitant to share personal information or make himself intelligible (again, see earlier points).  The fact that more or less all of our knowledge of Kakyoin’s backstory is from narration rather than Kakyoin himself is telling.  He holds himself apart from other people--we know that he has pretty severe self-imposed isolation pre-canon.  Again, I think this is a double-edged sword!

Stand: Kakyoin sees Hierophant Green as an extension of himself, and uses his Stand as such.  A lot of the qualities that Hierophant Green embodies (flexibility, versatility, not outstandingly destructive but devastating if you know how to use it, etc.) are also qualities Kakyoin has.  I could write a lot more about this here, but I’ll leave it at that for now...

(eta: apparently folks who don’t follow me are seeing this so, hey, uh, here’s a link to my fic if you’re interested)

#I realized that 4/7 of the JJBA fic I've written has had Jotaro as the POV character...and another had him as a non-POV character orz #what can I say..............I really like.................writing his narrative voice........... #someday I'll write a Kakyoin POV fic and then we'll all be sorry #(someday I'll write that Kakyoin & Hierophant Green fic and then we'll all be DOUBLE SORRY) #anyway tl;dr I think they're complementary in a lot of ways and have too much fun with that #also I love weird narrative constraints surprising literally no one lkjsfoduoiwruoisugiusg #Queenie actually says something on this blog #parallelism palooza: the journey

[arthurhwalker]

Lenovo TechWorld 2019

Disclosure: I attended Lenovo TechWorld 2019 in Beijing as Lenovo’s Guest. I sat in a super fan / brand advocate seat, and attended in that capacity. Lenovo asks that, as part of my participation, I follow all FTC disclosure laws relative to sponsored content. All opinions are my own.

Disclosure: I consumed the majority of Lenovo TechWorld 2019 via an earbud, translators working hard to turn Chinese into English on the other end. Something may have gotten lost in the translation, and I’ve tried my best to get clarity in those cases where I suspect that happened.

Lenovo HQ Tour - Day Zero

The tour wasn’t what I was expecting. It was definitely a marketing experience, designed to influence influencers and the media. It was well produced, had something for everyone, and a little more.

I write extensively about identity and digital identity in my speculative science fiction series. I’ve read Derek Parfit’s work, and Christine M. Korsgaard’s “Self-Constitution”. The philosophical implications of identity are something I’ve explored in great depth. To that end, Lenovo may be one of a precious few tech companies looking to empower (as opposed to exploit) the user, via their identity.

In philosophy, whenever someone is merely a means in the process of your decision making, you’re probably a jerk, or in the process of acting like one. Lenovo sees a person’s identity as more than a means to create markets for themselves, and is looking through the eyes of the user for how they would relate to potential markets instead.

When I stepped into Lenovo’s unmanned employee store, using my face, it sort of hit home what they were wanting to do. The store had a curious assortment of snacks, food, and drinks. Were the contents curated based on the patronage? I wished I’d asked, but I suspect that’s the cases. Instead of a marketing edifice trying desperately to contrive demand, the store felt more like the corner market that served a neighborhood.

It was an odd sensation to have in a high tech store that didn’t have personnel, but still had personality. That of the folks that shopped there, perhaps? There was the quick bite to eat for lunch, necessities people might grab to avoid a trip to the market on the way home, and the afternoon snack. Nothing was arranged to market the goods in a specific way. It felt more like a community pantry that had contents aggregated over time, to suit the needs of the patrons.

I haven’t had that sensation since I was a young person, standing in the corner market of an old neighborhood where some of my extended family dwelled. That’s where the familiarity ended, though.

In China, commerce is just handled differently. On the outside, it feels a little impersonal to use WeChat or Alipay on your phone to make a transaction. However, I saw the flip side, while I was shopping at Lenovo’s pop up store at the TechWorld venue. They had a Lenovo Legion backpack I wanted (well, needed. It was red!), but I didn’t have WeChat set up to pay, or enough cash.

