#Merge Optimization

[rajaniesh]

Supercharge Your Data: Advanced Optimization and Maintenance for Delta Tables in Fabric

Dive into the final part of our series on optimizing data ingestion with Spark in Microsoft Fabric! Discover advanced optimization techniques and essential maintenance strategies for Delta tables to ensure high performance and efficiency in your data Ops

Welcome to the third and final installment of our blog series on optimizing data ingestion with Spark in Microsoft Fabric. In our previous posts, we explored the foundational elements of Microsoft Fabric and Delta Lake, delving into the differences between managed and external tables, as well as their practical applications. Now, it’s time to take your data management skills to the next…

[neyafromfrance95]

i'm going to be completely honest with ya'll.

i don't hate elrond x galadriel kiss. why? bc aint nobody shipping these two for real. the show can have this arrange pair up while we can ship sauron x galadriel with no shame and stop making excuses for ourselves to the lorebros.

also, this probably means that they won't bring in celeborn, or will but in late s4 at the earliest. galadriel is married to celeborn so he can be used against haladriels better. but elrond x galadriel will be ambiguous at most.

it actually gives me some hope that they will experiment with these dynamics more freely, and maybe after seeing how popular haladriel is, tap into it more boldly.

[intelliatech]

Top 10 ChatGPT Prompts For Software Developers

ChatGPT can do a lot more than just code creation and this blog post is going to be all about that. We have curated a list of ChatGPT prompts that will help software developers with their everyday tasks. ChatGPT can respond to questions and can compose codes making it a very helpful tool for software engineers.

While this AI tool can help developers with the entire SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle), it is important to understand how to use the prompts effectively for different needs.

Prompt engineering gives users accurate results. Since ChatGPT accepts prompts, we receive more precise answers. But a lot depends on how these prompts are formulated. 

To Get The Best Out Of ChatGPT, Your Prompts Should Be:

Clear and well-defined. The more detailed your prompts, the better suggestions you will receive from ChatGPT.

Specify the functionality and programming language. Not specifying what you exactly need might not give you the desired results.

Phrase your prompts in a natural language, as if asking someone for help. This will make ChatGPT understand your problem better and give more relevant outputs.

Avoid unnecessary information and ambiguity. Keep it not only to the point but also inclusive of all important details.

Top ChatGPT Prompts For Software Developers

Let’s quickly have a look at some of the best ChatGPT prompts to assist you with various stages of your Software development lifecycle.

1. For Practicing SQL Commands;

2. For Becoming A Programming Language Interpreter;

3. For Creating Regular Expressions Since They Help In Managing, Locating, And Matching Text.

4. For Generating Architectural Diagrams For Your Software Requirements.

Prompt Examples: I want you to act as a Graphviz DOT generator, an expert to create meaningful diagrams. The diagram should have at least n nodes (I specify n in my input by writing [n], 10 being the default value) and to be an accurate and complex representation of the given input. Each node is indexed by a number to reduce the size of the output, should not include any styling, and with layout=neato, overlap=false, node [shape=rectangle] as parameters. The code should be valid, bugless and returned on a single line, without any explanation. Provide a clear and organized diagram, the relationships between the nodes have to make sense for an expert of that input. My first diagram is: “The water cycle [8]”.  

5. For Solving Git Problems And Getting Guidance On Overcoming Them.

Prompt Examples: “Explain how to resolve this Git merge conflict: [conflict details].” 6. For Code generation- ChatGPT can help generate a code based on descriptions given by you. It can write pieces of codes based on the requirements given in the input. Prompt Examples: -Write a program/function to {explain functionality} in {programming language} -Create a code snippet for checking if a file exists in Python. -Create a function that merges two lists into a dictionary in JavaScript.  

7. For Code Review And Debugging: ChatGPT Can Review Your Code Snippet And Also Share Bugs.

Prompt Examples: -Here’s a C# code snippet. The function is supposed to return the maximum value from the given list, but it’s not returning the expected output. Can you identify the problem? [Enter your code here] -Can you help me debug this error message from my C# program: [error message] -Help me debug this Python script that processes a list of objects and suggests possible fixes. [Enter your code here]

8. For Knowing The Coding Best Practices And Principles: It Is Very Important To Be Updated With Industry’s Best Practices In Coding. This Helps To Maintain The Codebase When The Organization Grows.

Prompt Examples: -What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing code? -What are the best practices for security testing? -Show me best practices for writing {concept or function} in {programming language}.  

9. For Code Optimization: ChatGPT Can Help Optimize The Code And Enhance Its Readability And Performance To Make It Look More Efficient.

Prompt Examples: -Optimize the following {programming language} code which {explain the functioning}: {code snippet} -Suggest improvements to optimize this C# function: [code snippet] -What are some strategies for reducing memory usage and optimizing data structures? 

10. For Creating Boilerplate Code: ChatGPT Can Help In Boilerplate Code Generation.

Prompt Examples: -Create a basic Java Spring Boot application boilerplate code. -Create a basic Python class boilerplate code

11. For Bug Fixes: Using ChatGPT Helps Fixing The Bugs Thus Saving A Large Chunk Of Time In Software Development And Also Increasing Productivity.

Prompt Examples: -How do I fix the following {programming language} code which {explain the functioning}? {code snippet} -Can you generate a bug report? -Find bugs in the following JavaScript code: (enter code)  

12. Code Refactoring- ChatGPt Can Refactor The Code And Reduce Errors To Enhance Code Efficiency, Thus Making It Easier To Modify In The Future.

Prompt Examples –What are some techniques for refactoring code to improve code reuse and promote the use of design patterns? -I have duplicate code in my project. How can I refactor it to eliminate redundancy?  

13. For Choosing Deployment Strategies- ChatGPT Can Suggest Deployment Strategies Best Suited For A Particular Project And To Ensure That It Runs Smoothly.

Prompt Examples -What are the best deployment strategies for this software project? {explain the project} -What are the best practices for version control and release management?  

14. For Creating Unit Tests- ChatGPT Can Write Test Cases For You

Prompt Examples: -How does test-driven development help improve code quality? -What are some best practices for implementing test-driven development in a project? These were some prompt examples for you that we sourced on the basis of different requirements a developer can have. So whether you have to generate a code or understand a concept, ChatGPT can really make a developer’s life by doing a lot of tasks. However, it certainly comes with its own set of challenges and cannot always be completely correct. So it is advisable to cross-check the responses. Hope this helps. Visit us- Intelliatech

[curiousmind-world]

Introduction

In our fast-paced world, time is a precious commodity. Whether you’re a student, professional, or entrepreneur, finding ways to streamline your daily tasks can significantly boost productivity. Enter ChatGPT, an AI language model that can assist you in automating various aspects of your work. In this article, we’ll explore nine ChatGPT prompts that can revolutionize the way you tackle your busy schedule.

1. Calendar Management

ChatGPT prompts: “Schedule a meeting for next Tuesday at 2 PM.”

ChatGPT can interact with your calendar application, whether it’s Google Calendar, Outlook, or any other platform. By providing clear instructions, you can effortlessly set up appointments, reminders, and events. Imagine the time saved when ChatGPT handles your scheduling!

2. Email Drafting

ChatGPT prompts: “Compose an email to my team about the upcoming project deadline.”

ChatGPT can draft professional emails, complete with subject lines, body text, and even attachments. Simply describe the purpose of the email, and let ChatGPT do the rest. It’s like having a virtual assistant dedicated to your inbox.

3. Code Generation

ChatGPT prompts: “Write a Python function that calculates Fibonacci numbers.”

Whether you’re a programmer or a student, ChatGPT can generate code snippets for various programming languages. From simple functions to complex algorithms, ChatGPT can save you hours of coding time.

