#Visual basic for applications examples

[codingquill]

Essentials You Need to Become a Web Developer

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Mastery

Text Editor/Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Popular choices include Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text.

Version Control/Git: Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket allow you to track changes, collaborate with others, and contribute to open-source projects.

Responsive Web Design Skills: Learn CSS frameworks like Bootstrap or Flexbox and master media queries

Understanding of Web Browsers: Familiarize yourself with browser developer tools for debugging and testing your code.

Front-End Frameworks: for example : React, Angular, or Vue.js are powerful tools for building dynamic and interactive web applications.

Back-End Development Skills: Understanding server-side programming languages (e.g., Node.js, Python, Ruby , php) and databases (e.g., MySQL, MongoDB)

Web Hosting and Deployment Knowledge: Platforms like Heroku, Vercel , Netlify, or AWS can help simplify this process.

Basic DevOps and CI/CD Understanding

Soft Skills and Problem-Solving: Effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills

Confidence in Yourself: Confidence is a powerful asset. Believe in your abilities, and don't be afraid to take on challenging projects. The more you trust yourself, the more you'll be able to tackle complex coding tasks and overcome obstacles with determination.

[the-necromancer-wife]

"I could explain more about the Laplace Demon concept if you, dear readers, are interested but that would be for another occasion. Another essay hehe."

Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease 🛐

Explaining Laplace's Demon tehory in the context of 14dwy.

Thank you so much for giving me an excuse to talk about this dear anon!

In this post i'll elaborate further about something i said in the end of this super long post. As always TW for 14dwy spoilers!

(Joke's on you, sir, i DID come here for the tales of old)

And this tale in specific is really old. Around two hundred years old to be specific. In 1814 a man known by the name Pierre-Simon de Laplace wrote an essay about a deterministic concept known later as the "Laplace's demon" (although he already seemed to be exploring this concept since 1773)

We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future. An intellect which at a certain moment would know all forces that set nature in motion, and all positions of all items of which nature is composed, if this intellect were also vast enough to submit these data to analysis, it would embrace in a single formula the movements of the greatest bodies of the universe and those of the tiniest atom; for such an intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the past could be present before its eyes.

(Pierre Simon Laplace, Philosophical Essay on Probabilities.)

But what does this all mean? Well basically this man spoke about a hypothetical "intelligence" (he didn't precisely used the word "demon") that, knowing the precise location of every particle in the universe and where they were headed, they would be able to guess the past and future values for any given time. In other words, we would be referring to an almighty hypothetical "thing" able to see the past and future of every single thing in the universe.

Of course this is all a model, a theory, an exploration on what would happen if something like this existed in the first place. After all, it was all a philosophical essay in the first place, wasn't it?

"Une intelligence ... Rien ne serait incertain pour elle, et l'avenir, comme le passé, serait présent à ses yeux."

Of course, Mr. Laplace wasn't the only one to explore the idea of an almighty intelligence since other philosophers like Condorcet, Holbach and Diderot also wrote about it.

Now there are several theories (some more modern than others) to explain why an intelligence of this nature will never be possible to exist but there is one that might ring a bell for some people "The Chaos Theory"

Or as some might know it: The butterfly effect.

This theory basically poses that minor variations between the starting conditions of two systems can result in major differences. That's why you say that "A butterfly flying in certain direction today can lead to huge catastrophes tomorrow" it's not something (so) literal but it is useful to illustrate how small can be the variation and how huge can be the result. Of course the change doesn't have to be huge. It can be a minor change, but a change nonetheless.

Btw chaos theory is applicable when knowledge of the system is imperfect, whereas Laplace's demon assumes perfect knowledge of the system, therefore the variability leading to chaos in chaos theory and non-variability in the knowledge of the world Laplace's demon holds are noncomparable.

But, What does this all has to do with 14dwy?

Glad you ask. Actually a lot.

Starting off with the idea of how perfect is this game integrating even its genre (Visual Novel) to the theory. I believe there is no bigger example of the butterfly efect than a Visual Novel, where choosing (or not) certain options can lead to certain results (big or small). Very much like the butterfly effect. And funnily enough, it's us, the player, the embodiment of this umpredictability, since we are the ones that make the choices in the game. We are the antagonists of a hypothetical Laplace's Demon. We are it's antonym. We are an angel. The idea of a change that the system cannot predict. Of course this is questionable. Because as much as we have certain "freedom" we still need to abide by the choices that the very game gives to us.

This takes us back to the question of who is the entity that speaks to us in this cryptic messages on day four? Who is this (allegedly) Laplace's Demon? and what are my personal arguments on why i don't think it's [REDACTED].

Let's start by breaking down the messages. I have them all decoded in my previous post along with a really easy (i hope so) explanation on how the cipher works.

"...ATTEMPTING TO REWRITE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ORDAINED SINCE THE BEGINNING"

Here, the entity mentions the certainty of the past, but not the certainty of the future.

"...ATTEMPTING TO DIG UP THE ROOTS OF FATE AS THOUGH IT WERE A WEED AND PLANTING YOUR OWN CORRUPT SEEDLING IN ITS PLACE"

Here, the entity presumably refers to the idea of our (very limited) free will and how we're pushing the limits of the system (in this case by attempting to keep advancing on a route that supposedly leads nowhere else). To make this more clear, this entity speaks to us when we load the save file multiple times trying to keep advancing down that path when the course of action contemplated is that we should just stop and load another save file. We're persistent creatures, after all.

"PERHAPS WE ARE THE SAME, THEN"

Of course fucking ✨not✨

"I TOO FIND ENJOYMENT IN DISRUPTING THE VINES OF KISMET AND WATCHING HIM STRUGGLE"

Now i swear i never heard the word "kismet" before this day. But it seems to be some sort of archaic synonim of the word "fate". Although according to Cambridge Dictionary it is actually "A force that (some people) think controls what happens in the future, and is outside human control"

Also, this entity seems to be having its fun with Ren/REDACTED's struggles. It doesn't really see our unpredictability (yet) as a threat.

"TWAS I WHO GAVE HIM HIS GIFT, AS I DID WITH OTHERS..."

AND THIS

This right here boy oh boy.

I gave him his gift: A rant about human deities through the holy act of programming.

(As pretentious as this title is, please hear me out)

There's a really interesting article named Embracing Λόγος: Programming as Imitation of the Divine that basically says:

The programmer must begin by defining things – material or conceptual. “We are unable to reason or communicate effectively if we do not first make the effort to know what each thing is.” (Rayside, Campbell) By considering the ontological questions of the things in our world, in order to represent them accurately (and therefore ethically) in our programs, the programmer enters into the philosophical praxis. Next, the programmer adds layers of identity and logic on top of their ontological discovery, continuing in the praxis.

But the programmer takes it a step further – the outcome of their investigation is not only their immaterial thought but, in executing the program, the manifestation of their philosophical endeavor into material reality. The program choreographs trillions of elementary charges through a crystalline maze, harnessing the virtually infinite charge of the Earth, incinerating the remains of starlight-fueled ancient beings in order to realize the reasoning of its programmer. Here the affair enters into the realm of Ethics.

“The programmer is attempting to solve a practical problem by instructing a computer to act in a particular fashion. This requires moving from the indicative to the imperative: from can or may to should. For a philosopher in the tradition, this move from the indicative to the imperative is the domain of moral science.” (Rayside, Campbell) Any actions taken by the program are the direct ethical responsibility of the programmer.

Furthermore, the programmer, as the source of reason and will driving a program, manifesting it into existence, becomes in that instant the λόγος σπερματικός (“logos spermatikos”) incarnate. The programmer’s reason, tapped into the divine Reason (λόγος), is generated into existence in the Universe and commands reasonable actions of inanimate matter.

Basically the programmer goes through each and every stage a deity would go through when creating the universe.

AND GUESS WHO IS A PROGRAMMER IN 14DWY???

(Ren/REDACTED in case you don't know hehe)

When the entity says "I gave him his gift" i believe this is exactly what he is referring to. While a Laplace's Demon knows every particle in the physical systems (and assumes it's knowledge of said system is perfect), a programmer works with Operative Systems (Windows, Linux, Ubuntu).