Nevertheless, the young woman helping me was determined to make the transaction happen. The other employees gathered around, and we talked it over. In the end, she became the handler in the exchange. I gave her the money using Alipay, and she used her WeChat to complete the transaction at the point of sale. This sort of economic decentralization happens at the user level in China.

Having based my book series around a global fiscal collapse, it was interesting to see how Lenovo (and to some degree, China) is making sure the future I’m somewhat afraid of, never happens. Where technology doesn’t reach all the way to the ground, to the common person, it will generally either fail at best, or at worst, exploit the common person.

There were other demonstrations of this notion in the home, and workplace, throughout the tour. The extreme care taken to make sure Lenovo’s products don’t interfere with the user, or their other devices shed light on why I keep buying from them. From a very high developmental level, Lenovo’s products put the user first.

TechWorld - Day 1: Commercial

During the commercial keynote, there was a lot of marketing babble, buzzwords, and hype. It was hard to pick out the gems, the bits that really will resonate in the industry. This is to be expected whenever a company goes large on the stage to sell themselves. This isn't criticism of Lenovo, it's a realization of all that is at stake.

Lenovo wants to change China, and by virtue of that, influence change in the rest of the world.

Lenovo has realized what many companies in the West have not. Decentralizing processes, beside transparent data acquisition, has tremendous potential. This is particularly true for countries with large populations. Each person represents an opportunity to create or serve particular markets.

The assumption is that automation will take jobs from humans, and give them to robots. That edge computing will make people in the field obsolete. I don’t think that is the case. Lenovo has seen that the optimization of processes is one of the last ways technology can improve the profits of companies, while helping preserve the environment. We don’t need less people and more robots, we need more efficient processes underlying the work done by both man and machine.

This is marketable both for companies that want to go greener by reducing waste, while saving money on power consumption. The sum of that vision rests with edge computing built on system agnostic, easy to produce hardware, with software to match. So that data acquisition isn't reliant on crafting new products for each industry.

During the first day I wondered if this approach would trickle down to the regular consumer, with edge computing coming to the home. People already struggle to trust that technology in their homes. Lenovo understands that anxiety; from toggles on webcams, to the hardware switches on microphone-equipped smart home devices.  

They intend to start building that trust by using block-chain to track the food supply in China. If they can make the delivery of necessities in China safer, people will learn to trust the technology. In the United States, there is deep distrust of anything resembling this kind of data acquisition. Worldwide, trust is often the barrier to reaching out to better industry practices and economic models.

If Lenovo pulls it off in China, a billion people on the planet will be closer to trusting the decentralization of data, and data acquisition, via edge computing. The counter argument is that it all requires data centers, something on the other side of the edge computing bridge from the Internet of Things. Something to manage that data acquisition, that isn’t necessarily transparent to end users, outside of the institutional control of said data centers.

I know the above paragraphs looks like a lot of buzzwords and technobabble, but decentralizing data will lead to the democratization of technology, economies, and greater control of one’s personal data. The reason underlying this is that Lenovo is using open source type hardware (ARM) and software (Linux) in their edge computing solutions.

I would be the first to point out that this is likely by necessity as opposed to genuinely held benevolent intent if not for a conversation with Lenovo’s Chief Communications Officer, Torod Neptune. I was, perhaps, a little more vocal during the round table than I should have been, but I wanted to know where Lenovo really stood. If their push for the democratization of technology would be inclusive to all people. Mister Neptune assured me that it was, and that the notion was at the top of their ethics hierarchy.

I’m very skeptical when it comes to the good intentions of corporations. If you’ve read my speculative science fiction series, I do not cast corporations, or the government entities responsible for regulating them, in a very good light. I designed the series during the Occupy Wall Street movement. I spent some of the trip looking for where Lenovo had deviated from what Torod Neptune was pitching at the meeting with him. I see problems in the industry, but Lenovo isn’t at the root of them, and they may even swing things the other way at the commercial and institutional level.

