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makeste · 4 years ago

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BnHA Chapter 324: Is There a Force Field Around Him??

Previously on BnHA: Flashback!Rat Principal was all “please tell Midoriya that I spent a concerningly small amount of money upgrading U.A. into a wacky physics-defying funtime grid so as to make the final battle much more confusing for everyone.” Present Day!Mic (or Present!Mic, if you will) and Jeanist were all “if only somebody could deescalate this dangerously unhinged mob, we’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas.” Ochako was all “LISTEN UP PEOPLE.” The mob was all, “god??” Ochako was all, “NO, IT’S ME, OCHAKO. I’M REALLY HIGH UP ON THIS BUILDING AND THE VISIBILITY IS LOW DUE TO THE RAIN, SO I CAN SEE HOW YOU MIGHT MAKE THAT MISTAKE. ANYWAYS, DEKU WAS OUT THERE RISKING HIS LIFE FOR YOU CLOWNS EVEN THOUGH HE’S JUST A KID, SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD ALL REMEMBER HOW TO BE DECENT HUMAN BEINGS, THANKS.” Let’s see if her Big Scolding Energy has any impact.

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all “so I have this speech planned out, and it’s really good, but it also only really needs about 6 to 8 pages, but I’m gonna see if I can stretch it out to 17 pages so I can kill time before we get to the next volume cliffhanger two weeks from now.” Anyway but it really is a good speech though. There are feels, and tears, and more talk about how Deku is so in need of a shower that just looking at him requires a tetanus booster, and more feels, and more tears, and bonus ship drama, and an iconic callback to the very first chapter which reframes the entire series in a new context in a totally epic and moving way, and it’s all very good. Except that Horikoshi is determined to never let anyone actually give this kid a hug. Who hurt you, dude.

omg we are opening on a callback to chapter 212, a.k.a. the chapter with by far the cutest flashback that doesn’t involve any baby Todorokis

baby Ochako is lethally cute. she could literally murder someone with her cuteness. I just want to scoop her up and play airplane with her until she accidentally activates her quirk while we’re spinning around and we both helicopter up into the air never to be seen again

“a child’s insistence” huh well that’s all well and good, but I sure hope this doesn’t mean we’re going to drag out the whole “sternly lecture the obnoxious citizens” plot for another whole chapter. no offense but I think we’re good

so page 2 is just continuing the whole happy/worried faces monologue, which of course is very important to Ochako’s character as it provides the context for why “who protects the heroes” ended up becoming her thing. and this is making me think we actually are in for a whole second chapter of this sob. when will my boy finally get to rest

OH MY GOD SUDDENLY THESE PEOPLE HAVE EYES IMAGINE THAT

HORIKOSHI: [reaches for a box of tissues while tearfully penning an homage to his beloved Spider-Man 2, specifically the train scene where the crowd sees Peter without his mask and they suddenly realize just how young he is]

HORIKOSHI’S HOMAGE SCENE: “COME TO THINK OF IT, I GUESS IT WAS KIND OF MEAN FOR US TO PICK ON THIS TEN YEAR OLD KID WHO WEIGHS 75 POUNDS AND LOOKS LIKE HE LOST A FIGHT WITH SATAN’S MOLDY OLD BASEMENT”

lol at this one guy who can feel the mood of the crowd shifting and is all “WAIT, NO, I WANTED TO KEEP BEING AN ASSHOLE DAMMIT”

as many pointed out last week, this man is wearing an All Might shirt. that’s some fantastic irony there

-- SDKFJWIGKS

“LITTLE GIRL, I HOPE YOU’RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE WALKING AROUND DRESSED LIKE A SOVIET-ERA BUS STOP.” heh. last week I said I was ashamed of BnHA being my favorite manga. that was a lie, actually

(ETA: in the original Japanese Ochako’s next two lines are basically “the only ones covered in mud will be us heroes!” followed by “please give us some time to get rid of the mud”, with that second line basically being the single funniest thing I’ve ever read rdslkjl. Ochako thank you so much for supporting my running gags. “YEAH WE KNOW HE’S DIRTY. WE ARE GONNA TRY AND CLEAN HIM UP, BUT IT MAY TAKE A WHILE, I’M JUST SAYING. I MEAN LOOK AT HIM. HE LOOKS LIKE AN ASBESTOS COSPLAY.”)

doesn’t the megaphone kind of look ever so slightly like an axe that she’s wielding maniacally here

easy there Lizzie Borden

also that’s a really bold claim to make there. and not one she necessarily should have to make, either. but as we all know, there’s nothing that shounen manga likes more than having its heroes bravely hoist heavy burdens of responsibility like good self-sacrificing citizens

p.s. lowkey loving how Kacchan is positioned here standing slightly behind Deku. not presuming to stand in front of him all overprotectively (because he would hate if anyone ever did that to him), and kind of being unobtrusive and letting others take center stage -- but still being close enough to Deku that he can catch him if he stumbles or passes out again

(ETA: or maybe not lmao.

DEKU: [falls to his knees]

KACCHAN: [glancing up from his phone a few minutes later] “someone just sent me the stupidest meme about milk crates -- oh. uh. you good...?”

really, son. “the burdens you can’t carry, we’ll carry them for you. ...later, I mean. right now it’s late, and we’re all cold and wet.”)

also lowkey loving this OchaTsu moment here

I was going back and binging Ochako chapters this past week for reasons, and I gotta say it really stuck out to me just how often these two are paired with each other. they do everything together. it’s a really sweet friendship that often goes unappreciated but it’s very cute

meanwhile, not to be outdone by the OchaTsu, Iida is staring at Ochako with open admiration talking about how she’s fighting too. it’s been so long since we’ve had any IidaRaka you guys. I was starving and I didn’t even know it

oh my lord IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING

THE LIGHT IS BACK. he finally looks like him again. what a cathartic fucking moment omg

ffklkdw

“I KNOW YOU ARE ALL SCARED, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, WE DEFINITELY CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY AND WE ARE ALL SCARED TOO!” good pep talk there kiddo

BUT, jokes aside, truth be told this is the exact right approach to take imo, and something that’s long overdue. I’ve said this before, but this new generation of heroes is shaping up to be much more transparent than the All Might generation. they’re basically abandoning the almighty, untouchable Superman “heroes as gods” concept in favor of the more nuanced “heroes as people” concept instead. and that’s a good thing. seeing their heroes as humans, with human limitations and weaknesses and flaws, will hopefully not only lead to more scrutiny and accountability, but also more awareness of how hard some of them are working and how much they’re sacrificing. that’s something All Might never quite grasped back at the start of the series -- that the weak, vulnerable, injured him could be just as inspiring as the mighty, invincible him -- perhaps even more so. there’s a power in seeing otherwise ordinary people show extraordinary bravery and compassion. it inspires others to try and do the same

SSDLHK AIZAWA SIGHTING AAHHHHHH

so he was still back at the hospital this whole time?? smdh at this disrespect. that feeling when your sexy self-insert character’s powers of rationality are too strong, and so you have to nerf him so that he doesn’t ruin your Deku Angst arc twice over by (1) immediately talking some sense into Deku and making him come home Right This Instant Young Man, and (2) not allowing him to leave U.A. in the first fucking place. excuse me, you want to do WHAT now, Midoriya?? that’s it, go to your room

also living for Katsuki and Hawks’s soft expressions. Shouto’s too, although his is tinier and harder to see. and Jeanist’s 12-foot-long neck. imagine Jeanist’s head with Mic’s hair. maybe Jeanist had a mohawk back in the day and that’s why U.A.’s doors are so big now

speaking of soft faces, Enji’s is also excellent

what could this random close-up possibly imply?? hell if I know. but Horikoshi truly fears no discourse and that’s what I love about him

OMGGGG

“smh my child is so dumb.” poor Ochadad. your child is cute af count your blessings

SDOFFHSMH

I’m telling you guys. lethally, catastrophically cute

this speech is still ongoing lol. Horikoshi you’re doing so good but I think we get the point now my dude. you gotta learn how to transition out of these things

UNEXPECTED TOGA WHAT

“there we go” Horikoshi says, crossing off the last line on his list of Ochako ships. “that’s all of ‘em”

poor Ochako is just repeating the same “LET HIM REST, PLEASE, WITH EVERYONE’S COOPERATION, IF YOU DON’T MIND, WE APPRECIATE IT” talking points over and over again hoping someone will throw her a bone and acknowledge her already. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP HER

literally they’re all just staring up at her silently omg. work with me people!!

now she’s saying it for the 56th time but more dramatically all of a sudden

they got so dramatic that for a minute I thought she had suddenly leaped off the building or something

look, not to rush you or anything Horikoshi, but I’m starting to get the feeling that this is yet another one of those “the volume is ending soon so I need to either hurry things up or slow things down in order to make sure we end it on my perfect cliffhanger ending” chapters where you go to ridiculous lengths to drag things out much to the exasperation of your week-to-week readers

(ETA: ftr, volume 31 ended on chapter 306, and I’m predicting that vol. 32 will end with chapter 316 (a.k.a. “you’re next!” [explodes]). I’m guessing vol. 33 will follow suit and likely end on chapter 326, so keep your eyes peeled for a big cliffhanger in two weeks’ time. Deku’s dad?? All Might in peril?? U.A. traitor at long fucking last?? we shall see.)

is Deku straight up falling in love with Ochako right on the spot lol what is happening

I know I just said that I enjoy when Horikoshi gives zero fucks about discourse, but shipping discourse is a whole different beast lol. I hope he’s prepared

(ETA: and for the record, I have no interest in shipping discourse either, as always. and I think this scene can be interpreted as platonic, tbh, with the context being that Ochako was literally introduced as someone who was willing to help him so casually without a second thought, and now here she is saving him again.

I don’t think it really fully hit Deku until this moment how much he needed saving. like I said in another meta somewhere, selflessness is basically just selfishness on behalf of others. and Deku is selfless to a fault, but that’s okay, and it doesn’t mean he needs to change -- he just needs friends who are willing to be be selfish on his behalf in turn. and I think the full emotion of what it means to have friends like that just hit him at last. everything his friends have done for him, how much he needed it and didn’t even realize, and how grateful he is. anyways what a terrible day for rain.)

-- son of a --

is he apologizing?? or pleading?? please tell me that’s not the case, because what the actual fuck. Deku you beautiful precious radiant selfless child, this is the exact opposite of how this should be. all these motherfuckers should be on their knees apologizing to you

DEKU WHY

I DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS FREAKING BOMBARDMENT OF EMOTIONS GODDAMIT. OUT HERE ARMED WITH YOUR FREAKING TREBUCHET OF FEELS TO LAUNCH AT ME UNPROVOKED. WHAT’S WITH THAT

FREAKING CHRIST. THIS BOY IS CRYING HIS EYES OUT AND HORIKOSHI IS JUST ZOOMING IN WITH THE CAMERA, LIKE CAN WE JUST CUT HIM A BREAK ALREADY. ENOUGH OF THIS. HE’S SO YOUNG AND HE TRIES SO HARD AND I JUST NEED HIM TO FEEL SAFE, HORIKOSHI PLEASE CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME THAT ALREADY WHAT IS THE FREAKING HOLD UP!!

