#amazon dot ca

[daftpatience]

Do you have any tips or advice for running an artists booth at a convention? I'm thinking about doing it eventually and been wanting to hear from people who have done it before :^)

yeah!!! lemme rattle off a few things off the top a my head also, pardon me 4 using amazon dot ca links for products that i mention. its just easy to find references that way (and often u can look up the brand and find their non-amazon store etc etc)

this got super long so im putting it under a cut!!

• join an artist alley group!! i'm in this artist alley discord and it is a fantastic place to get info about cons, table display ideas, manufacturer recommendations, etc. there are more than just this group out there and i think there are bigger ones but i personally really like this one ^u^ i make a ton of use of the display resources and manu recommendation channels!

• if you can afford it, be choosy about the events you apply to. there are a lot of cons out there that are fantastic, and a lot that aren't worth the trouble, and i don't necessarily mean small vs big cons. some of my fav events are smaller artist alleys local to me, and most of the artists i know avoid informa (fanexpo) like the plague. check out what other artists have to say about past events and keep an eye out for red flags: personally i find cons with really out of date/poorly advertised social medias and websites that have mismatched info are a warning sign of a mismanaged and not well attended event. • you don't need a lot of fancy display stuff to start, those sorts of things you can build up over time. im a fan of getting a ton of my display stuff from the dollar store >:)

when you're ready and need the space to display a good amount of art the main thing you wanna pick up is definitely something that gives your table some verticality, whether that's a pvc pipe style setup, pegboards, or modular cube shelving (we all used to use these big heavy grid ones until the plastic sheet covered ones came out and now we all use those. theyre cuter and lighter and fit better on a table and come in more colours yayay. im sure some people still like the grid ones since they fit gridwall accessories tho) there are lots of other ways to display stuff but these r what i am most familiar with. definitely helps to look at youtube and pinterest and discord groups for display ideas!!

another thing you will want to start is a tablecloth. not every con has their tables already covered! there are those plastic picnic ones at dollar stores, and you can thrift bedsheets/fabric too.

• depending on the type of display and art you do you'll need some way to attach signs/prints/charms/etc to your display. i just moved from blu-tack to magnets but i used to use sewing clips (back when i used the grid cubes) and before then masking tape. all of them are okay and cool! except blu-tack. don't make the same mistakes as me it adds like 40 whole minutes to teardown and it leaves gross oil on the prints after some time. evil

• if you don't have business cards you can make a sign with a qr code that links to you/your shop! there are lots of qr code makers online that u can even customize with images and colours and stuff. there will be people that wanna know how to find you again after a con!

• these days a lot of people don't bring cash to conventions and it's pretty vital to bring some sort of card reader or other digital payment method. most of us use square - they recently made it so that the phone app can accept tap! so you don't need to jump for the expensive physical readers. i've also got a paypal dot me qr code and my etransfer email (i think this is a canadian thing) on a lil sign on the table so people have lots of payment options. usually over 50% of my con income comes from non-cash sales!

• make sure to bring change!! we've forgotten in the past and done okay but it's always handy to be able to make change for people. you'll want a secure place to put cash as well, whether it's a locked moneybox that you keep out of sight or a place on your person (friend of mine uses a fanny pack!) you never wanna leave your table completely unattended but especially when it comes to the moneybox. if it's a multi day con this is an item you mustn't leave at your table overnight.

• keep count of your sales and expenses properly so that you can see how much you made at the end of the con. i really like spreadsheets but you can even just note it down in a book. here's a little example of one con for me:

• you'll want to make a checklist of stock and display stuff to bring, but don't forget to make a list of minor stuff like phone chargers and scissors and tape and glue and pens and paper. multiple types of tape and paper if possible. they don't feel super important until you're stuck because you forgot to make a price sign and have to get by with a sharpie and a napkin. don't let that be you!! dollar store sticky note pads are super useful for this type of thing.

• plan out your prices and do as much prep (counting, sign making, display planning, packing/sorting) as you can beforehand so that the event doesn't feel too stressful. make sure your merchandise is stored in an easily accessible way for you behind the table so you aren't scrambling or rummaging too much when people are asking for stuff!

• similarly, whatever you can leave out for people to just pick/grab themselves, the more of it you're likely to sell. things like stickers and charms are good for this - people like to touch stuff! and it makes it so you don't need to go fishing for items for people as frequently. generally i don't do this with more expensive items just to be safe.

• if you sell prints, people are gonna ask for sleeves to keep them safe, especially at outdoor events. sometimes people ask for sleeves/bags even if they dont buy anything. they're a good idea to have on hand and you can find em for pretty cheap online and for a bit more expensive at dollar stores (i use OPP bags. if you dont wanna use plastic you can always get paper bags/envelopes/glassine bags instead)

• a cushion for the chair is a good idea. lots of conventions have really uncomfy chairs. some folks even bring camping chairs instead!

• pack snacks/lunch/water/drinks/have lunch plans. if you have a table buddy that is able to run out for food that's always nice. you might be sitting but it uses a lot of energy to interface all day!! you'll be exhausted and hungry and it's gonna be important to get enough fuel for your brain to function properly. i genuinely would recommend juice/soda/coffee/energy dink alongside water and food if you wanna live, especially if its a multi day con. get good sleep on days between!

• if you're excited to do trades with other artists during the con, the general etiquette is to wait until later in the day/near the end when the crowds are winding down! it's always okay to ask if someone's doing trades, and don't be upset or press them if they aren't interested or have certain stuff they don't want to trade.

• speaking of con etiquette, depending on the type of vert you are (intro/extro) and or how much customer service experience you have, interfacing can be nervewracking. my general rule is that if they stop to look, i say Hello and let them browse. if they seem interested in my table i try and do some small talk. stuff like How are you/How's the event been for ya/compliments on their outfit/cosplay/merch they have on like pins etc are good! kids and old folks love this. as tiring as it is to do some of my favourite parts of cons is talking to nice people that like my art!! all the folks that say nice things about my work are what keep me drawing ;w; i keep my sketchbook with me to jot down/doodle nice and funny encounters just cus it makes me happy to look back on XD

• when it's teardown time try to put stuff away as neatly as you can. you might be tired and just wanna toss all your stuff into whatever it is you brought it in but i promise future you (especially next-con you) will be so thankful that you put all your price signs into one baggie etc etc.

