#Manual Brick Making Machine

[mini-uzzy]

I may or may not have started a project that will probably overwhelming me...

[snpcmachine]

Durable and easy to handle brick making machine, BMM300-310

BMM-310 is a fully automatic brick making machine. It is world first fully automatic brick making of its kind by Snpc machines private limited. The machine produces brick while moving on wheel as like a vehicle. It can produce 12000 brick per hour that is a very fast production as compared with manual production. BMM-310 is a cost reductive and eco-friendly brick making machine. It reduces not only labour requirements but also natural resources. Water requirement for brick production reduces upto one-third as compared with other methods. Bricks produced by this machine are three times stronger with 45% cost reduction. Raw material required for its working can be mud, clay or mixture of clay and flyash. Different types of brick this machine can produce are red bricks, clay bricks, flyash brick. This machine give kiln owner to produce brick independently anywhere anytime. This machine consumer 16-18 litres of fuel for its working. Other mobile brick making machines are BMM-160, BMM-400, SBM-180 with different production capacities. Consumers can order from any state, Country or can visit us for their own satisfaction. Thankyou for visiting us. For order or any query: 8826423668 https://snpcmachines.com/brick-machines/bmm310

[raytonblockmachinery]

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[headspace-hotel]

Crafting automation???

Nether-based gold farms are much more usable now because the gold nuggets could be converted into ingots or blocks possibly instead of having to do so manually

guardian farms directly making prismarine

Mega builds are significantly easier because e.g. if you want to build something that takes 3 shulks of deepslate tiles you don't have to go through the crafting recipe for EVERY stack of deepslate several times to get to tiles.

Configuring tnt duper cobble generators to make stone bricks, chiseled stone, mossy cobblestone, is now possible

Automated conversion of copper ingots to copper blocks is honestly a game changer because copper is so time consuming to work with.

Iron can be crafted into buckets which means you could theoretically hook up an iron farm to a farm that uses buckets to collect stuff and fully automate the whole thing...

AUTOMATED FOOD PRODUCTION?

automated bamboo farm that automatically converts the bamboo to blocks

AUTOMATED DYE FARM. AUTOMATED DYEING MACHINE

you could have multiple stacked tiers of farms that take the raw materials through a whole process to get to the end point.

okay i'm actually really excited about this

[another-lost-mc]

When you arrive in the Devildom as part of the student exchange program, you discover their famous AI program isn't what it seems.

feathered friends | karasu x reader

3.8k words | sfw | gn!reader | canon divergence

cw: implied social isolation/loneliness; protective thoughts/behaviours; jealousy; minor blood/violence.

feathered friends (series): part one | part two | part three (nsfw)

When Karasu designed the AI program for the D.D.D., he didn’t expect the higher-ups at the Three-Legged Crow Conglomerate would name it after him. By the time he realized it wasn’t a joke, it was already too late – the KARASU AI was born, and it was his responsibility to maintain it.

He doesn’t attend RAD anymore, but Karasu regularly communicates with Diavolo and Barbatos to ensure that the D.D.D. apps and KARASU AI are designed in correspondence with the Devildom’s long-term goals.

One of Karasu’s responsibilities is to oversee the research and technological development necessary to make communication between the realms more streamlined. In a perfect world, D.D.D. users should be able to use their device and apps outside the Devildom. This was a critical piece of Diavolo’s plan for future students coming from the Celestial Realm and human world to attend RAD.

When the exchange program commences and the students are given D.D.D.s of their own, Karasu oversees their files personally. He tracks their data usage and AI requests to understand how humans and angels interact with Devildom technology. He studies which apps they use the most, and which apps or features they don’t have but might find useful.

Diavolo is most concerned with the types of questions and requests they make of the KARASU AI program. He’s equally concerned about their satisfaction with the Devildom as well as their safety. A newcomer to the Devildom may not have the courage to come forward to a demon about a concern they have, but they might ask the AI instead.

It’s Karasu’s responsibility to sift through the questions and requests the students make while using the AI program. He compiles the data for analysis later, and he forwards any concerning messages to Barbatos or Lucifer directly for follow-up.

Karasu learns quickly that certain students are less capable with technology than others.

From: Karasu@TLC.dev To: Lucifer@RAD.dev CC: Barbatos@RAD.dev

Subject: Exchange Student (Simeon – Purgatory Hall)

Based on the data collected so far, it seems that this student is having difficulty using his D.D.D. properly. Immediate action is recommended to prevent further data corruption.

Thank you.

(Despite his warning, Karasu had to replace Simeon’s D.D.D. after the angel managed to brick the device.)

Out of all the exchange students, you’re the one that interacts with the KARASU AI bot the most. Most of your questions are about human world apps and whether you can access or use them in the Devildom. Even though you can’t – and the AI relays that response to you – Karasu notes what apps you’re trying to access, and whether it’s worth developing Devildom alternatives.

(Karasu chuckles when he reads the logs and sees that you’ve asked for a Devildom version of a VPN to access human world websites - how cute! But no, that’s not possible yet.)

From: Lucifer@RAD.dev To: Karasu@TLC.dev CC: Barbatos@RAD.dev Subject: Request for equipment

Please be advised that I have received a request for a computer from the human exchange student residing in the House of Lamentation. They have been provided with one of RAD’s laptop computers (#302) to use for the duration of their stay.

Karasu is monitoring data at his desk when you start asking the AI bot about setting up your new (borrowed) laptop. He can see the two issues right away: the laptop is an older model that doesn't run very well, and you’re unfamiliar with the Devildom operating system installed on that machine.

