#I've tried this app I've tried Twitter I've tried other apps I've tried real life

[skinnypaleangryperson]

Life would have been so beautiful if people in this generation had decided to actually care about each other instead of arguing on apps all day. For example, I would be alive by 40. Lol

[nipuni]

Time for an old school blog post, Hello!

Just various updates about life and shows and clothes and some photos! Adding a read more cut because I talk too much 😊

Happy equinox everyone!! The mild weather has been wonderful for daily park walks. We have been taking our meals outside as often as we can to make the most of it before summer scorches the land and all life. The longer days allow for a lot more wandering too but the imminent return of the heat is also making the longing to move up north worse by the day. We miss the choppy ocean and seaside cliffs 😭 We love the silence and the rain and the nippy sea breeze!! it's like being suspended in early spring for half the year and a rainy autumn the other half, Ideal if you don't mind humidity, but that's what wellies and flat caps are for. We have been looking for properties to rent to show up everyday so for now we lie in wait.

Speaking of nature, a few months ago we discovered a free app called Plantnet that you use to take and upload photos of plants, trees, flowers and it will identify them for you. You keep a log with their locations and can share them too to help contribute to each local biodiversity database. It feels like a pokedex for plants. There are many apps like this one to choose from too. It's been so fun learning what all these plants are called and memorizing them! I recommend it, is like a little educational side quest to take on while stretching your legs and getting some fresh air. This is not an ad I promise lmao I just think it's neat! kind of sad feeling the need to clarify that.

This weather is also making me want to start making outfit posts again! It's been so long since I made any!! my winter wardrobe is mostly long wool coats or capes and boots so the inspiration wasn't there but now I'm ready to pull out all my stuff back from under my bed storage and experiment again 👏 I've also been meaning to share some of Nicolas outfits for ages too so there is more variety, could be fun!

Speaking of clothes, lately I've grown more and more frustrated with how poorly most clothes fit me to the point where I'm considering learning how to make them from scratch. I usually have to take in the tops and hem the bottoms but most things I try on are just built weird even if I fix the size, or maybe I'm built weird! I think it may be both. Nicolas also said he would love to learn along with me so we will probably embark on that adventure soon. OH and on a short tangent, I got myself a sort of binder-like top that flattens the chest a bit and I'm loving it! I'm very flat already but what little bust I do have has always bothered me when I dress and I've found I feel a lot more comfortable in this type of top. I'm glad I tried it out so if you feel similarly you may want to give it a go too, see how it feels!

On the media side of things we have also been watching more of David Tennant's work. We are still very much in love with him to an embarrassing degree, you can probably tell if you follow me anywhere, my likes on twitter alone give me away alksjdf and Nicolas isn't any better! if he used social media his would look the same lmao.

Since my last report we have watched and absolutely LOVED "There She Goes" we already want to watch it again honestly. The family dynamics for all his characters are always so real and refreshing!! Their relationship with their wives especially are always so believable in every series we've seen, the comfort and camaraderie, the banter and just friendship! You can tell they enjoy each other's company, it feels true. I love it so much!!

We also watched "Inside man" which was..a very stressful mess but David was incredible as always, also very hot and very pitiful which is always great, and Stanley Tucci was on it! so that's also fun.

Then we rewatched season one of Good Omens and the first 4 seasons of Doctor Who, with all the extra content like the Confidentials, deleted scenes, video diaries and more, they are just so good!! our list of favourite episodes keeps growing, season four is incredible, we are loving all these seasons even more the second time around!! Now we are probably going to start watching either Classic Who or Torchwood, along with more of David's work. We were trying to pick what to watch during dinner the other day and Nicolas was like 'damn, David is not in this though, I miss him' and lmao same so now we just watch one show without him and one with him right after to cope 😂

OH we have also been doing more historical reenactment! Since the last one in the 20's we jumped back to Regency times. We have been putting our outfits together for a ball soon and hopefully another one in autumn in the UK 😊 1800 is the farthest back in time we've been yet so it's been fun doing research, finding pieces and learning the dances in class but also very hectic. I'll share more about this soon!

Then we also have a couple of 1900 events coming soon, so I'll be sharing more Edwardian looks as well, our favourite era!!

Anyway I think that's all for now, thanks for reading to whoever is doing so!! I know this is long and not a popular blogging format anymore but I enjoy it a lot, maybe some of you do too 🥰 I will reply to some messages soon, I'm so sorry I'm so bad at keeping up with those!! I've read them all and cherish every word 🥺 Thank you for supporting my art and shenanigans as always!! I hope you have a great week!!

[amu-azu]

People ship Amuro with many characters, but I just realised that characters on DC only assumed he dating Azusa, not with the others.

1. Amuro's fans (canon and movie)

Even though his fans don't like Azusa-san, they still assume there's a thing between Amuro-san and Azusa-san and write about it on social media (just like in real life).

2. Sonoko (canon)

Sonoko literally assumes and teases they are dating. Ran might also assume they're dating that time, I'm not sure about that, but she doesn't really help Azusa clear up the misunderstanding to Sonoko.

3. Kaito Kid (canon)

When Amuro says, "I love you, Azusa-san," the reaction of Kaito Kid who's disguised as Azusa shows that he assumes there is something between Amuro and Azusa.

If we connect it to the previous episode, Kid who disguised as Kazami, sees Amuro holding Azusa, so it's not surprising that he assumed Azusa would be happy when Amuro confessed his love.

4. Vermouth (canon)

When Vermouth disguises as Azusa, she hold onto Amuro's arm. Vermouth probably don't think they are dating, but sure she assumes they are that close.

5. Subaru Okiya aka Akai Suichi (one of the commemorative voice lines for the 100th volume)

Subaru Okiya says "I had no idea you were dating the waitress from Poirot." (Referring to Azusa), to which Amuro replies with "Y-Yeah, well..." instead of denying the misunderstanding and keeps going along with Okiya's questioning.

I copied that from AmuAzu trivia. I'm really curious about this trivia, though. Do you know where I can see or hear it?

6. Tsuruyama-obachan (ZTT)

Tsuruyama-obachan is AmuAzu shipper in ZTT, of course she assumes there's something between them. She even says that to Azusa when Amuro temporarily away from Poirot.

7. Kazami (ZTT)

In one of the ZTT chapters, Kazami thinks Amuro is inviting women to his apartment. Azusa is the first person he thinks of when he finds blonde hair in the bathroom, but he immediately denies it because her hair isn't blonde.

