#Especially diy software stuff

[panda-escapades]

Im so tired.

[astrogre]

What gifts to buy for each Venus sign

Christmas is among us, my favourite season and time of the year. Venus is the planet of love, by nature it can display what we like to receive from others but if you don’t know their Venus or the house it’s in you can try to look at the persons Sun sign instead but Venus is ideal.

A gift based on their:

Sun sign will make them feel seen and like you know them well, it will be a gift they may appreciate

Venus sign is all they’ve ever desired it’s the pinnacle of their ideal gift. Especially as Venus represents how we like to receive and experience love

Aries/ 1H Venus

Gym membership, running shoes, thrill seeking experiences like tickets to bungee jumping, rock climbing, a skydiving event, gym outfit, tickets to their favourite artist, tickets to festival, cool lighter, archery classes, tickets to sports games, a shirt with their teams logo or merch from their favourite artists, scissors set, cooking tools, hair styling products like hairspray, hair dye, Fitbit/apple watch, knives set, sports gear, heavy bass headphones, tickets for those room smashing experiences, take them clay pigeon shooting, family destroying board games like Risk or Catan, diy tattoo kit, diy piercing kit, theme park tickets.

Aries Venus are by nature thrill seekers, Aries is ruled by the head and has 1st house influences, they can certainly appreciate something that ignites passion, they are impulsive and quick by nature to pursue what they desire. They need gifts that match their decisive nature and to let out that pent up energy they have in them, I honestly think experiences are the best for them. Or a box of hair dye for their impulsive moments

Taurus/ 2H Venus

Hire a chef or take them to a really good restaurant for a 5 course meal that serves orgasmic food and has impeccable visuals/atmosphere OR you can even arrange a 7 course homemade meal with the finest of recipes! , fine jewellery adorned with a gemstone, culinary experiences, cooking classes, kitchenware, go to fragrantica.com and find a high quality perfume to give, premium home decor, art, antique items, antique furniture, comfortable cosy clothing, hot water bottle, gardening tools, plants, selection of seeds for their garden, diffuser, essential oils, desserts like baklava/ferro rocher, luxury goods, wellness retreat subscription, day at the spa, tea set, comfy velvet winter pillows and bed sheets

Oh my Taurus natives, they know how to break a bank for Christmas and if not they can enjoy luxury on a budget! They enjoy the finer things of life of course Venus ruled, they know how to induge in pleasures and satisfaction. Due to the earthy influence they have a green finger and a natural affinity with plants and gardening, they may love flowers or want to grow plants themselves. Taurus venuses are rather easy to gift, if you know them they usually have a vice, it may be sleep, food or pure laziness, get them something according to their vice and they will treasure it.

Gemini/ 3H Venus

Really cool stationary, Spotify subscription, comedy show tickets, books from their favourite genre, a notebook, Grammarly subscription, cards against humanity board game, Duolingo subscription, multiplayer games, home kit recording studio, language learning stuff, calligraphy classes, kindle, portable car charger, Bluetooth speaker, karaoke machine, suitcase, travel accessories, a musical instrument, sealing wax kit, creative hobby supplies, microphone, podcasting equipment, audio editing software, a car, vr headset, Nintendo online subscription, Netflix/HBO/youtube/crunchyroll subscription

Gemini rules communication, short journeys and social engagement. Blessing these natives with tools to enhance their pleasant hobbies will make them swoon in gratitude, if you want to get them something make it engaging and whimsical. These natives are ruled by mercury and always welcome something that requires the mind.

Cancer/ 4H Venus

A cooking set, baking set, comfort food, commission artwork of the family, family photos, some really nice home decor, a keepsake/musical box adorned with velvets and soft materials that will store sentimental objects, a locket necklace, family recipe book make a recipe book of all their favourite foods and some foods you know they’d like, soft fluffy blanket, the family heirloom, hand crafted quilt, hand painted ceramic mug, animal crossing game, sims 4 game, games relating to the home, bring and fly in family that are far away as a surprise and cook their favourite meal together, household utilities, lush bath products, a personal chef for a day, a personal butler for a day, custom family tree art, ancestry DNA kit (please be careful though once you use them they keep your data and if they get hacked your information is out there), home movie night, comfy slippers and pyjamas, family board games, this christmas make them Christmas dinner this time.

Cancer rules the home and there’s nothing more appreciated by a cancer Venus than things that remind them of this. They are by nature expressive and nurturing, this time let them be pampered!

Leo/ 5H Venus

Hair care products, gift card for their favorite store, make them an edit no joke like a TikTok edit that makes them look really cool, one of those light up mirrors or a pretty handheld one if they don’t have one already, book them a photoshoot together if they don’t like the camera maybe post them on your social media and show affection for these bold natives, theatre tickets, bold sunglasses, luxury watch, good jewellery, VIP experiences like backstage passes or reservation to exclusive invite only restaurants, designer clothing that is a prestigious brand they love, commission style artwork, make them a playlist of songs that reminds you of them, fine wine, personalised fragrance creation that allows them to create their own signature fragrance, personalised makeup makeover, hire a stylist for them

A perfect gift for Leo’s need to have an element of self expression, luxury and incorporate their personality that garners attention from peers. They need a gift that makes them feel special, something tailored specifically for them that cannot be gifted to anyone else. Personalised gifts do well either this placement too. When I think of these natives I just think of that Meghan Trainor music video “Me Too” watch that and you’ll get their vibe.

Virgo/ 6H Venus

Skincare products, a blender for smoothies, lots of cleaning products, multi purpose aesthetic storage containers, Quora or chat gpt subscription (these guys like to be well informed), give them scientifically researched bath products that have all that vitamin breakdown qualities, make them a notion template to help them plan, quality office supplies like a desk organiser or chair, practical fitness gear like a yoga mat, a fitness tracker, get them a personal nutritionist, tailored meal prep services, bookshelf organiser system, a stylish briefcase, home office makeover (BUT PLEASE GET THEIR PERMISSION FIRST), online course subscription, digital subscription to news feed, you can never go wrong with practical things, an ikea haul, Costco membership, minimalist decor, multi vitamins, a precision watch, set of labelling and sorting tools, a neat tidy chess board, get them a nice little pet, honestly for some reason whenever I think of Virgos I think of matcha. Get them something matcha based.

Virgo Venus natives need gifts that resemble their routine and organisation, they can be rather difficult to purchase for since they have such a specific taste in mind. Gift cards are practical for them but they really need something that allows them to be more prepared. Take them out for comparison price shopping like say if you want to get them a sofa tell them you’ll take them out to Costco, Amazon, ikea, and compare the best ones. They are also very clean and efficient.

Libra Venus/ 7H Venus

Trending Make up like the fenty hot chocolit heat lip gloss, Korean skincare products, beautiful piece of art, a wedding ring 😏, bouquet of flowers, take them to a beautiful botanical garden, fashionable accessories like a silk scarf, books and courses on design, take them to a couples romantic date, a couples workshop, write them a love letter, museum date, tickets to an art exhibition, fine dining, an astrology synastry reading, if they’re single set up a blind date with someone who you KNOW they would like (make sure they’re handsome/pretty), couples retreat, love coach Patreon subscription, pottery/painting classes, relationship podcast subscription, relationship psychology books, fine fragrance/cologne

Libra is ruled by Venus and 7th house, all things related to love beauty and pleasure align with this native, even if they are single they have a natural gift for delving into relationships. Make sure that whatever gift you give them it is pleasing and sensual

Scorpio/ 8H Venus

Intimate gifts, a psychological crime documentary playlist like Epstein island documentary or YouTubers who speak of renowned cult leaders, personalised astrology reading, a dark seductive fragrance, dark artwork, dominance and submission guide book, shadow work journal with a lock on it, dark poetry and literature, escape room adventure tickets, monopoly game, dungeons and dragons game equipment, bdsm accessories, personalised erotic art, leather/latex clothing, bonding activities, empowering books like 48 Laws of Power, martial arts training, taxidermy, personal development workshops, intense workout equipment like a punching bag, chess, daggers, locks on their door or for their belongings like installing a lock for their drawers, buy them a ring camera and subscription, wine tasting experience

Give them something sultry and deep, it has to be psychological and empowering. They are not impressed by superficial gifts that mean nothing to them. They really like gifts that allow them to explore their nature and the darker aspects of existence.

