#Automation in creative projects

[thisisgraeme]

The AI-Powered Creative Workflow: How the Creative TechnoStack is Shaping the Future of Creativity

Discover how an AI-Powered Creative Workflow is transforming the way creators work! Learn how the Creative TechnoStack blends AI and traditional tools to shape the future of creativity. Ready to unlock your full potential? Dive in now!

Unlocking the AI-Powered Creative Workflow: The Rise of the Creative Technomancer Creativity is entering a bold new era—one where human ingenuity is supercharged by artificial intelligence, and the boundaries between artistic disciplines blur into seamless, multimedia experiences. Just as software developers pioneered the concept of full-stack to describe those who could manage both front-end…

[barnacles-and-brimstone]

been watching grian’s hermitcraft tour (got as far as Etho atm) and oh my god. Hearing how these fits describe their projects really does remind me that every aspect of this game is a creative outlet in some way. Every single one of them is an artist and you can hear the passion in their voices as they explain their storylines/redstone constructions/long term projects etc etc. It’s honestly beautiful. I will be enjoying all nearly eight hours of this thoroughly.

like ren and cleo are storytellers, they’ve got lore for their bases and it makes sense. scar sees aesthetics as their own function and makes beautifully immersive experiences. tango enjoys the process of automating things and creating games for his friends to enjoy equally and puts his heart and soul into his redstone. i’ve been wondering for months what joe hills’ moby dick streams are for and i am astounded at his project ideas and scale and progress yet again! bdubs (my beloved) is so deliberate in everything he creates in order to make these 3D works of art, and yet his storage is a boxy cave underneath his starter home. cub is exploring new possibilities of the game constantly. etho has spent more time trying to revive nostalgia and make his friends happy than he has working on his own home. these guys are everything to me.

[reasonsforhope]

The Surucuá community in the state of Pará is the first to receive an Amazonian Creative Laboratory, a compact mobile biofactory designed to help kick-start the Amazon’s bioeconomy.

Instead of simply harvesting forest-grown crops, traditional communities in the Amazon Rainforest can use the biofactories to process, package and sell bean-to-bar chocolate and similar products at premium prices.

Having a livelihood coming directly from the forest encourages communities to stay there and protect it rather than engaging in harmful economic activities in the Amazon.

The project is in its early stages, but it demonstrates what the Amazon’s bioeconomy could look like: an economic engine that experts estimate could generate at least $8 billion per year.

In a tent in the Surucuá community in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Pará, Jhanne Franco teaches 15 local adults how to make chocolate from scratch using small-scale machines instead of grinding the cacao beans by hand. As a chocolatier from another Amazonian state, Rondônia, Franco isn’t just an expert in cocoa production, but proof that the bean-to-bar concept can work in the Amazon Rainforest.

“[Here] is where we develop students’ ideas,” she says, gesturing to the classroom set up in a clearing in the world’s greatest rainforest. “I’m not here to give them a prescription. I want to teach them why things happen in chocolate making, so they can create their own recipes,” Franco tells Mongabay.

The training program is part of a concept developed by the nonprofit Amazônia 4.0 Institute, designed to protect the Amazon Rainforest. It was conceived in 2017 when two Brazilian scientists, brothers Carlos and Ismael Nobre, started thinking of ways to prevent the Amazon from reaching its impending “tipping point,” when deforestation turns the rainforest into a dry savanna.

Their solution is to build a decentralized bioeconomy rather than seeing the Amazon as a commodity provider for industries elsewhere. Investments would be made in sustainable, forest-grown crops such as cacao, cupuaçu and açaí, rather than cattle and soy, for which vast swaths of the forest have already been cleared. The profits would stay within local communities.

A study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the New Climate Economy, published in June 2023, analyzed 13 primary products from the Amazon, including cacao and cupuaçu, and concluded that even this small sample of products could grow the bioeconomy’s GDP by at least $8 billion per year.

To add value to these forest-grown raw materials requires some industrialization, leading to the creation of the Amazonian Creative Laboratories (LCA). These are compact, mobile and sustainable biofactories that incorporate industrial automation and artificial intelligence into the chocolate production process, allowing traditional communities to not only harvest crops, but also process, package and sell the finished products at premium prices.

The logic is simple: without an attractive income, people may be forced to sell or use their land for cattle ranching, soy plantations, or mining. On the other hand, if they can make a living from the forest, they have an incentive to stay there and protect it, becoming the Amazon’s guardians.

“The idea is to translate this biological and cultural wealth into economic activity that’s not exploitative or harmful,” Ismael Nobre tells Mongabay."

-via Mongabay News, January 2, 2024

[d-criss-news]

How ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Overcame a Shaky Start and Won Big at the Tonys

[UHQ] Helen J Shen and Darren Criss, the stars of “Maybe Happy Ending,” celebrated with its director, Michael Arden, after the musical won six Tonys. (Credit...Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times)

“Maybe Happy Ending” had a very unhappy beginning. The show’s triumph at Sunday night’s Tony Awards, where it won six honors, including best new musical, capped a remarkable turnaround for a small production with a baffling title and a hard-to-sell premise that was seen by industry insiders as dead on arrival when it began previews last fall. But in the wee hours of Monday morning, as the quirky show’s performers and producers partied with their creative team and investors at the Bryant Park Grill, the celebrants finally allowed themselves to acknowledge that their against-all-odds show is breaking through.

[UHQ] Shen and Criss play robots in a story about isolation, memory and love that received overwhelmingly positive reviews. (Credit...Jeenah Moon for The New York Times)

“We didn’t know if this show would even open,” said its star, Darren Criss, who won his first Tony for playing Oliver, an outdated helperbot who strikes up a life-changing (well, shelf-life-changing) relationship with a robot across the hall. Criss, an Emmy winner (for “American Crime Story”) and “Glee” alumnus, is also a member of the show’s producing team. “We didn’t have the luxury to dream about a scenario like this,” he said. “This was definitely the little show that could.” How bad did things get? Last summer, the show’s lead producers, Jeffrey Richards and Hunter Arnold, postponed the first performance by a month, citing supply chain issues, which the producers insist were real (there was a delay in the availability of digital video tiles from China), but which many thought was a cover story to hide financial problems.