GIGANTIC FOX LADY!!!

GIGANTIC FOX LADY PLEASE BE MY HUGGER BY PROXY!! SERIOUSLY GIRL IF YOU JUST HOLD YOUR UMBRELLA OVER HIM OR SOMETHING AND DON’T GO THE EXTRA MILE I’M ABOUT TO LODGE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT. THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS NOW

!!!!

A KOUTA IS GOOD TOO!!! oh my god if Kouta hugs him I will seriously 100% straight up cry. go on and test me

FOR THE LOVE OF --

is this man expressly forbidden from drawing hugs in his contract or something. DO YOU DO IT JUST TO SPITE ME?? this is tyranny, sir

AND I KNOW, THIS PAGE ACTUALLY CHALLENGED THE VERY PREMISE OF THE SERIES ITSELF, AND HERE I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT HUGS, OR THE LACK THEREOF. “this is the story of how we all became the greatest heroes.” and just like that, he waves a polite middle finger at all of the Strongest Greatest Chosen One shounen protags of old, in favor of something much less conventional, much more interesting, and much more suited to Deku’s character. because if that one sentence doesn’t just sum up Deku to a T. he gladly relinquishes his Greatest Hero status in favor of acknowledging the hero in everyone. what a class act. that’s my protagonist

I love this kid so fucking much I swear. only just PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. GIVE HIM HIS HUG

#bnha 324 #uraraka ochako #midoriya izuku #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

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angryschnauzer · 4 years ago

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First Line Game

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

thank you @littlefreya for the tag <3 (you can find her answers here)

1. Pressing Buttons - Standing in the doorway to the lounge you watched as Henry played his game, headset firmly pressing down on his gorgeous curls, a dusting of stubble over his face.

2. The Gift Of Life - The forest surrounding the shooting locations for season 3 of the Witcher were beautiful.

3. Stuck, Part 2 - Ringing the doorbell you heard footsteps this time, and were able to prepare yourself for Mr Walker opening the door - or so you thought.

4. Happy Mothers Day - The bar was noisy but the whole event was noisy, and as you leant against the bar trying to order another drink there was zero chance the bartenders would have heard you.

5. The Boy Next Door - The sun was shining and the sounds of late summer could be heard as the four of you settled on dining chairs that had been pulled out onto the ramshackle patio so you could celebrate moving into the shared house for your last year of Uni and doing Post-Graduate for teaching.

6. Never Stroke A Tigers Stripes - 47 hours; that’s how long you’d been awake.

7. Full Mast, Part 2 - Standing in the grand cabin you took in your surroundings; the large table that was half covered in maps, the scattered chests and crates, the large four poster bed with messy linens.

8. Full Mast, Part 1 - You resisted the strong arms that pulled you along, the rough blindfold shielding you from your destination, and yet you could hear the call of the gulls so you knew you were near to the shoreline.

9. Distraction - If there had been someone narrating a movie of this mission, the first line would have been ‘it was a simple mission’.

10. In Trouble - Walter glared as his phone rang, grabbing the handset; “What?”

11. I Waited For You, Chapter 35 - You were in heaven.

12. An Epic Quickie - The sound of the doorbell chiming had you pulling the pillow over your head. It was early on a Saturday morning and it had been a very long week.

13. Safekeeper - From the moment you moved into the tiny apartment you knew it wasn't going to be your forever home.

14. Injured - Finally, an unoccupied park bench came into view and you settled down with your book, resting your coffee on the seat as you searched for your place in your book.

15. Hidden - That’s it, that was the spot, one hand busy down your knickers, strumming at your sensitive clit, the other held your phone as you gratuitously scrolled TikTok for thirst videos of Henry - your boyfriend - and you swore the fans were just as horny for him as you were.

16. What Your Husband Can’t Give You - Sitting at your desk you were attempting to send the last of the work emails out on Christmas Eve, whilst the kids were at their Dads and you had uninterrupted peace and quiet.

17. Just What I Need, part 2 - Walter pushed the bike through the door to his apartment, resting it against the back of the couch before looking up and realising you weren’t sat on the couch where he’d left you just a couple of minutes ago.

18. Jingle My Bells - Henry was bored

19. Just What I Need, Part 1 - Running the steam through the coffee machine you wiped the nozzle and smiled, there were just fifteen minutes until closing and the coffee shop you worked at was all but abandoned.

20. Waited So Long - Henry sat at the large table, grinning and laughing as the rest of the cast had finished reading through the latest episode’s script.

- What i take from this is that most of my first sentences are there for setting the scene and attempting to pull the reader into the story. I very rarely - if at all - start with dialogue.

Tagging the last 10 writers i reblogged; @avengedwritings @oh-for-fic-sake @hope-to-hell @wondersofdreaming @connieisland @r-t-doll @lunedelorient @buckyownsmylife @plumfondler @achaoticaugust (with @littlefreya ommitted because although she is in the 10 most recent authors reblogged, i know she’s already done this)

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localaakash · 4 years ago

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10 Best Things About App Development

Mobile application development is a Business that isn’t only a mechanical development. You need business information and abilities to foster an easy to use application. In this blog, we will feature not many central issues which each entrepreneur, application engineer just as administration giving organizations ought to recollect prior to fostering a portable application.

Flutter App Developers is a believed portable application improvement organization. Flutter app developers acquired unique comprehension about portable application improvement systems across security, information the board, asset enhancement, UX subsequent to conveying many exploration projects across the enterprises. Their point is to convey the portable applications to their accomplices that can really bring high effectiveness for their business and create brand attention to their contributions. Possibly you need a crossover or local portable applications, android or iOS applications, they furnish your business with the easiest to understand applications. Versatile application advancement is the cycle to making programming for cell phones and computerized colleagues, most normally for Android and iOS. The product can be preinstalled on the gadget, downloaded from a versatile application store or got to through a portable internet browser.

With the developing number of individuals getting to the Web by means of cell phones and tablets, portable application improvement has the extraordinary capacity to get to an enormous number of expected purchasers. Basically, a versatile application permits you to have a large number of new clients readily available.

A versatile application engineer’s essential obligation is to make, keep up, and execute the source code to foster portable applications and portable stage programs that address the issues and prerequisites of the customers utilizing the PC programming dialects. In case you’re hoping to begin rapidly (and have a little Java foundation), a class like Prologue to Versatile Application Advancement utilizing Android could be a decent strategy. There’s nothing more needed than about a month and a half with 3 to 5 hours of coursework each week, and covers the essential abilities you’ll be an Android designer.

Top 10 Best Things About App Development:

1. Exploration

In the event that you have a good thought to foster a top-notch versatile application for your business, the principal thing you need to comprehend is the market, client interest and patterns. Indeed, even prior to giving a mechanical touch to your business application, you need to do statistical surveying. A market investigation report can give you exceptionally valuable experiences. You can comprehend the fame of comparative applications accessible on the lookout and your rival methodologies. This will permit you to upgrade your application from the earliest starting point. Apogaeis trusts in “Gaining from other botches than Learning in the wake of committing errors.”

Client surveys can give you a brief look at client different preferences, decision and inclination and future requests. You can take a note of the torment regions and attempt to determine those in your versatile application. An examination can offer you a chance to design better and permit you to set up a strong application from the earliest starting point.

2. Distinguish Target Crowd

This goes under the research stage and is critical. Distinguishing the correct arrangement of crowds for your application is vital. The whole application future relies upon these objective arrangements of clients, as they assume a huge part is application advancement, just as applications include extension and development. Questions like who will utilize my application and how it can increase the value of their lives, ought to be asked prior to the beginning of events. In the event that you meet the assumption for your clients, certainly, your application will get mainstream and it will assist you with creating more income.

3. Right Stage Choice

Quite possibly the main inquiry you need to pose to yourself is, in which stage you need to convey your business application. It is fitting, to begin with, one stage. Be an expert of a solitary stage, later you can proceed onward to different stages. iOS, Android and Windows are the most mainstream versatile application stages.

To choose the most appropriate stage for your portable application, you need to keep certain things to you like application brand, target crowd, application highlights and above all evaluating system. From that point onward, you need to pick an advancement strategy for your business application; Local, Portable Web or Crossover. Local applications enjoy numerous benefits, yet they might very well be somewhat costly.

4. Set Strategy

Prior to beginning to construct your business versatile application, ensure you comprehend the whole interaction. A strong business application takes a respectable measure of time and exertion. It additionally goes through different stages. The entrepreneur ought to comprehend the significance of the relative multitude of stages, prior to going on. Undertaking The board, Application Plan, Application Engineering, Application Improvement Philosophy, Application Testing, Upgrade lastly Application Arrangement These are the essential phases of any portable application. Set a strategy for your application improvement measure. Observing and controlling are a lot of fundamentals. Delivery a beta form of your application first, and do thorough testing and audit prior to delivering the full form to the end clients.

5. Know your Spending plan

Fostering a business portable application requires venture alongside information and systems. Knowing your financial plan and distributing it appropriately among each phase of application improvement is fundamental. There are different parts of an application that expects cash to be put resources into; application improvement, support, refreshing, advertising and so forth Essentially your application spending plan relies upon your speciality. The kind of application you need to make and the sort of substance you wish to add to your application.

6. Think Out about the Case

Continuously remember a certain something. Individuals need something else. Why do they pick one brand in front of another comparable brand? It is simply because they feel the picked brand has something extraordinary to bring to the table. Portable applications are the most ideal approach to connect with your clients and likely the simplest method to change over a lead into an expected purchaser. People tend to get exhausted from one thing rapidly. As there are a large number of cell phone applications accessible on the lookout, application clients need to be presented with something new. Henceforth, it is prescribed to think out about the crate techniques or includes and don’t allow your clients to pick another person.

7. Smooth and Effective

No reason, your business portable application should be smooth and effective. In the event that your application is setting aside a great deal of effort to stack, it might end up being lethal. Either client uninstalls the application after first use or seldom opens it. It adds to making a bad introduction to the client’s psyche. Ensure your application doesn’t burn through a great deal of memory space and preparing power on a cell phone.

Effectiveness is something clients anticipate from every one of the portable applications. It incorporates ease of use, information productivity, battery uses, security and the same. On the off chance that your application is utilizing a great deal of 3G or 4G information, it probably won’t work for you in a more drawn outrun. Clients may download and neglect. In this way, don’t fall into that class and create your application in such a way that it will not devour more information about your clients and doesn’t deplete the battery.

8. Client Experience

Client Experience is the foundation of any application. In the event that you neglected to give your clients phenomenal experience, there is no justification for them to return to you and utilize your application. Client experience is an inexorably pivotal element with regards to the computerized scene. An application characterizes how a client feels and considers your business and administrations. It is tied in with making something significant, simple to utilize and successful for your intended interest group. Try not to make your application confounding or convoluted.