That said, Lenovo has some challenges where inclusive access to technology is concerned.

TechWorld - Day 2: Consumer, Small Business, Consultancy

The second day was full of epic wins, and some missteps. Lenovo seemed conflicted, sending a mixed message on stage. I’ll break it down as best as I can.

The Good: There was talk of making technology more democratic, edge computing in the residential consumer market, bespoke cloud services, and access to technology, artificial intelligence, and data privacy for people with special needs. The decentralization of the Internet is the next step, the next big thing, and Lenovo is keenly aware of this. They understand that the market for such is emerging, regardless, and that there is an opportunity for every single person in that market.

The narrative from day one, about leveraging AI, smart data center management, and edge computing data acquisition would trickle down to the average user of tech in the home, and on the street. Lenovo’s message wasn’t that they were creating that market, but that they were ready to provide products thereof, almost like it was an evolutionary imperative that they were merely ready for.

I didn’t think much of the Thinkbook and Thinkplus line until I understood it a little better and who it is being marketed to. If you want to start your own global tech consultancy with automated customer care, and a small office staff, Lenovo is trying to provide hardware, and language translation support to that end. They are making big things for the little guy, and I approve.

The Bad: The second day was sprinkled with casual sexism, with a decidedly male-focused keynote, then capped off with Lenovo announcing a very respectful sponsorship of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team. I clapped, I cringed, I wanted to cry, and for various reasons. I feel like a few product managers and executives hadn’t gotten Torod Neptune’s memo about inclusivity.

Others, thankfully, were on point.

Lenovo is far from the only tech company grappling with these issues. Stating that there are many attractive females employed in a particular division of the company shouldn’t be an acceptable means to sell product. The message delivered for Thinkbook, and Thinkplus, were that they were “The Young Man” of the workplace, looking to start his consultancy, or small business venture. That he’d have hardware options for himself, and his female assistant.

The appeal of the Thinkbook / Plus product lines transcends gender, and the marketing should have reflected that. That women were excluded as customers during the keynote was a mistake. Hopefully, when those products start reaching the US, Lenovo doesn’t continue the tragic narrative put forward at TechWorld.

The two women they put on the stage as product managers were there, as directed by the man leading the keynote. One was the product manager for the Yoga Book 2, or Yoga Book C930 as it is also called. I’d have really liked to see her up there by herself, pitching the product, without a guy as the conversational prompt.

It’s important to note that what I saw is not the trend at Lenovo. They released their 2nd annual Diversity and Inclusion report a few days after Techworld. Lenovo’s workforce is 36.2 percent female, up 1.2 percent from 2018.

Traditionally under-represented racial and ethnic groups are on the rise in the executive ranks in the U.S. workforce, at 27.4 percent. Lenovo wants to make it 28 percent by 2020.

When I attended CES earlier this year, I was able to sit in at a conference, hosted by Lenovo, for women in the tech industry to meet and discuss the challenges they face in the workforce. It is these things that stand in contrast to what I saw on stage at TechWorld in China. Definitely, I’ll be paying close attention to whether Lenovo pushes the needle toward inclusion, and equity.

In that, I am hopeful.

Conclusion: TechWorld 2019 Overview

Getting to see the connected narrative of days one and two between artificial intelligence, data acquisition, and edge computing was something I needed. I don’t think people in the consumer market understand the influence of these things in their daily lives, and as a result, are afraid of those influences.

Sadly, companies like Google and Amazon do an excellent job of making it worse by lacking transparency in their data acquisition in a residential setting.

Lenovo talked about GPU virtualization in the cloud during the Day 1 Keynote. I’m giddy at all the possible applications thereof. I hope one day to have an extremely thin and light drawing tablet in hand, 5G connected, that can handle commercial applications, rendering done quickly in the cloud. The primary barrier to that being a reality, is trust.  