Karasu disables the bot and takes over manually so he can type instructions and answer your questions instead. He tells himself that it’ll be less frustrating for you this way. He can imitate the bot’s speech patterns easily since they are based on his own. If anyone questions his decision, he can tell them the simple truth: this is more efficient.

With his help, you get the game you want to play installed and running – barely. But you seem genuinely happy, and you thank him with such gratitude he feels a little flustered. He assumes it’s part of your human nature to talk to a piece of technology like it’s a living being.

(He’s glad that he normally works alone – he doesn’t have to explain the bashful smile on his face to anyone.)

After that, Karasu overrides the AI bot more often so he can interact with you personally. He still tells himself it’s more efficient this way - you have such a curious nature, and he enjoys helping you. He feels like it’s his personal responsibility to make sure you’re able to use his software properly - at least, that’s the plausible explanation he tells himself to justify his unusual interest in you.

It also has nothing to do with your requests about job opportunities, or ways to acquire money to pay for things you seem to be missing.

(He starts monitoring your Akuzon search history to make sure Lucifer is aware of any necessities you might be lacking.)

It definitely has nothing to do with his concern for you, even though you’ve admitted (more than once) that you feel isolated in the Devildom without any contact with your friends or family. Part of him wonders if you interact with the AI bot so often because you’re lonely. Do you feel comfortable talking to him – it – more than the demons you live with?

He thinks about you often and decides there’s no harm letting whatever this is continue. If he feels eager anticipation for the next time you want his help – well, that’s what he’s here for, isn’t it?

Sometimes when you ask the AI bot silly questions, Karasu will give you silly answers. (You have such a nice laugh.)

“Karasu, why does Mammon gamble so much when he’s so bad at it? I think he’s being strung up again…”

KARASU AI: Well, you know what they say – go big, or go home. Unfortunately for Mammon, he goes home to Lucifer.

Karasu doesn’t realize how comfortable he’s gotten speaking to you like this, and he doesn’t realize you’re becoming suspicious of the AI bot. Sometimes the responses you receive are too intuitive, like it can read between the lines of the questions you’re asking. Sometimes it makes witty or sarcastic remarks that feel too real.

You know technology has come a long way, but you doubt even the Devildom’s AI is capable of reproducing sentient conversation the way the KARASU AI does. When you borrow the angels’ phones to compare your bot responses to the ones Luke and Simeon receive, you know there’s something strange going on.

“Karasu, you’re not really a bot, are you?”

KARASU AI: …do you want me to be?

“I would feel better knowing that someone I talk to on a regular basis is a real live demon, instead of a fake one that lives inside my phone.”

He’s caught off-guard by your confession. He’s an old demon, well-known and respected within the Devildom for his work, but he’s not very sociable. He has many acquaintances but no one he would consider a friend. Perhaps the hope of friendship is the true motivation that’s kept him interested in you this whole time?

Whatever the reason is, Karasu accesses the Contacts directory on your D.D.D. profile and adds his own personal contact information. He feels bad for deceiving you, and he sends you a message with a heartfelt apology. You seem so excited to be talking to him - the real him - that his guilt doesn’t last for very long.

You: Since your name is Karasu, won’t that confuse the bot if I’m trying to talk to you instead?

Karasu: I admit that I didn’t anticipate this situation. Perhaps I can modify the name triggers for the bot, but that will take some time to test before I can patch the AI software on your device.

You: Do you have a nickname I can call you instead?

Karasu: I don’t have many friends, so I’ve never needed one.

Karasu: That is to say, I don’t have a nickname.

Karasu: Many nicknames seem juvenile, but for you…I think I would make an exception.

Karasu: If you find it more convenient, of course.

You: Definitely, it’s all about convenience. Sure.

You: How does Kay sound to you?

Karasu: I think I like it very much.

You: :D

Karasu: :)

(He doesn’t tell you how much he treasures the name you gave him as a sign of friendship. He cherishes it and is fiercely protective of it; only you are allowed to call him that from now on.)

Karasu starts to consider you a friend when you text him about how classes are going, or the things in the Devildom that amaze you (and frighten you). Sometimes he calls you in the evenings once he’s done his work for the day, and he enjoys relaxing conversations with you while he makes himself dinner.

You convince him to play a multiplayer game with you, and he doesn’t have the heart to tell you that he dislikes video games. He’s grateful for your company instead, and he surprises himself that he doesn’t mind making simple concessions if it means spending more time with you.

One evening you’re playing a game together after you finished your homework. You disconnect from the game suddenly. He calls you and walks you through the troubleshooting steps when your school laptop shuts down and won’t turn back on. He knows that the machine is an older model and, based on your feedback, he makes an educated guess that it’s no longer usable. 

“I’m worried Lucifer will think I had something to do with this,” you confess to him quietly. You’ve been lucky and avoided his punishments so far, but you don’t want to make a bad impression now.

Karasu is already drafting an email on your behalf so that any concerns Lucifer has about the school’s faulty equipment will go to him instead of you. “I’ve mentioned to the RAD administration in the past that some of their technology needs to be updated. There’s no need to worry - you won't be blamed for this.”

You chuckle quietly. “I’ll miss playing games with you,” and you realize it’s a silly thing to admit, but you can’t help it. “I’ve tried to invite Levi to play games with me, but he usually ignores me. I’m not sure he likes me very much.”

Leviathan isn’t the most sociable of the seven brothers you live with, and Karasu feels disappointed on your behalf that they might not be treating you well. You’re such a nice, warm human. What problem could Leviathan possibly have with you?

“I’ll think of a better solution for you so that you’re not without a computer for long,” Karasu says, trying his best to reassure you. “And I guarantee it’ll be more dependable than the paperweight of a machine they gave you before.”