Portable Application Client Experience

An all-around thought portable application offering consistent client experience can convert into a few key advantages. The functionalities and substance that are conveyed to your application should be in accordance with your intended interest group. The finished result should give an unrivalled quality of client care. In the event that you can’t give a quality portable application, it might hurt your image picture.

9. Zero in on Showcasing System

There is no significance in building an application for your business on the off chance that you are not zeroing in on the most proficient method to advertise it and make it accessible to possible clients. Making a buzz, before the dispatch can advance your application so that your application can get a ton of reach from the word go. A large portion of the entrepreneurs come up short in executing their promoting systems for their versatile application.

Distinctive Portable Applications have a diverse focus on clients. Also, you need to break down your industry and your potential client base. In the wake of dissecting that no one but you, you can make techniques on the most proficient method to advance it. Online missions are one of the ideal choices for some entrepreneurs. In any case, your promoting system relies generally upon your industry, contributions, and your expected clients.

10. Testing

It is critical to test your portable application before you dispatch. Before clients get an encounter, you should ensure it can satisfy their prerequisites. Smooth, proficient, elite are not many of the things you should remember while testing. Testing will permit you to clean out every one of the little hiding spots and make your application a solid business instrument that can interface your business with your clients.

In case you’re looking for an ios development company in Rajkot or any kind of site improvement, you can employ any developers as all are perhaps the most solid organizations in the country.

To put it plainly, Quick isn’t just more helpful yet will likewise set aside a more limited effort to learn. While Quick has made it simpler than it used to be, learning iOS is as yet not a simple errand and requires a ton of difficult work and devotion. The versatile market is detonating, and iOS designers are popular. The ability lack continues to drive pay rates ever more elevated, in any event, for section level positions. Programming advancement is likewise one of the fortunate positions that you can do distantly.

Turning into an iOS engineer requires some exertion, however. In case you’re new to advancement on Apple Stages, you can begin with our devices and assets for nothing. In case you’re prepared to construct further developed capacities and appropriate your applications on the Application Store, join up with the Apple Engineer Program.

Conclusion

The quantity of cell phones is more than laptops. Around 70% of individuals invest energy in applications and 80% of individuals utilize versatile applications for buying, instalment, and booking. Independent of any industry, versatile applications are demonstrating out to be a fundamental instrument for business development and reach. The chance is gigantic and the market potential is enormous. In this way, while fostering an application for your business you should keep the above things to you.

Source: https://aakaksharmahdev.medium.com/10-best-things-about-app-development-f8d17b7e812d

#App Development #Flutter App Development #iOS App Development #Business App Development #Best App Development

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taww · 4 years ago

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First Take Review: Gryphon Essence Preamplifier & Stereo Amplifier

Okay, let’s get this out of the way: with a combined retail of over USD $40k (and that doesn’t include another $6k for the optional Zena DAC module), The Gryphon’s Essence preamplifier and stereo amplifier are by far the most expensive electronics I’ve ever had in my home! They might be the Danish firm’s entry point into separates, but that’s akin to calling a $146k Aston Martin Vantage “entry level.” There was a time in the not-so-distant past when spending such sums of money on stereo gear struck me as pointless excess. Perhaps I’ve been numbed by flipping through too many issues of The Absolute Sound or walking the halls of an audio show; perhaps I’m just entering a life stage (mid-life crisis, anyone?) where I’m allowing myself to indulge in such luxuries. Whatever the case may be, I’ve now had the good fortune of several months with the Essence combo, and despite a number of people prodding me for this review it’s been quite difficult to put into words how they perform. Why? Because every time I sit down to do the “work” of reviewing I just end up getting sucked into the music and forget to do the reviewing bit! But, here goes...

The arrival of the Gryphon components was a case of one thing leading to another. My first experience was when I strolled into Gryphon’s room at RMAF 2018. After being disappointed by so many other mega-buck systems at the show, I was delighted that this one actually sounded like music! Frankly, a lot of über-expensive show systems landed on my ears like amusical hi-fi effects or whimsical fancies of what some people think music should sound like, rather than an actual musical performance. Like other big systems, the Gryphon rig was imposing and fancy-looking, but with a decidedly purposeful, even stark, aesthetic. And the sound - so tangible and luscious, maybe a little dark and brooding, but in a way that connected me emotionally to the recorded performance rather than distracting me with sonic affect.

At the time I was happily running the Valvet A4 Mk.II monoblocks, and also had @mgd-taww’s Pass Labs XA30.5 at my disposal. Both delivered the pure and colorful musical flavors of Class A amplification, and both are superb amps. But things got thrown for a bit of a loop when I settled on the Audiovector SR 6 Avantgarde Arreté speakers as my new reference. I had auditioned them at AudioVision SF with the Gryphon Diablo 300 integrated amp ($16k) and the sound gave up nothing to high-quality separates - big, bold and dynamic with tremendous poise and nuance. Coming back to the Pass and Valvet amplifiers (coupled with a Pass Labs XP10 line stage) certainly wasn’t a let-down, but they didn’t have quite the same level synergy with the Audiovectors which sounded more complete and visceral with the Gryphon integrated.

This combined with the strong aural memories from the RMAF room led to a call to Gryphon’s US distributor, Philip O’Hanlon and Pandora Pang of On a Higher Note. Philip acknowledged that the Diablo was indeed excellent but teased that Gryphon had recently introduced a new line of separates worth consideration. The Essence had just arrived in the States and he had one more set in stock if I were so inclined... and next thing I know, a pallet loaded with what my wife lovingly referred to as “an illegal arms shipment” landed at our doorstep.

Serious crates for serious gear

Like all separates in The Gryphon’s 35-year heritage dating back to the original DM100 amplifier, the Essence line features pure Class A operation with minimal negative feedback, but brings it at a lower price point ($22,990) with more conservative aesthetics and practical packaging. Prior to the Essence, to get a Gryphon amp one had to shell out anywhere from $39k for the Antileon EVO to $57k for the flagship Mephisto (double those if going for monoblocks). The tradeoff is a lower power rating - just 50wpc, albeit in pure class A and doubling into 4 ohms and again into 2 ohms - so you’ll want to pair it with a reasonably efficient speaker. The Essence preamp meanwhile is a repackaging of the Zena preamplifier launched in 2018 (also $17,500), reskinned with cosmetics to match the amp. It features fully balanced operation via a discrete DC-coupled Class A circuit with zero global negative feedback, and can accommodate either of two optional internal modules, the Zena DAC ($6,000) or an MM/MC phono stage ($2,250). Being strictly digital I opted to evaluate the DAC, which I’ll talk about in a later installment. I’ll also save more details about the design and operation of this beautifully-crafted gear, including Gryphon’s unique Green Bias system, for a more in-depth review. For now, let’s get down to the business of how it sounds...

The Essence Preamp

When the Essence components arrived I clearly needed my wife’s assistance to safely unpack and set up the 45kg/99lb Essence amp. But she was busy making reeds for her oboe that evening, so I initially made do setting up the preamp (it weighs in at “only” 13.4kg/29.5lbs) and comparing it to my Pass Labs XP10 with the Pass Labs XA30.5 amplifier.

Firing up the Essence preamp from a cold start was one of those “damn, I don’t understand how a preamp can make this much of a difference” moments. Even though the Pass XP10 is a very solid performer - I find the sound of my PS Audio DirectStream significantly improved by it vs. feeding an amplifier directly - the 3x-as-expensive Gryphon outclassed it from the first note, taking musical resolution from the micro to nano level.

The first thing I noticed was how the entire back of the stage opened up. I never realized how triangular it sounded before, becoming narrower as you went deeper. With the Essence it suddenly feels rectangular and whole, with winds, brass and percussion able to naturally spread out and breath on the stage. It didn’t even take a big orchestral recording to experience this - my very first track was an intimate vocal with piano accompaniment, soprano Elsa Dreisig singing Strauss songs with pianist Jonathan Ware (Qobuz). The sense of the space - a church, as you can see from this video - and where the performers occupied it became strikingly tangible. Piano has starting clarity, with all its complex overtones unfolded and laid out for your ear to sample at its leisure. Dynamic resolution is also unlocked - subtle gradations in vocal intensity flow so organically. Going back to the Pass pre, macro dynamics weren’t Iacking, but the transitions somehow came across more synthetically, as if the volume dial was being turned rather than the performers modulating their instruments in the original performance.

One thing that didn't change too much was overall tonal balance. I find the Pass pretty neutral and extended, if anything having a subtly warmish character to it, at least by solid state standards. The Gryphon doesn't deviate notably from that, leaning slightly in that direction though with more sophisticated and varied tonal richness and density. The quality of the frequency extremes, however, is a different matter. Most striking is how triangles sparkle and ring with startling presence on the Gryphon. With a claimed frequency response out to 1MHz, the Essence pre delivers the highest highs with a sense of ease and finesse. And the bass is everything people have come to expect from the Gryphon house sound - deep, taut and powerful with beautiful tonality. The Pass Labs wasn’t missing any of the music per se, but the deepest bass notes and highest overtones sounded constrained vs. the effortless and wide-open delivery of the Essence.

So, yeah - a preamplifier that costs 3x as much as the Pass XP10 sounds clearly superior. Not much of a news flash, and a much fairer comparison in the Pass lineup would be the XP32 ($17,500) or at least an XP22 ($9,500). But what took me aback was how a preamplifier like the Essence could bring out so much life and nuance that was being curtailed by an otherwise fine piece like the Pass. The net effect was to make the musical performance feel significantly more tangible, visceral and unclouded - something that even the change of a DAC or amplifier doesn’t consistently achieve. The Gryphon Essence pre is simply an incredible conveyor of the musical signal.

And we haven’t even tried the amplifier yet...

The Essence Amplifier

Once I got my wife to assist in positioning the hefty Essence amp in the cabinet (safety first!), I hooked up the Audiovectors via my usual Audience Au24 SX cables and powered up the Gryphon using the stock power cord (the amp requires a 20A IEC connector, so standard cords won’t work). I played a bit with the Green Bias settings but obviously settled with it in red-hot Class A operation for serious listening. And while the amp has since benefited from multiple months of break-in, it was apparent from its first notes that the Essence had resolution, clarity, dynamics and tonal completeness on an altogether different level from any amp I’ve experienced in my system. But there was something else remarkable about its presentation that’s taken me many months to put my finger on, and I think I might be finally getting it.

The Essence amp has a very special ability to deliver the leading edge of a sound with incredible speed, precision and clarity. I’ve heard amps with fast leading edges (some attribute this to high slew rate), I’ve heard amps with very clean ones (lack of distortion and ringing). The Essence delivers a combination of fast and clean that is truly exceptional, and perhaps close to the state of the art. Every impulse and note attack hits you with perfect timing and delineation, then decay with similarly impeccable control. By comparison, amps like the Pass Labs that struck me as very pure have a bit of fuzz to them. Ever listen to an AM radio station when the signal gets weak, and all the starts and stops of sounds get staticky and fuzzy? There was a bit of that feeling going back to other amps in my system... no, they weren’t literally fuzzy and distorted. It’s just that the Essence amp sounds exceptionally lithe and clean, removing an extremely subtle layer of distortion that became difficult to un-hear in other amplifiers.