Even more interesting, Amuro never deny their assumptions. When Azusa tries to deny it, Amuro actually asks Azusa not to think too much about the fans. Amuro also doesn't deny when Sonoko teases them.

What do you think about it? Am I just making things up or have you also noticed other characters in DC assuming there is something between Amuro and Azusa? 🤭🤭

You are absolutely not making things up. Gosho was been planting the seeds for "something more" between them. like you just demonstred, he's bringing up the possibily off a relationship between them, using other characters.

If he will make these seeds bloom and make them an official couple is that we don't know (but I hope he does)

about the trivia, sadly I've tried to find a video of the app but couldn't. that I posted was based on posts on twitter by Japanese fans back then when it came out. sorry.

and thanks for the ask.

[navree]

I saw your post and got super worried because I assumed it was the artist I've loved since they started here on tumblr. So, I went on the dreaded 🐦 app and low & behold, stan culture ruins things once again! Kinda glad I wasn't around during the heyday of GOT because it must've been absolutely insufferable! 😖😖😖

Fandom during GOT's prime must have been insane already, but I do think it's gotten worse in recent years. There used to be the unspoken rule of "if you've got nothing nice to say don't say anything at all" that appears to have completely vanished from fandom spaces. Cuz if I see a post with an opinion I don't like/agree with, or fanart of a character I don't care for, or fic of a ship that I dislike, I'm not gonna leap down OP's throat about it. I'm just gonna scroll, maybe vague post about it on another app (I've vague posted about some dumb Twitter opinions on here on occasion), and then move on. But this idea that, if someone doesn't like the same things you like, they're not only morally reprehensible but personally committing some kind of wrong against you specifically is insane. It's more than that trend I've mentioned about trying to equate fandom with morality, it is, as I said in the tags of that post, something that reeks of insecurity. There's a bunch of people in varying fandom spaces that feel that their own opinions simply must be validated, because their opinions are correct, but it's not enough for them to think it, other people need to think it too.

And it's an issue that has dominated Team Black in HOTD specifically. Cuz I'm not seeing it from Rhaenicents, from Greens, even from show casuals. It's diehard Team Black and primarily TB book purists at that who find Rhaenicent fanart (especially ones that take Emma D'Arcy's actual appearance into account), or Team Green posts, or even regular posts expressing any sort of appreciation for Team Green actors or sympathy for some of the characters (especially Alicent or Helaena) and just lose their minds. Insult the poster or the artist, deride actor's appearances, weaponize actual political language to support their point despite no real tangible thread of connection ('killing Lucerys is basically femicide' omegas aren't a real thing and killing that boring ass boy is not, in fact, femicide, there are actual femicides happening in the real world right now, focus on those), and get hopping mad at the fact that these varied posts exist. It's greed to an almost biblical proportion tbf, it's not enough that most show casuals agree with their opinions, that most people with both book and show knowledge are on their side, that the narrative of the show supports their views (in the Jaehaera art thing specifically, that canon dictates she's gonna die and that Daenaera and Aegon are gonna be married and have a reasonably happy married life). Everyone needs to be on their side, nobody had better dare have opposing views to their's. And if those opposing views exist, well then those people have earned all the nastiness that's gonna get thrown their way for having those opposing views.

Like, you're that insecure? You need everyone to agree with you in order to hold fandom opinions? You can't just like something for your own reasons and ignore people who don't agree? Other people, people who don't even know you exist, hold that much power over you? Team Black, are you guys really so pathetically weak?

Anyway, fuck people who tag butch Rhaenicent art with snippy "Daemicent!!!" quote tweets, fuck people running TG fanartists off of social media because you can't handle drawings, fuck people going up to actors and saying vile shit to them based on their characters, fuck everyone who tries to be an asshole about Olivia's looks or TGC's looks or Phia's looks, and fuck stan culture. Everyone's who's so deranged about their fictional opinions that they act nasty to real human beings should simply find the nearest noose and hang themselves by the neck until dead, the world will be an infinitely better place and no one will miss them.

[kraaico]

Where/how do you get the ideas to make these super cute art? I love art but I basically copy others and I wanna have my own style.

What a nice question!! I could honestly write a book about this, but for now I'll keep it condensed. (maybe uhhhh a blog post later or smthn) ....Sorry it's long anyway lol

These are my thoughts as an independent illustrator/artist that has the time and freedom to create what I wish, keep that in mind. I can't vouch for what it takes to get through art school or build a portfolio for <specific thing X> cause I don't know shit about that, this is just for creating art that you love making.

✨️Developing a style ✨️

A lot of people talk about 'finding your style', but I'm personally an advocate of developing a style - and most importantly it being a process that never stops. Now I don't know how old/experienced you are, but especially when you are just getting into art (and with 'just' I mean years) it'll change a lot because you will be improving a lot!

Now for me personally, I've been busy ~finding a style~ since I was 10. And up to like 2 years ago (I'm now 28) I was frustrated I just wasn't able to find one. Every half year or so I'd try to get back into art "for real this time", stick to one medium and general style and/or subject, and within a matter of weeks become frustrated and then not draw for a good while. That style-mentality really took a toll on the fun I had in making art, but also stunted my own artistic development. I was restricting myself at a stage where I should be everything BUT. I told myself I wasn't good enough, not cut out to be a professional, wouldn't be able to sell myself if I couldn't stick to one thing, yada yada. Great mentality. I'm now in therapy!

Anyway, what broke me free of that was a promise I made to myself back in 2020. I told myself I would get back into making art, but this time, just do what feels fun *at any given moment*. Let go of the pressure. I didn't post to socials and just shared with my friends, and eventually started posting to my then very humble Twitter following. I liked Twitter, cause there wasn't the pressure that Instagram always gave me of having to have a perfect feed. So I drew digitally, I drew with pencils, did some painting, got oil pastels, tried collage. And those experiments all influenced one or another. That's been key for me. If I feel like I hit a creative wall, I just try another medium or another CSP brush or another app on my tablet. Just experiment with lines and colors and not worry about what ends up there. (it's usually cats) Creating like this kept the fun in it for me and I've created nearly every single day since then, and that too is key to style development: Create A LOT. Don't hyperfocus on one perfect piece when you can also create 4 good-enough pieces in the same time.