Sagittarius/ 9H Venus

A scratch off map that allows you to scratch off countries you’ve been to, a surprise holiday where you take them abroad, Duolingo subscription, a wanderlust journal for them to document their experiences, passport accessories, an electric guitar, drums, take them to a fireworks display or do one at home for them, a telescope, a drone, binoculars, philosophical books or religious books based on their own beliefs and religion, running shoes, horse riding in the sunset experience, musical instruments, motivational and positive affirmations book or make some for them yourself, a book collection of all their motivational and positive messages they have said, a compass, pay for their tuition for a course they’ve always wanted, traveling stuff like suitcases, pillow for travelling, a portable flask, a disposable camera, a Polaroid camera, a tent, tickets to a cultural festival, hiking gear, skiing gear, camping gear, sketchbook, a donation in their name

Sagittarius Venus and 9H venuses love the concept of exploration whether it be in the mind or physically, the best gift you could give them is one that allows them to take in so much culture, information and experiences.

Capricorn/ 10H Venus

Customisable credit card (CUCU is a good site for this), a nice power suit like business attire, vintage pocket calculator, cufflinks or a tie, formal shoes, pay for their CV to be analysed by professionals in their industry, elegant timeless clothing and jewellery, make them business cards, get them a corporate slave (an assistant will do), pay for business class flights for their next trip abroad, project management courses, tickets to Ted Talk event, take them to and big them up at networking and entrepreneurial opportunities, a sleek desk, submit their work for trophies and awards, quality furniture, Starbucks or their fave coffee place gift cards, a fountain pen, personalised desk name plate, professional photoshoot, designer accessories like a Swiss watch, leather wallet, cheque book, pay for a professional calligrapher to design their signature, time management software

Our sweet cap Venuses and 10Hers need their professional acknowledgment, give them anything timeless and a way for them to better themselves. They love being the best of the best so give them things that support their ambitions.

Aquarius/ 11H Venus

A 3D printer, high tech phone, a gamer console, smart home device like Alexa, chat gpt subscription, AI art pieces of them, rubix cube, VR headset, bespoke one of a kind art piece, tickets to a science technology conference or musem, networking events, phone case, futuristic home decor, membership to an niche club their interested in, mini indoor garden like a plant terrarium, pay for an astronomy stargazing experience for them, alt clothing, goal setting journal, a camaraderie for their friendships can be a bracelet for an example, tickets to a unique workshop according to their niche interests, video editing software, a unique invention prototype for the industry their interested in say if it were cars then a mini Tesla or something, volunteer together, design software, film festival tickets, social cause merchandise, unique fashion piece, astronomy kit, an AI boyfriend or girlfriend, take them a Ted talk.

Always remember the specific niche interests of these natives they like things that are very niche and so sometimes asking them is actually the best thing to do. But make sure it’s something they’re passionate about not all of these natives live tech but they certainly are innovative.

Pisces/ 12H Venus

Seashell necklace, watercolour paints, fantasy book collection, their favourite mangas, handmade artwork, stained glass window art, dream interpretation book, flowerpedia book, vinyls, yoga mat, contact lenses, tickets to their favourite artist like mitski or the sort, create a playlist for them that’s about fantasy and imagination, they might like Disney consider taking them to Disneyland, windchime, subscription to mindfulness app, astrology book, go to the aquarium together, windchimes, art supplies, a dream journal, sound healing instruments, pay for their spiritual retreat, zen garden decor, a mystical music box, water fountain, take them to a mesmerising body of water, prayer mats, diary, write them a heartfelt letter of how amazing they are, take them to a nature retreat, wearable art

Dreamy imaginative gifts would be perfect for these people, they need gifts that allow them to appreciate their escape world where they have a reality that’s just better than here. Give them things that are as beautiful as their inner world.

[luulapants]

Do you have any tips to be more punk in 2025 specifically for minors?

Hey, great question! Let's take a look at our list and see what still applies and what we can flip around for you.

Cut fast fashion - Still applies! Try clothing swaps with friends.

Cut subscriptions Analyze your media consumption - Do you tend to play phone games that are psychologically manipulative? Are algorithms taking you to content that makes you upset? Track your screen time, think about what's being sold to you, and resist only consuming the media that is fed to you.

Green your community self - Forget touching grass, find ways to touch dirt. Spend time outside in nature. Go for hikes, look at trees, track how plants and animals change over the seasons. You're part of the natural world, so go connect with it!

Be kind - Still applies! Try handing out more compliments.

Intervene - Still applies, and especially applies to bullies, including teachers. This can be as simple as saying, "That was a really messed up thing to say. I think you owe X an apology."

Get closer to your food - Still applies! Try packing your lunch.

Use opensource software Reject Web 2.0 - Before you try to learn Linux, people your age need to start by learning some basic computer and coding skills. My generation was given computer classes and had social media that encouraged custom coding. Yours has been deprived of this education and given prepackaged web content. Reject AI. Right click + inspect element + fuck around. Learn Raspberry Pi. Become the cyberpunk hacker you want to see in the world.

Make less trash - Still applies! If mom won't let you start a compost in the backyard, propose starting one at school!

Get involved in local school politics - Know what's going on with your school board, with school administration. Start an underground, uncensored school newspaper with the real dirt.

DIY > fashion - High school is where a lot of adults learned their bad habits about keeping up with appearance/fashion demands. Refuse to buy in now and make homemade the new cool.

Ditch Google - Still applies! And also check your app settings to see if you have apps with unnecessary permissions.

Forage - Still applies!

Volunteer - Still applies! There might be fewer opportunities for minors, but you'll never know until you ask. Don't be afraid to be the only young person at the volunteer session.

Help your neighbors classmates - Offer to study with students who are struggling. Become someone people can trust to tell if their home situation is difficult. If you have friends who don't get enough to eat at home, bring them home for dinner. Check on people.

Fix stuff - Still applies! This can be a fun activity with friends, too. Let's all hang out and see if we can fix this busted stereo!

Mix up your transit - Still applies! Is taking the bus considered lame at your school? Do it anyway.

Engage in the arts - Still applies! Pay attention to art events that your classmates are putting on. Go to the school play - or join! Stop in the art classrooms to see what people are working on.

Go to the library - Still applies, public and school libraries! Talk to the librarians - they know things. Find out if there are after school programs you can take advantage of.

Listen local - Even more local! Stop by the band room after school to listen to practice. Does someone in your school have a band? Listen to them, cheer them on! Start a band! The great thing about punk music is that you can be really, really awful and still sound punk as hell.

Buy local Barter local - Lots of young folks don't have much control over or access to money, but that doesn't mean you and your classmates can't engage in barter. Figure out what you have to offer that other people might want, and trade for stuff you want. I used to cut hair and pierce ears in exchange for weed and rides to the mall. Maybe you can sew a friend's jacket in exchange for them bringing you a homemade lunch.

Become unmarketable - Still applies! PLEASE do this.

Use cash Steal ethically - Before engaging in shoplifting, make sure you know who you're stealing from! Stealing from Walmart is morally correct. Stealing from a family-owned grocery, a local coop, or a local artist? That fucking sucks, dude. Don't do it.

Give what you can - And only what you can. We ask a godawful lot from teens. You're in school all day, you're doing extracurriculars and maybe working and doing homework. You probably don't have a lot of money. You probably don't have a lot of time. But maybe you can bring your elderly neighbor's trash cans up from the street. Find the small actions that you have space for.

Talk about wages - PLEASE! If you have a job, this applies to you even more. Why? Because the adults working at your minimum wage job probably can't afford to be rabble rousers, but what do you have to lose except your shitty part-time Panera job?? A teenager who doesn't actually need their job to live has the opportunity to be the voice of truth in any workplace.

Think about wealthflow Resist indoctrination - Education systems are being gutted. Algorithms are feeding us misinformation. Cocomelon probably gave you ADHD or some shit - Jesus. It's a mess. Do what you can to practice critical thinking, expand your literacy, read stuff that seems boring. Start a book club or philosophy club with your friends. Ask who's profiting from a given situation. Resist knee-jerk reactions. Becoming an educated, thoughtful person is one of the greatest acts of resistance a young person today can engage in.

