#AND ITS CUBE SHAPED AND LABELED

[chiaroart]

If you guys haven't seen it yet, then I desperately need to bring it to y'all's attention.

Minimalist. Nativity sets.

[carionto]

Nothing is safe from becoming "exciting"

I've read a bunch of HASO stuff and often when I'm writing something I know I'm drawing from a ton of somewheres, to the point where I can't pinpoint anything, it's all a big mush that my brain then spits out here. This one, however, I know was inspired by jpitha's writings, specifically the bit about Gene's High G Gym (I think that's the mostly correct name anyway). Shamelessly shilling their work cuz it's great, go read it!

______________________________

Humanity has begun expanding their hold over their native system. Like an insect hive, ships ferry just about everything to and from Earth, building stations both in planetary orbits and around the Sun. Nearly all experimental of some kind - a lot of ideas they couldn't try built up over the thousand years they were isolated.

They do also have countless small space worthy vehicles, nearly all with varying superficial designs and patterns, but also quite a few rather different underlying mechanical principles.

Soon we noticed a lot of activity throughout the entire system not affiliated with any organization or group. Just... individuals and small family units doing their own thing. We quickly gave up trying to categorize such behavior. When we asked, they said:

"Anyone with a license to pilot their craft can go pretty much wherever that isn't restricted. For some places and activities they do need to get a permission first though."

Worryingly lax on account that many of the larger "civilian" craft are still powered by their "Mini-Suns" as they call them.

One particular individual craft got our attention. It created a spike of thermal activity in one region of their Oort Cloud, so one of us went to ask this Human. Abigail was her name:

"Yo space dudes and dudettes, what's up?" Our translators were still incorporating the various Human linguistic peculiarities, but their liaisons are very helpful. We inquired as to what she was doing here so far out.

"Oh you are gonna love it!" another phrase we are learning to be wary of. "Victor, that's this bad boy right here," she affectionately slaps the armrest of her, now that we are closer, disturbingly modified vessel. Is that a second engine cluster bolted on the back? And a... weird exposed device with a large neon label - Space BBQ. We instinctively fear her and her next words. "He and I are making a race track with these here ice cubes. I got this idea when I was a kid, and it is going to be. So. Awesome!"

All of the red flags triggered. Then, Abigail demonstrates by shooting a harpoon claw... thing... at a nearby object the size of a few skyscrapers and begins pulling it towards a cluster of other planetesimals. Normally, these kind of clouds have stabilized over billions of years and each object is thousands and millions of kilometers from one another.

There were dozens stacked so close to each other that you could barely fit an escape pod between in some places. One in particular was surrounded by a small cloud of its own.

"Ooh, that one right there." She enthusiastically pointed out its somewhat flattened ovoid shape. "Doesn't it just scream to you that it wants to be the ultimate doughnut? Hector thinks so, he's my cat by the way - Say hi Hector! [hiss] (Fine, be that way, ya bum) Love that bastard. Anyway, just gotta finish blasting a hole big enough and it'll be the perfect finish line."

Not wanting to hurt our sanity further, we decided to leave her be, but not before she proudly exclaimed over all open channels:

"Remember to tell your folks if they ever wanna race to come here to Abby's Action Asteroids [quick whisper] (trademark pending)! Soon it'll have laser obstacles!"

[preservationofnormalcy]

So, um, this is a bit of a weird question, probably, Um. So, I just found this black cube with a big red button on it while walking home. It was just sort of sitting there on the sidewalk outside my house? Its black, and got a big red button with a glass cover over the button, I can just like, lift it though. Theres no labels or anything. Can I press it? Do I have to give it to yall? A friend said I should send y'all this, but tbh I kinda just want to push it. I mean, aren't You curious what'll happen? I mean, nothing will probably happen, its just a random button, right? So it's fine, probably, right? Whatever, anyway, he made me send this, so feel free to Not respond

So, I'm don't mean to be rude, but if you're the kind of person who is just going to push a random button you've found, I don't think an authority figure saying "you definitely should not push that button, what???" (Which, for the record, you should not push that button) is going to change your mind about things.

Certain things within the noosphere are shaped by common tropes and ideas; so whatever this thing actually is, it took the form of a large red button specifically because a big red button is enticing.

It's also clearly having an anomalous effect on you; it wants you to press it. That's usually a big red flag, and means that it's not just, like, someone's lost Staples Easy button or something.

Whatever happens when you push that button is on your head. If you can live with whatever consequences might occur, that's for you to decide.

If you're the type of person who's going to want to push that button, you've already pushed it with or without our advice. We haven't all died that I'm aware so that's a good sign. You should turn in the button now so we can look, and be truthful when you do the paperwork about whether or not you pushed it. Judgement comes later.

Jenny, have you seen the file on Toynbee? It should be under Philadelphia. OH, there they are. Why are they in "T"? That's a little obtuse.

[kollector-of-stims]

Do you think you could do a tour of your stim toys and where you got them from? :D

This sounded super fun, so YES! I just finished taking all the pictures and I'm ready to start! Here is all I'm going through, and for the tour itself begins....under the cut!😁🙌

In each image is labeled the place I got them from for all that I can remember. Also, I categorized them to the best of my ability!

First, we have: Various Absentminded Toys

A few of my favorite tools are here! And we even have cheap cat toys...Anyway, the favorites are definitely my precious infinity cube from Walmart, fidget cube from an old and now hard-to-find (or deleted) $5 and under stim toy post, and articulated octopus from Books A Million! Also some shots other than this one have stuff from Stimtastic...you will be missed 😣

Next category: Stretchy Toys!

The good ol' monkey noodles, funky caterpillars, other stretchy critters, and wiggly fruits and vegetables. The super realistic banana is from the tiktoker Mrs. Bench and I was mainly tempted to get one because of the YouTuber NerdECrafter 😂 Oh and also, the sand-filled carrot does NOT feel as good as the sand-filled banana, and I feel like that may be consistent.

Next category is: Articulated Fidgets!

Ok first off, I forgot to put the two from Cracker Barrel together, and same for the two from Books A Million. So, arrows. Second, I coulda put the octopus here in the first place but gathered this category later and had already taken the other picture, so I simply put it in here again! This is one of my favorite categories overall, as not only is the feel of these articulated animals good, their sound is too~ The small ones are SUPER handy since they're easier to take around!

Next up: Fidget Spinners!

Classics. Varying prongs and weights. The five pronged green one is one of the most satisfying to spin, along with the black one. The simple dimple one would honestly probably appeal more to me if simple dimples didn't hurt my fingers often (I bite my nails so, soreness). But the colors are still nice to see spin!

Next in line: Fun Textures!

(I forgot to label the tiny hedgehog- it came from a quarter machine in an asian restaurant)

Quiet and nice to rub my fingers across (or hold tightly as is the case with the alien). The purple piece up there with the green textures may look kinda weird, and its because it's a piece of a larger toy, an asmr fidget cube. It was my favorite side, so I separated it from the entire thing🤣. Also, the rainbow textured strip has suction cups along the bottom.

Next group: Putties!

I definitely favor putties over slime, mostly cause of texture and less mess. Simple silly putty eggs serve their purpose well, and so does crazy arins, but those can be hard to get out of their containers, and as a result, my super scarab putty is in a small jar instead!

Next: Visual Water Toys!

ERROR: THE SHARK CAME FROM FIVE BELOW, NOT BOOKS A MILLION)

The shark....Oooooh the shark...And the hourglass came from a cheap fidget toy box with like a pack of 30 (like some in previous images as well) but unfortunately due to little use, it's been growing mold or something inside of it, and I'm afraid that I cant fix that..so that's a downside😭.

Next, another small category: Noise Makers!

