#open source lms

[cyle]

still confused how to make any of these LLMs useful to me.

while my daughter was napping, i downloaded lm studio and got a dozen of the most popular open source LLMs running on my PC, and they work great with very low latency, but i can't come up with anything to do with them but make boring toy scripts to do stupid shit.

as a test, i fed deepseek r1, llama 3.2, and mistral-small a big spreadsheet of data we've been collecting about my newborn daughter (all of this locally, not transmitting anything off my computer, because i don't want anybody with that data except, y'know, doctors) to see how it compared with several real doctors' advice and prognoses. all of the LLMs suggestions were between generically correct and hilariously wrong. alarmingly wrong in some cases, but usually ending with the suggestion to "consult a medical professional" -- yeah, duh. pretty much no better than old school unreliable WebMD.

then i tried doing some prompt engineering to punch up some of my writing, and everything ended up sounding like it was written by an LLM. i don't get why anybody wants this. i can tell that LLM feel, and i think a lot of people can now, given the horrible sales emails i get every day that sound like they were "punched up" by an LLM. it's got a stink to it. maybe we'll all get used to it; i bet most non-tech people have no clue.

i may write a small script to try to tag some of my blogs' posts for me, because i'm really bad at doing so, but i have very little faith in the open source vision LLMs' ability to classify images. it'll probably not work how i hope. that still feels like something you gotta pay for to get good results.

all of this keeps making me think of ffmpeg. a super cool, tiny, useful program that is very extensible and great at performing a certain task: transcoding media. it used to be horribly annoying to transcode media, and then ffmpeg came along and made it all stupidly simple overnight, but nobody noticed. there was no industry bubble around it.

LLMs feel like they're competing for a space that ubiquitous and useful that we'll take for granted today like ffmpeg. they just haven't fully grasped and appreciated that smallness yet. there isn't money to be made here.

[vldunchartedregions]

Ah, dang....that last post would explain why Shiro is holding the LGBT+ sign with Lance in Lauren's cursed artwork.

It's like everything we complained about for 10 years is vindicated!!!!

We are learning more and more everyday that this was the original plan. It was a bold move from Lauren to post this too, so just know the showrunners, the crew, the VAs were in it for the long haul.

Remember, Bex, Josh and AJ were FIGHTING for Shiro & Adam's storyline to come to life WITH the Showrunners together, to several executive groups. They were doing their best to advocate together for powerful, intricate, LGBTQIA+ storylines that were so ahead of the game back then.

Lauren & Joaquim really DID fight the good fight behind the scenes. We can guarantee you that. They fought until the very bitter end.

We have intel from our sneaky source that suggests the Showrunners fought tooth and nail to keep the infamous Sunset & Table conversation scenes in Season 8, after these bigger decisions were made outside of their control (allegedly, of course).

Empathetically, they also had to bare the large, overwhelming brunt of the pushback from the fandom. Not Dreamworks, not Netflix, not even the IP holders, considering a large chunk of cut content wasn't even the crew's fault to begin with.

Don't get us wrong, those platforms and networks did cop some of the fallout (if you were there, you KNOW how bad it was when S8 dropped) but we dare say the Showrunners copped the most whilst they were advocating so hard behind the scenes.

We think there's a reason why JDS & LM were SO open about what was going on behind the scenes when you watch interviews post Season 7. They were fed up, done, and ready to take a hike into the next project.

There's reasons why many of the crew left, and it all came down to the final decisions made by various stakeholders behind the scenes, not due to any fault of their own.

It just wasn't enough to get it over the line in 2018.

It's very sad but it speaks for the industry at the time. It was forward thinking, but the ultimate goal was to sell "Boys Toys," and the like. A lot of shows, even now, are funded with a consumer products tie in, meaning toys and other forms of merch hitting retail shelves and selling merchandise fuels the pockets of the IP holders and in this case, DW. It's a cycle in which can fuel more content, more marketing dollars, and most importantly, profit for the respective companies.

Fan demand ($$$) = more content.

Netflix signed on for exclusive streaming rights to Shera: Princesses of Power and Voltron: Legendary Defender. They are both DW shows.

Netflix wants that forward thinking content. They'll buy in if it means they had a differentiation between their competitors. The industry at the time? It was very hard to have any forward thinking ideas such as LGBTQIA+ content over the line. It was too early, too much 'rocking the boat' for executives who grew up in the 60s, 70s, maybe even the 80s, etc.

And to that point, we cannot stress this enough: both VLD & SPOP are sibling shows. We are very, very serious about that. They were made down the hall from each other and both have similar plot lines and devices.

We're sure the lunch goss at DW would've broken the internet.

It all comes down to this at the end of the day in very simple terms,

Voltron: Legendary Defender fought the good fight... and lost.

Shera: Princesses of Power fought the good fight... and won.

There's a lot to unpack here, so I'll leave it at that for now.

Thank you! Have an amazing weekend ✨

[e-louise-bates]

Every time I read Jane of Lantern Hill, I am more convinced that LM Montgomery deliberately structured it as a modern fairy tale. You have the wicked queen/stepmother holding the princess captive (Grandmother Kennedy and Robin). You have the castle where the princess is held captive (60 Gay Street). You have the jealous older sister (Aunt Irene). You have the prince succumbing to the older sister's spell that separates him from his true love (Andrew's blind spot toward Aunt Irene). You have the good fairy/benign nature spirit/witch who is morally neutral (Little Aunt Em). You have the protagonist searching desperately for the means to break the spell keeping the prince and princess apart (Jane's feverish quest after the "lost word" at the end).