Lenovo has a genuine opportunity to change the narrative at an industry level if they can make data collection via edge computing transparent, and democratic. Will Lenovo hold to that narrative? It starts with the people making decisions within, and there is every indication that Lenovo is struggling to move in that direction, in all markets.

That said, there is a genuine effort at high levels of the company to that end.

Thanks for reading.

For More TechWorld 2019 coverage, check out these other Lenovo Insiders, and the Hashtag #LenovoTechWorld #LenovoIN

Adam Fowler

https://twitter.com/AdamFowler_IT

https://www.adamfowlerit.com/

Onica Cupido

https://twitter.com/OnicaCupido

Vernon Chan

https://twitter.com/vernieman

https://vernonchan.com/

Lawrence Mann

https://twitter.com/LAWRENCEcanDRAW

https://www.youtube.com/LAWRENCEcanDRAW

And, our friends from the Lenovo Champions ;-D

https://www.instagram.com/tecnolaura/

https://www.youtube.com/technikfaultier

https://twitter.com/TecnoLocura

https://www.instagram.com/leotechmaker/

#LenovoTechWorld #LenovoIN #SponsoredTrip #Lenovo #Inclusivity #Equity #Technology #LenovoTechWorld2019

[epchapman89]

The Sprudge Guide To Edinburgh, Scotland

Coorie (ku:ri) is the Scottish art of living happy. It used to mean something akin to snuggle—coorie in, coorie down—but in the last couple of years it’s developed into a style of aesthetics and living. It’s not just about candles and coffee. Coorie is about taking comfort and energy from both the wild landscapes of Scotland and the cheerful interiors that inspire cozy togetherness. You might have experienced something like coorie if you’ve ever walked into your best friend’s living room or your favorite coffee shop and immediately felt welcomed and loved.

While traveling around Scotland last fall, I searched high and low for the best coffee I could find, the places that made us want to coorie down with loved ones, a book, and coffee. The local coffee haven is Edinburgh. Here, coffee shops sprout up like mushrooms after a good rain. In the center of the city, it’s unlikely you’ll walk a block without spotting at least one. In the last few years, the local scene has begun shifting more towards specialty coffee with a focus on top quality and good service. We’ve rounded up our top eleven coorie shops to help you get around the city without getting caught in the rain.

This guide is meant to be used in conjunction with Edinburgh cafes previously featured on Sprudge.

Artisan Roast

Artisan Roast is a welcoming, homey spot that feels worlds away from the central tourists hubs of Edinburgh. Here the roasters care deeply about their coffee, and tucked among plants, art, and knick-knacks are colorful flavor wheels and descriptions of the current coffees they’re roasting. Bags of coffee are displayed prominently and the bar is visually open, inviting everyone into the space.

When I visited Artisan, customers from the neighborhood and tourists from all over were making themselves at home in the front tables by the picture window and their comfortable back living room-style sitting area. When you visit, look closely at your surroundings, because hidden among the usual coffee shop trappings and home-like decor is a collection of funky wall art, a gold-framed photo of Morgan Freeman who reminds everyone to hydrate, and a cheeky promise “from” JK Rowling to never write there.

Artisan Roast has multiple locations in Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Baba Budan

Baba Budan has the kind of bubbly atmosphere that comes from baristas who are having fun behind the bar. The space is cheery too: high ceilings, sleek wood, and skinny lights pair well with their coffee to brighten up even the darkest winter afternoon. Named for the 16th century Sufi saint who is said to have introduced coffee to India, Baba Budan is a continued celebration of the spread of that beverage. The community table is a good space to work, and the whole cafe is a great place to meet up with a friend. The baristas were brewing up a Salvadoran coffee from Girls Who Grind on drip, along with espresso from Workshop. Rotating roasters include Square Mile, The Barn, Coffee Collective, and Dark Arts Coffee. If you’re feeling a little jittery from caffeine already, they have a selection of food using seasonal ingredients. It’s all made in-house.