Cool and fun pop tubes and the clicker (that honestly makes my small weak hands a bit sore after a while). The pink one was a freebie with the realistic banana, and the small one...I for the life of me can't remember where I got it. I just put Walmart cause it sounds kind of familiar.

Next and last of the small categories: Wacky Tracks and Similar!

The one from Stimtastic is my ultimate favorite of them all, and while the twittle turned out to not be as pleasing as I planned, I also noticed another kind that looked similar but had slightly different shaped joints and I'm honestly tempted to try that one too. The big one came from one of my cousins who gave it to me after I asked who's it was, and it's not bad! The cheaper ones however can be harder to clack and are more prone to pinching.

Next: Pop-its!

I guess this is a smaller category, but the toys definitely have a big impact. Another favorite of mine, especially the smaller ones! The cow is a cheaper one that came from walmart as opposed to ordered from a better brand I've seen, so its front poppers don't work, but the back ones do (The suction cups on the bottom of it are AWESOME regardless though). And the unicorn pop it ball meant a lot to me not only cause it came from the Stuckey's store my aunt is a manager of, but also because its the first pop-it ball I ever tried that I was able to pop in all poppers on!

Next category, Squishable Toys!

(Not shown are my squishy owl and penguin cause I forgot them, but they stay with me often in my handbag! I also have tons of squishies but many enough to be considered their own collection)

Stress balls of various kinds one could say. The little sticky wall-climbing balls near the top are in a plastic bag to keep them sticky, and they remind me of the larger versions I had as a kid! Splat balls are a favorite of mine that I honestly dont use enough, partially cause I dont wanna pop them, but the shark is my favorite out of this entire category as it feels like the "dehydrated" dna ball from walmart, but with that soft cover.

Second to last: Fidget Brand Toys!

Basically in my mind "toys either made by fidget specific companies or have fidget in the name" I guess. Also common fidget toys you may see specifically in the fidget toy isle in Walmart. For some reason I cant recall any of those common fidget brands right now, but I do know how they have their own exclusive section in our Walmart nearby. Then the squirkies all came from books a million, in a smaller section they had. Love them!

And lastly: Plushies!

I have TONS of plushies obviously, but the ones I'd say I "fidget" with are the cats vs pickles and my one aurora palm pal cat! Small and soft and weighted with beans fits every single one of these, and the weight, crunch, and feel are just so nice! I feel as if they're good to collect for me, and once dragon kitty comes out, I plan to find it, and I also kind of want another palm pal sometime too!

🎉AND THAT CONCLUDES MY STIM TOY TOUR!🎉

It was fun to put together, and I love showing my toys as much as I love seeing others', but if you still have questions (or anyone does), feel free to ask about anything here!

[jpopstreaming]

Tomomi Kahara's Warner-Era Music Now Available on Streaming Platforms

October 25 marked a significant day for fans of Tomomi Kahara as her music catalog from Warner Music Japan was officially made available for streaming. The move brings a new level of accessibility to a cherished collection of works that have been adored by audiences for years.

Tomomi Kahara debuted under the ORUMOK RECORDS label, founded by Tetsuya Komuro in September 1995. She then moved to Warner Music Japan in June 1998, marking the beginning of an impactful chapter in her career. It's a chapter that included her appearance in a popular commercial for "Natural Peach Water," featuring her hit song "tumblin' dice," among others. As part of this digital liberation, fans can now access 12 singles, her last album produced by Komuro titled "nine cubes," as well as an original three-album compilation. Adding to the celebratory occasion is the inclusion of her 'Best Of' album, "Natural Breeze KAHALA Best 1998–2002," which rounds off a robust offering that stands as a testament to her artistic range and enduring appeal.

It's worth noting that her fifth album, "Love Again," had already been available for streaming prior to this announcement. Yet, the latest addition significantly broadens the spectrum of her music accessible online, giving fans old and new alike an opportunity to explore her discography in its fullest extent.

The release unlocks an emotional and nostalgic treasure trove for those who have followed Kahara's career, while introducing her timeless artistry to a new generation. As we embrace the digital age, this move serves as a poignant reminder of how technology can renew our connection to the music that has shaped our lives, making it easier than ever to relive or discover the magic that is Tomomi Kahara.

[zdnstories]

Tale of the Five Shards

This is a story I wrote for my English class last year. It is based on the game Geometry Dash. All characters were inspired by me and my friends.

Neon was taking a stroll through the beautiful park on a Saturday afternoon. He looked like a white cube with its four corners partially removed, and had two yellow eyes. He was enjoying his lunch, a cheeseburger he’d bought from a nearby restaurant named The Daily Chat. The place was like a bar, except it was known for being a prime spot for new residents of the city. Neon wasn’t new to the city; he simply liked their food. His necklace with a shiny purple stone wiggled around as he walked.

As he walked through the park, he admired the structures that had been built for historical purposes; a formation of three triangles in a row, an orange square labelled ‘Copy + Paste’, and an intimidating looking creature known as a ‘Clubstep monster’, just to name a few.

As he admired a poorly built cat made out of bricks, someone nearby spoke up: “This cat is historical, simply because it looked pretty goofy in the context of where it came from. Too bad the person who built it turned out to be not a great person.”

“Why? What’d they do?” replied Neon.

“He turned out to be uh… a bit racist.”

“Ah, damn.”

Just then, Neon felt something small and wet fall on his head. “I think it’s starting to rain,” he noted. Then, it suddenly rained even harder, and within a few seconds, it was pouring rain everywhere. Neon and the other person noticed a small building nearby and quickly ran inside. There was no one inside, and it seemed to be abandoned. “What’s with all the rain!?” Neon questioned, exhausted from running so quickly.

“I’m not sure,” the other person replied. “Best we can do is wait it out.”

“Alright,” Neon agreed. “Since we have some time to kill, what’s your name?”

His name was Zero, and looked almost like the opposite of Neon in a way; he looked like a yellow cube with its four corners left untouched and its sides partially removed. He had four blue triangles placed into each of the corners, and only one eye in the middle in the shape of a four-sided diamond. Zero was interested in studying the history of the city, and liked to research old, forgotten relics of the past.

“Wow, so you must know a lot about historical things, right?” Neon asked.

Zero confirmed: “I do. Speaking of which, I noticed that purple stone on your necklace. Where’d you find that?” He looked curious, with a twinge of skepticism.

“Oh, this? I’m not sure, actually. It was passed down to me courtesy of my family. A good luck charm of sorts,” Neon answered.

“That stone is really rare. It’s called the Shadow Shard, and it’s part of a pentalogy of mystical shards including Fire, Ice, Poison, Shadow, and Lava. The fact that you hold the Shadow Shard is interesting.” Zero explained.

Neon was whelmed by this information, and in the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder where the other four might be. "That's intriguing. What do you suppose might happen if someone had all five shards?" he pondered.

Zero replied: "I have no idea, but I have a theory that the combined power of all the shards would grant you immense powers.”

Neon thought this was interesting. He looked out of a window and noticed the rain had stopped. “Looks like we can get out of here now, the rain’s stopped. You’re a pretty nice guy, can I get your phone number?”

Zero obliged and gave Neon his phone number so they could communicate whenever. They both said their goodbyes and went on with their days.

The next day, Neon was back at The Daily Chat eating lunch. Since his encounter with Zero, he couldn’t help but think about his Shadow Shard, and the other four alleged shards that are out there. What was their purpose? What would happen if someone had all five? All he could do was wonder. Then, he overheard something that piqued his interest. Someone was talking to someone else about a small, light blue object he found somewhere.

“Woah, it looks so pretty!”

“Yeah, it’s always pretty cold though… Can’t hold it for too long.”