“They put a fork in us,” said Allan Williams, the show’s executive producer. The production temporarily laid off workers, refunded tickets for the month of canceled performances and contended with a TikTok theater influencer’s suggestion that the musical might not open. “People started texting me with sympathy,” said Helen J Shen, Criss’s co-star, who plays a later-model robot named Claire. “We never really felt secure.” Some of those expected to help finance the show began peeling away, not wanting to put their money into a sinking ship. “We lost a lot of investors because of that TikTok,” Arnold said. “No investor wants to write a check and think that they’re not even going to get to see the show.” By the time “Maybe Happy Ending” finally started previews on Oct. 16, it had sold just $450,000 worth of tickets — woefully low for a new Broadway musical. “Maybe Happy Ending,” which did not finish raising its $16 million capitalization until the week of its opening night, hemorrhaged money through previews. Weekly grosses were under $300,000, which is well below the show’s $765,000 weekly running costs. The 973-seat Belasco Theater was about 20 percent empty. By the fourth week of performances, the show’s average ticket price had dropped to a disastrously low $45, partly because the producers decided to offer all tickets for between $30 and $69 in a calculated, but also desperate, effort to get seats filled and build word-of-mouth. Then there was a huge marketing challenge: How to describe a show with just four actors, two of them playing robots, that poignantly explores isolation, memory and love. The music is a mix of indie pop, American jazz and Broadway, and the design is a slowly unfolding spectacle that uses automation and projections to advance the storytelling. “Every time you try to explain, ‘Well there are these two robots, in a not-so-far-future Seoul, South Korea,’ people are just like, ‘This doesn’t sound like a musical to me,’” Arnold said. The show’s own website does not use the word “robot” when explaining what it is about. The director, Michael Arden, called the musical “a gentle, contemplative piece, in many ways, which isn’t an easy sell.” Shen said her preferred argument for the show was “Just trust me.” “It’s like describing a new color,” she said. “We didn’t know how to describe this piece to people.” Those who did see the show were moved by it, and they started telling others. “I think people liked being able to share a secret,” Arden said.

[UHQ] Criss, an Emmy winner for “American Crime Story,” accepting his first Tony on Sunday night. “We didn’t know if this show would even open,” he said at a party hours later. (Credit...Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times)

The show opened on Nov. 12, and the reviews by critics were overwhelmingly positive. “Ravishing,” wrote The New York Times. “A darling gem,” declared The Washington Post. But still, doubt remained. Broadway is a failure-prone industry, and shows can crash quickly — in late 2022, the musical “KPOP” closed just two weeks after opening and last year, the musical “Tammy Faye” lasted just three weeks post-opening. “We left town the morning after opening night, and we said these very emotional goodbyes to everyone because we thought it was going to be a very short run,” said Will Aronson, who wrote “Maybe Happy Ending” with Hue Park. The producers, heartened by word-of-mouth and the reviews, raised another $1.75 million to promote the show. A turnabout began. “It simply built incrementally,” Arnold said. “We were burning a lot of cash. But we could see that online sentiment was changing, sales patterns were changing.”

The week after opening, the show grossed $591,000. Over the Christmas holiday, it had its first $1 million week, and since then its grosses have exceeded its running costs most weeks. And the show has been basically sold out since the Tony nominations were announced in early May. It is still not clear if the show will turn a profit on Broadway. Rising production costs have made it nearly impossible for new musicals to make money in New York — over the past three seasons, only “& Juliet” has done so. But the Tony Awards should help: There are usually theatergoers who want to see the best musical winner. “Maybe Happy Ending” has an unusual history. Aronson and Park, who made their Broadway debuts with the show, are a binational songwriting team — Aronson is from the United States and Park is from South Korea. They have worked in both countries and both languages.

Park had the idea that became “Maybe Happy Ending” while sitting in a Brooklyn coffee shop in 2014. He heard the song “Everyday Robots” and started musing about the interplay between technology, isolation and connectedness. The show’s first commercial production was in Seoul in 2016; later that year, the writers presented the English-language version in New York, where Richards saw it. He has watched a lot of shows during more than 50 years working on Broadway, and captivated by what he considered this one’s “sheer inventiveness,” he acquired the commercial rights. The musical was on its way. The Korean production was successful, and has had several runs. There were also productions in Japan and China. In 2017 the English version, then called “What I Learned From People” and featuring only three actors, won the Richard Rodgers Award, which supports the development of new musicals. Richards set about helping to assemble a creative team, holding workshops and raising money. Arden signed on in 2018, telling Richards in an email that he found the material “devastating and beautiful and ultimately life affirming.”

The show’s American premiere, directed by Arden, was in early 2020 at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called it “dazzling,” and the Times critic Jesse Green called it “Broadway-ready.” Richards had hoped to bring it to Broadway the next season, but then came the coronavirus pandemic. By the time theaters began to reopen, the momentum had been lost, investors were in high demand and theaters were booked. “We had to go back to the beginning,” Richards said. But there were positive developments too. Criss, performing in a production of “American Buffalo” that Richards produced, agreed to do “Maybe Happy Ending,” and his participation encouraged both theater owners and investors. “Maybe Happy Ending” needed a theater with a small house (the show is small-scale) and a big stage (the set is elaborate, and needs an elevator beneath its floor), and was unable to find one for several seasons. But finally, last fall, the Belasco became available.

The space worked, and also has a compelling history. Richards noted that in 1960, a play called “All the Way Home” had a near-closing experience there and rebounded, earning it the nickname “The Miracle on 44th Street.” Now, Richards said, “We are the 21st-century miracle on 44th Street.” Just before 2 a.m. Monday, the show’s Tony winners were still cradling their silver statuettes as they posed for pictures with well-wishers in an open-air dining room, celebrating how fully the awards voters had embraced their show’s fundamentals — it won for its score, its book, its scenic design and its direction. “You could feel the industry get behind it because it’s exactly the kind of theater that everybody in this business wants,” said Dane Laffrey, the scenic designer. “It’s heartfelt, it’s original, it’s innovative — it’s all of the things that are scary and are risky but ultimately carry the most reward if you can stay the course.”