Baba Budan is located at Arch 12, 17 East Market Street, Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Black Medicine

If you’re trying to drink coffee in the cafe where JK Rowling first wrote Harry Potter, Black Medicine is the closest you’re going to get. It stands where Nicolson’s used to, which is where Rowling wrote most of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. (Later books were written at Elephant House, but despite claims to be “the birthplace” of Potter, they didn’t open until Philosopher’s Stone was almost published.) Today, Black Medicine is a bustling coffee shop serving up good brews, bagels, and high energy. The baristas are an upbeat and friendly group, even when there’s a chaotic line. Their menu of milk-based drinks is reliably good, and espresso is served with a ginger cookie to make your coffee break just that bit more exciting. The bohemian decor and excitable environment is conducive to any creative who finds people-watching inspiring, and you’ll find writers camped out with laptops everywhere.

If you care about the environment (and don’t you?), you’ll be happy to know Black Medicine has experimented with using steel straws for cold drinks, has completely banned drinking from takeaway coffee cups inside, and offers a 10% discount if you bring your own mug.

Black Medicine is located at 2 Nicolson St, Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Brew Lab Coffee

True to its name, Brew Lab Coffee has an underground bunker laboratory feel that makes it a favorite of students. The rooms are laid out like a rabbit’s warren and packed full of young millennials writing, studying, and talking. There’s more exposed brick than you can shake a fist at, and the decor is focused on the scientific, including a menu that visually mimics the element squares of the periodic table. The focus here is on coffee: equipment is top of the line and the baristas are clearly extremely knowledgeable about the drinks they’re serving. Brewed coffee itself is not a rarity in Edinburgh, but the pour-over bar in central view for everyone is. Service includes drinks brought to the table (if you’ve found one) and friendly baristas. V60s are brewed into carafes and served on trays; flat whites show up with perfectly symmetrical rosettas.

Though it’s one of Edinburgh’s more spacious specialty cafes, popularity and proximity to the University of Edinburgh means finding a place to sit can be a challenge. If you can, try to snag one of the arm chairs at the back and settle in. When you’re done with caffeine for the day, Brew Lab also serves beer, wine, and cocktails.

Brew Lab Coffee is located at 6-8 S College St, Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Cairngorm Coffee

Behind the bar in Cairngorm read the words “Coffee and grilled cheese.” Generous sandwiches are constructed by the staff, and the coziness of this childhood favorite meal perfectly matches the coziness of Cairngorm. The ceiling is hung with burlap coffee sacks, and the natural wood and forest color palette evokes the eastern Highlands mountain range it’s named for. A snowboard, a skateboard, and skis hang on the walls to bring mountain adventure inside, or you can pick up an AeroPress and bag of this micro-roaster’s coffee to take on your next outdoor escape. When I dropped by, Cairngorm’s baristas were brewing up an excellent selection of Five Elephant coffee and their own Central American selection. They served up what was, hands down, the best flat white I had in Edinburgh. Attention to service is in everything Cairngorm does: tea was served with a timer to ensure it wasn’t over-steeped, newspapers were available for reading, and tablets set into bar seating were available to browse their website.

Find Cairngorm by descending some stairs from the main level of Frederick Street. The small patio outside is aces when the weather is great, or cozy up inside.

Cairngorm Coffee has multiple locations in Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Castello Coffee

Just a block off of the Princes Street Gardens and the main tram line, Castello Coffee waits to supply you with coffee and food to fuel up. The space is clean and bright, and framed art features prominently on the walls. Clearly named for Edinburgh Castle nearby, this shop serves up an Americano made with Allpress Espresso that’s fit for a monarch and delicious hot chocolates for everyone else. The breakfast and lunch soup options are great, as well. Friendly baristas are behind the bar and the bustling energy patrons bring in and out of the shop is the perfect pick-me-up to accompany the coffee when you need one.

If you’re out playing tourist or shopping nearby, Castello is a convenient and reliably good shop to drop in on. Grab a seat at the counter facing the window to watch people stream by in this busy neighborhood or enjoy their wide patio seating under umbrellas to protect you from the elements.