4. Content Summarisation

ChatGPT prompts: “Summarise this 10-page research paper on climate change.”

Reading lengthy documents can be daunting. ChatGPT can analyse and condense large texts into concise summaries, allowing you to grasp essential information quickly.

5. Social Media Posts

ChatGPT prompts: “Create a tweet announcing our new product launch.”

Crafting engaging social media content is essential for businesses. ChatGPT can generate catchy posts for platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram, ensuring your message reaches your audience effectively.

6. Language Translation

ChatGPT prompts: “Translate this paragraph from English to Spanish.”

Whether you’re communicating with international clients or learning a new language, ChatGPT can provide accurate translations. Say goodbye to language barriers!

7. Data Analysis

ChatGPT prompts: “Analyse this sales dataset and identify trends.”

ChatGPT can process data, create visualisations, and extract insights. Whether it’s sales figures, customer behavior, or market trends, ChatGPT can help you make informed decisions.

8. Creative Writing

ChatGPT prompts: “Write a short story about time travel.”

Beyond practical tasks, ChatGPT can unleash creativity. From poems to fictional narratives, ChatGPT can be your muse when inspiration strikes.

9. Personalised Recommendations

ChatGPT prompts: “Suggest a book based on my interests in science fiction.”

ChatGPT can recommend books, movies, restaurants, or travel destinations tailored to your preferences. It’s like having a knowledgeable friend who knows your tastes.

Conclusion: 

These nine ChatGPT prompts demonstrate its versatility. By integrating ChatGPT into your workflow, you can automate repetitive tasks, enhance communication, and free up valuable time. So, next time you’re swamped with work, turn to ChatGPT—it’s like having a digital assistant that works tirelessly to simplify your life.

In addition to ChatGPT, there are several other powerful AI tools designed to automate various tasks. Let’s explore some of them:

ACCELQ: A codeless AI-powered tool that seamlessly tests software across multiple channels (mobile, desktop, etc.). It offers continuous test automation and minimizes maintenance efforts1. You can find more information on their website.

Katalon: An AI tool for test automation that provides a complete solution for testing mobile applications and websites. It features a robust object repository, multi-language support, and efficient test results1. Check out Katalon’s website for details.

Selenium: An open-source AI tool for automating web and application testing. It’s commonly used for regression testing, functional testing, and performance testing1. You can explore more about Selenium on their official website.

Appium: Specifically designed for mobile app automation, Appium supports both Android and iOS platforms. It’s an excellent choice for mobile testing1.

Cypress: Known for its fast execution and real-time reloading, Cypress is an end-to-end testing framework for web applications. It provides a great developer experience1.

Parasoft: Offers comprehensive testing solutions, including static analysis, unit testing, and API testing. It’s widely used in the industry1.

Cucumber: A behavior-driven development (BDD) tool that allows collaboration between developers, testers, and non-technical stakeholders. It uses plain text specifications for test cases1.

TestNG: A testing framework inspired by JUnit and NUnit, TestNG supports parallel execution, data-driven testing, and test configuration flexibility1.

LambdaTest: A cloud-based cross-browser testing platform that allows you to test your web applications across various browsers and operating systems1.

Robot Framework: An open-source test automation framework that uses a keyword-driven approach. It’s highly extensible and supports both web and mobile testing1.

TestCraft: A codeless automation platform that integrates with popular tools like Selenium and Appium. It’s suitable for both manual and automated testing1.

Watir: A Ruby library for automating web browsers, Watir provides a simple and expressive syntax for testing web applications1.

Remember that each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, so choose the one that best fits your specific needs. Whether it’s testing, content creation, or workflow automation, these AI tools can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency.

[k-hippie]

k-707 ( 2025 EDITION ) RELEASE - FIRST WAVE

It’s finally here! Well, the first part of it—because let’s be real, this beast of a project is too massive to drop all at once ( unless we suddenly gain the ability to compress/expand time ) ;)

For now, we’re rolling out the first wave of k-707, covering :

- Base Game/Seasons ( Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Newcrest ) - Get to Work ( Magnolia Promenade ) - Outdoor Retreat ( Granite Falls ) - Vampires ( Forgotten Hollow ) - Cottage Living ( Henford-on-Bagley ) - High School Years ( Copperdale ) - Life & Death ( Ravenwood )

Yes, we know ... you want more—but trust us, this is already a lot. The rest will come soon-ish ( don’t ask for dates, we’re not EA ) and as we say again and again, this is a work in progress, time for us to understand some more things with blender managing vertex painting and so on ;)

For everything related to instructions, how-to and so on, see the previous post or the "Download Page" of the k-707 on our website.

We replaced, reshaped, optimized, and obsessed over hundreds of trees and plants. Everything is optimized for directX11 ... Now, in theory, all should move right, look right, and fit right :D If you encounter a purple question mark on this new release, just send us a message. We'll see this together :)

Do not be surprised, some trees ( very very few ) are not yet modified ( -> I think about topiaries ) and some others have been fully replaced ( such as the ugly majestic and royal palms in base game )

Never forget this is still a work in progress and some changes will be done later ;)

As soon as we do some minor modifications and checks, we'll release a SECOND wave ( which should be very soon indeed )

Later ( End of February ) a THIRD and final wave will be released ...

Installation & Warnings

Each Expansion has 2 folders : one for plants, one for trees

The base game is split into 4 folders : 2 lots + 2 debug

Expansions with minimal greenery ( City Living, University, Get2Work ) are in single folder named k-hippie-k707-multi-greeny-2025

Do NOT mess with the folder structure unless you love chaos. If you merge files and something breaks, that’s on you. We won’t be able to troubleshoot Frankenstein mods ... More information on our website or into the previous post ;)

Final Notes

K-707 isn’t perfect ( yet ) :D We’re still tweaking, improving, and fixing things. We are aware some textures and styles need to be refined/modified. It will be done in time. But this is already a massive upgrade. So, enjoy your lusher, greener, better-integrated Sims world—and if you spot a tree acting weird, just pretend it’s haunted until we fix the green :D

Remember the k-mods are still and always free. Thanks to freely give a little something if you can. This is a massive piece of work and so, a massive piece of time ;)

If you think it’s good enough to drop our way : PayPal link

...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > UPDATE ! February 25

We added few missing plants to the base game ( both lot & debug ) and some modifications to some plants ( azalea - hydrangea ) ... Some textures have been fixed. As we said, there will be adjustments and tiny updates. You know, a work in progress ;)

Tonight, a bit in advance, we release too :

k-707 ( 2025 ) for Sulani ( Island Living )

k-707 ( 2025 ) for Tomarang ( for Rent )

We know the gameplay bug related to for rent expansion but we finished trees & plants for this expansion, so better to release :)

By the way, as Windenburg and Britechester, Sulani will get a small k-505 redux quite soon. It won't be huge but it will correct details here & there. That was the Sunday late news and releases. Have a great week everyone !

Sorry for the delays but real world got massive changes and I confess I didn't have time to make more k-707 stuff this time ...

See you soon fellows :)

Download the K-707 mod HERE

...

[fireflowersims]

@kaylynn-is-typing

So, merging falls a little bit outside the scope of the original post, but it deserves some explanation:

A big mistake a lot of people make when merging mods or cc, is not checking for conflicts first

To clarify, I have seen some download folders in which there are merged packages which are internally conflicting with itself. This is because they were merged without checking for (and resolving) conflicts first. So merged1.package would be conflicting with merged1.package. This is Very Bad

So when it comes to advising whether to merge multi-part mods or not, it comes down to "are there conflicts?" Not just within the mod itself but also with other mods. Some conflicts can be (partially) resolved with load order modification. When you merge, that load order resolving is going to break. Merging two conflicting mods together just like that, is a recipe for disaster.