Coming from the Pass XA30.5, the Essence’s midrange was less overtly warm but even more substantive in tone. The Pass is certainly on the warm and lush side for a solid state amp, but past Gryphons I’ve heard had their own dose of chocolatey richness, so I was initially surprised by the balance of the Essence. It has the midrange density and lush tonal colors I was expecting from a Class A Gryphon amp, and yet it also sounds close to dead neutral in character. There’s a crystalline transparency that makes everything else sound a bit cloudy by comparison. Class A amps usually get the tonal part right, but can sound a bit sluggish or rounded dynamically; Class AB amps often have great transient speed but with some roughness around the edges and a bit of tonal hollowness. The Essence backs its exceedingly snappy and clean transients with real tonal substance and an infinite palette of realistic tonal colors. It can simultaneously preserve the gravitas of a string bass ostinato, the glowing warmth of a French horn, the delicate nasality of an oboe and the ethereal lightness of a flute all in balance. Orchestral recordings have never sounded this vivid and realistic in my home.

An interesting display of the amp’s prowess was in violinist Hilary Hahn’s recording of the Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto (Qobuz). The album also contains Mozart’s popular “Turkish” concerto which probably gets most of the plays; the Vieuxtemps is infrequently performed and mostly known by violinists as a sort of advanced student concerto (yes, my teacher made me study it). Vieuxtemps was a Belgian virtuoso of the romantic era and while the concerto has its charms, its orchestration is rather clunky. This actually made for a fascinating sonic experience in the concerto’s orchestral exposition, where different instruments pass melodic fragments back and forth in somewhat disjointed fashion rather than the more cohesive harmonization and counterpoint you’d get from a German master. A flute here, a clarinet there, a timpani roll or violin flourish coming and passing - the Essence conveyed each one with striking clarity and trueness of timbre and dynamics, arranging all the instruments across the stage in perfect proportion. So much of the feel of an instrument lies not just in its tonal makeup but the shape and feel of its notes - the reedy breathiness of a clarinet, the ringing “bong” of a timpani, the firm attack of a trumpet, the brush stroke of a violin. This is where the Essence’s leading-edge precision and lack of electronic haze help it truly evoke the feeling of sitting on the stage with the musicians, each and every instrumental entrance having that tactile realism.

Having been a classmate’s of Ms. Hahn’s I also have first-hand experiences of her playing, and the Essence strongly evoked memories of hearing her performing in recitals or practicing in our conservatory. Though we were both teenagers at the time, she had already developed her distinctive tone and focused intensity, and hearing that reproduced so vividly through the Essence and Audiovector speakers is uncanny.

The frequency extremes of the Essence amp, particularly in combination with the Essence preamp, are also something special - the crazy-wide specified bandwidth of Gryphon components is no joke. The speed and tautness and slam of the bass brings realistic clarity to the foundation of the music. It’s bass that I like to call “sneaky” for the way it doesn’t unduly call attention to itself, but then will come out and smack you in the face as in a live event. Instruments like string bass or contrabassoon are naturally portrayed in the orchestration, rather than getting buried in the mix. The top end is extended and articulate, capable of bringing out all the energy and brilliance of string, brass and percussion instruments, and yet certain recordings that tend towards brightness actually sound warmer and smoother than I've heard before. It sounds so pure and free from distortion, so that if there’s any distortion already present on the recording it does nothing to aggravate it. Sibilants and tape hiss and clipping are still there, yet come across less obtrusively, making them easy to tune out in favor of the music.

Case in point: the DSD remaster of Strauss Don Juan, recorded in 1958 by the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell (Qobuz). My wife and I have listened to this recording dozens if not hundreds of times and while the performance is riveting, the recording quality has always been a bit hissy and strident. My wife asked to listen to it again on the Gryphon setup for study purposes and halfway through I remarked, "does this recording sound a lot less bright to you?" She concurred - we had never heard it sound so clean and natural, and for the first time I didn't notice the tape hiss at all. The Gryphon gear really does excel at extracting the essence of the musical performance locked in the recording, neither artificially filtering nor amplifying the distractions of its mechanical limitations. I’ve heard far too many ultra high-end systems that need absolutely pristine audiophile material to sound their best. With the Gryphons, every recording in my collection has never sounded more distinguished and compelling.

The sense of space that the Essence preamp conveyed with other amplifiers becomes even stronger in combination with the Essence amp. I have never heard the different sections of a symphony orchestra arranged so palpably. Winds and percussion have clearly delineated space behind the string section, and delicate clarinet solos that are typically a bit hazy in recordings are conveyed with both clarity and intimacy. There’s something about the Essence’s blend of clean transients, tonal rightness and harmonic resolution that bring out the distinct ambience and texture of each recording - the aural equivalent of the “mouth feel” of a wine. Going back to otherwise excellent amps makes everything feel a bit more homogenous, a hair less stimulating.

There are a couple of potential shortcomings to call out, and they may be interrelated. The first is that the bass in combination with the Audiovector speakers isn’t quite as hard-hitting as with, say, the 600wpc Class D Legacy iv2, or as what I heard with the Gryphon Diablo 300 integrated; nor is it as plump and room-filling as with the Pass XA30.5. Quality-wise it’s exceptional - fast and deep and pitch-perfect in ways they can’t match - but sometimes I just want it to fill out the space a bit more and punch me in the gut a little harder. I mostly miss this when listening to pop tracks, e.g. anything from Billie Eilish where the raw punch of the Legacy amp factors more strongly than the n-th degree of refinement from the Gryphon.

The other nit is that the soundstage, while vividly painted, feels a bit less “generous” than bigger-sounding amps like the Legacy or Pass Labs, or the Gryphon Diablo for that matter. There’s a bit more emphasis on the precise constituency of an orchestra, as opposed to its sheer scale - a little more of the trees, a little less of the forest. To some, this may make the Essence feel a hair light in presentation, despite its rich and layered midrange. Ears I trust tell me moving up the Gryphon line to the Antileon EVO or Mephisto can give you the best of both worlds, but those are obviously at increasingly exorbitant price points.

I’ll need to try tweaking these area of reproduction more (e.g. cables), but as it currently stands, I could see the Essence best matching with speakers that are tonally richer and a bit less critically damped on the bottom end, vs. requiring care with something leaner and more laser-focused. It’s slightly lean with some recordings on the Audiovectors, and I’d definitely want to check before paring it with the likes of a Magico. It goes without saying that when you get to this level of fidelity (and cost), you should expect to spend a fair amount of time and effort on component matching.

As a side note, I was able to further extend the capabilities of the Essence via Furutech’s DPS-4.1 power cord (custom built with 20A connectors) and DSS-4.1 speaker cables. These upped the clarity and transparency yet another notch or three, opened up dynamics further and created a wider sense of space on recording after recording. I’ll have more on these excellent cables and how they synergize with the Gryphons in a future installment.

Capturing the Essence

It’s been challenging pinning down the character of the Essence system, the amp in particular. Even more so than other great Class A amps I’ve heard, including from Gryphon, the Essence amp has a combination of purity, openness, refinement, clarity, speed and dynamic life that defy the usual idiosyncrasies and limitations of Class A vs. AB vs. D. It’s dynamically fleet, rhythmically incisive, tonally sophisticated, dimensionally resolving, and sneakily powerful and punchy. In combination with the superb companion preamp, it uncovers a sense of space in virtually every recording I throw at it with greater detail and palpability than I’ve heard before, without seeming artificially holographic like some tube amps. The tonal purity and resolving power of this pair are simply at a level I have rarely experienced anywhere at any price. Moreover, the name “Essence” couldn’t be more apt - all these sophisticated qualities are squarely focused on conveying the beauty and quirks of the original recording without need for enhancement or editorializing to make it enjoyable. The closest aural recollection I have of this sort of musical resolution was the MSB Reference + Magico M3 system at RMAF 2018, which had a significantly superior DAC and a total cost approaching $300k.

As for the price... well, I can say that the monies spent on a piece by The Gryphon clearly go towards obsessive engineering and craftsmanship in the service of state-of-the-art music reproduction, rather than ostentation or frivolous excess. This is musical fidelity of the highest order, and my new reference in amplification.

#review #firsttake #gryphon #amplifier #preamplifier #dac #audio #audiophile #hifi

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spoon-writes · 5 years ago

Text

Ends of the Earth | Chapter 6

Fandom: The Mandalorian

Pairing: Mando x OC

Read on FFN or AO3

Summary: When Sinead's husband is ripped from her, she escapes the Hutt Empire and goes on a quest to find him. Since being a runaway slave in the Outer Rim isn't exactly easy, she makes the Mandalorian an offer he can't refuse and soon they travel across the galaxy, looking for her missing husband.

Chapter index

Chapter 6 - The Mechanic

The hangar was quiet when they entered, no sign of the mechanic or her pit droids anywhere.

At the starboard side of the ship a panel had been moved aside and complicated machinery was exposed to the world. Parts of the turbine had been ripped out, making sure that the ship wouldn't be able to get off the ground.

As she examined the ship, Sinead's eyes strayed to the exit by their own volition, her heart beating just a little bit faster. Rationally, she knew that Fennec Shand had no idea that she was even there, and Sinead didn't think herself so important that she was a target, but the scared, vulnerable part of her brain screamed at her to find passage on the next ship out of there and never look back.

Sinead started when Mando shouted and came thundering out of the ship, looking around wildly.

"The kid's gone."

"What do you-"

Mando zeroed in on one of the pit droids. "Where is he?"

The poor droid collapsed in the sand with a shriek.

The mechanic came out from her workshop, cradling the kid. "Quiet!" She looked down at the cranky child. "Oh, it's okay. You woke it up! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?"

Mando stared at the mechanic, his body radiating barely repressed nervous energy. "Give him to me."

The mechanic shifted her grip on the child. "Not so fast! You can't just leave a child all alone like that. You know, you two have an awful lot to learn about raisin' a young one."

Sinead's eyes widened. "Oh, he's not mine."

The mechanic pursed her lips and looked from Mando to Sinead. "Right ..." she said. "Anyway, I stared the repair on the fuel leak." The diagnostic machine beeped angrily, and she gave it a good whack. "There you go. I have a couple of setbacks I want to talk to you about. You know, I didn't use any droids, as requested, so it took me a lot longer than I expected."

Mando fetched a bag from the ship. "She'll stay back if you have any questions." He nodded toward Sinead.

The mechanic looked her up and down. "Do you know your way around a starship?"

"Provided with a map I'm sure I can figure it out."

"Don't go thinking it's gonna be cheaper just cause you leave some help behind! You still owe me-"

"I know." Mando stopped in front of the mechanic, who looked at him suspiciously. "Thank you."