• speaking of bringing and putting away merch - you'll need a way to get it all from your home/car to your table and back. lots of people use dollies and other types of utility cart (i can guarantee there are a bunch of those grandma grocery ones at your local thrift store!!) - i personally use a big luggage bag and a collapsible wagon, but back in the day we used to CARRY bin after bin of stuff from the car and back in multiple trips which i would NOT reccomend lol. not every convention hall is easily accessible or close to parking so not having to lift stuff if you can avoid it is gonna be vital.

#sorry this is SO LONG #i have a lot of con onions #artist alley #convention

[pongosfanart]

Some Scott Pilgrim sketches from the past few weeks! obsessed obsessed obsessed with them

Image IDs under cut because it is Very Long (also in alt text)

[Image ID:

Image 1: 3 pencil sketches of scott pilgrim in the style of the anime. One shows him jumping into the air with one fist up, looking triumphant. A second shows him holding Gideon's pixelated katana, looking ready to fight someone. A third shows him holding his bass, smiling. A note in the middle says "yeah my bad I forgot this was an essay I was turning in... At least it's Scott Pilgrim so it's relevant?"

Image 2: a pencil sketch of Scott Pilgrim holding his bass, looking over his shoulder at Wallace, who has his arm around him and is smirking. Writing above the sketch reads "heartbreaking! the worst person you know has an awesome boyfriend"

Image 3: a pencil sketch of Kim with her arms crossed, looking angry. She holds her drumsticks in one hand. Writing above the sketch reads "about to knock Scott's teeth in with her drumsticks"

Image 4: a pencil sketch of Stephen and Knives dancing. Stephen has one arm above his head and the other on his hips, which are thrust to the side. He is looking over his shoulder at the viewer. Knives is jumping in the air with both her hands above her head. Writing above the sketch reads "they are so siblings...." Writing below the sketch reads, in all caps, "put your hips into it Stephen!!!"

Image 5: a very small pencil sketch of Wallace. He has a long coat on, is holding a coffee, and looks bored. He is saying "fight or whatever."

Image 6: a pencil sketch of Wallace, one hand on his hip and a smirk on his face. He is pointing off to the side. Writing above the sketch says "thinking gay thoughts." an arrow pointing where his finger is pointing says "(scott pilgrim that way)"

Image 7: a small pencil sketch of Wallace and Scott. Scott is sitting crisscross, looking at Wallace with an expectant grin on his face. Wallace is looking ahead, bored. Text above Scott says "about to talk about Sonic for 3 hours." Text above Wallace says "preparing to hear about Sonic for 3 hours."

Image 8: a sketch of Wallace. He is sitting up on the futon looking tired, one hand scratching his head. Text above him says "just woke up." Scott says from off-page "Wallace! What's the website for amazon dot ca?" Wallace responds "amazon.ca." End IDs]

#scott pilgrim #scott pilgrim vs the world #wallace wells #stephen stills #knives chau #kim pine

[unpretty]

Hi unpretty!

2 things- Ur recommendations/affiliate link things are always so good I always snap em up

-Do you have an affiliate link for that some desperate glory book for Amazon (dot) ca? it's mad at me for trying to buy on dot com bc I'm not american

i think i can only generate the affiliate link for dot com :( but the amount i get on ebooks is like. pennies. i mostly use amazon affiliate links on principle because if i am going to link people to that website i want amazon to pay me. so don't feel bad about not being able to use it! you're good~

#original #i checked my stats and in the last month people have spent $500 clicking my affiliate links and i have made $13 lmao #amazon pays fuck all outside of 'bounties' which is why everyone promos audible #i would get five bucks for every person i could get to sign up for an audible free trial if that was a thing i wanted to do #... i could also get five bucks for every person i could get to add their ebt/snap card to amazon??? what in the goddamn #humble bundle pays waaaaaaay better it's insane #none of this is relevant to the ask i just think it's funny how fucking stingy amazon is

[constellationlans]

SPOILERS FOR SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF. WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE AT LEAST BEFORE PROCEEDING

Scott Pilgrim getting an anime was certainly a surprise in a year full of surprises but hey here we are. Recently released on Netflix and having a lot of time on my hands due to being sick in bed, I watched the whole thing in one sitting and goddamn this might be my favourite entry in the series. Watching this alongside reading the graphic novels and/or watching the movie makes for such a sweet experience. The presentation is top notch, even on my poop 720p quality stream. Science Saru ("The Night is Short, Walk On Girl") did the animation based on the credits, and every frame is so good and crisp it is sublime. With Anamanaguchi making the music, you just know it fits (shout out for using some themes from the video game). Special mention should be given to the many nods between the original graphic novels, movie, and even the video game. The actors reprising their roles is another delicious frosting on this wonderful cake and they do a good job voicing their characters too. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona is especially great carrying the emotional weight of the story, making parts that are insane even for the story's standards sound solemn and serious, making you invested into her story. And that is important since Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is essentially A Ramona Flowers Story.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is such an odd title for an adaptation of an established graphic novel series (nothing is named as such in the series) until you finish that first episode. Admittedly, it has been a while since I've watched the movie or read the comics, but even still watching the first episodes something in the back of my head is just telling me something's... Off. Like I know the thing happened but that is not exactly what happened right? Like...