Castello Coffee has multiple locations in Edinburgh. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Cult Espresso

Tucked away on a small road close to the University of Edinburgh is wee gem Cult Espresso. This long narrow shop has a sapphire blue facade that makes it stand brightly out from the rest of the store fronts on the street, and the front door promises coffee, brunch, and good times—indeed, the service is amazing and the energy in the shop is cheerful and welcoming. When I visited I had a delicious long black and a good long chat with the baristas about the coffee scenes in the US and Scotland, what makes Cult special, and how excited they were about the coffee they were serving that day. As a group of self-proclaimed “coffee nerds,” Cult is constantly curating seasonal single-origin coffees from the UK and Europe, and they’re truly dedicated to making sure each cup is delicious.

Cult Espresso may not be an actual cult, but I could come to be (almost) as dedicated to it as a real one. Drop by the shop for their ritual brunch and coffee combo, and don’t forget to snag some of their branded swag on the way out.

Cult Espresso is located at 104 Buccleuch St, Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Fortitude Coffee

More than any other, Fortitude Coffee feels like a barista’s coffee shop. It retains the appearance of a converted rowhouse and is a peaceful background for great coffee, friendly baristas, and a community vibe. I sat by the windows and enjoyed a juicy pour-over roasted by Fortitude and perused the simple food menu. When I visited, they were quick to talk up the other coffee shops on the Disloyal 7 card, as well as recommend other must-try places around Edinburgh. They host the occasional cupping with their full lineup of coffees, and recently co-hosted a Meet the Roaster event with Edinburgh Coffee Society, so if you’re just visiting, check with the baristas to see if there’s an event coming up. Though still a relatively young scene, Fortitude is proof of how great a city’s coffee network becomes when everyone in it cares about the same main goals: delicious beverages and open community.

On a busy day, Fortitude is the perfect tranquil spot to relax, chat about coffee, and grab a bite to eat. Their full wall of retail coffee and coffee equipment is a great source for whatever your coffee-loving heart needs.

Fortitude Coffee is located at 3C York Pl, Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Lowdown

Literally low—down a flight of stairs—Lowdown is a minimalist shop. It’s a peaceful place to get away from the bustle of the main road, and has an airy feel to the decor and art. If you’re looking for a quieter place than Black Medicine to get work done, Lowdown is going to be your best bet for a distraction-free environment—the baristas are focused on careful, precise brewing. The coffee served and sold at Lowdown comes from all over Europe, including the delicious balanced shot of Ethiopian coffee from Colonna that was on drank when I stopped by. Similar to Artisan, Lowdown’s espresso bar is open and visible to guests, which invites an easy engagement that the baristas welcome.

The pastry case was full of beautiful pastries, including several cake options that are always the perfect pairing with any coffee for a good mid-morning snack. Bring a friend to take a break from shopping or sightseeing, or hunker down here with a good book. Lowdown is the perfect place to pass an afternoon with a cup of coffee.

Lowdown is located at 40 George St, Edinburgh. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

Machina

The coffee aesthetic is strong with this one. Above the bar hangs a black metal industrial light fixture from which a portafilter, a pitcher, and other various coffee implements hang from to float over the space. The walls are clean and white, and the tables are modernist sturdy wood and black metal. In Machina, several shelves are dedicated to different retail options; if you’re looking for equipment Machina seems to have the largest selection in Edinburgh. Located just up the street from Filament, this micro-roaster’s shop is another warm and relaxing space to escape rush hour or a quick rain shower.

Drop by early to enjoy the food menu options and sign up for their coffee subscription service while you’re there. Try to snag the window seat—not only is it super comfortable, it’s the perfect setting for your next Instagram photo with coffee.

Machina has multiple locations in Edinburgh. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Valorie Clark (@TheValorieClark) is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. Read more Valorie Clark on Sprudge.

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