As for us, the angel, the antagonist of the demon of Laplace, we are the chaos theory, the one that conceives the knowledge of the system as imperfect.

Btw the person manipulating some choices in certain moments? Totally Ren/REDACTED. As they have the power of messing with the game and are totally self-aware of this being a visual novel.

But who gave Ren/REDACTED this power? Was Ren/REDACTED so skillful that they were able to defy the laws of worldbuilding? Picture this: the equivalent would be a programmer in the real world so skillful that they become able to defy the reality itself.

I believe the responsible is this "all knowing entity" since it just said it itself "It was I who gave him his gift". After all he is, and i quote, "THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, COMBINED INTO ONE" really ominous shit.

There are obvious gaps in this theory but it's the best i can do with the limited knowledge i have. I am not a physicist so i can't really dwell in formulas and numbers as much as i would. Maybe i'll interview a professor in college in the future but for now i hope this is enough.

[cindyverse]

Shifting Tips

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Hi, so I know it's been a very long time since the last time I posted because these past few weeks have been very strange to me. I don't know how to tell this, but I've been connected and unconnected from shifting at the same in a weird way. Tonight, a very big earthquake is expected in my region, and it scares me a bit, so I decided to go through tumblr a bit. I don't really know what I will talk about on this post yet, but I guess we'll see.

۶ৎ Don't Focus On The Symptoms

When you're shifting, if you feel symptoms like a tingle in your body, urge to move, floating, falling, or anything, try to unfocus. I know it's a bit hard to ignore such things, but those "symptoms" are usually your body is checking on you to make sure you're fine. This is one of the other things that meditating helps. While meditating, your body goes through the same "body falling asleep" phase, so after a while, your body gets used to it and stops giving you the "symptoms". Don't forget practice makes perfect.

۶ৎ Beware Of How You Speak To Your Brain

I see a lot of people on the internet, mostly tiktok, that talks about what they felt, etc. while "trying to shift." This is so wrong. You're not "trying" to shift you're just shifting. If you're telling yourself that you will try to shift tonight it means that you're basically telling your brain that it is only an attempt and it really a may or may not kinda thing. But you will shift so act like the master-shifter you already are. Talk to your brain like that, order that you will shift. Be confident.

۶ৎ Don't Force Yourself

Don't forget that things like scripting, using a method, or even visualization are not a must for shifting. If you enjoy doing it and think it's good for you, then do it, but you don't have to script to shift to your dr. You already know what your dr is supposed to be like, so it will happen no matter what. Methods, again, they're just silly ways to make shifting easier for some people, and they're all made up. Using methods helps some people, and it doesn't do anything for some others. If other methods don't work for you, make your own or don't and just shift. If you tried a method several times and it clearly didn't work, then again, move on. Visualization, people see visualization as a must but it's not wrong. There's bunch of shifters who has aphantasia !and still shifts so why can't you? Shifting doesn't have rules and this is what fun about it you make your own rules. Make up anything as long as it's fun for you

۶ৎ Don't Unfocus From Your Life In Your CR

I don't know how to explain this well but I know several shifters are going through this. Yes the fact that there's infinite possibilities of what you can be is exciting but also it can make life seem meanless. I deeply resonate with this problem and I came over it. For these past few weeks I let go of everything in this reality because I know that I can always leave and live my dream life but then I realized what I'm doing was literally ending me. Yes I will always shift but right now I live the life as "her" as what is call "me" she has dreams too she always have and I knew that but I was letting her give up her dreams just because I could always stop using this vessel and move onto an another one. Now this may not make sense but what I'm saying is don't let yourself get lazy just because you found a deeper meaning in life. You may not be happy in this reality I know I understand everything sucks but you can actually find happiness in smaller things. Tho I know it sounds cheesy but it's the truth. For example you didn't get the grade you wanted? It's okay you will do better next time. Got rejected from a job application? Then something greater will find you. No matter what comes on your way it's going to be okay I promise you. You may think you don't even know me who tf are you promising me stuff but I just know and I promise you everything will be okay. Just get up and do your best. You will have disappointments, sad moments that you will never forget but nothing stays forever...Take care of yourself. Happy shifting♡

‿︵‿︵‿୨ ୧‿︵‿︵‿‿︵‿︵‿୨ ୧‿︵‿︵‿

‿︵‿︵‿୨ ୧‿︵‿︵‿‿︵‿︵‿୨ ୧‿︵‿︵‿

[project-lumen]

Want to join Project LUMEN as a script writer?

For other positions, see background artist and UI artist.

In case you don’t know, project LUMEN is an in-development indie game adaption of the Life series, a Minecraft YouTube series created by Grian. Featuring a full RPG experience: battles, a branching timeline with limitless choices, custom and unique visuals from our talented team of artists and, of course, lore: there's a path for everyone to take.

So, hello and welcome to the Writing corner, and we are looking forward to your potential application! 

Now, do not feel intimidated. While we look at examples of your fanfiction writings when considering you, we are not judging your capabilities to write for the game that harshly, because, as you may notice, a game is not fanfiction. It is a script! 

Here’s a basic guide to script writing so you’re not gonna join in blind. And once chosen, you will be guided through the ropes of learning how to write that way! This to say, don’t worry about prose. In the applications we will be mainly looking at dialogue, characterisation and maybe a bit of scene handling. 

This project is big, but I’d like to think the workload isn’t. While LUMEN has a small team of writers, we have managed to split the work between us, going at a steady pace of one seasons/timeline per month, with a week break in between. 

In our normal process, we have each of the seasons’ small and big events alike written down in bullet points and put into a Google Sheet for the Writers to claim. They are the ones to decide on what they want to write, and that usually ends up with them having a two week deadline for the writing of one thousand words-ish. Though we understand if a deadline can’t be met, more time can always be given- we aren’t monsters. That’s the Watcher’s job. Not the Speakers’. 

We also have a meeting every other Sunday to talk about progress and make sure our writings all line up, while also planning out what needs to be done next. These meetings are very fun though, trust.

So make sure to apply when applications come out on the 30th of april, and get in before they close on the 20th of may!

[dwellordream]

A Guide to Writing Children and Young Teens

Most of this information is derived from the book Yardsticks by Chip Wood, an informational text aimed at educators and parents who are curious as to how children change developmentally from age to age. The book is not just based on the author's observations and experiences as a teacher but on the work of scholars such as Arnold Gesell, Dorothy H. Cohen, William Crain, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, Robert Pianta, Caroline Pratt, and many others. Writing Four-Year-Olds:

"Four-year olds are flexible, exciting, and creative creatures who love to exaggerate and engage in imaginative play. A four-year-old's tall tale about an adventure she had with an imaginary friend may puzzle a parent or teacher but delight the four-year-old. And this play is critical for the development of fours' understanding of right and wrong, early application of social rules, and manners. They sometimes can seem especially "bossy" (particularly with their real and imaginary friends), but this assertiveness is positive rehearsal for learning acceptable limits and how to be a real friend and helper." (Wood 2017)

Traits:

Have trouble with reading and writing, as well as most close-up visual activities

Awkward with writing utensils, handcrafts, and small movements

Clumsy; collisions and spills are common

Friendly and talkative; will work near but not with a buddy

Love dress-up games and acting out drama

Enjoy 'potty language' and repeating curse words

Love to be given 'jobs' such as setting the table or folding clothes

Are often fearful at night-time

Writing Five-Year-Olds:

"Five-year-olds take in the world through their senses. They see, smell, touch, hear, and taste just about everything--one thing after another, but only one thing at a time. Their intense focus on detail enables them to see not just the butterfly but the pattern on its wings, its proboscis uncurling into a flower, its antennae waving delicately. Fives can give sustained attention to anything that fascinates them." (Wood 2017)

Traits:

Find it hard to space letters and numbers while writing

Better control when running and jumping than 4 year olds

Often fall or slip out of chairs

Interpret words in the most literal/basic sense

Like to explain things to peers and adults in the most detail possible

Struggle to see accept there is more than one way to play a game or complete a task

