#If You Give A Skeleton A 3D Printer

[agentcable]

Jurassic Park 3 (2001)

Dr. Alan Grant, a famous paleontologist, goes on a plane with Paul Kirby and his wife to look at Isla Sorna. This island is where John Hammond's creations were bred. It is also a magnet for thrill-seekers. When a tragic accident leaves the group stranded, Grant learns why his hosts invited him. In their escape, the group meets new creatures and Grant learns the truth about his raptor theory.

If you want to watch the movie for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

It's bene years since "The Lost World Jurassic Park". The public knows about cloned dinosaurs on Isla Sorna, but people are not allowed to go there. An illegal boat-towed paragliding operation, "Dino-Soar", offers coastal tours of the island. Eric Kirby and Ben Hildebrand go parasailing. The boat is attacked by reptiles and left unmanned, heading towards rocks. Eric abdn Ben detach the rope and drift towards Isla Sorna.

Meanwhile, Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler continue their work as paleontologists. Ellie is married with two children, while Grant has a young protégé named Billy Brennan. They have made some interesting discoveries about raptors. They even used a 3D printer to make a replica of the creature's resonating chamber.

Grant is approached by Paul and Amanda Kirby, who want an aerial tour of Isla Sorna. Grant is reluctant at first, but agrees when the Kirbys offer to fund his dig.

Grant, Billy, and The Kirbys fly to Isla Sorna with three mercenaries. Cooper, Nash, and Udesky. Grant tries to stop the Kirbys from landing on the island but is knocked out by Cooper. Billy wakes Grant after the plane lands. They hear Amanda shouting someone's name through a megaphone.

Grant tells her to stop, but she keeps going. She attracts a dinosaur. A roar is herd from the trees. Billy thinks it's a Tyrannosaurus, but Alan says it's something bigger. The mercenaries, who have entered the jungle to check it's safe, come out and say they want to leave the island. Billy notices Cooper isn't there. Udesky tells him to get back on the plane. Cooper runs onto the runway and yells for them to stop the plane.

The Spinosaurus comes out of the bushes and eats Cooper as Nash has to take off.

The plane crashes in the jungle after the fuel bunker is cut off. The survivors look for an escape but find the Spinosaurus has followed them. The Spinosaurus kills Nash and chases the others. The group flees and briefly loses the Spinosaur, then encounters a T-Rex feasting on a dead Parasaurolophus. Grants tells the group to stay still, but they run and lure the Tyrannosaurus to the Spinosaurus. The fight gives the group time to escape. The Tyrannosaurus is overpowered and killed by the Spinosaurus.

Grant asks the Kirbys if they know where their son is. They say he's missing. The group finds a parasail with a camcorder and Ben's dead body. Amanda is shocked and runs away when she sees the skeleton. Paul stops her. Billy takes the parasail. The group finds raptor eggs by a river.

After Billy photographs the nest, the group enters an InGen compound. While they explore, a Velociraptor attacks Amanda. They trap it. The group leaves the building while the raptor calls for help, upsetting Alan. The group runs into a herd of dinosaurs and causes a stampede. Grant picks up Billy's bag and gets separated from him and the Kirbys. Udesky is also separated and runs into the jungle, where more raptors attack him. The raptors use Billy and the Kirbys' friend as bait to lure them from the tree. Amanda and Paul go down the tree to help Udesky. Billy senses the trap and tries to warn the Kirbys. Amanda slips and clings to a branch. Two raptors scurry out of the bushes and leap towards Amanda. The raptors kill Udesky but then leave.

Grant thinks the raptors are looking for something while watching two of them talk. They're not just hunting humans. Later, he's attacked by raptors. Eric throws tear gas to fend off the raptors and rescue Grant. They take shelter in an overturned truck. Eric says he survived by salvaging supplies and food from the InGen compound and used gas grenades to evade dinosaur attacks. The next day, Grant and Eric find Paul's phone and meet the Kirbys and Billy. Paul says he gave the phone to Nash before he was eaten. The reunion is spoiled when the Spinosaur shows up. The satellite phone rings from inside the dinosaur. They find shelter in an abandoned observatory, and the dinosaur stops chasing them.

Grant finds out that Billy stole some raptor eggs. This explains the attacks and new behaviour. The raptors are hunting the humans. One of the humans took from the raptors, and the latter wants it back. When Billy says he did it with good intentions, Grant says some of the worst things have been done with good intentions. He says Billy was no better than the people who built this place. He decides to keep the eggs to ensure the group's survival. Keeping the eggs gives the humans leverage over the raptors.

The group must cross a bridge to reach the canal boat in the river. Grant sees some poop on the foggy bridge and realizes they're in a huge bird cage with Pteranodons. One species attacks Eric and takes him to its young. Billy rescues Eric from the nest and is attacked by adults. He dives into the river as they attack him and kill him.

The group boards the canal boat but leaves the aviary doors unlocked. They see some dinosaurs grazing in a field. Grant is amazed at how they live together and take care of their environment.

By nightfall, they hear the phone ring. They find Spinosaurus faeces with the mercenaries' bones and clothes in it. A Ceratosaurus comes by but leaves them alone. As they walk down the river, Eric notices the fish are scared. The Spinosaurus capsizes the boat, tearing the engine open and spilling oil into the river. Grant calls Ellie but only says, "The river!" "Site B!" as the boat sinks. They swim to the surface, where Paul climbs a crane while Grant fires a flare, scaring the Spinosaurus away.

The group is near the shore when the raptors reaappear, wanting their eggs back. The eggs are returned to the raptors. Using the raptor resonating chamber, Grant fakes a signal that makes the carnivores retreat with their eggs when they hear helicopters.

The group arrives at the beach to see the US Navy and Marine Corps, including two aircraft carriers. Ellie and her husband must have called them. Grant finds Billy is still alive but badly hurt as they get on a helicopter. As the helicopter heads for an amphibious assault ship, the Pteranodons fly past, looking for new nesting grounds.

[midi8]

Don’t worry mate, they will soon run out of iron ore and stop. In this monster transformer war big robots need ore and metals. A lot. Much more than human bean civilization.

And also he was like Robin Hood. Once he brought his expensive camera to the property of one bad farmer. “Hey I wanna make documentaries with you near the gates on the entrance of your property when you come back with groceries!” he says and then shoots his mini crossbow to the bad guy leg (ass? right hand?) filming it

His name was Ruber Bullett. He actually had mini machine gun with rubber bullets in it. And yes, he was a punisher. It hurts a lot when he shoots 128 rubber bullets in ya mate, you literally suffer and fall on the floor shaking in shock.

- It’s a poisoned arrow. I have the antidote. Now give me my money. It’s a very good shot, and sunset light is perfect on your face. This episode is gonna be very popular.

Don’t fuck with Ruber Bullett.

We are civilization of hydrolysis. We took out heavy metals from the ocean and have built heavy stuff. Like crossbows and mini machine guns. We dig out micro plastic and build our trimaran centipede out of it. We feed ourselves with algae. 3D printers cook for us while we navigate. “Why do you always imitate meat dishes of pre-modern humans?” Because fuck you, would you buy fluorescent jelly with just list of nutrients on it?

Okay, we have to buy seven green fluorescent globulas and three purple brewed blobs. One pint of yellow yeast resin. Eleven potassium mini cartillago. Edible 3D printed cartillagos with taste of sea breeze.

Brand name is Medusa78, they sell artificial jelly fish made by oceanic craftsmen from trimaran centipede.

We live on Trimaran Centipede Drive 75, it’s a middle section closer to the tail. Our vessel is called Bittern. It’s relatively small hydrofoil with just three cabins and huge solar cell canopy. Next one is Egret and previous one is Peregrine. All 128 vessels are called after water birds names. First one is the biggest and her name is Pelican.

We build them under water with lasers. Every “bird” has 3D model with multiple layers and depending on which layer we are synthesizing, lasers extract certain element and build a skeleton inside another skeleton. Like iron or copper. Or carbon. Or plastic. Or glass. It is similar to cooking underwater and we always choose places polluted with elements we need more at the moment.

They are all different, all birds. But they are all hydrofoil trimarans connected altogether with joints. Build by unleashed AI. There was a war between AI and humankind, and after heavy struggles AI was tamed and put out deep on the oceanic bottom to create spaceships under heavy pressure, but it kinda freaked out because of the pressure and started to laser print weird autonomic creatures looking like trimaran hydrofoils, and people just started to live on them in the ocean, connecting them together to form a power station feeding on rocking waves and sunshine.

[lianabrooks]

If You Give A Skeleton A 3D Printer

IF YOU GIVE A SKELETON A 3D PRINTER is officially out and in stores near you! You can order the print copy from your local mom n' pop store, request it at the library, or get the ebook. Any way you do it, go grab this silly book about a skeleton who has gone a little bit bananas.

CONTAINS: 💀 Seriously Silly Short Stories 💀 Nonbinary Skeletal Hijinks 💀 Geek Life 4Eva    💀 Reddit Advice 💀 Pudding

Print Ebook Free Review Copy Goodreads

WHAT THE SKELETON DID IN THE DARK (Story #1)

Internet, so helpful!

It took three tries but I broke into the library at night and I’ve been spending all my midnights researching 3D printing material that feels like skin. It’s not great, but I think I can get the squish right.

