#I want to become better at art and programming and editing videos

[godofthestupid]

I bought myself a massive grimoire(book) about dark magic(programming) and shall learn the secrets of creating dungeons(videogames)!

[edgelordhoard]

hey im planning to switch over to linux and need advice from the smart people of tumblr, please and thank you. my messages are open so if you need any info to help me out hmu.

General Questions:

im seeing everyone saying ubuntu, mint, and ziron are "the #1 go to versions for beginners" but like... which is it?

i also hear about security being the best with linux but nothing about it coming with antiviruses. does it come with one like how windows comes with defender or do you install that yourself, or is it something different entirely?

all the sources i look at talk about downloading and installing linux but i want to know what to expect when first getting a prebuilt pc with the OS, like the system 76 pcs. do you have to set it up like when you install it or is it as easy as getting any new computer?

i know nothing about coding and im planning to get a computer from system 76 since it seems like the best, and its by far the only source that only comes with linux, and since my current one was pretty much ruined by someone i thought could fix it after a faulty outlet fried its insides, he didnt and made it worse.

so yeah, which linux version do you suggest for a computer moron, any suggestions for computers would be nice (max price is $1,300), i'll put the specs and my uses under the read more.

Preferences:

It ONLY comes with Linux. I despise what Windows has become and don't want to even bother dual booting cause I feel with the switchovers happening they're gonna get salty and make something that'll turn your computer into a bomb if you use Linux with it.

Kinda beefy but not a supercomputer. I don't use AI stuff, I'm not a programmer, but I do frequently play modded Minecraft with my friends and run smps for my Discord servers. I recently switched to Modrinth cause ATLauncher had been giving me trouble. Curseforge is out of the question.

At the most, I'll be playing VRChat with friends while having Spotify or Youtube in the background for music and Discord open in case someone needs my help in one of my servers, similar goes for running one of my SMPs just minus the VR.

Gaming Questions:

I also play VR games often, especially BeatSaber (modded ofc im not insane), and I have Half Life Alyx that I haven't been able to finish cause my already dead and gutted PC struggles to run it anymore even with the lowest settings. My current headset is a two feet in the grave, barely hanging in there, held by tape Oculus Rift S thats as old as my current PC whos also dead. I plan to get a new headset soon and had the Quest 2 recommended to me by friends. If theres better alternatives that isn't Meta please let me know.

I'm a DBD addict. Does it really run DBD or was that just the one guy from the one video I saw.

My friends also often drag me onto Roblox so I need to know if that'll be an option for Linux too.

I know I could probably look up all this myself but every source is outdated from years ago or they all say different things and it just confuses me.

Art Questions:

My current tablet is a Wacom, I got it before knowing how greedy the company actually is, and I plan to switch to a Huion after this tablet dies on me. If compatibility is an issue with it please let me know what to do about that.

I usually use Medibang but I don't think it runs on Linux from what I've seen, if I'm wrong lemme know. Am I going to have to switch all the files over to something else before getting a Linux or are there programs I can use that'll load them?

I also write and need to know if I need to switch all my files to something else before porting it all over to the Linux PC. I just used the default notepad and document programs on Windows.

But yeah, that's all my questions for now. If I think of any more I'll just edit this post. Sorry if I sound super dumb for all this, I tried finding information sources myself but like I said all of them weren't too moron friendly or had relevant information. Most sources I found were articles or reddit forums from years ago so I thought "Hey, why don't I just go ask the computer nerds directly?" so here I am.

[orangejuicex3-mieoi]

do u know what happened to Skylars art accounts ? It’s probs weird to ask but I know u guys were friends and I used to really love her art but can’t find her socials

skylar and me are still friends! I still text her everyday HAHA she just deleted all her social media and doesn't draw much anymore! She's actually working to become a dentist now and only draws maybe once every few months? She's pretty anti social media now and plans to eventually have a dumb phone (like a very minimal flip phone or something) so im not sure if she will ever have an art social media again. I'll ask her if she wants to say anything in response and if she does later, I'll add it to this post with an edit!

Here is skylars response:

"I don’t have any social media anymore, whether for myself or my art. I honestly don’t draw much at all anymore. At the time I had my accounts, I was very ill and agoraphobic. I used my hobbies as a distraction from working on myself, and so I spent the entire day drawing, or playing video games, or doing some loser shit. I started drawing less once I started trying to be better. Got my GED, my license, a job. I’m in school now. Got accepted into my program of choice and I’m in therapy. It takes a long time to be properly diagnosed, but it seems like we’re working toward diagnosing me with c-PTSD lol, so yeah, that’s kinda fucking my life up. There is a part of me that misses drawing. I think about it a lot. I think about making an account and trying to indulge in it. But, honestly, I fear it, along with any hobby I used to have from that time. I hope that when I’m really, truly healthy I’ll be able to revisit it and engage with it and grow with it again. Right now, I kind of reject my love for it. I don’t really trust myself with, uh, joy? I get really addicted and obsessed with my escapism, and I’m trying not to lol. If I were to annoyingly quote a song at you: “I’ve been much better, but atleast I’m healing.” I’ll send Brandi some of my more recent drawings to add, but there’s nothing impressive or finished among them. Thank you for asking about me. That’s very sweet. I never had nearly as many followers as Brandi did/does (nor did I deserve them), so it’s funny to me that someone is still thinking about me. Sorry for my verbosity. I’m a sick woman."

and I'll attach some of her recent drawings in a sec! :) I had to crop them so tumblr doesnt flag LMAO this is mari skylars main oc rn!

I also did some style exploration of her oc a few months ago for fun since skylar's been playing with her head shape!

[rontra]

Hey Rontra, I'm properly digging through the archives, but I will forever love this animatic you did for Offal Hunt: https://www.tumblr.com/actualbampot/190639258301/rontra-cinder-voice-im-so-stressed-that?source=share

I really want to try making an animatic, but I have no idea what the workflow for this is. Was it a million still images fed into video editing software, or is there anything I'm missing/do you have any helpful tips?

Thanks so much.

ah, thank you, i'm glad you like it!

now i dont Usually really make animatics specifically, i just "make videos", so most of my experience is in PMVs (and adjacent fields) and that shows. but the act of Assembling them can be similar so the experience is relevant :p

there's lots of ways to do it and ultimately depends on what you find easiest for your idea. drawing images in your art software and then assembling them in a video editor is probably the simplest way, especially if it's a longer video (more numerous (or elaborate) "shots" = probably easier to organize in a video editing timeline)

if your preferred drawing software doesn't have audio import, you're probably better off arranging them in a video editor as well... especially if you have parts with animation in them! clip studio paint for example didn't always have audio importing, so before then you had to just kinda guess at the timing and keep tweaking your animation until it worked--or, more conveniently (though it doesn't feel like it), save each frame individually and time them in a separate program

and if youre using a non-linear video editor you can easily add/replace placeholders too which is convenient. i often put text placeholders that describe what i need to draw for the missing part, so i don't forget xD

religion of loneliness was made this way because it's elaborate and long and has a lot of parts and effects i wanted to do. a video editing software is usually more comfortable for that kind of thing (depending on which softwares are available to you ofc)... even the small bits of animation it has are individual pngs i assembled in the video editor

but for no particular reason, so was therefore you and me -- this video's super simple! i just felt like taking it into the video editor because i'm more comfortable there. the characters were drawn in clip studio and the text/bg/whatever was done in the video editor, even though it could've easily all just been baked into the same pngs bdfhjgfdjk

in this workflow you can also use finished animation cuts as separate gifs/mp4s/whatever where needed ofc, depending. i sometimes mix and match

on the other hand, your link in particular ("what's gonna happen") was made entirely in one clip studio paint file, after csp added the ability to import audio into its animation timeline. this video is a very simple mix of animation and tweening, which are both doable from inside clip studio now, so i said fuck it and crammed everything into one file

it looks like this in clip studio paint*

that kind of thing works for me because im a little messy and i like being able to redraw or adjust stuff inside the same software instead of switching back and forth. but for more elaborate project it will probably start wearing on your sanity to have everything crammed into one file (not to mention the file size might become unwieldy depending on what you're working with)

not all drawing programs will have animation features or audio import as part of their kit, which can make things troublesome. but if you're using animation software or an art software with animation features, it's possible to just do it all inside that program with relative ease like that (though some of them can be quirky to Learn)

as an aside, the original black eyes was made entirely in photoshop of all things because csp didn't have as many tools back then, and you can tell because . that is not a brush ive ever used and the pans/crossfades are Occasionally Very Weird JHBHSJK i could've just used a video editor but noooo. photoshop timeline tools ONLY No Assists

and that video is All still images so it could've easily been handled either way. important part is it worked out and i had fun messing around in there

i'm sure there's some other workflows out there someone finds super useful but i think the Main Branches are definitely

drawing software + video software (tag team)

drawing/animation software with audio import capability (solo job)

the first one tends to be more accessible i think? not only like Generally Speaking because there are more free drawing programs and more free video editors than there are free programs with drawing + animating + timeline editing all together (which . is true) BUT ALSO because even when we already have our programs ready the learning curve is usually sharper for the all-in-one and can be challenging to figure out, depending

but for me when im just playing around in there i find working all in the same program gives me a lot of flexibility. since i don't have to keep taking an image back and forth between the drawing room and the video editing room if i have to change something. yknow

it depends on the project. just try stuff out idk :)

my advice is definitely to start smaller and don't jump into making like a 3-minute video right away until you're more comfortable with your developing workflow. but that's about it. i think beyond that its Fuck Around And Find Out HAHAH i dunno

if theres anything specific i missed im sorryyy but you can ask and i can try 😂 good luuuuck!!