May actually believe toys or other objects are alive

Can become stuck in repetitive behavior out of fear of trying new things and failing (such as drawing the same images again and again)

Seek adult approval more than 6 year olds

Writing Six-Year-Olds:

"At six, children's capacity for logical thought begins to blossom. As in Piaget's classic experiment, a six-year-old will tell you that two equal balls of clay remain equal in volume even when one is rolled out into a snake shape. Sixes also begin to grasp cause and effect in the natural world, understanding, for example, that it's the wind that makes the trees move, not vice versa." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

May experience more frequent illness than earlier years

Are easily upset when criticized by adults or peers

Often in a hurry and sloppy because of it

Teething as they start to lose baby teeth; chew on fingernails, hair, pencils, etc

Start to value competition

Begin to experience anxiety to perform well

Often bossy and critical towards friends

Begin to care intensely about having a 'best' friend

Can understand past and present as a concept and identify historical markers such as year/date

Comfortable working/playing in noisy, busy environments

Writing Seven-Year-Olds:

"Seven-year-olds are serious children who see and feel with a thoughtful intensity. After the outwardly expressive exuberance of six, sevens turn inward to consolidate the enormous cognitive and emotional growth they've just experienced. They become quieter and more sensitive, self-conscious, and self-absorbed as they figure out how to manage new feelings and cognitive structures. Seven is a year of moving forward cautiously, of craving security and structure while avoiding risk and uncertainty." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Crave stability and predictability; like knowing their schedule

Become more perfectionist than earlier years and begin to worry about schoolwork for the first time

Usually have a 'best' friend but who that is varies wildly day by day

Love being read aloud to, especially longer books with chapters

Moodier than 6 and 5 year olds

Enjoy being in confined spaces/hiding during games

Start to develop more coordination in sports

Often begin to write far smaller/neater than in prior years

Typically want to keep their personal items neat and tidy

Love secret codes such as Morse code and Pig Latin

Mistakes in schoolwork seriously disturb them

Love to classify and sort things

Begin to enjoy board games and online games

Can memorize poems, songs, and chants easily

Writing Eight-Year-Olds:

"Eight-year-olds wake up in the morning with plans for adventure percolating before their feet hit the floor. To be eight is to be inventive and creative, full of energy, curiosity, and imagination, always in a hurry to try the next new thing--or to create the next new thing themselves. With a friend, or better yet, a group of friends, eights roll along with plans for a parade or a play, thrilled with their truly wonderful ideas for the "what" and blithely unconcerned with the "how"." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Develop a love for jokes and sense of humor becomes more refined

Start to care deeply about morality and fairness

Growth spurts can lead to physical clumsiness

Adjust well to change and bounce back faster than 7 year olds

Start to desire the approval of their peers as much as the approval of adults

Begin to form larger friendship groups or cliques

Very talkative and tend to exaggerate about their experiences

Become more ambitious in terms of schoolwork or personal creative projects

Writing Nine-Year-Olds:

"Fairness begins to matter a great deal as nines take on the cognitive task of understanding ethical behavior at a new level. They're concerned about global justice: Why are some people poor? Why are we allowing climate change to happen? Why are some people cruel to animals? Nines show concern about fairness on the local level, too, and often feel singled out for unfair treatment by a teacher, parent, or coach. Their complaints--signs of their increasing understanding of and sensitivity to how the world works--can also be a way for nines to express their growing sense of peer importance and group solidarity." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Often eager to try new styles of dress or appearance, such as haircuts or different clothes

May begin to bite nails, twist at hair, make odd expressions to deal with tension or discomfort

Have a general sense of popularity and want to avoid associating with 'unpopular' children

Enjoy negotiating and arguing with adults

Can revert to 'baby talk' when they feel nervous or silly

Begin to appreciate inappropriate/'edgy' jokes, will mimic online trends/memes, especially sexual/racial/body humor

Desire to use social media to express themselves

Start to lose interest in imaginative play; more focused on facts/how things work

Want explanations as to why they have to do homework or chores from adults

Writing Ten-Year-Olds:

"Happy and easygoing tens generally look up to and admire their teachers and parents and take real pleasure in both family outings and teacher-led activities. They enjoy their classmates, too, and can engage productively in collaborative, project-based learning. Because of their relative calmness and instinct for getting along with others, ten-year-olds do well in a variety of group configurations, including mixed-age groups: They can often help elevens and even twelves in cooperative pursuits." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Often enjoy reading more than younger years

Ready to start using tools such as compasses, protractors, rulers, and templates

May be hotheaded, but are also quicker to forgive than older children

Are more sensitive and empathetic towards friends than 8 or 9 year olds

Generally like being able to lead/guide younger children

Can concentrate for longer periods of time than younger years

Usually eager to learn new things

Start to enjoy word problems and riddles

Writing Eleven-Year-Olds:

"Elevens are, in a sense, electrified. As adolescence begins, cognitive structures in the brain are rewiring themselves at the same amazing speed at which the body is beginning to transform. Relationships with peers and adults are turning topsy-turvy. At home and in school, academically and socially, eleven-year-olds are busy engaging whole new worlds with a sense of outward boldness, yet inward tentativeness. Their lives crackle with the energy of change as they begin to establish a sense of physical and emotional identity." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Stay up late compared to younger children and have more trouble rousing in the morning

Often act out more at home compared to in school

Huge appetites and sleep for longer when given the chance

Often blurt out rude comments without thinking

Cis girls typically have an earlier growth spurt than cis boys

Can become very indecisive and fearful of making mistakes

Like to challenge teachers and parents over rules

Can debate without it becoming personal

Imitate more sophisticated adult language

Begin to focus on what they want to do as adults

Writing Twelve-Year-Olds:

"Along with intense enjoyment of their peers, twelve generally enjoy talking with adults outside the home and can do so with friendliness and a sense of confidence. Yet, twelves can also be unpredictable and hard to read. One day, they fervently want to do schoolwork as part of a group; the next day, they just as fervently want to work alone. They often say "That's not what I meant!" when a teacher misreads their seemingly rude tone or comment. At home, moody, introverted, childish behavior or one-word responses reflect their need to rest and regroup in a safe environment." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Want parents and teachers to take them and their ideas seriously

More open to making new friendships than 11 year olds

Often struggle to follow through with practicing a sport or instrument in their free time

Want to help peers with schoolwork

Can appreciate complex moral issues

May begin to discover a subject or talent they excel at

Better able to switch between playful and serious than younger children

Love testing out new slang and pop culture references

Want to make their own money

Writing Thirteen Year-Olds:

"Thirteen is an age of dramatic contrasts. Because thirteen-year-olds commonly slip backward developmentally as well as move forward, they may seem like younger twelve-year-olds one day and more mature than they really are the next. They want adults to notice, listen, and talk to them but also to leave them alone. They're engaged one minute and bored the next, suddenly confident and just as suddenly unsure, alternately outgoing and withdrawn, brooding alone and then shrieking and shouting with friends." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

May struggle with hygiene and/or acne

Most cis girls have begun menstruating by now

Extremely skilled at mimicking peer behavior

Often mean as a defensive strategy when worried about being ignored or left out

Far more adept at sarcasm than younger children

Can become very quiet and secretive compared to their younger selves

More judgmental of teachers than younger students, will gossip about adults

Interested in global justice issues but struggle with empathy in daily life

Can vary between reserved, stoic behavior and unusual aggression when asked questions by adults

Become messier with their personal belongings

Writing Fourteen-Year-Olds:

"To fourteen-year-olds, the question "Who am I?" seems best answered in terms of "Who are we?" The way that others see these students seems to matter more to them than how they see themselves. Fourteens are moving steadily toward peers and away from parents and teachers as the central figures in their lives. They bond in small social groups, travel street and school together, and pour enormous physical, emotional, and cognitive energy into developing an adolescent subculture." (Wood, 2017)

Traits:

Often embarrassed by the adults in their lives and become very critical of parents

View school as primarily a social experience, don't want to miss out on seeing friends everyday

A small minority will become sexually active

Typically very interested in current events and politics

Will say "I'm bored" when confused, or pretend challenging schoolwork is easy to save face

Love to correct adults and peers on information; hate being lectured

Very expressive faces and body language, can seem contemptuous for no reason

Often become interested in researching various subjects

More willing to admit an error than 12 or 11 year olds; redoing work is not as daunting

Able to joke around with adults

Enjoy mysteries and 'unknown' areas of science/math/history

[topazadine]

A Primer on Dyscalculia: The Learning Disorder You Weren't Told About in School

I rarely see people discussing this learning disability, to the point that many believe it doesn't exist (ie, saying math is the universal language and everyone understands it but just doesn't try) so I thought I'd explain a bit about what it is.