So I'd say: get rid of conflicts before you merge. And if you can't get rid of conflicting packages, don't merge them.

Also, a reason to keep mods unmerged might be updates: some things are just more update-prone than others. Plus, when you introduce more (conflicting) mods, it can make it easier to figure out if you can make them play nice with each other or not.

So to answer that question: do the packages conflict? Either with themselves or other mods in your folder? If so, don't merge. Also, always keep backups of unmerged files. Nothing worse than having to scalpel a merged package for one or two BHAV's and a BCON and it's just not something the average user is going to do.

Tldr: don't merge mods if you have conflicts. Resolve those first, keep backups. Think about updates

PS: use HCDU+ to look for conflicts

Compressorizing mods

I just saw a post that mentioned you shouldn't compressorize your mods. "Because mods break when you compress them"

And honestly, as a modder, I must say: that's a myth. I do not know where it comes from, but srsly,

Compressorizing mods should not mess them up. It won't reduce file size by much, so the utility is limited. But it does NOT break them.

Most mods consist of fairly tiny resources: BHAV's, BCON's, sometimes #STR's. They're small to begin with and they can be safely compressed. In fact, the resources you find in mods are no different from resources found in furniture, or even EAxis' own files.

I repeat: there is nothing different about mods that makes them break when compressed! They're resources like any other.

Something that is important to note, is that you should recompress when you tune a mod. Or modify a package file in general. Do that and it'll all be fine.

Tldr: stop telling ppl to leave their mods uncompressed. Compressing won't break them

[todays-xkcd]

Thank you to linguist Gretchen McCulloch for teaching me about phonetic assimilation, and for teaching me that if you stand around in public reading texts from a linguist and murmuring example phrases to yourself, people will eventually ask if you're okay.

Fluid Speech [Explained]

Transcript

[Above the panel:] Fun fact: Experienced speakers constantly merge, drop, and alter sounds when talking at normal conversational speed to optimize for efficient mouth movement.

[The panel shows four labeled side profiles of a mouth with paths of sounds made in different parts of the mouth. There is a label "More fluid" with an arrow pointing to the right.

From left to right:] [Label:] Going to /ɡoʊɪŋ tu/ [Path:] (G O >> I >> NG >> >> ) ( >> T >> >> O)

[Label:] Goin' to /ɡoʊɪn tə/ [Path:] (G O >> I >> N)(T >> >> O)

[Label:] Gonna /ɡʌn.ə/ [Path:] (G O >> NN >> A)

[Label:] How fluent speakers actually say it when speaking rapidly /ɡə̃/ [Path:] (G >> >> ə̃)

[Below the panel:] If you think you don't do this, try to use "hot potato" in a sentence and fully pronounce the first "t" without sounding like an alien impersonating a human.

[spectrals]

what nibi sees in his periphery at all times when he unveils the Elder Brain's biggest secret amongst their society and they brand him as a traitor to keep it under wraps

[loveemagicpeace]

🍓Jupiter In Cancer🌙🦋✨

⚡️Aries Rising- During this time, you may travel more, or find out where your home is and where you feel more at home. You may find your home outside of the area you have been in so far. It may mean a longer trip with your family or being a little estranged from them during this time. During this time, family traditions may be different or you may spend major holidays in a foreign country. You can break free from comfort or familiar things and go outside your comfort zone. During this time, you can also decorate your house, the space you live in, more.

✨Taurus Rising- During this time, you can travel more and your travels can include more short spontaneous trips. You can be more considerate of other people's mindsets and you can also express yourself more optimistically and you can learn a lot during this time. You can meet people who are wiser and give you advice. You can express your opinions much more and stand by what you say. You can also meet your relatives more. You can buy a new car or drive longer distances than usual. You may meet people during errands, short travels, online interactions, or even in your neighborhood. You can also hear more clearly what people really mean, especially when it comes to tone, hidden meaning, or intention.

🍋‍🟩Gemini Rising-You can expect more luck with money and financial matters. If things have been more reserved until now, new options and new possibilities will now open up. You can gain money from traveling. You can improve your memory. You can have a better relationship with food and you can prepare different meals than before - it can also mean changing the way you eat or what food you eat - you can try a lot of foreign foods. Your inner feelings and the feelings of those around you may become more optimistic and lighthearted. You may gain greater belief in yourself and your worth. Maybe you can get back the things you thought were lost. You can experience greater comfort and get more gifts.If you have children, their success or recognition may bring you pride during this time. If you don't have children, this could also symbolize the "creative offspring" of your efforts-such as projects, investments, or business ideas-that now start to gain respect or value.

🍊Cancer Rising- During this time, you can express yourself more, your desires, your opinions, and you can find happiness on your own. Jupiter can give you a sense of being able to do things on your own and confidence in how you present yourself. Especially if you don't like being alone or doing things alone, Jupiter can bring you a sense of losing that fear. You may experience many happy coincidences during this time. You can start doing some sport or something related to your body. You may become more aware of inflammation, weight, or digestive issues (upiter rules the liver and metabolism). There's a greater need to balance expansion with discipline-watch for overindulgence in food, drink, or overexertion. Healing childhood impressions by rewriting your personal narrative with greater faith and optimism. If you're a parent, your child may become more curious about philosophy, religion, or foreign cultures.

🐯Leo Rising-During this time, you will be more intuitive and will be able to perceive things differently than usual. You can be more connected to your subconscious and spiritual things. This transit often coincides with temporary or long-term stays abroad, especially for spiritual, healing, or retreat purposes. Jupiter here brings divine support, but it's still a time of inner work, letting go, forgiveness, and closure. Your sleep, dreams, and downtime become more meaningful and healing You will sleep more deeply or need more rest, have vivid or symbolic dreams, discover spiritual ways to relax (yoga, meditation, water rituals). Jupiter expands your subconscious, psychic, and intuitive faculties. Jupiter brings a chance to merge with the divine, your higher self, or the universal flow. It's a sacred time-often quiet, misunderstood by others, but rich with insight.

🐠Virgo Rising- during this time you can socialize more and spend time with friends. You can meet a new circle of people and connect with people from abroad. You can also meet someone new from abroad. You can find a new path that suits you better and makes you feel more like yourself. You can manifest things more easily. You attract allies, mentors, or groups that help your dreams grow faster than you imagined. Receive more income or bonuses. Get recognition or support for your work. Jupiter brings a wider perspective. Your dreams may become more collective-you want to make a difference, help people, or create something meaningful beyond yourself. Humanitarian, global, or innovative causes may call to you now. It brings social luck, dream expansion, greater confidence in your vision, and meaningful allies. It's a powerful time to network, share your purpose, and receive the blessings of the seeds you've already planted.

🌸Libra Rising-During this time you may get more luck related to work or a reward for work. Maybe you can adjust your path or career depending on what stage of life you are in because you can also take a break from work during this time. You have more freedom, period, and you don't have to work as much anymore. You can change careers or achieve a desired goal during this time. You can experience many fateful moments and things that take you in a completely different direction. Jupiter in this house can also mean getting married or engaged because it also represents a sign of getting married in a more serious way or making a serious commitment to someone. Earning money through international or digital means. Outgrow certain friendships. See friends experience hardship while you're focused on your path. Feel disconnected from your old community. This is a classic "success can feel lonely" kind of theme. Stay grounded and compassionate. These interpretations reflect possible major karmic closures connected to visibility, status shifts, or public transitions. They are not guaranteed outcomes: Bring status changes (e.g., divorce, loss, or major transitions in family structure), Trigger ancestral or karmic events (especially if Saturn or Pluto are also involved). Success or outer growth leads to inner questioning. You might feel the pressure of status and crave authenticity over ambition. You could step back temporarily to redefine your mission.