“It does look like it would be really cold. Looks like a small chunk of ice.”

Neon didn’t need to hear anything else. This person had the Ice Shard. He quickly got up and walked over to the two. “That does look pretty cool,” Neon added as he approached them.

“I know, right? It’s so shiny!” replied the one holding the shard. This person looked like a full cube with a cute-looking face, with a gradient fading from dark purple to light blue, starting from the top. Despite being more attracted to women, Neon couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked. He noticed Neon’s own shard. “You have a pretty cool rock thingy too! It’s so purple!” he replied. 

“Yeah, it is pretty c-” Neon was forming his sentence when out of nowhere, someone ran up and snatched the Shadow Shard out of his hands, and darted away. “Wh- hey!” Neon quickly started running after the thief, with the other person leaving his friend at the restaurant and following behind, but by the time they made it out of the restaurant, the thief was nowhere to be found. “Ohh, crap,” Neon sighed, his heart feeling heavier by the second. The other cube looked on at Neon, his face saying it all; this was bad. Really bad.

“That sure is not good,” he agreed, looking at Neon with worry. “I can tell that rock must’ve been really important to you. C’mon, we gotta go find it!”

“You’re right,” Neon agreed, with confidence brewing in his soul. “Let’s get a move on. Speaking of which, what’s your name? I’m Neon.”

“The name’s Cinni. It’s nice to meet you, Neon,” Cinni seemed excited to try and track down the thief. “Let’s ask around for if someone saw them running off somewhere,” Cinni suggested. Neon seemed eager to try that idea. Sure enough, the first person they asked had an idea of where they went. They said he saw them go into an alley, then he heard a door open, and they were gone. They also mentioned that the thief looked a lot like Neon, except they were yellow with dark purple eyes.

Neon and Cinni ventured into the alley. It was dark and filthy, and there wasn’t a door in sight. Both of them were a bit confused. Then, Cinni stepped on something that looked like a metal plate in the ground. It was the only thing in the alley that resembled a door. “Oh, that must be it!” Cinni exclaimed. They opened the door and ventured inside.

The contents of the door turned out to be a dark, gloomy hallway that led… somewhere. “This place gives me the creeps,” Cinni muttered, a twinge of fear taking residence in his voice. He trailed behind Neon closely, afraid of what might happen to the both of them.

The duo walked slowly and quietly down the dark path. “I’m a bit uneasy too, don’t get me wrong,” Neon said quietly, as if to keep a low profile. “I’ve never seen this place before, but something tells me we have to stay quiet.”

Just then, Neon’s phone began to ring. He frantically got it out and answered the call, just to stop the loud ringtone, which he hoped hadn’t alerted anything nearby. Cinni understandably looked a little worried about that. Neon spoke quietly, but loud enough for the caller to hear him.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Neon, it’s me, Zero.”

“Oh, hey.”

“I’m just calling you to tell you that I found the Fire Shard!”

“Wow, impressive. Speaking of which, my uh… my Shadow Shard was stolen.”

“What?”

“Yeah, it got stolen. Me and a guy who has the Ice Shard are trying to find the thief. He went into this dark hallway in an alley.”

“Oh, that sounds familiar. I’ll be there in just a moment.”

Sure enough, about 2 minutes later, Neon and Cinni heard Zero’s footsteps behind them. Neon looked impressed. “You got here pretty fast,” said Neon.

Zero shrugged. “Had to come down here once to chase someone who stole $5 from me. Barely survived, but it was totally worth it. I like your shard, by the way,” Zero admired Cinni’s Ice Shard.

“Yeah, it’s very pretty and blue! Yours is very pretty and orange, I like it,” Cinni marveled at Zero’s Fire Shard. Zero thanked him for the compliment.

“Let’s keep going,” Neon suggested. Everyone agreed.

Eventually, the trio reached a dark room, with someone sitting at a table on the left. He looked exactly like how the witness described him. He turned, saw the three staring at him, and sighed, looking dispirited to see them there.

“What do you all want?” the cube said, tonally disgruntled.

“My Shadow Shard back,” demanded Neon. He wasn’t going to have it with this dude.

“Of course not,” the cube countered impatiently. “It ain’t yours anymore. Shove off.”

Now Cinni was getting impatient. “Give it back, dude! You’re only doing yourself less of a favour!”

Zero then said: “Don’t you realise that the combination of these shards can destroy the planet?”

Everyone just stared at him.

“...what?” the thief said, not sure if he heard what he just heard.

“...and you didn’t tell us this?” Neon questioned, dumbfounded at why Zero had said nothing about it.

“I only put two and two together like 10 minutes ago, and then you called me, and it slipped my mind,” Zero explained. “Either way, Mr. Thief, you should give that shard back, it’s a family heirloom to Neon here.”

The thief sighed. “Y’know what, fine. Here ya go, dude. And also, call me David. I get I stole his rock thingy, and I apologize, but ‘Mr. Thief’ is a little far.”

With his Shadow Shard back in his hands, Neon and his friends left the dark room and went on their own ways. Cinni, being ever social, asked for Neon’s phone number before he left.

Two days later, Neon was trying to wake up in the morning when he heard a knock on his door. He shuffled past the living room and the kitchen, and opened the door to see David standing there with something in his hands.

“Hey,”

“Oh, hey. What are you doing here?” Neon asked, a little confused.

“I just came to tell you that I heard of some guy who is trying to take over the world, and he’s looking for the shard thingies or whatever,” explained David.

Neon was a little skeptical. “Huh. Are you working for him, or…?”

“Oh, no, not at all. I’m a changed man, I know I shouldn’t work for a guy like that,” David assured, a bit frantically as if to not give Neon the wrong idea.

“There’s a green rock in your hands. What is it?”

“Oh yeah, I was going to tell you, I found the Poison Shard,” David showed Neon the green, glowing shard. “I didn’t steal it, just so you know.”

Neon still had his doubts, but he decided to go along with it. “Right, okay. So, if I remember correctly, I have the Shadow Shard, my friends have the Ice and Fire Shards, and you have the Poison Shard, so the only one we haven’t seen is the Lava Shard. And apparently, if you combine all five of them, the planet explodes, or something like that.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” David confirmed. “I don’t want someone to take over the world. I’m not giving that guy my Poison Shard any day of the week. So don’t worry about that.”

Neon wasn’t sure if he should worry about it, but something about David made him feel that he was being 100% honest with himself. “Well, I have an idea. Why don’t we try to find the Lava Shard so the guy you’re talking about doesn’t have the chance to find it?”

David liked that idea, and was on board with it. Neither of them knew where it could be. Their best guess was that it would be somewhere inside Mt. Silico, a nearby dormant volcano. The two look-a-like cubes trekked over to the mountain, determined to find the Lava Shard.

There was an open cave at the base of the volcano, with nothing indicating it was off limits to enter. David was a bit anxious, as he was scared of the dark, but Neon pulled out a flashlight and shined it forward. They quietly wandered through the cave, as it progressively had more twists and turns the deeper underground they went. At one point, Neon almost lost his balance and fell into a deep ravine, but David pulled him back in the nick of time.

After a few hours of spelunking, the duo stumbled upon something interesting: another cube, digging away at a wall with a pickaxe and their metal detector beeping like crazy. A lake of lava lay nearby, bubbling and crackling with heat. Neither of them had seen this person before, so they both walked up to him behind his back.

“Hi,” Neon spoke abruptly.

“Waugh!” The cube jumped and spinned around frantically to see who was behind him. The cube was hot pink all over, with his eyes and mouth being a bright cyan colour. He seemed quite startled by the sudden appearance of Neon and David.

“Oh, jeez, sorry! We didn’t mean to startle you,” said Neon, a bit surprised at the cube’s reaction.