Now on the topic of copying: it's a natural thing to do. Just be responsible about it! (don't share on socials if you blatantly copy something. While it's a good method to learn certain techniques, it's something that should stay in your private sketchbook) Also be sure to study from many different places, don't fixate on just a couple of artists! Find what inspires you in real life: be it buildings or nature or animals or people or objects, and try to capture them in different ways: from realistic to just the basic shapes. You'll find out what kind of style and level of detail you're naturally drawn to soon enough. Creating your own visual library in your mind by drawing many different things is ultimately what will allow you to put your ideas to paper in a quick and intuitive way. Having a (cheap!) sketchbook that you don't show anyone but just goof around in and explore everything and anything is a very helpful tool.

✨️ Generating ideas ✨️

I get my ideas from SO many different places. Many of my cat paintings were actually created to deal with a strong emotion or feeling I was having at the time.

Now externally, I get a lot of inspiration from nature and from the place I live in. I used to live in a fairly urbanized area, but it wasn't until I moved to the country side with wide and far views that I saw daily that I started getting interested in drawing landscapes. I didn't draw a lot of cats until they were chilling in my garden everyday. When I lived at home I drew a lot of fish, cause my dad had an aquarium. What you see and observe everyday matters. Taking your camera or phone on a walk in the neighborhood and capturing small details is a great way to gather inspiration, even if the area is a bit boring. I have a Fujifilm X100F that I try to carry to most places I go, cause I can quickly photograph things and I like it better than phone photography.

I also draw a lot of ideas from the media I consume: shows, movies, games, comics, music... Sometimes it just hits that inspiration button and lights a lil flame that'll turn into an idea. I love the magical worlds Studio Ghibli creates for example and the soothing calmness that games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley have. Things like that just work their way into my art, often subconsiously.

I also draw what I yearn for: be it a doodle of a comforting hot bowl of soup when I crave it, or a beach scene cause I want to go for a beach walk. It's fun, and lets me daydream a little about things I maybe cannot have in that moment.

Another big thing is worldbuilding and storytelling: I have this fictional world in my mind that I desperately want to get out, and it will, piece by piece.

So yeah. There's many places to grab inspiration from. Writing down what inspired you is useful. Doing it every year or so is too, cause then you'll start to see trends and get a better understanding of what drives you. Cause in the end that's what's most important, I think: Find the things that ignite a flame in you and then let it out in a way that is fun and comforting to you. Don't worry about what other people are making or that you're not making what you 'should' make!

I hope this was somewhat helpful - it was fun to write at least, I have many thoughts about this :')

[foxymoxynoona]

I made the mistake of reading the new MM chapter before work today and I am completely distracted! How can I think of functions and optimisation when I need to know how that phone call is about to go down...

I wasn't in the fandom when the tattoo drama first happened so I am somewhat shocked by the lengths people are going to but also kinda not surprised.... I cannot imagine anyone in my circle ever reacting remotely close to that, so I suppose that's where the confusion is coming in.

I really hope they make it through this turbulent time without any additional terrible things happening, particularly regarding Sasha's privacy. I also hope JK will be rational and not take personally the blackmail coffee she has to go to AND that Seojoon won't get in her head. What they need right now is time alone somewhere safe, some cuddles and conversation with the translation app. What a mess.

It is really hard to feel bad for the tattoo salon people. In no way would they or anyone else deserve death threats, I feel like that is surely a given. That being said, they tried to hurt others, profit from them and invade their privacy when they must've known to some extent that they'd be causing them harm, especially given the multiple requests not to take photos. I am hoping it's a lesson for them for the future in what revenge can bring. Unbelievably thoughtless and reckless on their part.

In the meantime, I am really hoping for Sasha's safety, in the literal sense, but also mentally and in terms of her opportunities in SK. Also for JK's mental health in all of this and their resilience as a couple. At least we know from reality that the craziness over his tattoos does eventually die down, hopefully they can ride it out together.

Amazing update as usual, I am having such a hard time plugging back in my real life and not being fully mentally stuck in the fantasy world you beautifully crafted.

I'm so the same, I HATE having to focus no IRL work when I am all wrapped up in a story. It's hard enough doing regular stuff --my husband and kids will usually be like ok go write it out please and then come back to us. I wish I could just take a week off work every time I'm in a real juicy part of the story haha. I wish I could just sit down and write nonstop for you all, we could escape into fantasy land together haha

I wasn't in the fandom when he got his tattoos either, when I joined up he already had them but I still saw SOME of the shit people posted in vlive comments and stuff even months or years after so while I don't know for a fact, this story response didn't seem too far-fetched to me to roll with it haha. I also drew inspiration for how I did see fans react to Seven sex version, and when Jungkook said "fuck" in the cover of Savage Love, and the eyebrow piercing, and the lip piercings!! I'm not on Twitter so I really only see what comes to twitter or in the comments of a live but... I've seen enough to imagine a world that felt sadly realistic for this story 😵‍💫

[shootout-at-university-fair]

Four Years' Worth of Ramblings (and Pondering Life at Twenty)

It’s been about four years since I was even remotely active on here, even longer since I’ve made original content on this website. Well, in those four years since I’ve last used this blog, it’s safe to say I’ve officially grown up. I think I made this account when I was about 13. At that time, turning 20 genuinely felt like it would never come. As time tends to do, of course, it progressed - so here we are.

Given that I live in a country that would rather focus on banning social media apps and protecting genocidal governments that line their own pockets instead of, you know, helping its own citizens like a government is supposed to do, and one that is certainly fucked no matter who we end up electing this year, it just felt right to return to the website that radicalized me in the first place (especially when really the only other option is… *shudders* twitter).

I must say, it simultaneously feels weird and comforting to come back. As I enter my senior year of college (has it really been that long?), I’ve begun to look back at what has shaped me into the woman I am today. I know this website certainly had a hand. As I previously stated, this website truly formed my moral compass, at an age that I desperately needed something to. To those who have followed me in the past, and might still be lurking here today, I genuinely thank you for making me the woman I am today.

Now… what exactly has happened in these last few years? Well, a lot. These last four years have simultaneously been the best and worst years of my life so far (and seriously, from how my 2024 has mostly been going, fuck 2024). Let’s start with the negative and end with some positive things, shall we?

I've certainly had my share of shit thrown at me over the last few years, from having to file not one, but two Title IX complaints at my college within three years and going through my fair share of manipulative and abusive relationships (both platonic and romantic), to having - and overcoming an eating disorder. Somehow, I've survived (albeit with some added mental health medications and diagnoses - I expected most of them, but definitely not the borderline diagnosis).