Karasu’s heart races long after your phone call finally ends. He thinks about you often, more than he probably should, and he tells himself it’s out of concern. You’re still a stranger to the Devildom and he knows you struggle to find your place within it.

He thinks about your busy schedule that’s full of classes at RAD, followed by the chores you share with your demon roommates. He thinks about how difficult it might be for someone of your status to get a decent-paying job, or to save enough money for a replacement computer of your own. 

He thinks about your problems, and he knows how he can help. The simplest solution is usually best, after all.

Two days later, he’s finishing some coding updates for the KARASU AI bot when he picks up your incoming call. He can’t help the laughter that bubbles out of him when you thank him, loudly and excitedly, over the phone.

“Kay, what did you do?!” You came home from RAD and found several large, heavy boxes from Akuzon stacked near your room. The gift receipt for all the pieces to build your new computer said it was from Your Friend.

Your happiness is contagious and he can’t stop smiling. “I’m hoping we’ll have more uninterrupted game nights together,” he teases. “I suggest you put it together and test everything to make sure none of the parts are defective.”

He frowns worriedly when you sigh, and your voice is a bit deflated, lacking the joyful enthusiasm from only a few moments ago. “I’m not great with building computers like this,” you admit. “I asked Levi for help, and he said – well, he told me he was busy,” you mumble awkwardly, and you hope your lie is convincing.

Your ignorance of technology - especially Devildom technology - irritated Levi when he noticed that someone sent you a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art computer. All you had to do was put it together, and you couldn’t even do that! He sneered and told you he wasn’t going to help you if you couldn’t figure it out on your own. When Levi stomped off towards the stairs to his room, he was still grumbling about normies and stupid humans and what a waste of space you are.

Despite your effort to hide the truth from him, Karasu can tell you’re not being completely honest. You’re not a very good liar, and if it were about something less serious, he would let it slide. Instead, he thinks about what he knows about Leviathan - the Avatar of Envy, the anti-social self-proclaimed otaku that viciously guards his interests. Karasu can imagine how the demon treated you when he realized what was in those boxes.

He knows how hard you’re trying to get closer to the demons you live with, and it seems that Leviathan purposefully stonewalls all your attempts to find common ground. It’s not the first time you’ve mentioned it, and it might not be the last unless something changes.

This is another problem he believes he can solve for you.

“Don’t worry about it tonight,” Karasu suggests, and he changes the subject to distract you. You tell him about one of the RAD classes you’ve been enjoying and some of the nice classmates you’ve met. 

After you go to bed, Karasu feels lonely without your voice in his ear. He thinks about your situation with Leviathan, and he feels indignant on your behalf. He ignores the twinges of rage that make his fingers twitch with the urge to defend you. He decides he can - should - fix this without bloodshed. It doesn’t take long to access Leviathan’s device history, and his lips twitch into a sharp smile when he finds what he’s looking for.

Karasu is suspiciously less talkative the next day, even though he still responds to your text messages. He tells you an amusing anecdote about Simeon sending Barbatos photo-spam of the inside of his pocket by accident, but otherwise he’s quieter than usual.

You try not to take it personally, but it’s difficult not to worry about his sudden change in demeanor. You glance worriedly at the boxes near your desk and wonder if he regrets getting to know you. Maybe he’s realizing later than everyone else that you’re really as useless as Levi says you are–

The sound of the doorbell echoing in the hallway scares you. The House of Lamentation doesn’t receive many visitors, and some of the demon brothers are just as curious as you when you head to the front hall.

Lucifer is the first to arrive and opens the door. “Karasu,” he says, obviously surprised, “we weren’t expecting you. I take it this isn't an official visit?” Even though Lucifer is visibly confused by his sudden appearance, he steps aside and lets in the unexpected visitor.

You’ve tried to imagine what Karasu might look like. Part of you wondered if he was just a large talking crow, but the thought seems ridiculous now. He’s shorter than the demons you live with, and his form-fitting suit compliments and accentuates his slender build. You’re captivated by his deep red pupils and dark sclera behind the glasses he wears. You assume his wings are only visible when he's in his true demonic form because you see none now.

He still looks more monstrous than the other demons you’ve met so far. Before coming to the Devildom, you might’ve found him terrifying. Instead, you’re just excited to finally meet him. You offer him a bashful grin, and he turns to you properly, offering you a bow and small but genuine smile.

He straightens and clears his throat, addressing Lucifer properly who watches your exchange with wary amusement - Karasu isn't known for making friends.

“I’ve come to help my dear friend with some technical concerns,” his eyes flickering briefly in Leviathan’s direction. “I hope that’s not a problem.”

Lucifer seems satisfied and they exchange a few more pleasantries. Eventually he and the rest of his brothers disperse.

“You didn’t have to come all this way for me,” you remind him nervously when you're alone with him. You already felt guilty before, and now he’s here because of you–

But he steps forward and places his hands on your shoulders and squeezes them gently. “I came because I wanted to come,” he admits, and his eyes gaze into yours with so much sincerity that you believe him.

You lead him to your room, and you’re thankful it’s not a complete mess when you let him inside. He looks around your room with interest, glancing at the books on your shelves and the small stack of movies you’ve been watching. He’s happy to see your room is comfortable, although the stack of Akuzon boxes take up a lot of space.

He should’ve offered to do this for you from the start.

Karasu slides off his jacket and drapes it over your bedspread, and he rolls up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. He opens the boxes carefully, inspecting each computer component for damage and explaining how the different pieces should be assembled. He takes care of putting together the complicated parts himself, but he guides you through some of the simpler steps.