And it's fascinating, because rather than Jane being the princess who needs rescuing by a prince, instead it's Jane doing the rescuing (we're told early on in the story that the keystone of Jane's nature is found in the words, "Can I help?"), and both the prince and the princess are rescued by her courage, faithfulness, understanding, and love.

Courage: she overcomes her fear of cows, saying, "How can I blame mother for not standing up to grandmother when I can't stand up to a few cows?" thus symbolically redeeming Robin's cowardice. Faithfulness: when given the choice of how to spend her second summer, Jane chooses to return to Prince Edward Island, thus redeeming Robin's faithlessness. Understanding: thanks to Little Aunt Em's wisdom, Jane is able to hear both sides of the story from her parents, and offers to both of them the understanding that they lack toward each other, thus redeeming both their foolishness. And love: Jane's love for both her parents brings her to the point of death, which causes Andrew to overcome his pride and contact Robin, and Robin to overcome her fear and come to be with them, and so they are both redeemed and rescued.

(This breaks down a little bit because toward the end of the book the narrative--and Jane--veers in sympathy much more toward Andrew, and we never see him breaking free of Aunt Irene, but we also know* LMM was planning a sequel to Jane of Lantern Hill that never got written, and so I wonder if she was planning on having that book be the one where Andrew's eyes are opened to Irene's machinations--or if she felt that it would simply be too unrealistic, even for a fairy tale, to have a spoiled, pampered man be made aware of the flaws of the one who'd always spoiled and pampered him, and so let that slide. Who knows?)

Some day I'd love to do a deep dive into Jane of Lantern Hill to go further into exploring this idea, as well as studying LMM's journals and her notes for the book to see if there's evidence outside the story to back up my theory, but alas, I have no time or resources to do so now. Someday!

*I cannot find my source for that tidbit, I apologize, but I know I read somewhere that LMM had been planning a sequel and that she was going to call it Jane and Jody. Oh for what might have been!

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Writing Theory: Don't forget the importance of Settings

I think if you write settings only as this thing was there, this thing was there, and this person was there, it gives no sense of personality.

Compare: The tower was to the southwest. The river was east, and sun was setting in the west.

Dull, right, even if you detailed it like this:

A shining white tower marked the east most point of the compound, now glowing with the setting sun. A roaring river calmed to an estuary.

It's still DULL.

So, the next step after you get the directions, is to insert an OPINION about them from the character.

A shining white tower marked every single town Jawali had been in thusfar, and so he thought it was quite boring, though this one had a little decoration at the top. The tower glowed in sunset colors, but he found the river far more interesting. He wondered how the river was so disciplined by the time it got to the East wall.

OK, this makes it a bit more engaging, but the next bit can send it over the top...

Make sure your setting has a personality and a sense of history.

People build and shape the land before them. So the setting should, in effect also be shaped by people and the land (This is basic Anthropology, so, sorry, it's not a story theorist. It's Anthropology 101). Who was the architect? Who thought about it? How old is the place before them? And can it tell something about the people that live there?

Take this opening line from Anne of Green Gables:

Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies' eardrops, and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde's Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her door, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.

It doesn't just tell about the Cuthbert place, but it also tells about Mrs. Lynde and how her sharp eye even disciplined the brooks in her path. The setting, works in tandem with Mrs. Lynde.

You get to learn about both at the same time. The setting gets personified. And in this, LM Montgomery sets up the theme for the chapter.

So if you circle back to the previous and insert a bit of this in...

A shining white tower marked every single town Jawali had been in thus far, and so he thought it was quite boring, though this one had a little decoration at the top. It needed a bit of repair, though the townspeople had dared to still whitewash it as it were fine. The tower glowed in sunset colors, reflecting into the river tamed at its base. Despite everything, the river was so disciplined by the time it got to the East wall, it was hardly a brook, showing a great feat of engineering.

A subtle difference because there is action, Jawali is approaching it, there is a contrast point, so the town gets a personality.

You can of course, integrate it, make it shorter, etc. But the setting sets up how people will think of the townsfolk.

It's not this thing is there, this thing is there, OK, there is something. Let's move on. They work together. From this, you should get the fact that the tower isn't in disrepair because the townspeople don't care about it or don't know how to fix it.

Equally, how your characters choose to utilize the space makes it come more alive and may also tell about the character themselves.

So, this writing theory is because people keep saying things like reading setting is boring, etc, but I always thought if you don't make the setting generic, it could be interesting. What does the character notice and pick out? Also, my grandparents were into architecture and talking about it, so I learned a lot of history there as well. How people treat a setting does heavily influence how a place feels.

If it's South Korea the squeaky clean garage floors, the clean streets, the exact lack of gum on the sidewalk, makes you really think and examine. The quiet trains where there isn't anyone talking.

If it's NY, the feeling of dinge, but also fierce loyalty.

If you can't make noir feel like noir without the setting!

And so on... it matters because if you nail the personality of the space, often the minor character will shine more quickly and feel slotted in, even if they have a cursory line.

No setting:

"What can I get ya? Hey, Frank, Frank, yes, you. Your usual? Yeah. Sorry. Old customer."

Setting:

The little diner was packed to the gills. The waitress came up, chewing gum and in a Manhattan accent, said, "What can I get ya?"

She paused to wave across the room, "Hey, Frank, Frank, yes, you. Your usual? Yeah. Sorry. Old customer."

See~~ Setting makes the dialogue make more sense. The character comes alive suddenly.

[tonycries]

*pulls you close and points to your computer*

Tony, my love, listen, open your computer, go to Google type in notebook lm, and add your sources (your stories). I hit the notebook guide and should see the audio overview. Let it COOK BABY and just listen.

