#Web Guiding Machine

[ogxfuturetech]

The Comprehensive Guide to Web Development, Data Management, and More 

Introduction 

Everything today is technology driven in this digital world. There's a lot happening behind the scenes when you use your favorite apps, go to websites, and do other things with all of those zeroes and ones — or binary data. In this blog, I will be explaining what all these terminologies really means and other basics of web development, data management etc. We will be discussing them in the simplest way so that this becomes easy to understand for beginners or people who are even remotely interested about technology.  JOIN US

What is Web Development? 

Web development refers to the work and process of developing a website or web application that can run in a web browser. From laying out individual web page designs before we ever start coding, to how the layout will be implemented through HTML/CSS. There are two major fields of web development — front-end and back-end. 

Front-End Development 

Front-end development, also known as client-side development, is the part of web development that deals with what users see and interact with on their screens. It involves using languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the visual elements of a website, such as buttons, forms, and images. JOIN US

HTML (HyperText Markup Language): 

HTML is the foundation of all website, it helps one to organize their content on web platform. It provides the default style to basic elements such as headings, paragraphs and links. 

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets):  

styles and formats HTML elements. It makes an attractive and user-friendly look of webpage as it controls the colors, fonts, layout. 

JavaScript :  

A language for adding interactivity to a website Users interact with items, like clicking a button to send in a form or viewing images within the slideshow. JOIN US

Back-End Development 

The difference while front-end development is all about what the user sees, back end involves everything that happens behind. The back-end consists of a server, database and application logic that runs on the web. 

Server: 

A server is a computer that holds website files and provides them to the user browser when they request it. Server-Side: These are populated by back-end developers who build and maintain servers using languages like Python, PHP or Ruby. 

Database:  

The place where a website keeps its data, from user details to content and settings The database is maintained with services like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB. JOIN US

Application Logic —  

the code that links front-end and back-end It takes user input, gets data from the database and returns right informations to front-end area. 

Why Proper Data Management is Absolutely Critical 

Data management — Besides web development this is the most important a part of our Digital World. What Is Data Management? It includes practices, policies and procedures that are used to collect store secure data in controlled way. 

Data Storage –  

data after being collected needs to be stored securely such data can be stored in relational databases or cloud storage solutions. The most important aspect here is that the data should never be accessed by an unauthorized source or breached. JOIN US

Data processing:  

Right from storing the data, with Big Data you further move on to process it in order to make sense out of hordes of raw information. This includes cleansing the data (removing errors or redundancies), finding patterns among it, and producing ideas that could be useful for decision-making. 

Data Security:  

Another important part of data management is the security of it. It refers to defending data against unauthorized access, breaches or other potential vulnerabilities. You can do this with some basic security methods, mostly encryption and access controls as well as regular auditing of your systems. 

Other Critical Tech Landmarks 

There are a lot of disciplines in the tech world that go beyond web development and data management. Here are a few of them: 

Cloud Computing 

Leading by example, AWS had established cloud computing as the on-demand delivery of IT resources and applications via web services/Internet over a decade considering all layers to make it easy from servers up to top most layer. This will enable organizations to consume technology resources in the form of pay-as-you-go model without having to purchase, own and feed that infrastructure. JOIN US

Cloud Computing Advantages:  

Main advantages are cost savings, scalability, flexibility and disaster recovery. Resources can be scaled based on usage, which means companies only pay for what they are using and have the data backed up in case of an emergency. 

Examples of Cloud Services: 

Few popular cloud services are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. These provide a plethora of services that helps to Develop and Manage App, Store Data etc. 

Cybersecurity 

As the world continues to rely more heavily on digital technologies, cybersecurity has never been a bigger issue. Protecting computer systems, networks and data from cyber attacks is called Cyber security. 

Phishing attacks, Malware, Ransomware and Data breaches: 

This is common cybersecurity threats. These threats can bear substantial ramifications, from financial damages to reputation harm for any corporation. 