“Oh …” She shot Sinead a confused look, who could do nothing but shrug. Apparently, gratitude was a rare thing in Mos Eisley.

The Mandalorian moved toward the exit with the mechanic hot on his heels. Sinead stayed by the ship, wondering if she should find somewhere to hide, or if it would be too hard to explain to the mechanic.

A droid slinked up to the ship, a small wrench in its hand.

"Sorry," Sinead said, and the droid stopped in its tracks. "The Mandalorian don't want any droids on the ship. Don't ask me why."

The droid beeped dejectedly and let the wrench slip from its hands and fall to the ground with a thud.

Sinead was poking around the damaged side of the ship when the mechanic came back, holding the child on her hip.

"He's left with some Corellian looking fella." She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "You know what that's about?"

Sinead didn't, as the mere mention of Fennec Shand had put all other considerations on the sideline.

"I don't like the look of him. He's too ..." the mechanic searched for the right word. "Young."

"I think the Mandalorian can take care of himself."

"Eh, you're probably right. He could break that little twerp in two if he wanted. You want down?"

"Wha-? Oh."

The kid was let down on the ground and toddled toward Sinead, his small feet making tracks in the sand. When he came to a power-converter, he tried climbing it instead of going around and teetered on the edge before Sinead grabbed him.

"That's not for climbing," she said, already pulling her braid out of his hands.

"Now you're here, I might actually get some work done." The mechanic grabbed a toolbox and moved to the open panel. "You know what species he is?"

Sinead sat down on a durasteel crate, the kid sitting calmly on her lap. She let him grab her braid, since it was apparently the only thing he was interested in.

"I've no idea. The Mandalorian hasn't exactly been in a sharing mood when it comes to the kid."

"Yeah, he doesn't seem the chatty type."

"You don't know half of it." The child cooed when Sinead lifted him to examine his little face. "Maybe he's a lannik."

"Now I haven't seen a lannik in a day and a half, but I'm pretty sure they didn't use to be green."

"Mm, stranger things have happened."

The kid seemed to understand, somehow, that they were talking about him. He babbled a short string of nonsensical sounds and gave her a toothy smile.

There was something about him that made Sinead sure he wasn't a lannik; he was strange in a way she couldn't put her finger on, when she looked into his dark eyes, it felt like something much older looked back.

The harsh smell of fuel hit her nose, and Sinead wondered if she should move further away, but as long as the mechanic didn’t run, she supposed there was nothing to worry about.

"Name's Peli, by the way." She used both hands to clamp down on a pipe that dripped fuel. "Did you say you know anything about ship repairs?"

"I'm Chela. And that really depends on what you want me to do. I grew up around freighters, but never really had an interest in learning how they work."

Peli shot Sinead a look over her shoulder.

"Sorry. But what do you want me to do?"

"Take the hydroclamp over there-" she nodded toward a greasy toolbox- "and put it right next to my hand, will ya'?"

Sinead placed the child on the ground, and he waddled after her as she went to grab the clamp.

"Hey!" Peli shouted to one of her droids. "Make sure the kid doesn't get in the way."

Sinead crouched down next to Peli. From here, the smell of fuel nearly knocked her over. "So just put it here?"

"Don't scratch the pipe, or else we have a whole new leak on our hands."

The hydroclamp whirred as it compressed around the pipe, stopping the leak.

Peli got off her knees and stretched, and there were new stains on her overalls. She didn't seem to mind. "That’s one fire out. Now on to the next three hundred. What did you do to this boat?”

"I told you, meteors."

"Uh-huh. Must have been one of them new starships that shoot meteors instead of lasers.”

"Might have been. Stranger things, and all that."

"Strange, right."

Next, Peli showed Sinead how to remove the camburator and replace it with one that wasn't half melted into the circuitry. Peli carefully removed the burnt chunk of metal but before she had a chance to put in the new one, a random charge went through the wires and a flame shot out from the hole.

"Kark!" Peli yelled and jumped back. "Where's the damn-"

One of the droids came bounding up, beeping cheerfully all the way. A small panel on its helmet slid aside and it doused the fire, a strong scent of chemicals overpowering the smell of fuel. When it was done, it turned to Peli who gave it a quick pat on the head.

“Figure his no droid policy doesn’t extend to emergencies.”

The kid watched all this sitting a safe distance away, his small hands buried in the sand.

"Whatever jackass modified this boat did a piss-poor job of it. Who links a baffler to a flux surger? Was this put together by a Kowakian monkey-lizard on spice?"

Sinead cautiously stepped forward to look at the damage. It didn't look like the fire had done anything but scorch the metal plating on the ship, that already looked like it'd flown through an active volcano. "Can you fix it?"

Peli made a sound at the back of her throat. "Can I fix it she asks." She exchanged a look with the droid. "Sure, but I can’t promise it’ll hold in the long run. Those meteors really did a number on you."

Sinead shot a look toward the exit. "Just as long as we get off this planet."

"Not a fan of the heat are ya?"

"The sand. It gets everywhere."

Peli snorted as she grabbed a complex tool and started work on the camburator. "Yeah, the desert isn't for everyone. You should stay back, by the way, easier to do on my own. Don't wanna have to worry about you electrocuting yourself on the y-brantor."

Sinead didn't complain, pulling back and leaning against the remains of a half-gutted hoverbike.

She watched Peli work for a bit. "Has Tatooine changed a lot since the Hutt died?"

"Oh, heard about that, have you?" Peli didn't look up from the ship.

"Everyone this side of the galaxy has heard that the Hutt croaked."

"I guess you're right. Well, instead of paying protection money to the fat slug, we give ‘em to whatever gang happens to be top dog this week." She pulled out another burned part. "Can’t complain though, at least these ones don’t break my droids when I’m a few credits short."

"Seems a bit counterintuitive, doesn’t it, breaking your droids? How are you supposed to make any money then?”

"Yeah, I’d say take it up with Jabba, but you’re kinda late for that."

"Let’s just hope the afterlife is filled with salt pits."

"Personally, I hope he’s stuck in the belly of a sarlacc."

Sinead smiled at the thought. "Oh, that’s good."

Peli had her entire head inside the ship when she spoke, making her voice sound muffled. "So how long’ve you been traveling with the Mandalorian?"

"Not that long. Around four days, perhaps?" It was always so hard to tell when most of the time they spent hurling through space.

"Is it really true they never take their helmets off?"

"Seems so. I've never seen him without it."

"Well-" Peli pulled her head out, a smear of oil across her forehead- "how do they eat?"

"You know, I haven’t actually seen him eat. Or sleep, for that matter."

"You think he’s a droid?"

Sinead huffed out a laugh. "You know, that would explain so much."

Their conversation halted when the kid wobbled over to Sinead, who sat him down next to her on the hoverbike. He had found a bolt somewhere and was examining it with childish curiosity.

"You’ve been on Tatooine all your life?" Sinead said after the silence had gotten too much. It was nice talking to someone who knew how to have a normal conversation.

"Born and bred. My da worked the space port before me. Taught me all I know."

A small, wistful smile spread across Sinead's face. Her father had tried teaching her about ship maintenance, but she hadn't been interested to learn, she would rather fly, explore the galaxy. His voice rang through her head, 'you're not gonna get farther than the next system over if you don't know how to take care of your ship, space-bug.' And then he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Her heart ached. She hadn't thought about that in a long time.

"Chela? You all right there?"

Sinead blinked and looked around. She was still in the hangar on Tatooine, and her father had been dead for 11 years.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, can you repeat that?"

Peli looked at her, her brows knitted. "Sure. Said I started working alongside him when I was old enough to hold a wrench and not kill myself by wandering in front of an ignited turbine."

"And your mother? She was a mechanic too?"

"Nah, was a scavenger out in the Dune Sea. Never had a mind for mending machines, only pulling them apart, she used to say. Sand People got her about fifteen years ago."

The kid pulled himself upright and tried crawling onto Sinead's lap. She caught him before he slipped.

"I’m sorry to hear that."

"It was a long time ago. Da went a couple of years later, left the work to me. Can’t complain, lots of people would kill for a job with steady credits. Providin’ the customers pay, of course."

"You get a lot of traffic here?"

"Mos Eisley’s the biggest spaceport on Tatooine, so we get our fair share. Not lacking for work, that’s for sure. You’d think that after the Hutt’s death, smugglers and grifters wouldn’t have a reason to dock, but they still show up like mold.”

"Maybe Tatooine has something special to offer."

"Ha! We ain’t got nothing to offer except sand and Jawas."

"And I’m sure that out there, someone is just dying to find a place filled with nothing but just that. That person is probably psychotic, but they’re out there."

Peli's laugh echoed from where her entire upper body was inside the ship. "Chela, you're all right."

Biting her lips, Sinead looked up at the blue sky, suddenly feeling very lonely. No matter how well they connected, Peli would always know her as Chela.

She changed the subject. "So, you have any good stories to tell me? Any shady smugglers or dashing rogues come your way? I'm sure working here all your life you must've seen a thing or two.

Peli stood up, her face contorting in pain as she grabbed her back. "You know, you ask a lot of questions, Startin' to feel like I'm being interrogated here."

"Sorry about that. I just like hearing stories. I had a broken holorecorder when I was little, that only recorded sound, and I went around interviewing everyone who would let me."

"What happened to it?"

"It was ... lost, a long time ago. We traveled a lot, so I guess I needed something to occupy my time with-"

"Didn't learn a damn thing about starships, that's for sure."

"-so I started collecting stories. Everyone has something to tell.”

"You know, most people collect interesting rocks, funny drawings ..."

"Hey, out in space there's a distinct lack of interesting rocks. I found the next best thing."

Peli shot her a look before returning to work on the ship. Her curly hair was plastered to her forehead. "So, to answer your question, yes, I have a couple of stories from over the years. I don't know if you noticed it on your little stroll around town, but this ain't exactly Coruscant. We get lucky if we go one day without a shootout in the street."

"Hey, I've been to Coruscant once and I barely got off the ship before someone tried to sell me some spice. I’m sure Mos Eisley isn't that different."

"Sounds like what happened to Brendo last week. Hope you didn't end up with a vibro-blade between the ribs."

Sinead snorted. "No, it didn't go that far."

Peli came up again, this time with a small component in her hands. She sat down on the nearest surface and started to pry it open. "Now let's see, a good story for your collection ..."

Sinead settled in and listened to a long-winded story involving a banged-up YT-1300, a bunch of imperial stormtroopers, and a hangar left in ruins.

"I don't suppose the Empire paid your friend for damages?"

"Bastards nearly arrested him on account of 'harboring a fugitive', go figure. And you know, I was pissed that slimy bastard stole my dock. Changed my tune when I saw what they did to the place."

"Did he manage to salvage anything, or is it still a smoking hole in the ground?"

"After clearing out the rubble, the place was mostly working again. Ugly, but usable, which is the official Mos Eisley motto if you ain’t noticed.”