“I-it’s alright, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be down here. Goodness, that scared the heck outta me,” he said, sounding out of breath.

“Our apologies. Anyways, what are you up to down here?” David asked, sounding curious.

“Oh, I’m just mining for gems. I found this really big one in here, and I’m gonna get it out of here!” the pink cube answered ecstatically. “The name’s Porks. What’s your guys’ names?”

“I’m Neon, and this is David. Nice to meet ya, Porks,” Neon shook Porks’ hand, with David doing the same. “We’re trying to look for a red shard-looking thing. Do you have any idea where that could be?”

“Hmm, well, I could finish digging this gem out and you can take a look,” offered Porks. Neon and David sat back as Porks dug away at the stone, eventually revealing a red gemstone buried in the stone. Everyone marvelled at how precious it looked. 

“Woah,” said Neon, blown away.

“That must be it,” David ascertained.

Porks was also delighted. “Well, it sounds like you need it more than me, so it’s all yours! Enjoy it while it’s hot.” Neon grabbed the Lava Shard and admired its red glow.

“Not so fast,” said a new voice out of nowhere. The three cubes turned around to see a green and white cube standing before them. He looked to have a single circular eye somehow suspended in midair in the middle of four corner pieces. “I’m going to need that shard.” he said, almost sounding authoritative.

David’s face became visibly bitter. “It’s Laser,” he muttered.

Neon asked him: “Is this the guy you were talking about?” David nodded.

Porks seemed nervous at what might happen, but tried to stay confident. He bellowed, “This gem is off limits, pal! Why don’t you skedaddle?”

“I’ll make it simple,” the menacing green cube bargained. “You hand the shard over, and I won’t beat you three to a pulp. Capiche?”

Neon glanced at David, both of them knowing exactly how this was going to go down. Unfazed, he glared at Laser with fury. “Over my dead body.”

Suddenly, Laser charged at Neon and threw a punch. Neon barely dodged to his right, with David circling him and throwing a jab from behind, successfully striking him. Laser grunted with pain, but quickly turned and kicked David in the gut, knocking him to the ground. With David groaning and clutching his stomach in pain, it was up to Neon and Porks to settle this. Neon tossed the Lava Shard to Porks, who was hiding behind a nearby rock, and rushed towards Laser, aiming his fist right for the face. Laser quickly caught Neon’s fist and threw him down to the ground, intending to pin him down and endlessly pelt him with punches. Porks suddenly rushed out behind the rock and whacked Laser on the side with his metal detector twice, with Laser losing his balance and falling to the ground. By this time, David had recovered and gotten up to fight, and delivered by smashing a rock against his forehead. Bruised and battered, Laser decided there was one option left: grab that shard, and run. He unexpectedly swiped the shard from Porks’ hands and was about to start fleeing, when he was met with an unexpected surprise: A purple and blue cube, standing there with a furious and determined look on his face, wielding a metal baseball bat. 

It was Cinni. 

Laser gasped and attempted to run back, but not before his head was belted hard with Cinni’s bat. He struck him again and again, showing absolutely no mercy. Before anyone knew it, he was unconscious on the ground, heavily bruised. Everyone just stood there, shocked at what they just saw. Cinni threw his bat aside and grabbed the Lava shard out of Laser’s lifeless hands.

“Dude,” said Neon, incredulously.

“...What?” said Cinni. “I saved the world.”

Neon hesitated a moment, but shrugged. “Well, I guess you did.”

Zero suddenly walked into the cave, a bit taken aback at the scene before him. He looked down at Laser’s inanimate body. “So… what happened here?” he asked, trying to decipher that question himself to no avail.

“Cliché villain scuffle,” answered Neon. Suddenly, his expression changed. “Wait a minute… all 5 shards are here,” he said, starting to panic.

Porks was confused. “Does something happen if they’re all here…?” he wondered out loud. But before he could process another thought, David ripped the Lava Shard out of his hands and threw it as hard as he could up the cave. The four other shards started to get pulled towards the Lava Shard like an intense magnet, and they clung together tightly. The shards crackled and shook violently. Everyone started panicking frantically. “What the heck is happening!?” screamed Porks with confusement and terror.

Zero yelled over the violent commotion: “If we don’t do something, those shards are going to form a black hole!"

Neon decided there was only one thing they could do. With haste and vigour, Neon grabbed the metal bat off the ground and swung down hard against the smorgasboard of shards, utterly destroying them all. The multicoloured glob of rocks shattered into many tiny fragments. The Shadow Shard was surprisingly still intact.

Everyone walked up to and stared down at the destroyed mess of shards.

“...I guess that’s that,” said Zero, oddly very calmly. “Here’s your shard back, Neon.”

Neon picked up his Shadow Shard and put it back on his necklace. Just as he put it back, Laser grunted and slowly got up. “Ah, you’re awake,” Neon responded.

“What’s everyone staring down at?” Laser asked, a bit lost. He looked over and saw the crumbled mixture of shards and frowned. “Oh.”

“Unfortunately, your plans for taking over the world have been cut short,” said David.

“Damn,” Laser said. He was bummed, but he was starting to feel like it wasn’t the best idea to begin with. “Y’know, I'm starting to feel like trying to take over the world was a bit stupid on my end. I’m deeply sorry.”

Cinni smiled. “Hey, it’s all good! I’m also sorry for bashing you unconscious with a bat, it was reckless on my end. Here, have a hug!” He then suddenly gave Laser a hug. Everyone else decided to join in. Laser was still a bit confused, but he appreciated the support.

Neon spoke up and made a suggestion. “Say, why don’t we go get some food together? I’m sure we’re all starving after all this.” Everyone agreed in unison. The six cubes travelled back up the cave and to The Daily Chat, where they had the best lunch all six of them had ever had.

[sunken-standard]

Sunken's Half-assed Lacto-fermented Radish Kraut-chi Tutorial (or, how to use salt and time to make radishes edible and not poison yourself)

Start with some radishes, whatever you have—Cherry Belles, Sparklers, French Breakfast, White Icicle, Daikon, etc.  These are 5.5lbs of Korean Diakon (“Alpine Gold” hybrid) from my garden.  You can peel them or not; I don't peel what I grow or buy from local farms, but I do peel things from the grocery store. 

Slice them however you want.  Coins, matchsticks, quarters (for smaller radishes), cubes, it's all up to you.  Different sizes and shapes give different textures and have different fermentation times.  Throw them in a bowl and salt to taste.  They should be pleasantly salty; not so much that it burns your mouth, but not too lightly either.  The sweet spot for me is a little less salty than the average potato chip.

Now you can add your other stuff, if you want.  Plain old brined and fermented radishes are yum on their own.  I want more of my half-assed kimchi though, so I'm using red cabbage (any will do, I had the red on hand), carrots, sweet onions (from a local farm; green onions work too), ginger, garlic, an apple (yes that was a Red Delicious, and no I didn't use it after all because it was rotten inside, but I did use a Honeycrisp instead), and Gochugaru (this stuff is the mild kind). I only used about half of the ginger and garlic pictured and added more carrot, but you get the idea.  If you're using cabbage, keep a few of the (clean, nice-looking) outer leaves for later.  You can shred the rest or cut it into squares to be a little closer to real kimchi.

Chop everything up, mixing and tasting as you go--before and after adding more salt.  After it's all chopped and mixed and salted and happy, let it sit (covered to keep beasties out) for a half hour to two hours (or even longer, you won't ruin it if you accidentally fall asleep, eh heh).

(I go relatively light on the gochugaru because I’m a wuss)

Make sure you have enough jars or whatever you're going to use for the fermentation.  I thought two half-gallons would be enough, but I was wrong.  Washing with soap and water is enough, they don't need to be boiled or otherwise sanitized.