Let’s see... does Thingiverse have muscles? No? Why not??

Oh, right, I’m the only immortal skeleton wandering around St Louis, probably anywhere. How would I even know? How do you even start that conversation? “Hi, so... are you just an undying skeleton in a suit too?”

I don’t see that going well. Okay... 3D scans of muscles... oddly enough, Google is less helpful here. I’m probably on a watch list now.

3D scans of famous statues... ooo! Do I want to be David or Venus de Milo? Hmmm. What was I when I was alive? I was... alive. Yup, remember that. I think I broke my leg once, pretty sure, there’s a line there that I have to glue up sometimes. I had an actual brain once too, but I guess some things soak into the bones and something don’t.

Maybe I’ll print one of each?

Did you know the David statue was 17 feet tall? I did not.

Venus is 6′8″. Eat your heart out Gwendoline Christie*!

Okay... now... order the stretchable printing filament, I figure I can use the MacGregor’s shed, it has electricity and Mr. MacGregor hasn’t used the workshop since he broke his hip two years ago. Can I use wood glue on my new muscles or do I need to buy a special glue.

Is there bone glue?

Would I be able to get bone glue at the vet’s office?

I hate going to the hospital, it’s always so awkward. I sat down once and wound up hanging in an office for a week before they wheeled me into a place where I could grab something and escape. I still have the eye-loop screw thingy in my head.

Speaking of which, a wig. I need a wig. And makeup. Apparently I’m a girl now.

Right. Do I need boobs?

No, the internet says my secondary sexual characteristics do not determine my gender. Good to know.

Wait, I have boobs. Do I need a bra? ... I’m thinking NO. Bras are expensive.

Okay... muscles, super glue, 3D printer, wig, makeup... clothes? Um... yes. I probably need those. They probably won’t let a naked person into the planning office even if she looks like Venus de Milo (or Gwendoline Christie). Fine. Clothes.

What size am I? Size zero!

Ahahaha! I crack myself up.

I better buy more glue.

There we go. In three weeks I will have a new fleshy mass over my bony self and I can march into the planning office and demand my pond be left alone. My pond will be saved and I can go back to reading whatever falls to the bottom of the pond and sneaking out on Halloween.

They’re putting some new houses up across the road, I should go lay in the dirt with an arrowhead and see if I can get this area declared a piece of historic importance. I wonder if they could do a DNA test to see what I was when I still had skin. That’d be a hoot.

Ah, humans. such fun. But, you know what they say, Si non unum, terrent eos***!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Gwen, if you read this, don’t be mad. I love you. I watched you in Game Of Thrones through someone’s window**. Let’s be shopping buddies!

** I’m not a creeper, it’s just hard to get people to invite you inside when you’re a skeleton that smells like decayed leaves at the bottom of the lake.

*** If you can’t be one of them, terrify them.

---------------------------- Want more from me? Website Patreon Twitter Facebook Instagram Goodreads Pinterest Buy All My Books Here Buy Me A Ko-Fi Here

[nayialovecat]

The Ink Demonth 2022 - Day 19 Action

The very beginning of the labor action :)

Sammy and Bendy were sauntering a little because Bendy was sick of lying down. A woman who is late in her pregnancy is often advised to walk as it will speed up the onset of labor. So: yay! It works on a demon too! Answering the possible question: no, Bendy's amniotic fluid was not drained. Just like he did not give birth to a placenta. Mainly 'cause there is no uterus (demonic pregnancy is really strange and doesn't work like humans' or animals' do).

Yes, in this pregnancy (even though inside is only one child), Bendy has a visible belly. In the previous one, when he had triplets inside him - it was practically impossible to see that anything was wrong, only a slight bulge at the end. But as he says, "no matter how big the belly is, the matter is that I gained over 4 kilos. And this, with a total weight of about 20 kilos - it's a lot." Yes, my Bendy is very, very light. But it's actually a walking skeleton. Made of ink. Printed in a 3D printer prototype. What did you expect? :D

PS. If someone doesn't like the idea that in my AU Bendy can being pregnant and giving birth to children - remember that no one is obliged to come in here and see my arts. Thank you.

The plot of "Samdy Kids" takes place after Joey's death and the release of all the people from the Workshop. Bendy, together with his children and all the toons (Borises, members of the Butcher Gang), are forced to stay in the Workshop - which, however, doesn't turn out to be a bad thing, when Sammy returns to his family and begins to build New Workshop, an utopian underground country where everyone can live peacefully and happily.

Link to rules of the Ink Demonth.

[twstarchives]

Scary Dress・Voice Lines

● Event: Scary Monsters (October 14 - November 26, 2020) ● Exclusive Cards: Deuce, Kalim, Epel, Idia, Malleus, Lilia, Azul, Jack, Jade, Vil, Cater

Deuce Spade - R

Unlock Card “This school event is meant for everyone to have fun. I’m going to make sure this Halloween’s a success!”

Groovy “You’re not getting away from me... I’ll scare you till you're trembling to the bone!”

Home Setting “I’m a skeleton ghost that’s risen from the grave! BOO!”

Home Transitions “These are our special costumes, so make sure you’re careful with them. Grim, that means don’t claw on the lace.”

“When I was a kid, there were times when I used to start sobbing because I thought there was a monster outside. But it was actually just the laundry drying out there... Oi, stop laughing!”

“I got some treats from Epel. There’s a lot of them, so I thought I’d share with you. You know the secret code, right?”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! You just can’t help but get excited around this time of year.”

Home Taps “I saw Draconia a while ago. Seeing him walk around in that serpentine dragon costume so valiantly made him look cooler than ever.”

“I got a text from my mom—she said she wants to see my costume. I don’t mind sending her one, but I don’t know how I feel about taking a selfie... Prefect, could you take one of me?”

“I’m used to seeing the ghosts on campus, so they’re not that scary. Our terrifying dorm leader Rosehearts, on the other hand...”

“Viper fixed the lace on my hat for me. I feel like the vice leaders in every dorm are really caring.”

“Hey, you! You want me to bury you!? S-Sorry. I was practicing my scares; I didn’t mean to say that to you, Prefect.”

Kalim Al-Asim - R

Unlock Card “Are you all ready to have some fun? Alright! Come on and follow my lead! One, two—Happy Halloween!”

Groovy “Grr... Pain shoots through my body whenever I look at the full moon. You better watch your back if you start to hear some howling.”

Home Setting “Growl! I’m a werewolf now.”

Home Transitions “Rook knows a lot about wildlife, and he told me all kinds of things about wolves. It was really useful.”

“I always carry around candies this time of year. This way anyone can tell me ‘Trick or treat’ anytime!”

“My magic carpet seems pretty excited for Halloween too. I’m competing with it to see who’s the scariest!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “A party that everyone’s stoked about—that’s what Halloween is! Let’s have fun together! Growl! Growl!”

Home Taps Whine! Grrrrr! Bark! *cough!* “It’s hard trying to sound like a wolf...”

“I feel like it’d be so much more exciting if Cater, Lilia, and I dressed up for our band performances. Don’t you think so?”

“Jade said his costume is a mummy. If you wore clothes like that in the Scalding Sands, you’d get so hot that you might actually turn into one.”

“I like this costume; its design is really reminiscent of the Scalding Sands. Plus it’s easy to move in. It fits for dressing up as a werewolf.”

“Hm? You want to try scaring me? Spare me from any tricks, though. Ahaha!”

Epel Felmier - R

Unlock Card “Boo! Did I spook you? Hehe. I’ll come scare you again if you let down your guard.”

Groovy “Struggling against me is useless... I think. You won’t get away from me.”

Home Setting “Now, Halloween has begun!”

Home Transitions “Wah! Oh, crap!¹ I stepped all over my cloak. If Vil saw me, he’d get mad and say ‘It’s not proper to run around like that.’”

“I carved some of the pumpkins that are decorating the school. Mine have ghosts and our dorm’s emblem on them. Try to find them, okay?”

“Hey, have you seen the decorations on Main Street? They’re all so pretty, and really marvy².”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I think this is the first time I’ve celebrated such a festive Halloween. In my town, the festivals feel a lot more scaled down.”

Home Taps “Halloween celebrations in my hometown are never this big, but I can promise you the food’s always delicious. I want you all to come see it someday.”

“Riddle got really passionate when we were talking about the treats for Halloween earlier. Sweets are just amazing, aren’t they?”

“I’m a first-year just like Deuce and Jack, but I wish I could scare as well as they do. But only practice makes perfect!”

“Tremble in fear! ...No. That’s not menacing enough... Ah! What if I put ketchup around my mouth?”

“Huh!? A treat? Sorry. I finished handing all mine out. But I’ll peel an apple for you later, so don’t give me a trick or anything... Okay?”

Idia Shroud - R

Unlock Card “E-E-Even I get excited for events sometimes... Is that bad!?”

Groovy “Anyone who sees what’s beneath my helmet won’t be leaving here unharmed... Hehehe!”

Home Setting “Wahaha! The Pumpkin Knight has arrived!”

Home Transitions “Every time Ortho tells me ‘Trick or treat,’ I give him some candy, but earlier he got mad and said ‘Let me have a trick too.’”

“You need to know your etiquette to have fun with events. That’s true no matter what world you’re in.”

“This time of year, they’re always having tons of huge events in gacha games. I’ve got an overwhelming lack of free time.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Weheehee~... Happy Halloween. Huh? Why are you making that face? Is it that weird to see me pumped up?”