[soup-mother]

I really want to get into shortwave radios, how do i build one? radioshack doesnt exist where i am anymore

ok so!!! most ppl usually don't build a radio to get into shortwave so idk how to help u there. but if u wanna get into it I'd totally reccomend checking out the following:

this is a list of online software defined radios u can listen to for free. u should be able to find one near u

this is the one a lot of ppl use, based out of the Netherlands (so will be mostly European stations). just if you wanted one ppl have tried and tested and marked a lot of stations on.

http://short-wave.info/

and this website lets you set where you are and see what things you can hear around you. it's really useful for checking what you're listening to as well.

if you want a physical radio, i got mine secondhand on ebay (a tecsun pl-310ET, it's really good especially for its size and price) so I'd definitely reccomend checking ebay or whatever marketplace site you can use.

but you can totally just use an online one if you want it's honestly a better experience unless you're into the "i picked this up with my own equipment" feeling.

if you can find a radio it might come with a wire antenna as well as the inbuilt one, but the classic diy antenna is like 3m or so of copper wire you throw out the window or into a tree or something and wrap around the antenna. just don't do that near powerlines or in a thunderstorm. an antenna and knowing the best times to listen are basically the two big things that'll affect the quality of what you're hearing.

if you're not in the US or Canada DO NOT trust ppl from there when they say so and so brand is cheap. it's like when they act like lodge cast iron pans are cheap everywhere lol. generally the kind you'll be able to get will depend on where in the world you are.

in general a lot of ppl trying to give advice are old men with too much time and money so definitely do not feel like you need to spend any/much money or that if you're not doing so and so you're not doing it right. (and don't let ppl convince u that you need to build a fancy dipole antenna first thing)

keeping track of solar conditions and stuff isn't something u need to care about too much but might explain if you're not hearing stuff (or u might be using a band that works best during the night in the middle of the day lol). best time is generally dusk and night in an area without too much electrical noise.

hopefully that's helpful! I really enjoy shortwave listening it's a fun hobby :)

[rainedragon]

do you have any tips for scanning old magazines/catalogs? i'd like to help archive some of the publications i have, but i don't really know where to start ʕ⁠´⁠•⁠ᴥ⁠•⁠`⁠ʔ

i'm mostly concerned about binding (especially on glbs) and what scanner specifications to look at, but any other advice or resources would be appreciated too!

So, I'm not actually an archivist, I'm a web developer by trade. I own a relatively inexpensive flatbed printer/scanner, mostly because it was what I could go out to a physical store and buy for relatively cheap when I started out scanning old magazines and catalogs.

For anything that is staple bound, like a magazine, and can be put flat on a table while open, scanning is relatively easy. You just need a flatbed scanner that is bigger than the pages, and a book to put on top of the lid to keep it flat (don't use too heavy of a book or you will damage the scanner 1-2 magazines is usually good. Also, don't forget they are there, open the lid and fling them across the room). Line up a corner of the page on the corner of the scanner and you should be golden. Scan in photo mode if your scanner software has options. Ideally, for things like the GLB, you would either want a copy you can destroy (which I kind of think is what some of the 'latest magazines' scanning farms were doing in the 2010s) and to carefully unbind the whole thing and scan the pages flat (which I have no personal interest in doing because destroying books pains me and I'm not trying to digitize "clean" digital copies for any professional reason). OR, my understanding is you want something with a V-shaped cradle of some type that is specialized for scanning books, either as an actual scanner or a camera setup with software. The problem is last time I looked those were like 10K and up if you get a piece of specialized equipment.

I've vaguely dabbled with the idea of doing a very hacky version of a DIY build with boxes cut down to the right angle and some panes of glass and my DSLR for my pink house catalogs because they are too big but I never really got it fully figured out. I will admit, I haven't tried super hard. I kept getting reflections, and I had to worry about the glass scratching the pages, and I didn't feel like getting a proper light.... I know I should really try again, and try a little harder, but it's a lot and I have a lot of other stuff I need to do so it just keeps getting kicked down the road.

That said, if you want to get into trying a DIY build, there is a whole community of people who were doing that in the 2010s that have posted good info on types of glass and way more detailed suggestions than I can make here: https://diybookscanner.org/forum/index.php This box scanner is essentially what I was trying to set up and it theoretically should work, I'm pretty sure my whole issue is that I was trying to do it all quickly at like midnight one day and did not have the right lighting and didn't try too hard to fix that. Like... I could have tried a lot harder than I did https://www.instructables.com/Bargain-Price-Book-Scanner-From-A-Cardboard-Box/ (good pictures of one here: https://diybookscanner.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1202)

And then I needed to take it apart because I needed the table back...

But yeah, if you don't want to invest thousands or destroy them, I would say try a cardboard box scanner for things like the GLB, see if you can get it to work for you?

And then for things that can go flat, a combo scanner/printer that is good enough for photographs will be more than good enough for the print resolution of most magazines and the scanner/printer combos are way cheaper than dedicated scanners because they think you are going to become an ink customer and buy printer ink, so they make it cheaper. But the joke is on them. My combo scanner printer has never had ink in it before. (Note: do read reviews and make sure it's not stupid enough to require it's ink to be full to scan. I wouldn't put it past some companies to add that to their software). If you are really passionate about this, there are a lot of people who are way more dedicated to archival book scanning who have developed all sorts of DIY solutions for speeding up the process, automating parts of it, etc, and searching for terms like DIY book scanner should get you in the right place on the internet.

[gracielas-photography]

🛠️ Behind the Scenes: How I’m Prepping to Launch My Photography Biz 🎬📸

Starting a creative business isn’t just about having a camera and an Instagram page (although those definitely help). It’s also about building the right structure behind the scenes so everything runs smoothly—especially when you're offering a service like photography that relies on you being the product and the process.

So here’s a little peek into what my business operations plan looks like, and how I plan on getting everything together to officially launch my photography brand for small businesses here in the Niagara Region.

🎯 What I’m Offering (and How to Making it Happen)

At its core, my business is all about creating branded visual content for local entrepreneurs, shops, creators, and hospitality spaces. Think product shoots, branding sessions, lifestyle visuals—stuff that helps people show up online looking like they mean business (because they do).

I’m not selling a physical product, but I am creating deliverables—photos, curated image sets, sometimes even moodboards or creative direction—and those take resources. So while I’m not sourcing inventory, I do need to keep my toolkit solid.

🧰 Tools + Gear I Use

Here’s what I already have in place (or am investing in):

Camera gear – I shoot with a mirrorless DSLR that handles both sharp product shots and moody lifestyle work.

Lighting – Mostly natural light for now, but i plan on getting reflectors and invest in portable softbox for indoor setups.

Laptop & editing software – Lightroom and Photoshop are my go-tos, and I’ve got presets I’ve developed to keep my work consistent.

Props & backgrounds – I’m slowly building a small collection of flatlays, textures, and versatile props that work across brands. I also plan to thrift or DIY a lot of this to stay creative and budget-conscious.

Client booking tools – At the moment i only have an email that is specifically used only for my photography but i also have my Instagram. It's not exactly fancy but it works.

⏳ Can I Get Everything in Time?

Totally. Most of the tools I need, I already have or can get easily. Props and creative resources will grow over time, but the basics are here. I also plan to rent studio space as needed, depending on what the shoot calls for. A lot of clients want their photos done in their space anyway (shops, salons, cafés), so being mobile is a win.

📝 Licenses + Permits?

Because I’m a service-based business working independently, I’ll be operating as a sole proprietor. I’ll register my business name and handle any tax stuff that comes with that.

As for licenses, I don’t need anything major unless I’m renting commercial space regularly or doing shoots that involve permits (like certain public areas or drone photography). But I’ll stay on top of that as things grow.

🚀 What I Need to Launch

My launch won’t be a big grand opening—it’s more of a soft rollout. I just want to get in front of people who need the work and start booking. But to really make it official, here’s what I’m putting in place:

A clean, simple portfolio website or landing page (I’m thinking Squarespace)

A few strong sample projects that show what I can do

Clear pricing/packages that are easy to understand and flexible for different needs

Local networking—connecting with business owners, visiting shops, going to markets, talking to people

Consistent Instagram content to show off behind-the-scenes and finished work

💡 The Big Vision

I want to build something real—not just a gig, not just a side hustle. I want this business to feel like a creative partner to the local brands I want to/ will work with. Like, yeah, I’ll take your product photos, but I also want to help you figure out how to use those photos to actually grow your business.