It hasn't been all bad, though. Actually, some of these last few years have been really great. I finally have some real friends IRL (they're a bunch of losers - one is @hunter-blossom-5 if you want to see what the vibe is like, but they're my losers and I wouldn't trade them for the world), and I've fallen in love. Well, I mean, I've fallen in love several times over these last few years, but for once, I've fallen in love and know it's the right type of love: the love where even if the world is ending, it doesn't feel like that because you know that they will be beside you the entire time, and even more after? Yeah, I'm talking about that love. I know he has an account on here, but he's never told me what his username is. I hope that if he's reading it, he knows who I'm talking about - I love you, babe; always have, and always will.

I'm not sure exactly why I stopped posting, but I just did. I actively tried to distance myself from my days on here IRL. If you told me even two months ago that not only would I be revisiting so many of my old interests from my teenage years in my twenties, and being so open about my love for them, I would have thought you were insane. Something in the last few months in my brain just itched and longed for who I once was, the version of me I was when I was on here the most. Throughout a lot of these four years, I was incredibly rude towards the younger me present on this account, trying to bury her deep down to fit in more. I think I've been too harsh on her in my past, and just wish that I could go back in time, take back all the negative shit I've said about her, and just give her the largest hug - she definitely needed that more than the criticism I leveled instead. Well, time travel doesn't exist, and Back to The Future has taught me to never have yourself at two different ages meet. I think coming back here, showing her that as you get older you can still be you, is the best I can do for her in our universe.

Most of you have known me simply as mutantjediavenger on this platform. Some of you have known me as Ella, but for all who comes across this blog today, you can just call me El. You've earned it.

[edmonthotel]

Welcome, I don't know what I'm doing either.

DISCLAIMER

If casual mentions of suicide and talk of mental problems act as a trigger, DO NOT ENGAGE, there are plenty of other way cooler things on this website you could spend your time with and my pretentious ass ain't worth it.

Welcome to the Edmont Hotel!

You can call me H, and this is my first blog.

I don't really know how Tumblr works, nor much of the internet, so that's a good place to start.

Like a lot of people my age (I'm in my early twenties) I've had a relationship with the internet since I could read. However, unlike most people my age, I've been developmentally stunted on internet communication almost the entire time.

Basically everything I've ever posted has been layered behind intense levels of irony and self-obfuscation. I've started and scrubbed multiple twitter, reddit, and yotube accounts, rarely ever posting and definintely never ever commenting.

I find it personally uncomfortable performing in such a flattened enviornment, if that makes sense. I maintain some social media accounts that I pretend not to have, everyone I've personally met since graduating highschool has no idea that I operate any social media and I've in fact told them that I don't have any. Because of this my social-media feed is dominated more-or-less by people that I 'used to know' i.e. people from my highschool. Even in the brief thirteen or so months where I actively used social media as a means of communication I found that I do not understand what motivates people to post the things they do.

When I type it like that I feel like an asshole, like some old-man-yells-at-clouds shmuck. This is how social relations are done now, people regularly talk to people they don't know from half the world away and those relationships can be just as fulfilling and intimate as the person-to-person kind, I keep hearing. I wouldn't know I don't have any relationships like that, I only talk to people I can reasonably visit. I don't want that to come off with a false sense of superiority either, I don't think my social life is any more 'authentic' than anyone else's just cause I don't use social media. I'm just confused, and I always have been, I DON'T GET IT. I have never wanted to update people about what's going on in my life, usually because there's nothing going on, but even when something is going on I feel even more protective of my experiences.

I do not feel like the things I do and say and think are worth sharing, that my life is so boring or un-noteworthy that I'm obliged to keep it for myself to prevent humiliation by comparison to all my friends active and normal lives. But it's actually and obligation that I'm relieved to have, as it keeps me from some truly nasty thoughts and feelings. Every time I've tried to use social media in a 'real' way (i.e. posting, commenting, talking in group-chats) I get a series of rapid-fire gross feelings that somehow always ultimately coalesce into suicidal ideation. Everything feels like its piling on, it feels like when your caught in a big lie you've told more than one person. Even though there's no external pressure there, no one's calling me out, no one even thinks I'm lying they're treating all my posts the way they're supposed to and I guess that's what makes it feel wrong, that I'm being treated like I belong.

Needless to say I'm petrified of the prospect of having to use an app for anything. I go to university, and my university encourages it's students to download numerous apps to schedule, register, submit assignments, communicate with departments, and even park and pay tuition. I have downloaded exactly zero of these. The idea that my information has to be collatoralized and coupled with a peice of technology that I keep on my every single day in order for my school to be navigable is a giant fucking fear of mine. I'm always afraid that my shit didn't go through because I only use desktop, and I'm perpetualy afraid that the school's going to mandate smart-phone-participation de jure or de facto.

Very few fellow students share my concerns. Many of them have a bunch of social media apps they do not need. The one that fucks with me the most is LinkedIn. I'd honestly rather fucking kill myself than get an app that combines the hell of the American workplace to the hell of modern internet communicaitions. The very concept of networking (without bullshit apps) already has the fuckin Warszawianka playing in the back of my head, cybernating the labor market in this clean friendly blue-and-white backdrop somehow enrages me more than actual injustice.

I'm really getting away from my point here so I'll just summate my thoughts in a series of questions:

Why do I feel so entitled to privacy where it seems my peers don't?

Do they actually value privacy and use soical media as yet another tightly-controlled public performance? Why am I unable to do that?

What does it say about me that one of the scariest things I can think of is being in constant contact with all people that know me?

I do not have answers but I'll try to delve deeper into these questions in later posts. Or not, it's my blog. I definately have more thoughts on this and it kinda got away from me there, but I still think it's important for me to spit all that out before I get on to what I actually want to do here: introduce my blog.

I'm starting a blog because I clearly need an outlet for my thoughts, and I really don't want my friends seeing the things that I write and knowing that I wrote them. It'd be humiliating for anyone I personally know to find this blog and ask me questions about it. I have this almost compulsive need to share my thoughts in the written and spoken word, but the dread social media usually gives me has so far kept my thoughts to 'deep' conversations with friends and acquatiences. Multiple of these friends have suggested that I start a blog in order to get these things out of my brain instead of dwelling on them for months and spewing them at people ad nausuem (pun very much intended).