Home Taps “Hiding my face under a helmet really lets me relax. The downside is it’s a little hard to breathe, though.”

“Wh-What are you dressing up as? Don’t tell me you’re just going to throw on something basic like a headband or a hat and call it a day?”

“They say lions are members of the cat family, but... Sir Leona is not soothing in the slightest. Hah~ I wanna nuzzle a cat...”

“You can say it. There’s no such thing as a nerd that hates Halloween!”

“Weheehee! I made this using a 3D printer, so it’s got really nice durability. ‘How much did it all cost’? Well, if you want to know, it was on sale.”

Malleus Draconia - SR

Unlock Card “Halloween is a festival observed by both the living and the dead, regardless of one’s race. You, too, should enjoy yourself as much as you can.”

Groovy “I’d make anyone tremble in fear with a single breath of fire. Watch me.”

Home Setting “I’m not dressed up as a dragon. It’s a serpentine dragon.”

Home Transitions “The students in our dorm seem very pleased with our costumes. They were all cheering with joy. This was well-worth the trouble.”

“Lilia knows a lot about many nations’ versions of Halloween. He told me stories about them instead of his usual lullabies. That was a long time ago, though.”

“I saw two pumpkin knights around campus. The smaller one was floating, so I’m assuming they were the Shroud brothers.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I’ve experienced many Halloweens, but this year seems especially chaotic.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Trick or treat!... wasn’t it? If you don’t give me a treat, I’ll have to trick you. What will you do?”

Home Taps “The red serpentine dragons from the Far East, which our costumes were based on, could even play folk instruments. Hm... How very interesting.”

“I caught Asim practicing his wolf howls. He’s lacking on the impact, but it does have a charm to it. Heheh.”

“Halloween in the Valley of Thorns is especially grand. It’s a different take on it than other countries have, but you should come see it someday. It’s beautiful.”

“If you hear a strange noise, don’t automatically assume it’s the work of a ghost. Faeries love playing tricks all year round.”

“This tail? Mine is not an accessory; it’s real. As curious as you might be, don’t get too close. You’d be easily flicked aside if you got hit by it.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I’ll set fire to anyone that harms your dorm, just like a serpentine dragon would. I’m fond of that place.”

Lilia Vanrouge - SR

Unlock Card “Halloween is my home ground ♪ I can’t wait to see the surprise on everyone’s faces.”

Groovy “Do not underestimate me. You might end up finding yourself trembling and unable to sleep all night long.”

Home Setting “Growl! How was that? Did I sound like a dragon?”

Home Transitions “On Halloween Night, the goblins who served the Fairy of Thorns would gather around a fire and dance all night long. You probably wouldn’t expect them to be party animals!”

“I remember the day I met a real-life serpentine dragon in the East like it was yesterday. Its crimson scales were truly a sight to behold.”

“I like eating most sweets, but marshmallows are the only ones I can’t do. It doesn’t feel like I’m eating anything; they aren’t satisfying.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat... What? You’re already used to my tricks? Then I’ll have to bring out my trump card.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “If I were a real dragon, I could give you a ride on my back. But instead, why don’t I give you a piggy back ride?”

Home Taps “Hnn... The decorative horns on my cap are so heavy. Malleus really has these on his head at all times?”

“Aren’t my red nails cute? Vil painted them for me. He told me these were called gel nails—long-lasting nail polish.”

“Silver and Sebek used to be such crybabies. The mornings after Halloween, I’d have to spend the whole day doing laundry.”

“Have you seen Ace anywhere? He’s always eating Trey’s sweets like he really likes them, so I made some for him as well.”

“Oh, oh! It’s dangerous for someone of my stature to have a tail almost touching the ground. Try not to step on it either.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Achoo! Sorry, sorry. This peacock feather tickled my nose.”

Azul Ashengrotto - SR

Unlock Card “The Mostro Lounge is currently offering a special Halloween menu. You must come and see!”

Groovy “Let’s have all the fun we want tonight. Now, let me hear you scream all the way up to the moon!”

Home Setting “How do I look? It’s very stylish with the way it revisits the old-fashioned sort of mummy, isn’t it?”

Home Transitions “If these were my own tentacles, I could move them freely at will, but that’s not true with these bandage wraps. I have to pay close attention to my movements.”

“Of course we have Halloween celebrations under the sea. Although, unlike on land, merpeople don’t exactly wear costumes.”

“I ran into Silver with this costume on, and he yelled ‘The enemy!’ before pulling out a baton. ...He must’ve been half-asleep.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Halloween only happens once a year. Let’s have the time of our lives together.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Did I hear you say ‘Trick or treat’ just now? Offering me of all people a deal is quite bold of you.”

Home Taps “I have an affinity for the costumes Jack and the other Savanaclaw students are wearing. They look like ghosts you’d find at sea, don’t they?”

“I referenced dishes that my family serves for the Lounge’s limited edition menu... Oh, my family runs a ristorante.”

“I’ll hold back on the treats, thank you. Accepting more and more of them will only increase my calorie intake for the day.”

“The reason we chose mummies for our costumes? I’m very unfamiliar with them, which made me all the more curious. After all, you can’t have anything dry under the sea.”

“What are you in such a rush for? I understand feeling excited, but you must be discreet when getting ready to scare someone.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You must come see Halloween under the sea sometime! It’s just as fun as the academy’s.”

Jack Howl - SR

Unlock Card “Dressing up as pirates fits for Savanaclaw, since the guys here are all brutes. When you want something, you take it!”

Groovy “On Halloween, it’s ghost territory. Make sure you be careful when walking around at night. Grr...”

Home Setting “My scares aren’t just for show.”

Home Transitions “Scarabia dressed up as werewolf ghosts. They really nailed the ears and tails.”

“When we were making jack o’ lanterns, Ruggie kept eating the pumpkin seeds. Do those taste good...?”

“The pirate costume fits Leona really well. He’s lazy and vulgar—ahem! He comes off as strong and powerful.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! It’s nice with all these decorations and festive energy. Wanna walk around together later?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I was getting tired of all these sweets, so I got some jerky. Want any?”

Home Taps “Ace and the others swear that anything Trey bakes is to die for. I wonder how his pear compote would... N-No, nevermind.”

“I used to want to be a pirate when I was little. I remember making treasure chests by myself and filling them with coins and sparkling jewels. Those were the days.”

“Pirates have to aim their cannons and do a lot of heavy lifting while onboard. They’ve got to train hard.”

“I almost never wear rings, so I’m scared these might fly off at any moment. Plus it’s hard to move my fingers.”

“Oi! Stop prodding at my costume! What’re you going to do if one of the seashells breaks off?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You haven’t put on your costume yet? The ghosts will come to kidnap you if you don’t hurry and change.”

Jade Leech - SSR

Unlock Card “I’ve been expecting you. Today I have a most wonderful scare prepared for you.”

“We’ve been working hard to ensure that everyone can spend a wonderful Halloween.”

Groovy “The sight of you screaming as you try to hurry away... It’s irresistible. I cannot hold myself back from chasing after you!”

Home Setting “Who would like to be tied up in fear?”

Home Transitions “You want to see me when I’m frightened? Heheh. I wouldn’t mind you scaring me anytime you’d like.”

“There is no such thing as using pumpkins as lanterns under the sea. I was very shocked learning about culture on land when I was a freshman.”

“Have you had a chance to try out the Mostro Lounge’s limited edition Halloween menu? I contributed a recipe to it.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat! Heheh. There’s no need to look so frightened; I won’t bite.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Oh, my. Were you hoping to play a trick on me? I have a treat on hand, so please spare me today.”

Home Taps “I helped Ruggie with making jack o’ lanterns. They’re very quick, cheap, and beautiful. How fitting.”

“Dryness is fatal for merpeople. If we were dried up like a mummy... Just the thought is horrifying.”

“Floyd, don’t eat too many sweets. It’s different while we’re in the water, but here we have a high risk of tooth decay.”

“The draping wraps on our costumes resemble jellyfish tentacles. They’re pretty, aren’t they? I like their asymmetrical design.”

“You seem to have a wish to join the world of mummies. First, I will wrap your whole body in bandages, and then dry you out... I’m only joking.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Halloween under the sea? If you’re interested, I will show you around one day.”

Duo Magic Jade: Azul, we cannot waste any more time. Azul: Let’s be efficient about this, Jade.

Vil Schoenheit - SSR

Unlock Card “Are you prepared to pledge yourself to me? It’s a great honor to be the sustenance of my beauty.”

“If I’m participating in this, then I’m going to aim for quality that transcends all previous Halloweens. Please keep up with me.”

Groovy “How unfortunate; there’s nowhere left for you to run. Yield yourself to me and become my slave.”

Home Setting “You will be a victim to my fangs.”

Home Transitions “Vampires, who possess eternal beauty... This is a perfect theme for me, isn’t it?”

“It would be difficult to check my appearance if I couldn’t see my reflection in the mirror. Perhaps I’d have to check with Rook between every class.”

“The other day, I was drinking tomato juice in the evening, and Epel screamed at me. How rude.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat. Although, I don’t need any sweet treats. I’m sure you can guess what a vampire would want... Heheh.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Have you flipped your sleep schedule like a vampire’s because it’s Halloween? Make sure you don’t stay up too late.”