He realizes that it’s so satisfying doing this with you. You’re even funnier in person, and you don’t shy away from casual touches - brushing against him when you reach for something, touching his arm when you thank him for coming. He’s not used to this kind of attention, especially since you offer him compliments and praise and kind words so freely.

There’s a warm current of emotion simmering under his skin. He recognizes what it is - attraction, desire, overwhelming need - and it blindsides him. He hasn’t felt this way for anyone in so long. How did things between you lead to this?

When your new computer is set up and working perfectly, he tries to shove aside those thoughts so he can bask in your excitement instead. He enjoys your pleasant company and he wishes he could stay with you, but he has one more task to accomplish while he's here.

“I need to have a word with Lucifer before I go,” he murmurs apologetically, a small lie but a necessary one. When your face falls, he adds quickly, “I’m not leaving just yet, but I don’t want to disturb him too late in the evening.”

You walk him to your door and point down the hall where he might find Lucifer in the library or his private study. You offer to go with him, but he insists that he’ll be fine. He wants you to stay and enjoy your gift instead. 

Karasu walks slowly down the hall, humming quietly while his shoes click lightly against the floor. He studied the layout of the House of Lamentation before he arrived and knows exactly where to go. He breezes past the library, heading towards the stairs leading to the second floor instead. He finds who he’s looking for before he gets there.

Leviathan is surprised to see him wandering around the house alone, but his expression quickly shutters into a frown. He ignores Karasu instead and tries to push past the crow demon blocking his path.

There’s a small gust of air and a metallic swish, and Leviathan walks into one of Karasu's wings, a barrier of steel-hardened black feathers that appears out of nowhere. He jumps back and hisses in pain. One of the feathers scratched his arm, and he covers it with his hand to stop blood from dripping on the floor.

“WHAT THE–” Levi begins to yell, but Karasu interrupts him before he can draw too much attention.

“Your pettiness surprises me, even though I know envy is your specialty,” he lectures him quietly, “but I would reconsider your treatment of our mutual acquaintance. You let your feelings get the better of you, and they only want to be your friend.”

Leviathan’s face crumples into an ugly sneer and looks ready to argue, but Karasu is undeterred.

What a petulant child.

Karasu leans forward, crowding into Leviathan's space, and whispers, “May I remind you, incognito mode doesn’t hide your secrets - not from me.” Leviathan inhales sharply when the threat sinks in. Karasu smiles at him, all teeth and no humor, then steps back. His feathers return to their natural texture before his wings disappear completely.

“Good evening, Leviathan,” Karasu says when he finally moves aside to let him pass. Leviathan turns around and storms back up the stairs to his room instead.

When Karasu walks back to your room, he feels invincible. He protected you and he would do it again, gladly - whether you asked him to or not. He cares for you now, perhaps more than he should. He wants to care for you even more and refuses to feel guilty about it.

It’s getting late and he has to be cautious not to overstay his welcome. He has too many overwhelming feelings to untangle when he’s alone, but now that he’s met you, he’s loathed to be parted from you for long.

He thinks it’s so sweet that you walk him to the front door when it’s time to finally leave. “I hope we can see each other again soon,” you admit, and you try not to pout. “I had fun spending time with you tonight, and I can’t thank you enough…for everything.”

Karasu tilts your chin towards him when you look away, and he smiles reassuringly so you know there’s no reason to feel embarrassed. He hopes you feel the same eager anticipation he does when he asks, “Would you like to join me for dinner this weekend?”

Your happy grin and flushed cheeks answer for you, and when he finally leaves you, it’s with the promise that you’ll see him again very soon.

read more: karasu masterlist | obey me masterlist

[artbyblastweave]

Just watched Free Guy. As is the case with all Ryan Reynolds vehicles, I thought it was reasonably good. Corny at points. But one thing I found genuinely charming was the level of verisimilitude baked into the plot and premise; the writing and art people were both clearly familiar with both the mechanics of MMOS like Free City and the game industry more broadly. 

Taika Waititi’s character- a craven “whiz kid” who uses his power over his subordinates to make an ass of himself playing at being hip, is a Kind Of Guy. The Joe Keery vessel and Millie- Bright Young Developers Eaten By The Machine- are kinds of guys, in Game-Dev. (Hi, ZA/UM!) The kind of off-the-beaten-path player that Guy becomes- and the stark light it throws the actual intended gameplay loop into- is a thing you see constantly in big MMOs where players try to see what the actual affordances of the framework are.  (You saw this a lot with Fallout 76, and the sinking playerbase discovery that it was all violence all the way down.)

The plot point that the stolen content was inadequately dummied out and just left out of bounds for the heroes to discover is something that would look like shitty, overly convenient writing until you remember the ubiquity of lazy dummy-outs and weird legacy code in real life game-dev (and how pointedly lazy the villain who did it was established to be.) The early plot point about the developers going in with cheat-mode enabled to try and root Guy out manually feels like a “NCIS hacking” moment until you remember those old-school MMO stories about developers having to try and go in and manually kill hackers because the only other way to get rid of them would be to scrub the server. EVE online and World Of Warcraft are a mill for stories about emergent systems and dynamics that spiral out of player and developer control. Guy is able to win the end-game fight against Dude because despite being massively overpowered Dude was thrown together in Crunch Time and Guy had years to emerge organically in conversation with the rest of his system.

And-this is crucial- this is the first “video game movie” to successfully bridge what I think of as the “granularity gap” in fictional depictions of video games. The granularity gap is when the in-game worlds are shown with an absurd level of fidelity- avatars having the ability to interact with the environment with the same fluidity and articulation as a human in real life, et al et al. This is done either for the gag (see that one episode of Community Where Abed turns a retro RPG into a factory sim as a bit) or because the writers genuinely don’t have the frame of reference for the limitations on how in-depth a game would be. Either way I’ve watched a bunch of “stuck in a game world” shows where my first reaction is always, “yeah, there’s very little chance a consumer game would have that level of brick-by-brick simulation.” 