I want to keep it collaborative, community-focused, and flexible. And I want my clients to feel seen, supported, and proud of how their brand shows up in the world.

So that’s where I’m at. Bit by bit, getting the tools in place, building the vibe, and getting ready to hit “go.”

[nuxthefirst]

Derad Network: The Crypto Project That's Taking Aviation to New Heights https://www.derad.net/

Hey Tumblr fam, let's talk about something wild: a blockchain project that's not just about making money, but about making the skies safer. Meet Derad Network, a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) that's using crypto magic to revolutionize how we track planes. If you're into tech, aviation, or just love seeing Web3 do cool stuff in the real world, this one's for you. Buckle up-here's the scoop.

What's Derad Network?

Picture this: every plane in the sky is constantly beaming out its location, speed, and altitude via something called ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast). It's like GPS for aircraft, way sharper than old-school radar. But here's the catch-those signals need ground stations to catch them, and there aren't enough out there, especially in remote spots like mountains or over the ocean. That's where Derad Network swoops in.

Instead of waiting for some big corporation or government to build more stations, Derad says,"Why not let anyone do it?" They've built a decentralized network where regular people-you, me, your neighbor with a Raspberry Pi-can host ADS-B stations or process flight data and get paid in DRD tokens. It's a community-powered vibe that fills the gaps in flight tracking, making flying safer and giving us all a piece of the action. Oh, and it's all locked down with blockchain, so the data's legit and tamper-proof. Cool, right?

How It Actually Works

Derad's setup is super approachable, which is why I'm obsessed. There are two ways to jump in:

Ground Stations: Got a corner of your room and a decent Wi-Fi signal? You can set up an ADS-B ground station with some affordable gear-like a software-defined radio (SDR) antenna and a little computer setup. These stations grab signals from planes flying overhead, collecting stuff like "this Boeing 737 is at 30,000 feet going 500 mph." You send that data to the network and boom, DRD tokens hit your wallet. It's like mining crypto, but instead of solving math puzzles, you're helping pilots stay safe.

Data Nodes: Not into hardware? You can still play. Run a data processing node on your laptop or whatever spare device you've got lying around. These nodes take the raw info from ground stations, clean it up, and make it useful for whoever needs it-like airlines or air traffic nerds. You get DRD for that too. It's a chill way to join without needing to turn your place into a tech lab.

All this data flows into a blockchain (Layer 1, for the tech heads), keeping it secure and transparent. Derad's even eyeing permanent storage with Arweave, so nothing gets lost. Then, companies or regulators can buy that data with DRD through a marketplace. It's a whole ecosystem where we're the backbone, and I'm here for it.

DRD Tokens: Crypto with a Purpose

The DRD token is the star of the show. You earn it by hosting a station or running a node, and businesses use it to grab the flight data they need. It's not just some random coin to trade—it's got real juice because it's tied to a legit use case.The more people join, the more data flows, and the more DRD gets moving. It's crypto with a mission, and that's the kind of energy I vibe with.

Why This Matters (Especially forAviation Geeks)

Okay, let's get real-flying's already pretty safe, but it's not perfect. Radar's great, but it's blind in tons of places, like over the Pacific or in the middle of nowhere. ADS-B fixes that, but only if there are enough stations to catch the signals.Derad's like, "Let's crowdsource this." Here's why it's a game-changer:

Safer Skies: More stations = better tracking. That means fewer chances of planes bumping into each other (yikes) and faster help if something goes wrong.

Cheaper Than Big Tech: Building centralized stations costs a fortune. Derad's DIY approach saves cash and spreads the love to smaller players like regional airlines or even drone companies.

Regulators Love It: Blockchain makes everything transparent. Airspace rules getting broken? It's logged forever, no shady cover-ups.

Regulators Love It: Blockchain makes everything transparent. Airspace rules getting broken? It's logged forever, no shady cover-ups.

Logistics Glow-Up: Airlines can plan better routes, save fuel, and track packages like champs, all thanks to this decentralized data stash.

And get this-they're not stopping at planes.Derad's teasing plans to tackle maritime tracking with AlS (think ships instead of wings). This could be huge.

Where It's Headed

Derad's still in its early ascent, but the flight plan's stacked. They're aiming for 10,000 ground stations worldwide (imagine the coverage!), launching cheap antenna kits to get more people in, and dropping "Ground Station as a Service" (GSS) so even newbies can join. The Mainnet XL launch is coming to crank up the scale, and they're teaming up with SDR makers and Layer 2 blockchains to keep it smooth and speedy.

The wildest part? They want a full-on marketplace for radio signals-not just planes, but all kinds of real-time data. It's ambitious as hell, and I'm rooting for it.

Why Tumblr Should Stan Derad

This isn't just for crypto bros or plane spotters-it's for anyone who loves seeing tech solve real problems. Derad's got that DIY spirit Tumblr thrives on: take something niche (flight data), flip it into a community project, and make it matter.The DRD token's got legs because it's useful, not just a gamble. It's like catching a band before they blow up.

The Rough Patches

No flight's turbulence-free. Aviation's got rules out the wazoo, and regulators might side-eye a decentralized setup. Scaling to thousands of stations needs hardware and hype, which isn't instant. Other DePIN projects or big aviation players could try to muscle in too. But Derad's got a unique angle-community power and a solid mission—so I'm betting it'll hold its own.

Final Boarding Call

Derad Network's the kind of project that gets me hyped. It's crypto with soul, turning us into the heroes who keep planes safe while sticking it to centralized gatekeepers. Whether you're a tech geek, a crypto stan, or just someone who loves a good underdog story, this is worth watching.

Derad's taking off, and I'm strapped in for the ride.What about you?

[goldenflowers]

OKAY SO i said yesterday that i would make a post about how anime weekend atlanta went, so... basically it was a bit of a mixed bag because while i got to see tons of cool cosplays and merch and go to some neat panels, we (as in me and my dad who was traveling with me) ended up not only having car troubles the entire weekend but also had some absolutely ridiculous problems with ordering food. just as an example, one night we ordered a pizza and it took 3 hours to arrive and we never got told there would be any kind of delay 😭 BUT i will go ahead and share my cosplays and then list off some good things that happened! i'm slightly embarrassed about posting my face on here since i've never done that before but here goes:

i was edward elric on thursday and friday at AWA and lilia vanrouge (pop music club version) on saturday and sunday! i did a bunch of thrifting and DIYing (and pulling things i already owned out of my closet for lillia lmao) for both of these and i am especially proud of that automail glove. i also went to two twisted wonderland cosplay photoshoots on both saturday and sunday which was definitely fun, and i met todd haberkorn while in my ed cosplay and got him to autograph the same fullmetal alchemist artbook that i've previously had signed by caitlin glass! i also bought a handful of silly little trinkets and i will put photos of all this other stuff under a cut so people who don't care don't have it clogging their dash too badly.

^ full group photo + some diasomnia photos of the saturday twst photoshoot. shoutout to the summer lilia who offered to princess carry malleus and the person who showed up as meleanor--two things which are both seriously impressive to me in different ways.

^ the photo i took with todd haberkorn + the artbook cover he signed. you can see where he signed his name right over ling and where, when i met caitlin last year, she signed her name right over winry. i met him once before but it was literally 10 years ago and it was great to be able to meet him again. he told me he thinks ling deserves his own FMA spinoff, and i very much agree with him.

^ some of the silly merch i bought. i also wanted to buy the official castle in the sky artbook as well as these kingdom hearts plushies so badly and still might buy them online later:

and uhhh i think that's all i feel like sharing on here?? i wish i had gotten to go to more panels but the various unexpected issues i had throughout the con kept me from having the time to go to many, although the ones i did get to see were great. there was one where a nuclear propulsion plant operator and NASA software engineer graded various sciencey anime on how good or bad their science was and did a very thorough examination of whether or not the premise of planetes--a screw hitting a spaceship, putting a hole in it, and taking out an intercontinental suborbital flight--was plausible. he concluded that it is and gave the overall series an A+ for scientific accuracy, and i've never seen this show but now i want to.

okay actually NOW that's all! if you cared enough to read this post then you deserve this bonus photo from when i got home yesterday, decided to put my ed cosplay back on and take extra photos of it, and subsequently got attacked by my cat:

[craftymanticoreisland]

Professional VAT compliance audit service near me

Looking for a Professional VAT Compliance Audit Service Near You? Read This First You know the moment. That gut-twisting realization when someone casually asks, “Have you had your VAT compliance checked recently?” And suddenly, your brain starts flipping through mental checklists—deadlines, invoices, reverse charges, partial exemptions. It’s like trying to do a tax return in your head at a networking event. Not fun.