Pack the vegetables into the jar, trying the squish out the air spaces as you go.  It's going to create a lot of its own brine, and there will be liquid left in the bottom of the mixing bowl (pour that in the jar).  The juice probably won't cover the vegetables, so you can top it off with plain brine made at a ratio of 1.5 tsp to 1c water, which should be boiled and cooled if you have city water (to get rid of the chlorine) but doesn't have to be if using well or bottled water.  Squish it down again after adding the brine, or use a chopstick to poke around and get the air bubbles out.

If you saved a cabbage leaf, now's the time to mash it into the jar to cover all the vegetables and keep them under the brine.  It's not necessary, it just keeps stuff neater.  Some people use plastic wrap, but I don't like that myself If I don't have a leaf I just fill the jar about ¾ and cover it with more brine.  Weight it down with something (I have fancy glass fermentation weights for jars, but a plastic bag of salt or beans or brine works fine).  

Put the lid on the jar loosely (or if you're using something like a crock, cover with a heavy cloth and secure with string or a rubber band), label and date it, and keep it somewhere that doesn't get too hot or too cold, ideally out of direct sunlight.  Oh, and put it on a plate or a tray or something, leakage is normal, even if you think you haven't overfilled the jars (ask me how I know -_-).  You'll see little bubbles starting about 24 hours later—this is good and means it's cookin'.  

(These are dill pickles I started ~48h earlier)

Burp the jars daily and start tasting after about 3 days.  When it's sour and the vegetables are a little soft (it'll smell funky, kind of like farts and warm onions, but it's fine), it's ready to go in the fridge.  It'll keep for months, maybe even years; just remember to check it because it does keep fermenting, just at a much slower rate.

So yeah, that's it.  Sounds like a lot, but it's so, so easy.  This is a jar I did like a month ago and I've already eaten about 1/3 of it:

[grotend]

the only watercolor painting i made in my watercolor class that i didn't hate

[ID: A watercolor painting of four bottles arranged in a horizontal line on a kitchen counter. The two middle bottles are on top of a book. The first bottle is a light pink color and has a white label. On the label there are some pink and brown flower shapes, as well as hiragana characters and the word “Sayuri”. The second bottle is a blue cube shaped bottle. It is shorter than the first bottle. The third bottle is a rounded shape and mostly covered by its white label. There is blue text on the label that has hiragana on the top, then the word “Premium” in thin text and “Nigori” in thick text. At the bottom of the label is a small blue flower and the word “Kiza”. The fourth bottle is a brown bottle with a gold cap and a white label. There is a drawing of a red, four-eyed monster-like face and some unreadable lines approximating characters. The book in the center beneath the second and third bottles has the spine facing forward. The spine is blue and in white text it reads “Benshoff Monsters in the Closet”. Some of the cover is visible and it has a green and yellow background as well as a simplified figure of a white man wearing a suit. There is reddish-pink text on the cover that is faded but reads “Monsters in the Closet”. The background of the painting is a brown flecked kitchen counter that matches the wall behind it. The slightest corner of a white sink can be seen in the lower right of the painting.]

[cloudmonarch43]

[ID: Ten rectangular panels of messy pen drawings, titled “February 1, 2023.” In the first, 9:00am shows Ruby waking up in a bunk bed, lifting a curtain away from a window, and showering behind a leaf-print curtain. A thought bubble contains lyrics from “Losing Track” by The Mechanisms: “Mile after mile cutting swathes through the sky as the void sings...” There is also a bottle of moisturizer. There is a bowl of oatmeal with its ingredients drawn and labeled below it: water, oats, walnuts, raisins, salt, and hot sauce. Second is a full-body drawing of Ruby, labeled "inside," with items of clothing identified in the style of Disco Elysium. “Red Vest” gives +1 Inland Empire (the right color) and -1 Volition (the wrong cut). “Black Button-up” gives +1 Suggestion (vampire vibes). “Cat Slippers” give +1 Perception (in touch with the ground...). “Black Jeans” give +1 Composure (they were right about this one). The next panel is labeled "10... 11... 12..." and shows a laptop open to Gmail, a four-guess Wordle score, and a phone shuffling "Liked Songs." Text says, "work at emails dot com," "I think I'm used to this uncalled for update now..." and "(also trying to decide on clothing stats...)" 1:00pm shows a small frying pan full of vague scribbles, labeled "Lunch: This is a broccoli cheese pie construction in red pasta sauce. It's good." YouTube is open to a Kaz Rowe video, number 48 out of 49 in the Watch Later playlist. There is also a surprised face peering in through a spiral, labeled "Drawing myself drawing this." The next two hours, 2 and 3, are linked, showing a sidewalk and some wispy clouds, labeled "46 degrees Fahrenheit: wandering under the wintery clouds." Smaller doodles represent dropping off a ballot, investigating a grocery store, and eating an orange and trail mix. Then the aforementioned cat slippers are kicked up behind a phone screen reading "chill out," a task captioned "watch TikToks with no sound." Next is another clothing display, this one labeled "outside," as various items of outerwear have been added to the previous outfit. "Green Hat" gives +1 Hand/Eye Coordination (better than a hood) and -2 Shivers (quiet warm bubble). "Sunglasses" gives +1 Drama (traces of Crowley cosplay). "Corduroy Jacket" gives +1 Encyclopedia (college kid in a used books store). "Gloves" gives +1 Interfacing (touch screen sensitive). "Waterproof Boots" gives +1 Physical Instrument (take on the world). 4:00pm starts with another "drawing myself drawing this" portal, this one with a winking face. There is an upper body workout and stretch session represented by very sparse doodles. There is a sketch of the cover of the podcast "Secret Feminist Agenda," a round badge with the title worn on a plaid shirt. The next two hours, 5 and 6, are combined, showing a laptop open to an Audacity project with the waveform and spectrogram both displayed and a headphone cord plugged in. This is labeled "editing Disco Elysium podfic." Next to the computer is a fancy mug labeled "spicy hot chocolate." The next panel includes both 7:00 and 8:00pm. On the left is a sheet pan of crescent-shaped pieces of squash, another indistinct frying pan labeled "curry warmed back up," the Duolingo owl, and a phone screen labeled "warm up." On the right is a messy depiction of a Reason project labeled "making music," the cube-shaped Reason logo labeled "learning Reason," and a microphone labeled "recording temporary singing." Finally, 9:00pm is a simple bullet list: "Finishing up the drawings. Up next: make the posts, drink tea, edit more podfic, get ready for bed. And then sleep :)" Ruby is shown laying down, eyes closed and smiling. End ID.]

Making up clothing stats is sooo much fun hehehe

[mariacallous]

You know what I would like a major manufacturer of tampons to do? Make tampons. You know what I wouldn’t like them to do? Make creepy sex jokes on Twitter. This is a not-so-subtle reference to Tampax, which caused large swathes of the internet to see red after an off-colour tweet last week. “You’re in their DMs,” Tampax tweeted. “We’re in them. We are not the same.”

I spend a good 60% of my waking hours on Twitter. Maybe you don’t. If we are not the same then you might have no idea what on earth Tampax was on about. (Good for you!) Essentially, its joke was a mashup of two popular memes. The plain English translation reads: “You’re flirting with them via direct message, I’m in their vagina. Ha ha, I’m better than you.”

If any brand has licence to make jokes about things being up vaginas, it’s Tampax. Sexualising tampons, however, is revolting. Still, the tweet had the intended effect, I suppose, which was to get people talking about Tampax. The gender-neutral language also sparked a heated argument about trans people because, hey, what doesn’t spark a heated argument about trans people these days? While I admit spending 60% of my life on Twitter isn’t healthy, it’s not as unhealthy as spending 99.99% of your waking hours obsessing over trans people’s right to exist, which is what a depressing number of people seem to do.