In Free Guy, this disconnect is elevated to the status of plot point; the universe of the game was mechanistically engineered with Dwarf-fortress levels of commitment to reproducing reality by a pair of neurotic auteurs doing it for the art. The mass-market, run-and-gun cash-grab GTA clone has such unrealistically complicated under-the-hood modelling because a craven goon butchered a system meant for more interesting emergent behaviors in order to make a marketable shooter that doesn’t use even a sliver of what the engine was coded to allow. If you assume a Black-Mirror-style near-future, this falls back within my suspension of disbelief; even if not, it’s thematically within my suspension of disbelief that a “kiss” functionality exists within NPCS but got dummied out on the player-end because it would detract from over-the-top clownshow streamer-bait violence.

[greatwyrmgold]

More updates on the factory!

First, a weird problem I was having: Attacks from the rear. Allow me to diagram how I expected things to go with my iron outpost.

("Rockup" is the stone brick pick-up station for that stone outpost I mentioned needing to build.)

Here's how it actually went.

Experienced Factorio players can probably guess where this is going, but I didn't see it coming.

It turns out, Problems will just path to whatever machines caused the pollution they're reacting to, instead of attacking whatever miners or pumpjacks they come across. If I'd figured that out before covering the backside of the iron outpost with turrets, I could have just fortified that path Problems would need to take, which would have been a more elegant solution. But I had other problems.

First, power outages. Second, plastic shortages. Third, copper smelting. Fourth, grenades (for military science). What do all of these have in common? Coal.

Part of the problem is, unsurprisingly, power. The power outages came shortly after I expanded power production, ironically enough. And since I did so in a slightly spaghetti-ish manner...might as well share.

Anyways, the coal outpost is simple. Miners, laser turrets, a few gun turrets I slapped down in case biters came before I plugged in the laser turrets, train station. The interesting bit there is that I ran out of rails before I could finish the train.

I had some semi-automated rail production at the old stone mine; I had to feed it steel and iron manually, but it handled the rest while I wandered around doing other stuff. That was fine for a while, but I'll need to automate rails soon for purple science anyway, so I might as well set up a proper solution. Especially since stone and iron products are so far from each other.

I was going to set up a train car to deliver iron and steel to the stone outpost, when I noticed something.

There's iron on-site. And an advantage of using this iron ore instead of shipping in metal is that I can put aside some iron ore and stone to make concrete! Of course, for the actual rails I'll need to smelt a lot of that iron ore into iron (and most of that iron into steel), and concrete needs water, and this is quickly turning into a big project that will bring me even closer to biter territory...

...but before I think of setting up a decent defensive perimeter of some kind, I need to remind myself why I'm doing this. I need to make rails, so that I can connect the coal to the main base, which has barely enough coal to maintain its power supply but not enough for production.

I don't need to set up a big defensive line to protect a multi-product outpost to support large-scale rail production. Right now, what I need is enough rails to fix the coal supply, and feeding a temporary assembler array with all the steel in my inventory and half the iron makes more than enough.

Though feeding it all my steel and not returning to the main base to resupply has consequences. Like not being able to put chests in the coal loading station.

The inserters are doing fine for now, I guess. I can fill in the chests once I've finished the dropoff station.

To the left is the preexisting coal dropoff system, to the right is iron. In the middle is the old copper patch, still supplying the base with more copper than it needs. Certainly more than it could smelt!

With these basic resources, plus oil and bricks (not displayed), the base has everything it needs to produce the first four tiers of science pack. And while I'm sure I could bolt the last three into the spaghetti somewhere, this spaghetti was supposed to be a starter base.

And blue science unlocks most of the basic production stuff. There's still Kovarex enrichment and better modules and weapons and power armor and numerical bonuses and space, but for the core factory-designing stuff? I've got it all.

So I guess I need to start designing a real base.

[cyborg-hydra-girl-thing]

I love Warframe, so much.

The super fluid, only touch the ground to start another parkour sequence, the floor is lava, bouncing off walls and flying across rooms and down hallways style of movement.

The >utterly overwhelming< number of weapons available. Primaries range from bows (Paris, Dread) to rocket launchers (ogris) grenade launchers (penta, tonkor), a handheld laser cannon (opticor), spicy bows (Lenz and Bramma are both rocket launchers cosplaying as bows), an 18th century naval cannon (zarr), machine guns with a 200 round magazine (soma prime) and machine guns that get more accurate the longer you fire (Tenora my beloved), innately suppressed smg (baza). You want a chaining lightning gun that will kill the guy you’re aiming at, and the next two rooms of people via daisy chains? Amprex. if you need a tactical weapon for grouping enemies the Mutalist cernos shoots an arrow full of grabby tentacles that brings enemies together for group hugs. Do you need a rifle to hunt cthulu T-Rexes (eidolons)? Rubico (Prime) or, my favorite, Kuva Chakkhurr - a black powder musket that shoots moderately slow projectiles, high skill high reward, you land a shot, it’s gonna feel it. Here’s a goody - Tigris (Prime) - it’s a double barreled shotgun, with a duplex trigger - you squeeze the trigger, it fires one round, you release the trigger, it fires the second! really interesting to play with, though with the changes to shotgun status a few years ago it’s no longer the powerhouse it was, though quite potent. Phenmor is also one of my favorites, a precision semi auto rifle, land a couple headshots to charge it, and it evolves into an archgun (gun for mecha or exosuits, bigger, and badder) that’s basically a minigun. Corinth (prime) is cool, primary fire is crit based shotgun, alt fire shoots an air burst grenade you can manually detonate over enemies heads (prime version, regular corinth is locked at 20m detonation). Kohm is an auto shotgun that spoils up like a minigun, the higher the spool the more pellets it shoots, very ammo hungry, but man if it isn’t satisfying to point down a hallway and watch it fill with red mist. Astilla is a shotgun that shoots glass slugs that explode on impact. Arcs Plasmor shoots solid walls of energy. like straight up, point down hallway, and you shoot a bright blue (ur energy color) brick wall of plasma. you can’t miss. Simulor is a gun that shoots miniature black holes. Trumna charges it’s alt fire with the literal souls of the enemies you kill. Shedu and Bubonico are the weapon arm cannons of sentient (enemy robot faction) that we ripped off and stole.