I just love it

Anyways

Love ya.

Always

🐇

AHHH BUNNY MY LOVE I DIDN'T SEE THIS *SOBS* daddy is sorry 😔💕

But wahhhh I did this with some of my writing and?? Oh my god what that podcast option fr made me giggle WHAT 😩 It was so fun ahah, I did it with some of my other/ unfinished writing tho because I'm still scared of putting my work into something like that n' accidentally feeding AI (YOU WILL NEVER PROFIT OFF OF ME AI 😡🤬)

The voices sounded scarily human it was lowkey addictive tho I hafta say. Tysm for sharing ml, I hope you have a lovely lovely week <3

[govindhtech]

Obsidian And RTX AI PCs For Advanced Large Language Model

How to Utilize Obsidian‘s Generative AI Tools. Two plug-ins created by the community demonstrate how RTX AI PCs can support large language models for the next generation of app developers.

Obsidian Meaning

Obsidian is a note-taking and personal knowledge base program that works with Markdown files. Users may create internal linkages for notes using it, and they can see the relationships as a graph. It is intended to assist users in flexible, non-linearly structuring and organizing their ideas and information. Commercial licenses are available for purchase, however personal usage of the program is free.

Obsidian Features

Electron is the foundation of Obsidian. It is a cross-platform program that works on mobile operating systems like iOS and Android in addition to Windows, Linux, and macOS. The program does not have a web-based version. By installing plugins and themes, users may expand the functionality of Obsidian across all platforms by integrating it with other tools or adding new capabilities.

Obsidian distinguishes between community plugins, which are submitted by users and made available as open-source software via GitHub, and core plugins, which are made available and maintained by the Obsidian team. A calendar widget and a task board in the Kanban style are two examples of community plugins. The software comes with more than 200 community-made themes.

Every new note in Obsidian creates a new text document, and all of the documents are searchable inside the app. Obsidian works with a folder of text documents. Obsidian generates an interactive graph that illustrates the connections between notes and permits internal connectivity between notes. While Markdown is used to accomplish text formatting in Obsidian, Obsidian offers quick previewing of produced content.

Generative AI Tools In Obsidian

A group of AI aficionados is exploring with methods to incorporate the potent technology into standard productivity practices as generative AI develops and speeds up industry.

Community plug-in-supporting applications empower users to investigate the ways in which large language models (LLMs) might improve a range of activities. Users using RTX AI PCs may easily incorporate local LLMs by employing local inference servers that are powered by the NVIDIA RTX-accelerated llama.cpp software library.

It previously examined how consumers might maximize their online surfing experience by using Leo AI in the Brave web browser. Today, it examine Obsidian, a well-known writing and note-taking tool that uses the Markdown markup language and is helpful for managing intricate and connected records for many projects. Several of the community-developed plug-ins that add functionality to the app allow users to connect Obsidian to a local inferencing server, such as LM Studio or Ollama.

To connect Obsidian to LM Studio, just select the “Developer” button on the left panel, load any downloaded model, enable the CORS toggle, and click “Start.” This will enable LM Studio’s local server capabilities. Because the plug-ins will need this information to connect, make a note of the chat completion URL from the “Developer” log console (“http://localhost:1234/v1/chat/completions” by default).

Next, visit the “Settings” tab after launching Obsidian. After selecting “Community plug-ins,” choose “Browse.” Although there are a number of LLM-related community plug-ins, Text Generator and Smart Connections are two well-liked choices.

For creating notes and summaries on a study subject, for example, Text Generator is useful in an Obsidian vault.

Asking queries about the contents of an Obsidian vault, such the solution to a trivia question that was stored years ago, is made easier using Smart Connections.

Open the Text Generator settings, choose “Custom” under “Provider profile,” and then enter the whole URL in the “Endpoint” section. After turning on the plug-in, adjust the settings for Smart Connections. For the model platform, choose “Custom Local (OpenAI Format)” from the options panel on the right side of the screen. Next, as they appear in LM Studio, type the model name (for example, “gemma-2-27b-instruct”) and the URL into the corresponding fields.

The plug-ins will work when the fields are completed. If users are interested in what’s going on on the local server side, the LM Studio user interface will also display recorded activities.

Transforming Workflows With Obsidian AI Plug-Ins

Consider a scenario where a user want to organize a trip to the made-up city of Lunar City and come up with suggestions for things to do there. “What to Do in Lunar City” would be the title of the new note that the user would begin. A few more instructions must be included in the query submitted to the LLM in order to direct the results, since Lunar City is not an actual location. The model will create a list of things to do while traveling if you click the Text Generator plug-in button.

Obsidian will ask LM Studio to provide a response using the Text Generator plug-in, and LM Studio will then execute the Gemma 2 27B model. The model can rapidly provide a list of tasks if the user’s machine has RTX GPU acceleration.

Or let’s say that years later, the user’s buddy is visiting Lunar City and is looking for a place to dine. Although the user may not be able to recall the names of the restaurants they visited, they can review the notes in their vault Obsidian‘s word for a collection of notes to see whether they have any written notes.

A user may ask inquiries about their vault of notes and other material using the Smart Connections plug-in instead of going through all of the notes by hand. In order to help with the process, the plug-in retrieves pertinent information from the user’s notes and responds to the request using the same LM Studio server. The plug-in uses a method known as retrieval-augmented generation to do this.

Although these are entertaining examples, users may see the true advantages and enhancements in daily productivity after experimenting with these features for a while. Two examples of how community developers and AI fans are using AI to enhance their PC experiences are Obsidian plug-ins.