We start with the first Subspace Highway scene? (Ramona's first?? appearance in the story is important, but the first thing we hear in the comics and movie is "Scott Pilgrim dating a high schooler" as a major story beat and if a supposedly straight adaptation doesn't start with that then huh? Btw they do still bring up and address Scott dating a high schooler in the story)

Young Neil has a Game Gear now? (I remember it being a Game Boy in the movie to play Zelda sounds as sound cues, which is Edgar Wright's style)

In Ramona and Scott's first meeting at Julie Powers' party, he starts talking to her about... Sonic the Hedgehog? (No awkward Pac Man talk? Could be chalked up to updating it for the times? At this point something was really bugging me)

Scott orders from Netflix, which is where Ramona works now. (not much of a surprise, this is a Netflix show, but I do miss the "whats the website for amazon dot ca" joke and this is still a slight change)

At the Rockit, while Scott is looking at the crowd from the stage, sharp viewers can see a robot in the crowd? (Players of the game will know this as Robot 01, made by the Katayanagi Twins and fought in their stage. Still, an early appearance, what the hell?)

And then the biggest change of all: Crash and the Boys not playing before Sex Bob-omb. Now this was the biggest change up to this point of the show, and one where I was going to start asking questions.

One change was fine, 2 could be okay, but all this? Something was very wrong.

Then the first Evil Ex fight happens.

Scott Pilgrim loses. He dies. And leaves behind coins. Call it poetic justice for all he killed for coins in the game.

Thus begins Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, where he just... takes off. Ramona takes center stage as the person dedicated to solving the mystery of Scott's death and getting some well deserved character development. Whereas the graphic novels and movie focus on Scott as a character, this show is all about Ramona. This makes her a much more interesting and well rounded character and one who I can definitively see Scott is willing to fight for. While the original story didn't lack development for her, it was nothing compared to what she gets here. And what she gets is enormous. Delving into implications from having seven exes left behind, all of them willing to literally kill the one you currently date, the show goes to great lengths to show Ramona's own flaws that weren't explicit in the original. Not having Scott to fight them for her, she has to face them herself and learn about the wake when she leaves people behind without proper closure. Ramona is shown as a person lacking in communication with people and just leaving with important things unsaid, which all piled up and lead to the creation of the League. By having said closure with her exes, she comes to terms with her own failings and grow as a person, much like Scott was at the end of his journey. If anything, this series solidifies that Ramona does really love Scott even after just one date, enough to face her past to save him. And her facing the past leads to her reconciling with her exes. We get to see the exes having to live with the aftermath of Ramona leaving them for another or playing with their feelings (except Todd, Todd's a dick). Having her deal with the consequences of her actions is great, as this causes an outcome where most of the time the two parties do not have to fight to resolve their problems. Most of the time, they actually talk. About their past, and how it meant to them, how it felt... It feels liberating seeing these people talking with each other about what they meant and apologizing for making mistakes. It also serves as A Day in the Limelight for each of the exes, as we get more of a look into their lives though some greater then others (Matthew Patel and Lucas Lee) and some not so much (Katayanagi twins and Roxie). Gideon also has his story shown, and serves as a secondary villain this time around. All in all, it shows that these Evil Exes aren't evil but as people dealing with pain from a breakup. Though not to be outdone, Scott also gets some development of his own through Old Scott. Coming from a possible future (maybe even the original story eh?), Old Scott is separated from Old Ramona due to issues and is attempting to dissuade his younger self from interacting with Ramona in the first place preventing these painful events from happening. Horrified, Regular Scott rejects this him. The fact he tries to carry on with Ramona despite being shown a bad future in their relationship shows that he really is ready to try with her no matter how painful it gets. Regular Scott seing his Ramona work out his disappearance in the past just steels his resolve. Writing this now, it is clear how and why Scott and Ramona really do love each other.

After all these years, Scott Pilgrim still stands as a great story, with plenty of romance and action to keep you satisfied. Nearly 20 years on, it is still compelling. Bryan Lee O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski could've just wrote a direct adaptation of the story. That would've been good for me. But instead they took the opportunity of fleshing out all the other characters in the storyand make a more emotionally resonant story about dealing with relationships and reconciling with others while still being an incredibly entertaining series. As an extension of a story that defined a generation, it is a pretty darn good.

Also it has the funniest funeral scene ever and is a joke nearly 20 years in the making ever since Bryan Lee O'Malley showed what happens when people die in this universe, I swear to god I laughed for 30 seconds. Thanks.

#scott pilgrim #anime #animation #graphic novel #scott pilgrim vs the world #scott pilgrim takes off #Not exactly a game thing but #bryan lee o'malley #bendavid grabinski #edgar wright

[genericsfan]

Hi thank you for 40 followers :) I wish I could follow some of you back but *insert side blog spiel *

Here’s my DTK shrine (?) 

I’ll add a read more in case you want to know where everything is from!! :) <3

Kid plushie - depop

Liz plushie - Walmart dot com

Lord death cardigan - SteadyHands

Most of the ITA pins are from Amazon with the exception of the large one (Hot topic) and two are from Redbubble

Death the kid acrylic charm - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1389933947/

Kewpie Crona keychain - https://www.etsy.com/listing/1332147481/

Ita bag - https://a.co/d/d9ysnzL

#soul eater #death the kid #Thomson sisters #(patty plush is my next purchase so they can be a family again)

[what-eats-owls]

Painted Devils!

I realized that I've shared this in a couple places, but not here yet: M.S. Corley's cover for Painted Devils, aka the sequel to Little Thieves! And we have a release date of May 16, 2023, which I will hilariously be sharing with the sad, gross excuse for a US senator that is Josh Hawley. (It is not terribly likely, but I will laugh very hard if we manage to beat his first-week sales.)

This also means that US, CA and UK preorders are open! Preorders are unfortunately more important than ever these days—Barnes & Noble is the last remaining nationwide bookstore chain, and they're now refusing to stock hardcovers that aren't guaranteed bestsellers. How do they predict bestsellers? Preorders. (Among other things, but that's the biggie.)

So here are the preorder links for the US and UK, and I'm dropping the summary below the cut! Please preorder if you can, especially if you'd like to see the hardcover in B&N!