If you’ve ever typed “professional VAT compliance audit service near me” into Google, hoping for some sort of financial fairy godmother, you’re not alone. And no, it’s not overkill—it’s smart. Because VAT is slippery. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, the rules change, or your business scales, or a new supply chain twist throws everything sideways.

Let’s talk about why local matters, what makes a VAT audit service actually worth your time, and why doing this now could save you a lot of grief down the road.

The Proximity Illusion: Does “Near Me” Really Matter? Here’s the thing—technically, a great VAT audit service doesn’t have to be down the road. These days, cloud-based systems, Zoom calls, and shared access to software like Xero or Sage mean geography isn’t a blocker.

But there’s still something comforting—useful, even—about working with professionals who know your local business ecosystem. Someone who understands the VAT nuances of your industry and your postcode. Think of it like hiring a lawyer. Sure, they can Zoom in from anywhere. But someone who knows your local council’s quirks or the regional VAT schemes? That’s gold.

Especially if you're in a region where local trade, niche industries, or cross-border sales are common, nearby professionals can bring insight that’s hard to replicate remotely.

So yes—location still matters. Just maybe not in the way you think.

Let’s Back Up: What Exactly Is a VAT Compliance Audit? Imagine someone reviewing your VAT records with a fine-tooth comb—but in a helpful way, not like an HMRC interrogation. A proper VAT compliance audit checks:

If you’re applying the correct VAT rates to your products and services If you’re reclaiming VAT where you should (and not where you shouldn’t) How you’re handling complex issues like EU transactions, digital services, imports, or reverse charges Whether your VAT returns line up with your accounts If your systems and documentation are audit-ready It’s like running a full-body scan on your VAT setup. Catching the small stuff before it snowballs into fines or sleepless nights.

Who Actually Needs This? (Spoiler: Probably You) If you’re a freelancer with two invoices a month—sure, maybe a VAT audit isn’t top of your list. But for everyone else? Startups, scaling businesses, marketing teams pushing bundled promotions—it’s not just useful. It’s essential.

Let’s break it down:

Startups: You’re experimenting. You’re evolving. That’s great—but your VAT processes probably haven’t kept pace. Better to know now than explain it to HMRC later. Small to Medium Businesses: You’ve got customers, products, suppliers… and complexity. The more moving parts, the more risk. A local VAT audit can be your financial safety net. Enterprises: You’ve outgrown spreadsheets. Maybe you’re juggling international sales, multiple entities, or partial exemptions. That’s not DIY territory anymore. Marketing Teams: Yes, really. That limited-time promo? The bundled offer? If finance isn’t looped in, those clever campaigns might cause VAT headaches you didn’t expect.

What Makes a VAT Audit Service Professional? Professional doesn’t mean robotic. It means thorough, trustworthy, and human. The kind of team that can handle technical complexity without making you feel stupid for asking questions.

Here’s what to look for:

✅ Industry Experience (Not Just Accounting Degrees) They should know VAT inside-out—and not just the textbook version. E-commerce VAT? B2B services with mixed rates? Construction schemes? Make sure they’ve handled your kind of mess before.

✅ Clear, Friendly Communication If you walk away from your first call more confused than before, run. The best professionals explain things clearly, without condescending. They make VAT… well, not exciting, but at least understandable.

✅ Hands-On Support, Not Just Reports You don’t want a 30-page PDF that gathers dust. You want real guidance: “Here’s what’s wrong, here’s why it matters, and here’s exactly how to fix it.”

✅ Up-to-Date Tech Integration If they’re still asking for printed ledgers, it’s a red flag. A modern VAT audit service should easily sync with your cloud accounting tools—QuickBooks, Zoho, FreeAgent, you name it.

Why Businesses Delay—And Why They Regret It Let’s be honest. No one queues up for a VAT audit. It sounds time-consuming, maybe expensive, and let’s face it—who wants someone snooping around their numbers?

But you know what’s worse? Finding out six months later that you’ve been misapplying VAT and owe thousands. Or that your new digital product should’ve had different VAT treatment in the EU. Or that you’ve been reclaiming VAT on expenses that aren’t eligible.

What feels like a pain now is actually the cheaper, smarter choice.

Rapid Business Solution: A Local Name That Gets It Right If you're searching for a professional VAT compliance audit service "near me" and you're anywhere in the UK, Rapid Business Solution is probably already on someone’s referral list. And for good reason.

They blend that rare combo of sharp expertise with a human-first approach. No scare tactics. No jargon waterfalls. Just reliable, actionable insights delivered in plain English (with maybe a spreadsheet or two, but the friendly kind).

They’ve worked with solo founders, 50-person teams, and multi-office enterprises. And their approach? It adapts. Whether you need a light-touch check-in or a deep forensic dive, they meet you where you are.

What Happens During a VAT Audit with a Local Pro? Honestly? It’s probably less dramatic than you think.

Kickoff Call – You’ll talk through your business model, any VAT concerns, and what’s changed recently. Data Review – They’ll look at your transactions, returns, invoices, and accounting systems. Analysis & Feedback – You get a breakdown of what’s working, what’s risky, and what needs fixing. Support & Next Steps – Whether it’s amending returns, updating systems, or training your team—they’ll guide you through it. No long lectures. No blame game. Just solutions.

What’s the Cost of Waiting? It's tempting to put it off—there’s always something more urgent, more exciting. But here’s a quick reality check:

VAT errors compound. The longer you leave them, the harder they are to untangle. HMRC penalties aren’t just financial—they affect your credibility and sometimes your ability to claim in future periods. Missed reclaims = free money lost. A proper audit isn’t just damage control. It’s proactive defense—and honestly, peace of mind.

Final Thoughts: You’re Closer Than You Think “Professional VAT compliance audit service near me” isn’t just a search query. It’s a step toward fewer headaches, smoother growth, and yes, actual confidence in your VAT setup.

And if it feels overwhelming—don’t stress. You don’t have to do it alone.

Whether you’re a team of 3 in a shared office or a 200-person company across 3 time zones, there’s a local expert out there who gets your world. And they’re probably a lot easier to talk to than you’d expect.

Your business deserves that kind of backup.

Follow this website rapid business solution: https://rapidbs.ae/

[clatterbane]

Further on this note? I discovered this free PDF archive of '80s titles via one YouTuber who I seriously doubt was there for the first round. (Really really retro computing?)

There's a lot more there. But, another well worth checking out from her:

Were Magazine Type-In Games Really That Bad? // Coding Again Like It's The 80s

Because yeah, that was a thing too. And particularly big on the magazines in the UK, from what I understand. You could totally buy whole books and magazines full of BASIC code, and type in your "own" exceedingly basic software that way.

"You want some games, kid? Well, HERE are multiple games! Knock yourself out! 🥳"

Of course, it was also a pretty good way of learning how things worked, and a launching-off point.

At least one of the books Stepdad-To-Be (working programmer for most of the '70s) set me down with, way back when, was all BASIC office programs. 🤣 I guess he also hoped the hyper little shit would code monkey some of the boring work into the keyboard for him, while also keeping me out of whatever hair he had left. I did prefer the semi-DIY games, but I was surprisingly game for that anyway. I may not have cared much about simple databases or whatever, but the process still held my attention for a good while.

(Come to think of it, dude also set me to debugging some C++ stuff of his like 20 years later. Did/do I really know C++? NOPE. Did I try anyway? Of course. It was a challenge. He obviously knew me to that extent.)

I never did get into that in a way that I could potentially profit off of down the road, unlike a good number of folks I know. Including the one I live with. (Who ISTR was one of the many Gen X Europeans with ZX Spectrum as the on ramp.) I just seem to stay in perpetual Tinkering Dumbass mode with...so many things. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ I'll hyperfixate and pick up enough to hopefully accomplish my immediate goals, then I'm onto something else. Just seems to be how I'm wired, always like it or not.