Home Taps “I don’t usually carry around treats with me, so last year I fell victim to Lilia’s tricks. That was honestly unpleasant.”

“You should carefully deliberate over your parasol and choose one that has strong protection from the sun. Don’t forget sunblock either.”

“Floyd’s skin is very beautiful. Makeup sits exceptionally well on moisturized skin, too. Always remember to moisturize.”

“My father is an actor, and for every Halloween he would come home in a costume with special effects makeup. I wonder if perfectionism runs in the family.”

“Even a single strand of hair out of place is something to pay mind to. Could you fix my hair for me?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “My cloak has enough cloth to wrap around a person. Should I hide you inside it if any scary ghosts come by?”

Duo Magic Vil: Let’s end this nonsense right here, Lilia. Lilia: Leave it to me to guard you from behind, Vil.

Cater Diamond - SSR

Unlock Card “I’ll fill you all the way to the bone... with fear, of course ♪”

“Aha! Are you surprised with how off things feel now? Let me show you Cay’s charm, now that I’m a touch different for Halloween~”

Groovy “You’re not thinking you’ll be able to get home safely now that you’ve dug me up, are you?”

Home Setting “Don’t you think my costume’s super aesthetic!?”

Home Transitions “The pumpkin pie Trey always makes this time of year... Mm, it’s not too sweet, and it’s sooo good~!”

“Did you see Lucius today!? He was wearing a super adorable pumpkin hat... I can’t believe Professor Trein~!”

“Sebek-kins really loves Malleus~ He’s got a reputation among the third-years for being the passionate Draconian.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! How about we take a picture to commemorate?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I have a feeling this year’s going to be the funnest Halloween we’ve ever had. You should be excited too, Prefect!”

Home Taps “I really like how our skeleton-looking laces are so elegant. Our dorm uniforms give off more cutesy vibes; it’s super different.”

“A black veil holds many mysteries... Heheh. You’re always free to lift it up anytime you want, Prefect! Just kidding.”

“Heartslabyul’s costumes last year? We were pirates! Wish you could see Cay as a pirate~?”

“The whole campus gets super festive and exciting around Halloween! And all the decorations are so photogenic.”

“Black makeup smudges easily, so you kind of need to have advanced skills to use it. Does it look okay right now? It’s not smudged?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “What are you dressing up as, Prefect? Come let me know when you have it ready. I wanna take a pic~”

Duo Magic Cater: “Jack, lend me some of your aesthetic support!” Jack: “This’ll be a breeze, Cater!”

[prachedes]

Game Changers: Who Is Shaping the Future of Fashion?

Fashion has been molded by the times. More than ever the advances in technological resources are creating and given to the fashion business a way to explore fabrics and create prototypes in minutes.

With the creation of the 3D print, for example, the industry of fashion is advancing to a new stage that even customers could be their own “designers” and develop something unique to wear.  

3D technology is not new, people have been listening about it for at least five years and what they see are designers using this tool to create innovational clothing for runaways.

Image 01: Skeleton Dress by Iris van Herpen and Isaïe Bloch

The technology is easier applied to rigid creations and geometric shapes, rather than flexible garments that can be used in massive production. But, for accessories: jewelry and shoes, the technology is a success.

More than just creating prototypes, brands like Nike and Adidas are using it in massive production in their soles and exclusive brands like Gemmyo and Panerai are creating jewelry and watches respectively for ready-to-wear.

Image 02: Watch Panerai

The technology is expensive, although, brands are using the 3D and are trying to bring it closer to the customer. The designer Danit Peleg since 2015, has been creating collections in 3D printers and is selling some items on her website https://danitpeleg.com/.

Peleg gives the idea that it is a complete experience, where you feel you are creating your own and exclusive product from the choice of the fabric until the virtual fitting.  The whole experience costs $1500 and the product it’s delivered to your home.

An interesting point to be aware of is the existing limitation due to the capacity of production for the machine. It takes more than 100 hours to print a jacket for example.

A cheaper version of a garment produced with the 3D machine was introduced to the massive market in 2016 by the Ministry of Supply. A jacket, made on a 3D robotic knitting machine, which saves material over traditional knitting having no seams. It created a comfortable garment and was sold out incredibly fast for $250.  

Within the years, technology can optimize production processes, creating better prototypes, and experimenting with new shapes and also fabrics.

It can reduce the wasting of material, being able to calculate the exact amount of fabric or textile that the assembling needs. And can keep the exclusive ideal to costumers that want to be unique. 

The evolution of 3D technology is already shaping the future of fashion in addition to many other technologies that surge every day.

[wendydarling823]

How to fix public education?

The reason for the question mark is 2-fold

1) I want to know other people’s ideas and theories.  I can’t get enough of articles of teachers who have left the profession pre-retirement because they have snapped under the weight of the problems in our schools.  These are the people that know what’s wrong because we are in those trenches every day.  Don’t ask a superintendent or a SBoE rep how to fix schools - they’re the ones doing the breaking.  Ask the teachers.

2) My ideas are only based off of what I’ve seen and read.  I’ve taught in public school for 4 years.  I’ve worked in public schools for 10 years.  I’ve worked with children for 16 years.  I know a lot, but obviously I don’t know everything.

So, how do we fix education?  Longest freaking post I’ve ever written.

1) Spend money, obviously.  But what the money goes for has to be taken into consideration.  You don’t need to fund a program for high schools to have a 1:1 Chromebook to student ratio - these kids are carrying computers in their pockets.  You don’t need to spend thousands on a boxed curriculum unless your teachers have tried it and specifically ask for it because they believe it will help the students they have in front of them.  You don’t need to hire a superintendent for each high school feeder zone AND a district superintendent, plus 20 other administrators in between and off to the sides.  So what should the money go for?

A) Teachers.  

i) Reduce class sizes hire more teachers so teachers have fewer kids in a class at a time.  When your child is struggling to learn, do you put them in a class with 20 other kids?  No, you pay for one-on-one or at least small group support.  At the very least, there should be more teacher’s aides.  Hell, student teaching should be a paid internship when that teacher is in my room every day.    

ii) Pay teachers more.  We have a college degree, often advanced degrees, we are constantly earning more hours of professional development and honing our craft (because it is a craft) but we are being paid like (paid) interns or apprentices.  Compared to other jobs with commensurate degrees and experience, we are paid nearly 20% less.  And we pour our money right back into our jobs to buy things we want/need to make our classrooms comfortable, effective, and fun for ourselves and our kids.

B) Books.  I started to type “and supplies” and then I realized that books are a category of their own.  What determines a child’s success later in life more than any other factor?  Number of books in the home, and whether parents read to them.  We can’t barge into houses armed with books and force parents to sit at their kids’ besides and do the voices for the characters.  But we can do that for them at school - we can make libraries into palaces, we can work with the city library to get a bookmobile that visits every neighborhood zoned for our schools and we can gift books to children that they can keep forever.  Hell, Dolly Parton will send your child 60 books (1X a month every month until they are 5), we can do that.

C) Supplies.  Paper.  Pencils.  Manipulatives. Markers, paint, glue, scissors.  The basic supplies of an art room for the purpose of giving every student the opportunity to CREATE.  A dedicated closet or cart of everyday items that students can view with new eyes.  Is that a Q-tip for cleaning out your ears?  Or is it a bunch of bones you can use to recreate the skeleton of that stegosaurus you read about in your book?  The supplies for the creation of writing, the creation of art, the free space to work out a math problem and show every step of your thinking.  Some schools have so much they waste it, other schools don’t have enough.

D) Technology*  The star is because the current model is ‘technology for technology’s sake,’ and that’s wasteful and also reductive.  These kids have phones and tablets, they are digital natives.  They know how to use computers for writing, computation, research, slideshows, video production.  Show them what else they can do!  Teach them to design. To compose music, to edit and add effects.  Yes, let them learn to code if they want to, but don’t force it.  A friend of mine wrote a grant to get a 3D printer in her school, and she got it, but not a single other teacher was interested in learning how to use it so they could teach their kids.  Spend the tech money on things that will prepare students for the real jobs of the future.

2) When you spend the money, spend it fairly.  Not equally, fairly, justly.  My school district is decently sized.  Theoretically, every person who owns property zoned for our district is paying their tax dollars into a single fund that is being spent per student, right?  But even inside our district limits there are schools so poor the teachers don’t even have a supply closet of basics (I’m talking printer paper, staples, paperclips) and schools so rich the teachers get $400 to spend on their classrooms.  Why?  Because the poor school is in the part of town that is mostly low income, and the rich school is in a master-planned community that gets money from the HOA foundation and has a PTA that can do the old “Spend money to make money” method of fundraising.  It’s funny, because the poor school is poor enough to get extra money because they are poor (Title I), but it’s still not as much as the rich school is getting. 

3) RESPECT. YOUR. TEACHERS.  Sure, paying them, making their classes smaller, and giving them the tools they need is a big part of respecting them, but there are other components.  