United States: My local indie store, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop dot org, Amazon if I must

UK and Canada: Chapters Indigo, Waterstones, Blackwell's, Book Depository, Bookshop dot org

Summary below! Also: If you're on Netgalley, the first two-ish chapters are available to read right now!

Let’s get one thing straight—Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult.

After taking down a corrupt margrave, breaking a deadly curse, and finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family… and if they would welcome a thief. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her way out. Now, that lie is growing out of control—especially when Emeric arrives to investigate, and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice.

For his final test to become a prefect, Emeric must determine if Vanja is guilty of serious fraud, or if the Scarlet Maiden—and her claim to him—are genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but the ties of her past. And with what should be the simplest way to save Emeric hanging over their heads, he and Vanja must face a more dangerous question: Is there a future for a thief and a prefect, and at what price?

#little thieves #painted devils #essentially a love letter to messy relationships #and to folk horror #and to the awkward teens who love innuendo and dirty jokes but crumble into dust when dealing with their own personal Business #it's great!

[letmeliedown]

they’re selling 100 plastic straws for $10 on amazon dot ca and all the reviews are disabled people being like well this fucking sucks but i have to drink with something

[wormsdyke]

yeah yeah i get it it’s a netflix show but the world is a worse place without the amazon dot ca bit in it

#liveblogging #scott pilgrim takes off

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

✩✩ NEW RELEASE ✩✩

When I Fall in Love

Ashleigh Lake Series Book 2

By Sophia Karlson

Genre: Contemporary Romance | Small Town | Second Chance

Hosted by DS Book Promotions

AMAZON

US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMMBCM7D/

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BMMBCM7D/

AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BMMBCM7D/

CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BMMBCM7D/

Available on Kindle Unlimited

𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆.

Hunter Logan

There are only two things that keep me going: my business and caring for my extended family. So the expansion plans I have for my ice cream company, plans that will set up my siblings and cousins for life, are very close to my heart.

When a major obstacle gets in the way, it rocks my world. Suddenly I’m scrambling to save my business, and the person who holds my livelihood in the palm of her hand is the girl who stole my heart sixteen years ago.

And never gave it back.

Beth is back in Ashleigh Lake, and this could be my second chance, but will I pick my family over the love of my life again?

Beth Anderson

The last person I expect to walk back into my life on a random weekday afternoon is Hunter Logan, the boy who broke my heart. And now he wants me to save his business and not sell the farm in Ashleigh Lake that I’ve inherited?

The best thing I can do is shut the book on Hunter and my past, but that won’t be easy. Not when he's my next-door neighbor on my visit to Vermont to sign on the dotted line. And most definitely not when he goes out of his way to remind me of everything I once loved about Ashleigh Lake…him most of all.

WHEN I FALL IN LOVE is a second-chance romance written in first person, dual Point of View, set in small town Vermont and sure to give you a warm and fuzzy glow around your heart!

About Sophia Karlson:

Sophia is an award-winning author who writes sensual, emotional, and evocative contemporary romance.

When she's not writing, she can be found binge-watching the latest TV series, walking the dogs, or planning the family's next trip into the wilds.

She has a healthy addiction to tea, takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls), and chocolate.

Sign up for her newsletter to get updates about new book releases and free stuff! https://BookHip.com/RKDPHT

You can also get more information on her website, www.sophiakarlson.com

#newrelease #whenifallinlove #smalltown #secondchance #romance #bookish #booklove #sophiakarlson #dsbookpromotions

@Sophia Karlson @DS Book Promotions

[leproton]

MATTER s'installe sur les Echo dot AMAZON

MATTER s’installe sur les Echo dot AMAZON

En tant que l’un des membres fondateur (avec Google) du protocole de communication simplifié MATTER, il était bien normal qu’Amazon intègre le module sur ces objets connectés, ce sera le cas sur tous les nouveaux produits et en premier lieu, les Echo dot de 5eme génération, pour rappel MATTER a été validé par de nombreux fabricants et géants du net, Google passe Home à ce protocole tout comme…

View On WordPress

[veeranger]

Amazon dot Ca is literally just the Canadian branch of Amazon. It ships from warehouses in Canada and deals in Canadian dollars. That's all.

idk what amazon dot canada is and yall dont know what a goof is

#im USING amazon dot ca #Anonymous

[sirfrogsworth]

First things first... if anyone gives me shit for getting a Ring doorbell I swear I am going to find you and bop you on the nose. It had payments on Amazon and it was the only one I could afford. We needed this urgently because my mom can't hear deliveries and we just switched to getting all of our medications delivered.

I had to do what I had to do. We live in a society and all that.

Okay?

Moving on...

As you may have noticed by the tape, this did not go according to plan.

I can't seem to do anything handy without there being *some* janky shenanigans involved. But I don't think this was my fault.

You see, our house used to be owned by this guy called Fred Salmo. He thought he was quite the handyman. But in the past 25 years we keep uncovering horrible "home improvements" that he did that end up taking us a long time to unfuck and then do properly. Every time this happens we say we "got Salmo'd."

Decades ago he decided to install the doorbell in the grout between two different kinds of brick. Just stupid. It left a cavity behind the doorbell where all kinds of crap built up. I had to blow it out with compressed air and it was very gross. I am shocked the wires never shorted out in the rain.

Unfortunately, I could not install the doorbell in exactly the same spot. The grout was uneven and some of it was eaten away so I could not place screw anchors on the same plane. One would stick out more than the other. And because the Ring doorbell is wider, and the brick on the left sticks out farther than the brick on the right, and the brick on the left is very uneven, there was just no way to make it work. Fred purposely had to find a skinny doorbell faceplate to fit in between. I just don't understand why he didn't just install it a few inches to the right. It is just a silly place to mount a doorbell.

OH.. and the worst part, because of his placement, the doorbell was very hard to see visually. So 2/3 of people just thought we didn't even have a doorbell.

SALLLLLMOOOOOOO!!!!