Dyscalculia is a learning disability characterized by difficulty with math, numbers, and some systematic learning that requires the use of memorization and application. Like its relative, dyslexia, it is not that someone is "stupid" or "not trying hard enough" to learn math; our brains are essentially wired not to absorb information in this form.

Common symptoms of dyscalculia include:

Inability to do basic math problems

Struggling to count, often using their fingers to count

Difficulty using multiplication and division

Challenges with visualizing heights, lengths, and widths

Difficulty counting change

Struggling to read a clock or divide time into reasonable measurements

Challenges with memorizing numbers, dates, and sequences

No one is actually sure how many people have dyscalculia because it is rarely diagnosed. Right now, estimates are around 3% to 7% of the population, but this is likely a vast underrepresentation.

Educators still believe the myth that everyone can do math and that those who say they can't are just refusing to apply themselves. This causes lifelong problems for dyscalculiacs because if not treated early enough, it is nigh-on untreatable.

Many people with dyscalculia may complete math problems in unusual and time consuming ways. For example, if you asked me to divide 145 by 5 without a calculator, this is how my brain would have to do it:

100 by 5 (20)

20 by 5 (4), then multiply this by 2 (8), then divide 5 by 5 (1)

And finally, add up all the results (20+8+1) to get 29.

Numbers that are not easily divisible or "chunked" like this would be nigh-on impossible for me to do in my head. I wasn't able to memorize the times tables and in fact needed a laminated times table well into elementary school (think 5th grade).

I distinctly remember feeling like everyone else was on the helm of the USS Enterprise when they could so easily shout out answers to simple multiplication or division problems, and I was always the last person to do those stupid times table sheets. Sometimes I couldn't even complete half of it by the time everyone else was done.

I failed 3rd grade math class and had to be assigned a tutor. This was despite getting all As in every single other class. In fact, I failed multiple math classes during my academic career.

Since my grades were so high in other classes, I had to petition to be put in a remedial math class. Everyone assumed that because I did well in things like English, science, civics, and so on, I must have been able to do what my peers could.

A college-level physics class was the hardest class I have ever done in my life, and I have a Master's degree in International Relations, which requires a lot of very dry and complicated political theory. That is the A I am most proud of because it required far more effort than anything before or since.

No one told me what dyscalculia was or identified a problem throughout my entire time in education. I had to seek out resources myself in adulthood before finally learning what my problem was. This, of course, led to significant "math fear" and self-esteem issues, especially in a society that is obsessed with STEM.

This learning disability can have far-reaching effects and impact things that other people may not even consider. There are many connections between systematized learning and math.

Dyscalculiacs may also have trouble with:

Learning languages

Playing musical instruments (because sheet music and tempos are a form of language + math, though it is possible to learn by ear)

Reading maps, including general world geography

Estimating distances

Navigating a new place because they can't make "mental maps"

Dancing (due to the sequencing)

Reading diagrams

Remembering step-by-step instructions without a cheat sheet

Completing complex tasks that have a lot of steps

Starting a project that necessitates doing things in a certain order, such as building something

Cooking or baking (because it requires measuring and matching measurements to specific ingredients)

Repeating sequences, like a phone number

Remembering numbered streets or highways (like I-480, 5th street, or etc)

Playing games that require counting or keeping score, like Yahtzee, card games, and so on

Completing spreadsheets with numbers

Of course, not every dyscalculiac will struggle with all of these things because there are different degrees of severity. Many also learn tactics to compensate. For example, I never learned sheet music but did well in choir because I memorized all the songs entirely by ear.

I have developed visualizations of common routes I travel and can navigate to them by remembering the landmarks I pass. If you tried to ask me specific step-by-step directions of anywhere, I couldn't tell you, but I can tell you that you'll pass a KFC on your right if you're going east (parallel to Lake Erie), and then you will turn left at the big shopping center.

There are plenty of adaptations that everyday people use which are lifelines to dyscalculiacs in ways that other people may never recognize. Formulas on spreadsheets, conversion websites, built-in calculators, and turn-by-turn navigation apps are all examples of accommodations that appeal to everyone but are especially important to dyscalculiacs.

So, the next time you scoff and say "everyone can do math, they're just being lazy" or "cooking is easy" or "anyone can learn a second language if they want to" or "using a calculator is cheating" and so on:

Recognize that you are ignoring a very real learning disability. These statements are ableist.

Such rhetoric is equally damaging as anti-dyslexic statements like "everyone can learn to read," "open dyslexic fonts are ugly," "audiobooks are cheating," "video lessons are lazy" and things of that ilk.

Ableism takes many forms, many of which people refuse to recognize. Difficulty with math is a widespread problem, and it often has nothing to do with trying hard enough or refusing to learn. I remember breaking down in tears trying to do my times table; I would spend hours trying to understand them.

These issues are NOT a lack of willpower or application. They have to do with real neurological deficits. Please be kind to those who can't do math, and stop assuming we're lazy.

[agent-gladhand]

Q&A Responses on Follow the Schedule! Interest Check

First off, thanks for all the really receptive responses on this idea so far! I was expecting the total number of responses on this would be around this number upon the interest check concluding, so I'm really happy and appreciative that people took a liking to this!

As for the interest check itself, there were some good questions put out there for the project, so I'll be answering some of those here! The more reoccurring ones will also soon be added to the FAQ for future reference.

Q: Will keychains/charms or pins (assuming enamel but I'll include buttons too) be considered for the project stretch goals?

A: Maybe! This is dependent on the current state of tariffs being ??? in America for imports! For anyone who might not be familiar with merch making, most acrylic items and pretty much all enamel pins are produced outside of the US. This would basically mean paying over double or more the cost of production to import said merch depending on the manufacturer I'm working with! Unless the tariffs are dropped by the time the creation period begins, those items will not be included in the project. Button pins are possible for the project if enough interest is gathered, as this is something that can be made in the States and/or will not cost an arm and leg to import if it needs to be ordered from an overseas manufacturer!

---

Q: What's the difference between staple bound and spiral bound calendar mentioned in the interest check?

A: For visual example, the first image shows a spiral bound, the second a staple bound. They both function in a similar way for display, it's mainly a preference of how to flip through pages!

---

Q: For page artists, will there be a prompt list for each month or will it be at artists discretion?

A: Leaning more to artist discretion with approval of their pitch! The artist's final pitch should match up with general themes/events of their chosen month. (ex: April themes could include flowers, springtime, Easter-like imagery, rain, etc).

---

Q: For submitting art for applications, do works have to be Submas related or simply a showcase of skills?

A: It's not required to submit art featuring the Subway Masters, but it's appreciated seeing how an applicant stylizes them! In terms of what I'll be focusing on for showcases, it mainly come down to having a variety of styles in the project, not wholly based on technical skills.

---

Q: If sticker sheets are included, would one artist design the whole sheet or collaborate with other artists? One artist designing a whole sheet could be too much workload!

A: For this project, a sticker sheet will be done by an individual artist if included! Because of the nature of sticker sheets, the size can be easily adjusted depending on what the artist is willing to handle work-load wise. If an artist is confident they can make a standard 5 x 7 inch sheet, they can! If an artist wishes to make something closer to a half sized sheet, they can! Work overload is verboten in any projects I run, so manageability will be prioritized!

---

That's all for the questions from the form right now! For any unanswered questions be sure to leave them on the form or send an ask (sorry that I had to turn off anon, the bots have been knocking down my door in waves).