🦋Scorpio Rising- During this time you can travel more and travel longer distances, which are further away. You can go on the trip you've always wanted. This usually symbolizes larger journeys that give you more meaning in life or through which you find yourself and your faith. Dive deeper into philosophy, theology, or law. Develop or restructure your belief systems. You can move abroad, connect with foreigners or foreign culture, study or teach overseas. You might join or leave a religious/spiritual group. Explore new belief systems. You may find faith and meaning in new or deeper ways. Even skeptics may have a spiritual awakening during this transit. You might: Publish your work (books, blogs, creative content), gain recognition for your philosophical or visionary ideas. More fun, optimism, and expansion in your romantic life. You feel freer to love, play, and express joy-especially when it connects to meaning and passion.

🍒Sagittarius Rising- you can get a lot of money from other people. Jupiter acts as a guide through the underworld-not in a negative sense, but by expanding your access to depth, mystery, intimacy, shared resources, and spiritual power. Access deep spiritual states (meditation, astral travel, dream work). Receive messages from spirit guides or the unconscious. Experience personal death and rebirth moments-symbolic or energetic. Support from others financially (partner, bank, inheritance, grants, investments). Opportunities to manage or benefit from pooled money. Jupiter brings abundance when you combine forces, not when you try to do everything alone. If you're in a committed relationship, your partner may come into new resources or be more generous. Some may literally receive an inheritance (money, wisdom, or property). If single, you might attract a partner with financial stability-or someone who opens the door to emotional or material transformation. You may deepen your emotional and sexual bonds. Learn to trust and be vulnerable at new levels. Heal from past trauma around intimacy, abandonment, or power struggles. Jupiter brings expansion through surrender and soul merging. You learn that true intimacy is a gateway to freedom, not loss of control. Gain wisdom through loss, endings, or psychological breakthroughs. Jupiter can also save you from accidents or saves you from illness.

💍Capricorn Rising-During this time, you can enter into a serious relationship that will bring you a lot of joy and happiness. You can find someone who will really suit you and even a person who can be from another country. Someone who is wise, adventurous, optimistic, and fun. You can usually get into a relationship with someone you know from before, or a relationship that may have started recently can turn into something more serious. You can also get engaged or married during this time. You can also meet a serious partner or soulmate-type figure. Attracting partners who are wise, foreign, older, or more spiritual. You may be drawn to someone older, well-traveled, or with a teacher/guru vibe. Your partner could bring new belief systems, worldviews, or cultures into your life.Realizing the spiritual purpose behind your relationships. You may see clearly who truly supports you and who doesn't. You can also start your business or attract business partnerships or collaborations. Some friends may leave your life if your values no longer align. Jupiter teaches us that others are often mirrors, showing us what we need to grow through. If you have saturn & jupiter in this house it can means you will very serious about commitment.

🌌Aquarius Rising- The focus will be on your routine, daily life and work. You can get the job you wanted. During this time, you can have more job interviews and people can see potential in you. Your relationship with your body can change and you can start to love your body more and accept yourself for who you are during this time. A shift in how you see your physical body-more respect, less shame. A desire to treat your body like a temple, not a machine. Jupiter brings optimism and expansion. Can expose issues if you've neglected your health (inflammation, overindulgence, liver or weight issues). Encourages holistic or natural healing approaches-herbs, nutrition, body-mind awareness. You may feel more enthusiastic about structure, or even crave it after chaos. Jupiter helps you expand your daily rituals into something meaningful-morning walks, gratitude practices, or study routines. You may adopt or foster pets. It teaches that growth isn't only spiritual or romantic-it's in how you treat your body, how you serve others, and how you care for your space, pets, and work.

🌙Pisces Rising- During this time you can meet someone new and have a new romance. This is a highly romantic transit—new love can come in, or an existing romance can be rekindled with more joy and adventure. Jupiter attracts partners who are fun, creative, and possibly foreign, spiritual, or generous. If you're healing from past heartbreaks, Jupiter brings light, confidence, and hope for love again. Creative investments (like starting a business, selling art, etc.) are favored more than reckless gambling. You might become pregnant, give birth, or be surrounded by children more than usual. If you have children already, this transit brings growth, travel, joy, or spiritual learning through them. You may write poetry, music, or stories. You may feel more drawn to play, leisure, and pleasure. Sports and performance activities may bring recognition, fun, or healing. Play, laughter, romance, and creativity become your medicine. Relaxation now often comes from doing things you love. Travel, dance, painting, nature, or falling in love might all feel like soul restarts.

✨U can book a reading here✨

-Rebekah🌊🦋

[lumenniveus]

Calling all wild witches and handsome devils: it's time to rock 'n roll.

Hey, you, wake up a new CC set just dropped! This time @mellosakicc joined me and threw in some very wicked cool goodies for you. Everything is Base Game Compatible and optimized for potato computers. Go and build your slightly haunted Memphis studio apartments.

But only after you downloaded our small tribute here: MERGED ZIP

Alternative DL on Google Drive🔗

Update: This set is making it into TS2! Well, kinda? I hope so. I'll update this if more gets converted. (pls, someone, I also don't have the know-how!)

@grilledcheese-aspiration did a stellar job porting the really pretty clutter over [Link] I love how the Belladonna looks nicer in the older game

Mid-Century's elegance meets Gothic Kitsch in Rituals, a 50 asset large set full of stuff for your living, dining and bedrooms. Every object was lovingly (help me) hand painted by yours truly (pain... the pain...!) and I hope you have as much fun playing with it as I had making it!

Read more and get a preview below the cut

As usual, here's the catalogue of the entire thing

And an unedited in-game screenshot

Highlights of this set include:

a very modular set of curtains

3D wall paneling

a vanity table

a canopy bed

vintage electronics

lots of references for you to find

buy and build items ( these walls and floors are included, yes)

I playtest to my absolute limit, but I'm a one-man-team so if you end up finding bugs I missed, please send me an ask or comment on this post. That way it gets fixed asap.

[seat-safety-switch]

If there's one thing I hate, and I think we can all agree on this, it's slow drivers. Folks, I'm just trying to get where I'm going. Why are you wasting my time, sitting in my lane, holding me up? If you don't know where you're going, just pull over and phone someone who does.

Have you been feeling like you have too much optimism and faith in the course of our civilization lately? It's probably because you haven't been driving much. After just five minutes driving in a straight line, you'll turn into a regressive, psychotic crank like the rest of the commuting rabble.

Recently, I was forced to walk places for a little bit. It's not my fault: blame whoever at Plymouth in the 1970s decided that cars need oil. And batteries. And engines without a hole in the block. Round tires. Functioning starters. A windshield that's not covered in "parking violator" shame stickers and impound receipts. Really, it's amazing that any of my several dozen Malaise Era sedans have ever run. Be that as it may, I needed some food from the grocery store, and so I had to walk there on my own.

Now, I've walked a pretty good distance before, usually because one of my cars broke down and I had to go home to get another. This is the first time when I've had to walk away from my house. I found the journey somewhat exciting, as soon as I got over the anxiety of not being surrounded at all times by a two-ton steel-and-rust cage. When I got there, I picked up my two-litre of Pepsi and my four-litre of milk, and turned around to head home. On the way back, I saw something amazing.

An enormous traffic jam had formed in my neighbourhood, thanks to two SUVs making kissy-face at the highway on-ramp. If this had happened while I was in my car, I would have been stuck here with the rest of them, swearing at their idiocy while keeping an eye on my water temp gauge. Instead, I was able to walk past the vast quantity of stranded traffic, and pick up the barely-leaking 12-volt car battery that had been ejected from the shattered mass of one of the cute utes. At road speed, I never would have noticed this. On foot? I was noticing all kinds of sweet garbage stuck in the gutters from various low- and high-speed crashes.