Thousands of open-source models are available for developers to include into their Windows programs using NVIDIA GeForce RTX technology.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[abaditya]

Exploring DeepSeek's R1

A podcast discussing the significance of DeepSeek R1 along with some interesting conversations.

The new model from DeepSeek has been making waves over the last week thanks to its competitive performance against GPT-o1 while being open source. It is also able to transparently share its thought chain. I took it for a spin in LM Studio which allows you to run the model locally, and created an overview podcast that touches upon the model’s capabilities, pros & cons (NotebookLM talking about…

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hi there.

You seem to be excellent with sourcing information and I'm wondering if you can help me discern if the ADHD Chrome extensions would work with the Canvas LMS for school?

I've been trying and trying to get an answer before school starts next month but I've come up scratch over the last 4 days.

TIA for any help you can proffer and for all of your amazing posts.

Hi there,

Im not sure if this will help, but I found an article from ADDitude talking about the best Chrome extensions for ADHD:

5 Useful Chrome Extensions for ADHD

Hopefully these sources can help you. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ❤️

[houseboatisland]

Operation Nestled Dragon

Even before the passage of its iconic Transport Act 1947, the first Attlee ministry had been laying the groundwork for what we would today call a strategic steam reserve. Operation Nestled Dragon, which went into effect as early as December 1945, called for “at least 4,000” steam locomotives to be stored and kept in constant readiness in the event of “any cataclysm which could strain supply.” This was a somewhat arbitrary number; the LMS alone had 8,000 locomotives on the eve of Nationalization. It was believed that a majority of the country’s engines would survive attack during a wartime scenario, the most likely reason to activate the reserve at the time. 4,000 engines kept as a backup to unscathed stock was deemed sufficient. (It has to be said there were no strategic reserves of coaches or trucks, whether planned or even merely discussed!)

These engines and the necessary facilities would be dispersed as needed throughout the country. Bigger towns would have more engines and more MPDs (motive power depots) allocated to them, London having the most. The number of engines kept in a single “strategic MPD” was always limited to 20. In this way, an attack such as an aerial bombardment would be less likely to take out a population center’s entire locomotive stud at once.

To “activate” the reserve, the Minister of Transport was required to approach the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, and a vote be held on the matter.

Strategic MPDs could be crude or elaborate. By design they were severed from the nearest railway, so that no tracks were visible for any overcurious trespasser, potential spies or reconnaissance aircraft to follow. Every MPD had to be able to have these missing rails laid back in “within or under three hours” if called upon. Often, abandoned mines and tunnels were used and their insides fitted out. These ‘naturally-occurring’ locations were codenamed “dragon’s lairs.” Other times a location had to be built from scratch; these artificial MPDs were codenamed “rabbitholes.” Always was there emphasis on keeping the MPDs dry, ventilated and fireproof. Each MPD needed a turntable, a reliable water supply, coal bunkers, storage space for rails, sleepers, a small number of spare parts, adequate headroom and an overhead crane for heavy repairs like boiler swaps, and of course bunks for crews should the reserve be activated and they be based there. Otherwise bunkrooms were vacant, although men on duty for maintenance of stock and depots did find use for them during their shifts.

There was little methodology in place for which engine classes were preferred for the reserve. Great Western engines were less favored as they were built to run on high-quality South Welsh coal, and it was assumed the quality of coal sourced during a crisis would be poor. In any event however, some still “found their way in.” In general however, Eastern, Midland and ex-WD locos formed the majority of the workforce. Every engine belonging to the various military railways such as that at Longmoor were considered part of the reserve too, so it could be said that several pieces of the reserve’s stock were out in the open all along. Also joining their ranks as they came about were BR Standard classes, some built specifically for the reserve. These had neither BR nor serial numbers, being built “off the books.”

At first, engines reserved were simply stored and maintained in the livery they wore at the time of their “reassignment.” As time went on, (and their maintainers became bored,) a semi-official livery of black with white and navy blue stripes was settled upon and applied, one engine at a time. Quickly a crest for the Strategic Reserve was designed by one anonymous artistic crewman, and the reserve’s motto agreed: “Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit,” a superstitious British phrase.

Attlee and Churchill were both said to have toured a strategic MPD at least once. “Here we are in the belly of the beast. You lot have done some splendid work; Britain thanks you,” Attlee had said on his visit. “Men will do anything to play trains away from the wife without interrogation,” Churchill remarked on his, perhaps half in jest.

Thus was the system. As steam on the public or “civilian” British Railways was phased out, further freshly withdrawn engines were added to the reserve stocklist. Much speculation was made as to why coal bunkers and hoppers and water towers continued to be maintained even as the steam engines finally vanished from the national network in August 1968. This was explained away as infrastructure left in place for railtours by preserved engines, and in hindsight must have sounded ridiculous.

As generations of enginemen retired, they had to pass on their skills to the fresh blood. The years then went by without significant cause for alarm. The closest the reserve came to being activated was at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis in late October 1962; declassified materials confirm that as many as half of the reserve was in full steam awaiting the call, and track gangs were ready and waiting to lay in rails. The crisis ebbed of course, and by the second week of November, the number of engines idle was back to “Normal.”

Margaret Thatcher’s Government planned to shut the program down, but this was averted… just. John Major however couldn’t be dissuaded. Privatization was in full swing, and the Soviet Union had dissolved itself. The reserve suddenly seemed very redundant, (but per its own 1945 definition, not completely,) and the winding down of it all began. On the 1st of December 1998, some 53 years after the beginning of Operation Nestled Dragon, all 4,855 locomotives and their associated depots and crews were demobilized by the Blair ministry and most of the reserve’s documentation declassified. Everything became public knowledge, including the engines themselves, quite literally overnight.