Also small side note, thanks to everyone who left really sweet comments in the submission notes, you have collectively succeeded in transforming me into a tomato.

Look at what you've done.

(Though seriously, thank you all very much, you've been very kind and I appreciate it.)

[roughdraftmonth]

what's the plan? outline methods & tips!

Hey, Rough Drafters!

This is for all the outline fans out there. Here are some tips on different outline structures that might help you while you blueprint your Rough Draft! I hope there is something helpful here whether you are new to outlining or a veteran. This is not a comprehensive list. I totally recommend digging into other narrative structures, seeing how they tick, and deciding what works for you!

��️ The Hero’s Journey • Created by Joseph Campbell (using the simplified terms from Christopher Vogler)

The Hero’s journey is the backbone of most outline structures. The only difficult thing is a lot of these terms are still derived from classic mythic structure and are less applicable today. However, since it has been so well dissected and discussed, there are so many resources to help transpose the terms to narratives that involve less sword-and-shield-heroism. It might take a little time to understand each beat and what it can mean for you and your story, but this is such a well loved structure and will give your story some solid backbone! This structure is best suited for an adventure story where characters travel from one place to another, but you can get creative about what that adventure or journey looks like. At its most basic, though, the hero’s journey will help take your characters on quests in a far off place—whether it’s in the stars, across the continent, or in a world of your own making.

⭐ Great media examples of ‘journey’ narratives are: Star Wars (pick one really), Little Miss Sunshine, Lord of the Rings, and Life of Pi.

✏️ Save the Cat • Created by Blake Snyder

Save the Cat was originally intended for screenwriting. Its best application is in scripting, whether that be screenwriting, plays, games, or comics. The first and last beats help to set a tone for your story, which is crucial for script writing and opening/ending shots in films, but this concept can be just as important in prose. Consider using guidelines from this structure to plan your first and last scenes before you get to November.

⭐ You will recognize Save the Cat in most films, and you can find beat sheets to match films for example on the Save the Cat website.

✏️ Six Stage Outline by Michael Hauge

This structure is great to keep simple with bullet points or expand for more depth. In this outline there are only 11 beats—6 stages and 5 turning points. Turning points are the highest moment of external conflict. Ideally, internal and external conflict escalate at each turning point. Identity deals with character’s misbeliefs about themselves as the narrative drives them to be their most authentic self. This outline focuses on developing both internal and external struggles. If your story is particularly character-driven, this structure might be the one for you.

⭐ Many stories follow this structure but the one I was taught off of is the greatest movie of all time. Shrek.

Try drawing your arc with notes out on paper. This arc can silly: include dead ends, drop offs, spirals, tangles, anything! This helps visualize the ups and downs of the narrative. Also great to do after you’ve completed outlining for a visual aid.

Sometimes... one outline model is not enough! Mix and match your favorite terms and structures in the manner you feel best assists your narrative structure. Don’t be afraid to make it your own!

Read in your medium (novels, scripts, poems, etc.) and notate pages and scenes where the major beats happen. This really helps engage your brain and makes you more familiar with plot structure!

My favorite method to outline is the MLA outline structure. Using a template like this helps me put all of my ideas into place. I don’t have an excuse for not knowing what to do. This helps lock me in!

✏️ Uh oh, Secret Plantser Agenda!

If outlining the ending first doesn’t work for you, outline everything EXCEPT the ending! Leave something for you to discover once you get there!

Sometimes you need to take a step back. Maybe don’t make a 10 page outline. Maybe make 10 bullet points. Outline as much or as little as you need to.

Occasionally overplanning can cause me to lose the joy in my writing! Make sure to really experiment to find what works best with you and your style! Sometimes that means... making a less in-depth outline. This is a call out post for me (Sarah with an ‘h’) specifically.

✏️ Technically, I like to combine elements of all three of these plot structures, but Michael Hauge’s 6 stage outline is my favorite. It’s a very good structure for adjusting to your outlining style, whether you want to do just the bare bones plot points, or you want to use them as the waypoints as you plot out scene by scene. I like to use the stages and turning points as the headings and subheadings to my outline. I hope these tips are able to help you in your outlining journey, both planner and plantser alike. If you know of any other helpful tips for outlining, please share them with us!

Thanks for tuning in, happy drafting!

-Sarah with an ‘H’

[kestrel-of-herran]

The concept of Mark no longer loving Gemma anymore makes some people upset because it's a "boring route". But I think it's hot. Any other show would drag it out, play both sides for longer than necessary for ratings. But this show, while not having the characters SAY Mark isn't in love with Gemma, or that Gemma deserves better than Mark, they are showing it.

This show is VERY good at visual storytelling, and unreliable narrators. Just because a character says something, doesn't mean it's the truth. Example: Characters opinions are that Innies and Outies are two different people. Us as the audience should understand that no, its one person with two separate conciousnesses, but the same soul, with and without respective life events or traumas (Scoutie hasn't been tortured into an apology, iMark hasn't experienced infertility)

The Work Wife winning, but make it beautiful and moving? Sexy.

Gemma being left even though she seems like the full package (nice, intelligent, gorgeous, fun)? Hot. Mark Scout being one of the Villains in his own story? Intoxicating. Work Wife being a villain in her own story, and the story of everyone else on the show? And also not? It being layered? H-O-T-T-O-G-O, I'm Hot To Go.

yeah the whole "mark not loving gemma would make it bad" is just... not applicable bc everything is super nuanced. he does love her and did love her, but they couldn't make it last, they didn't have enough of an innate connection and compatibility to last through traumatizing events (while imarkhelly clearly do), and mark's selfishness and conflict aversion contributed to the relationship cracking further. given something as simple as visual storytelling through color in 207, it's clear to me that the relationship started out rosy and turned bitter. whether or not he was actually thinking of divorcing her, they were both checked out on some level -- gemma was absolutely involved with the cult stuff without telling him, and he was using his work and alcohol to keep her at a distance.

yuppp, innies and outies are basically the same person developing differently because of lack of certain memories (nurture) but retaining nature, so we get omarkhelena's instant connection in zufu based on their dark humor just like imarkhelly by 103. mark scout will likely try to differentiate from his innie for the first tike in s3 (he's been claiming "there is no other one, it's all me" so far), but find that helly is easy to pretend to care about and he's got a lot of personal issues to work through that she isn't going to let him sweep under the rug like gemma did. it really all comes down to whether the relationship can last, rather than whether it was real when it started, and markhellyna are obviously built to carry the show emotionally -- they went through identity mixup angst and sailed smoothly through because they're just that compatible, intentionally so.

gemma deserves a fresh start with someone not narratively intended to fall out of love with her ijbol. the whole idea of severance is asking if when all the conditioning that made you into a version of yourself you resent -- helena feeling ashamed she's given up all agency in life, mark drowning his guilt in alcohol -- is stripped away, can you become the version of yourself you want to be? even if you're kept in hell? even if you hate yourself because you see so clearly how you turned out wrong?

what if you met someone there who was your mirror in all those ways, who met the version of you you hate and loved you anyway? who showed you you aren't fundamentally broken and unlovable but just need to accept yourself and heal?

[urlknight]

Hi there, Love your work! I'm also doing stuff in Unreal and it feels like it's rarer to find other indie devs using it. I love how clean all your UI feels, and UI is something I seem to really struggle with.

Do you have any recommendations for workflows / tips / sources etc for getting better at UI?

Also I'd love to know more about the material / shader workflow for your latest post if you have more information anywhere.

Thanks :)

Hello there! Thank you!! I hope you don't mind me answering publicly as I feel like some people might be interested in the answer!

I really appreciate your UI (User Interface for those not knowing the acronym) compliment as it's something I've spent a long time working on and specializing in, in my career as a software engineer. UI/UX often goes completely unacknowledged or taken for granted even though it takes a lot of time and hard work to create and develop. In the engineering world I frequently had to advocate for and explain user experiences to those who didn't have as deep of an appreciation for UI or a very sophisticated understanding of why a good, visually appealing user experience makes, or on the flip side, can break everything. I think it's a very challenging, overwhelming topic to grasp and communicate, but just by being interested in it you're already way ahead!