I want to write, I need to write, it's the only thing I can do and feel 'productive' at the end of it, the only time that doesn't feel wasted on me. I write multiple times a week, fanfiction, short stories, quasi-journaling, but I never publish any of it anywhere for anyone to see. For the record, writing is also a fucking miserable self-critical experience, but everything's a fucking miserable self-critical experience for me.

I've never read any of Robert Hass' poetry, but I did read a quote of his somewhere that I fall back on when explaining how I feel about writing to other people: "It's hell writing and it's hell not writing, the only tolerable state is having just written."

The thing is since I never share any of my writing with anyone, I never reach that 'tolerable' state, I just keep hacking away at something until I can't make myself anymore and then act like I'll come back to it some day.

Having a blog like this is kinda the only way for me to release my writing in a way that I can half-way tolerate. No-one I know is going to find this, if anyone at all is going to find this, which gives me the self-obfuscation social media usually does not give me. But posting something also finalizes my writing, makes it possible for me to move on and thus write more, and it's at the point where that's more important to me than the possible bad feelings I'll get by posting something.

That being said I'll try to offset the bad feelings by keeping this thing loose and sporadic, and about a series of themes that I think are true to my experiences. If your reading these, I hope that you find them interesting. I sure hope you don't agree with me or empathize on everything, but I hope you get something out of seeing how I interpret things in my very personalized semi-self-absorbed way.

You can expect highly personal thoughts / rants on:

The Internet (again)

Lonliness

Dread

Sexuality

Other people's Politics / Worldviews

American Situation Comedies

Body dysmorphia

Substance Use

And more!

WARNlNG! These rants may contain:

Pedantism

Profoundly cisgender male takes

Shaky applications of Jungian spirituality

Frequent historical and political references

A clear inspiration from David Foster Wallace

A pathetic fascination with detail

Attempts to remain anonymous that will make things harder to read

Run-on sentences and frequent repitition

Pointless Salinger refrences

And a bunch of other pretentious nonsense

Thanks for walking in the tall grass with me,

H

[noble-6]

Wassup yall!

Luckily i remembered about the existence of this app. lol. Another life update entry i guess? Here we go ->

Life hasn't been that great. I mean yeah aside form studying, I've been having fun! Socialising, playing football, a bit of rugby. To be honest, this entry won't be a fun life update. Basically I'm here to rant. Can't do it on twitter cause all my friends are there. No one wants to hear my problem. You can say this place is a safe space for me (even if you read this you might be a stranger to me lol but feel free to read !).

Academic wise, I think i'm fumbling my degree. Yeah! I've started my degree last march. I'm in my first year first semester. At first I was excited ! Learning new things, coding, doing homeworks. No for real i did all the homeworks they gave me, for the first 3 weeks. But then it all sort of fell off like domino pieces because of Raya celebration. Don't get me wrong I love Raya, it's just that the holidays distrupted the college timetable A LOT. I mean replacement classess were all during the night or the weekends. Quizzes were held every week, assignments, crappy lecturers.

Tonight I just had my mid term test 2 for this one subject. It was at 8pm. While i was on my bed that evening(i slept after studying) my lecturer of said subject just released the score for quiz 4 of the subject. I actually tried my best for that quiz. I studied, rewatch the lecture recording, made notes. I had high hopes that i wouldn't get a score below 5(full marks was 10). You know what i did get? 1. 1 out of 10. After seeing the result, I honestly didn't know what to do. "Should i go and take the test that night? It's pretty much worthless if you think aboht it". I could say the feeling was worst than a heartbreak( i wouldn't know i've never experience it before). And then i started to think about this other subject at which my carry mark was also pretty low. Not only this subject has assignments to submit, it also has a final exam. So that's twice the headache i need to face for 1 subject.

I'm 24 this year and since this is my first year degree, I should be graduating when I turned 26. A lot of my friends has started working this year and here I am just starting my degree. Talk about being late. Now i have a mid-20ish-lif crisis(?). I'm starting to think I'm not smart. I mean all my life I thought I was average. Like yeah straight after highschool i played alot. But I've always thought if i really did focus on my studies, I'd be average. Now I'm not so sure. I think I'm 90% conviced that I'm below average. You know how theres smart students who scored straight A's, then there's above average students who scores 3.5 and above, and then the average students who scores 3.2 and above. I used to think I was average. Right now i think i'm just stupid. I studied, however i still didn't score. Like what does that tell you? You're not smart enough for this course.

So let's talk about my backup plan. As of right now, plan A is to finish this degree and get a job in the it industry. Plan B is work part time whilst studying this degree( to avoid me doing nothing at all). Plan C is to enroll in those google coirse where they give you a certificate upon completion(data analyst, web developer etc).

Plan C looks to me the more realistic approach given the situation I'm in. The only downside is I won't have a degree to my name. And that's bad for my future. It means it will be hard for me to climb the corporate ladder. I may be stuck in the same job position until i retire.

But let's be honest here, the only logical thing to do here is to finish the degree. Everyone else agree with this. Even you! Stranger who i don't know, reading my post somehow. I should just push through this upcoming 3 maybe 4 years of university life. It'll be over before i know it. I know i can do it. I just have to believe in myself again. Find that spark.

It all comes down to the basics of life you know? How my relationship with Allah is, with my family, friends. I need to do a lot of self reflect to become a better version me. Maybe not the best version, but just better than yesterday at least.

Wow! That's a lot of rant. Hahahaha. Yeah i just need to vent out you know. Maybe the next time I do my life udpate I'll be writing some good news! Maybe.... we'll see.

See ya!

[rodechi]

2022, a Year in Review

Over 2022, I've gotten to know so many wonderful people! I've tried to thank everyone I've gotten to know better one-on-one, but I also wanted to kinda write up a collection of my thoughts now that the year is ending. Though for the purposes of this, I'll go back a little further.

For a long time, I kinda denied being interested in the furry fandom, and a lot of things about myself in general. Toward the end of 2020, however, I grew frustrated and alone due to isolation, so I decided to explore that aspect of myself. I had always heard about Telegram being the "furry" chat app, so I decided to finally download it, join some groups, and see where it took me. It was fun, though it definitely led to a lot of heartbreak as well as happiness. I met some truly wonderful people on there that I still talk to to this day -- Friede, the "kind, but takes no shit" deer; Cotton, the jackalope with a heart of gold; Jay, my favorite cat who has been a stalwart and supportive ally; and so many others.