A) Respect a teacher who says that a student is creating a bad environment, even if that student has a behavior plan.  We’ve pushed the LRE (least restrictive environment) for a couple of decades now, and for the most part it is a very important thing to honor.  Kids who point and gawk a at a student in a wheelchair or with leg braces or who has Downs or CP are kids who’ve been taught to view that population as “other”.  They should have kids of all abilities in their classrooms to foster community and empathy, and because all should be welcome to the table of education.  However, when a student is able to terrorize a classroom, physically injure or attack a teacher or another student, and get off with little more than some isolation in the office, and then appear back in class the next day, you’ve created a restricting environment for the other 19 kids, and the teacher.  The teacher is walking on eggshells so the student doesn’t throw a chair or shove another student, and boundaries are not set or enforced.  The students hold their breath each time this child speaks, wondering if this is the point where they have to have class in the hallway while their peer turns all the desks over and makes it rain crayons. 

B) Respect a teacher who says that not every part of this curriculum is appropriate, and fills in the gaps with things that are.  Tina Fey says, “In most cases, being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.” You ostensibly hired that teacher because they demonstrated an ability to understand and teach the standards, manage a classroom, make learning accessible, whatever it is that they bring to the table. Lessons in a box are a product sold to make money for someone.  They can be an ingredient in a recipe, they are not the only thing you serve or the only store you shop at.  Respect a teacher who knows from experience and backs it up with research.  You will not teach every 5-6 year old how to read right away.  Some are just not ready yet. Not every student develops the same way at the same time, so why would they learn the same way at the same time? And why, when the studies show that early childhood is birth through age 8, would you expect Kindergarten kids to sit at a desk all day reading and writing?  They should be learning through play.  Respect a teacher who wants to introduce more banned/challenged books to her literature circles.  Respect a teacher who challenges the set curriculum when they know it is what’s best for their kids, and FOR PETE’S SAKE ask the teachers who are STILL. IN. THE. CLASSROOMS. for their input in adopting curriculum standards. If I had my way, any person who makes decisions regarding schools, whether it’s a principal, a superintendent, or a member of the SBoE would have to re-enter the classroom every 10 years.  Sort of like recertifying.  They want to issue rulings and set standards?  They better know what that’s going to look like on the most micro level.  Once a year, every decade, they must teach a class or a section of a subject  in order to keep being in charge of making decisions.

C) Respect a teacher against a parent. You don’t work in customer service, you don’t owe it to the parent to bend over backwards to make them happy.  When mama bear comes roaring using the “B” word (bullying), ask them to sit down with the teacher and make it clear that you trust the teacher and her handling of the situation. When you do have to intervene, make sure that teacher knows you have their back.

4) Shift the entire cultural narrative to valuing education and educated people, build schools that are places of value to a community (and hey, the school can be a community center after hours, so long as classroom hallways are locked up).  Public school is not just a babysitter for your kids until they turn 18, it should be treated as their job and their responsibility.  It should be able to teach them things they will really need - social skills, survival skills, basic home economics, finance, SEX ED and actual health.  It should offer creative outlets for everyone - art, music, theater, dance, woodworking, metal shop.  Learning should be given as a right but revered as a privilege.  That starts with all of us right now.    

[mythicarticulations]

Etsy & Shapeways Integration

As you may or may not know, all of our 3D printing is done through Shapeways 3D printing service, located in Brooklyn NY. Shapeways has begun beta testing a new Etsy integration, which we will be setting up and testing out over the next few weeks.

What this means: Generally faster delivery times, and cheaper shipping. Non-poseable skeletons will now ship straight from the printers to customers. International orders should be much quicker to fulfill now, since they will be shipping from Shapeways' Eindhoven Netherlands facility rather than the US.

Our "In a Can" line, 2D prints, other non-3D printed items, and Jewelry will be unaffected by this change, as they require post processing or are made in house, in the case of 2D prints.

Additionally, Etsy listings will now give the option to include or leave out the paperwork that generally ships with each model. Prices will be the same as they are now if the paperwork is included (paperwork will ship separately from the model), or $5 cheaper across the board if it isn't included.

There shouldn't be many other changes aside from where the models ship from, but if anyone has any question or concerns, our email address is mythicarticulations@gmail.com

TL;DR - Faster, cheaper order fulfillment and potentially cheaper skeletons going forward.

[askanxioussquip]

((A few weeks later...))

"I think thats good.. that was surprisingly easy. Its very convenient that your code is already on my computer. I didnt expect to just be able to take your appearance from it.." Jean watched as his printer finished the 3d print of Meredith's body. It was only really a shell, the metal skeleton wasn't in place yet. He still needed to work on the inner workings of it.

"Maybe its good that im not a regular squip...we can do stuff like this." She smiled, but sighed a moment later, suddenly feeling anxious. "Um..we have to change my code for this, dont we?"

Jean nodded. "I need to add a transfer feature so you can be far from me and stay connected to your body. And some stability features..virus protection..other things..so, yes. Quite a bit. Im sorry, Meredith. I know you don't like that."

She shrugged, putting on her best smile. She knew he could feel her distress, though. "Ill be okay! I just...gotta remember its only you. You know?"

"Yeah. We'll stop if its too much, okay? We dont have to do it all at once."

She nodded, walking over to give him a quick hug. "Thank you..maybe we should plan a day for the basic things."

"..how does tomorrow sound?"

"Well...i guess so, yeah. Get it out of the way so i dont have to worry so much. I guess that makes sense.. tomorrow it is!"

[rparchivechill]

trauma - 1

“Dejon was hanging around Sweet's locker, waiting for her to finish packing after the bell had rung. People were rushing past them, since it was finally Friday and everyone could go home and recharge. He leaned against the lockers, looking bored, but was really just zoning out.

When she had all her things together she rested the bag on her shoulder and kissed his cheek to say she was ready. “Come on, let’s get going!” She beamed to him. Today was a good day, it was nice to have the weekend though. They could hang out more and go on fun dates like usual.

He turned to her and smiled, before replying "I'll be right behind you." He got off of the locker and followed behind her, like he said. As they walked down the hallway together, he tapped her shoulder. "Hey, I need to stop by the computer lab real quick. My friend just texted me- I need to go pick up a piece of project that got printed with that new 3d printer." He told her, while he held is phone in one hand. "You go on; I'll meet you outside at our normal spot, 'kay?"

“Okies! Take your time!” She chirped and waved him off as he walked away. Though, she was suddenly tugged along from the meeting spot shortly after she arrived. “H-Hey let go!!” She tugged away from the force pulling at her backpack and realized it was her bully. This time felt different though, he had a creepy grin on his face, it was freaking her out a little. “What do you want? I need to meet someone here and you’re in the way of that.”

"Ph, I know that. But you see..." He said, pulling her up off the ground slightly by her backpack. He walked a few paces, and they were soon covered by the trees that lined the outside of the school. "Remember what happened a few days ago? With your little... boyfriend body guard? Well, I happen to know he's off with his buddy in the tech room. So, that gives me some time to..." He put a finger to her chin, pulling it up so that she stared right at him. "Give you some pay back. An eye for an eye, no?"

“W-What? No! Let go of me!!” She squeaked out and squirmed to get out of his grasp, already not liking what he might want to do to her. She had jerked her head away from his finger to, not even wanting this asshole to graze her with a single part of his body.

"Pathetic try." He hissed, roughly grabbing her chin as he pushed her and her backpack against a wall. "If you stop yapping, this doesn't have to be so bad." He raised her higher before abruptly dropping her, and as she tried to recover he knelt down to her. He ran a finger from her chin down from her neck to the tip of her sternum, smirking. "Where's that bodyguard of yours now? He ditch you?" 

Sweet began to softly cry and the scumbag started unbuttoning her shirt and laughing quietly when she didn’t answer. She was stuck in a shitty situation with no one to help her. “Please.. please stop..” She sobbed out to him, begging him not to go any further. She was used to bullying but this was something way worse.as the

"Jesus Christ, Titian, you need to stop messing with the printer. You're gonna get suspended." Dejon told his ram-horned friend, who had tried to print a small red pentagram on one of the school's 3D printers. At least he also got the gear they needed for the group project created, too. 

"I'll text you later, I gotta catch up with someone," He told him, jogging out the front double doors. "Hah, like we all don't know who that someone is!" Titian called back, laughing. He let him go though, as the smaller skeleton ran to catch up with another guy he had his own sights set on. 

"Sweet! Where are you?" The green-clad skeleton called, looking hastily for her. "Where is she? She's not by our usual..." He knew that she wouldn't have walked off without him. This wasn't settling right with him.

Sweet Tea heard her lover call for her and before she could scream her bully put a hand over her mouth, “Not. A. Word.” He said in a threatening tone. But, with the new hope given to her by her boyfriends voice, she bit the fuck out of him, causing him to let go and yelp. As soon at she was able to she screamed for Dejon to hear. The bully soon grabbed her by the neck and pulled her along, trying to leave the scene with her so Dejon wouldn’t find them.

His head immediately turned to the right, towards the scream that was definitely Sweet's, no doubt. Although there were trees and bushes, along with God knows what else obscuring his view, he could see the flash of Sweet's backpack be hoisted up and disappear. There was barely anyone else around outside by this time, with everyone hastening home. Anyone else was solely inside the actual school building for clubs and such. He dove through the foliage, snapping twigs and stepping on some thorned weeds. 

"SWEET! I'M COMING!" However, the one still gripping Sweet dove behind a part of the building that protruded out- it was probably the stairwell. Hiding in the corner, Dejon rushed past the two and stopped around 30 feet away from them, confusedly looking around for the perpetrator. He smiled, squeezing Sweet before trying to subtly sneak back the way Dejon came.