Stars dotted the sky, which had gone from azure to a dark blue. Surrounded by tall walls, the shadows seemed deeper, but in contrast, even though the suns had set, the stonework had spent all day baking in the sun and was still radiating heat. It wouldn’t be long until that heat dissipated, and the desert would grow freezing cold. It reminded Sinead of many night on Sriluur huddled under a thin blanket, waiting for the sun to rise.

"He's still telling that story to every poor bastard he manages to corner. As he tells it, he's lucky to be alive."

Peli and Sinead sat at a low table under the stars, looking at the ship that had been fixed as well as any competent mechanic could. At least it no longer looked like it had been to hell and back.

The tall walls surrounding them blocked out all sounds of Mos Eisley.

Sinead leaned back in her uncomfortable chair and looked up at the darkened sky.

"So, you've always known you wanted to be a ship mechanic?"

Peli looked up from the datapad she was thumbing through. "Yes ma'am, ever since I was a little 'un. Growing up in a spaceport certainly helped, but I've always found that ships spoke to me, sort of. Does that make sense?"

Sinead leaned back even further, almost slipping out of the chair. "Sure it does."

"What about you? You always knew you wanted to be a ..." Peli gave Sinead a scrutinizing look. "Smuggler?"

"I'm not a smuggler," Sinead said with a laugh. "I'm ... I don't really know what I am. Searching, I guess."

"Hey, ain't any of my business. Learned a long time ago there're more creds for those who keep their traps shut."

Sinead gave her a soft smile. "'Preciate it."

The child slept on a chair beside Sinead, swaddled in a blanket to ward off the oncoming chill. She reached out and ran a finger over his little head.

"You know, back when I was your age, one of them big freighters stopped by to regroup after their ship was in a tiff with some pirates or other. I was brought on to help them sort themselves out, and I guess the foreman took a likin' to me because he offered me a job on the ship."

"Well then, what're you doing here?"

"Easy now. I ain't gonna lie, I was mighty tempted to take it. They needed someone who had a way with boats and droids. Apparently the last one ended up skipping out after first pay." Peli eyes were hazy with old memories.

"Why didn't you?"

Peli huffed out a breath. "Tattoine is my home. I ain't got much in the way of family, but I got my droids, and that's gotta be enough." She affectionately patted the closest droid on its domed head. "This one got chucked after a podrace, found him out by the dump, nothing but a pile of bolts and rust. Think he got hit by a podracer down in the pit."

Sinead looked at the little droid.

"Imagine if I hadn't been here, what would've happened to him. I pretty much had to remake him from the bottoms-"

"Wait ..." Sinead held up a hand to stop Peli. "You fix droids ..."

Peli's eyebrows knitted together. "Yeah. Chela, are you-"

"Hold on."

Sinead got up from the chair so fast it nearly tipped back and raced to the ship. No time to turn on the lights, she ripped open a compartment and rifled through it until her fingers closed around the memory bank.

When she came back, the child was awake and looking around blearily. He reached out to her, but she skirted around and placed the little box in front of Peli, who now looked thoroughly confused.

"Can you find out what's on this?"

Peli picked up the memory bank. "Kriff, Chela, what did you do to this thing? Remove it with a sledgehammer?”

Sinead's smile was strained. "Something like that. Can you do it?"

Peli turned the box over and over, looking at the fraying wires. "Shouldn't be a problem, I can reroute it through one of my droids."

"You can't connect it with a datapad or something?"

"This came out of a droid, meaning it's going into a droid if we want to know what's on it. You know what we're looking for?" Peli said, getting up and striding into her workshop.

Sinead followed her closely, picking at her fingernails as Peli went around turning on the lights and grabbing various tools.

The workshop was cluttered in a very particular, organized way found in garages and repair stations all over the galaxy; gear and instruments were strewn across every surface not occupied by ship-parts in various states of repair. An old astromech had been chucked in the corner, ripped for parts until it was nothing but a hollow shell. The low ceiling seemed to trap the overpowering smell of fuel and oil.

Peli sat down on an overturned oil-drum and called over the nearest droid, who came slinking up to her, clearly not enthused about the prospect of having a foreign element plugged into its brain.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Peli said when the droid beeped sadly. "It’ll be over in a sec." With a knife she replaced the wires with new ones and started plugging them into the droid.

Sinead heard a sound behind her, and she turned to see the one of the other droids walk up with the child in its arms.

"Done," Peli said, leaning back from the droid. "Give it some time to calibrate and ask away."

Her mouth was dry. Sinead forced herself to swallow and took a deep breath.

"Are there any records of a Kyen Beck ever having been on the facility?"

The droid trilled a long line of binary.

"My binary's a bit rusty, can you ...?"

Peli sat up in the chair. "Oh, sure. Um ... it says that ... there are records of a K. Beck being shipped to the facility. Is that it? Who's-?"

Sinead found the nearest clear surface and sat down. Heart hammering in her chest, she felt the ground shifting under her feet. It was like seeing the convor again, the sheer proof that Kyen was a tangible person who had left a sign for her.

"Where did he go next? I-I mean, does it say what happened to him?"

Peli listened to the droid. "No it doesn’t, I’m afraid."

Her heart hurt.

Sinead leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. "Fuck."

"I gotta know, who's Kyen?"

Peering through her fingers, Sinead saw Peli's worried eyes looking back. "Please don't ask any questions. I'm not in the mood to come up with a lie."

"Most folks aren't as forthcoming about the fact that they're lying."

"Not in the mood to pretend I'm not a liar either."

Sinead leaned back and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the smell of oil. She knew for a fact that Kyen had been there, just not where he went.

The droid beeped another long string of binary that Sinead didn't even bother trying to figure out.

"Wait a minute-" Peli listened to the droid, her brow furrowed in concentration- "according to this, all of the slaves-" she gave Sinead a shocked look- "were sent to a mining facility on Celva-Celvalara. Where's that?"

For the second time in as many minutes, Sinead's heart jumped into overdrive. "Celvalara? I've heard that before ..." she got up and started pacing around.

Peli watched her go in circles, rolling an old metal spring between her palms. "It's a planet?"

Sinead was about to answer, when her deeply ingrained self-preservation kicked in and she stopped herself before saying too much. She did recognize it, but that didn't mean she had to tell everyone.

"I don't know. I'll look into it." She reached Peli and took her hands into her own. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "I really mean it."

Something akin to a blush spread over Peli's face, mostly obscured by the perpetual layer of dirt and oil covering it. "Um, yeah, well, I didn't exactly fight a sarlacc, did I."

"You might as well." Sinead squeezed her hands. "Thank you."

She rummaged in her pockets and withdrew the necklace, which had been tangled into a small ball. "I have this ... thing ... it's not much, but please take it as payment."

Peli peered at it. "You got that from Zinza?"

"If you mean the old lady with the disagreeable attitude, then yes."

"Ha! How much did you pay for that thing?"

"Forty creds."

"Forty! You got ripped off."

Sinead let out a small chuckle. "I think paying anything would constitute as being ripped off."

Peli cackled and waved her away. "Keep it. Who knows, you might end up meeting a blind droid in need of an optic unit."

"I'll make sure to give you a good tip, then."

"I like the sound of that."

<- Previous chapter - Next chapter ->

#the mandalorian #din djarin #the mandalorian x oc #mando x oc #din x oc #din djarin x oc #fanfiction #ends of the earth #oc: sinead

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runeofthenord · 5 years ago

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I was not aware Post modernism had so many definitions so this article was certainly an interesting read. The article mentioned Damien Hirst who is certainly one of my favorite artists that I've been writing a research paper on recently. I identified with the mentioning as I see a bit of myself in Damien Hirst as an artist personally as I’m always looking at random objects and going “how can I incorporate this into art.”

To me post modernism was defined well by the Young British Artists, some of which were mentioned here such as Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin. The YBA’s sought to create shocking and raw art from non art materials. Traditional materials of high art are considered things such paint, pencil, and canvas. Things that fit neatly in a gallery setting. Post modernism seems to look at things and go “this is art because I say it is” or “this is beautiful because I say it is” or perhaps “maybe art doesn’t have to be beautiful to be enjoyed.” It takes us back to the roots of Marcel Duchamp and his Fountain. Proclaiming something is art because the artist looks at it and says that it is so. This denotes that the artist has a lot of power in their title. Post modernism challenges the tidy structure of the gallery or sometimes fits the bizarre into the gallery without the usage of paint or pencil.

1. Escaping the Confines of Museums: Lightning Field, Walter De Maria, 1977, Pointed Steel Rods: Although this is considered an earth work it is certainly post modern in the way it escapes the museum. It is breath taking union between land and sky that pushes the boundaries of what man can make into art.

2. Collapsing Boundaries Between High and Low art: Girl with Hair Ribbon, Roy Lichenstein, 1965, Oil and Acrylic: This painting certainly reflects cutting the boundaries between high and low art due to the fact that is produced in a traditional high art medium, but reflects the low art style of cheap comic books. Combined, it creates something new.

3. Rejecting Originality: Estate, Robert Rauschenberg, Oil and Silkscreen ink on canvas, 1963: I Think this work reflects objecting originality well because instead of inventing things purely meant for the purpose of aesthetic the work draws off of images one might see daily. Therefore drawing from everyday culture much in the way pop art would.

4. Jouissance: Rhythm Zero, Marina Abramovic, Performance art, 1974: It was hard to really grasp the term and the meaning of it. The most I got out of it is that it is on the verge of something so pleasurable it grasps the threshold of pain. I think Rhythm 0 portrays this well as Abramovic left people in control to do as they pleased with her. This performance brought out the true animalistic qualities of human beings with the allowance of such freedom.

5. Working Collectively: Rrose Selavy, Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, 1920-1921, photograph,: This is a good example of artists working together on a project. Two early pioneer’s of Dada came together to shape Duchamp’s alter ego. Duchamp posed and Man Ray snapped each and every photograph of the female alter ego.

6. Appropriating: Campbell’s Soup Cans, Andy Warhol, 1962, Screen printing on canvas: a very well known master of appropriation, Warhol would draw artistic inspiration from pop culture, mass consumerism, and advertisement culture.

7. Simulating: You’re In, Andy Warhol, 1967, Spray Paint on glass bottles in printed wooden crate, With this category we see Andy Warhol again as he uses ordinary items to mimic a large chunk of consumerist culture and present it as art.

8. Hybridizing: Char Nuptial Japon, Felix Armand Heullant, 19th Century, Oil on Canvas,: a strong example of hybridization is with the art movement of Japonisme. In this painting we see a very French impressionist style that is reflecting a very Japanese cultural atmosphere.

9. Mixing Media: Monogram, Robert Rauschenberg, 1959, Oil on canvas, paper, wood, stuffed Angora Goat, tire : This work is a prime example of mixing medias as it combines several different elements together to make something between a painting and a sculpture.

10. Layering: Golden Future, Sheppard Fairey, 2018, Color Screen Print and Multimedia Collage, : A prime example of layering many different images to create a singular piece.