It was almost a full year later, near the tail end of 2021, that I began to realize I wasn't quite as straight as I thought I was. I had seen and enjoyed art and videos and such of men, but I had never really been attracted to any actual men so I kinda just put it out of my mind -- after all, who cares if you can be turned on by men if you're not interested in dating them, right? If I had to put a label to it, I guess I just assumed I was bicurious but heteromantic. But some of the people I met quickly showed me how wrong I actually was, as I ended up crushing on guys for the first time and really having to think about what that meant to me. In the end, I finally landed on "pansexual and panromantic" -- I can be physically attracted to, and have romantic feelings for, anyone regardless of their gender. Not long after that, I also came to the realization that a lot of my friends were transgender. And of course, I realized that didn't make me trans by association, but coming hot off the heels of the latest revelation, I decided to ask some questions. I had always counted myself as an ally, but growing up in the Conservative Deep South, I never really got any real exposure to it beyond what was on TV, which (let's face it) is basically nil at best and harmful at worst. So I asked questions. And I listened. And I thought long and hard about what they said. Things I thought were just the "normal" part of life -- being disgusted with your appearance, actively avoiding being in photos, despising your voice… suddenly I was able to put names to it all -- "dysphoria." On the opposite end of the spectrum, isolation had given me an excuse to grow my hair out, something that I had longed to do for most of my life. And between wearing a mask and having longer hair, clients at work (and even my coworkers) started calling me "ma'am." And it felt amazing. So, I decided to try it out in private. I asked some of my friends if they could use different pronouns with me, and ended up realizing that I really liked it. It made me feel like me.

I continued being in the furry community after that, of course. I hadn't really decided on a design, but decided my sona would be a crow, as I really liked birds (thanks to someone I fell for playing FFXIV) and just really liked crows! They're clever as hell! I ended up adding a bunch of birds on Twitter after kinda watching their accounts in private. One of the first of those was Xythiel. I saw a post he had made on Twitter that he was streaming on Twitch, and I was kinda curious! I had watched my fair share of Twitch in my day, but not really any furries. And I knew Vtubers were a thing, but as far as I was concerned, those were basically all just anime women. So I decided to hop in and watch. He was playing Untitled Goose Game, which I had played recently and thought I could enjoy watching again. The chat wasn't super active, unlike some of the "normie" streamers I had watched before with hundreds of viewers, so I decided to kinda chat a bit, maybe give some hints when he got stuck, make some jokes, laugh along… It was an absolute blast. And so I kept coming back. I've made so many wonderful friends there that I really cherish. Dynso, Malar, Variable, Sam, Bunger, and so many others. Y'all have made me laugh so many times I can't even put it into words. I look forward to every stream, and I still get excited when he shows me something he's been working on in OBS, whether it's a sick new layout or a kickass DoDonPachi-styled raid alert. Honestly, he's a freaking OBS wizard. Of course, my Twitch journey didn't end there. Xythiel would frequently raid other bird-tubers at the end of his streams, so I quickly began to accumulate quite the list of PNGtubers and Vtubers. And every single one has been an important stop. Between BB and his excellent art, Yrie and his spooky aesthetic and (by extension) his mod Greenie who has been so very kind, Spikey who my may not be a bird but deserves lots of pets… I enjoyed every one. Then one evening, after a stream, he raided Loki. And we hit it off immediately. Or at least I'd like to think so. I had recently started HRT to pursue my transition, and she was a fellow transgender bird, so it just seemed perfect. Her streams are just so very chill and open, typically featuring real-talk and flirting in equal measure (although sometimes less so, hehe) while we listen to music and she works on her art -- all while Loki's pigeon sona herself undergoes various transformations from her magic, usually to comedic effect. I instantly just felt like it was another home for me. I truly value my time spent there, and I don't see myself leaving any time soon. One other streamer who we raided in to was Cider, who was playing a VR minigolf game upon my first visit. Cider's streams are… not Loki's. He has LOTS of OBS bits with lots of sound effects and zooms and all sorts of effects. People frequently come in and describe it as a live YouTube Poop. And in a way, that's honestly the best way to put it. It's hilarious. If nothing else, Cider is a goddamn entertainer. He has such a fantastic sense of humor and I honestly think he could make a monk who had taken a vow of silence have a full-on conversation because he's just so easy to talk to. In addition, through his streams, I met so many wonderful people that I love talking to every day. Between Shadraw, Same, Slayer, Spowte, and so many others, Cider and his Disclord (or now ඞisclord) has been another mainstay in my daily life. I've also spent a lot of time recently watching Trending, whose frequent (and famously extended-length) streams have been an excellent source of laughs recently… even if he DOES kill his coworkers often during Phasmophobia.

2022 was a year of Self-Discovery for me. There's so much of my identity that has developed this past year, thanks in no small part to the friends and communities I've been a part of. It was also a year of discovering homes -- not just one, but many places where I feel appreciated and welcomed. And so, to everyone mentioned here. To everyone I wanted to mention but didn't include (just to keep this at a readable length). I just want to say that I appreciate and love you all and look forward to exploring 2023 with all of you.

[artpharos]

a couple of y'all have asked if i'm okay and uh

short answer? no, i've been kind of struggling with a depression flare up over the last few weeks and it's been really hard. i had to support someone and i'm not the one that's actually going through shit, but i'm just being affected because someone i'm close to is going through shit.

long answer? below cut because it is heavy shit and please mind the trigger warnings

so like i want to start this off by saying i spent most of last year trying to support a suicidal friend. this friend was suicidal most of last year and i felt like the onus was on me to constantly be there for them. even worse, they only ever vented by tweeting on the bird app instead of DM'ing me when they were feeling bad because their Trauma(tm) made it difficult for them to reach out when they needed to. and i think the final straw that broke me was when i tried to say something to help but i was already pouring on empty and they took it the wrong way and made it sound like they were going to kill themselves over something i said and disappeared for a few days before they came back. and like. i can't even begin to describe the rollercoaster of emotions i've been up and down the entire year and the paralysis and fear that everything i say might end up making things worse. the worst part? ever since i left them, they've been doing way better, and it's like... part of me always will wonder if it's because i'm no longer there to support them that they have to support themselves and that maybe i was the reason why they were suffering for so long. but i'm glad that they're doing better and that our distance allows us both to heal.

but then fast forward to maybe two weeks ago? i have another friend, also from another country, who i've been friends with for the past five years. this is someone i've met at vgc events, someone i've grown close to and who's been like my partner at vgc team events and a source of support. thing is, and i didn't know this for most of the time, they had been struggling with depression as well and it was really really hard for them. i can only contact them through twitter or discord since they're in another country, namely Australia, and truth be told I thought they had a strong enough support system that I didn't really need to step in and help when i was still healing from above paragraph.