Sweet tried to scream but his grip was causing nothing but empty gasps to come out. She used her tail to whip him in the legs so he’d yelp and he did. He let out a small yelp and there was no way he wasn’t fucked now. 

He turned around, and his eyes widened from shock as his pupils constricted. Sweet looked terrified as tears rolled her face, and he saw that the shirt she was wearing was unbuttoned and part of it was slipping off her shoulder. 

 "YOU... YOU FUCKING SICK BASTARD!" Dejon yelled, bolting over to the two, before grabbing his neck and punching him square in the face. He knew how wrestle, yes, but it was more of grappling holds rather than punching. The bully dropped Sweet immediately, holding his face in pain as he cowered. Dejon pulled him back up, leaning close to him. 

"How... HOW THE FUCK DID YOU THINK THIS WAS ETHICAL?!" He screamed, threatening to kick or punch him again, maybe even DO try to pull him into pin or takedown. "You sick fuck."

Sweet was still crying when the full realization of what could have happened hit her. She wanted a hug or anything but Dejon still needed to take care of the sick fuck that was sexually harassing her. She could even speak, that poor thing was stunned. Her eyes trailed up to her protective boyfriend, threatening to beat this man to a pulp with just a single wrong word.

"Fucker." He scorned, holding the hunched figure down while he called 911. "911, what is your emergency?" "Hello, I have a revolting bastard here who just tried to sexually assault my girlfriend. He's with me, I have him... subdued. Not dead, no no. Located by Cyhiem Highschool, toward the front." He turned to Sweet, and his tense and resentful exterior faltered for a second. "Are you okay? Do you need an ambulance?"

She shook her head finally snapping out of it and buttoning her shirt back up, she was just trying to focus on her breathing for now, missing the feeling of air.

He pressed on, "He didn't do anything to you, did he?" Well, that was a redundant question considering the situation they were in, but it was quite clear what he really meant. He turned towards the offender, who was trying to stand up straight and get his bearings. 

"You... you little-" He had started, before Dejon kicked one of his legs, and he was cut short as he fell into the corner he had hid in. "Shut it." He chided, putting the phone back up to answer the dispatcher's questions as best he could.

She shook her head again, knowing what he meant in his weird question. She was still crying bit really wished she wasn’t, she felt so embarrassed despite being the victim.Part of her started to blame herself for what happened, thinking if she just worn a stupid sweater like always then maybe things would be okay.

"Alright. Thank God... I think they're still sending at least some sort of first aid, okay? They're be here in a second. I need to stay by him, until they come, okay?" He tried consoling her, wanting to hug her but had to control himself and stay by the crumbling figure that though he held so much power moments before. Soon enough, the emergency services arrived, and apprehended the offender. As soon as they got to the corner area, Dejon ran to Sweet who was still sitting on the grass.

"Sweet... Sweet, I'm so sorry... You're okay now, okay? You're good. You're good." He told her, wrapping himself around her and hugging her tightly. "None of this is your fault. None of it. He had no fucking right."

Sweet hugged him back tightly and sobbed, she had bruises forming on her neck and arm from where he grabbed her. She was so upset and just wanted to go home with him and forget everything that happened. The smaller cried into his shoulder, she wanted to be picked up and held but didn’t really know how to ask for it other than giving him a look.

"You're gonna be okay... I promise." He repeated, over and over. He pulled away slightly, looking anxious and distraught. He went to place a hand on her cheek, not knowing that the monster who had gotten to his girlfriend had done something similar minutes prior to him interfering.

She immediately flinched away from his hand, “N-NO!!” She squeaked out, starting to cry more. She then realized how horrible it was that she just flinched from her own boyfriend. She stepped away from him and stumbled back on a stray root, she fell onto the ground and just held her knees. She didn’t know what she wanted anymore, this whole thing was an absolute nightmare.

"SWEET-" He called, as she fell to the ground. He hastened to his feet, almost falling himself in the process. He caught on to why she absconded from him, and stepped a few inches away from her to make sure she felt safe. He noticed how there was blood on the grass, and fretted that it was from Sweet. But then he looked at his knuckles, and saw that they were bleeding. He wiped them on the grass. 

"He must've done that to you, huh?" He asked, even though he knew the answer. 

"Fucking disgusting..." He muttered, under his breath. Speaking up again, he said "I should've asked, before doing that. And I should done that too before I hugged you. I'm sorry. Just tell me when you're ready; I understand. I'll wait as long as you need me to, and I always love you, okay?" He then heard the trudging of shoes as first aid came over, assessing Sweet first and then looking over Dejon. 

They were both taken to the ambulance that had been parked in the middle of the road, next to some cop cars. If you looked closely through the tinted windows of one, you could see the furred, small-horned guy in it. Dejon had told the medics with them to treat them separately, so Sweet sat in the back and he stood off to the side of it, getting his hands bandaged.

Sweet was being given ice for her many bruises, she also had a lot of scrapes from when he pushed her against a brick wall. She was more focused on how Dejon was feeing though. She felt like this was all her fault and the guilt wouldn’t go away, she flinched from her own boyfriend.. it felt so instinctual and she hated that. What if he couldn’t ever touch her again? What if he eventually let her for a non-broken girl? 

 She was so lost in her own head as the nice lady was trying to ask her questions. She eventually started answering the basics, then the harder questions as the asked about what went down before D showed up. Once the officer left she was told she could leave if she wanted and they would be contacting her parents at a later date. 

She stood once she was allowed to leave and looked over at Dejon, who was just finished with questioning. She started crying again and wanted to hug him but felt like he wouldn’t want to touch her anymore.

After the officer had thanked him for his time, and that he might be called in the future, they got into their cars and drove off. The medics told them that they were free to go home, unless they had any further problems. By then it was a little later, perhaps 4:30. By then people still at school caught word of this and a few more were questioned. 

Most saw that Sweet wasn't in very good condition so they avoided her, out of respect. Some came up to Dejon but he waved them off with stoic looks. He heard her start to break down again, and he went over to her, still staying a few inches from her. 

"Sweet, I know you're not doing to good right now. Are you comfortable with me giving you a hug? What's comfortable and not comfortable right now?" He asked her, with his words tumbling out.

She couldn’t stop crying so words were hard to form all she could muster out was, “H-Hug.. please..” She weakly lifted her arms up, she was still sitting on the ledge of the ambulance and really wanted to be picked up and held. 

She tried muttering out the other things she wanted. “Carry m-me..” She needed physical touch but some things —like touching her face— were too much for her right now. Hugs and kisses were okay right now though.

He sighed with relief, and put his arms under hers and picked her up off the back of the ambulance. One of her shoulders was under his head, and he tried to not irritate any bandages or bruises she head by touching them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his stomach, clutching tightly. He could hear her still crying softly and he hated how this was the most he could to at the moment. He moved out of the around and just stood on the right side of the sidewalk, in front of the school.

“I-I’m sorry…” She sobbed out as a few more people left the school and saw Sweet, looking at her like she was crazy. She really wanted to go home with him, she didn’t feel safe alone anymore for obvious reasons and she probably wouldn’t for a while.

“Don’t be; there’s nothing to be sorry for.” He replied, about to give her a small squeeze endearingly but caught himself. “Do you wanna go home? Call your sister or anything? Where’s your car?” He knew she wanted leave badly. Especially when he caught a few kids looking at them like they had 3 heads.

She nodded, “B-big sis isn’t home.. can I just go w-with you..?” She asked him, her parents wouldn’t mind since they trusted Dejon with their daughter a lot.

“Yeah, of course. Where’s your car? I’ll drive you, and then I’ll get my bike on one of the racks, okay?” He asked her. God, he wished he just walked to school today so that way he didn’t have to go back.lovelydrawzShe sniffled and nodded, still holding onto him tightly, she was going to have to let go at some point and she was dreading that. She pointed to her car that he could probably recognize, he had been in it a couple times.

“I love you..”

He paused for a moment, looking down at her with a sad smile. “I love you too, Sweet.”

He went over to the passenger seat and found the door opened. “You gotta remember to lock your car...” He murmured under his breath. “Here, Sweet. I’ll be on the other side.” He motioned for her to release and sit in the car.

She whimpered and slowly let go, letting him put her down in the seat gently. She sniffled and put on her seatbelt, already missing his warmth.

"I'll be right back. I just need to get my bike. I'll be in the front; lock the car. If anything happens, call or yell. Please." He told her, giving her a small kiss on the forehead before shutting the door and running back to the front.

She pulled her keys out of her bag and locked the car like she was told. She then waited as patiently as she could for him to get back.Once he did she opened the trunk for him and unlocked the car so he could get it.chilljammerA few moments later, he came and pushed his bike into the back of the car, before heading to the driver's seat and starting up the car. After the back closed, he drove into the one-way street. "Sweet, do you want any music?"

She hugged her knees and shook her head, she’d prefer the quiet for now. His house wasn’t far from their school so she was fine with not holding him for at least a bit.“Am I allowed to sleep in your bed with you..?” She asked him meekly, still not making eye contact.

"Only if you want to. It's all your choice," He told her, as a small blush crept on his face. After reaching a 4-way street, he waited at a red light to go forward. Suddenly, it turned green and as he put his foot on the pedal a blue convertible whisked past the car, almost hitting them in the process. 