But, especially since I have been fooling around with C-64 emulation again lately? I thought I might also get back to my roots in another way, and set myself down for some tedious "fun" with at least one of those BASIC game book PDF reprints.

Not only has it been a frightening number of years? Usborne is a very British publisher, and all their necroed titles are new to me. Or at least I don't remember any of the ones they have up.

I thought maybe somebody else here might be interested in some retro computer book perusal as well.

[cuteditor]

What is Online Photo Editing? (A Friendly, Expert Guide You Can Trust)

I had just opened my first Shopify store, selling trendy lifestyle accessories. I remember spending hours taking photos with my phone, thinking they looked “decent enough.” But when I uploaded them to the site, something felt…off. The colors weren’t popping, the backgrounds were messy, and the whole look just didn’t scream “professional.” That’s when I stumbled into the world of online photo editing and let me tell you, it completely transformed my business.

So, if you’re wondering, What is online photo editing?, this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through what it is, how it works, how to do it well, and where to get it done professionally—even if you’ve never edited a photo in your life. Pathedits

🟢 So, What Is Online Photo Editing?

Short answer: Online photo editing is the process of improving images using internet-based tools or services—either DIY platforms or expert designers.

In simple words, it's like having a Photoshop expert at your fingertips, without needing to install anything or learn complicated software.

Whether you’re an Amazon seller, a wedding photographer, or an Airbnb host, clean, compelling visuals are what grab attention. Online photo editing helps you do just that—from removing blemishes to replacing dull backgrounds, correcting lighting, or even using drop shadow service to make your products look like they're floating on air.

🔧 How Online Photo Editing Works (Step-by-Step)

If you’re like me—busy, juggling five tabs open, and slightly allergic to technical stuff—don’t worry. Here’s a clear step-by-step look at how online photo editing actually works:

1. Upload Your Image

Choose your photo (or batch of photos) and upload it to an online photo editing platform or send it to a service provider.

2. Select Your Editing Needs

Most platforms or services ask what you want:

Background removal

Color correction

Clipping path

Retouching

Drop shadow service

Object removal

Or even adding branding elements.

3. Let the Editors Work

Once your image is in, skilled professionals (often with years of Photoshop experience) hand-edit the image to match your request. No AI shortcuts here—real people with real expertise.

4. Download the Final Image

Once it’s done, you’ll get an email or notification to download your polished, professional image.

Pro Tip: If you want fast turnaround, many services deliver within 12–24 hours.

🎯 Practical Tips to Get the Perfect Handmade Online Photo Editing

I’ve tested dozens of services and methods. Here’s what works best when you're aiming for stunning, handmade edits:

✅ Be Specific in Your Request

Don’t just say “make it better.” Instead, try:

“Please remove the background, add a soft drop shadow service, and boost the contrast slightly.”

✅ Choose the Right Image Quality

The better your original image, the better your final result. High-resolution photos give editors more to work with.

✅ Batch Similar Edits Together

Got 50 product photos needing background removal and drop shadow service? Send them in batches. It saves time and sometimes gets you a discount.

✅ Check for Revision Policies

Sometimes you need a tweak. Good services allow at least one free revision.

🛠️ Trusted Services to Get the Job Done Right

Here’s a breakdown of some top-tier professional editing services I’ve personally tested or reviewed, and when you should use them:

1. DearClippings

✅ Perfect for: E-commerce brands, photographers, and social media influencers They offer precise handmade edits, especially if you need consistent results across hundreds of photos. Great for high-volume work with detail like drop shadow service.

2. UKClippingPath

✅ Ideal for: European clients With a team experienced in photo retouching, this service is great for fashion or magazine-quality editing.

3. PathEdits

✅ Best for: Bulk image clipping & background removal If you’re running an Etsy shop or Amazon store with tons of SKUs, these guys are fast, reliable, and affordable.

4. OffshoreClipping

✅ Use this for: Real estate and architectural photo edits They specialize in making property photos look picture-perfect with sky replacements, lighting adjustments, and even virtual staging.

5. ClippingPathService

✅ Great for: Product photographers and print-on-demand sellers They’re known for tight clipping paths and accurate handmade edits, which is key if you’re doing print catalogs or detailed merchandise photos.

🧠 Final Thoughts: Why It Matters (and How It Helped Me)

Here’s the deal. In today’s visual-first world, your photos ARE your brand. Whether you’re building a Shopify store, sharing on Instagram, or sending listings to Airbnb, those visuals are what make people stop, look, and click “buy.”

When I switched from doing DIY edits to using a professional service, my bounce rate dropped by 23% and my sales? They went up by 37%. That’s the power of well-edited visuals.

Even if you start small, take the first step. Choose one photo. Try one service. You’ll see the difference.

👋 Wrapping It Up

If you’ve been wondering, “What is online photo editing?”—now you know. It’s more than a tool. It’s a strategy, a secret weapon, and sometimes, a total game-changer for your brand.

Use platforms like DearClippings.com when quality matters most. Look to UKClippingPath and PathEdits for speed and affordability. Turn to OffshoreClipping for real estate and interiors, and ClippingPathService for precision-based work like clipping paths or drop shadow service.

Need help choosing the right one for your project? Drop me a message. I’ve tried them all—and I’m here to help.

TL;DR: Online photo editing means enhancing your photos using internet services or software. It’s perfect for making your products pop, your portraits shine, and your listings sell faster. Try expert services like DearClippings.com for top-tier handmade edits, and don’t forget the value of drop shadow service for clean, professional looks.

Let me know if you want a downloadable checklist or side-by-side comparison of the top services—I’d be happy to make one for you.

[2x4-construction]

Step-by-Step Guide to Kitchen Remodeling in Houston

Let’s face it kitchen remodeling in Houston can feel like wrestling a brisket into a crockpot: messy, unpredictable, but oh-so-worth-it when done right. Whether you’re giving your bungalow in The Heights a glow-up or going full glam in your West U mansion, this guide has you covered. We’ll walk you through each phase of the journey contractor-style smarts meets DIY-friendly hacks and sneak in the top contemporary kitchen design tips for Houston homes while we’re at it.

Why Plan Matters More Than Paint

Before you swing that sledgehammer (or spend three hours on Pinterest), get your plan together. Houston’s unique housing styles from new builds to vintage charmers mean you’ll want solutions tailored to both the space and the city's humid charm.

🛠️ Remodeling Timeline

Set Your Remodeling Goals Do you need more storage or better flow? Clearly define the WHY behind your remodel to guide the whole project. DIY

Set a Realistic Budget Plan your budget and add about 20%. Houston surprises happen, so be prepared! DIY + Financial Advisor

Find Your Style Contemporary? Transitional? Finding a style that matches your taste is key. Just FYI, shabby chic isn’t coming back anytime soon. DIY + Designer (optional)

Measure & Map Use graph paper or free software to map out your space and design your layout. DIY

Choose Finishes & Fixtures Think sleek matte black faucets, durable quartz countertops, and LED lighting for a modern touch. DIY + Showroom Visits

Get Permits Yes, even a backsplash needs a permit in Houston. Make sure all the legal stuff is taken care of before you start. Pro

Demo Day Tear down those old cabinets and countertops—but be ready for dust and surprises behind the walls. DIY or Pro

Plumbing & Electrical Rough-In Leave the tricky stuff to licensed contractors, especially when it comes to plumbing and electrical. Pro

Install Cabinets & Countertops Align everything properly to avoid crooked coffee mugs and other mishaps. Pro (or DIY with a little YouTube help)

Final Touches Finish with appliances, lighting, a fresh coat of paint, and don’t forget your happy kitchen dance. DIY + Pro

🌟 Contemporary Kitchen Design Tips for Houston Homes

Contemporary design isn’t just about minimalism—it’s about intentional simplicity that maximizes beauty and function. Here are the must-know tips that’ll have your remodel looking like it walked off a magazine spread:

Layer Your Lighting: Combine task, ambient, and accent lighting. Pendant lights over the island? Yes, please.

Opt for Soft Neutrals: Cream, matte gray, and sage greens keep things calm and classy—ideal for the Houston heat.

Use Smart Storage: Toe-kick drawers, pull-out pantries, and floating shelves keep the clutter at bay.