but then about a month ago they broke up with their significant other and went into a depressive spiral ever since. not just about the breakup mind you, their life has been real shit because of Reasons. two weeks ago they OD'd on pills and at first I thought this was just a mistake? but no they intentionally tried to kill themselves. luckily their parents found them and got them to the hospital. so immediately i tried to help them out by spending time with them and it worked for a while like they'd feel okay the morning after our hangouts but then immediately spiral again towards the afternoon and it was really hard.

then two fridays ago, i woke up and saw that they tweeted that they were going to kill themselves that day. in fact they had tweeted that an hour before i woke up and i was terrified. they tweeted that they were going to a river to drown themselves and i went senseless trying to get them to talk to me, trying to get them to realize that there were people like me that cared about them. but no later they tweeted that they actually attempted to drown themselves but failed because drowning was hard and they were going home. and i thought okay that gave them time to cool down and they could reset and maybe i could get through to them right? but i was also terrified because unlike my first friend from a year ago, this friend made it all the way to actually attempting to kill themselves and i was absolutely horrified because i knew then that they had the will to end their own life and there was nothing i could do to stop it.

so when i went home that day i wrestled with wondering whether i should do something and i kept telling myself that they were safe and at home, but i decided to start reaching out to the aussie vgc community to see if anyone could check up on my friend and make sure they were okay. halfway through i saw another tweet from my friend that they were going to commit suicide at 1am and nobody was going to stop them. immediately their old mentor and i went into overdrive trying to find a way to stop them. in australia (and i hate that i know this knowledge because of my experiences with first friend) you can ask the police to call a wellness check on a person if you think they're in danger of suicide, but you need to have the person's address and we didn't even have my friend's phone number let alone their address. and we went frantic that night trying to find their phone number or their address, to the point that we were randomly calling house numbers of anyone with that last name to see if any of them was actually my friend. we even at one point tried to call the police just to see if they could just run a check on all the people with my friends' last name but the police didn't pick up because it was way past operating hours??? and this was a small rural town by the way so it wasn't as if there was anything we can do. i cried myself silly but eventually went back to sleep but set an alarm to see if my friend would respond or tweet more the next day.

the next day i woke up to see my friend had scheduled a tweet from 1am saying that they heard someone call their house and was super sus and scheduled this tweet because nobody would stop them and they were going to commit suicide. i went into panic and the mentor and i were freaking out over it because fuck that was several hours ago and i knew my friend had the will to do this and they were probably dead and i might have just lost someone i loved dearly and it was horrible, i can't even begin to describe the emotions i went through. the guilt and the fear and the 'could i have done something more' and 'why wasn't i there more for them' and the 'oh god the pain they must have went through'.

then my friend messaged me from the hospital and thankfully the police found them before they walked into traffic and they were safe and going to be sent to a mental institution and i was so happy they were safe! but i also swore i would do my best to support them because they fucking needed it and I'd do everything that I could do from another country to keep them safe and happy.

i talked to them a lot, because they felt that they had ostracized their support system and had nobody else to turn to, but it came to the point there was an awkward moment where i think they were rebounding on me a bit and i had to shut them down. luckily their support system ended up being there for them and being able to support them now so they haven't been talking to me as much and on some level i do feel like i am being used as a crutch until they get their shit together but i mean that's what i'll do if it's for someone i love.

but i guess now that i have had time to cool down my emotions are finally catching up to me and all that fear and guilt is like. swamping me up a bit and i just feel very very bad right now. i'm sure it'll pass but god i think i need to take care of myself right now because i can't pour emotional work for anyone else at this point.

[thedispatched]

It’s hard to tell people you’re a lumi when we’re really not welcomed anywhere right now. It’s almost scary at how everyone hates us. I’ve tried talking to other blogs and it’s really not welcomed because we’re bad guys right now too. Even when I am respectful or point out how some things don’t see so clear I’ve gotten called names and an enabler and get the nasty attitude because they believe he’s guilty.

I stopped following a lot of people on a lot of the platforms so I can stop seeing the hate and rumors. I used to really like tumblr/Twitter/Reddit but rn I go on Twitter to check the news and I come by your blog on tumblr only because it feels like a space where Opinions are okay. I’ve stopped going on Reddit cause they have convicted him too and any other opinion isn’t welcomed either. It sounds like a pity party but it’s just about feeling safe I guess. I understand some people do too much, but some people don’t yet they’re still getting hate. Even when other people have started fights or have said something that is really wrong or false, they don’t get jumped. Lumis who try to correct and call people out for they nonsense get jumped instead. Someone called him/said he was a p******* and lumis came to fight because that’s not even what is happening or what was in the news. Instead of other people coming in trying to correct this person, the people in the qrt just call lumis names and makes more jokes how he is jobless. I don’t if that makes sense. Hating him and lumis is a free pass. No one from other fandoms will come to help or defend lumis even when other parties are wrong. It’s silence or joining the name calling.

i'm so sorry for the late response! life got in the way ><

i totally understand what you mean. i've gone through similar things with people i stanned (won't name who tho) and it's just another reason why i tend to keep my mouth shut and not talk online.

i really admire how you're brave enough to state you're a lumi. i can't deal with the shit people throw so i tend to keep who i like a secret for the most part.

and honestly, i just wish people could respect others. like as long as you're respectful, i'll be respectful back, yknow? why is it so hard for people to just be respectful back?

everyone is always welcome to state what they want on my blog as long as they're being respectful and so far everyone has been which makes me so happy.

people always tend to make the verdict before there is a real verdict. it's sad. it just shows how they don't really care for the "truth" or anything. they just have their own agenda.

honestly, i'm not on reddit and i never explore on instagram. i only stick to fanfics on tumblr. i only use twitter to keep up with the latest news, but stay away from most fan accounts. i literally don't follow anyone except verified accounts. but this is also just because of how little i actually use the app in general. if i really do need to know what's going on on the "inside" i have a really really old stan account for that.

it's that kind of toxic behavior that makes me sometimes embarrassed to say i'm a kpop stan or stan a specific group. they give us a bad rep. they ruin it for the good ones. but they also make me want to stay away because i cannot deal with that toxicity after being surrounded by it for so long in my personal life.

and lastly, i can tell you from personal experience, that in times like these you can't expect anyone to help defend. it's a lonely journey(?) (sorry i didn't know what word to use) and all you have is your fandom of supporters. there can always be some people from other places on your side, but as a whole, it's really only your fandom.

while we hate it and wish it were different, it's how things are. we can only hope one day it'll change.