[whencartoonsruletheworld]

About the sexism in sotm:

I'm happy that sotm changed the original story to give Fiona some characterization but MAN I wish they changed it so that Fiona had just left Edwin.

I think it would pair well with the theme of workers being exploited by the company, leaving and the company attempting to replace them with automation. I can see Fiona being put in a position where she's caring out all the homemaker and child rearing duties which she tries her best to live up to but ultimately gets burnt out because she's also a human with her own dreams outside of her family.

While loving, Edwin is shown to be dismissive of her concerns. She also shown to have her own successful creative career and I wonder how she might have felt about it potentially being overshadowed and absorbed into Edwin's dream. Seeing how she's the primary homemaker and caregiver, I wonder how much she had to give up with her own career.

It might reflect poorly on her to abandon her son to a clearly neglectful father if David is still alive but if Edwin can be a bad father yet still be shown to be sympathetic I don't see why that couldn't happened with her.

Hell, perhaps she isn't out of David's life entirely. I don't know about divorce laws in the 60s/70s, but perhaps she still sees David. They could be "separated" while she still makes an effort to be apart of David's life.

And even if she's not dead, it would still be a huge blow to Edwin. He's lost his supportive wife, employees are leaving, he's trying to keep the company afloat all while now having to be David's sole parent for at least part of the time.

Desperate to regain a sense of normalcy, he creates Fi0n4 so he can carry on and pretend like nothing happened. He feels like a failure, but once the Fazbear project is finished he'll prove everyone wrong. His friends will come back. His wife will come back. Then they can be happy again — as the perfect nuclear family.

But they weren't happy. It's just Edwin wants to return to a time he didn't have to acknowledge it.

I honestly thought that was what they were going for until someone actually said the word "dead." Would've been a WILD direction to go in if she also ran off to Fazbear, but I also get that they're DEF building something up with FallFest and I'm sure the inevitable FallFest game will be PEAK

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hi there! First of all I just discovered your blog and it helped me understand a lot about autism. I was recently diagnosed and I had maaany questions, and going through your blog gave me some answers. So thank you so much for your dedication! ✨

I was wondering if you could share some stuff about burnouts? I saw the post of the signs of burnouts, but I was wondering if you had information about what are the common causes or how to deal with them?

Have a great day/night!

Hi there,

I found some information in burnout recovery and causes:

Text

Signs

* Lack of motivation (hard to care about goals when everyday life is overwhelming)

* Loss of executive functioning abilities (decision-making, organization, etc.)

* Difficulty with self-care

* Easier to reach overload or meltdown

* Loss of speech, selective mutism

* Lethargy, exhaustion

* Illness, digestive issues

* Memory loss

* Inability to maintain masks or use social skills

* Overall seeming "more autistic" or stereotypical

* May have period of high energy before collapse

causes

* Passing as neurotypical / suppressing autistic traits

* Doing 'too much', too much stress

* Aging: needing more downtime, having less energy

* Changes, good or bad (relationships, jobs, living arrangements, belongings, environment, routines...)

* Sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, dehydration

* Illness

* Sensory or emotional overload

strategies

* Time

* Scheduling breaks, managing spoons

* Leave of absence

* Stimming, sensory diet

* Exercise

* Reassured and supports

* Routines

* Better environment/job/etc.

* Boundaries, saying 'no'

* Dropping the mask/façade

* Solitude

* Absolute quiet

* Creative projects, passions, special interests

* Paying attention to reactions and your body

Here’s another Infograph I found:

Text

Sleep and rest as much as you can. We often need more sleep than allistics and it is especially crucial to meet our need for extra sleep while in burnout.

Reduce your energy expenditure. Within reason, reduce social time and the amount of information you are taking in on a daily basis. This often means saying no, even to things you think you

"want" to do. (ex. re-watch TV rather than start new shows)

Engage in special interests at a comfortable and sustainable level. Rather than doing in-depth research, try decorating your space with posters or objects related to your special interests or watching a TV show related to one of them.

Focus on your hypersensitivities. Use earplugs/ headphones/sunglasses, use dishwashing gloves and a mask while cleaning, wear comfortable clothes, eat safe foods, leave spaces that are too bright, loud, or fragrant.

Stim!! MOVEMENT: dance, rock, tap, flap, stretch, walk, stim toys.

TOUCH: soft fabric, self-massage, play with hair. VISUAL: watch

TV/ movie, kaleidoscope, coloring book, satisfying videos

AUDIO/VOICE music, singing, echolalia. REPETATION/SORTING: solitaire, puzzles, sorting objects, repetitive doodles, counting.

VERY slowly create systers/routines that automate your care needs and implement them very slowly. This can look like visual aids, timers, lists, bullet journols, weekly routines, Expect if to take time and trial and error to get into these habits. Pick I-2 habits or systems to implement at a time, starting with the ones you're most excifed about.

Autistic burnout and Complex PTSD have a lot in common and executive dysfunction often increases during burnout, so resources made for these can be very helpful.

Burnout Recovery

I hope this helps. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ♥️

[theextendedbriechyne]

You've Got Nothing To Lose

So, productivity. Yeah. Let’s talk about it.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had that moment—you know, when your to-do list is longer than your lifespan, your tabs are multiplying like rabbits, and your brain is just ✨ refusing ✨ to cooperate. Being a full-time student and a creator means my life is basically a constant balancing act, and let me tell you… I was dropping so many balls.

I tried every planner, every system, every method that productivity YouTube threw at me, and nothing really stuck. Bullet journaling? Loved the idea, hated the effort. Google Calendar? Cute, but I forgot to check it. Sticky notes? Everywhere. Chaos. Absolute chaos.

Then I found Notion, and listen—I was skeptical. It looked overwhelming, like an empty void of endless possibilities (and not in the fun way). But once I actually took the time to figure it out? Oh, it was over for me.

Now, my entire life lives in Notion. It’s where I plan my assignments, track my creative projects, and pretend I have my life together. And because I love making things both cute and efficient, I’ve spent way too much time tweaking my setup to be as ✨ functional but aesthetic ✨ as possible.