secondaries are have a bit less variety, but we’ve still got oodles of goodies

Pandero, a pocket sniper rifle, this lil handcannon is hella accurate for reaching out to touch someone, and alt fire dumps the entire magazine in an automatic burst. Laetum is the cooler pandero, land a few headshots and it evolves into an automatic assault rifle. Lex (Prime) was my starchart clearing gun, back in the day. space deagle. Nukor (and it’s cooler older sister Kuva Nukor (Kukor)) are similar to the amprex in that they chain to enemies, however they also have the quirk of having the highest critical damage in the game, with the lowest critical chance. (there’s shenanigans you can do to force them to crit, making them devestating). Pyrana (Prime) is an auto shotgun, it’s got high spread and high rate of fire, but get in their face and drop mag and see the magic. Zakti (Prime) shoots small needles that explode in clouds of aoe gas after a moment, really good for priming status effects and swapping to melee or primary to take advantage of. Euphona Prime - look, i love it, it’s not great, you gotta build it exclusively for the slug firemode or for the shotgun fire mode. it’s really cool, you should try it if you can, but it’s solidly just okay. Sepulcrum feeds on the souls of its victims to power its alt fire, and it’s just a massive beefy fuckin pistol straight out of 40K. Tenet Spirex force procs impact, and with the hemorrhage mod you can guarantee you turn some of those impact procs into bleed procs for DOT damage. Athodai is straight up like retro sci-fi laser pistol, it shoots beams, and alt fire has a big burst of energy aoe in front of you. Twin Kohmak are like the kohm, but smaller, and akimbo, for pocket dakka. Twin Grakata MOAR DAKKA. A beloved meme gun in the warframe community. just two fuckin bullet hoses that will eat your ammo faster than you can find it. truly one of the guns of all time, and a joy to fire.

and don’t think for a moment i’m going to forget about melees lmao.

we got Nikanas (space katana - nikana (prime) , skiajati ), we got greatswords(Gram (prime), Galatine (prime)), we got throwing glaives(Glaive(prime) Xoris), we got gun blades (like think those bizarre renaissance era swords with guns built into the hilts? got it? yeah, those, but space-y. redeemer (prime), sarpa), we have claws (venka) , we have sword & board (silva & aegis) scythes (reaper prime), hammers (heliocor, jat kittag), dual blades up the wazoo, single daggers, dual daggers, fist weapons, fist and feet weapons, war fans (quassus, arum spinosa), staves (Bo, pupacyst), tonfa (kronen), a gigantic saw (ghoulsaw), rapiers (endura, ), blade & whips (atterax, lacera)

[andsewingishalfthebattle]

Are sewing machine viruses a thing? How about curses?? Hauntings???

In the past 36 hours, I have had ALL THREE of my sewing machines randomly stop looping the bobbin thread, making them functionally useless. It's happened with different thread, different fabric, different needles, different presser feet, and I have NO FREAKING CLUE why it happened or how to fix it. I have cleaned and checked all user-serviceable areas of the machines and can't find anything wrong.

Any sewing machine gurus out there have suggestions? Google hasn't been helpful, and my only other option is to hit it with a brick.

At this point I am less than a week out from ACEN with no way to actually finish my costume. I have one machine left to try (a vintage Husqvarna that hasn't been tested since it fell out of a car onto pavement), but since 3 of 3 machines are down, I'm not holding out a lot of hope for that one. T_T

(For reference, the machines that are down include two computerized Husqvarna Vikings and a fully manual Juki.)

[dreamingofbabylon]

she's soooooooooooo cute 💔💔💔 and sooooo gross and yucky disgusting and I am giving her a bath 🖤 at work the other chandler tacker of a similar model is in the hospital (get well soon my beloved 💔). This one has been in storage for over 20 years, so I got to rescue her to clean her up and see if she works.

I hadn't heard of these before working here but they're really neat. This one is a 600-75D Tackmaster. I'm not sure when it was made, but the manual was printed in 1972 and they were already making the 700 series by then too.

I think industrial commercial machines like this are cool cause they do like exactly one thing. very well. forever. For household use, most people today look for one versatile, user-friendly machine that can do a little of everything. an essay about planned obsolescence and right-to-repair is for another day. but suffice to say, they are completely different beasts.

In many workshop or production settings, you'll find a lot of machines set to do a specific task. buttonholes at this table, blind hemming at that one, straight stitching over there, etc.

The Tackmaster tacks. Just a tiny little front-to-back stitch and that's how it's earned its keep for over 50 years. This one, and a lot of other ones that do similar stitches, is a cycle machine. so you hit the pedal, and it automatically moves through a stitch cycle, then stops. absolute brick shithouse of a machine. she's SO heavy and so cool and I love her. it's been an honor dissecting and reanimating you, bestie

[penguinmerchant]

I love your posts about ficbinding, your work is gorgeous! I’m thinking about try my hand at it as well, and wanted to ask if you were willing to share what equipment you use? You mention a guillotine - did you buy it for binding specifically and if so what kind? I’ve looked at renegade publishing but there is less easily available info about where people are getting their tools/equipment.