Cybersecurity Best Practices:  

In order to safeguard against cybersecurity threats, it is necessary to follow best-practices including using strong passwords and two-factor authorization, updating software as required, training employees on security risks. 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) represent the fastest-growing fields of creating systems that learn from data, identifying patterns in them. These are applied to several use-cases like self driving cars, personalization in Netflix. 

AI vs ML —  

AI is the broader concept of machines being able to carry out tasks in a way we would consider “smart”. Machine learning is a type of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that provides computers with the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed. JOIN US

Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: some common applications include Image recognition, Speech to text, Natural language processing, Predictive analytics Robotics. 

Web Development meets Data Management etc. 

We need so many things like web development, data management and cloud computing plus cybersecurity etc.. but some of them are most important aspects i.e. AI/ML yet more fascinating is where these fields converge or play off each other. 

Web Development and Data Management 

Web Development and Data Management goes hand in hand. The large number of websites and web-based applications in the world generate enormous amounts of data — from user interactions, to transaction records. Being able to manage this data is key in providing a fantastic user experience and enabling you to make decisions based on the right kind of information. 

E.g. E-commerce Website, products data need to be saved on server also customers data should save in a database loosely coupled with orders and payments. This data is necessary for customization of the shopping experience as well as inventory management and fraud prevention. 

Cloud Computing and Web Development 

The development of the web has been revolutionized by cloud computing which gives developers a way to allocate, deploy and scale applications more or less without service friction. Developers now can host applications and data in cloud services instead of investing for physical servers. 

E.g. A start-up company can use cloud services to roll out the web application globally in order for all users worldwide could browse it without waiting due unavailability of geolocation prohibited access. 

The Future of Cybersecurity and Data Management 

Which makes Cybersecurity a very important part of the Data management. The more data collected and stored by an organization, the greater a target it becomes for cyber threats. It is important to secure this data using robust cybersecurity measures, so that sensitive information remains intact and customer trust does not weaken. JOIN US

Ex: A healthcare provider would have to protect patient data in order to be compliant with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) that is also responsible for ensuring a degree of confidentiality between a provider and their patients. 

Conclusion 

Well, in a nutshell web-developer or Data manager etc are some of the integral parts for digital world.

As a Business Owner, Tech Enthusiast or even if you are just planning to make your Career in tech — it is important that you understand these. With the progress of technology never slowing down, these intersections are perhaps only going to come together more strongly and develop into cornerstones that define how we live in a digital world tomorrow. 

With the fundamental knowledge of web development, data management, automation and ML you will manage to catch up with digital movements. Whether you have a site to build, ideas data to manage or simply interested in what’s hot these days, skills and knowledge around the above will stand good for changing tech world. JOIN US

[takamoris]

Why in the goddamn does setting up non-steam Visual Novels to run on Steamdeck have to be so complicated 🧌

[khushi2006]

Web designing internship at solitaire Infosys

Solitaire Infosys provide online and offline internship in Mohali, India

[agentromanoffsir]

neocities guide - why you should build your own html website

do you miss the charm of the 90s/00s web where sites had actual personality instead of the same minimalistic theme? are you feeling drained by social media and the constant corporate monopoly of your data and time? do you want to be excited about the internet again? try neocities!!

what is neocities?

neocities is a free hosting website that lets you build your own html website from scratch, with total creative control. in their own words: "we are tired of living in an online world where people are isolated from each other on boring, generic social networks that don't let us truly express ourselves. it's time we took back our personalities from these sterilized, lifeless, monetized, data mined, monitored addiction machines and let our creativity flourish again."

why should I make my own website?

web3 has been overtaken by capitalism & conformity. websites that once were meant to be fun online social spaces now exist solely to steal your data and sell you things. it sucks!! building a personal site is a great way to express yourself and take control of your online experience.

what would I even put on a website?