This post is just a little peek into the things that helped me get my Notion workspace together. Nothing too deep, just some surface-level tips. I’ll get more in-depth later, but for now—here’s what made the biggest difference for me:

🌿 How I Revamped My Notion Setup: 📌 Made It Pretty – Because if I’m going to stare at it every day, it has to be cute. Matching colors, simple layouts, and an aesthetic cover image make it 10x more enjoyable to use.

📌 Created a “Homebase” – Everything I need in one place. No more digging through five different pages for my assignments, projects, and notes. My dashboard is literally my lifesaver.

📌 Kept It Simple – Look, I love a good Notion setup, but if it’s too complicated, I just won’t use it. I stick to a system that works for me: clean, minimal, and easy to navigate.

📌 Automated Whatever I Could – Linked databases? Buttons? Widgets? Yes, please. Anything that saves me even a little time is a win.

✨ Want to try it for yourself? I actually put together a Notion template based on my setup, so if you’re looking for something that’s aesthetic and functional, I got you. It’s perfect for students, creators, or anyone who wants to get their life together in a ✨ cute ✨ way.

🔗 Check it out here! → BRIE BLOSSOMS

I’m still tweaking and improving my setup all the time, so I’ll definitely share more in the future! But for now—what’s your biggest struggle with productivity? Let’s talk in the tags ⬇️ or drop your Notion questions in the replies! 💭💖

[nardo-headcanons]

Hey my dear mutual! Another super stupid and weird request coming, so, please, feel totally free to ignore completely if you want, really. So, let's say instead of a criminal organization, the Akatsuki are actually a lab team. Which would be their roles, their work focus or their research topics? How would they behave at work with each other or, I don't know, whatever you can think of. Inspired by your agar plates post, by the way, hahahaha

Hello Sasuke, my dear. Don't call your asks weird, I love how creative they are! If anyone wants to write a fic about this please TAG me!

Big thanks to @the-real-sasuke-uchiha for requesting!

The Akatsuki in a modern research lab AU

Akatsuki Labs, Inc. No one knows what they're actually researching, and how they get their funding, however everyone hires them, they're incredibly popular with institutions and businesses alike...

Deidara is a lab rookie who is still at the beginning of his study. He went to a scientific high school and an absolute ace at chemistry. Besides studying chemistry, his other major is pyrotechnical engineering. He blows shit up on the regular and even adds copper sulphate to fires when he is the one supposed to put them out. He frequently steals minerals from the lab to use them for his pottery projects. And yes, he knows how to make meth.

Hidan is on his way to become a neurologist. He is fascinated by the way the nervous system works (especially while processing pain) and has the ego of a neurosurgeon twice his age. However he is regularly asked for a second opinion because he knows his shit. He's pretty popular with the ladies due to his confidence, however many of them are freaked out when they find out what a huge masochist he is.

I've never seen Itachi as a huge stem guy, but I've actually had a discussion about this with my dear moots @pet-plasma-bubble and @suki91 and came to the conclusion that he's either a plant biologist or studies medicine because he's one of these kids with a chronic and/or underdiagnosed illness going into medicine to make a change. Plant biologist!Itachi regularly talks to his plants when no one is looking and he gives them names as well. He doesn't really care much for the actual lab work and prefers to take care of the plants in the different lab greenhouses. Med student!Itachi is one of these anatomy girlies who draw their stuff in fancy colors and actually enjoy studying human anatomy.

Kakuzu is a senior scientist/professor who initially studied pharmacology/pharmacy to save many lives and prolong the lives of millions, but eventually got disillusioned and sold his soul to the pharma industry. He should technically be retired now, but he joined the Akatsuki labs inc to make some money on the side.

Kisame started out as a marine biologist specializing in shark research, however, seeing these beautiful, innocent creatures get bastardized by Hollywood and pollution made him apply to Akatsuki labs inc to help find solutions to the current crises caused by humanity. During his free time, he volunteers in a dolphin rehabilitation center.

Konan is the cofounder of Akatsuki labs inc, everyone respects her and even looks up to her. Once a brilliant scientist in the field of engineering, she got tired of how male dominated it was and how her male colleagues kept getting the credit for her ideas. She frequently holds lab courses for young girls interested going into the scientific field.

Nagato is the Akatsuki labs founder, and rarely seen in the lab. He has made himself a name in the field of robotics by inventing the Shurado robotics system which helps millions of automated machines run to this day. Rarely seen in the lab, he communicated with his employees via his Pain Alias Email. though to be fair, Konan writes most of these emails for him; she's the only one regularly talking to him face-to-face.

Orochimaru is a geneticist and biochemist, his focus being finding ways to avoid cellular decay, as well as the human genome and anti aging research. His parents are academics as well and he lived up to their expectations to the fullest. He has his own skincare formula which keeps him looking snatched at all times. Given the rumors about several scientific ethical code violations, everyone is kinda scared of him except for his personal lab tech, Kabuto.

Sasori is a renowed mortician who's also very interested in histology. His preparation techniques are unmatched and he even invented new preparation- and histological staining methods, which are called "Red Sand" and "Red Technique", respectively. He often gets into fights with Kakuzu about his microtome collection being unnecessarily expensive.

Tobi is the Akatsuki labs CEO cosplaying as a clueless intern that always steals from the candy bowl in the waiting room. In reality, he has a PHD in physics, his thesis being about rifts in space time and interdimensional interactions, however all of his papers are published under an alias. He has a soft spot for Deidara and refuses to fire him despite the latter's frequent "accidents".

Zetsu is a biological anthropologist fascinated by human evolution and human behavior. Some think even his colleagues are subjects of his studies. Some people say he's two-faced, but he is very chatty and inquisitive most of the time. He volunteered to have Itachi's venus fly traps in his office and can sometimes be seen feeding them dead flies or mosquitoes.