There's a lot going on with UI. From visuals to knowing common design elements to successfully conveying a story to the user to implementation to testing to designing for accessibility to animation and I probably didn't cover everything with that run-on sentence. There's frontend engineers out there whose role is solely to maintain and improve UI component libraries for companies. And that's without throwing games, whose UIs are all uniquely visually tailored to their experiences, into the mix... I could keep going on about this honestly, but I'll get to what I think you can do personally! 1. Learn about common design patterns. What's a toast? What's pagination? What's a card? Little things like that. These apply to all software UI/UX, including video games- and knowing these off the top of your head will make it so much easier for you to invent your own UI designs and patterns.

2. Study the UI in the everyday applications you interact with. Step through menus and think about how you got from point A to point B. Take a moment to think about the why someone put a button where they did. Study the UI in your favorite video games, too! Take a lot of notes on what you think works really well and what you think doesn't. And also there's online resources that are great for inspiration. I personally spend a lot of time on the Game UI Database. - https://dribbble.com/ - https://www.gameuidatabase.com/ 3. Don't be afraid to start with basic sketches or even just simply representing everything with grey boxes. All my UI starts out as really crappy sketches on paper, or tablet sketches on top of screenshots. Visualize your ideas and then keep iterating on them until you've got something. For example, I went from this:

To this. (And come to think of it I might actually still want to make those cooler looking buttons in my sketch) 4. Break everything out into pieces and individual components. A good UI is made up of building blocks that you can reuse all over the place. That's how it stays consistent and also saves you a lot of stress when you need to go in and update components. Instead of a million different looking UI pieces, you just have to update the one! These individual components will make up your very own UI Component Library, which will be the standardized design system and source of reusable components for your project. This also applies to your visual elements that don't do anything (like I personally have a whole mini library of diamond and star shapes that I reuse everywhere).

For reference, here's a breakdown I made of my Inventory UI. On the right, I've labeled most of the individual components, and you might be able to see how I'm reusing them over and over again in multiple places.

5. Spend some time listening to designers talk, maybe befriend some designers! Many of them have an unique, interesting view of the world and how we interact with it even beyond just software. Their perspectives will inform yours.

6. Test your UI on users whenever you can. Get feedback from others. This is the best way for you to see what works and what doesn't. As game devs we spend so much time with our games it's easy for us to lose sight of the full picture.

7. Be patient and don't give up. Continue to be open to expanding your knowledge. These UI skills take time to develop. I personally am still learning even after like 10 years of doing it. Coming up with the visual elements is very challenging for me and I spend a lot of time rearranging things in photoshop before I actually start coding anything at all in Unreal.

Whew, that was a lot, but I hope that gives you some thoughts and a place to start!

I don't have any posts out there about Blender/Unreal shader workflows right now, but I'll consider making another post sometime soonish. I appreciate you asking and you're welcome! :)

[dogtoling]

oh tumblr user dogtoling, blease, impart unto us your wisdom of drawing really good fat cephalopods

I think i've answered this exact question before and it's kind of a tall ask... the best advice I can always give is to just study how to draw fat people first (granted, easier said than done in regards to finding references). Once you have a hang on how that works and how fat sits on the body and how it usually accumulates, that basic knowledge goes a pretty long way when drawing non-human characters too. for people who are completely new to drawing fat, the best off-the-top-of-my-head tips i can give are:

1. don't just draw A Circle. you won't get very far with that most of the time. if you really want to start with a shape, i'd recommend a rectangle and working out the shapes from there (more balanced than a circle + you're less likely to mess up in the gravity part)

2. fat =/= JUST the belly. I think this is pretty commonly talked about but a lot of people that are new to trying to draw fat people will just try to add a belly to an otherwise thin frame. And don't get me wrong, that IS also a body type that exists, but especially when you go higher in weight it's about filling out the whole body. add some width. study which areas accumulate more fat and which don't!

3. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE DOUBLE CHIN. Skinny Face on Fat Body is pretty common to see and again while you can also have a body type like that, it just seems like a lot of people are scared to draw double chins or not sure how they work. Don't be afraid to give fat characters fat faces, it makes a huge difference!! (though, also pay attention to not go overboard with this part, because it can also end up looking really off.)

4. remember that fat has weight, so if you think you've done everything correctly but the drawing still looks off, it's often because the GRAVITY is off. Fat Has Weight. So while you draw, try to visualize where that weight rests organically. (also this specific step will come back to haunt you every single time you draw a fat character sitting down or in any non-standing position)

5. Fat can change shape in different positions (for example rolls can appear or disappear depending on how the torso is bent). consider this when doing different positions - but don't go overboard here. Fat still usually has a general shape, it's not some kind of freely shape-shifting jello with the consistency of some goop. And again, body type matters here, some people are more firm than others.

6. At bigger sizes, pay attention to subtle differences in positions and posture that both the weight and the space it takes up might cause. For example, with bigger bodies you'll often see the arms angled slightly to the side rather than straight down the sides (collision with chest/upper body fat = arms Cannot just go straight down). you probably get the point. The keyword most of the time is SUBTLE, but also if you skip this part, the results might look strange and again you have no idea why.

this list is Not comprehensive because as i've added a disclaimer in like every part, there is a huge variety of body types. So the best way you can learn in the end is, unsurprisingly, just seeing and drawing different body types! but i tried to think of and include a lot of common pitfalls that people (including me) tend to fall into when learning and how to Skip the extremely frustrating "why does this look Wrong" part to at least some degree instead of having to stare at the art for 5 hours and just try to work it out.

anyway NOW TO THE CEPHALOPODS PART - if you draw Inklings with human anatomy you're basically done already. Just, doubly study real-life fat people in that case. But in the case you don't, practicing on real fat bodies is still useful because as I said before, understanding the basic rules is widely applicable even for other creatures! My approach to inkfish is that they're generally pretty human-shaped, but because they have no joints or bones, I try to avoid rigid segments in most areas and thus make them generally more smooth. that means less rolls (pretty much none until actually larger sizes) and more just, idk, smoothness.

This is more or less the mental map i work off of:

While you'll usually look at the inkfish torso and view it as mostly A Singular Cylinder, it becomes more obviously segmented with more weight. The arms, legs or tentacles don't have any shape other than Noodle, so they just get thicker overall for the most part. Go above a certain weight threshold and you start seeing more texture and rolls. In humans you would definitely have to consider stretch marks, but I omit those from Inkfish because that's scarring that I feel wouldn't occur in a species that's got flexible enough skin to drastically stretch and change form unscathed all the time anyway.

I have to point out that fat tentacles are a game changer in my opinion! They're a part of the body too, so as a very inkfish-specific tip, just add weight to the tentacles if you have a fat character. It adds a significant amount of immersion and just looks more sensible I guess. I'll use Engel's old hairstyle as an example because he's a very good example of this specific aspect...

yeah i feel like that illustrates my point.

(This isn't really relevant to DRAWING fat inklings, but someone is probably going to wonder about it so I'll answer it: i'm ignoring the logistics of a fat inkling being able to stand or walk without any kind of internal support structure. It's definitely notably difficult for them because as opposed to humans with skeletons, they have to support the weight mostly using JUST muscle. However from a realism standpoint, inklings being able to stand or walk at their size EVEN WHEN NOT FAT wouldn't work in the first place, and Splatoon is full of creatures like Cohozuna or the Great Zapfish, or even Mr. Coco, which would crush themselves and suffocate and die under their mass if they came out of the water... and they're constantly out of the water, so TL;DR no one in Splatoon gives a shit about the laws of physics anyway. If you can have the suspension of disbelief to accept Crusty Sean walking on two legs as a whole ass bipedal giant prawn, that should be able to extend to a fat inkling.)

I don't really know what else to write so hopefully this helped somebody. Lol

[erbiumspectrum]

hii how are you? I'm currently studying inorganic chem, mainly coordination compounds but it's proving difficult. I'm unable to fully grasp what's going on. Can you please advise me on coordination compounds and inorganic chem in general? thank you!!

Hi!