11. Mixing Codes: Power Washer, Banksy, Spray paint and Stencil, 2008, : This work mixes codes by the washing of what would be considered priceless parts of historical and cultural history in the form of cave paintings. The work offers a commentary on what we see as art vs. what we see as vandalism.

12. Recontextualizing: The Golden Calf, Damien Hirst, 2008, Vitrine, Formaldehyde, calf, gold, gold plated stainless steel, marble, : this work represents the taking of something mundane and giving it new meaning with added materials and a title that denotes mystical and mythological qualities.

13. Confronting the Gaze: How much Life is Enough?, Juno Calypso, 2018, photograph, :

14. Facing the Abject: Blood Piss Blues Series, Vincius Quesada, Blood, urine, blue paint on canvas

15. Constructing Identities: Alvin Baltrop, Navy Sailors, 1969--72, Gelatin-silver print

16. Using Narratives: After the Prom, Norman Rockwell, 1957, oil on canvas

17. Creating Metaphors: The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893, tempera, pastel, oil paint

18. Irony, parody, and dissonance: The Treachery of Images, Rene Margritte, 1929, oil paint

#art #artists on tumblr #artmajor #famousart #postmodernism #ybas #collage #earthworks #art for art's sake

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thebiasrekkers · 5 years ago

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Edge of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

BTS Space!AU [ ♧ ✪ ✿ ☆ ❂ ☾✘ ] “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” The stage is set and the stars are the guide for the lost souls that have congregated to one point. A fixed constant in the universe for others to discover and fulfill their wishes but will it come to ruin for others?

Pairings: BTS X OC (s) Genre: BTS Space!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language

AO3

Chapter 6- New Divide

"I remember black skies, the lightning all around me. I remember each flash as time began to blur."

“Look, if I get one more goddamn message about either the Federation or the Pirates--I’m going to shoot you my own damn self.”

Yoongi growled at the screen while Jimin laughed like it was an everyday occurrence. Jin was overseeing the loading of his ship while Jungkook and Vairuit were making that the load was correct. They had gotten all the parts that they could ever need, plus some for the new ship that Nyala was taking them all to. They all had protested that Yoongi and Jimin shouldn’t go but they wouldn’t hear any of it and even the beautiful Jimin said that they would need someone with his skills once they got there. And Yoongi didn’t go anywhere major without him, so it was a deal for the both of them. Even Jin had complained that there wasn’t enough room for all of them but he was overpowered by the quiet man.

Now it was reaching Zero Hour for them and they had all kinds of people asking for the others, hoping to either collect the bounties on each of them or to get them off the station before real trouble happened upon them. Still, keeping the attention on them instead of the ship was smarter since they were finishing up. Getting out of there, however, would be the main problem as the entire area was flooding with both sides hoping to get a piece of the prize.

Yoongi had thought of that, a grin forming on his face as he placed everyone where he wanted them. It helped that he had such a network of connections and such everywhere he went, which meant that there were some that were fulfilling favors for him. They would be the decoys while they all got away, a simple plan that nobody would expect. After all, one expected the lot of them to blast their way out but any damage to the station would put others at risk. Another reason why both sides didn’t just fire upon it because it was integral to operations for both of them. Still, they laid in wait for them to come out of hiding because they couldn’t just sit there forever--and they were right.

The last of the cargo was secured in place when Jin took to the comms, letting them know that the ship was ready to go. The Broker then broke his silence to let the others know that they were proceeding with his plan, to cause a little chaos inside the station. Soon after, reports started to file in as Jimin caught them of the Outlaw’s last stand inside the station. It was the signal that the troops from the Federation would flood in and then the Pirates because they just couldn’t let them catch their prize. All the while, the group would take the safety junctions through the core of the station to the docks where the ship was waiting on them. It wasn’t as quick as going the direct route but it would see them there with as little conflict as possible.

Upon reaching the ship, Jin started on a tirade about how nobody cared for him and that all he was good for was to get them out of trouble. Everyone took places with Jimin taking Nyala’s place at the station she was previously at. He eased her away from it, a small smile on his face as she stepped aside--unsure about what to do in that situation.

The takeoff procedure was easy enough for them but it was getting through the ships. The space station wasn’t too far from an asteroid field, keeping the defenses of the station busy at all times with the number of stray asteroids that would head that way. Jin had been eyeballing a trajectory since things started to be loaded on the ship. He only had a few options but the field would be the best plan if they were to escape and get to subspace Drive. He just didn’t tell anyone about his plan of attack because he could only hear the opposition that would occur and he didn’t need to be distracted while getting them out of there. Once the ship made its way towards the asteroid field, that was when the concerned voices started to sound off. Even Jimin voiced his opinion about the action but Jin turned around in his seat and eyeballed them all.

“Look, this is our best chance of getting the fuck out of here so if anyone’s got anything else to say about my piloting skills--then they are welcome to take over. It’s either the field or the Armada.”

He waited for a second as silence filled the area before turning back around, resuming what he was doing before the protests broke out. He called out for Jimin to give him assistance, the other man hanging onto every word. The both of them moved at unnatural speeds as the ship sped towards the asteroid field, the words barely leaving Jin’s lips as Jimin was already punching it in. Unfortunately, there were ships that had caught onto to their plan and boldly followed them into the field. Yoongi yelled at Jin to slow down while Jungkook and Vairuit were busy blasting the rocks away from the ship. Nyala decided to help as she started to chant again, the energy gathering all around her before she released it. It sunk into the ship and Jimin reported that shields were actually gaining power because of it.

Jin weaved in and around the asteroids, dodging like he was made of something liquid. There were a few scrapes, a few bumps that just couldn’t be helped but he made it past the field and onto the other side with a victorious yell. The ship sailed right on through and started to prep for the jump to subspace, mere seconds after it was all clear. They wasted no time in getting out of there, leaving the battered ships behind them.

Once at subspace, they all breathed a sigh of relief--relaxing a bit as they took in their new freedom. Jin turned around in his seat and blew Jimin a kiss, who laughed and shook his head. Vairuit jumped up and suddenly ran to the back, where some of the cargo was stashed and brought back some glasses as well as a bottle of liquor. She grinned at everyone, knowing that she had placed it there when Jin wasn’t looking. They couldn’t really deny her the drink as the entire ordeal had been grating on their nerves.

So a drink they had.

It would be at least three days and two jumps to get to where they needed to go, another asteroid field that held an abandoned station. It was once a spaceport--until the planet nearby was destroyed. Some said that the Pirates had done the deed while others said that something had crashed into it, causing it to break up into pieces. The inhabitants had long fled the system, integrated with other parts of society in the System but the wreckage was still there. Still able to be used if one had the guts to do so and they did. The field wasn’t as dense as the one that they had gone through but it still posed some dangers.

Later on, Nyala had wandered into the cargo hold to inspect the crate that she had brought along. Her device beeped at her, varying symbols popping up as she ran tests to make sure that the cryosleep still held her in there. She didn’t notice that there had been someone behind her as she did so, more focused on her task at hand. Jimin was curious to see what it was that Yoongi had been talking about with Jungkook and Vairuit didn’t know too much about it either. Jin was more concerned about everything else that he didn’t want to bother him. So he went straight to the source.

“Miss Nyala, may I have a moment?”

Nyala almost jumped, never hearing or sensing him come up. She had been on edge about him since the moment she laid eyes on him, unsure of what it was that made her that way. Was it the fact that he just looked too nice, too innocent for his line of work or the company he keeps? Or was it something underneath that ran along the currents of their everyday lives that she was picking up on? She nodded, giving him more room in the cargo hold as she continued on with what she was doing. He peered at the device before looking up at her then to the crate, his words caught on the tip of his tongue as he chose his words carefully--like he always did.

“This crate contains the Bio-Android, yes?” A nod from Nyala signaled him to continue, “Do you think that the Pirates really will abuse her when they take her for their means?”

Nyala paused, hoping that would never happen but there was one thing that she was certain of. And that was the belief that the Armada held such strong beliefs that they would go through great lengths to achieve what they were looking for.

“Yes. And they will stop at nothing to get her and the ship we’re headed to. I understand if this is all too much.” She started to punch some buttons on the device when his hand was suddenly on her arm. His hand was gentle yet still had a firm grip there, for support. She put the device down and looked at him thoughtfully, eyes still red like embers under a dying fire.

“I don’t want that to happen to her. I am… familiar with her struggle and I care not to have the same thing that happened to me--happen to her. If Yoongi will not stay and help, then I will break myself off to help all of you along. No person should be a slave or put through something they wish to not happen.”

His soft words became bitter at the end, a glimpse of his true self breaking through the mask that he always carried. Nyala saw the paths of this man, in that moment and took a moment to realize something that she had neglected to analyze herself. The paths that they were all to tread, how they were all being gathered there. There must have been something more about their meetings than met the eye. She smiled at him, one hand reaching up to pat his cheek before announcing that she was fine. There was no damage and everyone was truly safe.

For the moment.

#kmultiverse #bangtanarmynet #bts fanfction #bts fanfic #space!au #bts!space #biasrekkers presents #edge of forever #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #jung jungkook #kim taehyung #park jimin

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severelynerdysheep · 7 years ago

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Some ethical reasons why dairy is awful:

Repeated artificial insemination: Dairy cows are required to give birth to one calf annually in order to produce milk for 10 months of the year. This means that they repeatedly forcibly impregnated to produce very high milk yields for an average of 3 years, after which they are slaughtered for their flesh.

Separation of mothers and their babies: Although cows would naturally suckle their calves for nine months to a year, dairy calves are taken away from their mothers almost immediately ( between hours or up to two days of birth) The strong bond that is formed between mother and calf in the first few hours after birth makes this enforced separation a very traumatic experience with cows especially being incredibly maternal animals.

Female calves: Female calves are only allowed to suckle from their mothers for the first day of life and are then (usually between 12 hours to two days) separated from their mothers and fed on commercial milk replacer (based on whey or whey protein concentrate, by-product of the manufacture of cheese). If the calves are to replace the ‘spent’ cows on the farm where they are born, they will be turned confines to individual hutches for the first few months of their lives (which is incredibly detrimental) and at roughly a year old they will forcibly impregnated to begin their life as a dairy cow. Female calves who are surplus will either be sold on to other dairy farms, usually through a livestock market which is an incredibly stressful and can be harmful to health, or will be sold to be reared for beef in a semi intensive system for their flesh to be slaughtered aged 15-24 months.

Male calves: Male calves will never produce milk and therefore are of no use to a dairy farmer. All male calves are removed from their mothers after several hours or maximum two days and housed in stalls or hutches and fed milk replace just like female calves, they will either be sold on to semi-intensive beef farms through livestock markets (high mortality rates in these systems are commonplace as it is not financially worthwhile for farmers to strive to keep them alive) or they will be raised for veal or shot shortly after birth.The current estimates are that 100,000 to 150,000 male calves are shot within hours of birth in the UK. Its also important to note that in the US veal crates are still a predominant rearing system.These tiny wooden crates are so narrow that the calves cannot turn around for most of their lives.