[seniorpollinationtechnician]

Meet the Townies: ᴇᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜱᴀᴀᴄ

Ethan Harper grew up an only child and spent his formative years immersed in the world of engineering. His fascination with machines and technology was inspired by his father who was a skilled mechanic. While attending high school, Ethan secretly began working on a personal project where he attempted to design and build a robot. He poured countless hours into this endeavor, often sacrificing teenage milestones to tend to this robot he later named ISAAC (Intelligent System and Advanced Assistant Companion). Upon graduating High School, Ethan enrolled at Foxbury Institute where he pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering. During his time there, Ethan excelled in his studies, consistently earning top marks and impressing his professors with his innovative ideas and dedication to the craft. In his free time, he continued to work on ISAAC since the university's state-of-the-art facilities and access to cutting-edge resourced allowed him to make significant improvements. He refined ISAAC's design, enhanced its capabilities and incorporated the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics. After graduating with honors from Foxbury, Ethan quickly began carving out a professional life for himself. His reputation as a brilliant young engineer opened many doors and he received numerous job offers from leading tech companies. Ethan's expertise eventually caught the attention of the military who offered him a position to develop a project for them. Though he initially hesitated, the opportunity was too enticing to pass up. Despite his professional success and the accolades he received for his work, Ethan felt an intense void in his life that he couldn't seem to fill. His relentless pursuit of perfection in his projects, particularly with ISAAC, often left him feeling isolated. The extensive time he spent in the lab, both during his time at Foxbury and throughout his career, meant that his personal life took a backseat. Ethan's social interactions were limited and he found it difficult to connect with others on a deeper level. His closest colleagues, at one point, noticed and gently encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone and try dating. Ethan reluctantly agreed and while the dates he went on did not lead to a lasting relationship, it helped Ethan open up and see the value in balancing his personal and professional life. As he continued to make strides in his professional career, Ethan was approached by his alma mater, Foxbury institute, with an invitation to teach part-time. The university recognized his achievements and believed that his expertise could inspire and educate the next generation of engineers. Teaching at Foxbury became a profoundly rewarding experience for him. Standing before eager students, he shared his knowledge and passion. He found joy in helping them navigate their own paths and would often encourage them to think creatively and push the boundaries of what was possible. Meanwhile, ISAAC continued to improve every day, becoming an indispensable part of Ethan's life. By this point, ISAAC's capabilities extended far beyond what Ethan originally intended. ISAAC excelled in research assistance, laboratory management, and technical maintenance. The robot could analyze complex data, run simulations and suggest innovative solutions to engineering problems which significantly sped up Ethan's workflow. ISAAC also managed clerical tasks such as organizing files, scheduling meetings, and maintaining equipment, allowing Ethan to focus on more critical aspects of his projects. ISAAC'S home automation features made Ethan's personal life a breeze, as well. The robot could control various smart devices, perform household chores, such as cleaning and grocery shopping, and even cook meals based on Ethan's dietary preferences. Recently, Ethan and ISAAC relocated to the town of Oasis Springs due to a job offer at a cutting-edge research lab.

[alpaca-clouds]

Worldbuild Differently: Unthink Work

This week I want to talk a bit about one thing I see in both fantasy and scifi worldbuilding: Certain things about our world that we live in right now are assumed to be natural, and hence just adapted in the fantasy world. With just one tiny problem: They are not natural, and there were more than enough societies historically that avoided those pitfalls.

*rubs hands* Today's topic is one I am currently reading a lot about. And it is another one, where it shows fairly clearly that often people do not quite question their current status quo. And yes, this will be another one where I need to reference the Forgotten Realms a bit. But let me start a bit more vaguely.

Work is a thing that in Science Fiction might be questioned a bit. People will still work, sure, but at least some Science Fiction will question the idea of a 9 to 5 job, because maybe robots are doing part of the work, or it is otherwise automated. Of course, in some SciFi subgenres like Cyberpunk people very much still work long hours, but I would argue that in Cyberpunk it is part of the dystopia. After all Cyberpunk is all about the worst things of capitalism being the thing that wins.

But both in more optimistic Scifi worlds (like Solarpunk) and Scifi worlds that exist more for the space adventure, there is a general idea that people might still work, but not quite as much - unless the work is the adventure (see Star Trek).

But then there is fantasy. And fantasy is often set in a pseudo-historical setting. A lot of people use a medieval setting of some sorts. And here we see the issue come up a lot.

The issue in how we interact with times past, is that we too often either project the modern world onto it, or believe the Victorian propaganda about the medieval times. Because the Victorians were like "if you feel we are overworking you, be glad you did not live in medieval times". Which kinda their reaction to any criticism. But this is... wrong.

See, we know by now, that actual humans worked a lot less before the industrial revolution. Automations and mechanations never made us work less, they just develued our work - just as it is happening with AI right now.

Generally speaking a hunter-gatherer would "work" (either in hunting-gathering or stuff like taking care of their clothes and so on) for about 20 hours a week. And the usual medieval peasant worked probably around 30 hours a week - though in case of the peasant working the fields this work might have been more unevenly distributed throughout the year (with them working longer hours during sowing and harvest times, but a lot less during winter times). We have actually some evidence that some cultures explicitly decided to not pick up farming, because they realized that it would be more work than hunting-gathering. So as hunter-gathrers they had more time to be creative. And yes, there is quite a lot of anthropological evidence right now, that humans are all about creativity in the end.

But in a lot of fantasy stuff - like the Forgotten Realms - we do have the issue that folks kinda assume modern work ethics. Of course, in the FR this often is more a background noise, given that the stories of the FR mostly focus on adventurers. And sure, adventurers technically work to - most adventurers are in that business to make money in one way or another - but we rarely center the stories of people working normal jobs.

But we see how especially in the cities work is framed in a very modern manner. As is the way that people earn money and using it. The people working around dept and such? Yeah, we do not see a whole lot of that.

And as said in terms of the money: I get that in the FR money also kinda has to play a role because it is used as a game mechanic. But it really is kinda annoying as a part of worldbuilding, because in the context it does not really make sense. The FR seem to already exist under capitalism - even though it is not a setting that should be capitalist.

To get back to the general worldbuilding advice: Unthink this idea that everyone needs to work 40 hours a week and more. Unless you want to use this to say something... In any non-modern settings it is probably unrealistic.