So I had to move the doorbell slightly to the right. This meant exposed wires. Ugh. So I wrapped them tightly in electrical tape and then filled the cavity with hot glue. The tape was just a temporary aesthetic thing to cover up the giant glue booger I created.

Unfortunately, it still looks dumb.

And when I get the all-weather gorilla tape to replace the current tape, it will probably still look dumb. I'm unsure how to make it not look dumb.

But I am not a handyman and this is the best I can do with the energy I have. We are just going to have to live with some jank next to our doorbell.

It is fully functional.

It does what we need.

If this were a normal install and not a Salmo install, I can imagine it going rather smoothly. Especially if you don't have to deal with any bricks. I got the wired Pro 2 version so I don't have to recharge any batteries. And it has an extended viewing angle so I can see packages left on the ground.

The video quality is excellent (for a doorbell), the app is well designed, and it even has a nice quality speaker for talking to people at the door. And if Ring didn't have all of the law enforcement baggage, I'd say this is a pretty damn good doorbell. But if you can afford a different one of similar quality, I'd definitely consider other options. Like I said, I just couldn't pass up the 5 month, no interest payment plan under the time frame constraints.

I can use custom "motion zones" along with GPS satellite photos to map out where I want the motion to be detected. That way a passing car or squirrel running in the distance will not trigger a notification.

Here I am making sure the motion zones are working as they should. Sneaky Froggie.

That said, we did get a motion alert at 4:30am. I thought maybe it was a false positive. But I actually ended up filming the world's shortest horror film.

I was also able to link it with our Echo Dot speakers. We have them in every room so if my parents fall or have an emergency, they can call me. And now, if there is someone at the door, every room will chime so my mom will definitely hear it.

This 20 minute installation ended up taking 3 hours. I just kept getting Salmo'd.

The doorbell was on a circuit that made no sense, so I had to keep turning random things off, going upstairs to check, and repeating that 5 times.

The drill bit that Ring lists as the proper size for the anchors was way too small.

I had no way of marking the proper place to drill. The holes on the doorbell were way too small to fit a pencil tip through. In the install videos I saw people had a little template jig. It even had a tiny level on it. But I guess they didn't include it in the model I got. I did my best to scratch the brick with a paperclip. But regrettably, the doorbell is canted about 15° off level. Thankfully the giant ugly piece of tape distracts from that fact.

And because I turned tons of shit off with the circuit breakers, my WiFi went all screwy. Spectrum's cheap modem needs things done in a very specific way. You have to reboot the router. Wait 30 seconds. Then reboot the modem. I forgot to do any of that and so linking the doorbell to our network was just maddening chaos. I ended up forcing the Ring app into an infinite loop and it would not pair.

It took me half an hour to find a support article that mentioned the damn doorbell reset switch on the side that I did not see. It's hidden when you have the cover on.

Also, my multimeter measured 18 volts of power at the wires. But the Ring app says it is receiving 14-15 volts. Which is below the required 16 volts. That said, the doorbell seems to be functioning perfectly right now, so I'm going to have to chance it. Installing a new transformer in the chime box is above my skill level.

I read that the biggest power draw is the infrared lights for the night vision mode. But we leave our porch light on 24/7 so those will never be needed. I'm hoping that will keep me in the 1-2 volt margin for normal operation.

Soooo... yeah.

We have a video doorbell.

And I installed it all by myself.

Poorly.

#long post #Youtube

[andmyvape]

"Please tell me you're not wearing that."

Elayn looked down, then back up with a wide grin. She tugged at her bright rainbow suspenders with her thumbs. "What, not tacky enough?"

Serana gave the ensemble another slow scan. "No, it's… definitely tacky. The combat boots with the khaki shorts is a nice touch."

The grin got wider as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. "They're going to be throwing candy, and I wasn't anywhere near prepared enough last time."

Serana rolled her eyes, but softened it with a smile. "You're ridiculous."

"Isn't that why we're dating?" her girlfriend asked as they headed out the door.

She took a moment to lock up while Serana laughed. "'Careless Whisper' on a boom box outside my window. I can't believe my dad didn't kill you. I know you stole that, by the way. We both went to see that movie when it came out."

"They marketed it as a romcom!" Elayn protested.

They were in the car now. It would be a trick to find parking, but they were running early thanks to Serana's habit of scheduling everything. Elayn was more the type to go with the flow, but living together had her adapted enough that the flow she went with was largely dictated by Serana's schedule. As a research chemist, she worked interesting hours at times, but Elayn was a good roommate, she cooked and cleaned, mostly because she had the time. Lacrosse wasn't a well paying sport compared to something like soccer, but the off seasons gave her plenty of time to maintain their loft. 

"Five dollars an hour?" Elayn griped as the machine printed out their ticket. 

"Homophobia strikes again," Serana said with mock solemnity. 

She snorted and wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's waste. "Which park did you say this thing started in again?" 

It was a little place surrounded by tall buildings, but it was a green patch in a city largely made out of grey. It being Pride Month, the grey was broken up by rainbows. The two wandered around as they waited for the parade to start. 

Well, at least, they started to wander when Elayn caught sight of a dog and all but dragged her girlfriend over to say hi. 

"What's his name?" she asked, so full of enthusiasm she practically floated. "Can I pet him?" 

The dog's owner, someone with a short haircut in a crop top that was orange, yellow, and white striped, nodded. "If he lets you. Sometimes he's not so-- oh gosh," they said, eyes wide as they watched Elayn kneel down and offer a hand to sniff that was immediately accepted. "You must have good vibes." 

"She's a dog person," Serana said with a laugh as the dog put its front paws on Elayn's shoulders so he could lick her face. 

"What's his name?" she asked through slobbery kisses. 

The butch grinned. "That's Duke, I'm Cas. It's nice to meet you!" 

The two introduced themselves just in time for a volunteer to come up with bottles of water. "Our city got voted best water in the state," she said cheerfully. "Take a few, it's gonna be a hot one." 