Solitary confinement: Female calves who will become dairy cows are kept in solitary confinement in single hutches. In the UK calves are only meant to be kept in confinement for 8 weeks, however it has been documented calves can be kept in confinement for as long as 6 months. In the US they typically spend the first 2 to 3 months of life confined. but again longer confinements have been documented.

Mutilations: mutilations such as castration and disbudding. Disbudding is a procedure where a calf is restrained and has a hot iron rod forced onto their horn buds in order to prevent their horns from growing.

Health: Dairy cows commonly suffer from many health issues do to their living conditions. In the UK alone over 50% of dairy cows suffer from crippling lameness and pressure sores and some cows are forced to wear chains called hobbles for months at a time. These devices are used on mother cows who have suffered pelvic damage during calving, a frequently documented problem for dairy cows who have been selectively bred to ensure maximum milk production.

Mastitis: On modern dairy farms, cows are subjected to intensive genetic manipulation and produce abnormally large quantities of milk. This unnatural production, combined with physical damage inflicted by milking equipment, causes mastitis (the potentially fatal and very painful inflammation of a cow’s mammary glands and udder tissue) The USDA reports that one in six cows on U.S. dairies suffers from mastitis, and its responsible for one in six cow deaths on dairy factory farms, which make up the vast majority of farms in the US.

Factory Farming: The vast majority of dairy cows are farmed in factory farms. Over 90% of U.S. dairy cows are confined in primarily indoor operations, with more than 60% tethered by the neck inside barren stalls, unable to perform the most basic behaviors essential to their well-being. In the UK factory farming is also increasingly becoming the norm with ‘zero graze’ farming already normal practice.

Slaughter: Most cows are slaughtered by first being stunned with a captive bolt pistol before then being hung upside down and having their throat slit. It is estimated that between 5 - 10% of cattle are not stunned effectively and will have to endure the experience of being shot repeatedly in the head or having their throat cut and their blood drained whilst still fully conscious.

#milk #cheese #dairy #farming #dairy industry #govegan #animal rights #cows #i wanted to highlight both UK and US farming practices but standard practice is similar in Australia and some eu countries #and much much worse in many other countries

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annemariehamill · 4 years ago

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Regions to Invest For Interior Design Business: Anne Marie Hamill

So as an inside planner hoping to launch their new business all over, there are sure regions one should zero in on while contributing and furthermore have a sound marketable strategy. The accompanying quality speculations made toward the front will put the firm doing great for development.

1. Programming and Tools

Putting resources into quality programming seems OK as a beginning up. From tailor-make accounting and bookkeeping programming to exceptionally practical demonstrating and delivering programming, these are the most essential secrets to success.

Conventional programming and free forms might take care of business, yet they will not be sufficient to intrigue an optimal customer or financial backer to back you up. For example, project the board programming that is extraordinary to inside plan will give highlights like request following, commission recuperation, picture libraries, and so forth

2. Proficient photography

The arrangement of an inside planner begins with photos of past projects It's verification of a task finished and can be utilized to exhibit the style, individual mark, and scope of the creator to a bigger crowd through different web-based media stages.

Subsequently ensuring notable phases of a task, or possibly the start and end, are expertly captured is of boss significance. Ensure the style of the picture taker resounds with that of the originator for extra spirit.

3. Marking

Rationing marking is presumably the most noticeably terrible thing you can accomplish for your firm. As a fresher in the business, an inside originator's portfolio justifiably may not be broad.

Consequently is urgent that no trade-offs are made on marking since the absolute most thing will convey your style and feelings to would-be customers. The brand will be the picture you depict to the universe of your firm and employing an expert assuming conceivable is an incredible strategy.

4. Website composition

One more establishment of your private venture will be your web composition. These days, a site presence is the thing that a customer will search for first. Consider it the essence of your organization and with the staggering undertaking photos and marking set up all you really want is a strong web composition to drive you into the spotlight.

5. Showcasing

Talking about internet based presence, online media is choosing factor in assuming the customer tracks down an architect or firm dependable and stylish. Since you are checking the crates individually, you can begin declaring your appearance on famous stages by recruiting a media promoting administrator who will set you up with some demonstrated showcasing techniques.

While this might appear to be inordinate and something you figure you might have the option to deal with as the architect, consistency is the key here to drive in expected customers. However, assuming you think posting pictures or some plan tips online routinely will be an additional weight while you battle to pause and rest as you go around for material determination, we propose you basically enlist an understudy to keep steady over it.

6. Revaluating specialized drawings

3D renders of a room configuration are important to look proficient and refined.

It wows the new customers as well as offers them an understanding into your brain and plans before any paint is put to the divider, along these lines staying away from any undesirable conflict later the execution of thoughts.

Presently, specialized drawings may not do a lot to dazzle the customers, yet it's a flat out must for a continuous progression of work nearby. Assuming you can deliver them yourself, rethinking them can step up your work accuracy and adequacy.

7. Protection

Inside planners should purchase various sorts of protections that they would then be able to package into a Business Owner's Policy for exhaustive assurance that doesn't burn through every last cent. Take for example proficient obligation inclusion, business pay protection, and laborer's pay. By joining protection, creators can set aside cash.

8. Get a special name and logo

Ensure your business name and logo mirror your image personality and specialities. For instance, assuming your firm spends significant time in green structure procedures, your company's name and logo ought to elevate something similar to your customers. Your image theory ought to likewise be apparent from the business card plan. A few fashioners like to transform their own name into a brand. For more details https://annemariehamill0.blogspot.com/

#Anne Hamill #Anne Marie Hamill

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livingcorner · 4 years ago

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Growing Up: 14 Inventive DIY Vertical Gardens

Leaning Ladder

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You're reading: Growing Up: 14 Inventive DIY Vertical Gardens

This ladder design allows you to pack a lot of greenery into a small space. Built out of stock lumber, you can customize yours with as many “steps” as you’d like. Trailing plant varieties will look especially pretty in this planter—no matter where you choose to lean it.

ana-white.com

Customized Crates

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The different levels in this DIY vertical garden allow you to mix and match plants that require more sun with plants that require more shade. The upper levels of the planter protect and shade the lower levels, and the whole arrangement comes together in an eye-pleasing design. While the planter looks like it’s comprised of stacked crates, these boxes are built with stock 2-inch lumber, and can be customized to fit any backyard, porch, or patio.

Related: 15 Shipping Pallet Projects for the DIY Home

creatingreallyawesomefunthings.com

A Garden Wall

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With some cedar posts, hex wire, and terra cotta pots, you can create a vertical garden than will double as a privacy screen. Hanging individual pots allows you to easily pot up or retire plants with the seasons. The hex wire support allows air to flow through the hanging display, keeping your outdoor space cool and breezy.

akadesign.ca

Pallets and Paint Cans

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Recycled pallets and shiny new paint cans can turn a chain-link fence into a wow-worthy garden wall. This idea is perfect for renters or budget-conscious homeowners, who can’t replace a fence but want to cover the eyesore. The pallet wall attaches to the fence with hooks, allowing it to be moved elsewhere at a moment’s notice. After drilling some drainage holes in the cans, they’re ready for potting soil, plants, and a prominent place in your yard.

abeautifulmess.com

Read more: 12 key plants for a cottage garden

Tiered Hanging Baskets

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This graduated basket design is simple yet attractive, and requires virtually zero effort to construct. Just thread and knot braided polyester rope through the corners of some sturdy woven baskets. Add potting soil and plants, then hang the whole array on a pair of strong hooks. When choosing your supplies, keep in mind that polyester rope comes in a variety of colors, so you can pick something that provides a complement or contrast to your plants for an extra pop of color.

abeautifulmess.com

Wire Mesh Wonder

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Even office accessories can be repurposed as vertical planters. With the addition of coconut fiber liners, potting soil, and starter herbs, this mesh hanging file organizer transforms into a surprisingly stylish vertical planter to hang in a sunny spot close to your kitchen. Fresh ingredients for dinner will be close at hand!

inspiredbycharm.com

Succulent Frame

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Succulents require minimal effort to maintain and pack a powerful visual punch when planted together. Build a simple frame and create your own artistic arrangement to hang on any wall—indoors or out. When it’s time to water, about once a week, lay the planter flat and spray with a gentle mist.

bystephanielynn.com

Picket Fence Planter

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Cedar fence pickets serve as the foundation of this long and tall vertical planter. A square planter box at the bottom gives the piece a sturdy base, and metal hose clamps make great mounting brackets for the tiered terra cotta pots above. Whether you choose to plant herbs or flowers, the wood slats provide the perfect backdrop for luscious greenery.

thecraftpatchblog.com

Repurposed Ladder

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This vertical garden is supremely easy to create, and allows for lots of planting flexibility. Just paint an old step ladder, then arrange several pots on each level. Swap plants in and out as the season advances, or as your tastes change.

smalltownrambler.com

Monogram Planter

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Add a personal touch to your outdoor decor with a DIY monogram planter. Constructed out of cedar, it will stand up to wind and weather, providing you with a profusion of color for many seasons to come.

Related: 10 Ways to Weatherproof Your Garden

remodelaholic.com

Latticed Front

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Read more: Learn Hedge Laying Like a Pro

Vertical gardens can pose a challenge when it comes to watering. Tall gardens may require special hose attachments to reach, while some hanging planters must be removed and laid flat prior to sprinkling. This hanging planter design makes the watering process easy with the addition of PVC pipes that have been drilled with holes to deliver water to plants. To replicate this smart irrigation trick, install the pipes before adding the soil and plants, then add a wooden lattice front for a polished look that helps hold the plants in place.

decorandthedog.net

Terra Cotta Cut Outs

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Hung inside or out, this vertical garden has a balance and symmetry that makes it look at home amidst modern home decor. The planter is easily constructed with pine boards and 1/4” diameter rope. Cut out circles in the boards with a hole saw, then nestle a terra cotta pot in each hole. It may be simple but it’s certainly an eye-catching design!

homemade-modern.com

Pocket Full of Herbs

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What could be easier than repurposing an existing organizer as a vertical garden? That’s exactly what you see pictured here: An over-the-door pocket organizer takes on a new function as a backyard planter. Fill each pocket with soil, and put a plant in each sleeve. The porous canvas material allows excess water to drain, thereby preventing root rot. Hang the cloth planter on a sunny wall outside and watch your garden grow!

instructables.com via pippa5

Living Wall

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Pre-fab trellises, and plant pots and hooks from IKEA come together to form a lush living wall in this outdoor oasis. If you like the look of the wooden supports, don’t confine yourself to hanging only plants. You could install candle holders or artwork the same way, or intersperse decor elements amongst your plants for a truly unique look.

makinglemonadeblog.com

Look Up

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These vertical garden ideas prove that a great garden is possible no matter if you have a big or small yard.

bobvila.com

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Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/growing-up-14-inventive-diy-vertical-gardens/

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readyfleettruckparking-blog · 5 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://fleetconcepts.com/freight-shipping/top-affordable-freight-shipping-services/

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