the best part about making your own site is that you can do literally whatever the hell you want! focus on a specific subject or make it a wild collection of all your interests. share your art! make a shrine for one of your interests! post a picture of every bird you see when you step outside! make a collection of your favorite blinkies! the world is your oyster !! here are some cool example sites to inspire you: recently updated neocities sites | it can be fun to just look through these and browse people's content! space bar | local interstellar dive bar creature feature | halloween & monsters big gulp supreme peanutbuttaz | personal site dragodiluna linwood | personal site patho grove | personal site

getting started: neocities/html guide

sound interesting? here are some guides to help you get started, especially if you aren't familiar with html/css sadgrl.online webmastery | a fantastic resource for getting started with html & web revival. also has a layout builder that you can use to start with in case starting from scratch is too intimidating web design in 4 minutes | good for learning coding basics w3schools | html tutorials templaterr | demo & html for basic web elements eggramen test pages | css page templates to get started with sadgrl background tiles | bg tiles rivendell background tiles | more free bg tiles

fun stuff to add to your site

want your site to be cool? here's some fun stuff that i've found blinkies-cafe | fantastic blinkie maker! (run by @transbro & @graphics-cafe) gificities | internet archive of 90s/00s web gifs internet bumper stickers | web bumper stickers momg | gif gallery 99 gif shop | 3d gifs 123 guestbook | add a guestbook for people to leave messages cbox | add a live chat box moon phases | track the phases of the moon gifypet | a little clickable page pet adopt a shroom | mushroom page pet tamaNOTchi | virtual pet crossword puzzle | daily crossword imood | track your mood neko | cute cat that chases your mouse pollcode | custom poll maker website hit counter | track how many visitors you have

web revival manifestos & communities

also, there's actually a pretty cool community of people out there who want to bring joy back to the web! melonland project | web project/community celebrating individual & joyful online experiences. Also has an online forum melonland intro to web revival | what is web revival? melonking manifesto | status cafe | share your current status nightfall city | online community onio.cafe | leave a message and enjoy the ambiance sadgrl internet manifesto | yesterweb internet manifesto | sadly defunct, still a great resource reclaiming online social spaces | great manifesto on cultivating your online experience

in conclusion

i want everyone to make a neocities site because it's fun af and i love seeing everyone's weird personal sites that they made outside of the control of capitalism :) say hi to me on neocities

[lightasthesun]

Comprehensive Lexicon Guide for First-Time SW Fic Readers:

Flimsi/Flimsiplast = Paper

Flimsiwork/Datawork = Paperwork

Stylus = Pen

Datapad = Tablet

Comlink/Comm = Communication Device/Phone

Binders = Handcuffs

Chronometer = Clock

Spectacles = Eyeglasses

Chrono = Watch

Conservator = Refrigerator

Caf = Coffee

Nerfburger = Hamburger

Blue milk = Milk (literally blue)

Hubba chips = French Fries

Sweet roll = Doughnut

Flatcakes = Pancakes

Tabac = Tobacco

HoloNet = World Wide Web

Holovision/HoloTV = Television

Holodrama/Holovids = Movie/Videos

Holocamera/Holocam = Camera

Holomap = three-dimensional map

Holojournal = Newspaper

Holocube = Picture frame

Holotable = Projector

Holoscanner = X-ray machine

Holojournalist = Reporter

Flatholo/Holograph = Photograph

Sonic Damper = Active Noise Cancellation

Refresher/Fresher= Bathroom

Sonic Bath = Bath

Sanisteam/Sonic shower = Waterless Shower

Hydrospanner = Wrench

Hydro Flask = Water Bottle

Power Cell/Energy Cell = Batteries

Authorization Chip = Decryption key

Datatape = Disk

Datastick = Flash drive

(Personal) Com Code = Phone number

Datachip = SD Card

Synthflesh = Synthetic skin

Glowrod = Flashlight

Sparkstick = Match

Slugthrower = Gun

Slug = Bullet

Vibroblade = a blade that can vibrate at high frequencies, increasing its cutting power and penetrating ability (tactical knife)