Before the march, there were speeches. The first was an introduction to the city's first pride parade since the 80s. The second was from a drag queen inviting everyone to the show later that night. Finally, the speeches were closed by an Episcopalian pastor trying to make up for the rest of Christianity's sins. 

"It's starting!" Elayn said excitedly when the crowd started to funnel out of the park. 

The march went down the sidewalk for a few blocks. Traffic was halted and the waiting cars honked while passengers waved. Elayn waved a lesbian flag, Serana had a bi flag, and the two of them dragged a rainbow striped cooler. 

"Mom! Mom!" Elayn heard behind her. "Look, it's two cicadas going at it!" 

She glanced behind her. There was a set of twins, about twelve years old, one of them draped in a trans flag and holding the cicadas that were indeed trying to reproduce. Elayn snorted and hit herself in the face trying to keep a laugh contained. "You like bugs, huh?" 

The girl in the trans flag beamed. "They're my favorite! Well, except for tarantulas, but Mom won't let me have one." 

"The rabbit gets out of its cage enough." The way the girl's mom said it, this was an age old argument. "I don't want to squash it when it ends up in my shoe."

"I had a snake when I was growing up," Serana chimed in. "A corn snake that never got out." 

The twins turned out to be part of a family unit. One twin was trans, and their older brother was too, and as Elayn found soon, was very excited to start HRT. "Get a Gc2b binder," she said. "When I'm feeling like a flat day, it works really well." 

The boy, a younger fourteen, practically floated with excitement. "I will!" 

Serana chatted with the parents while Elayn occupied the kids. "Have you folks been to Pride before?" 

Their mom, a woman named Chelsea, shook her head. "Nope, both kids came out last September and they've been talking about the festival ever since." 

"You seem like really supportive parents," Serana said. It carried the weight of one speaking who has not had contact with their parents since high school. 

Chelsea could tell, and she opened her arms for a hug that Serana was more than happy to accept. 

The march was only about a mile long, and it ended in another park. Elayn craned her neck and said, "I think I see the beer line, wait here?" 

"We will!" said the girl, who was very proud to be named Luna now. 

Serana and Chelsea shared a grin. "I guess we'll wait here," the mom said. 

It was a bit of a line, which was probably not a good thing, but apparently people were restricted on how many drinks they could buy, so at least there was that. While Elayn waited, she was joined by two people wearing pronoun pins that said "she/her". 

Elayn's jaw dropped at the sight of one of the girls' dress, which was a flowing, fae like ensemble. "Holy shit!" she said. "You look amazing!" 

She blushed and ducked her head as she smiled. "Thank you, I got it from Amazon." 

"It's her first Pride," her friend added.

That just amazed Elayn more. "With the sparkles and the green eyeshadow, I wouldn't have guessed. Everything you've got going on is just amazing."

"Thank you!" she squeaked. 

Elayn wasn't alone in thinking the dress was gorgeous. Another person came up to compliment it, and they had such dope tattoos that Elayn could not help but comment. 

"The guy that did them is great," they gushed. "He does blacklight work too!" 

So she got a website saved on her phone for the next time she really wanted to get a tattoo on top of the three she already had; scrollwork on her bicep, a wolf on her shoulder blade, and a small date on her wrist that was the day she met Serana. 

When she got back to her girlfriend and the others, an IPA in hand that was frankly piss, she told them about the girl in the fae dress. 

"I saw her!" Serana exclaimed. 

"Amazon." 

"No way." 

Next was food, especially if she was going to drink a beer. Assuming she actually drank it. "There's some food trucks," she pointed out. "I could go for a corndog." 

"I'm going to get some mac and cheese," Serana said. 

"Mom! Mom!" Luna's twin brother, Ian, tugged at his mom's sleeve. "Can we get pretzels?" 

Chelsea sighed good-naturedly. "I suppose. Do you two want to meet up after?" 

"Over by the stage?" Elayn suggested. 

The group separated. She found the line for corndogs and funnel cake. While she was waiting, the woman ahead of her glanced her way, so Elayn said, "Howdy!" 

"Hey there, hun!" She clapped her on the shoulder. "Having a good time?" 

"I am," she said with a grin. "Everyone here is so nice. There were some moms back there handing out hugs!" 

"Well, I'm a mom, would you like a hug?" 

"I would love that." 

It was a lovely hug, the woman was warm and smelled floral. When they separated, she said, "I'm Elayn! It's good to meet you. Can I get you a corndog?" 

As she pulled out her wallet, the woman waved her money away. "It's Nessa, and actually, I'd like to buy you a corndog." 

"You don't have to--" 

Nessa laughed. "I miss my daughters, you'd be doing me a favor." 

They chatted while the line went down, about lacrosse and about university. It turned out Nessa's two daughters went off to college in other cities, so it had been a while since she saw either. "I had a son," she said. "But now I have a very happy daughter, and I'm so proud of her." 

"I wish I had a mom like you," Elayn said, thinking about growing up foster care. 

Nessa grabbed her in another hug. "Now you do!" 

When she got back to Serana and the others, they were listening to the music booming from the speakers. She had to yell to tell the group about her new mom. 

Chelsea looked a little sad, because she could connect the dots, but Luna and Ian were too busy freaking out over the cotton candy Nessa had bought her too. 

Not long after, the stage was occupied. Elayn was chatting with Luna with her back turned, so she missed it until Serana tapped her shoulder and turned her around. 

"Holy shit!" She hollered and clapped at the sight of a gorgeous, sequin clad drag queen in four inch heels doing a backflip off the stage and onto grass. "Holy shit!" 

As it turned out, the drag queens took tips, and it was at that point that Elayn knew she was about to spend a lot of money. Each queen that performed, and there were many, got a five in exchange for the sheer joy Elayn got when the queen before her touched her hand. 

When there was a break in the performances, she went back to Serana, who had a smirk on her face. "Should I be jealous?" 