*to compare i guess, RoL looks like this -- behold the filenames of a genius

[yuzurujenn]

[2023.11.11] AERA Special Edition - Yuzuru Hanyu x Shinya Kiyozuka

Pianist: Shinya Kiyozuka The inescapable "lonely fate" is fleeting and beautiful

Accompanying Creator Vol.2Pianist and composer/arranger Shinya Kiyozuka has regarded Yuzuru Hanyu, who has now become an outstanding performer, as an artist since his competitive days. Through arrangements like 'Haru yo, koi,' he has witnessed Hanyu's deep philosophy toward music and has been supporting him in realising that vision.

-Kiyozuka's collaboration with Hanyu began with the performance of 'Haru yo, koi' at Fantasy on Ice in 2018. How did you view the athlete 'Yuzuru Hanyu' at that time?

A 'perfect person,' perhaps. Defining what makes someone perfect is difficult, but there is a system to expression. In music, it relates to whether there are any mistakes or if the performance aligns with one's ideals. Figure skating, too, requires expressing a predetermined set of elements while considering physical balance and executing it as planned. I thought of Hanyu as someone who exhibits ‘systematic perfection’ in his expressive abilities rarely seen in human history.

Like musicians too, such people have a tendency to like perfection in all things. They can be a little sensitive or somewhat unapproachable. Initially, I thought Hanyu might be like that, but he didn’t give off that feeling at all. He is bright, gentle, and always mindful of not making others uncomfortable. I’m sure he understands better than anyone how others perceive him based on his experience. Even if Hanyu doesn’t intend it, he truly is an incredible person. When creating a program together, I thought that this sense of distance might have a negative impact. But, looking back now, I think that even that aspect was perfect (laughs).

-His expressions are intricate, and he is a skater with an exceptional sense of balance.

Expressing sensitivity in words is extremely difficult, but throughout the creation process, I caught glimpses of his keen sense of balance many times. Even in his choice of words, it feels like reading poetry. Sometimes literary, sometimes descriptive, and at times very specific. He might say things like, 'It’s like there’s vibrato on the violin,' or make fantastical remarks like, 'If you turn around, you’ll see a whole new world.' He is someone who writes beautifully.

-What you created together includes the short program 'Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso' performed at the Beijing Olympics and the exhibition piece 'Haru yo, koi.'

There was no need for him to say it, but after the Olympics, Hanyu sent me a message saying, 'I’m sorry.' In 'Haru yo, koi,' I could feel the various meanings he wanted to convey, and it became clear that he lives in a harsh world where he expresses himself through his performances, which deeply moved me.

However, to be honest, I had already stopped viewing Hanyu’s expression as merely 'competition.' I was seeing him more as an artist, away from the concept of scores. After he announced his transition to professional status, he also told me, 'I will definitely complete this.' I believe he had the desire to present what we created together in a beautiful form.

-In the past, you mentioned that in piano competitions, 'Executing the techniques is valued more than entertaining people with beautiful tones.' Hanyu also reflected on his competitive days, saying, 'If I didn’t win, it wouldn’t be remembered.'

Recently, we have been talking a lot about this kind of thing. We’d have video calls late at night and sometimes end up talking for about two hours without realising it. What started as work-related discussions often turns into deeper conversations. I think Hanyu’s worldview, which he’s trying to express, is very philosophical. Just like musical instruments, there are no words for skating. While you can inspire something, you can’t fully articulate it. Art can convey a stronger message than words. Hanyu has a deep and multifaceted philosophy behind his programs, and he works hard to express it.

-He is both an athlete and an artist, in that sense.

I felt that from the moment we met, and that’s what I respect the most.

When I talk with my friend who’s a baseball player, I realise how different the mindsets of artists and athletes are, which I find fascinating. They often use the term 'competition,' while artists rarely do. Artists are simply engaged in the process of bringing their inner selves to the surface, and there’s no win or loss involved. There are numerical indicators like CD sales, but not the concept of scoring.

Hanyu can navigate between both worlds. While I believe he has a certain attachment to scores, rather than placing value solely on the scores, I think it might be more accurate to say that there is a form of expression that can only be conveyed by winning. I’d like to ask Yuzu-chan about this.

-Has your relationship with Hanyu changed since he turned professional?

Although there aren’t people around me who call me that, before I knew it, he started calling me 'Kiyo-chan.' I wonder if it’s because he feels we have become people who can create from the same perspective now that he is a professional?

-How did you view the Tokyo Dome performance 'GIFT'?

The 'Rondo Capriccioso' might feel like an effort to reclaim Beijing, especially with the six-minute practice included in the performance. However, I see it a bit differently. I think he wanted to express an 'even more complete Rondo Capriccioso' by adding elements that he couldn’t showcase in competitions. Pushing yourself in that way also means you cannot escape a lonely fate. To reach a place where no one has seen, you have to work hard in solitude.

-Where does that strength come from?

I think that is the true essence of loneliness, and because he has lived that way, it’s all he can do. That fateful aspect is both fleeting and beautiful, connecting to Hanyu's solitary nature. His performances always carry a sense of mystery that reflects his way of life.

I think he’s the kind of person who can’t say he’s struggling, even when times are tough. It's during those moments that he has the brightest smile. As a friend, there have been times when I’ve asked him, 'Are you okay?' out of concern that he might burn out. But he always laughs ‘Hehehe’ with a super cute smile, as if to say “I know.”

Seeing that makes me realise I can’t approach this with half-hearted feelings. He pours so much of himself into it that I want to fight alongside him at that level. I’m ready to help manifest the world that Yuzu-chan wants to express.

Source: AERA Special Edition 2023.11.11 - Yuzuru Hanyu: The Solitary Driving Force, pg 86-87 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4023323500/

[askagamedev]

Hello. Do you think having a game programming YouTube channel can be useful as a portfolio? Like recreating game mechanics from existing games or creating new ones, and explaining my thoughts and decisions through the videos. Similar to Artstation for artists, but in this case for programming.

I do like the idea of having an online portfolio where a candidate can showcase their skills, but I am not sure that a youtube channel is the ideal platform for it. I can see good gains to be had from doing so, but there are also non-trivial drawbacks. I'll explain what I mean.

First, doing personal game development projects earns top marks. There's no better way to stand out as a candidate than to have experience doing that work already and game development is no exception. Show us that you can do the job by doing similar work. Earning experience as an amateur will translate to leveling up as a professional.

Second, there's definitely a lot of benefit to practicing communication skills which you get from posting for public consumption. My own personal ability to communicate has improved significantly since I began this blog. The regular practice of posting to the blog has honed my skill at taking difficult, technical, and/or complex concepts and conveying them in an intuitive and understandable way. These are extremely helpful skills in a professional setting, especially when communicating with others who are not versed in the technical or design context.

There are also two drawbacks I see here.

The first drawback is in the choice of platform. Video production is extremely time-consuming - at the very least you will need to record the needed footage, write and record the commentary, add any needed visual bits (e.g. intro, outro, key art, transitions, etc.) and (most time-consuming of all) edit each video together. Most of these skills are not directly transferable to game development and are the primary reason I decided against going the Youtube route for myself.

The second drawback is in the public-facing nature of posting your work. If you get hired by a game company, you will become a corporate representative to the players of that company's games 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Your personal public posts will likely be read and dissected by the game's fans and used as potential ammunition against your employer. It is not abnormal for public blogs and the like to need shutting down (either temporarily or permanently) once you get hired. It may become a legal liability and that's not something you want to deal with while juggling a full-time job. I avoid this by staying anonymous but it's a double-edged sword - I must also forgo the benefit of having a public portfolio that I can show to potential employers.

That's basically the rundown. There's a lot to be gained from doing personal game dev work and posting it publicly, but you don't need to go all or nothing. There are really good skills you will develop by doing so, but you should absolutely be mindful of the major drawbacks of doing so in a public venue. I would encourage you to consider these issues and find a solution that you think will work best for you.

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[valuedeversourcecustomer]

the valuedeversourcecustomer guide to better engagement with media in a digital hellscape without piracy (i'm for it, but there's a whole subreddit for that with all of the information I could provide in far more technical detail than i want to write about rn re: dns proxies, trackers, video ripping extensions, and how to identify a safe torrent. maybe i will write something like this some day if the interest is there)

1. buy a $10 to $20 tv antenna

i feel like literally everyone forgets you can do this still and receive a good number of network stations and have a genuine experience of "huh i wonder whats on" and experience the lost form of non-targeted advertisements for shit you would never ever care about. it is like being transported back to the mid 00s and also you probably have a local tv station or two that has interesting programming you would never otherwise see. added bonus is recovering the lost feeling of watching a show as it airs before it's even on a paid streaming platform completely for free. it rocks!