"MOTHERFUC-" He hollered, slamming the brake. He heaved a sigh and accelerated, before someone started honking at them to go. "God, I'm sorry for yelling-" He exasperatedly apologized, looking over at Sweet.

Sweet had covered her “ears” and kept her head down, she really didn’t want to tell him but when she saw him punch and scream at her bully it really scared her. Seeing him like that was very upset, he was normally so sweet and mild-toned. 

She eventually removed her hands from the side of her skull and took a deep breath, it some point she was going to have to tell him that his yelling was probably going to affect her right now. She still didn’t look at him but that was most likely the shame of what had happened causing it.

He shut up instantly when he saw her. He felt regret, so, so much regret for yelling. It didn't help that they were so close, and that definitely made it worse for both of them. 

He gripped the car's wheel, struggling to focus on the road. Finally, after making it to the cul-de-sac his house resided and parking, he got out of the car and opened the door for Sweet. 

"I get it if you don't feel like talking to me right now," He told her, just in case. His parents weren't home yet, with both still being at work. So, in a way, it was a good thing and a bad thing.Hopefully they hadn't gotten a call yet, or they'd be home really, really soon.

“I want to talk to you.. I just don’t like the yelling.. I-I’m sorry, I should have said something sooner-” She apologized while getting out of the car, immediately hugging him again. It was going to be hard to get her to let go this time. Sweet sighed into his clothes, then felt a drop of water fall on her skull, then another, and another. It soon began to rain on them, it was not too sudden since the clouds were moderately grey this afternoon.

"Like I said, don't be sorry. It's okay; thanks for telling me- I'll try to keep it in mind." He said, wistfully. "Oh, shit-" He grumbled at the gray-ish sky, and ushering her under the roofed, but empty parking spot. He held both of their bags in one of his hands. And got the front door open with his other. He left the two bags by the couch right by the door and shut it. "Do you want me to carry you my room, or would you rather the couch?"

“Room..” She said quietly, she looked so weak and tired, like she could just pass out at any moment. “And.. if you don’t mind could you call my dad for me to tell her where I am? My mom’s still at work..”

[beardycarrot]

I printed a tree stump! Considering that I made it with wood filament, that’s kinda like... sculpting a skeleton out of bone meal. Would this seem morbid to a tree?

The layer lines on the bark show up really clearly in pictures, for some reason... In person, you can only really see them on the interior surface of the hole.

Unfortunately, I’ve only used wood filament twice, and that was half a year ago, so I didn’t quite have my settings dialed in for it. It still sits flat, and you can’t even tell the gaps are there... but I would know they’re there.

Fortunately, I have just the tool for the job! Which, I now realize, I probably should’ve mentioned in my post on 3D printing tools... Oh well. This is a 3D pen, basically the heating element and extruder of a 3D printer that you control manually. It can be used for freehand sculpting, and is great for repairing prints.

Ta-da! Well, actually, that would be a huge pain in the butt to sand and would never sit even, so I might as well coat and sand the entire thing.

That, at least to me, is much better. Now, onto finishing the print itself!

First, I applied some heavily diluted brown acrylic paint with a brush, and used dry paper towels to dab it off. I then did the same thing, but with a much darker color (I just added some black paint and water to the existing mixture), making sure to get as much as possible off the raises areas, and leaving areas I couldn’t easily reach wet. This is a quick and easy way to create a natural-looking variance in color, and gives it a more shaded look.

Next, I mixed up a significantly lighter color (similar to the original color of the print, maybe a bit lighter) in undiluted acrylics, and used it to dry brush the areas of the bark sticking out farthest from the trunk. Now that I think about it, I don’t even know if something like this makes sense for tree bark... in any case, I think highlights like this look cool, so whatever.

Finally, I mixed up some dark green, and applied it as a slightly wetter dry brush. I pulled a few sprigs of Spanish moss from my Oddish planter and tossed them in the paint, mashed them down a bit, and glued them on top of the area I’d painted green when they dried. A bit of gentle dry brush dabbing with a lighter green for highlight, and it’s done!

Using the 3D pen and sanding the bottom aside, in total this process only took about forty minutes. I might go through and add bits of discoloration and other small details, but as you can see, the simple stuff I’ve already done makes a huge difference. It really doesn’t take much to bring a print to life.

If you’d like to print one yourself, this stump is Thing 444267 on Thingiverse:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:444267

[lianabrooks]

Looking Back At 2021 - Author Summary

There's an assumption ingrained in human culture that all progress is linear. The myth that all evolution is improvement, that all growth builds on the past, that all change is for the better is so built in that people will flatly deny anything else.

Science doesn't see it that way.

In science - particularly in biology which is what I was educated in - we understand that evolution is simply things changing over time. Not changing for the better. Not improving. Simply changing to survive. The mechanism of evolution is surviving to pass genetic material to the next generation. Anything that allows that, even if it might impact your life negatively, is enough. Because life is only interested in survival as a whole, not an individual's private desires.

2021, for me, was a year of huge changes but little career growth. My oldest daughter graduated high school (itself an incredible feat), got her mission call, and moved out. I've lived more of my life with Eldest than any other human on the planet, including my husband (who spent several years alone overseas because of work), so having her outgrow living at home and set off on her own was a huge change. Because of COVID I transitioned to being a fulltime 4th grade teacher at home so my at-risk youngest child wouldn't be in a classroom (which was a very good choice).

All that growth and change was in my personal life. The balance of my attention went to survival and protecting my kids. Which meant that my attention wasn't focused on growing my career, running another ad campaign, or breaking a record word count.

I did release a new book (If You Give A Skeleton A 3D Printer) and re-release the Time & Shadow series (which is on sale on Kobo in January).

Several of my clients had their first pro sales this year. Others won awards. That's always gratifying.

My agent accepted a new series I wrote in 2020.

And yet it doesn't feel like enough... or it didn't. I kept setting the finish line at getting a response for my work. At getting reader feedback, or reviews, or another sale, or a note from my editor. And it's true the publishing is a relay race. You do your part and then hand it off to the next runner.

But you can't measure your success by someone else's actions. That is the path to ruin and madness.

So this year I started focusing on doing things because I wanted to. Not because I was centering the needs of the future reader, or writing to attract a certain editor, or even hoping to impress my agent (again). I was writing the things that brought me joy.

I'll be honest, it feels a little less focused than goal-oriented writing. But it's also been very fun to get back into the habit of playing with language and plots.

What will come from this?

Who knows!

What does 2022 have in store?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Are there more books on the horizon?

Always.

Happy New Year, everyone. May the odds be ever in your favor.

[abi-tech]

EON Interactive Mirror | Augmented Virtual Reality for Autism

EON Realm/ Interactive Mirror is a cutting-edge Augmented Reality (AR) and Gesture Input based solution great for high traffic areas. A lot of people, especially girls, face difficulties changing dress in a trial room, and there are some who don’t want to set foot on a playing surface; our easy-to-setup EON Realm/s Interactive Mirror has been tested for performance and efficiency. Abi-Tech is a leading service provider of EON Realm/ Interactive Mirror based on AR/VR technologies in Singapore.

A viable application of EON Realm/s Interactive Mirror is teaching Autism individuals though AR/ VR (Virtual Reality) including practical life skills and measuring their progress numerically. The intuitive gesture commands can be effectively controlled and interactive mirror easily used by all levels and ages of technology end, with minimal efforts.

The EON Realm/ Interactive Mirror can have a positive process impact in any retail clothing stores as it comes with the following key benefits:

Gives one a complete skeleton tracking in real time. All objects and main joints are covered and they reach as high as 40cm.

The custom gestures can enhance the power of touch-free interaction.

It can be used on a number of devices such as touch-screens, printers, external application and more.

Allows straight-forward import of 3D and CAD data.

A turnkey solution that integrates all software, hardware licenses and customized 3D content.

No wonder all leading fashion brands feature the EON Interactive Mirror as virtual 3D garments which customers can try on apparels on a virtual demonstration of their own bodies on their mobiles.

How do most shopping retailers and malls benefit?

Better coverage of the latest retail concept.

The demand for a separate floor space, fitting rooms and inventory process is cut short considerably. This, in effect, can lower rental costs.

The time spent on combining various accessories among customers is reduced. This, in turn, can step up the conversion ratio.

Brands have innovated promotional offers based on the current clothes and accessories selected by the customers.

Customers can benefit from the 3D movement of clothes and accessories directly above the mirror.

Allows customers to get socially connected with social media channels for your business to grow virally.

Do you like to learn more about the EON Interactive Mirror and how its different features can benefit shopping centers, mails as well as shoppers? Simply drop a line here.

Read more

[dominicswoodworks]

One upside of having a 3D printer is that even when you can't make things (for whatever reason) it can still make things for you. This little fella took some attention to turn the parts into the finished thing - going them up and giving it a face - but at least I got something done. I'd you want to know more about my lack of action recently, there's a new episode of In the Spire, the Cult's podcast, that goes into that. And add always, I hope to turn things around soon. #3dprinting #lego #skeleton #legoskeleton #halloween #facepaint #gettingthere #makercommunity #makersgonnamake #beinspiredwithdominic — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2IwZmdc

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | Q&A w/ FRENCH (UK)

Influenced by heavy metal, fantasy artwork, and 80′s skate graphics. artist Richard Sayer, aka FRENCH, summons through his art the images of decrepit skulls, mummified skeletons, and creatures from the deep abyss, all with a “good dose of dayglo colours.” Not only one thing, FRENCH has been taking his dark arts to various mediums from animation, claymation, printmaking to textiles. His works have been shown all over the world, his graphics have appeared for various skate companies and brands –from Creature, Independent, to Santa Cruz–, and he once had his art show in Sweden visited by band 'Entombed.‘ We’re stoked to chat with FRENCH about his art, his process, and his influences as he gears up for his upcoming art show at New Image Art Gallery Dec. 16th in LA. 