It took a little bit of rearrangement of my load in order to carry all this heavy, awkward junk all the way home, but I got there. That evening, after dinner, my Volare had a working starter battery again, courtesy of the Hyundai Whatever that had given its life attempting a low-speed merge into a Hyundai Somethingelse. That wayward battery was now ready to be devoured by whatever rat-chewed wire kept sparking against the floor whenever my fifty year old shitbox was parked in one spot for too long. I was ready to rejoin the commuting masses.

Did I learn anything from my momentary experience as a member of the human race, instead of the rat one? Yes. I probably should buy some shoes, because boy do my feet hurt.

[transgenderer]

Every continent contrarian wants to merge Europe and Asia which is asinine, the distinction between Europe and Asia is semantically useful, what can be meaningfully said about "eurasia" as a category. If we really want to improve the way we talk about geographic divisions, we should recognize that "Asia" is way too broad and we should split it up. I think optimally you'd go for something like: Europe (including Russia?), north America, south America, MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, indosphere, sinosphere, oceania as a grab bag if u want. obv better names needed for the last four. but if you wanted to group the world into regions, based on culture+geography, this seems like the most obvious way. plus, 8 is a totally reasonable number of continents. add antarctica and australia if you want an even 10. retire the term "asian" which actively causes confusion because its too broad

[kleopatra45]

Aspects of Neptune in the Natal Chart

Neptune aspects in the natal chart reveal how your dreams, intuition, and spirituality manifest. These aspects indicate your connection to the mystical and how you navigate illusions and higher realms of consciousness.

☌ Neptune Conjunct Other Planets

Conjunctions with Neptune can bring both inspiration and confusion. They merge the energies of the planets involved, creating a powerful synergy that enhances creativity and intuition. However, Neptune’s elusive nature can also lead to illusion or escapism if not well-integrated.

Neptune Conjunct Sun Neptune conjunct Sun brings a deep sense of compassion and spirituality. You are sensitive and intuitive, often feeling connected to a higher purpose. This aspect encourages you to embrace your creativity and explore your spiritual path, but be cautious of losing yourself in illusions. Neptune Conjunct Moon Neptune conjunct Moon enhances your emotional sensitivity and psychic abilities. You experience deep empathy and are highly intuitive. This aspect fosters emotional growth through spiritual practices and creative expression, but be mindful of emotional escapism. Neptune Conjunct Mercury Neptune conjunct Mercury amplifies your imagination and intuitive thinking. You are a visionary and often receive insights through dreams or meditation. This aspect encourages you to explore creative communication and mystical subjects, but watch out for confusion or miscommunication. Neptune Conjunct Venus Neptune conjunct Venus brings a romantic and idealistic approach to love and beauty. You are drawn to spiritual and artistic pursuits, seeking a deeper connection in relationships. This aspect fosters unconditional love and creativity, but be cautious of unrealistic expectations or idealization. Neptune Conjunct Mars Neptune conjunct Mars combines your drive with intuition and imagination. You pursue your goals with a sense of idealism and spiritual purpose. This aspect encourages you to channel your energy into creative or compassionate endeavors, but be mindful of lack of direction or escapism. Neptune Conjunct Jupiter Neptune conjunct Jupiter inspires your spiritual growth and philosophical outlook. You are open-minded and drawn to exploring higher truths and mystical experiences. This aspect fosters expansive creativity and spiritual wisdom, but be cautious of unrealistic optimism or overindulgence. Neptune Conjunct Saturn Neptune conjunct Saturn blends discipline with spirituality, creating a balance between practicality and idealism. You seek to manifest your dreams into reality through structured efforts. This aspect encourages spiritual dedication and grounded creativity, but be mindful of disillusionment or rigidity. Neptune Conjunct Uranus Neptune conjunct Uranus enhances your intuition and innovative thinking. You are drawn to exploring new realms of consciousness and unique spiritual paths. This aspect fosters visionary creativity and spiritual breakthroughs, but be cautious of instability or erratic behavior. Neptune Conjunct Pluto Neptune conjunct Pluto brings transformative power to your spiritual growth and intuition. You pursue profound changes and deep healing, often experiencing spiritual rebirth. This aspect encourages harnessing your inner strength for significant spiritual breakthroughs, but be mindful of obsessive or escapist tendencies.

⚹ Neptune Sextile Other Planets

Sextiles with Neptune are positive aspects that encourage creativity and the easy flow of spiritual and intuitive energy between the involved planets. This harmonious connection facilitates smooth interactions and enhances the beneficial qualities of each planet, leading to supportive and constructive outcomes.

Neptune Sextile Sun Neptune sextile Sun offers opportunities for spiritual growth and creative expression. Your compassion and intuition attract unique experiences. This aspect supports personal development through embracing your dreams and exploring mystical paths. Neptune Sextile Moon Neptune sextile Moon brings emotional growth through embracing your intuition and sensitivity. You are open to exploring your inner world, fostering a sense of emotional freedom and adaptability. This aspect supports harmonious relationships and emotional expansion. Neptune Sextile Mercury Neptune sextile Mercury enhances your imagination and intuitive communication. You are open to new ideas and mystical subjects, making it easier to connect with others on a deeper level. This aspect supports mental expansion and creative expression. Neptune Sextile Venus Neptune sextile Venus brings pleasant experiences and opportunities for spiritual growth in relationships and creative pursuits. You are open to exploring new forms of connection and beauty, attracting positive and fulfilling experiences. This aspect encourages enjoying life's pleasures in a spiritual and artistic way. Neptune Sextile Mars Neptune sextile Mars provides opportunities for successful action and growth through intuitive and creative approaches. Your energetic and compassionate approach to pursuing your goals leads to positive outcomes. This aspect supports taking inspired steps and exploring new directions. Neptune Sextile Jupiter Neptune sextile Jupiter offers chances for spiritual and philosophical growth through embracing your intuition and imagination. Your open-mindedness and adaptability attract exciting opportunities. This aspect encourages exploring higher truths and expanding your horizons. Neptune Sextile Saturn Neptune sextile Saturn blends discipline with spirituality, offering opportunities for growth through structured creativity and spiritual practices. You are open to exploring new methods within established systems, leading to steady progress and long-term success. This aspect encourages balancing practicality with idealism. Neptune Sextile Uranus Neptune sextile Uranus enhances your spiritual and creative pursuits through innovative and intuitive approaches. You are open to exploring new realms of consciousness and unique ideas, leading to fulfilling and inspiring experiences. This aspect supports expanding your horizons in artistic and spiritual ways. Neptune Sextile Pluto Neptune sextile Pluto brings transformative opportunities for spiritual growth and deep healing. You approach your ambitions with a blend of intensity and compassion, leading to profound personal and professional breakthroughs. This aspect encourages harnessing your inner strength for significant spiritual growth.

□ Neptune Square Other Planets

Squares with Neptune create tension and challenges between the involved planets, prompting growth through conflict. This dynamic aspect often leads to struggles and obstacles that need to be overcome, pushing individuals to address and resolve the underlying issues. The friction generated by squares can be difficult to navigate, but it ultimately encourages personal development and resilience as one learns to balance and harmonize the conflicting energies.