2. libraries

not just the dvd/bluray sections (which are great especially if you want to just grab something you've never heard of without it being pushed on you from an algorithm, or getting physical copies of things you like but maybe haven't experienced with a commentary track or seen bonus features for) but most libraries also give you access to kanopy with a few credits a month to use on a pretty fantastic library of independent and classic arthouse movies (i will reblog with a list of great movies that are currently on kanopy)

3. buy physical media, but never at full price unless it's a very special limited edition of something that will sell out and appreciate in price

I have a very large physical media collection, most of which i got at 50% or less of its msrp by waiting for sales or going to thrift stores, flea markets, and other local sales. I'm fortunate to live near a bookstore that sells used blurays dvds,and cds and boxsets of them for $1 EACH. no matter what it is. I got literally seasons 1 through 10 of the simpsons for under $20 bc there was just one boxset I had to find at a record store (season 8). not only is that cheaper than two months of disney plus but i also get all of the commentaries and original aspect ratios that to my knowledge there aren't even torrents of.

4. letterboxd

no seriously. regularly logging my films on letterboxd and following my friends has done so much to have films i'd never otherwise know about cross my path and become new favorites. it's very single focus on film gives it a kind of community feeling that I haven't felt on the internet since hyper specific forums died and it's been great for me as a social media fulfilling app that doesn't fill me with doom. it's so much fun to be like "oh huh i really loved this movie and how it looked, i wonder what other movies this cinematographer/production designer/art director has done" and find some absolutely wild stuff on your own or piece together that the same person worked on another thing you loved and have a new appreciation and a name to associate with art that moved you. it's really a great platform imo.

[digitalbano]

Best AI Courses in India You Can Join Today— No Coding Needed

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a big part of our daily life. It is used in mobile phones, smart TVs, online shopping websites, digital assistants, and many apps. Because of this, many people now want to learn AI and build a career in this field.

But one question comes to mind – Do I need to learn coding to study AI?

The answer is No. There are many AI courses in India that you can join even if you don’t know how to code. These courses are made for beginners, students from non-technical backgrounds, working professionals, and even freshers.

In this blog, Digital Bano will tell you about some of the best AI courses in India that you can join without coding knowledge. You can study these courses online from your home. They are simple to understand and do not require a technical background. You just need basic computer knowledge and interest in learning.

Why Learn AI?

Here are some simple reasons to learn AI:

Good Career: Many companies are hiring AI professionals.

High Salary: AI jobs give good salary packages.

Growing Field: AI is the future. If you learn it now, your skills will be useful for many years.

No Coding Jobs Available: You can work in AI without being a software developer.

AI is not only for engineers or coders. It is also useful for students of commerce, arts, and even business owners. Today, people from different fields are learning how to use AI in their work and daily life.

What You Will Learn in AI Courses Without Coding

These courses are designed to teach you AI in a very simple way. Some things you will learn include:

What is AI and how it works

Real examples of AI in business, marketing, and daily life

AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva AI, and others

How to use AI for content writing, videos, presentations, and more

Projects and case studies (practical learning)

Ethics and rules of using AI

Some courses may also include basic data analysis, charts, or understanding patterns using simple drag-and-drop tools.

Best AI Courses in India – No Coding Needed

Let’s look at some of the top AI courses available in India for beginners.

1. AI For Everyone – by Andrew Ng (Coursera)

Mode: Online

Time: 6 to 8 hours

Fees: Free (you pay only if you want a certificate)

Good For: Students, business owners, job seekers

This is a simple course that explains what AI is, how it can help in business, and what it can and cannot do. No technical knowledge is needed. It is one of the best starting points.

2. Post Graduate Program in AI & ML – Simplilearn (in partnership with Purdue University)

Mode: Online

Time: 12 months

Fees: Around ₹1.5 to ₹2 Lakhs

Good For: Working professionals, graduates

This course is more advanced, but it also has tracks for non-programmers. You will learn AI tools and concepts used in real companies. The course is useful if you want to work in the corporate or IT industry.

3. AI in Business – Great Learning

Mode: Online

Time: 2 hours

Fees: Free

Good For: Business students, beginners, office workers

This course teaches how companies use AI in sales, marketing, and customer support. It is very easy to understand. It gives you an idea of how AI helps improve business decisions.

4. AI Tools and Platforms – Udemy

Mode: Online

Time: Self-paced (learn anytime)

Fees: Around ₹499 to ₹1,299

Good For: Content creators, marketers, beginners

In this course, you will learn how to use AI tools like Canva AI, ChatGPT, Pictory, and others for business, social media, and projects. You can use these tools to write content, make posters, edit videos, and more.

5. AI Bootcamp – Skill-Lync

Mode: Online

Time: 4 weeks

Fees: Around ₹2,000

Good For: Students, freshers

This course is for beginners. You will work on small projects and understand how AI works in simple ways. No coding is required. It is great for students who want to explore new skills.

Note: You Can Read Also These Blogs For More Information About Your Better Future:

Best courses after 12th

Captcha Typing Jobs

Courses After 12th Commerce

Jobs You Can Get After These Courses

After completing any of these courses, you can apply for roles like:

AI Product Manager

AI Content Writer

Prompt Engineer (write smart inputs for AI tools)

AI Business Analyst

Chatbot Designer

AI Marketing Specialist

Social Media Executive using AI tools

All of these jobs do not need programming knowledge. You need to be creative and understand how to use tools smartly. These jobs are available in digital marketing companies, media houses, IT firms, startups, and big brands.

Even freelancers and YouTubers are using AI to grow faster and work smarter.

Why AI Courses in India Are Growing Fast

Many Indian companies now use AI to save time and money

Schools and colleges have started teaching AI

AI tools are easy to use, even by non-technical people

Online learning has become common after COVID

Government is supporting AI learning programs

Now anyone with interest and the internet can learn AI from home. You don’t need to travel or attend a classroom.

Things to Remember Before Choosing a Course

Check if the course is for beginners

See if they give a certificate

Look at the reviews from other students

Choose a course that gives projects or hands-on learning

Try free courses if you are just starting out

Make sure the language of the course is easy for you to understand

Start with a short course. Once you are comfortable, you can move to advanced learning.

Final Words

AI is the future of technology. You can become a part of this future without being a coder. Many AI courses in India are now made for people who are new to the tech world. These courses are simple, affordable, and useful.

So if you are a student, fresher, or professional, now is the right time to learn AI. Pick a course that matches your interest, and start learning today.

[some-murmurings]

Essay!!

edit after 1000+ words: I'm so sorry oh my fucking god. I didn't realize how many thoughts I had. I had so many. So fucking many. This got so long. You don't need to read it all. Jesus Christ. Thank you for asking. I had fun.

I'm glad you asked, I nearly wrote my 20+ page senior seminar paper on this topic so, while I have none of the sources together or any super strong body paragraphs, an overview should be ezpz laimon shqueez-ee.

Brief personal context: I finished 2/3 of my undergrad in the Philosophy program at a small liberal arts college, then switched to Creative writing for reasons that will become apparent. I was raised by intellectual dickheads who rely heavily on clever rhetoric to "win" conversations (yes, even with literal toddlers), so I have an unyielding spite for Academia in general. It will come through so judge my bias accordingly.

This video by a really solid video essaying, "Knowing Better" explores a common cultural narrative he calls "The Standard American History Myth"

Think "Abraham Lincoln ended Slavery" and "Martin Luther King Jr. ended Racism" and "Obama ended Racism AGAIN" all of which are extremely common implications (and frequently explicit claims) made in most US public schools. No I do not have a study to back that up. Yes it's probably hyperbolic.

Basically, because the bureaucracies in charge of lesson plans in our public schools (assuming you're from the US, sorry if wrong) all share super similar incentive structures (good test scores, don't encourage gang violence, actively destroy children's creative spirit), huge swaths of misinformation get proliferated into the public consciousness. The already-euphemistic "Trail of Tears" being understood as "merely aggressive relocation of indigenous folk" becomes commonplace, it becomes impolite to suggest that the genocide was, in fact, a genocide. A phenomena we're seeing right now with Gaza and have been seeing with our colonial regime over the Imperial Periphery for actual centuries.

I argue that Academic Philosophy suffers a similar sickness.

In my courses, I took class after class after class talking about the same 20 or so European guys who were overwhelmingly framed as "Important figures with Important thoughts about Important things" with little to no acknowledgement of their particular cultural context.

Very pointedly, with little to no acknowledgement of their particular cultural context... when it made them look bad.

I did not learn Aristotle was staunchly pro-slavery (notably using nearly identical arguments to the US Confederacy) until nearly 2 years into my degree, and by then I was surrounded by white cishet guys insisting that "He's the Father of Philosophy, [deadname]" (I wasn't out to these jamokes, naturally).

Sidebar: is Aristotle or Socrates the father of philosophy? Plato isn't, too broad, but I've seen both A & S called the patriarch and I've long since gotten lost. Petition to change it to Hegel, cement our collective deathwish.

I googled Heidegger and actually did a spit take. My main man was wavery on a whole bunch of stuff he really did not need to be. Nazi stuff. Heidegger was a Nazi.

Now, a frequent rebuttal I got from my professors was that, in effect, I'm grandstanding! My critiques are sweeping, performative. What, do I want us to *gasp*... burn their books?!