Inorganic coordination chem is part of my thesis, you've come to the right place :) Also, I'm going to make this a university-level thing - I didn't study coordination chem in school, so I'm assuming that's the level you expect - but if you actually need advice on studying high school inorganic chem, please let me know!

First, a textbook rec: I studied off Cotton's Basic inorganic chemistry a lot and I liked it. My professor recommended Atkins' Inorganic chemistry too; I admit I didn't use it that much bc I also had some Polish textbooks I found very helpful, but from what I did see, it seemed very comprehensive and in-depth - so if Cotton isn't enough, Atkins might be better for you.

Inorganic chem

orbitals matter: I think it's important to grasp orbitals and hybridization before going any further. This stuff keeps coming up again and again, so if you find yourself struggling with understanding concepts in inorganic chem, I'd suggest making sure you understand atomic and molecular orbitals first.

periodic table trends: please don't memorize them. Please. Understand them. There's a reason why, for example, atomic radii decrease within periods even though both electrons and protons are added as you move to the right (the screening effect - and again, orbitals!). Once more, I liked the way it was explained in Cotton's textbook.

I found flashcards very helpful for studying the properties of the elements and their compounds as that's mostly memorization. Same for HSAB, really.

if your inorganic chem course covers elements of group theory too, here is a website my thesis supervisor told me about :) I think it's pretty great. If you're digging really, really deep into it, Cotton has a whole textbook on group theory in chemistry (Chemical Applications of Group Theory), but I doubt you'd need it for a basic inorganic chem course.

I've also answered an ask on studying chemistry in general - perhaps you'll find it useful too.

Coordination chem

surprise, surprise: ✨ orbitals ✨. Once more, to understand what's going on with coordination compounds, first you need to understand the molecular orbital theory well.

metals oftentimes have a preference for a specific coordination number. Frequently, a whole group will have a preference for the same CN (group 7 ions, for example, prefer CN = 6). That doesn't mean other CNs don't exist, but knowing there's a pattern can be helpful while studying.

coordination numbers aren't totally random. The rules may not be strict and foolproof, but again, there's a general pattern that's worth keeping in mind: bigger ion usually = higher CN (duh?), CNs are usually even (and we still don't really know why that's so! Although it may have to do with geometry and symmetry) and sometimes depend on the charge of the ligand.

crystal field theory. Okay so CFT is really cool, but I see how it can be super confusing too. I'm not sure how deep you have to dig into this stuff for your course, so apologies if I go a little overboard 😅 My advise for studying it would be:

try to visualize the given complex, actually see the position of the ligands in relation to the orbitals

remember: it's all about lowering the energy. That's the core of CFT. Pauli's exclusion principle always, always stands, but CFT tells us coordination compounds are systems that "want to" have the lowest possible energy so bad they'll sometimes break Hund's rule to obtain it

keep in mind CFT is only a model. Some parts of it may not make any sense to you (like the fact it treats all metal - ligand bonds as purely ionic). It just so happens that despite its many simplifications that are obviously not true, CFT still accurately describes many complex compounds

I've had an ask on studying nomenclature, too.

again, I don't know how complex (pun not intended) you need my tips to get, so if you have any specific questions, feel free to hmu :) I'll try my best to explain

[donascozylivingroom]

HOW TO SHIFT PARALLEL REALITIES.

This is if u struggle to understand the concept.

I'm an old lady of 30 yo and I found out about shifting parallel realities when I was 22 so I've had quite some time to simmer on it and even some success with its application.

We are definitely in the era of shifting parallel realities, finally, now.

People talk about it much more, so I decided to make a logical written explanation of it.

For those of you that struggle with affirmations and mental diet, meditation is definitely important. it's a way of knowing urself and ur mind better.

The ability to silence ur mind at will or focus it on a "mantra" comes with a lot of mindfulness - observing ur mind and what it does w/o judgement.

To be smart and get to the age of 30, you start accumulating a lot of knowledge and kinda have a mental toolkit for a lot of things. So me posting this sh@# is from tried and tested things, not just my musings of the day.

ok so parallel realities.

i learned this from Bentinho Massaro in 2015, i don't really follow the guy anymore or would suggest u do it necessarily, i just wanna give him credit.

So he explained basically that when u get to tomorrow, u will be in the present moment, even though in ur mind it was the future. And yesterday you were in the present moment, too, although u call it past. One second ago and one second after are still in their own present moment. so there is no time, there is only the One present moment.

So basically because the Universe is infinite, all possibilities already exist.

In this reality, you can make choices, u could go to the grocery store today or stay home and play video games. You have free will. You could basically start those things you know would help you achieve your dreams, or not. It is a choice. Every second of the day you have choices. You could speak now or not speak.

But all these choices are parallel realities that already exist.

i believe the universe still creates by combining things/realities that were not combined before based on us, and our free will choices, so being infinite and mathematical it keeps on creating through us, free will agents of consciousness/gods.

Anyways, he explained parallel realities like this: imagine u are watching a movie on ur laptop/device. You could stop it at 1:06, print the picture, and then stop it again at 1:07, print that image too, and send one pic to China and one to Austria. Same way you could print pictures hours apart and place the screenshots one after another.

That's kinda how parallel realities work, u could "print" ur desired reality and bring it to ur next nanosecond.

Just moving ur hand up and down, u are going through thousands, possibly tens of thousands of parallel realities.

What brings your desire closer is focus on it, so affirming and visualizing for example are tools.

But just know, ur desire is one nanosecond close!

I personally first shifted when i affirmed that whatever I visualize becomes my reality in 3 seconds. And it was incredible, I shifted from my mom's studio apartment to a beautiful penthouse in NYC! But I shifted back really fast because I got scared.

I shifted a few times more, but this one was the most incredible!

Anyways be careful with this if you can't control ur mind to not visualize scary things or affirm bad things, but yea you could counteract that with a really good self concept that whatever negativity u affirm or visualize doesn t manifest.

Basically you shift all the time, getting ur desire in time is still shifting, shifting is always the case, we are always shifting through parallel realities. But be careful out there peeps!

[puffyartist]

WITCHY I'm already an avid reader, and I include the local news in my reading diet! I subscribe to the city newspaper, and I get a newsletter from my neighborhood every month or so!

Trying to break away from doom scrolling on social media? Here are some tips for you! (alt text is also written out underneath the cut)

If you're interested, you can download your own PDF copy of this zine over on itchio for free!

Are you someone who is tired of doom scrolling on social media and feeling overwhelmed? Wants to understand who the other names on the election ballot are? Wants to get offline and know your neighborhood better? Go check out the Local News!

“Journalism cannot act on behalf of the public to sanction bad actors; journalists can only expose wrongdoing and hope that the public, in turn, acts accordingly …”

-Usher and Kim-Leffingwell

Source: https://www.niemanlab.org/2023/10/public-corruption-prosecutions-rise-where-nonprofit-news-outlets-flourish-research-finds/

TIPS

Read the News: Pinpoint where you get your International, National, and Local News. Are they all from the same source?

Support Local News: Local news will conduct investigative journalism into your representatives sooner then the larger news outlets will, if at all. Local news also struggles with cost more then larger outlets. Offer monetary support when you can!

Diversify your News Sources: It’s important to listen to these voices, even if you don’t agree with them, to make that you are informed and not staying in an echo chamber.

Study History: Having some basic knowledge of history helps you contextualize news and current events.

FIND LOCAL NEWS

Your Public News Station: While NPR & PBS are national institutions, your local station branch will highlight local news.

Your Local Business: Any business or center with a community news board may also offer free newspapers for residents to read.

Your Local Library: Libraries often have a space where you can read the latest newspapers and magazines for free.

Your Community Newsletter: Your city and/or neighborhood’s website may offer a free digital community newsletter.

Your Local Journalists: Many journalists have an online presence, via blogs, newsletters or social media.

FURTHER READING

Find Local Non-Profit News Sources: https://findyournews.org/

Develop Critical Reading Skills:

About the Local News Desert Crisis:

The Tips section has adapted text from the following source:

Even the smallest stone thrown can create a Ripple!