Mix Materials: Pair wood accents with quartz counters or glass backsplashes for texture without chaos.

🧠 Pro Tips From the Field

Keep a “Remodel Kit”: Blue tape, measuring tape, level, and a healthy dose of patience.

Take Photos During Every Phase: Trust us, you’ll forget where that gas line goes later.

Leave Space Between Your Fridge and Wall: So many doors have met their tragic end from this mistake.

💡 Benefits That Make You Say, “Worth It”

Increases Home Value: Kitchens sell homes especially ones that shine.

Energy Efficiency: New appliances can slash your utility bills (and noise levels).

Better Daily Living: Cooking becomes a joy, not a logistical battle with cabinet doors.

Final Thoughts

Remodeling your kitchen in Houston doesn’t have to feel like herding cats in a thunderstorm. With a solid plan, realistic budget, and a few contemporary kitchen design tips for Houston homes, you’ll transform your outdated galley into a gorgeous, practical, and personality-filled space.

So go ahead roll up your sleeves (or call your contractor), because your dream kitchen is just a few smart steps away.

[legallybrunettedotcom]

Hiii, I always wanted to ask how you got into video editing

i mean i've always loved movies, since i was little and i think i was always a bit more interested in what was going on behind the camera rather than in front of it. i do hope i can one day be a proper film editor. what got me into trying my own hand at this amateur mix and matching was actually lana del rey lmao. i remember back in 2011 seeing the music video for video games and blue jeans for the first time and being so struck by how DIY she was at the time. i've never seen someone make that kind of music video, she just found these clips, "glued" them together and put some music over it. it was so simple and charming. then i saw other people make these types of videos clearly inspired by hers, like idk how famous mermaid motel youtube channel is amongst people on here but she's kind of an icon. someone left a comment on my youtube channel once saying "this channel is to me what mermaid motel is to the coquette community" and it made me laugh, but it's also definitely an honor lmao. anyways i thought you know what i really want to make these as well so i started collecting clips i could find on youtube of old movies, commercials, home videos, super 8 films etc. like people would upload footage of 60s las vegas or sunset strip so i used things like that, cutting and pasting, and i put lana's music over it, especially her unreleased stuff. i'm still proud of some of the ones i made. i wish i could find them but i guess they got lost over the years. i think i did upload one or two on here, if i manage to find them i'll reblog. and then after a while i got out of it just because i used to make them on windows movie maker and that software is a fucking nightmare. and then like 3 years ago i think i got a new laptop and thought ykw let's try again. i remember i watched blade for the first time and let me tell you that movie is a cinematic adrenaline rush and i was itching to make a vampire edit so i did and i've been making these edits ever since. this site introduced me to the concept of fancams so i'm having fun with that too. i hope improvement can be seen. also thank you so much for this question, i love talking as you can see. <3333

[thedesigndevelop-blog]

Web Designing Company - Hiring A Web Designer Verses Graphic Designer

Today, the internet designing company has become a wonderful source of relief for all those business owners who find it difficult to execute the efficient promotion in their products and services. The Internet Designing Services provided by different applications firms are of immense help such small business people.

A website designing company hires the web designers as well as the picture designers. The web designers hired by means of a web design company are well aware about all sorts of programming methods which are critical to be able to highlight a web site in the most effective possible manner.

These web designers offer you efficient Internet Designing Services that include features that are capable of adding an extra tint of sophistication and functionality into a site.

The picture artists on the other hand are not entirely aware about all of the programming techniques that are required so as to offer a brand new outlook to a website. The basic working of a picture designer includes example (fine or digital art examples including painting), magazine design and publication layout, cloth design (rugs, fabrics and upholstery), print design and advertisement design (theories for promotional initiatives and silkscreen printing for clothing), video effects and editing (editing and shooting of corporate video and business video in addition to special effects and animation). A picture designer isn't that much capable of designing that the codes that are required for designing.

The task of a web designer is absolutely different from that of a graphic designer. A web designer is included with creating web pages for the internet. A website designer designs the graphic display of images and content that are further displayed on the internet at the kind of web pages.

A web designer uses different applications such as HTML, CSS, XHTML, Java Script, PHP, Photoshop, and images such as JPG. The work of an internet designer is much more inclined towards the technical side. In contrast to this job of a web designer, the job of a picture designer is extremely succinct. A graphic designer could be unable to offer a shape to each notion of yours.

The Web Designing Services offered by different applications firms include the working of the web designers as well as the picture designers. There are some firms which depend on hiring just the web designers for many of the major programming activities. This is because the web designers not just hold the technical expertise but may also be aware about all of the tricks which need to be implemented in order to enhance the rank of a certain website.

Best web design company florida is much more efficient in boosting your thoughts to reality. He or she can actually provide a better shape to your ideas when compared to the usual picture designer.

I, personally believe that in case you prefer to make an excellent web site for the promotion of one's firm, then you can always trust that the net designers. If your business can be an online one, then your Web Designing Services made available from a perfect web designing business can assist you to achieve immense quantity of popularity worldwide.

Good Web Design

What is Web Design?

An internet site is your final outcome of a Web design. The Web site stays on a internet server where electronic files are stored. The Internet site presents the contents and interactive features or interfaces to the person in the shape of Web pages.

The way the data requested is shown on the user is par of the Web design process. Additional controls are embedded as a way to produce more technical media like cartoons, sounds as well as other styles.

Whats New? The Clouds of Course!

Everyone wants something new every once in awhile and yet some want a fix of something entirely distinct. At the domain of the web, that's quite a common occurrence with the many innovations that are always appearing and with them all, none may be as exciting since the move in to the clouds.

In case youre most people around who don t understand CSS and have no time, or care, on howto complete one for the blog, then your next action for you would be to obtain a place in which you are able to download one at no cost.

Thank heavens there are plenty of websites available that offer them away at no cost. The only issue is, that since you are maybe not usually the person who created it, you will be susceptible for their own layouts and whims.

One of those websites that provide free CSS of trendy web layouts is The open-design Community (TODC). The Open Design Community is just a hub for open source web site designers from around the world offering tens of 1000s of XHTML and CSS based free website site design templates offered for downloading. So, please don't hesitate to take a minute or two and surf through the designs our fabulous designers have filed and determine whether you could get the job done for you! And remember they are liberated!

Bad Web Design

Below are a few features that could really mar the overall notion of your website. It is crucial to take notice of their very frequent mistakes web designers commit. You may be able to apply some tips into creating an efficient web designing which may be simple but can invoke your projected image. Backgrounds that are grey in color with default gifts so many issues most especially with the pages readability.

Avoid color combinations which could render the characters unreadable. Backgrounds are mostly effective if it is left simple and will not restrict reading. Texts have to be readable. Stay away from modest characters. Maintain the links colored gloomy just as much as possible because ordinary users are used with along with.

DIY Web Design

Do-it-yourself design projects are proliferating from the internet nowadays. There are a lot of web sites that practically teaches you everything to do without hiring a web designer. A do-it-yourself website design applies absolutely for young professionals who are only starting to learn stuff in business or seeking to reformat the existing business that they are running.

DIY web site design offers you total control on the job and over the site that is precisely why its only gaining recognition. It takes the job out of dealing with advisers, contractor, designer landscaper and the likes. In DIY design, your ideas are sure to be heard and taken attention to.

You have to express your personality and personality. Because at the end of the afternoon, it still will become your website, attempting to sell your goods. This has solved persistent issues with webdesigners that are truly enthusiastic in their job who can become too sensitive to your small correction or observation of his work. Do it yourself web designing surely saves you money and energy and time.

Benefits of Web 2.0 Software

Web 2.0 software are the current trend in website design. Many Internet businesses and users are embracing web 2.0 for the added features. It has also increased functionality. It has taken to a fresh wave in just how web sites must be built, designed and implemented hands-on. It generates the users like blogging, download, RSS feeds etc..

These developments give added excitement to internet experience. It's stated that Web 2.0 organizations websites get higher ranking in search engines, for example Google, yahoo and others. Online 2.0 benefits are countless. You can find photos, albums, help maps and guides for planning your own traveling abroad.

It has dramatically altered the quality of societal interaction worldwide. Blogs proliferate. Marketing online prices much less. And it has generated networking success stories. Web 2.0 gives you full control over your business while still adding smaller but very useful features to it.