Plainly, no. Kant being so pro-colonialism he made nose-charts (note: can't source this :( I distinctly remember a professor showing us them) on some nasal phrenology shit isn't just an opportunity for easy dunking (altho it is that too), it's a huge, foundational problem with his perspective on ethics. Like really, really, really big issue.

In fact, once you start digging through the lives and cultural contexts of ANY big name thinker, you realize several extremely funny things:

Irregularly bigoted in at least one (1) direction. Usually more.

A guy

A guy we'd probably call "white" nowadays*

A guy we'd probably call "white" nowadays who had the money and free time to write a lot

A guy we'd probably call "white" nowadays who happens to position himself ways provocative to recent political movements

Fun game: see how many of the "big names" (and even more niche favs) of yours last to the end of this list. Most of em? Yeah.

This is because "Academic Philosophy" is lowkey an oxymoron. Not that study of philosophical texts itself is useless; Ursula K LeGuin's "Those who walk away from Omelas" taught me more in sidebar summary than any full text Plato ever wrote.

The issue is that our cultural definition of "philosophy" has been MASSIVELY narrowed to a very specific range of weird abstractions or artistic movements. No, not even Existentialism is safe. I love you Wittgenstein, you were right. The Tractatus does suck balls and ass (not to yuck a yum) but you didn't escape the event horizon of Philosophy.

Taking a given class, I frequently bounced thousands of years in between these poorly introduced dickheads. You do a week on Kant then a week on Aristotle then a week on your professor's work then a week on a cyberpunk author. You'll jump from Augustine to Hume like these two were riding the train to work next to Foucault. Insanity.

It's fine to juxtapose ideas you like in a class, obviously, but that's just it: these teachers aren't. Not really, they're slapdashedly throwing lesson plans together and using syllabi they got off the internet because they haven't slept in a month. No explanation of the differences, no time to explore the faults in their perspectives, just dead-eyed stares at flickering overhead fluorescence.

There's a huge pressure to teach names that admin can recognize, to focus on "Real, Published Thinkers" as if academic publication does not VERY aggressively select against uncomfortable truths. Y'know. Basically the primary goal of philosophy. Loving wisdom despite its burden.

This got disorganized. I'm too tired to reorganize or even edit it. Apogolies for typos, I hope they're not too major. And, if you did read this, I hope it made some sort of sense. I love Philosophy (outside of college) a LOT, it's just so painful to see it get bastardized so badly.

Anything is philosophy, to me, any single damn thing. Some more than others, I bet, but really anything. If you tried to make it true and tried to teach me something about anything, that's philosophy.

Not like truth lives in a book anyways, right?

*strictly speaking, e.g. ancient Athenians did not have "whiteness" in the modern sense. They did, however, have a rigid class system with an ethnically diverse slave-class, so one can reasonably extrapolate many "Citizens" enjoyed privileges based on their ethnicity & class. White Supremacy may be a modern stupidity but its constituent parts are not.

THE GOOD PLACE (2016 - 2020) I 2.12 - Somewhere Else

[bradcolbow]

What is the Best Art Software for Digital Illustration?

If you're trying to mimic traditional media, using charcoals, oils, watercolor, pencils and brushes, then you want a drawing software specifically for painting!

With so many options available, it becomes hard to make a choice that would best suit the kind of art you want to make, whether you're just starting as a beginner or are a professional.

What you'd generally want is a digital illustration software that is compatible with the device you're using, supports the kinds of tools you need for the art you create, the cost, and any additional features that a creative can play around with.

Some digital art software may even be outdated, while others keep experimenting and keep further development at the forefront.

Different digital artists look for various features in the software they'd prefer to use.

In addition, The price point is always something to consider, but not to worry, there are just as many free alternatives to good quality software as paid ones.

Considering all of this, here's a comprehensive list of the digital art software that has the potential to be the right fit for you.

10 Best Free and paid Art Software for Digital Painting & Illustration

These are the 10 art programs that I personally like and would recommend:

If you want more info about them, I suggest you visit pctechtest site.

1. Photoshop

Photoshop is the industry standard, and preferred among most professionals, but it costs an ongoing subscription fee.

Photoshop's brushes work so much better, virtually no lag and a lot of variety. Importing brushes from pros also works easily because.. most pros use Photoshop.

2. Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint is the best for doing Line Art, Paintings, Comics/Manga, and even 2D Animation.

Clip Studio has a lot of the tools Photoshop does, but is just more intuitive for the average artist. Also it is a one time buy, you don't need a subscription.

Users value its quick loading time, lack of lag, pen stabilization for clean line art, and ability to export in PSD format for easy editing.

3. Krita

A lot of people use Krita as it's free and have plenty of useful tools and brushes, but there is some learning curve to getting the most out of it.

4. Corel Painter

Corel Painter feels like an entire art store full of stuff, very realistic brushes especially for water colour and charcoal etc.

5. Rebelle

Rebelle is a top choice for artists seeking a realistic, versatile, and user-friendly digital painting experience that's competitively priced.

Rebelle is really amazing at making painting feel very close to what is to paint on an actual canvas. The products you use like the paint and the canvas have an amazing interaction.

6. ArtRage

ArtRage is also an excellent and easy to use paint app that does a great job of simulating the flow and texture of real oils and watercolours.

7. Sketchbook Pro

Sketchbook Pro is a great tool to sketch when it comes to freehand drawings. Airbrush feature along with copic colors makes it perfect for art.

8. Medibang Paint

MediBang Paint is a free, lightweight and easy to use art program suitable for users who loves to illustrate!

9. Procreate

Procreate is a premium quality, low-cost app on Apple ipad for artists of every kind.

With abundant customizable features, expandability, and an attractive and intuitive user experience, anyone can create 2D and 3D paintings, drawings, hand lettering, and animations.

10. Paint tool SAI

Paint tool SAI is absolutely amazing for digital painting, but only available on windows devices.

It is so responsive to the pressure and movement of the pen and it's great. Once you get the hang of it, it isn't hard to use at all and you make amazing paintings.

What's The Difference Between Digital Art and Graphic Design?

Digital art is a form of art that involves the use of digital tools to produce images and videos.

Meanwhile, graphic design is a profession that combines artwork, text, and typography for use in advertising, web design, and other forms of communication.

Digital Designers rely on graphic design software to create, edit, and view graphic art.

Krita vs Photoshop - Which Program is for You?

If you're into basic drawing and sketching, A simple painting program like Krita might be enough.

But if you're a professional artist needing advanced editing, photo manipulation, vector graphics, or extensive text tools, then a photo retouching software like Photoshop is the best.

To let you know, Photo Editing software allows users to stitch images the way they want, which can make all the difference in the final look of your photos. such as online photo editor, RAW photo editor, etc.

Do I need a pen tablet to use with art program for drawing?

For hardware, outside of a half-decent computer and monitor, you may eventually want a drawing tablet with pen, whether that's a screenless (such as classic Wacom tablets), or a drawing tablet with display.

You don't need one to get started, and they take some learning of their own, especially screenless. Screenless graphic tablets for beginners are available for under $100, screen-in start around $200 for a very small decent one and go up from there.

Conclusion

Drawing software is an essential tool for an artist or illustrator, professional to novice wishing to create digital art.

The most important thing you need to consider when choosing the best drawing software is that you're comfortable with it.

If you want a powerful drawing program that will give you the best possible experience you want Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint or other paid software.

If you can't afford them, I recommend going with free software like Krita or Medibang Paint instead.

Free software can sometimes be less intuitive, but with use, you'll get used to it instantly and let your creativity flow.

[mochipon-vt]

i know it's not quite time for it yet but i genuinely think making new year's resolutions and setting up expectations for them while waiting for the new year to start through all the end of year events, sets many of us up for failure.

(or it could just be my horrible adhd, lol)

either way, i think i just wanna go ahead and make a pledge now for things i want to improve and learn over the swiftly approaching next year.

my most sought after desires seem easily groupable in three main parts:

firstly, i've been ever chasing the ability to cultivate a comfy, positive, supportive, inspiring and motivating environment for my online spaces ever since i started my streaming journey and have yet to achieve it. i've currently taken a break to reassess how best to go about shifting my focus back to bringing this comfortability to me and my hope is that over the course of the end of this year and into the next, i'll finally be able to find my comfort space i've always wanted.

secondly, i want to grow my skills more, both ones i already have and learning new ones i'm interested in. i want to improve my art skills, learn techniques i have yet tried, learn new programs or skill sets, improve some of my painting or crafting skills and possibly try out a few new ones if materials are attainable. additionally, i want to keep improving upon my streaming and video making skills as well as learn some editing skills. i would also love to share my knowledge as well as gain new knowledge from others.

lastly, i wanna make real genuine connections with others. doesn't necessarily have to be friendships but just genuine, nice and positive interactions with others who aren't seeking out to use me for whatever reasons that benefit them. i've been too hasty in the past to trust people or even have allowed myself to live in continuous hurt thinking i was saving someone else's feelings, that it's become difficult for me to interact with people for fear of having those things happen again but i still do want kind, understanding and supportive people around me even if we're never friends; kind interactions are all i need.

the past has not been particularly kind to me and this year has been one of the hardest in a handful of really hard years since 2020. add to it the growing bleakness of the internet and real world, it gets hard to remain positive and hopeful. it even feels a bit frivolous for myself to even be thinking how best to use my time next year while many aren't even certain of their tomorrow…

but i guess all we can do is hope tomorrow is a better day than today and keep moving forward.

i hope everyone is or will be well and have a safe holiday season

[widdlediddle2]

Heya, hope you're having a great day! Just wanted to let you know I love your art-style, and think you're one of the best artists on this site, both for LWA, and for quality Amandakko content. If you could, would you mind sharing how exactly you learned to draw? I've always wanted to learn how but my previous "mentors" always said I had no talent for it. But I want to prove them wrong, so if you know any books, videos, or other resources for learning to draw, it would mean everything to me!