All of the advice in here is written with the USA political system in mind. There may be some crossover with other countries, but not all advice is applicable.

This guide was made with the best of my ability with references I found online. Please use this guide as a first step to further research from actual professionals.

Remember: taking even the smallest of actions is more effective then just reading about it.

Taking that first step can be scary, especially if it’s a new experience for you, but it is worth it.

[canonkiller]

but what if i tell you about my ocs and you steal my story/character ideas intentionally and/or accidentally :(

I mean the short answer is "why would I", I've got thousands of the fuckers living rent free in there, but I understand the fear

the second response that I feel is more applicable would be the worst case scenario: what would happen if I did? you'd still have your characters; their value to you isn't finished by the idea that there are others like them. the things you share will never paint a complete picture, and two people with the same prompt still make different things simply because their tastes and perspective influence what they like to create.

I post a lot of stuff about ocs. It's basically all I post, really. I don't do it because that Publicly Marks Them As Mine or prevents other people from having the same ideas I have - and there is no way to create in a vacuum where the things you know aren't influenced by what you've experienced already. Hell, derien was designed intentionally to align with a lot of different facets of characters in his pathfinder party; he's visually influenced by a lot of artists I enjoy the work of and he's narratively influenced by the other characters he's around. I know he's influenced the characters of others, too, because people have told me that - that parts of him are reflected in what they made because they realized through me that that's something they enjoy in a character.

That's like, fine. That's normal. There are no completely original ideas, because people draw from each other, and that's a good thing. You're supposed to acknowledge the things around you and learn what you like and don't like, and you're supposed to want to make things that you enjoy making. I'm quite sure there are, with Derien as the continued example, hundreds of people who have played ttrpg changelings with criminal backgrounds. Some of those were probably parents, some of those probably betrayed people who trusted them, some probably worked with trains, some probably have tattoos. But there are no others that were made to fit into This TTRPG Party, no others that were shared so I could join my friends in their game, and that matters more to me than all of the potential direct copies other people could ever make. The stories I tell can't be duplicated, because they're mine - and if they could, well, holy shit two cakes png.

This got kinda rambly because I just woke up but I guess my take away homework question for you is this: is sharing your work with others worth the risk that it might be copied? that's not an answer I can choose for you, and any answer to it is fine, but it's one you have to think about for yourself nonetheless

[pokeask-star-sending]

Star Sending Event Info

Welcome to the Pokeask community’s first Star Sending Event. Basically, this is a Holiday Exchange (AKA, Secret Santa) with a little twist: It’s in-character! Write up a wishlist for your characters and in exchange receive another blog’s character’s wishlist - one which you either draw or write your character completing their gift as best they can.

This is not a full fledged event with a location your characters must attend, interact with others, etc. You only need to do three things: Write your character's wishlist, fill the sign-up form, and do your piece for who you get!

Continue reading for info on how to participate!

Important Links

Intro P.1 | Intro P.2 | Info Tag | Wishlist Template | Contact Info SIGNUP FORM TO PARTICIPATE

Continue reading for rules and other necessary info!

BASIC INFO

These are limited to Pokemon OC blogs or ask blogs!

One entry per PERSON.

The form to apply is found above, just make sure you read the full document first.

Do not expect to send or receive more than one gift (But you can choose to provide more than one should you be inspired)!

As part of your entry, you can submit multiple Wishlists for your characters, with one list each. This gives your Sender multiple options to choose from. More lists does not guarantee more gifts to receive. 

Senders may do as much or as little as they like with their submission, as long as it meets the minimum requirements for the post.

Feel free to reply to your Sender’s submission as well, and use it to kickstart an interaction!

You MUST keep your Recipient a secret.

Do not share with anybody that is also participating in the event. 

This event focuses around character interactions.

Politely, I ask you don’t join with the sole intent of getting free art or writing pieces. While I ask for effort in submissions, the main goal is to spark little interactions between the characters from different blogs!

TIMELINE

Assume all dates are done under the Eastern Standard Time Zone. We do not have exact times because our team is doing this within our availability and have life priorities outside of the event.

Our application period starts from now, and runs until the 3rd of November. 

Wishlists will be distributed on the 4th or the 5th, depending on availability and any extra organisation needed. 

You may start working on your submission as soon as you receive your Wishlist!

We will be checking in on submission progress on two separate WIP dates; the 25th of November and the 15th of December. This will be to make sure you’re on track with your submission.

 A verbal update is sufficient for the first Checkup, but we expect something more substantial by the second Checkup. 

If no update is received a backup entrant will be assigned to your Recipient. We will have one final Checkup on the 10th of January for unsubmitted posts.

As part of the above, PLEASE keep a line of communication open with us! We will be understanding if you find you cannot complete your gift and there is no judgement towards you should that occur. We want the event to be as fun as possible!

WISHLIST INFO

Wishlist Template | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 | Example 4

Wishlist Due Date: November 3rd

Five Wishlist items per character, max.

As part of submitting your Wishlist, you MUST make sure to include some kind of visual reference for the characters that you are submitting lists for.

Wishlists may be posted publicly, and posting them is even encouraged! Tag them under #pokestarsending2023. 

Wishlists are allowed to be farfetched, abstract, or even impossible to complete in-canon if it is in-character for your OCs to request such a thing.

If you’re unsure what this qualifies as, check the list examples or confirm with a mod!

In the case something your character would ask for is something you as the blog owner does not want to be completed for plot or story reasons, please leave a note written OOC stating so!

Lists can be written in-character, out-of-character, by a different character on the blog, or just a simple bullet pointed list.

As everything is completed in-character, do not expect the Sender to complete any wishes in a proper manner if it doesn’t seem fit for them! 

SUBMISSION INFO

The period for posting for submissions will start on the 24th of December and ends on the 31st of January.

We ask that you send your submission to be checked over with us to make sure it meets all requirements. Once approved, you may post!

If you require more character info about your Recipient, you may ask us to ask for you while keeping you anonymous!

Remember: It is your character that is completing what is requested on the Wishlist. 

Your character does not need to be able to fully complete a gift item from your Recipient’s list, if it isn’t realistic for them (i.e. their Wishlist asks for Technology and your character is a Wild Pokemon, which may be unrealistic or abstract). HOWEVER, there should still be effort put forth by your character in providing the gift.

Try to keep the tone positive and heartwarming, unless you receive permission from the character owners for your submission to take on a different tone.

Post by @-ing your Recipient, and include the tag #pokestarsending2023! We will be reblogging all submissions.

If you are unavailable to post your piece during the submission period, please let us know! We can post it for you on our blog.

Writing minimum: 600 of words minimum.

600 words is the minimum we ask of a writing submission to make sure enough is put into describing the gift and/or gift giving process. If you find yourself struggling to meet the minimum, please reach out to us with your WIP so we can can help review it with you.

In the case you plan to write the Recipient as part of your submission, we will inform you if the person receiving would prefer you not to write their character in your submission. 

Instead, try focusing on other details: How would your character prepare the gift? What process do they take in doing so? To what lengths do they go? Also, make sure you describe the gift itself and how it’s delivered to its Recipient.

Art Minimum: Either a coloured full-body, or a half-body with a background (at least three props).

Must include the character of the Wishlist. Including your own character is encouraged.

Comic Minimum: Clean sketch, 3 panels.

Must include character of the Wishlist. Including your own character is encouraged.

The minimum requirements may change if we feel they need to be adjusted. We will announce any changes, and by the submissions drawing period, we will have finalised them.

Final Notes.

Questions and constructive feedback are always welcome and never stupid! We are happy to clarify anything. Be it through the messaging system, or ask. You can also contact us on discord for any further communication; please see the contact page on the Star Sending blog for more info!

If you are stumped in any way of participating, you are free to ask for help or feedback from the team!

To make sure you have read everything, I have included a little passcode requirement in the form. What was your first pokemon game? (Non-mainline games are valid)

Make sure to reference examples and templates to aid in your submission!

Thank you for your consideration in participating! I am just one person with some friends, hoping to run something nice for this community, and I sincerely hope I can do my best for you. Every effort to make this as great as can be is hugely and humbly cherished.