At once, the locos and their facilities were up for auction. Dozens of Strategic MPDs were made into living museums demonstrating how the reserve worked. Many of the engines belonged to classes otherwise thought extinct, such as the LNER Thompson L1s and the LMS Garratts, and here were surviving specimens being pulled out of the metaphorical wardrobe like nothing. The British preservation scene was in a matter of hours awash in perfectly functional engines no one expected to still exist, which coupled together in a line were longer than most if not all of the railways themselves! Several also were sold abroad to the United States and Canada.

The public couldn’t be blamed for this all being such a shock. They hadn’t been prepared.

Their predecessors however certainly were.

[quinnysnursery]

https://www.tumblr.com/quinnysnursery/766552081489412096/kalogeras-new-attendees-we-need-more-girl?source=share

Ooh what would be their classifications in LM?

Also, they can be backup staff like grace larray etc 🫡

yess! that's true!! i think i'll add 'em to the backup staff list so when requests open up y'all can request stuff should you want it!

but! as for LM classifications,

sunday : L-L-LITTLE💥

demitra : neutral

eli : neutral but everyone thought she was gonna be a little

and why not we'll classify noah, he's a caregiver

[wol-blackthorne]

Transcription of Tural Travelogue, pt. 5: Earthenshire/Arcadion M1/M2

(Dawntrail All Quests Spoilers ahead)

[Master Post]

4A/26S - checking in on Many Fires before moving on to Earthenshire on foot. Travel has resumed for the most part as traders use the river instead of the [Flight]. By the time traders get here, they're hungry and tired. Helped a moblin named Chekochuck[sic] gather meat. Bird of Ligaka—fried or grilled. Mamool Ja prefer widowmaker meat stewed in chilies. Pungeant[sic] but tasty.

Fruit seller waylaid by delays happy to share fruit on the verge of spoilage. Lots of talk about new commodity exports from the dome. Should talk to Hancock and Tataru (Rowena too?) about this. Lolorito's funding of the project was contingient[sic] on access to Shard-exclusive wares. Going to suggest this doesn't count since the dome is on the Source.

Electrope? Probably needs more lightning concentration than exists on the Source (hopefully).

Note: check in on that kid with lightning sickness. Bring porxie?

--

4A/29S - Trying Hanu pigment in ink. Spoke with Lolorito after all. Visited Hancock in Kugane and —

In short, Lolorito's contract to provide funding for Project Ark is still valid, and this incident doesn't apply.

Electrope not a good export, requires too much lightning aether.

Sharlayan covering funding for LM gleaners.

Put Hancock in contact with Rhodina via linkshell. Will loop Rowena in next time I'm in Mor Dhona.

Checked in with Kuiki[sic] while in Kugane. I'toca was a psudonym[sic]. She got word of the impostor, Samidare, trying to impersonate Hien. Supposedly Samidare is a former Garlean conscript skilled at fomenting unrest through manipulation tactics, but impersonating Hien is downright idiotic. And then he had the temerity to impersonate me! The folk at the House of the Fierce caught on and we drove the impostor out. He followed us to Kugane and tried to lead us into a trap at Hell's Lid. Obvious plot. Kuiki[sic] got nervous and ended up tackling him before he could try catching me. I could have taken him, but I understand her concern. I'toca, whose name Kuiyki had used, died in a similar circumstance.

It's been two years since that time in Garlemald. But I know how it feels to watch someone steal your face to hurt your love ones. Taking her to visit the Mol. Nothing more comforting than getting buried in sheep. Also want to check in with gramma.

Arcadion opening next moon?

--

4A/30S - Do not drink tea from the moblins! Although the smell is likely warning enough.

Teleported to Earthenshire, but had reason to backtrack to Many Fires anyway, so I got to see the path. The violet flower fields reminded me of Lakeland. Air thick with flower smell. And the marsh, Ligaka, is much deeper than I expected.

Anyway, spent the day helping a potsworn and his assistant moblin make gifts for each other. I'm afraid he might be making a pouch for the very ruby she intends to give him? Don't want to give anything of their surprises away, so I'm not saying anything, but I am dying inside. I don't know what to make of their behavior towards each other, although they clearly love each other very much. Anfroy and Movamuck Movamuq.

Anfroy is spending the night in a settlement nearby called Cracked Cistern. Home of artisans who left their potpact for one reason or another.

--

4A/32S - Didn't get the chance to write yesterday. Anfroy and Movamuq presented their farewell gifts to each other. Anfroy indeed made a box for Movamuq to store the ruby which she made into a necklace for his gift. I'm sure she'll find a new treasure to put in the box.

I accompanied Movamuq to Many Fires and met with Nahanshe again! He's been traveling as much as I have. His latest task is to find the original designer for the Landsguard's armor, who currently lives in the Cracked Cistern. The designer, Rostand, was willing to help, but couldn't relocate as far as Tuliyollal. We found a compromise in setting up a workshop in Ok'hanu. I let slip my experience as an armorer, so I spent the rest of the day and yesterday setting up the workshop and helping with the sample armor pieces.

Diplomatic metting in Ishgard today [sic, tomorrow]. Helping with small tasks in Earthenshire, then I'll spend the night in Ishgard.

--

5U/1S - As expected, Lyophyne tried to interupt[sic] the delegation, but not when we expected. Tentoawa, Loazenikwe, and I went to Ok'Zundu early to prepare. As we were speaking with Sonu Vanu, the chief, Leophyne caused the Ishgardian delegation to crash land. We caught her before she could do worse. I ended up getting put to sleep, but the Vanu were able to wake me and the Ishgardians with their dance. Leophyne ultimately got away, but we did get the Cradle back.