Neptune Square Sun Neptune square Sun creates tension between your sense of self and your dreams or illusions. You may struggle with balancing your idealistic aspirations with practical realities. This aspect encourages finding ways to ground your creativity and spirituality while maintaining a sense of self. Neptune Square Moon Neptune square Moon can lead to emotional confusion and challenges in balancing your sensitivity with reality. You may experience mood swings or difficulties in distinguishing between your feelings and illusions. This aspect encourages finding emotional clarity and grounding your intuitive insights. Neptune Square Mercury Neptune square Mercury may lead to conflicts between your imagination and practical communication. You may struggle with balancing your intuitive thoughts with clear expression. This aspect encourages finding ways to convey your ideas effectively while embracing your creative insights. Neptune Square Venus Neptune square Venus can result in tension between your idealistic views on love and relationships and practical realities. You may face challenges in balancing your romantic fantasies with real connections. This aspect encourages finding a balance between embracing your ideals and maintaining meaningful relationships. Neptune Square Mars Neptune square Mars can lead to conflicts between your intuitive drive and practical actions. You may struggle with balancing your desire for spiritual pursuits with tangible efforts. This aspect encourages finding ways to pursue your goals while staying grounded and focused. Neptune Square Jupiter Neptune square Jupiter can bring unexpected challenges to your spiritual and philosophical growth. You may struggle with balancing your idealistic beliefs with practical realities. This aspect encourages adapting to change and finding new ways to pursue your spiritual and intellectual aspirations. Neptune Square Saturn Neptune square Saturn creates tension between your dreams and the need for structure and discipline. You may feel torn between embracing your ideals and maintaining stability. This aspect encourages finding a balance between practicality and spirituality. Neptune Square Uranus Neptune square Uranus can lead to confusion and tension between your innovative ideas and practical change. You may struggle with balancing your visionary insights with real-world efforts. This aspect encourages finding clarity and realism in your pursuits to harmonize your creativity with practical endeavors. Neptune Square Pluto Neptune square Pluto can create intense challenges and power struggles. You may face obstacles in balancing your spiritual aspirations with transformative efforts. This aspect encourages finding ways to harness your inner strength and embrace deep spiritual growth while maintaining stability.

△ Neptune Trine Other Planets

Trines with Neptune create a smooth and beneficial connection between the involved planets, enhancing talents and creating a sense of ease. This harmonious aspect facilitates the natural flow of energy, making it easier to express and develop the qualities associated with the planets. Trines often lead to emotional balance, inner harmony, and an overall sense of well-being, as the supportive nature of this aspect encourages the effortless integration of strengths and abilities.

Neptune Trine Sun Neptune trine Sun brings harmony and ease to your creative and spiritual pursuits. Your natural intuition and compassion attract unique opportunities. This aspect supports personal growth through embracing your dreams and exploring mystical paths. Neptune Trine Moon Neptune trine Moon enhances your emotional sensitivity and intuitive insights. You are open to change and find emotional growth through exploring your inner world. This aspect supports harmonious relationships and emotional expansion, fostering a sense of fulfillment. Neptune Trine Mercury Neptune trine Mercury boosts your imagination and intuitive communication. You easily connect with others on a deeper level and explore new ideas. This aspect supports mental expansion and creative expression, encouraging innovative thinking and effective communication. Neptune Trine Venus Neptune trine Venus fosters harmonious relationships and a love of spiritual and artistic pursuits. You are open to exploring new forms of connection and beauty. This aspect supports enjoying life's pleasures in a spiritual and creative way, attracting positive and fulfilling experiences. Neptune Trine Mars Neptune trine Mars enhances your drive and energy, allowing you to pursue goals with intuition and creativity. You are open to exploring new directions and easily adapt to change. This aspect supports taking inspired steps and achieving success through spiritual and compassionate approaches. Neptune Trine Jupiter Neptune trine Jupiter encourages spiritual and philosophical growth through embracing your intuition and imagination. You are open-minded and adaptable, attracting exciting opportunities. This aspect supports expanding your horizons and exploring higher truths. Neptune Trine Saturn Neptune trine Saturn blends discipline with spirituality, fostering steady progress in creative and spiritual pursuits. You find it easier to balance practicality with idealism, leading to long-term success. This aspect supports spiritual growth through structured efforts and dedication. Neptune Trine Uranus Neptune trine Uranus enhances your intuition and innovative thinking, allowing you to explore new realms of consciousness and unique spiritual paths. You are open to change and find fulfillment in exploring new ideas. This aspect supports creative breakthroughs and spiritual growth. Neptune Trine Pluto Neptune trine Pluto brings transformative power to your spiritual growth and intuition. You easily embrace change and pursue profound spiritual experiences. This aspect supports deep healing and personal transformation, encouraging you to harness your inner strength for significant spiritual growth.

☍ Neptune Opposite Other Planets

Oppositions with Neptune create tension between the energies of the involved planets, leading to challenges that require balance and compromise. These aspects often manifest as external conflicts or internal struggles, where the energies are pulling in opposite directions. However, oppositions also offer opportunities for growth by highlighting areas where integration is needed. By learning to balance the conflicting energies, individuals can achieve greater harmony and understanding in their lives.

Neptune Opposite Sun Neptune opposite Sun creates tension between your sense of self and your dreams or illusions. You may struggle with balancing your idealistic aspirations with practical realities. This aspect encourages finding ways to ground your creativity and spirituality while maintaining a strong sense of self. Neptune Opposite Moon Neptune opposite Moon can lead to emotional confusion and challenges in balancing your sensitivity with reality. You may experience mood swings or difficulties in distinguishing between your feelings and illusions. This aspect encourages finding emotional clarity and grounding your intuitive insights. Neptune Opposite Mercury Neptune opposite Mercury may lead to conflicts between your imagination and practical communication. You may struggle with balancing your intuitive thoughts with clear expression. This aspect encourages finding ways to convey your ideas effectively while embracing your creative insights. Neptune Opposite Venus Neptune opposite Venus can result in tension between your idealistic views on love and relationships and practical realities. You may face challenges in balancing your romantic fantasies with real connections. This aspect encourages finding a balance between embracing your ideals and maintaining meaningful relationships. Neptune Opposite Mars Neptune opposite Mars can lead to conflicts between your intuitive drive and practical actions. You may struggle with balancing your desire for spiritual pursuits with tangible efforts. This aspect encourages finding ways to pursue your goals while staying grounded and focused. Neptune Opposite Jupiter Neptune opposite Jupiter can bring unexpected challenges to your spiritual and philosophical growth. You may struggle with balancing your idealistic beliefs with practical realities. This aspect encourages adapting to change and finding new ways to pursue your spiritual and intellectual aspirations. Neptune Opposite Saturn Neptune opposite Saturn creates tension between your dreams and the need for structure and discipline. You may feel torn between embracing your ideals and maintaining stability. This aspect encourages finding a balance between practicality and spirituality. Neptune Opposite Uranus Neptune opposite Uranus can lead to confusion and tension between your innovative ideas and practical change. You may struggle with balancing your visionary insights with real-world efforts. This aspect encourages finding clarity and realism in your pursuits to harmonize your creativity with practical endeavors. Neptune Opposite Pluto Neptune opposite Pluto can create intense challenges and power struggles. You may face obstacles in balancing your spiritual aspirations with transformative efforts. This aspect encourages finding ways to harness your inner strength and embrace deep spiritual growth while maintaining stability.

©️kleopatra45

[makeitmakesomesense]

Lessons in Networking

Angelina Jolie x Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

A/N: Day 12: I've merged a lovely request from a very lovely friend. Also the @taylorswiftmicrofic prompt for the 12th of January, which is 'thigh'.

The first time you saw her, she became embedded. 

You were a small part of a big movie. A well reviewed movie. A talked about movie.

You found yourself on a sudden award season treadmill. A thousand parties, a thousand opportunities to network. The string of scheduled get togethers that everyone referred to as ‘doing the circuit’.

You weren't made for this world. You were terrible at networking. And circuits made you think of racecars. 