[ramialkarmi]

I've been using the iPhone X for 18 hours, and I'm already sold (AAPL)

I've been testing the iPhone for a little less than a day.

Overall, I enjoy the design and the new, larger screen. And I don't miss the home button at all.

Despite some of the concerns over Face ID, it works flawlessly.

  I only got to use the iPhone X briefly during Apple's launch event last month, but it was enough to convince me Apple was cooking up a hit.

This week, I got to spend more time with it, and I'm equally, if not more impressed with what Apple pulled off.

I've been using the iPhone X for a little less than a day, so I won't have a full review for you until early next week. But I do have a much better sense of how things work in the real world and outside the careful gaze of a bunch of Apple employees.

Here are some first impressions after my roughly 18 hours with the iPhone X.

Finally, a new design

The latest trend in smartphones is to cram as much screen onto the front of the phone as possible, with minimized bezels. Until now, the iPhone felt behind the times with its gargantuan size and relatively small screen.

The iPhone X is a refreshing redesign. After over three years of essentially the same look, it's nice to see Apple make something radically different again. 

The best part is the screen. At 5.8 inches, it's slightly larger than the iPhone 8 Plus screen, but on a body that's only a little larger than the iPhone 8. For everyone avoiding the plus-sized iPhones because of their surfboard-like construction, the X will strike the perfect balance.

It's also the first iPhone screen to use OLED technology, which is more power efficient, has a higher resolution, and displays colors better. (Samsung phones have been using OLED screens for years, and they consistently put the iPhone to shame in that regard.) The X's screen is stunning, almost as if it's painted onto the phone.

The back of the phone is made of glass, just like the iPhone 8, but it's tied together with a steel band around the edges instead of aluminum. I'm using the white/silver model, and the steel band has a nice chrome shine to it. I think it's more attractive than the space gray model.

Of course, all that screen means Apple made another huge design change. There's no more home button. Instead, you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go back home. There's a bar that floats at the bottom to help you see where you're supposed to swipe from. (I've been calling it the home bar.) It takes a little getting used to after 10 years of mashing a home button, but it eventually starts feeling natural.

But some things on the front of the phone can't be replaced by software, like the camera, which leads us to the controversial new notch at the top of the screen.

I don't mind the notch

Boy oh boy did the iPhone X's notch trigger a bunch of angry nerds.

Apple engineered the screen so that it wraps around the front-facing camera and all of its advanced sensors. (More on that in a bit.) It's a drastically different look than the iPhone screens you're used to, and it's easily the most polarizing design decision Apple has ever made. John Gruber, who runs the site Daring Fireball and is typically pro-Apple in his commentary, said the notch "offends" him.

That's a pretty strong feeling to have about a phone screen.

I don't mind the notch. In fact, I kind of like it, and I think it blends in nicely to the rest of the phone's software interface. The sides of the notch display the time, battery status, and WiFi and cell signals. By default, photos and video don't bleed into the notch unless you double-tap them for a zoomed-in view. You barely notice the notch in most cases, and it looks especially nice when scrolling through apps like Twitter and Facebook.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling tech pundits are going to be debating the merits and drawbacks of the notch for the next several weeks. It's going to be insufferable. You've been warned.

Third-party apps need work

So far, the biggest drawback to the extra screen space and lack of home button has been third-party app design. Many of my apps haven't been redesigned for the new screen size, so they show up with thick black bars on the top and bottom to mimic the same aspect ratio you'd get on a regular iPhone screen. It looks like a lot of wasted space.

Other apps have been refitted for the iPhone X screen, but have made a bunch of funky design choices. For example, some have large chunks of unused space at the bottom near the home bar. And I saw at least one app that showed the home bar bleeding into the menu icons at the bottom of the screen.

Apple's not totally innocent either. There were a few cases where I saw large chunks of unused space at the bottom of the screen in some of Apple's own in-house apps, such as the iPhone's built-in Mail app, especially when the keyboard popped up.

I have a feeling it's going to take a few months for developers to get used to the new screen size and shape, just like we saw when the iPhone screen got bigger on the iPhones 5 and 6.

All that panic over Face ID seems to be for nothing

No home button also means there's no more Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Instead, the iPhone X uses a new facial recognition system called Face ID. Face ID taps into the new front-facing camera and other sensors to accurately scan your face and securely store it as a mathematical representation.

The iPhone X isn't even out yet, and Face ID is already the feature most people seem to be the most worried about. Does it work in the dark? Is it creepy? Is it secure? Bloomberg even ran a scary story last week saying Apple told suppliers it could reduce the accuracy of of Face ID in order to meet production goals, something Apple denied.

I have a feeling all that hair-pulling is because after years of using Touch ID, Face ID will have to prove itself to be just as good or better to justify removing the fingerprint sensor.

In my short time with the iPhone X, Face ID has worked well. It unlocks the phone quickly in low light, bright light, and even in the near darkness of Business Insider's video studio. (I haven't tried it in a pitch-black room yet.) 

Better yet, it seems impossible to trick. I had a set of identical twins come into the office on Monday to put the facial recognition system to the test. One of the twins programmed his face into Face ID, allowing him to unlock the phone with a glance. His twin brother however was locked out — he couldn't even trick the phone while wearing a hat and sunglasses. The two siblings told me that even some of their family members can't tell them apart, yet Face ID was able to map a face accurately enough to tell the difference.

Face ID can also adapt as your face changes, like if you grow a beard or wear a hat, glasses, or sunglasses. In fact, one of my bearded colleagues programmed his face and then shaved himself clean a few minutes later. Face ID caught on. He had to put in his passcode twice to confirm it was him, but after that, Face ID learned who he was without having to be reprogrammed.

Of course, I'll need to spend more time with Face ID to fully evaluate how well it works. But so far, so good.

More to come...

There's still a lot more to unpack here. The battery life. The accuracy of Face ID over time. Some of those funky app designs. The camera performance.

And of course, there's the phone's $999 starting price tag — the highest Apple has ever put on an iPhone. So far, the phone feels worth the premium price, but a full verdict will require more testing.

I'll have that and more in the coming days. For now, the iPhone X gives a great first impression.

SEE ALSO: Google built a Trojan Horse to get into every aspect of your life

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