Thanks for sharing your process and talent!!

Oh yes, I'm happy to share everything! So I did buy a guillotine specifically for binding, but it was something I found on Facebook marketplace, and so I'm not sure it'll be too much help in that regard. It's a Dahle 852 paper cutter and I got it for $200 (a $1500 machine! I was so excited to find it!) but it doesn't actually cut that well (which is probably why it was so cheap). It doesn't cut straight, the replacement blades are $200 and it doesn't have a mechanism to hold down the paper while the blade cuts, which is really important for straight cuts. If I had to do it again I'd probably go with something like this, which is the same price and I think would work very well. I'll probably do this rather than buy a replacement blade for the big guy. There's also manual ways of trimming a text block, but I have absolutely 0 patience for things like that so I can't help you there.

I bought my paper at Church's paper, I get the 11x17 paper and cut it in half so the grain goes the right way. Plus you get twice as much paper that way! People say you can call and they'll cut it for you but that requires talking to people on the phone, so I just cut it myself with my (not quite straight) guillotine.

The rest of the tools I get from Talas/Hollanders. A bone folder and a good exacto blade like this are musts. Talas has the duo bookcloth that I love so much. Both places sell Davey board. Be ready for sticker shock on the shipping prices if you buy from there, but there's really no better place to get this stuff. Most of my endpapers come from Mulberry, they have such a huge assortment of stuff and at great prices.

Oh and lastly the Cricut--I already had a Cricut before I started bookbinding, it's an older Explore Air model (like...from 2018?) but it still works great. I think a cricut or some sort of paper cutter like that (silhouette, cameo, etc) are necessary to get the kind of cool covers that make a book look so cool. I bought mine new but be careful buying these used, I've heard stories about how Cricut can remotely brick machines.

Oh oh oh and lastly (this time seriously) I did take a bookbinding class to get started on this BUT I think that DAS bookbinding over at youtube is probably more helpful. The class was good because I could use their materials before deciding if I wanted to buy my own but DAS really cemented how to do good work. Even after taking the class I had to watch his videos like twenty times, they're really very informative and detailed.

Anyway, that's all I could think of off the top of my head! Let me know if you have any other questions I'll be more than happy to answer.

[darthkvznblogs]

Does the Technokinesis of Hephaestus and his demigods work on alien tech? Or even Geth and Cybertronian bodies?

Interesting question; magic and tech don't mix very well in general - a high concentration of magical energy usually fries electronics, particularly very complex ones and/or those with wireless components. It's kind of an understated rule of this crossover setting, and a big part of what makes Doctor Doom so powerful and dangerous - he's one of the only people in the universe who's figured out how to fully combine the two without causing either to malfunction.

(twice over, even. More details in the next Supergirl chapter...)

Hephaestus' magic is sort of an exception, though I don't think the disruptive element is ever really eliminated - the best machines Hephaestus and his kids can make are usually built with materials already imbued with magic, like Celestial Bronze, which very nearly nullifies the potential for malfunctions. That chance would slightly worsen with regular human tech, it would become significantly unstable with advanced machines, and so on.

Basically if Leo walked into CERN and his divine power interacted with the tech there it'd probably end up creating that black hole people are so worried about.

Adding an alien element wouldn't necessarily worsen things, but it would make them more chaotic - alien tech + human magic and alien magic + human tech is a recipe for very unpredictable results. It could be as simple as bricking the alien tech or as dangerous as a spontaneous tear in space-time.

Note that this applies to directly manipulating tech by magical means, though; if a child of Hephaestus were to only use their divine power to understand a piece of tech but worked on it with some good ol' regular manual effort and tinkering, they wouldn't trigger any adverse reactions.

All of this is to say that, yeah, Hephaestus' magic would be able to interact with alien synthetic beings. It would most likely produce a critical malfunction in the subject, though, or some other adverse effect, so the better option would be to merely use that power to know how to best fix or upgrade the subject's existing parts/systems.

[snpcmachine]

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[raytonblockmachinery]

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[marble-mountain]

Cycles of Norse Mythology by Glenn Searfoss

About the Book:

These stories are old, old as the Behmer Wold and seldom in life has there been such a brewing...

Cycles of Norse Mythology captures the passion, cruelty, and heroism of an ancient world. Encompassing Odin’s relentless pursuit of wisdom across the nine worlds, Gullveig’s malicious death at the hands of the Æsir that sparks a brutal war with the Vanir, Thor’s battles against the giants of Jotunheim, the tragedy of Volund, the many devious machinations of Loki, and the inescapable events of Ragnarök, this lyrical re-imagining of the Norse myths presents the gripping adventures of the Norse gods and their foes in a style to delight modern readers of all ages.

A detailed glossary provides a quick reference to the meaning behind names and terms used in the book. A Source Reference is included for persons who want to delve deeper into the study of Norse mythology.

Reviews:

“Searfoss brilliantly captures the voice of ancient Norse myths through a stunning writing style and characters who deliver astonishing tales about the time of gods and creation. The tales are divided into cycles, with the events occurring based around themes of prophecy, victory, vengeance, premonitions, Ragnarok, and the relationship between gods and men. The stories are brought to life with well-crafted details and vivid characters as Searfoss reimaginines the beginnings of well-known Norse characters. Several of the characters featured include Loki, Thor, Freyja, Sif, and Odin, each of whose origins are explored as well as their victories and struggles.” 