Elayn cupped her face, and in a fit of sheer enthusiasm, kissed her girlfriend soundly, to the delight of the twins who hooted. "Don't worry, babe," she teased. "You're the only queen for me." 

"Flatterer." Serana swatted at her chest, but the smile on her face was pleased regardless. 

It was all a blur from there. Fair food, loud music-- and Elayn found beer that wasn't piss! She taught the twins a new vocabulary of cuss words the moment she found out their mom was fine with foul language. They parted around five in the afternoon, when a voice through a megaphone warned attendants that the festival was about to start catering to adults. There was a concert with more drag queens, this time in much more risqué outfits that Elayn would have given a kidney to see on Serana. 

When she said something, her girlfriend got a light in her eye. "Really now?" she purred. "Maybe for your birthday." 

By 11pm, Elayn was high on the party atmosphere and a few beers. The festival was over, and the walk back to their car would be a trick. "Did you have fun?" she asked Serana as they walked hand in hand. 

She got a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad I have you. When are we getting married?"

"When I figure out how to surprise you with a ring." 

#skyrim fanfiction #Modern AU #pride 2021 #Femslash #dragonborn #serana #Whoever gets the reference gets a cookie and to feel superior

[dadvans]

yes i do regularly make drunk decisions on Amazon dot com to surprise sober me a month later, adulthood giveth and taketh away like that

anyway the piss poem is about cas

#misha collins #not proud of this!!!!

[dwellordream]

“Besides Thracians, Greeks encountered many other tattooed people among their neighbors around the Black Sea and in Pontus, major Amazon strongholds. Numerous authors reported tattooing among Scythians. Hippocrates, for example, remarked that the Scythian nomads “branded” figures on their shoulders, arms, chests, and thighs to “instill strength and courage,” suggesting a magical function of tattoos. Herodotus wrote that the Thracians thought plain skin signaled a lack of identity. Elaborate tattoos were considered beauty marks of nobility for both men and women in Thrace; even ordinary folk had a few small tattoos. 

Some four hundred years after Herodotus, the Greek orator Dio Chrysostom remarked that the women of Thrace were still covering themselves with tattoos as marks of high social standing. Herodotus also described the tattoos of the Iranian-speaking Scythian-Thracian people called the Agathyrsi. According to a story he heard in Pontus, the Agathyrsi claimed descent from a Scythian woman and Heracles. The Agathyrsi were one of the tribes that had repelled Darius I of Persia (sixth century BC). Later (fourth century BC) they would migrate north to the Sarmatian steppes. Agathyrsi women especially favored tattoos, noted Herodotus. The higher their status, the larger, more richly detailed and colorful were their skin designs. 

Ammianus Marcellinus (fourth century AD) reported that Agathyrsi tattoos were checkered designs in blue-black ink. When the Greek general and historian Xenophon led his army across Pontus (ca. 400 BC), the land of the Amazons, he observed that the skin of the men and women and children of the Mossynoeci tribe was covered with colorful tattoos of flowers. Pomponius Mela also reported that these people completely marked their entire bodies with tattoos. The Sarmatians, strongly associated with Amazons, received their first tattoos as children, according to Sextus Empiricus and Pliny; Pliny also reported that among Sarmatians, Dacians, and Britons, the women “wrote on their own bodies.”

Clearchus of Soli explicitly stated that Scythian women—the historical counterparts of Amazons—taught the art of tattooing to Thracian women who lived on the northwestern frontiers of Scythia. A Greek philosopher who traveled widely and wrote extensively about Thrace, Clearchus reported that Scythian women “used to decorate the Thracian women all over their bodies, using the tongues of their belt buckles (or pins of brooches) as needles.” After several generations, Thracian women began to add their own embellishments and other designs to the Scythian motifs. 

Ancient accounts of tattooing by the Thracians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Agathyrsi, Mossynoecians of Pontus, Illyrians, Dacians, Geloni, and Iaopodes are compelling evidence that many of the women known as Amazons also practiced tattooing. Because the Greeks thought of tattoos as marks of degradation instead of signs of nobility, courage, and beauty, they sought to explain why women would choose to endure pain to decorate their bodies with indelible designs. Clearchus implied that tattoos were initially inflicted violently by Scythian women and then later embraced by Thracian women, who cleverly transformed “shameful” tattoos into lovely body ornaments. 

Scythians did invade parts of Thrace, intermarried with Thracians, and influenced Thracian culture. Forcible tattooing of captives is certainly attested in ancient and modern times. But sharing tattoo motifs and techniques among cultures is also well known. What was the historical context of Clearchus’s report? Did some Scythian women once tattoo captive Thracian women? Or did they simply teach their Thracian neighbors how to tattoo? Other literary evidence for tattooing customs among steppe cultures comes from sources far removed from Greece. 

…Tattooing is often associated with women in many of the ancient and modern examples. Tattooed Thracian men are not represented in Greek art, although Herodotus, Xenophon, Cicero, and others included men in their descriptions of tattooing. Archaeological evidence hints that female tattooing may have an extremely ancient history across Thrace and western Scythia. Neolithic sites of Cucuteni culture (4800–3000 BC) in the forest steppes of Romania and southwestern Ukraine have yielded hundreds of clay female figurines inscribed with lines and spirals; some scholars believe they represent tattoos. Along with the clay figurines, archaeologists also unearth caches of inscribed horse phalanges (toe bones). 

The bones’ natural shape suggests a nude female torso; the distal condyles resemble breasts or shoulders. The four-inch-long bones were smoothed and polished and then incised with geometric designs (sometimes nipples were indicated). One obvious interpretation of the decorations is that they signified tattoos. Similar incised figurines have been discovered at sites of the same date near Lykastia, Pontus (a region known for women warriors, according to Apollonius of Rhodes; chapter 10). Painted spiral patterns also decorate similar figures of the same time frame in Turkmenistan. Yet another region long associated with Amazons, Gobustan in Azerbaijan, has about seven thousand ancient petroglyphs (Neolithic-Bronze Age) depicting symbols, animals, and people armed with bows, axes, and spears, some riding horses. 