You knew you wouldn’t be here again. You knew it was the movie that had brought you here, the unexpected artistry of the director. The project had been exceptional, not you.

You knew that you’d most likely only have a single lap of this ‘circuit’. 

You didn’t mind. You enjoyed savouring the ridiculous world you’d briefly entered into. Rooms full of ego, and name dropping and mind numbing small talk from people obviously scanning the room for someone better to talk to. 

You didn’t mind. Not at first.

It turned out that this was a very long circuit, very intense circuit. You were starting to feel exhausted.

.

You found yourself at another party. Another thinly veiled excuse for the most opportunistic to network and the largest egos to be catered to. 

It had started as a seated dinner thing. The food had been pretty good, even if you didn’t recognise what the dishes were supposed to be. You’d been at a secondary table for the movie you’d been a part of. Seated with people you’d made too much small talk with already. 

Everyone else had been excited to get up and mingle as soon as the meal was over. There’d been a steadily growing group of people congregating by the open bar. 

You stayed sitting. You sipped a glass of water and stared into the mid distance. The hum of so much talking was giving you a headache. You couldn’t decide if you were doing the right thing, just sitting here. If you should be forcing yourself to mingle, to make acquaintances and exchange numbers.

A producer gave you a friendly wave as she walked past, arm in arm with a famous actor that you recognised on sight. You could tell she didn’t really remember you. You’d noticed that a lot of people waved just in case. Better to be over friendly to the nobodies than be called impolite. You waved back, trapped by social convention. 

As they walked past, the producer glanced over to another table, then back to her actor friend. You caught the exchanged look of silent derision. 

You followed their gaze over to another almost empty table. Just like yours. 

Angelina Jolie sat alone.

She was taller than you expected, holding herself with unthinking excellent posture. She was sipping a glass of wine, a neutral expression barely covering her obvious discomfort. You glanced around the room, wondering who she was meant to be with. An A-lister alone at a party like this. It never happened. 

You tried to understand. 

You caught sight of a few people at the bar, looking in her direction with an obvious longing. But there was no-one who seemed to actually be going over to talk to her.  You chewed your lip.

You looked back at Angelina Jolie.  She was running her thumb absentmindedly over the crystal wine glass. Her silver dress glittered like it was made of starlight. She looked otherworldly.

You wondered if maybe she didn’t want the attention, if there was some unspoken rule to leave her alone. She was the one choosing to stay seated, after all. You tried to imagine what would happen if she joined the people at the bar, if she would be subsumed into the crowd?

You and her were the only two left still sitting at a table. 

You watched a short, awkward moment when her eyes filled with optimism as a person walked past and gave her a brief wave. You caught the strange, pained, neutral expression that returned to her face when they didn’t stop to talk.

Angelina Jolie.

You tapped the side of your glass. It felt reckless. Almost criminally reckless. It also felt obvious. You wouldn’t be at another party like this. There was only so much damage you could really do. 

You took a deep breath and got to your feet. You picked up your glass of water with a thundering heart and walked over to her table. 

Angelina’s face shuttered with momentary surprise. Her mouth moved automatically to a polite smile.

‘Hello.’ She said in a voice much softer than you expected. ‘I don’t think we’ve met?’

Briefly, you forgot how to process the English language. Her unfiltered attention was completely overwhelming. You felt a strange mix of self loathing and panic as you tried to recollect yourself.

‘No.’ You said finally, brain on auto-pilot. ‘I don’t think we have.’ 

Angelina gave you a look full of patience and you wondered mortifyingly if this happened often. You felt like the eyes of everyone in the room might now be trained on you. You didn’t dare look back to the bar. 

Angelina’s hand stretched out towards you.

‘I’m Angelina.’ She said with a friendly smile. ‘But a lot of people call me Angie.’

‘Y/N’ You shook her hand cautiously. Her skin was much cooler than you expected. Or maybe you were just feeling very warm. ‘Do you mind if I sit?’

‘Not at all. Please. Yes.’ Angelina gestured to the empty seat beside her. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulder as she moved. 

There was something clumsy about her phrase and the accompanying gesture. You watched a flicker of self consciousness as she registered it too

‘Thank you.’ You gave a tentative smile as you took the seat. 

You felt the horrible threat of a lingering silence as you both hesitated. Then, you both tried to speak at once.

Angelina laughed suddenly. The melodic sound sent a jolt right through you. 

‘You go first.’ She nodded at you.

‘I was just saying. This is my first time at a party like this.’ You stammered out. ‘I don’t know if I like it.’

Angelina’s mouth stayed closed but her lips twitched into an amused smile. The spark in her eyes encouraged you to go on.

‘Everyone is so-’ You hesitated, suddenly aware that you were talking about a room full of her peers. Possibly her friends. Then you remembered that she was sitting here completely on her own. 

‘So-?’ Angelina prompted teasingly, elongating the sound.

‘So focused.’ You answered unsurely. ‘On careers and networks and really boring small talk.’

Angelina laughed again and then she shrugged in agreement. Her fingers tapped the side of her wine glass.

‘You only have to stay for the first 45 minutes.’ She told you. ‘That’s the secret. You can sneak out after that and people barely notice.’

You felt your eyes roll automatically. ‘Oh sure.’ You couldn’t help smirking as you took a sip of your water. ‘I’ll remember that for all my future tours of the circuit.’

Angelina nodded again, and you caught the playfulness in her gaze. She copied your action, taking a sip from her wine. 

‘The networking doesn’t really get easier.’ She said simply. ‘There’s just more to remember, more -’ She paused as her eyes flickered over to the crowded bar behind you. A heaviness returned to her expression.

‘More baggage.’ She finished carefully. 

Her eyes returned to you, the full force of her attention made you a little dizzy. 

‘Tell me about you?’ She asked with a simple curiosity. 

You did. 

A relatively succinct history of the life that had led you to here. Of your very limited resume and the reasons that you had enjoyed your last role. As you trailed off, Angelina smiled.

‘See.’ She said, clinking her glass lightly with yours. ‘You are good at networking.’

You pretended to check the time on your phone, balanced precariously on your thigh. 

‘Well that’s a relief.’ You grinned as you looked back up at her. ‘Because I’m scheduled to leave in 12 minutes.’

Angelina laughed loudly again, and for the first time since you’d first seen her across the room, she looked genuinely happy.

She clinked her glass with yours again. There was something almost goofy about her wide smile. You matched it automatically with one of your own.

‘What a coincidence.’ She teased dryly. ‘So am I.’

.

12 minutes later, you left a party alongside Angelina Jolie.

Her number was already in your phone, saved as 'Angie'.

.

You wondered if maybe you should give lessons in networking.

.

.

Requests are still very welcome for future January fics. More info in the pinned post if you're interested in requesting. <3

.

[geminipixels]

Sims 4T3 Facial Vitiligo Age Conversions set 2

The age conversions for part 2 found here of the Vitiligo conversions from Sims 4. So now sims of all ages can use the facial overlays.

Texture credits: EA/Maxis

Info:

Comes as Zip file with 8 packages inside to choose from.

Also includes download for 1 merged package file

Has custom thumbnail for each preset

Found in the Makeup section under the blush category

Is recolorable

Unisex for Toddlers and Children, disabled for random

Side-Notes:

My only recommendation for these overlays is to turn the opacity down to around 75% to 50% for a more realistic look. As these presets include more facial coverage around the eyes, nose and mouth. So details around these regions will be hidden/lost at full opacity of these overlays.

I did play around with other custom skin details with these overlays, and they are compatible with like 99.999% of them. My suggestion is to add these overlays as one of the first skin details before doing eye makeup, eye details and lipstick if using Nrass Master controller multiple makeup per location. This will give you a realistic and optimal look for your sims.