~ Elizabeth Konkel, Seattle Book Review

Full Review

“There are many stories about the Norse realm. Only a few are common and easily accessible. Glenn Searfoss gives readers access to more than just the common ones. The reader gets more dimensions with regards to the characters in the fictional universe. This book is a rewrite of the stories on Norse mythology with a fresh voice and packed with exciting tid bits. The book offers a revamped look at all the suffering, victories and battles of the characters in Norse mythology accompanied by a glossary for a better reading experience.” 

~ Literary Titan

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Engaging storytelling transports the reader to a different time/place/viewpoint and encourages their exploration of a subject.

A professional writer of 30+ years, Glenn Searfoss has authored numerous technical manuals, as well as books in the arenas of computer science, natural history, science fiction, and mythology.

Glenn lives with his wife in a turn-of-the-century, brick farm house in Colorado, USA. When not busy making a living, he gardens, works on the house (there is always something to work on with an old house), reads classic and not-so-classic literature and does research for new book projects.

Edda's and Sagas of the Northland recount epic struggles for control of the world. In this land lost amid the cycles of time, canny gods battle shrewd giants, while valiant heroes struggle against honorable foes. Comprised of over 100 stories, Cycles of Norse Mythology takes the reader on a thrilling exploration of the Norse Universe as the Gods and Giants are exposed in their complex interactions. From creation of the world to its violent ending, this comprehensive re-imagining breathes life and modern relevance into the Norse gods and their foes. Cycles of Norse Mythology is the culmination of 16 years intensive study of Norse myths that involved consuming research literature and story compilations published from the late 1700's to the present. Through engaging, lyrical storytelling, this work presents the author's interpretation of the subject matter. It is frustratingly easy to find out what happened to Odin, Thor, and Loki at Ragnarök, but not the other participants in the battle, nor the goddesses and the animals that populated their world. Delving into this world prompted the inevitable who, what, where, and why questions, which required more background and more tales from earlier in the mythology. So, the scope of this work lengthened over the years to encompass the entire breadth of Norse Mythology.

[madrcams]

I kept forgetting about this but it’s time to stop that. A ref/mockup of what Mado’s house looks like in the Super Mario Bros verse!

A small, but average-looking and nice little house, composed mostly of what you’d expect from the Toads’ houses in the neighborhood: Bricks, wood and cement finish. The outside is mostly tinted a salmon rose.

It’s difficult to peer into the house because all windows and look-ins (including the front door’s) are usually covered by curtains-- which is a little unusual as most Toads are very open with their houses and sometimes don’t even mind an acquaintance just inviting themselves in, but it’s nothing considered too weird either. All of the pictures and portraits found within the house are of abstract art or generally scenery, no shots of people.

OUTSIDE

Front yard - One of the most ‘minimal’ parts of the small property. Lush trimmed grass, planted patches of flowers beneath both front windows, a little bird fountain with a wooden bird house by the corner close to the fence that surrounds the property, mail box near the fence door, and lastly, a miniature herbal garden, for things like lavender and fennel. Sometimes Mado’s bike can be seen sitting here, and the foot of the entrance is kept with a rug/mat with her trademark checkered window symbol, as a hint to foretell who this house belongs to.

Backyard - There’s more “personality” in this one. One gets here by the back door in the bathroom. Same lush grass but the trimming is just slightly more laidback, and actual patches of flowers sprout here and there, one actually right beneath the back window. There are two lifted rows meant to hang wet clothes from the laundry to dry, a sitting bench and even a wooden, cute little playhouse. Sometimes a toy or two can be seen laying here. The presence of both a ladder and a step-ladder poke at Mado’s small size and her need of a stepping boost to reach certain heights, for instance to hang her laundry clothes-- make fun of her for it though and she’ll bite your ankles, fair warning. And last but not least, the somewhat random addition of some fairylights across the wall right above the back window, which suggests Mado simply having a thing for them.

INTERIOR

Living room - A somewhat generic but very inviting and cozy, pretty room. There’s nothing particularly worthy of a deeper mention other than the phone and the TV, of which both seem to be analog/oldschool, like let’s say, 70′s or 80′s. This room connects to all other spaces in the house, with an open doorway to the kitchen and doors that lead to the bathroom and the only bedroom in the house.

Kitchen / Dining room - Space where both cooking and dining is doable. The dining area consists of a quaint round small dining table and four cushion-seated chairs, all out of wood. In the kitchen area, the most notable thing is the manual firewood/coal stove, useful not only for nice homemade meals but also to help keep the house warm during cold periods, given its advantageous location more or less by the middle of the house, and the smoke from it is let out through the pipe up past the rooftop. Worth nothing, also, is a small wooden stool left by a corner, again due to Mado’s need to a height boost.

Bathroom / Laundry - A somewhat dinky room but arranged in a convenient way where even laundry can be done here thanks to a simple but reliable washing machine and a laundry basket. The rest of the bathroom is pretty straightforward, save for the bathtub, where it’s both a bathtub and shower embedded together to save up space.

Bedroom - Finally, Mado’s room. It’s more or less what you’d expect a children’s room to be. Full of stuffed animals and cute little toys, cute little decorations and even a little gaming system which is the sole role of the second TV here. The room is composed of a children’s bed with a small nightstand, a desk, a bookcase and a wardrobe. The carpet has an aesthetic kind of unusual for a kid’s room composed of red/golden patterns of faces drawn in either Aztec or Paracas fashion, but it’s very soft and kind of fluffy making sitting or even laying on the floor pretty comfortable (hence the scattered pillows and cushions.) Worth noting is the dreamcatcher hung above the head of the bed. Since it’s Mado’s safe little place, she rarely if ever lets anyone into her room.