And as creepy as Tampax’s tweet was, it doesn’t win first prize in the November 2022 edition of The Worst Attempt to Be Edgy By a Major Brand Awards. Nope, that honour goes to Balenciaga. The luxury fashion brand is currently dealing with back-to-back controversies over two disturbing ad campaigns. The first showed toddlers clutching the brand’s “plush bear bags”, which are teddy bears clad in leather harnesses, ankle restraints and other accessories often associated with bondage. A separate campaign, for its $3,000 “hourglass bag”, showed a desk covered in documents which, eagle-eyed internet users discovered, were printouts from a 2008 US supreme court decision about the constitutionality of a conviction for child sexual abuse images. After understandable backlash, Balenciaga has now yanked the bondage bears campaign and is suing the producers of the “hourglass bag” ad. Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian has said she is “re-evaluating” her relationship with the label after the controversy.

When I worked in advertising, I once spent nine hours having a back-and-forth with a client about the shape of an ice cube in the vodka advert we were shooting. Which is to say: ads go through a lot of scrutiny before they see the light of day. It’s hard to believe nobody at Balenciaga looked at those campaigns and thought: “Hmmm, this looks dodgy, maybe we shouldn’t pair toddlers with bondage bears?” Obviously, I have no idea what was going on behind the scenes, but I presume someone messed up big time.

Anyway, you know what the moral to all this is? Brands need to stop trying to be edgy. I would blame social media for brands making bad decisions in a desperate attempt to be talked about, but brands were doing this long before Twitter. First prize for creepiest advertising campaign in living memory probably goes to Fiat. In 1994, the carmaker sent out anonymous love letters to 50,000 women in Spain in a misguided attempt to market a car. Each letter was personally addressed and contained lines such as: “We met again on the street yesterday and I noticed how you glanced with interest in my direction.” There was no indication this was a marketing campaign – that detail was meant to be revealed in a follow-up letter. Needless to say, a lot of women freaked out; some women were reportedly so scared they were being stalked that they locked themselves in their apartments.

So again, please, brands, stop trying to be edgy. Please stop trying to get people talking about you because you did something gross, and get people to talk about you by doing something like, I dunno, lowering your prices. Wouldn’t that be shocking?

[dave5422285]

Week 4 Studio Tutorial - Perspective Drawing

For this week we were looking at the different types of views in terms of how to present a object/product in a real world view, showing it’s solidity, shape, overall presenting its structure. These views are Axonometric, Oblique and Perspective. For this week we are focusing on perspective, and using 2-point perspective to present a chamfered cube (pre-class activity)

PRE-CLASS ACTIVITY

This pre class activity we had to make a chamfered cube, to be able to get a better grasp in perspective views as well as to help us in the tutorials exercise. Before cutting and scoring the card I practiced by cutting out the shape after printing it, then pasting it onto harder card that makes it easier for me to craft the cube. Overall it was a easy and slow process but it felt good since it was straight forward. However constructing the cube I had issues in making sure there were no holes when putting the chamfered cube together. This was most likely due to my folding even after scoring the paper. If I was to do this again I would cut some areas fully from the scaffold to have those clean corners and edges.

PART 1

Onwards to the tutorials exercise we were tasked to present this cube in a 2-point perspective, presenting the side and top view as well. Before starting this task, I had trouble grasping the technical points of the 2 point perspective as I usually free hand draw these types of perspectives before. So learning the accurate perspectives rather than estimates was a issue I was dealing with. But looking at the slide material and videos I understood the content and began to construct the views on A2 paper. Also doing sketches of how the 2-point perspectives should look like on A4 paper first helped me visualise what I needed to do but on a larger scale

After learning the step by step process of 2 point-perspective drawing it was nice to physically draw what I now understood. I thought there was certain dimensions for the gaps between the Perspective Plane, Horizon Line and Base Line, but it only mattered depending on the perspective you wanted. Being A2 size I had to change to working on a bigger table that didn’t have access to good lighting. So sorry in advance for the poor image quality as apposed to last weeks. To answer the question in the tutorial, I would’ve gotten the same perspective view given to us if my vanishing points were just a bit closer. So if I had to do this again, I would test in which vanishing points give me the best replicating view.

PART 2

For this part of the exercise we had to do the same 2-point perspective, except its just a cube and the perspective would be a bit far off in the distance. When constructing the cube I decided to still use the dimensions of the chamfer cube, to see if I can continue to create that same consistency of lines when drawing the same object to help myself for future scenarios where I have to draw a object in multiple views continuously. Constructing the cube after drawing the chamfer cube, the process was more faster than before as I've gotten use to the steps. I dont think I was able to make the cube look as if it was from a distance though. This could've been done If I brought the vanishing points much closer than before, something to remember if I do this again.

Part 3

This exercise we had to form eclipses inside the cubes sides that are exposed in the 2-point perspective. Constructing the cubes and perspectives went the same as Part 2, fast and easy to draw. I labelled the major and minor axis with different colours, orange and turquoise for easy differentiation between the two as well as to make it clear to the viewer. When forming the eclipses I had trouble getting a consistent curve on each arc when its sectioned into 4s on each side. This might've been due to my lack of practice before forming the eclipses. If I had to do this again, I would draw circles/eclipses as a warm up before doing drawings that need curves. Overall I think I went well in learning the fundamentals of this weeks content by looking through the slides and reading carefully, not really focusing on how clean lines are. If I had more time for this exercise, I would finalise the perspectives with pen.

(Couldn’t add more progress photos cause tumblr allows only 10 photos- the more you know!)

[adventuresofstybba]

Page 24: Underground Crossroads

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Full image description below the cut.

Two wide panels with a lot of labeled objects.

In the first panel, the adventurers are walking by slate and shale walls embedded with fossils. The Urchin of Secrecy, Dandi, and Stybba have lined up underneath fossils of their far-distant ancestors; as they walk along behind Henry, their pose resembles the “Ascent of Man” artwork.

The fossils are labeled Kainops invius (an early trilobite), Prodryas persephone (an early butterfly), and Morganucodon oehleri (an early mammal ancestor.) And our characters have their scientific names given as well. The Urchin is Arbacia punctulata (an Atlantic Ocean native); Dandi is Dryocampa rubicunda (the rosy-maple moth); Stybba is Equus ferus caballus (the category of tamed horses); and Henry is Homo sapiens.

The second panel shows our adventurers coming to a crossroads of sorts, where the tunnel branches in three new directions. In the book, there is nothing to distinguish the tunnels, but I have taken the opportunity to throw in loads of references to games and books that feature cave exploration. In clockwise order, they run as follows:

A faintly glowing vision urges us to “Seek the Crown of Horns”: this is from Bone by Jeff Smith.

A label marked with a wombat paw print points off down the western tunnel, indicating that it is Tunnel 17: this is from Digger by Ursula Vernon.

A large purple gelatinous cube lurks with a sword sticking out of its side: this is from Dungeons and Dragons, by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

A strange fire burns, but instead of light, it casts shadow; this is a reference to the Caves of Fire and Night from The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede.

The wall becomes blocky, and each cube-shaped block has a repeating texture: this is a nod to Minecraft by Mojang Studios.

Finally, some distinctive rocks and a downwards ladder on the ground refer to Stardew Valley by ConcernedApe. There is also a pickaxe on the ground that could belong to either Stardew Valley or Minecraft.

(I considered adding a blue and purple bat as well, but I don’t want to be sued by the Pokémon franchise.)