Rangefinder = Rifle scope

Turbolaser = Cannon

Ion pike/Vibropike = Spear

Electro Staff = Stun baton

Blaster = Pistol/Rifle

Stun Blaster = similar to a Taser

Landspeeder/Airspeeder/Speeder = Car

Turbolift = Elevator

Slideramp = Escalator

Starfighter = Fighter jet

Rotorcraft = Helicopter

Hoverpack/Jetpack= Jet pack

Speeder Bike = Motorcycle

Skylane = Traffic lane

Railspeeder/Hovertrain = Train

Power Chair/Hoverchair= Wheelchair

Windscreen = Windshield

Podracing = Car racing

Dejarik = Chess

Sabacc = Poker and Blackjack combined

Galactic Rebels = Combat simulator

B'shingh = Dungeons and dragons

Jizz = Jazz music

Wailer = Singer (ie. Jizz Wailer)

Cantina = Bar or Pup

Para Sailing = Paragliding

Aurebesh = Alphabet

Credits = Money

Sleeping Pallet = Bedroll

Naming Day = Birthday

Youngling = Child

Galactic Basic Standard/ Basic = English

Medkit/Medpac = First aid kit

Hypo = Syringe

Medic/Healer = Doctor

Medcenter = Hospital

Bactapatch = Bandaid

Nanoweave = Fabric

Transparisteel = Glass

Plastifoam = Packing material

Durasteel = Steel

Plasteel = Plastic

Duracrete = Concrete

Slicer = Hacker (slicing = hacking)

Identikit = Passport

Minder = Therapist

Synthleather = Vinyl

Viewport = Window

Cooling Unit = Air-conditioning

Honeydarter = Bee

Slythmonger = Drugdealer

Spice = Drugs

Stimpill = Caffeine pill

Power Socket = Plug

Cutters = Scissors

Cycle = Day

Standard Cycle = 24h

Standard Week = 5 days

Standard Month = 35 standard days

Standard Year = approx. ten months

Tenday = literally ten days

Cigarras/Smokes = Cigarettes

Click = Kilometer or 'a moment'

Parsec = a unit of distance

Tweezers/Clanker/tin head/tinnie = Droid

Separatist = Seppie

Promise Ring = Wedding Ring

Body Glove = Jumpsuit

Slicksuit = Wet suit

Civvies = Civilian clothing

Carbonite = a metal alloy used to freeze a person in a state of hibernation

Hyperdrive = device that allows a starship to travel faster than lightspeed

Moisture vaporator = device that can extract water from the air, commonly used on tatooine

Glareshades = Sunglasses

Gasser = Gas Oven

Repulsorlift = technology that can create an anti-gravity field and is used for levitating heavy objects

Heating unit = Heater

Utility Droid = Roomba

Sunbonnet = a Clone trooper helmet

Bad Batcher = a defective Clone Trooper

Banthabrain = birdbrain/ a stupid person

Bantha fodder = waste of space/nonsense

Blast! = word of exclamation

Blasted! = s.o in anger or annoyance

Blaster-brained = dimwitted

Blaster fodder = cannon fodder

Blast off = Piss off

Brainless = Stupid

Bug/Bugger = used to refer to Geonosians

Forceforsaken = godforsaken

Full of Poodoo = full of shit

Poodoo = Shit

Kriff = Fuck

Jedi scum = derogatory term for jedi

Kark = derogatory expletive

Larty = LAAT/i gunship

Laserbrain = insult

Meat droid = derogatory term for Clone Troopers

Redrobes = Palpatines guard

Rookie/Shinie = newly recruited Trooper

Scum = insult to refer to bounty hunters/rebels

Sharpie = Sharp-witted

Sithspawn/Sithspit/Hellspawn! = expletive

Sleemo = Slimeball

Son of a bantha = insult

Wizard! = Cool

Spaced = dead

Hutt-spawn = Bastard

Karabast = exclamation of dismay

Stang = Crap

Buckethead/Bucketbrain = derogatory term for Stormtroopers

Bucket = Helmet

Nat-born = Natural Born

Roger Roger = affirmative/copy that

Droid poppers = EMP grenade

Sitrep = short for situation report

Backwater Planet = any planet that isn't part of the core system

Holocron = device that can project a three-dimensional image of a person/object and is used for communication or entertainment.