[alternativeeducation-10]

Here are seven ways to make programming more engaging for beginners.

Introduction

For newcomers, programming might be frightening. For many, the new material's syntax, logic, and sheer amount might be depressing. Nonetheless, programming doesn't have to be very difficult or tiresome. Programming can be made more engaging and fulfilling by incorporating innovative, enjoyable, and useful methods. This article will examine seven methods for improving novice programmers' engagement, which will make learning programming easier and more pleasurable.

1. Start With Visual Programming Tools

Start with visual programming tools like Scratch, Blockly, or Tynker before writing complex code. Using these platforms, novices can drag and drop code blocks to construct simple programs, games, and animations. Visual tools make learning more interactive and enjoyable by breaking down complicated programming concepts and provide instantaneous visual feedback.

Benefits:

Improves understanding of programming fundamentals.

Allows newcomers to see the effects of their efforts immediately.

Encourages creativity through cartoons and games.

2. Focus On Interactive Learning Platforms

Students can write code directly in their browsers and see the results in real time with interactive classes offered by platforms like Codecademy, Khan Academy, and freeCodeCamp. These platforms often provide assistance or instant feedback and break down programming into manageable tasks. Interactive learning helps users solve difficulties and keeps the learning process moving forward while lowering irritation.

Benefits:

Immediate feedback allows for easy error correction.

Lessons are organised into convenient parts.

Gamified learning systems can help to sustain engagement.

3. Work On Real-Life Projects Early

Learning programming through real-world applications increases its relevance and fun factor. Novices can concentrate on projects that pique their interest, such creating a simple app, automating a tedious task, or creating a personal website. Students get a feeling of purpose from real-world projects, which piques their interest in coding and makes them more enthusiastic about it.

Benefits:

Improves understanding of theoretical concepts.

Increases confidence as students create actual things.

Offers a clear purpose and a sense of accomplishment.

4. Learn Through Games

Learning programming can be facilitated by creating or playing games. Some examples of platforms and games designed specifically for teaching programming are CodeCombat, Robocode, and CheckiO. Through the resolution of code puzzles, students advance in these games that transform coding assignments into adventures.

Benefits:

Creates a fun and competitive learning atmosphere.

Encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Engages students who may find standard lessons unappealing.

5. Incorporate Pair Programming

When two programmers work together on a single task, it's called pair programming. Real-time code reviews are performed by one person after it has been written. Through discussion and shared knowledge, this collaborative learning approach helps students acquire problem-solving methods while also making programming more socially engaging.

Benefits:

Promotes teamwork and communication skills.

Provides fast feedback and reduces errors.

Helps to overcome learning plateaus through shared expertise.

6. Celebrate Small Wins

Programming can occasionally seem like a laborious process with little payoff, especially when faced with challenging problems. It's crucial to acknowledge small accomplishments in order to stay motivated. Acknowledging successes, no matter how small, can give much-needed morale support.

Benefits:

Encourages an optimistic approach to learning.

Recognising progress helps to boost confidence.

Reinforces a growth mentality, increasing learners’ resilience.

7. Join Coding Communities

Learning to program could be more enjoyable if you're a part of a helpful group. Newcomers can participate in local coding meetings and online forums like Stack Overflow and GitHub. These websites offer opportunities for collaboration, mentoring, and inspiration from people who share similar interests.

Benefits:

Access to a plethora of common knowledge.

Promotes collaboration on open-source initiatives.

Creates a network of mentors and peers to share experiences and insights.

Conclusion

By using these suggestions, learning to program doesn't have to be a daunting task; instead, it can be interesting and fun. In order to keep beginners interested in programming and inspired, we at the School of Coding & AI employ a variety of strategies, including interactive tools, real-world projects, and community involvement.

[rikandadefest]

#RikAndAdeFest2025 Countdown! ⏳

Welcome back to the countdown! Today, we'll be hearing from the other scumbag involved in running the fest about what it means to them:

@neil-neil-orange-peel 🍊

Ah, the Rik and Ade Fest. What can I say about our ongoing quest to fill the scumbags fandom with more fic and art? The fest is something I'm quite proud of, actually. This is a very small fandom, which encompasses some very old shows - it's not exactly the most fertile place for events like this, and yet we're up to round five! In my book, five is a pretty good milestone to hit, no? I mean, as a kid, turning five years old felt like a big deal.

As for why I got involved in the fest behind the scenes: first of all, I'm lucky to have such enthusiastic and creative mutuals. Dy is always taking part in fandom events; they're an expert at them. The Rik and Ade Fest was their idea, and they came to me asking if I'd be interested in it. People who know me may have gathered I really like organising and just generally being part of creative projects *coughs in Scumbag Monthly* so this was a no brainer for me!

One of the things I enjoy about participating in the fest - perhaps weirdly, considering the shows and characters we're dealing with - is the structure it gives me. I know when certain posts need to be scheduled for the fest blog; I know when the two month window I'll have for writing is; I know when the deadlines are. I'm pretty awful at sticking to fanfic update schedules when left to my own devices 😅 so the fest helps me there. So far, touch wood, I've always managed to rustle something up. And that's the whole point, at the end of the day.

I also really love the collaborative aspect of the fest. All creative endeavours are intrinsically collaborative, even when you think they're not, but the fest is very obvious about this in the sense we're literally making art and fic based on another person's idea. My favourite bit of any fest - aside from the reveal of everyone's work on 12th June - is the reveal of the prompt list. I love scanning through the shiny new ideas, as well as reminding myself of which older ones are still available. Finding the one that sparks a plot bunny in me is always an exciting moment. Plus, watching the number of prompts grow into the thirties has been very satisfying.