Teleported back to Tuliyollal with Tentoawa and Loazenikwe for dinner with Raha at Br'uk Evu's. Tacos! Going to check out the Arcadion tomorrow. I need something to wake me up after today.

--

5U/2S - To start, the Arcadion seems...normal? It's effectively a colleseum[sic], which is approximately what I expected. The catch is competitors use souls of creatures to empower themselves, like Zoraal Ja's soldiers. Alternatively, competitors can be souls stored in their banks. This entire soul economy of theirs is a mess but that's politics and policy I don't have the authority or place to—well, I can't just tell them to stop and expect them to do it. This has been their way of life for centuries. Now that they're on the Source we can probably wean them off the system, and surely people outside of the dome won't—

I need about fifty more of those energy drinks. I'm so tired. Of course this shite is going to get used for war as soon as it leaves the dome.

That is a problem for later. For now, I took part in a round of combat at the Arcadion, under the condition that I would not use one of their soul things, and the souls powering the simulacra on my team would be released from the system every time I win. They were happy to make the accomodation[sic] if it would get me to participate. Metem, the Millala[sic] Master of Ceremonies, caught me in True Vue and invited me personally.

First match was against a Turali Hhetsaro named Yaana, fighting under the alias Black Cat. She fought well, but I don't think she eexpected to fight someone with the ability to foresee aether. She did catch me toward the end of the fight, but I still won in the end. Tomorrow, next match against "Honey B. Lovely." Songstress, charming magic, poison. Bring antidotes?

--

5U/3S - Second match is today. Went looking for that boy with lightning sickness but didn't remember his apartment. I'm not equipped to heal him at the moment anyway. Raha thinks we'll need to recalibrate the detempering spell since the victims here aren't tempered, only aetherically unbalanced. Slightly less rebalancing necessary and no need to uncover memories. We're hoping to use S9's computational power to work it out, although that's going to take time and leadership to get done. I think Lamatyi[sic] and Koana are working out a regency? They're so busy now it's hard to say.

Helped a kid find his mom and found some Alexandrian wine for a Shetona mourning his Alexandrian friend. I'm glad the Alexandrians were there for the people of Yyasulani.

--

Antidotes would have done nothing. I'm going to be irritated about that match for a while. We won, but only because I showed my hand and tapped into dynamis. Honey B. must have reviewed my match against Yaana because she had an answer to my foresight: scattershotting the entire area in her venom. She charmed me twice! I was in anaphyactic[sic] shock before I could even think to down an antidote, let alone cast Esuna. If I ever have to face her again, I'm bringing a gun or a sword.

Yaana is officially my "second" now, and she can help me research before the next match. Gods know I need the help is the next match is anything like this one.

The worst thing is I've got Honey B's song stuck in my head.

Yaana is letting me stay in her home tonight. Met her little sister, Neyuni. They have an older sister too, Eutrope, although she disappeared recently. Considering the dome, I can't imagine she's gone far. I hope she's okay.

Apparently the soul transfiguration method takes a toll on fighters. Zoraal Ja must have known although That must be why his core army was mechanized. I'm taking some comfort in the knowledge that the wartime applications are limited. It's like a slightly improved version of what we saw in Werlyt.

Actually what it really calls to mind is Athena's method of creating a god. Her attempt, that is. If the users were unsundered, the soul transfiguration would effectively create a hemitheos. Reviewing other combatants in the morning. We won't know who I'm up against until tomorrow. Going to be up late if this tonic has anything to say about it.

[Note:] Nevermind, Yaana says it's the big red guy: Brute Bomber

(Note: Dates corrected)

[ikaishere]

Pinned post!

Name is Ika, i use all pronouns, but more info here (również w języku polskim tutaj!)

Drawing prompts through asks are currently open!

IKADTIYS

My modern au masterpost!!

I will mostly post art here, occasionally writing. My main interests are all kinds of Linkverses (though, usually I post about LU and LM), plus, the source material itself, TLOZ.

I post a lot about Sky, Hyrule, and recent days Ravioli (ALBWLinkxRavio), so again, expect that!

I'm also very proud to be working on @eternalfrostau with my dear friend and an amazing writer @kovacs-on-ice, a Zelda-inspired fan comic, which I'm encouraging you to check out!

Never be scared to dm me or send an ask, I always respond to them! I may be awkward at first, but I promise, no ill intentions ever. I'm open to talk about anything, for constructive criticism as well.

Please be mindful of the fact that this blog is a safe space - for queer people, people of colour, disabled people, people of any beliefs, etc. As long as you don't shame other people, you are welcome here. ANY kind of antisemitism, racism, ableism homophobia, transphobia, etc. is NOT welcomed here. You will be blocked and reported. Thanks:)

[prashanthyahweh]

"Empowering Education Yahweh's Impact on Learning Management Systems"

In the moment's fleetly evolving educational geography, technology plays a vital part in shaping the way scholars learn and preceptors educate. One company at the van of this digital metamorphosis is Yahweh Software results. With their innovative approach to learning operation systems (LMS), Yahweh is empowering educational institutions to revise the way they deliver and manage online literacy gests.

The Significance of Learning Management Systems

Before probing into Yahweh's impact on LMS, let's first understand the significance of these systems in ultramodern education. LMS platforms serve as centralized capitals for delivering, managing, and tracking educational content and conditioning. They give preceptors the tools they need to produce engaging online courses, grease communication with scholars, and assess literacy issues. For scholars, LMS platforms offer a flawless and accessible literacy experience, enabling them to pierce course accouterments, share in conversations, and submit assignments from anywhere, at any time.