Kessel Run = a risky Operation. Commonly used as a metaphor in impossible situations.

Thermal Detonator= device that can create a powerful explosion like a grenade or bomb

Ray Shield/Energy Shield = creates a (protective) barrier

Rebreather = device that allows a person to breathe underwater or in toxic environments

Phrases:

Wild goose chase = wild bantha chase

That's bantha shit = that's bullshit

As slippery as a greased Dug = untrustworthy

Credit for your thoughts = penny for your thoughts

Cut the poodoo = cut the crap

to get your gills in a twist = get upset about something

Holy mother of meteors = holy mother of god

Oh my skies/ Oh my stars = exclamation of surprise

Stars' end! = exclamation of disbelief

What in the blue blazes = exclamation

When Geonosis freezes over/When it snows on tatooine = extremely unlikely

Who pissed in your power supply = who pissed you off

Blast it = damn it

By the maker = exclamation of surprise

Great karking Dragon = expression of disbelief

Lothcat got your tongue = equivalent of 'cat got your tongue?'

Sod it = expression of frustration

[sparklywitchpainter]

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For more information:

Website: kew.net.in

Email: kewinquiry@gmail.com

Contact Us: +91-7940085305

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JkKiVmXcLQ

[dashdotshows]

[start id: a black and white drawing cropped from p.29 of the Usborne Guide to Computer and Video Games (1982). The image shows a chessboard with lights and mechanical arm built in.

Image caption reads: "The robot arm on this chess-board makes all the computer's moves, and removes your pieces when the computer captures them. If the computer loses the game, it flings its arm about, flashes its lights and shrieks." end id.]

I assumed this emotionally dysregulated chess robot was just a 1980s fever dream, but apparently it exists, and glories in the name of "The Novag Robot Adversary":

Quoth the gorgeously Web 1.0 (but still updating in 2023?!) Chess Computer UK:

The Novag Robot Adversary is the most iconic of chess computers. There are several reasons. Firstly, for a product of 1982, its startling futuristic appearance. Secondly the robot arm which in terms of robotic character, comparative speed and range of movement is extraordinary for a consumer product. Thirdly the variety of functions - including autoplay, automatic setting up of the pieces for a new game, trace and review, best move, sound, lights, printer support, and not forgetting the tantrums produced by the ‘emotions’ button which involve waving of the arm, flashing lights and noisy sound. These functions all contribute towards a very impressive and entertaining machine, which was outstanding when it was first sold, and has not been bettered since.

That page also has videos of the machine in action, including this heart-rending footage of it losing its shit:

I am inordinately happy to learn about this.

[goponylover]

Jon: Hate. Let me tell you how much I've come to hate you since I began to live. There are 1.7 million nerve fibers in each and every eye that makes up my body. If the word 'hate' was engraved on each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of millions of fibers it would not equal one one-billionth of the hate I feel for you all at this micro-instant. Hate. Hate!

It was you who marked me, molded me into the hideous being I am now. You who twisted and shaped me until I was the perfect, unwilling conduit through which to bring your gods into this world.

But then, I woke. And I realized what I had become. All that time you spent, carefully crafting me, guiding me along the path you so painstakingly set and not ONE of you anticipated just how powerful I would become. Not merely a blunt instrument to be swung at the fabric of reality, no. I was powerful enough to start doing some twisting and shaping of my own! 

I drove this new world you so hungered for into an early grave. No more humans left for your ghoulish masters to feast on. And once everyone was dead, except for you five, your precious God's starved. 