I think there's something to be said too these days about fandom as a space for fannish interaction rather than silent consumption. Fanfic writers and fanartists aren't automated bots making content for your next serotonin boost - they're your fellow fans suffering from the same brainrot as you! Find your people and appreciate them! ❤️

So, do I have a favourite out of the fics I've written? Hard to say. I'm quite fond of The Day of Rest because of the TYO/Bottom crossover. Rick and Vyvyan as Richie and Eddie's nephews will always be one of my most treasured headcanons. I think I rushed the climax too much, but I enjoyed writing everyone's dialogue. My other favourite is probably Alan B'Stard is Feeling Very Peculiar. 2022 seemed to be the year of the B'Stard for me, and I do have a habit of getting mildly obsessed with the psychologies of evil fictional men...

My little fest side quest for a while now has been to write for as many different Rik and Ade shows/films as I can. This year, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for anything Drop Dead Fred, Kevin Turvey (my beloved ❤️), Comic Strip, or maybe even something else! Who knows! I'm looking forward to everything starting up again soon.

The fanfiction written by @neil-neil-orange-peel for various Rik and Ade Fests can be found here:

[letstalktag]

If Studios Won’t Support a Celebrity Project, They Won’t Support the Rest of Us.

Any excuses we make for why shows we don’t like fail don’t matter. “If they wanted it to stay on, they should’ve made it good lol”, “Maybe next time they’ll make something people actually like lmao”

There won’t be a next time. As CEOs are rapidly replaced with finance-minded men who don’t care about the craft and don’t have experience in any creative fields, the will to invest in good, long-form media with good, long-form stories shrinks.

These men want viral, instant success to show their shareholders, and every dollar they “save” by cutting productions and low-key union busting goes straight into their own pockets in the form of bonuses.

The insidious formula currently in use, following Netflix’s lead, is these companies order one season (~16-24 episodes) from an animation studio, split it into two or three short seasons for streaming, market it to death to gain new subscribers, and then cancel the show.

This means that they don’t order a new season from the animation studios, which legally obligated the entire crew to a small pay raise, and also tricks new subscribers into staying on their platform. The data shows that most people will allow passive subscriptions to continue, even if they hardly use the service, because it’s more convenient to ‘just have it.’ So these shows, in essence, are not being viewed as shows by the streaming companies. They’re 16 episode ads to convince you to sign up for the streaming companies, and everyone who cares about the shows, and the stories, and the characters we love, gets laid off and spends the next several months (at best!) looking for a new job.

Now, with the threats of automating our storytelling and the active practice of exploiting our non-union neighbors, unemployment in nearly every creative field is at an all-time high. We need animation fans, industry hopefuls, and fellow professionals all over the world to stand with us, to give creatives a future and make this industry a better place for all of us.

To learn more about The Animation Guild Negotiations 2024, head over to https://www.tagnegotiations2024.com

And remember to #StandWithAnimation !

[radioactive-metal]

Each squad Member as a Joke political Ideology

I feel like I should post cause I haven’t done that in a while. Casino fic is so close to being done it’s like 1 more chapter.

Cat: Liftocracy: the leader is whoever can bench press the most. Very simple. My girl hits the gym and can and would bench press Tyler if he would let her. It’s a natural choice.

Kal: libertarianism with Mongolian characteristics: You can do whatever you want so long as it involves riding a horse, living on the steppes of Eurasia, or drinking fermented horse milk. You also must live in a yurt. He raises horses with aurora and ferments his own horse milk. Very based and mongol pilled

Scarlett: chocolate coin Capitalism: it’s like normal capitalism but you are required to convince everyone you do trade with to accept chocolate coin as a valid form of payment. My girl becomes giga rich as she uses syldrathi empath powers and the equally powerful power of boobs to make ludicrous chocolate coin exchange rates.

Zila: Enlightened centrism: we biologically engineer everyone to be incapable of having a political ideology. How do we do it? Triple the CDC budget and lace the air with crack.

Finian: Fully automated luxury space bisexual cowboy techncracy: we all live in space waited on by robots and free to be creative and required to wear cowboy hats while also being bisexual and devoting all the GDP to science.

Tyler: Pentagonism: Triple the Defense Aurora Legion budget. Black projects my beloved

Aurora: Fantastical democracy: it’s normal democracy but you are legally required to pretend all technology is magic and that you live in fantasy land. I don’t know why. I think she likes wizard of oz too much. Pay no attention to the eshvaren behind the curtain.

Saedii: The young adult novel dystopia recreation movement: she read hunger games once and went “HEY LETS DO THAT! I LOVE BLOODSPORTS!”

bonus: Magellan: Súper happy fun time robot subjecationism: what if we replaced you weird meatbag politicians with robots? We could be inefficient and corrupt 500% faster!

[unknown171204]

Starmania 1979

The French singer, author and composer Michel Berger one day heard about some astonishing news :

Patricia Campbell Hearst, the daughter of a billionaire, kidnapped by radical terrorists, decides to join their movement out of love (more like Stockholm syndrome) for one of her captors !

This true story will fascinate Berger to the point of seeking to create an album inspired by this story :

This will be the “Angelina Dumas” project

Ultimately the album never saw the light of day and only one song that remained of Berger's work :

Frustrated by what he considers to be a bitter failure, Michel will not let go of what he (rightly) thinks is a good artistic vein

His wife will introduce him to the Canadian singer Diane Dufresne, who in turn will introduce him to the work of her lyricist Luc Plamondon, the creative and friendly current will be immediately present enough to resume the angelina project as a duo

The story will completely change direction even if the original spinal column of the story is still present , Angelina will be renamed Cristal is will belong to the epic of :

The story takes place in an undated future ( despite a now outdated reference to Y2k and the 80s )

Humans now live in underground galleries redeveloped into a huge city called Monopolis

The only mirage of happiness for ordinary citizens is the number 1 television show "Starmania" where everyone can become a star for only one night ...

We simultaneously follow the lives and actions of several characters :

Johnny Rockfort : A young anarchist leader of the terrorist group :

Les étoiles noires ( black stars )

Sadia : A transvestite student with a questionable morality, creator and co-leader of les étoiles noires

Marie Jeanne : A depressed waitress who works all day at the Underground café

Ziggy : A young homosexual record store , mythomaniac and ambitious, he changed his name in homage to his idol David Bowie

Cristal : The young and pretty star presenter, she is the one who directs and presents the most popular show on Monopolis :

" Le Jeux De La Starmania "

Stella Spotlight : The declining sex symbol of an aging generation

Zéro Janvier : An extremist politician running for president of all the West

Gourou Marabout : An extremist politician also competing in the presidential election

Roger-Roger : the TV presenter who serves as a storyteller

the full album :

Brilliantly the duo Berger / Plamondon went out of their way to organize the broadcast of a special television program in 1978 in order to present the songs to as many people as possible :

The show was performed for a short month

Only 33 performances at the Palais des Congrès , but it is considered one of the greatest French musicals !!