Download: Zip || Merged

If you encounter any other issues or problems, please let me know. Previews can be found under “Keep Reading”. And thank you for downloading :).

@pis3update @xto3conversionsfinds @simfluencer-network @eternalccfinds

[sims3fiend]

S3SettingsSetter New new version New

I have returned from the grave to do another re-rewrite of Sims 3 Settings Setter! Hopefully the last! The main new features are a pattern detection approach, meaning it should work on any version of the game, and a new platform for some function rewrite optimizations I've done (steam only). Also most importantly includes the ability to set the Streaming settings to throttle lots, reducing stutter dramatically and a patch to make lots load on radius instead of view.

A full write-up below, but here's the main features:

Change "variable" settings ingame: This lets you change things that normally require mods but live ingame, letting you tweak things how you want. This includes things like changing bloom levels, light colors, sunlight brightness, weather (so you can have snow in summer), sunrise times, tweaking shadow distances, etc etc. Highly recommend just playing around to see what can be done. These are now correctly mapped so they should all work correctly.

Change "Config" settings (not ingame): This lets you set any config (graphicsrules.sgr) thing you want, including some that aren't in the original files (idr the name). It also lets you have set presets, and means you can (hopefully) more clearly see what settings you've changed. I will slowly (I've said this before lol) manually add Config and Options settings to the live edit, I haven't found an easy automatic way of doing this unfortunately.

Performance tweaks and notifications: Set notifications for hitting memory thresholds, letting you know before an E12 happens. Improve game performance with tweaks to game code. Uhh, maybe other stuff soon idk

Please note, as this is a new rewrite, this is still a beta. There will probably be bugs, the menu may glitch out, etc. Please also note that some settings may effect things in unexpected ways, if you're not sure what a setting does, maybe try it out in a fresh save first. Generally though, everything is correctly mapped and shouldn't have any lasting negative effects on your game.

BaselinePerformance preset (put into Presets folder and load ingame with File -> Presets). This should reduce stuttering while still being light enough that it wont tank laptop players. Use this instead of my GraphicsRules file please! https://simfileshare.net/download/5333998/

Download: http://www.simfileshare.net/download/5333999/

Source: https://github.com/sims3fiend/Sims3SettingsSetter

\/ More details/blog post/How to use \/

How to use

Installing:

Just like before you 'll need an ASI loader. I recommend dxwrapper but if you're using Smooth Patch that comes with one too. You then just plonk it into your The Sims 3\Game\Bin folder like any other .asi mod and run the game.

Using:

Preset insert to open the UI

The menu should open up, if it doesn't, look in your game directory for hook_log.txt and send it to me x. If you don't have one, chances are your asi loader isn't working correctly.

The settings tab only becomes editable once a game has been loaded (might change this later). These are values that can be edited live ingame and should change something even if that thing isn't immediately obvious.

Most have sliders, the min/max/step are determined by the game itself, but you can set them above/below these values by right clicking

This also lets you "Clear Override" AKA remove it from the ini, or "Reset to Default" which resets it it to default :)

When you've got things how you want, go to file -> save to save them. If you want to make a preset out of them, that's in file too x, presets save things like patches, Config and QoL too, so just be careful. When loading a preset you can chose to Overwrite which basically clears your ini, or merge, which adds that preset on top of your current settings.

Everything else should be pretty easy to figure out idk

What's new/blog

New function approach for live edit

I actually properly looked at the code flow and found a neat vtable that had, essentially, what I was dreaming of when I made the version version of this. The function gives the name, min, max, step and address of incoming variable manager controlled settings, which is rly rly good! A much more sane and easy to develop for approach than the manually mapping out address spaces approach I was taking before!

Patterns

I've tried to use patterns for the most part, this means finding the function and trying to write a "pattern" of bytes that matches both main versions of the game (Steam and EA). This can be pretty tricky as you have to be specific enough that you don't get false positives while being loose enough to get both versions. It seems to work on both EA/Steam version (with the exception of the patches), but please let me know if it doesn't.

Patches

NERD ZONE NERD ZONE SKIP THIS PART

These will primarily be direct naked ASM patches to functions, and I'll probably be keeping them exclusive to the steam version of the game unless there's something that's a substantial improvement, as the EA one has been compiled differently so different instructions are used, meaning I'd have to write two patches. You can probably skip using them for now if I'm being honest, I have a bunch in the works but these mostly suck.

Point intersection patch

Essentially this is a hand written naked ASM patch for the point intersection code TS3 uses, this is used for nav meshing IIRC, and was the first proper one of these I did after seeing it in vtuner. Sadly, It's not really going to be noticeable at all, maybe a second faster load on custom maps, as they bulk call it during load. IIRC non-custom ones also call it during sims moving but I could be wrong as I wrote this aaages ago and didn't keep great notes. It has a lot of stuff in it and does achieve a very substantial boost vs the default function as a result, it's just that the function isn't really a cause of lag (though is on the render thread IIRC so..). It achieves the performance boost by I guess nearly fully rewriting it, I added an early exit, use prefetchnta, switched to SIMD, lddqu, shufps, fast paths… idk these are all words that mean nothing to basically everyone reading this including me but I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

Target Framerate

Changes what I can only assume is the games framerate target, it seems to interact w/ the frame buffer. I haven't noticed any noticeable difference but give it a go! This one may desync things in theory but I haven't noticed so 🤷 lol actually this makes animations slow down for some reason so I've removed it oops, need to look into this more.

Lot Visibility

Disables the games check for if a lot is in view, instead it should just load based on the radius around the camera. This is a the patch in Stutter Reducerer so if you're using that you don't need this (just enable Lot Throttling under streaming)

LZ Optimization (not released)

This is basically the point intersection but for the games main package decompression (RefPack) implementation. I… am/was a bit of a dunce with this, for whatever reason my original implementation was focused on large reads using AVX,SSE, etc… Now, the issue is… LZ does small (1-4) byte reads… so… I'm in the process of rewriting it once more. Plan to uroll the functions and do idk like MOVZX I think would be huge, simplifying the flow, etc etc.

The performance gain might actually be somewhat noticeable for this as this function is used in gameplay quite a bit. How you might ask? Well, every single lot that is loaded reads and extracts files for every object in that lot every single time it is loaded, in excess of 40mb/s with that being several hundreds of thousands of calls (some files are very small, and refpack also is byte-by-byte). This is all also done on the render thread, so the game has to wait for this to do its thing (and several other functions) before it renders the next frame. Very good very fun.

Multithreading (maybe eventually)

I've tried but no real luck, I've had some "success" but mostly it's been failures. I do have some interesting things I want to look at, especially related to lot loading so we'll see what the future holds. I think some degree of multithreading for the render thread would be incredibly huge.

Other patches

I have like 10 other ones that are not quite ready yet but should help, hopefully I'll just trickle them out but I think waiting until I can get them working properly is probably dumb.

Coming soon:

Stuff that I'm working on I swear I promise!!! It's coming!

UI QoL - There's a lot wrong with it.

"Options" category support. This is tricky as changing these settings directly writes them to the .ini file in documents for some reason

Several patches

A system for automatic performance tweaks like reducing active lots to 0 when loading, then throttle-loading them back once game has loaded, or automatically reducing settings related to object caps, etc.

More live-edit settings. There's a bunch I want to add it's just annoying. Most are static values though but having to find patterns that find them for both versions is rly annoying. Things like RenderSimLODDistances, FogDistances, the Script category…etc. If you have any requests lmk!

The ini file is kinda ugly garbage horrible to look at

Need to figure out why these have min/max/step like, is there some sort of debug ui I'm missing out on? It seems like there is but idk how to trigger it, gunna be pissed if it's something obvious