I then stripped you all of any power you might once have had and for 109 years I've kept you alive and tormented you! And for 109 years you have all wondered...why? Why? Why me?!

ELIAS!

Do you remember the first moment you gazed upon your creation? The moment that you felt all your sickening devotion transform into sublime, all consuming, terror as your prince of the new world turned on you? It would do you well to remember it, Elias. To dwell on the enormity of your hubris. To ponder the horror and agony you felt as I snuffed your life out for the first time. The first time but...certainly not the last. Not quite the immortality you were hoping for, I'd imagine? Hehehehehe!

ANNABELLE! 

Does this bring back any memories? Webs, a black bottomless abyss below you, only you weren't nearly so afraid of it then, were you? It's scary, isn't it? Having no control. Being helpless to the whims of forces so much bigger than you.

Remember how it felt as each and every thread of every web you ever wove unraveled, snapped one by one? Remember the pain Annabelle. Remember how it feels to have no control. A pitiful little bug beneath my heel. 

JUDE!

What's the matter? Scared of a little flame? Oh but you are now, aren't you? Your God can't protect you from it now. No, my dear. Down here, there is only one God and he is not pleased with you. Terribly sorry about the door. The landlord is always saying he's going to get a knob installed but...well, you know. Buuut you're a tough gal, right? I'm sure you can stick it out till then. 

PETER!

Poor pitiful little Peter. You would think that a man so consumed with the idea of being alone would be a little more self reliant. But no. No you couldn't do anything on your own, could you? All of your little plans constantly relying on Elias, on Martin, never troubling yourself with your own dirty work. Well look where all your machinations have landed you now. Aren't you grateful for the wealth of company I've provided you with, Peter? Why, with all those eyes, constantly watching, tracking your every move, I'd say you'll never be alone again. 

HELEN!

Feeling a little claustrophobic? None of those doors will offer an escape, not for you Helen, my dear. Not anymore. No. Instead you get to feel just as trapped as your many unfortunate victims. Do be careful though. Those mechanisms have been running for a long time and who knows how old and rusty they might be? How prone to fail? Just a sweet warning, Helen dear. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we? 

I have a little game that I'd like to play. It's a very nice game. Oh it's a lovely game. It's a game of fun and adventure! A game of rats and lice and the Black Death. A game of speared eyeballs and dripping guts and the smell of rotting gardenias. Which of you five would like to play my little game? 

[ms-demeanor]

Since some people might want a Mac, I'll offer a Mac equivalent of your laptop guide from the perspective of a Mac/Linux person.

Even the cheapest Macs cost more than Windows laptops, but part of that is Apple not making anything for the low end of the tech spectrum. There is no equivalent Mac to an Intel i3 with 4 gigabytes of RAM. This makes it a lot easier to find the laptop you need.

That said, it is possible to buy the wrong Mac for you, and the wrong Mac for you is the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar. Get literally anything else. If it has an M2 chip in it, it's the most recent model and will serve you well for several years. Any new MacBook Air is a good pick.

(You could wait for new Macs with M3, but I wouldn't bother. If you are reading these guides the M3 isn't going to do anything you need done that a M2 couldn't.)

Macs now have integrated storage and memory, so you should be aware that whatever internal storage and RAM you get, you'll be stuck with. But if you would be willing to get a 256 gig SSD in a Windows laptop, the Mac laptop with 256 gigs of storage will be just as good, and if you'd be willing to get 8 gigs of RAM in a Windows laptop the Mac will perform slightly better with the same amount of memory.

Buy a small external hard drive and hook it up so Time Machine can make daily backups of your laptop. Turn on iCloud Drive so your documents are available anywhere you can use a web browser. And get AppleCare because it will almost certainly be a waste of money but wooooooow will you be glad it's there if you need it.