The adventurers come to an abrupt halt as they take in all this new excitement. All except for Hans (the eider-duck hunter), who has noticed an eider-duck sitting in the exact center of the crossroads, waiting for him to come and collect its eider-down.

[sanstropfremir]

‘have a lot of thoughts on that miu miu collection… comment on corporate fashion’ oooohhhhh pls say more 👁

i said some of my thoughts in the ask just prior to this so scroll down a bit too but yea this collection is pretty clearly a revamp of corporate and business casual attire with a comment on the everchanging nature of where the 'acceptable' lines are. there's a predominant use of khaki/beige/tan and grey and 'business' blue that are all the main colours in middle class midrange men's office garb (my dad works in an office so i am very familiar). the cuts are also very boxy and untailored, with really simple construction methods that are very easy to reproduce, which is another characteristic of this type of off-the-rack mass manufactured clothing. like i said in the previous ask, i think this collection is very interesting as an art piece because you have looks like these all next to each other:

and if you were to swap the colour palettes for anything else that doesn't have the corporate/business connotations this collection would be dull as fucking nails, because just on cut and shape alone it's not pushing anything. but when you tilt it to that (literal) deconstruction of such a ubiquitous type of attire it lands a whole new meaning. but also as soon as you try to take anything out of the collection on its own as a standalone piece it loses a lot of oomph because it just becomes basically a 'normcore' piece with a designer label. and imo miu miu doesn't have the clout to actually make that effective off of a runway, like what balenciaga does.

idk i could get into how runways basically act as a framing device in the same way that a white cube gallery acts as a framing device and that for a piece to be considered actually good it needs to survive both inside and outside of its framing devices (unless part of the comment is about the framing device) but that's a bit of a spicy take i think.

[coastdesignbuild]

Smart Storage Solutions: Unique Built-Ins And Organization Ideas

Smart storage solutions are essential for creating livable spaces in homes that are becoming increasingly crowded and cluttered on a daily basis. Novel assembled in and shrewd association items can assist with augmenting each nook and corner, from storerooms and carports to lofts and storm cellars. Homeowners can save money on costly home renovation Bakersfield projects by being creative with their storage. Peruse on for a few extraordinary plans to more readily use the current stockpiling likely in your home.

Optimize Closet Storage

The wardrobe is the most utilized stockpiling zone that actually remains, to a great extent, disrupted in many homes. However, custom racks, shelves, and drawers made for ELFA components and custom closet systems can completely transform cluttered closets. California Closets is a leader in home improvement in Bakersfield with custom closet installations that combine high-end materials with skilled space planning. To accommodate a variety of items, combine hanging rods and stackable shelves of varying heights. Utilize sliding racks, pivoting ties, and belt racks alongside specific shoe 3D shapes and frill towers for improved utilization.

Repurpose the Garage

Stop parking just cars and tools in the garage. Smart additions like gear cabinetry suites, floor-to-ceiling shelving units, and overhead storage racks turn it into a potential living area. Wall-mounted racks with movable snares are perfect for hanging stepping stools, hoses, bicycles, or grass apparatuses. Add thin cupboards for paints, synthetic compounds, and auto embellishments. Introduce specially estimated capacity seats and cabinetry to continue to wear products, occasional style, and children's play stuff. Alongside acquiring stockpiling, these thoughts from home improvement Bakersfield specialists loan style to the carport.

Maximize Attic Potential

Attics remain vastly unused even when storage is scarce in the rest of the home. Optimize the ample space available in most attics by installing flooring, lights, and wooden steps for easy access. Use the knee walls and sloping sections to build customized cabinets, bookcases, and shelving units. Make compartments in the eave sections for suitcases, holiday décor, etc. For better attic storage solutions without a remodel, place stackable trunks labeled for easy access or install ceiling-mounted racks to hang items efficiently utilizing the vertical room.

Boost Basement Storage

Like attics, basements also provide useful space for storage if organized well. Start with sufficient lighting, dehumidification, insulation, and ventilation. Then, use solutions like wall–mounted cabinets, utility shelves, and modular storage cubes to keep essentials handy. Designate zones for different items — sporting equipment, tools, seasonal clothing, etc. The more organized your basement is, the higher its storage potential, so incorporate as many specialized storage fixtures as your layout permits. These basement remodeling ideas by home renovation Bakersfield specialists ensure you use every inch purposefully.

Your home likely has ample wasted areas that could double up as storage with some creative solutions. Unique built-ins customized to your distinct layout, along with innovative storage components, can help maximize your available area. Closets, garages, attics, and basements all lend themselves extremely well to hosting specialized storage solutions. With smart planning and the right fixtures, you can gain valuable organizational capacity without large-scale home remodels or additions. Consult home renovation Bakersfield experts for the best built-ins and storage makeover of unused zones. Your new organized home will give you space you never thought you had, along with decluttered rooms.

[stormclouds-chainmail]

[Image description: A webcomic by The Oatmeal titled Wombats. Continued under the cut.

Panel 1: Image of a wombat. A medium height, stocky creature with four legs and fur.

Panel 2: Image of a wombat from the side.

Panel 3: Image of a wombat from the other side.

Text from panels 1, 2 and 3. Listen, we need to talk about wombats.

Panel 4

Text: There's a lot we could say about wombats.

Panel 5

Text: They're cute.

Image of a wombat lying on its back.

Panel 6

Text: They're marsupials who can weigh up to 80lbs (36kg).

Image of a wombat on a set of scales with the word chunky on the display.

Panel 7

Text: Their closest relatives are koalas.

Image of a koala.

Panel 8

Text: And a wombat actually weighs as much as three koalas.

Image of a wombat with an equals sign beside three stacked koalas. The top koala says, "Is the stacking really necessary?"

Panel 9

Text: Wombats dig 100 foot (30 metre) long burrows with dozens of entrances.

Image of lots of holes in the background. The foreground has a wombat emerging from a hole saying, "I am a firm believer in skylights."

Panel 10

Text: A group of wombats is called a wisdom.

Image of a group of eight wombats stood under a banner that says, "Deep thinkers only". One wombat has a cup of tea. One wombat says, "Hello, Cynthia". Cynthia replies with, "Greetings, Charles". A wombat called Higgins says, "Do crabs think fish can fly?" A different wombat responds with, "Interesting hypothesis, Higgins. I must meditate on this.

Panel 11

Text: And they can run at 25 mph (40kph).

That's nearly the same speed as Usain Bolt.

Image of a very fast wombat running and leaving a trail of black and grey lined and stars behind it.

Panel 12

But we're not here to talk about all that.

***

We're here to talk about butts.

Image of a wombat from behind with large butt cheeks. Its head is turned to look behind it.

Panel 13

Text: You've probably heard that wombats make cube-shaped turds, right?

Image of a wombat butt pooing out cube-shaped turds with sound effects, thibt, thipbt, this, thbttt!

Panel 14

Text: If not, congratulations.

Image of a cube-shaped turd.

Text: You just learned a fun fact.

Your brain probably deleted a childhood memory in order to make space for that fun fact.

Image of a wombat turd in a circle with an arrow pointing to a brain with a label saying, "Worthless knowledge 100% capacity and a full red bar. That has an arrow pointing to a human head in a circle going into a bin or trash can.

Text: Maybe it was a memory of your dad pushing you really high on a swing set.

Image of a dad pushing a child (who has the same face as the memory that's in the bin) on a swing set.

Text: That memory is now gone and has been supplanted by a six-sided block of marsupial feces.

Image of the people at the swing set but their faces are giant wombat turds with eyes and smiling mouths.

Text: Incredible.

Image of a close up of the child on the swing with the dad's hand pushing them. The wombat turd child says, "Higher, Papa, higher!" And Papa responds with, "Yes, my child. The wombat turd child is leaving a trail of debris or foul smell behind them as they move on the swing.