Oooh this is a good one! Firstly, thank you!!❤️❤️ and secondly I am self taught! So literally anyone can become an artist if they wanted too!

My main advise (you might be sick of hearing this because I know a lot of artist say it but it’s really good advise) is to practice!

I usually practice by splitting fundamentals into weeks so like one week I’ll work on my anatomy or another with lighting Yknow that basic stuff!

There’s an art tip that says to draw every day but don’t do that plz it can lead to burnt out so draw at your own pace

The way I started really was just by drawing lots of characters from cartoons I watched🧍‍♀️then after time passed I just gotten more better at doing it? You won’t always get the perfect drawing on the first try so practice practice practice

most art videos will help you and tell you where to start but I can’t name every art video I watched cuz there’s too many so here are the channels I recommend looking at:

https://youtube.com/channel/UCNNOvB507MRfny7Jcv8MmOw

https://youtube.com/c/EthanBecker70

https://youtube.com/channel/UCGz8UsnQO9C2xz_ZlsxAMRQ

.

(I can’t put anymore links for sum reason?? So I just put a pic of their prof) some art accounts I like and reference off of:

Bentosandbox

Patchimlikit

DDub1618

Loish

Arai Hiroki

But anyways those are some artist I rlly like

I hope this helped and if you need any more art advise anyone is free to message me at anytime :)

I may not be as experienced as any of the artist on this list is but I can show you some art things I learned!

[earthstellar]

The Ultimate 90s Art Program Suite: My Childhood Computer, Inspired by Beast Wars Animation

Was watching some Beast Wars after work yesterday, and I got inspired by the famously funky animation to look up all the graphic design/illustration/3D rendering/etc. software that I had (and some that I always wanted) as a kid.

I mean, look at it. Beautiful. Terrifying. Powerful. 

Transmutate is still my favourite. Scared the hell out of me, yet I love her. 

(Quick aside, she’s in Timelines/Uprising, and they adapted the TFP Arcee model for her, and it’s great.)

The software below would create the sickest creative work computer 1996 has ever seen. 

This stuff is probably irrelevant to almost all of you, except my fellow art dinosaurs who might want the nostalgia hit, but I managed to find nearly everything on the Internet Archive, so enjoy! 

As far as I’m aware, this isn’t bootlegging anything, as all of these products/editions of software are either not licensed anymore or are now abandonware/no longer supported. I am not the original uploader of any of these items. 

I have asterisked some product names just to avoid making a mess in certain tags, where people may be looking for tutorials etc. for modern versions of certain programs.

You don’t have to download these; It might be fun to just look them up and see what the info surrounding each piece of software is, to get a better idea of how brutal it was trying to animate Beast Wars (or anything in 3D) at the time! 

(So I guess this is mostly for educational purposes only, but hey, the Internet Archive resources are linked if you want to check it out.)

The Sickest Art Programs of the 90s, Including the Stuff Used to Animate Reboot and Beast Wars:

Basic Setup if You Want to Try Stuff: 

DosBox 

VirtualBox

Operating System(s) Required: 

Win 95 

Win 98

Everything will be for Win 95, unless noted otherwise. 

3D Rigging, Design, and Animation Software: 

Log*Motion 2.1 

Bry*e 3D (The updated Edition, likely for Win 98: Bryce 4 and Accessory Assets CD)

P*ser 3

S*ftImage 3D 3.9 (May require Win 98; This is the higher end 3D animation software at the time, which was used to animate Reboot! Mildly anachronistic as this is a slightly later edition of the software, although still from that general era. You can read more about it here. It was also used to animate Beast Wars as well, at least partially, as the same animation studios worked on both shows.) 

Illustration/Design Software: 

C*rel Draw 8 Suite (May also be for Win 98) 

A*obe Ph*toshop 4.0 

(Here’s a version of AP 4.0 which also includes QuickT*me 2.1 and Acr*bat Reader 3.0!) 

Writing Software: 

PRO TIP: For fanfiction writers and zine makers, this stuff was top tier!  

C*rel Word Perfect Suite 8 (May also be for Win 98)

Creative Writer 2 (Note: You must have a printer set up for this software to work. As an ADHD kid with Dyscalculia, this was the only software I could use to get any homework done ever-- Lots of good memories with this one, too!) 

Audio and Music Production Software:

Creative Sound Blaster 16

Creative Sound Blaster AWE 64

Cool Edit 2000 (This is the software that would later become Ad*be Audition!) 

Ad*be Audition 1.0 (May require Win 98, slightly anachronistic as this wasn’t a 90s product, but Cool Edit had a few late 90s pre-release versions, so I’m including both of these here as both are from this general era.)

Video Editing Software: 

S*ny Vegas 4 (Requires Win 98 SE Edition)

---

NOTE: As always, if you want to actually try testing out any of this stuff, be careful when downloading anything! Be safe online and always use a VPN/antivirus combo. Like I said, I’m not the original uploader, and you also might want to check and see if it’s actually legal to download some of the stuff listed above just in case, because I don’t know anything about old software legalities. You wouldn’t download a car, et cetera. 

---

This is an incomplete list, but I’m getting ready to go to work lmao, so I’ll add stuff if I remember any more popular art/creative software from the 90s that people might be interested in. 

Checking out the above list might help give you an idea of how much of a struggle it must have been to animate Beast Wars and really anything else in 3D at the time, and I’m 99% sure a lot of scripts were typed up in C*rel Word Perfect software in general, lmao. 

[michaels-blackhat]

So You’re Feeling White Guilt and You Don’t Know What To Do

I’m not going to rehash the most recent Roswell New Mexico fandom news. I’m not going to rehash any of the difficult and necessary conversations surrounding race and racism that have been happening over the last week. They are important, they shine an important light on fandom racism, and they have caused many to reflect on their own unconscious bias and how it has manifested itself in fandom. That’s important. That is the constant work of an ally: to reflect on your bias and your actions and take steps to inform yourself and do better. As participants in a racist society and a culture that tries to say that racism is only an overt, obvious thing, we must always take the time to listen to others and change our own behavior.

This post isn’t necessarily about that either. It’s about how you can do other, small things, for yourself to help a community and individuals who are continuously mistreated, whose suffering is continuously erased, and whose culture is continuously stolen. Political involvement is always an option, but it’s also not always possible. I know for myself, I work two jobs that leave me with 14 hours days multiple times a week, and only one day off a week to relax, do household chores, and prepare for my grad school classes. I can exercise my right to vote, right to assembly, etc. but sometimes doing more isn’t a viable option.

So what else can I do?

Below I have accumulated links to different relief funds, bail funds for protesters, language programs, native artist collectives and stores, musicians, and conservation project.. Some of the links will take you to a larger project that you can explore. Some of the links will be for direct donations. This is not exhaustive. This is limited to what I’m able to find and authenticate to the best of my ability. But I wanted to put this out into the world, as an example of different ways you can support people, cultures, and communities. I invite anyone to add on to the list, particularly people who are Native American. 

Special thanks to @jocarthage​ for being an amazing resource and adding to my already long list. And @litwitlady​ for the bookstore link. Additionally, I was writing this and realized how long this got, so I started limiting to two or three links per area. Please, add on.

Relief Funds:

An article from Navajo Times that highlights different Coronavirus relief funds, including the Navajo Department of Health, John Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, relief for families and children, and Food Baskets for Elderly.

https://navajotimes.com/coronavirus-updates/relief-for-coronavirus/

Reply with recommendations

Bail Fund:

A thread on the O’odham land & water protectors: https://twitter.com/LaikenJordahl/status/1315707808470503427?s=20

And the bail fund: https://t.co/yzyDnEi0x6?amp=1

Generally, the National Bail Fund Network’s twitter page is a good place to go to keep up about bail funds for protesters for many leftist causes. They also help with immigration detention and the cause to end money bail in general. https://twitter.com/bailfundnetwork?lang=en

Reply with recommendations

Language Programs:

https://www.firstnations.org/projects/native-language-immersion-initiative/ : The Native Language Immersion Initiative aims to build the capacity of and directly support Native American language-immersion and culture-retention programs. They work with the National Endowment for the Humanities, along with support from the Lannan Foundation, Kalliopeia Foundation and the NoVo Foundation. The linked website has the list of grantees from the previous years, so you can go and explore the different language programs that have benefitted from the initiative. The NLII aims to support the cultural and linguistic preservation of all Indigenous Americans, including Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian cultures.

The website also allows you to explore their programs, learn more about topics such as environmental justice within native communities, and donate directly.