Website design is obviously not giving the people with the following plain slice of text. Go as per the old expression"beauty is in the eye of the beholder". This beholder is the visitor of this web site that you're going to create.

Whilst a skilled web site designer you ought to have mastered all of the skills necessary to create refined and attractive graphics, colors and contours put in excellent balance to capture the attention of this visitor together with drawing his focus into the many crucial sections of your own website.

Your job as a website designer is always to take advantage of colours, text and images and interpret into a visually appealing layout, logo, banner, and button system.

As a professional site designer, you need to chalk out a well-devised approach for creating the website. To begin with, you need to understand the specific business necessities of your client and set out the basic structure of the website. 

In order to decrease the cost of the create, the website designer should be equipped with web templates that are predefined. Having this feature in your armory, that you really don't need to really go hog-wild with the layouts for the reason which you aren't designing a website by means of tinkering.

Internet Marketing (Part two )

Begin a site. Blogs have become a popular for se's. If you proceed and launch a site, then join it in your primary website, publish cubes of information and then float RSS feeds. Should you choose these afterward the majority of the various search engines may locate you much faster.

Design some duplicates of digital novels that you can send to every one. You can write for courses or articles online that could possibly be submitted everywhere. Then, create your own write-up in a manner that you can utilize them in any potential sort of networking, whether online or offline.

[houseofvans]

WORKSHOP SHOUT OUT | SKATEISM | VANS US OPEN

It’s the last weekend of the Vans US Open of Surfing, but we’re not ready to go just yet! 

We’ve still got some of our favorite workshops over the week to share –like the fun folks over at SKATEISM who hosted a zine making workshop at Van Doren Village. We caught up with Tobias from SKATEISM to find out what folks created, more about the zine making process, and what special gift they're giving out on this final weekend. 

Introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about Skateism. My name is Tobias Coughlin-Bogue, and I’m the online editor for SKATEISM. The magazine was founded by Christos “Moch” Simos and Oisin “Osh” Tammas in Athens. It began as just a little local Athens skate blog in 2012, but when Osh signed on they started doing more English-language posts and international coverage. Moch is one of the only out skaters in Greece, and at some point he and Osh realized that the stories they were most interested in telling centered around that… as well as some other areas of skateboarding they felt had been neglected like skate charity, global scenes, and women’s skateboarding. They also realized they wanted to make a magazine, as a place for underrepresented populations in skateboarding to see themselves in a proper print publication. Two years and four issues later, that’s exactly what they’ve done and we’re very proud to present Issue #4 as the Pride issue, focusing on the experiences of LGBTQ+ skaters.

Take us through your workshop and what were you doing with attendees at the Vans US Open? Essentially we facilitated everything to make a zine except shooting photos or binding the final copies. We had prints of images on hand for people to cut and glue onto cardstock, creating what’s called a “master” page. Masters are what zinemakers make photocopies of that they then bind together into their final zine. We started the workshop by talking a little bit about what zines are and why we think they’re so cool. We covered the zinemaking process, and then dived right into it.

What about zinemaking do you think is super fun and accessible? Zinemaking was a fundamental part of the pre-internet skate culture. While it isn’t exactly a necessity anymore, when it comes to communicating our own unique visions of skateboarding it’s still super fun to do. It forces you to take all the things that catch your eye at an event like the US Open, that might be a quick Insta story or something, and put them all down on a page together in a thoughtful way. Plus we like writing about skating, and zines incorporate a lot more text than some of the forms of storytelling we do on social media these days. 

As far as being accessible, well zines were kind of the social media in skateboarding (and punk and queer scenes too) before social media existed. They were cheap to make and there was a broad network of people sharing and exchanging them around the country, all interested in the same kind of subcultural topics. If you had an idea you wanted to share, you could just paste the images and words that capture it best to some backing paper and get to photocopying. Then mail it out to a distro or drop it off at the skate shop and — boom — you’re a publisher. 

Obviously a lot more work goes into what we do with something like SKATEISM, which takes hours and hours of reporting and editing and designing to make, but I at least got into the world of skate media via zines, and I have a huge soft spot for them. For what I do, and what a lot of people getting into media these days do, learning to publish fast and loose is actually really helpful, because that’s the pace digital media operates at.

What type of materials did you have on-hand for folks to work with? We shot a few photos of the first weekend of the event on Kodak Fun Savers (a very accessible and enjoyable way to source art for your zine!), and made photocopies of the best exposures. Plus, we had copies of some pages from past issues of SKATEISM… And of course all the scissors, glue, card stock, staplers, and other stuff folks needed to put together their own master pages. We encouraged attendees to supplement the images we’ve provided with writing and drawing that documents their own experience at the event!

Are there any rules to zinemaking? Have a good time doing it and don’t be hateful. That’s about it.

Any tips you’ve learned over the years for readers who may want to try creating a zine on their own? Just start doing it. To borrow a concept from Ira Glass, you know what you like to see on the page, so keep trying until the stuff you make starts to look like that. Don’t stress out too much if it doesn’t work out at first. Technically speaking, it’s really important to think in terms of spreads (two individual pages facing each other is one spread), and understand that a magazine is essentially a bunch of sheets of paper stacked up, stapled, and folded in half. Making sure that the individual pages in the spreads line up correctly can be tricky, so it might help to take a bunch of blank sheets of paper, bind them, write page numbers on them, then remove the staples and use them as a template for what to paste on each master page as you’re working.

What other zine techniques can people incorporate besides cutting and pasting? Doing it by hand is obviously the classic method, and will get you the most zine scene cred. But I am not ashamed to admit that, after two issues of cutting and pasting my first zine, I started scanning my photos and putting it all in InDesign. There is no shame in using layout software, and it will give you a whole new appreciation for how much thought and effort goes into every single print publication you ever read. It’s not just what they’re writing and which photos they’re publishing, but where on the page that stuff is, where it is in relation to the other stuff, what color and font things are, what angles they’re tilted at, what the background is, and so on... It’s definitely a different look and feel than handmade, but now that design software is so accessible, we think it’s every bit as DIY.

What did participants create and walk away with after the workshop? Well, besides hands on experience making zine master pages, we’re going to take our favorite masters and make a limited run of a compilation zine to give out on the final weekend of the event. 

So we’d like anyone who enjoyed the workshop to come back and grab a copy of that! And failing that, just a better understand of the zinemaking, DIY ethos that skateboarding was built on. Skateboarders have always made their own spots, their own rules, and their own fun. That definitely applies to their media too.

Who are some of your favorite zine makers? In the areas we’re focused on, you can’t not mention Xem Skaters by the Swedish nonbinary skater Marie Dabbadie. They’ve been making a rad, unapologetically genderqueer zine for years, and have done loads to change the conversation around gender in skateboarding. Of course, The Skate Witches are killing it too. In terms of general zines that I like, I grew up volunteering at the Zine Archive and Publishing Project in Seattle, which had copies of really rare ‘90s skate zines like Pool Dust, so I tripped out on those a lot growing up. Not ‘cause I’ve ever actually skated a real pool, just because they had this really scrappy, no bullshit aesthetic and made skateboarding look so cool. 

Recently, I was on a team for Thrasher’s “Zine Thing” Challenge in Seattle, which gave people two weeks to shoot a zine with Fun Savers; two weeks to do writing, editing, and layout; and then gave awards in different categories. Looking through the compilation book of all the entries still blows my mind. It’s a great reminder that skateboarding is full of cool, creative people, and everyone has a wildly different experience of it. I still can’t pick a favorite, although Leo Bañuelos' ’Skaters in Drag’ article is pretty legendary.

Three words that describe what Skateism is all about? The underground and overlooked. Sorry that's four!

Who or what were you most excited to check out at the Vans US Open? Personally, I’m excited to finally skate Cherry Park (nearby). But that’s just because my joints are falling apart and I can only skate low ledges. At the Open, I was excited to see all the pros skate the course, especially the women. Women’s skateboarding has been growing at an insane pace in the last few years, and the level of talent is out of control. When I started skating, I never thought I would see little girls back-smithing huge hubbas and female pros filming back-tail-kickflip-outs for their video parts, but here we are. The rate of progression is so exciting to me, and I feel like people will definitely be throwing down for the event.

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