Panel 15

Text: But the fun facts don't stop there. Wombats actually crap out 80 - 100 of these turds a day.

Image of 100 wombat turds in a 10 by 10 formation.

Text: If humans pooped this often (averaging 4 inches or 10cm per turd), we'd make 33 feet or 10 metres of poop per day.

That's roughly the height of 11.5 koalas.

Image of 5 whole koalas stacked and holding each other up with the top one holding a koala chopped in half at the waist. The half koala says, "Please stop using us as a unit of measurement."

Panel 15

Text: Wow.

These fun facts sure are fun.

***

But they beg the question, why is wombat poop shaped like that.

Image of a wombat holding a cube-shaped turd and an axe saying, "Why a cube, cousin? Why not an axe?"

Text: Their stacked poop is used to mark their territory and also attract potential mates.

Their turd totems are basically a wombat's version of a keep out sign.

Image of a wombat surrounded by turd totems holding a placard that says, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter my fortress of feces."

Text: Or a dating profile.

Image of a wombat standing behind a stylised heart made of wombat turds. It's twice as tall as the wombat who says, "I will cherish you as I have cherished my turd statue. Heart emoji."

Panel 16

Text: And the reason wombat poop is cubed-shaped is so that they can stack it on a variety of tall, uneven surfaces, such as logs or rocks, without it rolling away.

Image of an arrow pointing down to a stack of six turds on a rock. A wombat is peering out behind the rock saying, "Structural integrity is nominal."

Panel 17

Text: Basically they are playing butt Jenga as a means of communication.

Panel 18

Text: Extraordinary, yes?

~

Yes.

Downwards arrow.

But that's still not why we're here today having this conversation about wombats.

Image of a wombat from the nose up with its paws raised in the air.

Panel 19

Text: We're actually here to talk about butt cheeks.

Panel 20

Text: Wombat butt cheeks are composed of bone plates that have fused together to form a protective shield.

On top of that shield is a layer of fat, skin and fur.

Image of the four layers, a rectangle of brownish fur with an arrow pointing to the pinkish skin with an arrow pointing to the yellowish fat with an arrow pointing to the white bone plate looks like a lozenge.

Text: When attacked, a wombat will dive into a burrow with their rump facing outward.

Image of a cross section of a wombat burrow containing a whole wombat with its rump sticking slightly out of the entrance.

Text: This is because their armoured butts contain very few nerve endings, so when they're scratched or bitten, they barely feel it.

Image from above of a wombat ass sticking out of a burrow entrance. Superimposed on it is a shield symbol with a tick in it. In a box at the bottom are the words, "Wombat ass = 100% secure."

Text: They basically have Captain America's shield embedded in their phenomenal buttocks.

Panel 21

Text: And while in this defensive position, a wombat will often flatten its body out, leaving a gap between themselves and the roof of their burrow.

Image of a cross section of a burrow with the wombat hunched down so there's a gap above it.

Text: When a predator pokes its head into that gap, the wombat will do something remarkable.

Image of a diagram on lined paper. The wombat is in the burrow with its butt sticking out and a gap between it and the top of the burrow. A pink direpig labeled with the disclaimer "not a real animal" is about to attack. The wombat is labelled with the disclaimer, "a real animal". The wombat's bum is labelled, "wombuns of steel".

Text: The wombat will slam its battle-hardened ass cheeks upward, crushing the predator's skull with a series of breathtaking butt slams.

Image of another diagram on lined paper. The wombat has slammed its butt up against the roof of the burrow crushing the direpig's skull between its butt and the earth.

Sound effects, "wam! wam! Wam! Crunch! Crunch! Crack thbpppt!"

Panel 22

Text: And this, my dear reader, is why we're having a conversation about wombats.

Image of the deceased direpig. "RIP direpig. Gone, but not forgotten."

Text: They have surface-to-ass missiles.

Marvelous murder-cheeks.

Weaponised HamSlammers.

Wombats are adorable, huge, high-speed marsupials who defecate Lego bricks and crush the skulls of their enemies using brutal, beautiful buttocks.

Image of wombat buttocks with shiny sun logo things.

Panel 23

Text: They are extraordinary.

I think about them often.

You should too.

Image: This entire panel has a dark background with floating turds and pentagrams maybe meant to represent stars. Image of a wombat floating with turds and pentagrams around it. Below that is a wombat viewed from behind with very prominent butt cheeks. At the bottom is the writer lying on the ground thinking about the wombats in this panel.

Credit: Written and drawn by The Oatmeal. End description]

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Healthy Snack Ideas for Preschool Lunch Boxes.

As a parent with a child attending one of the best preschools in India or a nearby preschool, you're likely looking for healthy and nutritious snack ideas to pack in your little one's lunch box. Healthy snacks are not only essential for your child's growth and development but also help them stay focused and energized throughout the school day. In this article, we'll provide you with a variety of healthy snack ideas that are perfect for preschool lunch boxes.

1. Fresh Fruit Slices

Pack slices of fresh fruit like apples, pears, or watermelon. You can also use cookie cutters to make fun shapes.

Include a small container of yogurt or peanut butter for dipping.

2. Veggie Sticks with Hummus

Cut up colorful vegetable sticks such as carrots, cucumber, and bell peppers.

Pair them with a small container of hummus for a tasty dip.

3. Whole Grain Crackers with Cheese

Choose whole-grain crackers and provide slices of cheese.

Opt for low-fat cheese or cheese cubes for variety.

4. Trail Mix

Create a homemade trail mix using a combination of nuts (if allowed), dried fruits, and whole-grain cereal.

Be mindful of any nut allergies in your child's preschool.

5. Greek Yogurt Parfait

Layer Greek yogurt with granola and fresh berries in a small container.

This snack provides a good balance of protein, fiber, and vitamins.

6. Mini Sandwiches

Make mini sandwiches using whole-grain bread with fillings like turkey and avocado or peanut butter and banana.

Cut them into fun shapes with cookie cutters.

7. Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are a protein-rich snack option.

Pack them with a sprinkle of salt or your child's favorite seasoning.

8. Cherry Tomatoes with Mozzarella Balls

Cherry tomatoes paired with mini mozzarella balls make a delightful and nutritious snack.

Add a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette for extra flavor.

9. Sliced Cucumber with Cream Cheese

Cucumber slices spread with cream cheese make a refreshing and creamy snack.

Add a sprinkle of herbs or spices for added flavor.

10. Dried Fruit

Include small portions of dried fruits like apricots, raisins, or cranberries.

Ensure they are unsweetened or lightly sweetened.

11. Homemade Muffins

Bake healthy, whole-grain muffins with ingredients like carrots, zucchini, or bananas.

Make them in batches and freeze for convenience.

12. Mini Rice Cakes

Mini rice cakes come in various flavors and are a great crunchy snack.

Check the label for whole-grain options.

13. Sliced Avocado

Pack slices of ripe avocado with a dash of lemon juice to prevent browning.

Sprinkle a little salt or seasoning for extra taste.

14. Cottage Cheese with Fruit

Serve cottage cheese with a side of fresh or canned fruit.

Opt for fruit canned in its juice or water, not syrup.

15. Diced Melon Cups

Create mini fruit cups with diced melon, such as cantaloupe or honeydew.

A small fork or toothpick can make eating more fun.

Here is the listing of top Preschool in Dwarka, Preschool in Greater Noida.

Remember to consider any allergies or dietary restrictions your child's preschool may have in place when selecting snacks. Additionally, involving your child in the snack preparation process can make them more excited about healthy eating. With these nutritious snack ideas, you can ensure that your child's lunch box is filled with goodness for their day at preschool.

Originally Published Here.