Duolinguo has short courses in both Navajo and Hawai‘i. They’re not perfect, but they’re a good starting point. Spending some time getting used to the sounds and cadences can be really grounding in the realities of the language and grammar (and if everyone who read our fics downloaded it, it would give Duolingo a strong indicator of interest in these languages, which might encourage them to invest in making them full courses).

Reply with recommendations

Art & Clothing & Holiday Presents:

Art and clothing are grouped together, as a lot of the websites feature both.

Beyond Buckskin: https://shop.beyondbuckskin.com/

A shop/collective started by a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe. They have a variety of products and you can learn more about their individual artist. They also have events, news, and a lot of cool things to explore on their website. 

+their buy native list: 

http://www.beyondbuckskin.com/p/buy-native.html

b.Yellowtail: https://byellowtail.com/pages/about-us

The clothes are designed by Bethany Yellowtail, a Northern Cheyenne & Crow fashion designer. The art and jewelry are made by hand by a collective of Native Americans, First Nations, and Indigenous creatures throughout North America.

SheNative: https://www.shenative.com/

A shop that primarily focuses on leatherwork, but does have other products as well. The aim of the company is to empower Indigenous women, so Idigenous women work on all levels of the manufacturing of the products. Additionally, they donate at least 10% of profits towards causes and charities that aim specifically to help Indigenous women.

Etkie: https://etkie.com/

This collective of Native American artists all hail from New Mexico. They specialize in beaded cuffs, all of which are gorgeous. Personal note, I very much want the Dawn Glass Cuff.

There are a lot of people who sell Native American art who are not, in fact, Native American people. Here are some sources:

The Indian Pueblo Store is owned and operated by New Mexico’s 19 Pueblo tribes. Find our physical location at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque https://www.indianpueblostore.com

The bookstore in the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian has one of the best collections of books about Native American life, by Native American authors, anywhere we’ve found (if you become a member for $25 a year, you get their excellent quarterly magazine) https://americanindian.si.edu/store

Weirdly for a museum named for a man famous for playing a white cowboy in American movies, the Gene Autry museum in Los Angeles has one of the other really good collections of books by Native American authors on modern Native American life, as well as historical books: https://shop.theautry.org/collections/books

I haven’t been, but the Heard Museum gets recommended a lot and their shop has a lot of authentic Native American pieces: https://www.heardmuseumshop.com/

Birchbark Native Arts seems to have an extensive collection: https://www.birchbarknativearts.com and is associated with the bookstore mentioned below

Note from JoCarthage: In 2016 I drove to all 58 counties in California and started my collection of books on Native American tribes living and working in California, both as research for what I thought might be a book and because I was curious. A lot of the books I found are not on Amazon, you can only buy them in reservation book stores or National Park bookstores or little county museum bookstores. When the world opens back up again, that is a good process I have found for building my own understandings. 

It’s not a perfect system, but when you’re shopping, look for the term “Authentic Native American artworks” and a seal like this one; here is a longer guide to buying Native American art:

Reply with recommendations

Music:

Spotify & website links are provided. This is also limited to what I know and already listen to.

A Tribe Called Red: Website: http://atribecalledred.com/ | Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jlWF9ltd8UtoaqW0PxY4z

Mary Youngblood: Website: http://www.maryyoungblood.com/ | Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pRrf0i6X4uUIdzYrA2mDz

Buffy Sainte-Marie: Website http://buffysainte-marie.com/ | Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5exO2eW84QucBhrRhcK76x

[Video: A Tribe Called Red’s “Burn Your Village to the Ground”]

Books:

Based on the theory that the best information is closest to the source, all of the books below are written by Native American authors; the bookshops are owned by Native America booksellers. 

Bookshops:

Birchbark Books, a bookshop in Minneapolis: https://birchbarkbooks.com/ They also have art, jewelry, and community events. When available, the links for the books below are provided through the store’s website.

Book Recommendations:

Nonfiction and hilarious: Custer Died for Your Sins, by Vine Deloria Jr (Standing Rock Sioux): https://birchbarkbooks.com/all-online-titles/custer-died-for-your-sins

Poetry: New Poets of Native Nations, edited by Heid E. Erdrich (Ojibwe): https://birchbarkbooks.com/all-online-titles/new-poets-of-native-nations

Novel (murder mystery): Chenoo, by Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki): https://www.oupress.com/books/14415530/chenoo

Poetry: When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, edited by US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Muscogee Nation): https://birchbarkbooks.com/CatalogueRetrieve.aspx?ProductID=9713772&A=SearchResult&SearchID=11528255&ObjectID=9713772&ObjectType=27

Art book: First American Art, Edited by Bruce Bernstein and Gerald McMaster (Plains Cree and member of the Siksika Nation) https://americanindian.si.edu/store/books-and-products#1845

(The Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook: Recipes from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian by Richard Hetzler (Not a Native American person but the recipes reflect a huge range of modern Native American recipes and are worth cooking through ) https://birchbarkbooks.com/CatalogueRetrieve.aspx?ProductID=9685880&A=SearchResult&SearchID=11528257&ObjectID=9685880&ObjectType=27)

Here is a selection of children’s books, YA, memoir and biography, and Native American fiction and poetry, Native studies, and Native language

Reply with recommendations

Diné and other Native American actors’ accounts to follow:

Why include fun social media stuff: because we’re humans and we like nice things. It’s very hard to keep learning about something that challenges our whiteness and privileges if everything we read and consume is painful and grim. It also fundamentally limits the stories we consume about modern Native American lives if all we do is wallow. So read good poetry, cook recipes that are shared freely, follow pretty actors on Instagram. When Jo went through her house to find the above book recommendations, 4 of them were on her Native American section, one in her poetry section, and one in her cookbook section. Native American stories and food and life are part of modern American life and integrated them into your bookshelves and menus and IG scrolling is a good way to stay aware and learn more osmotically.

Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (kanien’kehá:ka from ⁣⁣⁣ kahnawà:ke mohawk territory⁣⁣⁣) https://www.instagram.com/kdeveryjacobs/?hl=en

Tatanka Means https://www.instagram.com/tatankameans/?hl=en

Jay Tavare https://www.instagram.com/jaytavare/?hl=en

Forrest Goodluck seems to not be active on social media, but he’s worth keeping an eye out for https://twitter.com/forrestgoodluck?lang=en

Check out more here, from pocfansmatter https://pocfansmatter.tumblr.com/post/632180141361119232/my-favorite-native-american-men

Reply with recommendations

News Sources:

Note: none of these are perfect. They all have their own biases, foci, and weirdnesses. But if you subscribe by email to a few of them, you’ll get a pretty good idea of what issues are important, generally.

Native America Calling: https://www.nativeamericacalling.com/

Navajo Times: https://navajotimes.com/

Indian Country Today: https://indiancountrytoday.com/

Reply with recommendations

Conservation:

A petition to close Mt Rushmore and to return public lands in the Black Hills to the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires of Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations). 

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/petition-to-close-mt-rushmore-and-return-all-public-lands-in-the-black-hills-to-the-oceti-sakowin

From the site: “Standing in solidarity with our ancestors, families, our allies, and the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires of Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations), we are calling on Director Bernhardt and Representative Deb Haaland to close Mt. Rushmore and return all Public lands in the Black Hills to the Oceti Sakowin as negotiated in the 1868 Treaty of Ft. Laramie, as Indigenous treaties are the supreme law of the land.”

The Kumeyaay people are currently protesting against the illegal destruction of their sacred lands to build the border wall. You can keep up with their work and support them directly through their twitter account.

https://twitter.com/kumeyaayprotest?lang=en

The Native American Land Conservancy aims to reacquire Native American land, particularly in Southern California, to preserve and protect sacred sites and areas. 

The group has a mix of board members from a variety of tribes, along with members who are not affiliated with a tribe but have a focus and background in environmental conservation.

Reply with recommendations

Thank you for sticking with us through this whole list. It’s long, yes, but it does not even begin to show even a small percentage of places and artists you can support.

And as for what to do about your white guilt? Live with it. It’s not going to help anyone if you express your guilt continuously. It’s not going to help anyone if you push it aside. Live with it. We benefit from a racist system and we should not forget it. Do what you can to help others, lend your voice in support of others. And for fuck’s sake remember that it’s not about us.

[ptgigi]

Random Pokemon Generator v2

Anyone remember when I made a Random Pokemon Generator 3+ years ago? No? Well shoutout to those of you who do and Noel (who’s politeness prompted this), because I finally updated it! But first, for those who have no idea or don’t remember what I’m talking about…what am I talking about?

Random Pokemon Generator Push button > get a randomly generated Pokemon or 6. Many of these exist on the internet so why’s mine different? Well there’s a lot of filters and you can generate as many Pokemon as you want!

What’s been updated?

I overhauled it. It’s better optimized and should be easier for me to update going forward. It also has its own unique look now instead of looking like just another page on my main site. This isn’t just for the aesthetics (as much as I like the different aesthetics), but it helps with optimization and some future ideas. I also changed the file path, so make sure to update your bookmarks.

Galar Pokemon! Finally added them!

Icons instead of animated 3D models. The animated 3D models are harder to source and prevented me from including certain Pokemon that didn’t have them. The icons are easier to source and edit if needed. As well, those with weaker internet connections should find they load faster.