Yahweh's Innovative Approach

Yahweh Software Results is committed to reconsidering the way educational institutions influence technology to enhance literacy gests. Through their moxie in LMS development, Yahweh empowers preceptors to produce dynamic and interactive online courses that engage scholars and foster collaboration. By using open-source platforms like Moodle LMS, Yahweh ensures that their results are flexible, customizable, and cost-effective, making them accessible to institutions of all sizes and budgets.

Key Features and Benefits

Yahweh's LMS results are designed to meet the different requirements of preceptors and learners likewise. Some crucial features and benefits include

Inflexibility and Customization: Yahweh's LMS platforms can be acclimatized to align with each institution's unique conditions and tutoring methodologies, icing a substantiated literacy experience for scholars.

Scalability: Whether serving a small classroom or a large university, Yahweh's LMS results are scalable to accommodate growing pupil populations and evolving educational requirements.

Stoner-friendly Interface: Yahweh prioritizes usability and availability, designing intuitive interfaces that make it easy for preceptors and scholars to navigate and interact with course accoutrements.

Robust Analytics: With erected- analytics and reporting tools, Yahweh's LMS platforms give preceptors precious perceptivity into pupil engagement and performance, enabling data-driven decision- timber and nonstop enhancement.

 Driving Educational Excellence

By partnering with Yahweh Software results, educational institutions can harness the power of technology to deliver high-quality, engaging, and accessible literacy gests. Whether in traditional classroom settings or completely online surroundings, Yahweh's LMS results empower preceptors to inspire literacy, foster collaboration, and drive educational excellence.

 Conclusion

In conclusion, Yahweh Software has made a significant impact on education through its innovative approach to learning operation systems. By furnishing preceptors with the tools, they need to produce engaging online literacy gests, Yahweh is helping to shape the future of education and empower learners of all periods to reach their full eventuality. With Yahweh's moxie and commitment to excellence, the possibilities for educational invention are endless.

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Story Theory: Detail v. Description

So yes, it varies worldwide and by different contexts.

I first posted this on Nanowrimo, which then got used on Writing Excuses by Brandon Sanderson. So I think it's fair to steal it back. As I said, I LOVE extended analogies and at the time no one was making a distinction and a lot of people don't.

Up front: Neither are evil. They are both tools in the toolbox, and how you use them is important. Yes, it varies by context, country, etc. So yes, there are judgment calls.

Definitions

Description is a long introductory paragraph which might carry an emotion, but often doesn't really have the character in it.

Detail is integrated bits of stick-out information.

Analogy

If you have a car, you don't need to know exactly how the carburetor works, what the model of the engine is, what color the exhaust pipe is. But you might want to know that it is red and has flame decals, especially, say if it's a mystery and that's a KEY bit of information to crack the case. If you describe the car, then you're getting every last bit about the make model, the carburetor, etc. That's a description.

But if you're getting the detail, then that's the flame decals.

Theories on how to apply these tools and when to cut.

Description is usually used for slow action, taking a breath, discovery, to slow action down, and generally to set up scenery. Sometimes it's used to set up a character that's new to the narrating character. The key here is that the character must be new to the narrating character, not to the reader.

You cut it when it's the opposite. You want to speed up the action. You don't want to take a breath. It's all action, morality, or conflict. And you aren't setting up scenery/scenery is not key yet.

Detail is a quick in and out of something that is DIFFERENT or STICKS OUT.

Hey, your friend is wearing is bright green sweater, you're going to notice that.

Why cut it all out?

The person has a sensory disability. (I'd urge you to up the other information the character does have in this case)

The person isn't very self aware of anything.

The character narrating isn't very observant, or only observant in certain situations (ADHD and hyper focus can be played with this way)

The character is super self-absorbed

Likewise, if the character is observant, very self-aware, very tuned into others, then these things should increase, BUT when you pick it out, make sure it has purpose. Like the little bit of cereal on his collar and baby food on his shirt pocket tells you he's struggling with his baby.

Examples

Description:

MRS. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies’ eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde’s Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde’s door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof. --Anne of Green Gables, opening line.

This also characterizes Mrs. Lynde.

Detail:

And yet here was Matthew Cuthbert, at half-past three on the afternoon of a busy day, placidly driving over the hollow and up the hill; moreover, he wore a white collar and his best suit of clothes, which was plain proof that he was going out of Avonlea; and he had the buggy and the sorrel mare, which betokened that he was going a considerable distance. Now, where was Matthew Cuthbert going and why was he going there? --Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery

The bolded bits are details, because they stick out to the narrating character, Mrs Lynde.

What should description and detail include?

It's best to include these with an emotion attached, instead of listing them off.

So it's not chocolate chip cookies.

It's grandmother's chocolate chip cookies she made every Sunday without fail. Eating the gooey center made me cry as I stared at the recipe again in her dusty recipe box.

Aim the detail/description at an emotion, or at least towards your story driver. You can see that in even the Anne of Green Gables passage. There is a non-stated emotion in the first paragraph.

With emotion, BTW, doesn't mean writing the previous as,

I ate grandmother's chocolate chip cookies and I felt sad. I looked at the dusty recipe box.

No. Don't tell the emotion. Show the unique way your character has it. Because another character Might face a similar situation and sniff bravely.

Sensory information:

Sight

Color, texture, props, items.

Taste

salty, umame, sweet, aromas, bitter, etc.