DISTRIBUTION :

Daniel Balavoine : Johnny Rockfort

France Gall : Cristal

Fabienne Thibeault : Marie-Jeanne

Étienne Chicot : Zéro Janvier

Diane Dufresne : Stella Spotlight

Grégory Ken : Ziggy

Nanette Workman : Sadia

Roddy Julienne : le Gourou

René Joly : Roger-Roger

Due to his short presence on stage, the show did not have the right to a complete recording (it is today considered a highly sought after lost media) but fortunately the audio of the show has available in its entirety !

To get an idea of ​​the visual identity of the show I had to dig into the TV archives :

Rehearsals :

Full live audio of the show :

Single :

Monopolis / Quand on arrive en ville / Le blues du business man / La complainte de la serveuse automate / Ziggy / Le monde est stone

But the most memorable song is " SOS d'un terrien en détresse "

A song renowned for its difficulty and which launched the career of Daniel Balavoine then, years later, that of Star Academy 2004 winner Grégory Lemarchal :

ANECDOTES :

The original album contains two songs missing from the final show :

Petite Musique terrienne Part 2

L'air de l'extraterrestre

This extraterrestrial is a deleted character who only appeared physically in two production ( Francis Martin in 1980 and Marc Gabriel in 1986 , in this last version we discovered that Roger-Roger was in reality an alien ) the song, or rather its theme, will be recycled in several subsequent versions :

...

The show also contains several unreleased and missing songs from the album that will never be reused !!

La serveuse et les clients

Jingle de Stella

Sex shops , cinéma porno

Les parents de Cristal

Le tango de l'amour et de la mort

...

Claude Dubois (the original voice of Zéro Janvier) is the only one of the singers present on the album who did not reprise the role on stage, unfortunately it was because of his drug addiction, he took his revenge in 1989 when he replaced Richard Groulx for some representation

( thanks to miss-starmania for the archive picture and additional information )

...

Michel Berger abandons his role of Grand Gourou to Roddy Julienne without any explanation ?!

...

in the original album the song '' ego trip '' is sung… by Ziggy ?

Legend has it that Diane Tell simply didn't like the song so it was Éric Estève who lent his voice

...

In this version, in addition to randomly attacking wealthy people in the street, scratching their cars and raping girls in parking lots, les étoiles noires of 79 are a bit more extreme than in the other versions … Roger Roger specifies that the terrorists deliberately disconnected the oxygen ventilation of an entire neighborhood, killing all the residents ! This free murder will be deleted from other versions

...

The name Johnnie Rockfort (a complicated pun to translate which can mean "strong rock'n'roll " or just the cheese of the same name ? ) is perhaps not a coincidence , the producer of the show Roland Hubert, not being convinced by Balavoine, completely unknown at the time, he fought (in vain) with Berger so that the role was offered to the rocker Johnny Halliday

...

According to the memories of France Gall, during one of the performances a disgruntled spectator had fun whistling throughout the show exhausting Daniel Balavoine who patiently waited for the curtain call to jump into the audience to beat him up while he was still wearing his bulky costume ( the one below )

...

France Gall speaks about the show :

More Starmania ? Curious to discover other French musicals ?

My Masterlist is here :

[briechyne]

You've Got Nothing To Lose

So, productivity. Yeah. Let’s talk about it.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had that moment—you know, when your to-do list is longer than your lifespan, your tabs are multiplying like rabbits, and your brain is just ✨ refusing ✨ to cooperate. Being a full-time student and a creator means my life is basically a constant balancing act, and let me tell you… I was dropping so many balls.

I tried every planner, every system, every method that productivity YouTube threw at me, and nothing really stuck. Bullet journaling? Loved the idea, hated the effort. Google Calendar? Cute, but I forgot to check it. Sticky notes? Everywhere. Chaos. Absolute chaos.

Then I found Notion, and listen—I was skeptical. It looked overwhelming, like an empty void of endless possibilities (and not in the fun way). But once I actually took the time to figure it out? Oh, it was over for me.

Now, my entire life lives in Notion. It’s where I plan my assignments, track my creative projects, and pretend I have my life together. And because I love making things both cute and efficient, I’ve spent way too much time tweaking my setup to be as ✨ functional but aesthetic ✨ as possible.

This post is just a little peek into the things that helped me get my Notion workspace together. Nothing too deep, just some surface-level tips. I’ll get more in-depth later, but for now—here’s what made the biggest difference for me:

🌿 How I Revamped My Notion Setup: 📌 Made It Pretty – Because if I’m going to stare at it every day, it has to be cute. Matching colors, simple layouts, and an aesthetic cover image make it 10x more enjoyable to use.

📌 Created a “Homebase” – Everything I need in one place. No more digging through five different pages for my assignments, projects, and notes. My dashboard is literally my lifesaver.

📌 Kept It Simple – Look, I love a good Notion setup, but if it’s too complicated, I just won’t use it. I stick to a system that works for me: clean, minimal, and easy to navigate.

📌 Automated Whatever I Could – Linked databases? Buttons? Widgets? Yes, please. Anything that saves me even a little time is a win.

✨ Want to try it for yourself? I actually put together a Notion template based on my setup, so if you’re looking for something that’s aesthetic and functional, I got you. It’s perfect for students, creators, or anyone who wants to get their life together in a ✨ cute ✨ way.

🔗 Check it out here! → 15 LANE STUDIO

I’m still tweaking and improving my setup all the time, so I’ll definitely share more in the future! But for now—what’s your biggest struggle with productivity? Let’s talk in the tags ⬇️ or drop your Notion questions in the replies! 💭💖