Basic Filters/All Filters tabs. Instead of an all or nothing approach to the filters, I’ve made two tabs. Basic Filters has filters commonly found in Random Pokemon Generators for quick and easy randomizations, while All Filters contains all the filters (more are planned and in development!).

Forms to Include filter has been split. Forms to Include was previously a flat structure, each Pokemon could only be marked as one form type. That’s now been split between “Forms” and “Tags”.

The Tag Filter is like Forms to Include, but Pokemon can now be marked with multiple tags. They’re split between Species and Form Tags for clarity. I’ve added some new ones as well (like Legendary, Sexually Dimorphic, etc).

The Form Filter (new one) has two toggles: one for whether to include all forms or just the species and another to remove cosmetic forms, aka forms that just look different. If you run the randomizer without the cosmetic ban, you have a ~5% chance of getting Alcremie. Because it has 64 forms. It’s a lot.

Better Management. So I learned a thing or two about project management since becoming a tech lead somehow (go imposter syndrome!). In the footer of the new randomizer you’ll find an updates log (About > Change Log), future ideas and in-progress features (About > Project Tracker), as well as a contact links if you find any bugs or have suggestions (Contact or About > Bugs/Suggestions).

Now the big statement: I will update this again and it won’t take 3 years. “When will the next update be?” Honestly? IDK. My day job involves me programming 8 hours a day, so over the past few years I generally avoid programming in my spare time because of burn out. Art and video games are nice breaks from that. That said, with the improvements made in the overhaul and a better understanding of project management (go pseudo-agile practices!) I should be better at targeting smaller but more frequent updates.

Next update is already underway and will be adding even more filters~

You can check it out here if you’d like! (saving you from having to scroll back up to get the link ;D)

[softyoongiionly]

Talk to Me In Korean (NSFW Edition)

Jungkook’s curiosity regarding the dirtier words in English, finally gets the better of him...

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: Hello and we’re back with another episode of me repressing my undying love for Jeon Jungkook. 

**ALL ITALICIZED WORDS INDICATE WHEN THE CHARACTERS ARE SPEAKING KOREAN***

Warnings: smut, language, 18+ over only please :)

Two weeks into his break and Jungkook decides that he is the happiest he’s ever been.

The days seemed to drift by carelessly, delicately…

He feels completely at ease in the small but luxurious apartment that the two of you share. Jungkook is a sensitive soul. He’s strong but, encased in a warm glow of tenderness. Since being on break, he’s only further retreated into himself but, in the best way possible. He’s been playing video games, messing about with a new digital art program on his laptop, taking photographs of the view off of your high rise balcony. He’s been singing but only when he’s in the shower, he’s gained a few pounds, stuffing his face whenever he gets the chance but, you’re happy to feed him. You’re happy to see how soft and happy your boyfriend has become. For the first time, you see the furrow between his brows smooth out; he isn’t anxious, he feels no pressure, he feels only happiness.

“Jagiya…where is this…from…?” He struggles a bit over his enormous bite of jasmine rice, “Where is it?”

You smile, admiring the newest addition to your boyfriend’s aesthetic: the floppy hair that is currently dangerously close to getting into his rice bowl.

“The rice? I bought it from the store when we went shopping…”  You remind him gently, using your chopsticks to push the grilled meat around your bowl.

“Yesterday?” He verifies, eyes wide for approval at his pronunciation, his cheeks puffed up and full of rice.

A giggle leaves your lips, “Right, we went yesterday.”

He smiles, nodding to himself as he mutters, “We went shopping yesterday. Yahhh jagiya, I’m getting good no?”

His words are muffled by his food as he still hasn’t swallowed his second bite; it causes you to laugh again, your foot nudges his leg, “You’re getting really good, you’re gonna be better than me before you know it…”

He chuckles along with you before his brow furrows, “Nooo, not better than you, you’re the champion. Champion English speaker. Wooo Y/N, she’s number one!”

The exclamation is paired with a raising of one of his fists, his expression dramatic and over the top as he praises your English skills. This only causes you to laugh again, feeling nothing but warmth in the presence of your boyfriend.

“I didn’t have to learn it as recently as you did though, you’re getting better every single day. I’m proud of you…” You point out, smiling and, finishing up the last of your meal, feeling full and satisfied. You had taken some time off of work too, choosing to spend your days learning different recipes and writing various short stories.

“Thank you…” He bows his head slightly, setting his bowl down on the table, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips; he was a sucker for praise. “I want to learn some new…words though…”

A tilt of your head is enough to get his blood pumping at the question he’s about to ask you.

“What words do you want to learn? You know you can always ask me if there’s something you want to know…”

 “I want to learn words…like the ones you say when…” He trails off, feeling his cheeks warm up as he grows slightly nervous, “When we…”

Oh…

Realization comes over you. You know what he’s referring to but, flustering your boyfriend is always an entertaining endeavor.

“When we what?”

You scoot closer to him on the couch as he groans, flopping back against the cushions.

“Yah don’t make me speak…” He complains, his stomach churning when he feels you beside him, your fingers brushing against his thigh. “You know what I mean…”

“Don’t make you speak? How are you going to learn then?” You giggle, gently pinching the inside of his thigh.

Jungkook emits a low playful growl in the base of his throat before his hands secure themselves around your hips, tugging you onto his lap.

A surprised shriek comes from your lips as your hands desperately come out to grip his shoulders. Jungkook’s dark eyes are glinting as he chuckles, leaning in to your mouth.

“When we….” He mumbles, his big hands sliding over your hips, lingering at the top of your ass, “…do sex…”

You resist the urge to giggle at his choice of words; you don’t want to discourage him but, you’re very interested in sated his newfound curiosity.

“When we have sex…” You correct him gently, pecking against his plush mouth.

“Have sex.” He repeats, smiling into your lips, hands wandering to settle over your ass fully. “When we have sex…”

“Good job…” Another kiss is placed to his lips and, it continues on longer than you plan; his mouth is addicting.

“Kissing…we are kissing…” He whispers, he’s still focused but, you’re curious to see how he’ll fair as he settles further into his arousal.

“Right, we’re kissing…” You keep your voice gentle as you run a hand through his long tresses, scratching gently at the base of his neck, “Some people call it making out too…”

His brow furrows, “Making out? We are making out…?” He tries the new phrase, not really enjoying the way it sounds coming out of his mouth.

If he’s being honest, now that you’re in his lap, his interest in the lesson is dwindling slightly but, he has a feeling that this particular lesson is going to offer him the best of both worlds.

“Tilt your head back.” You coo, kissing his cheek.

Jungkook obliges immediately and, you take the time to admire the tan skin of his neck and, the bob of his Adams apple as he tries to control his breathing. After years together, you’ve learned every inch of his body and, you know for a fact that there is a particular sweet spot on his neck that makes him completely melt.

Just below his right ear, at the base his skull, you ghost your lips over the warm skin as you prepare him for the next word, “This is called a love bite…”

Before he can repeat it back to you, you move in and suck the skin gently between your teeth, nibbling and coaxing his flesh until you’re sure you’ve left a mark.

Jungkook winces at the pain but, his hips give him away as they suddenly push up against yours, “Uh….um I like love bites Noona…”

His voice is growing shakier and, you can hear even more of his accent sneaking in.

“I know you do…” You whisper, smirking to yourself as you kiss over the aggravated spot on his neck.

Jungkook smirks too, he likes this game…

“I wish you’d leave my neck decorated all the time Noona…if it wasn’t so provocative, I’d let you…”

Jesus Christ, this boy could be filthy.

“Is that right?” You secure your hips tighter to his, ensuring that both of you are experiencing some level of pressure, though of course it isn’t enough. “You’d let me leave love bites all over your neck? For everyone to see?”

“Mhm…” He hums, eyes closed, lips still curved up in a smirk. A tilt of his head serves as an invitation for you to make a matching mark on the other side of his neck, “They could know…who had me…”

Jungkook didn’t like to share and, with that, he also liked feeling like he belonged to someone. You aren’t the possessive type but, you’d play the part if it makes him harder.

Before you speak again, you attached your mouth to him once more and, as you do, your fingers begin unbuttoning his pajama shirt. His body presses up to keep himself attached to your lips as long as possible, his fingers digging into your ass at the sensation.

Pain makes him dizzy.

As you open his shirt, you’re met with the toned planes of your boyfriend’s body: tan skin, smooth and defined muscles that ripple underneath your touch; he looks like a god. You begin kissing down his neck, keeping your motions slow and gentle, your thumbs smoothing over his erect nipples.

“Nipples…” You inform him, pinching them momentarily, which causes a shaky giggle to erupt from your boyfriends lips.

“Nipples.” He repeats, eyes peeking open to watch you as you descend down his body. “I like when you touch me there Noona…”

“They’re sensitive huh?” You catch his gaze when you move off of his lap to settle between his legs.

Jungkook can’t think properly; seeing you on your knees, your beautiful lips kissing all over his body, if he wasn’t getting hard before, he feels like he’s going to burst out of his boxers at the moment.

“Yeah…sensitive. Feels like-“ He breaths, his head lulling back when he feels you slide your hands up his legs, “Feels like…good.”

Jungkook laughs as his ability to form a coherent sentence continues to dwindle rapidly. His sits up for a moment to pull his shirt off the rest of the way, a light sheen of sweat forming at the back of his neck.