One composition shows eight females (carrying bows?) whose body markings could indicate tattoos. The curious practice of creating decorated female torsos from horse bones was very widespread, from Romania and Pontus to Kazakhstan, the heart of ancient Scythia. Troves of these incised female forms, along with vast collections of horse remains, were recently excavated from sites of the Botai culture of northern Kazakhstan (ca. 3700–3100 BC). These seminomadic people were among the first to domesticate horses. The archaeological evidence shows that they also made human skulls into bowls, drank fermented mare’s milk (koumiss; chapter 9), and apparently enjoyed a high level of gender equality, prominent features of Scythian-Amazon life reported by Herodotus and others.

The archaeologists interpret the geometric markings on the Botai horse-bone figures as some of the earliest representations of ancient clothing construction. Based on their assumption that the marks on the Neolithic female forms, incised with tattoo-like designs, indicate stitching, belts, and necklines of clothing, the archaeologists suggest that Botai horsewomen wore stiff, loose-fitting, ankle length dresses of homespun hemp. If the incisions on the torsos do represent clothing, a close-fitting tunic might be indicated, since nothing below the hips is shown. (Wide skirts could be modified into trouser-like garments for riding; see below and chapter 12). 

An alternative possibility, not mentioned by the archaeologists, is that the lines on some of the female torso shapes represent tattoos. As we have seen, it can be difficult to distinguish tattoos or body paintings from garments in ancient artifacts. The Botai patterns that the archaeologists interpret as stitched seams call to mind the ladder/fence tattoo designs that mimic the seams of sleeves along the edges of the bare arms of Thracian women on Greek vases. Similar stitching/seam patterns appear on nude female clay figures from Turkmenistan (2600– 2100 BC); they also appear on Bosnian and Kurdish women’s arm tattoos.

The deliberately smoothed surface of the horse bone to make it look more like a shapely female torso—sometimes with dots around the pubic region or nipples—conveys an impression of nudity. If these objects had some ritual purpose, as argued by the archaeologists, a naked female form seems more appropriate and powerful than a clothed one. It is interesting that the dashes, zigzags, cross-hatchings, ladders, triangles, and chevrons prefigure some of the patterns on both the exotic attire of Amazons and Thracian tattoos in vase paintings. At any rate, the mysterious female forms created from horse bones point to a strong, very ancient relationship between horses and women in Thracian-Scythian lands. 

Tattooing traditions among women persist in many locales associated with ancient Amazons, both mythic and historical. As in the Balkans, in Dagestan between the Caucasus and Caspian Sea (where the Amazon queen Marpesia was active) women still tattoo their arms with geometric symbols. Their traditional marks include dots (coded love messages), moons (for happiness and luck), and bird-tracks (thought to make a girl a fast runner). Ornamental tattooing is also practiced by Aghach Eris women, Turki-Persian-speaking nomads of Iran, and by Turkmen people. Kurdish women of northern Iraq and the southern Caucasus, thought to be descendants of Bronze Age Hurrians who spoke a Caucasian language, still tattoo themselves with rayed circles and half-circles, dots, chevrons, and stitch, fence, and comb shapes. 

On his journey across Central Asia in the thirteenth century Marco Polo described how women and men used needles and ink to engrave the “strange likenesses” of raptors, lions, and dragons on their bodies. In many cultures, tattoo designs are repeated in clothing, textiles, and other objects, which helps explain the similarity of motifs on barbarian clothing and the skin of Thracians, Scythians, and Amazons in ancient Greek art. Some modern scholars argue that Athenian vase painters drew tattoos on Thracian women to brand them as savage “barbarians” who failed to conform to the classical Greek feminine ideal. 

Likewise, the exuberantly patterned clothing worn by Amazons and Scythians in Greek art is thought to be an artistic convention for signaling “Otherness.” But the artfully rendered tattoos of the Thracian women on Greek vases were grounded in fact: such tattoos were a daily sight in Athens. The specific forms of the Thracian tattoos—repeated in the patterns worn by Amazons—were not simply invented by Greek artists in pottery workshops. The same abstract and animal designs appear on leather, wood, and golden objects and textiles excavated from tombs of Thrace and Scythia, and they also match traditional tattoo motifs on once-living inhabitants of ancient Amazonian territories.

Tattooing methods, like tattoo motifs, are extraordinarily conservative, unchanged over millennia (needles, pigments, and stencils have been recovered from Scythian graves). First the design was drawn or traced on the skin. A bundle of three to seven needles punctured the design into the skin and then pigment was rubbed in (carbon paste from charcoal ash). The paste was variously mixed with other substances, such as tallow, honey, wild berry juice or indigo (for blue pigment), sap, ox bile (to set the dye), saliva, or the breast milk of a woman nursing an infant girl or, in the Balkans, a son. The colorful flower tattoos of the Mossynoeci of Pontus suggest that colored pigments were known in antiquity. Tattooing equipment was recently excavated in 2013, next to a skeleton dressed in a richly decorated tunic and trousers, buried with lavish grave goods in a Sarmatian-Scythian kurgan on the steppes between the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea. 

The tattoo kit consisted of pigments and spoons for mixing them on two stone palettes, gilded iron needles, and other tools. Many Scythian burials contain similar items, which had been mistaken for women’s cosmetics by earlier archaeologists. Plentiful evidence makes it safe to assume that Greeks were familiar with tattooing practices of Scythian and related Eurasian tribes, and that they would expect the women they called Amazons to wear inked designs. The most powerful proof is frozen in time—inscribed on the skin of mummified bodies recovered from icy graves in the Altai. Thanks to some extraordinary recent discoveries, we now know precisely what sort of tattoos were worn by real horsewomen of the steppes.”

- Adrienne Mayor, “Tattooed Amazons.” in The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World

#the amazons #tattoos #fashion #history #ancient #scythian #kurdish #thracian #sarmatian #adrienne mayor