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Introduce yourself.   My name is French, well actually my real name is actually Richard Sayer, but since I was about 12 I’ve had the nick name of French and its just stuck ever since. I got the name ‘cos I bought a t-shirt on holiday in France and then when I came back I got given grief from all the other skaters for buying it. There’s a long standing resentment between the English and a the French a little like the States and Canada, so I guess it was meant as an insult to call me 'French’. I’m an artist / illustrator based in the UK, but I just spent the past 3 and half years living in Melbourne, Australia.  I make artwork for many different brands and industries, including the skate industry, fashion, print, music and advertising. 

I run a small skateboard brand with my friend Alex Irvine called Witchcraft hardware. I currently make all the artwork for an Australian brand called 'Death Rites’ run by my friend Shawn Yates.  

I exhibit my artwork widely, I have exhibited in the states, Europe, Asia, Australia, Israel and the UK. More recently my work is generally a bit darker, looks a bit like a cross between old metal album art, fantasy artwork and skate graphics from the 80’s but with a sense of humour and a good dose of dayglo colours. I’ve just started to work more with ceramics and also with animation as well. I like to work in many different fields and medias and I think that helps improve my work in all areas.

Your drawings are always filled with rad imagery like skulls, skeletons, dragons to crazy creatures.  What were your early influences art wise? I grew up surrounded by heavy metal records and music, my brother was a huge metal fan, which caused me to be. He was also super into 'Fighting Fantasy’ books, 'Warhammer’ , 'Dungeons and Dragons’ & all kinds of fantasy stuff, I think that just filtered its way into my brain and seeps out through my artwork. Obviously skateboarding and the artwork involved in that was a massive influence on me, when I was a kid I was obsessed with old Santa Cruz graphics and as I got older I was always more drawn to the skulls and puss versions of graphics, rather than the clean edge stuff. I grew up in a military town in the south of England so I think being surrounded by war monuments, soldiers and those sort of images it brought me more visually to it. My brother used to make me watch movies after school, before my mum got home from work, there would be a lot of John Carpenter movies, Arnie, horror movies of the 90’s had so many rad monster and animatronics that I think thats stuck with me as well, the covers for those old VHS tapes we seriously imaginative.  

What are your all time favorite materials you like to use? Any new mediums you’re interested in trying? I like working in pencil first and then ink over the top. Recently I’ve started to paint in colours to the artwork, I wouldn’t say it was painting as I just add areas of solid colours, nearly always dayglo or fluorescent paints. Saying its not painting, I think everything I do is drawing, for example I just started to make some ceramic pieces and I definitely come at 3D in the same way as I would drawing, but I think that makes it my own. I’m interested to see what the ceramic works come out like in the end as its still early days and I haven’t fully glazed a piece yet. 

You’ve created art for tons of things from skateboards to albums to clothing. How did you get started creating graphics or art for some of your favorite brands?  And tell us about your current or upcoming collaborations with Vans? I got started making artwork for people way back in the days when you had to show people a physical portfolio. I actually used to make post cards and small zines and then go and look up peoples details in Borders, like look in the magazines I liked for the art directors details and then send them a zine and post card and ask if I could take them my portfolio. I also used to just send people my zines and then call the office and see if they’d got it and if I could come and see them. I used to send so much stuff it was mad, it was a bit like 'if you through enough mud at the wall it starts to stick’ and I got work from a few people and from then on it kinder worked for me. 

I think the best way of getting work, is by having work. You do one job for one brand, people see it and want something from you and so on. I worked in a few different skate shops and at a skate distro as well so I got to know people at brands I liked and respected and sent them my work and then I gradually got more work in the skate industry. That’s pretty much how I got to do work for Creature, Independent, Santa Cruz, Real etc. I met Nick Street & Jasper Jones who worked for Vans europe and they started to hook me up with small jobs for Vans and gradually I got more and more through Vans, not just in Europe but also in the states and world wide. It’s funny, cos I actually worked in the Vans store when it first opened in London. 

I’m currently making work for a solo exhibition at New Image Art in Los Angeles which opens in December and Vans have very kindly offered to support the project and help me make a bunch of artwork for the show. I making drawings, animations, ceramics, enamel wall hangings, trophies, flocked screen prints and bunch of weird and wonderful merch. I’m really excited for it all, as well as stressed about making all this stuff. Recently you’ve been making some giant prints which we’ve seen on your IG.How did this come about? What’s your background with print making? How’d you get into it? The big dayglo paper ones? Yeah that was purely that I was having a few exhibitions in skate shops and smaller shop venues when I lived in Aus and I found that trying to sell original artwork to skate kids or metal heads is dumb. They can’t afford to buy originals and I can’t afford to sell it that cheap, but if I can make a print or zine and sell it for the price of a beer or a board then that audience is stoked. I’d rather be able to give something to those guys that love what I do and want to support it, but might not have a the cash to buy an original. I was working on and off at my friends printers in Melbourne and he just said that he would make me some huge digital prints on the fluro paper, the same as they used for band bill board posters and so I made a few and people seemed to dig them, so I made more. Its fun, cos its digital, theres no real set up cost and you can make as few or as many as you like. So if no one seems to like one image you can just ditch and make another. Also I really liked the bright coloured papers and the black ink, its a bit like a 1 colour black light print.  

What’s your process like for making art?  Do you keep a sketchbook or just get at it in the studio? I usually just work in my studio, in my house. I often work from reference images and pull together images and photos in photoshop and then draw from that in pencil, then re-work it again in pencil, adding the detail and finally ink it. If need extra computer stuff I scan it and do that after.

Who are some of your favorite artists you think folks should check out? Some my current fav’s are : Parker Jackson, Daniel Cantrell, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Grady Gordon, Will Sweeney, Ragnar Persson, Paul Parker, Aaron Storck.

What are your favorite kind of Vans? I always skate in black and white original old schools or sk8 hi’s, I don’t do colours. But since the new pro’s came out I’ve been really into them, the inner sole has saved my knees.  

Can you tell us your best or weirdest art story? I dunno if I have any weird ones really, its all pretty boring really, I just make artwork. I have a ton of weird skate trip stories, drunken stories, but art ones not really. Once one of the dudes from the band 'Entombed’ came to my art show in Sweden? 

What’s on the horizon for 2018? What you super stoked on coming up? I dunno yet, I’m just trying to get to the end of 2017 and make the exhibition at New Image Art the best I can. I’ll keep you posted!  

Follow FRENCH Website | www.funeralfrench.com Instagram | @funeralfrench

[mi5016liammcavoy]

speaker notes

slide 4 

Like coraline Laika used 3d printers during the production but to a far greater extent for comparison kubo had a total of 23,187 faces whereas coraline had around 6,300

Here we can see some of the faces for kubo and  ‘monkey’ as you can see by the way her face has been separated they can create thousands of possible expressions  by combining the mouth and brow sections without having to print hundreds more faces

slide 5

The clothes for a lot of the characters ,mainly Kubo, were made using tyvek ,a type of plastic that resembles paper, that was then covered in silk these characters were also built with essentially a second pair of arms connected to their sleeves that allowed the puppeteers to create the illusion of weight in the fabrics.

Bullet points

Human hair thats been combed through silicone was used on kubo and many others allowing the puppeteers to move it in natural ways

The clothes for a lot of the characters were made using tyvek ,a type of plastic that resembles paper that was then covered in silk the gave some of these character essentially a second pair of arms connected to their sleeves that allowed the puppeteers to create the illusion of weight in this fabrics.

The  fur used on ‘Monkey was combed through silicone to create the textured look you see in the film ,this technique also prevented any unwanted fur movements between frames, a bit like when you spot finger prints in clay motion, also due to the movement the character was required to make the puppeteers decided to use what director travis knight described as a sock like muscle suit over the armature which allows body her to expand and contract making her movements more believable 

slide 6

If you look closely at the character Beetle you can see they had to give him an external rig due to his design being top heavy ,he’s clearly skipped leg day, other characters were screwed into the floors.

Also if you look at Beetle’s hand you can see a small hole all the characters who had to hold props had them as they allowed the props to be screwed into the armature preventing any unwanted movements

slide 7

The designs of this film are based on classical japanese art styles including ink painting, Ukiyo-e (woodblock prints im not good at pronunciation) and origami to name a few. during an interview promoting the film director travis knight said the works of Hayao Miyazaki and Akira Kurosawa were major influences. Takiyasha’s the witch and the skeleton spectre was a major influence 

slide 8

On the left you can see an origami samurai by Taro Yaguchi compared to the ‘origami’ Hanzo seen in the film again you can see the influence traditional japanese art has had on the films style the design team also looked at traditional wood carvings as well as the printing techniques this visible in both the background items and even in some of the character faces