“It feels good?” You check again, placing kisses over his tense tummy, nibbling at the skin right above his waistline.

All he can do is nod, his bottom lip tucking into his mouth, his eyes clouded with lust as they stare down at you.

“Do you know what this is?” You tease, one of your hands, running up the inside of his leg before you squeeze over his throbbing length. The action causes Jungkook to sigh out through his nose, his mouth opening, releasing his lip from its confines.

He shakes his head, “I only know the clinical term…”

Hooking your fingers into his pants, you begin slowly dragging them down his legs, keeping his gaze all the while as you do. Jungkook’s wearing his favorite pair of Balenciaga’s but, the white material is stained slightly at the seam.

“This is your dick…” You whisper, leaning down to ghost your lips over his boxers.

Another deep breath his pulled through his nose as he feels his hips twitch towards your mouth.

“My dick…” He chuckles, and you follow suit, the idea of you teaching him dirty words is rather immature but, neither of you care.

This break is all about learning new things right?

“When you use your mouth on me…what’s that called?” He smirks, his hand sliding through your hair, letting it linger there as he waits for your answer.

“Well…” You begin, taking his question as an opportunity to remove his boxers, leaving him completely naked before you, “there’s a lot of phrases people use…blowjob is a common one, I don’t really like that one though.”

Jungkook looks awfully confused, chuckling at your response, “Blow? But you don’t blow on it Noona…”

The fondness practically erupts in your chest as you giggle, kissing all over his inner thighs, warming him up for what’s about to come.

“Exactly…it’s a stupid term. All of the phrases are pretty vulgar, I usually just say- sucking dick.”

His length twitches as your lips near the base of him; he doesn’t mind that phrase too much, although he still doesn’t feel quite right about it.

“Sucking dick…” He repeats, licking his lips, his heart rate increasing in his chest, “So you…suck dick? You suck my dick?”

You know full well that he’s trying the words out and, trying to figure out their conjugation but, there’s something about hearing dirty words out of your boyfriend’s normally coy mouth that causes your underwear to grow damp.

“Mhm.” You hum, wrapping your fingers around his length before situating your lips over the tip. Tentatively, you lick the precum off of his dick, holding his gaze all the while.

“Are you going to suck my dick Noona?” He practically coos, keeping his voice small and hopeful, licking over his lips again.

There isn’t a need to respond, you’ve been teasing him for quite awhile. Slowly, you take him into your mouth, ensuring that your lips are curled over your teeth.  Jungkook melts into the couch, his mouth opening once again, his jaw going slack as he feels the tingle of pleasure in all ten of his toes.

You’re careful not to overstimulate him as you set a slow and steady pace on his pulsing dick. Your tongue rubs expertly on the underside of his tip, causing a low whimper to bubble past his lips.

Jungkook, like many people, loves getting head but, he literally never asks for it. He feels like it’s too much of a burden despite your best efforts to convince him otherwise. The first time you ever put him in your mouth, he only lasted two minutes before quite literally, cumming all over the place. He’s heard from his hyungs that it feels good but, nothing could have prepared him for the real thing.

Even after all this time, he still feels unprepared.

“Noona…” He breathes, the hand that was resting in your hair is now resting ontop of your head, “I like this a lot…when you suck my-”

He grimaces as the pleasure rushes up from his toes and into his balls, which are tight with the sensations your lips are providing. At this point, your hand has come up to assist your mouth in your endeavor to make Jungkook fall apart.

Your pace is increasing steadily with the rise and fall of his chest and, you take a moment to admire how beautiful your boyfriend looks: unashamed and in pleasure. His long tresses are starting to stick carelessly to his face, his eyes are squeezing shut, teeth gnawing on his bottom lip. Jungkook’s naked body, tan and toned, is sprawled out on the couch with reckless abandon; a feat within itself considering how shy and reserved he used to be.

“Noona…I’m getting close…” He warns, eyes fluttering open to catch your gaze. There is a level of desperation in his eyes but, you can tell he isn’t past the point of no return and, given that you’re starting to feel drunk on your own arousal, you make a decision.

“Can Noona teach you one more word before she lets you cum?” You request, lips still lingering on the tip of him.

Eagerly, he nods; Jungkook does whatever you say when the two of you go at it, he prefers it that way, he wants someone to take control.

There’s a ton of dizziness that clouds your brain when you quickly rise to your feet. Keeping his eager gaze, you remove your t-shirt and, sleep shorts from your frame, leaving the two of you completely naked.

Jungkook shakes his head, his dick twitching between legs and, for a moment, you regret the fact that you aren’t still sucking him off.

“Noona…you’re so beautiful.” He whispers, his eyes travelling over every inch of your body, hands reaching towards you eagerly.

All you do is smile, feeling warm at his words before accepting his request and, taking your place back in his lap. Jungkook immediately captures your lips, kissing you slow and tender, returning his hands to your hips.

“What’s the new word Noona?” Jungkooks murmurs into your lips, his hips pressing into yours as he begins to grow impatient with the lack of pleasure.

You smirk into his mouth, still kissing at him whilst your hand moves between the two of you to wrap around his length.

“Do you know where this goes baby?” You counter his question with your own, nudging his nose gently.

He nods, a wry smile on his lips as he nibbles against yours, “Inside?”

The response his cheeky and hopeful, it makes you giggle.

“Inside of where?”

Jungkook groans as he feels the tip of him brush against your entrance; the feeling of your own arousal coating his dick is driving him crazy, “Tell me Noona…tell me where…”

A devilish smirk is on your lips and, right before you answer him, you sink down on him completely:

“My pussy…”

At the feeling of you surrounding his already sensitive length, Jungkook whimpers, tucking his face in your neck as he guides your hips up and down. The sensation of you pulling on him; it’s so tight and so wet, he feels like he’s in heaven. 

He still can’t figure how he got so lucky…

Jungkook curves inside of you just right, its practically unfair. It’s like he was made for you, riding his dick shouldn’t be allowed to feel so good, you never want to get off of him most of the time. Your hands slide up his back, holding him to you, your lips lingering at the side of his head.

When your pace increase he speaks again, his voice weak and raspy.

“I like pussy Noona…” He giggles, feeling delirious as the sensations completely wreck his body, “I like your pussy…”

He corrects himself, wanting to ensure you that the only person he’d ever want on top of him is you. You’re the only one who makes him feel this way.

“Yeah? You like my pussy?” You coo into his ear, nibbling on the shell of it, meeting the increasing pace of his hips.

“I love your pussy Noona…it feels so good on me- ugh…” His proclamation is interrupted by a moan when you move your hips a certain way, the tightness in his balls increasing to an almost uncomfortable level.

Pulling his face out of your neck, you quickly connect your lips with him, using the kiss as a way to ground the two of you, lest you float off into space.

“I wish I didn’t leave you…I wish I had you on me all the time Noona…” He mumbles against your mouth, the pleasure too much for him to focus on his second language, “I’m your good boy right? I make it feel good for you? I make you want to stay forever right?”

As much as you like watching your boyfriend learn new things, hearing him speak sweet nothings in his native language will always overshadow anything else.

“I’ll stay forever…right here…on you, oh god-“ Your reply is cut short as Jungkook increases his hips yet again and, he acts quickly, taking advantage of the moment.

His strong and capable fingers find your swollen clit, which is completely starved for attention, and begins rubbing tender and deliberate circles into the bundle of nerves.

“Noonnaaaa-“ He whines, but his mouth sports a prideful smirk, he knows he’s got you, “Are you going to wet my lap now? Will you do it for me?”

All you manage is a nod, a gasp leaving your lips as you buck into his hand. It’s your turn to tuck your face into his neck, sucking on his heated skin as a way to ground yourself.

“Suck on my neck Noona, bruise it while you finish for me. I’ll wear them out Noona, I don’t care if the cameras see them, they’ll know how good I am for you…they need to know.”

At his words, you loose it, careening over the edge and soaking his lap, exactly as he requested. Jungkook gasps in your ear, fucking up into you so hard it’s blinding the both of you.

“Oh thank you Noona, thank you for finishing on me…thank you…” He shudders as you continue riding him through his release and, soon enough, he can’t take it anymore.

Jungkook untucks your face from his neck, pinning his sweaty forehead against yours, “Can I finish please…please?”

“Yes,” You whisper immediately, sucking his bottom lip into your mouth, “Finish for your Noona…”

That’s all he needs for his hips to tense up beneath you, shuddering once again when he lets himself cum inside of you. Jungkook’s fingers dig into your hips as his breath leaves his lips in choppy and uneven pants.

“Thank you Noona…oh my god…” He whines, back to English now, feeling lost in a world of pleasure, kissing all over your neck.

A few more thrusts are needed to help him completely push through his release before he seems to slump back against the couch, taking you with him. Soon enough though, the two of you begin kissing eachother again, taking the time to come back to earth  after your orgasms.

His smiling into your mouth already, he can’t help how good he always feels around you. As cliché as it sounds, he thinks he finally understands what all the fuss is about because, love is pretty fucking great.

“I love you.” Jungkook giggles, rubbing tenderly over the skin of your hips.

“I love you too…”

Eu-pho-ri-a