C'mon leverage your literary super power as a novel writer.

Hearing

This is often good to combine with sight. For example, the creak of the wooden wheels ad the gravel crunched below in the grand courtyard.

Smell

People who don't go outside forget the smell of everything except food. People *smell*. Flowers smell like things. Smells are carried on the wind. You can't do this in movies, but you can in books. Make your character have this experience.

Touch

Smooth, rough, velvety? Up this for books. Make those screenwriters hate you.

Interoception- sensations from inside the body Belly grumbled with hunger. So tired. Headache.

Vestibular sense (balance) Is the character balanced all of the time?

Time information

What time of day is it? What time of year is it?

Place information

I'm guilty of forgetting to include the setting. But also, you should include where your character is in space. If you're lost, then draw a map with an x and colored pencils every time you move the character.

I also cheat by using programs like Sketch up, the Sims, etc. Make sure your characters don't jump in space. Color code as needed.

If they are up a mountain, down a mountain, about to cross a river, all of these should have a cascading effect on the character and the interactions. Don't forget that the place information should influence how the dialogue is said.

Weather. Don't forget what season it is. If it's sunny all of the time, I'm suspicious, especially if you've set it in England. WTH. Make sure your weather patterns match.

Dreary rain. Sunny. Snowing.

What do characters look like? What are their expressions?

Don't tell what the emotions are. Talk me through how they usually are when they are sad, or playing more than one emotion at a time. If you're limited on time, push it through dialogue.

What does the clothing, food, or customs look like?

The white shirt up there, for example is fast.

So across cultures this varies a bit.

Long descriptions of scenery is more Chinese, as well as describing the characters who usually get long info. Tone set up is usually done by description in traditional Zuni tales.

In Korean, there might be a setting set up with tone and theme attached.

Descriptions might be longer in Japanese works to set up a certain mood.

But I think it's worth it to look at those cultures and how they are pulling it off and what techniques you can learn from them doing it that way. What does the story gain, what does it communicate, how do you feel? How do people of that culture feel about the work? If you're a writer you need to be concerned about more than yourself when it comes to techniques.

Generally, when you're faced with a work that's unfamiliar, try to feel out what it's trying to accomplish by doing it that way and you learn much more than by rejecting it.

But imagine you could be masterful enough to have a scenery description that could set up mood, tone, voice of the story, and the theme all at once because you combed through other people's techniques to arrive there. Wouldn't you feel smug especially if you managed to do all of that in 40 words or less? (English, granted). I think I would.

[rhk111sblog]

No less than the Chief of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Lieutenant General Arthur Cordura himself told the Press recently that they are also considering the F-2 Viper Zero Fighter Aircraft that is made by Japan.

Quoting from him directly, "Mitsubishi Fighters (referring to the F-2), the Japanese made Multi-Role (Fighters) are very potential Platforms also".

MY THOUGHTS: The F-2 Viper Zero is based on the F-16C Fighting Falcon Aircraft, but is made by Japan. Specifically, it was based on the proposed “Agile Falcon” Version of the F-16C which Japan then developed further and incorporated much of their own Equipment into.

An interesting Trivia is that it is reportedly unofficially nicknamed the “Viper Zero” because the “Viper” stands for the unofficial nickname of the F-16, and the “Zero” is for the legendary A6M Zero Aircraft that Japan made and used during World War Two (WW2).

The Production of the F-2 stopped around 2011 though, so the PAF might be considering getting secondhand Aircraft from the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF). However, the Manufacturer of the Aircraft, “Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)” might be considering opening up their Production Line again also to produce brand new Aircraft, especially now that Japan is slowly expanding their List of Military Equipment that they will allow for Export.

Note that Lockheed Martin (LM) itself, the American Manufacturer of the F-16, is featuring the F-2 on their Website, so perhaps it is another Sign that they are willing to restart its Production Line in Japan. If so, MHI might revive the F-2 under its newer Version, the “Super Kai” which they showed in various Defense Exhibitions before.

The Super Kai is based on the F-16C Block 60 Version and will have Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT), aside from other Improvements over the Viper Zero Version. But one Concern for me is that Japanese Equipment tend to be on the expensive Side due to their high Standard of living, so that might be an Issue.

However, if they are willing to give us some good Deals so we can afford the Aircraft better, then why not. Another Point about the F-2 is that it will have the same Problems also as the F-16C when used for “Dispersed Operations” as that Philosophy is not as deeply embedded into its Design.

The Thing to watch for me with the F-2 though is its AAM-4 Missile, which is one of the few Air to Air Missiles in the World right now that uses an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar. Putting an AESA Radar in a Missile gives it the Advantage of Stealth, as Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) will not be able to detect its Signal until it is too late, when it is already on its Way to hitting the Aircraft.

Another Missile with a similar AESA Radar is China’s PL-15 Missile which reportedly proved itself recently by shooting down the French-made Rafale Aircraft that was being used by India. The AAM-4 though only has roughly the same Range as the “C” Version of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM).

It doesn’t go as far as the “D” Version of the AMRAAM, but then again the United States (US) seems to be only willing to sell to the Philippines their AMRAAM C and not the AMRAAM D Version which they reserve only for themselves and their closest Allies.

Putting an AESA Radar on a Missile will also likely make it a bit more expensive than the usual. The F-2 is interesting, but personally I would still pick the newer JAS-39E/F Gripen over it because of the Gripen’s Advantage in Terms of “Dispersed Operations”.

SOURCES:

PAF also considering Japan-made Aircraft for Future Projects {Archived Link}

F-2 Support Fighter {Archived Link}

F-2 Super Kai {Archived Link}