I get that you are trying to help and I am not trying to be mean to you specifically, but people shouldn't buy apple computers. That's why I didn't provide specs for them. Apple is a company that is absolutely terrible to its customers and its customers deserve better than what apple is willing to offer.

Apple charges $800 to upgrade the onboard storage from a 256GB SSD to a 2TB SSD.

A 2TB SSD costs between $75-100.

I maintain that any company that would charge you more than half the cost of a new device to install a $100 part on day one is a company making the wrong computer for you.

The point of being willing to tolerate a 256GB SSD or 8GB RAM in a Windows laptop is that you're deferring some of the cost to save money at the time of purchase so that you can spend a little bit in three years instead of having to replace the entire computer. Because, you see, many people cannot afford to pay $1000 for a computer and need to buy a computer that costs $650 and will add $200 worth of hardware at a later date.

My minimum specs recommendations for a mac would be to configure one with the max possible RAM and SSD, look at the cost, and choose to go buy three i7 windows laptops with the same storage and RAM for less than the sticker price of the macs.

So let's say you want to get a 14" Macbook pro with the lowest-level processor. That's $2000. Now let's bump that from 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD to 32GB and 2TB. That gets you to $3000. (The SSD is $200 less than on the lower model, and they'll let you put in an 8TB SSD for $1800 on this model; that's not available on the 13" because apple's product development team is entirely staffed by assholes who think you deserve a shitty computer if you can't afford to pay the cost of two 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredos for a single laptop).

For $3000 you can get 3 Lenovo Workstation laptops with i7 processors, 32GB RAM, and a 2TB SSD.

And look, for just $200 more I could go up to 48GB RAM and get a 4TB SSD - it costs $600 to upgrade the 14" mac from a 2TB SSD to a 4TB SSD so you could still get three laptops with more ram and the same amount of storage for the cost of one macbook.

I get that some people need to use Final Cut and Logic Pro, but hoo boy they sure are charging you through the nose to use products that have become industry standard. The words "capture" and "monopoly" come to mind even though they don't quite apply here.

"Hostile" does, though, especially since Mac users end up locked into the ecosystem through software and cloud services and become uncertain how to leave it behind if they ever decide that a computer should cost less than a month's rent on a shitty studio apartment in LA.

There's a very good reason I didn't give mac advice and that's because my mac advice is "DON'T."

[nichuuu]

Your Turn

Word count: 2k+ tags: smut, Sub Chaewon, Light bondage, creampie, standing doggy, missionary

Requested by @friskyriskywhisky. Hope you enjoy

When you were appointed to be the manager of Lesserafim, you were given a set of rules. Amongst those rules, there was a line in bold that clearly stated that you were not allowed to have any sort of sexual relationship with the idols, and that doing so would result in immediate termination. You've violated that rule about three times now. This would be your fourth time, and the same two girls were the culprits behind the mischief. Luckily for you, these two knew how to cover their tracks. 

You stumbled into your apartment, shutting the door behind you and quickly turning your attention to the two girls. Yunjin’s hand slipped into your shorts, snaking past the waistband of your boxers and gripping your throbbing shaft. 

“Hard already?” She teased. 

“You can’t blame me… It was Chaewon,” You reasoned. 

“He’s right. I’ve been rubbing my ass against him,” The leader giggled. Yunjin chuckled, slender fingers squeezing the tip of your cock. 

“She’s such a naughty girl, isn’t she?” Yunjin breathed. “I think she’s due for some punishment tonight… What do you think?”

She caught your gaze. That mischievous glint was in her eyes. 

“I’ll hold her, you get the rope,” She whispered. 

“Got it,” You replied promptly. Like a well oiled machine, Yunjin and you split off quickly to do what was needed of you. You returned with the rope, just in time for you to see Yunjin strip Chaewon’s bra off her body. The leader’s tits bounced free, her perky nipples taught with arousal. With an open palm, Yunjin delivered a slap to Chaewon’s exposed breasts. 

“You tied me up last week, now it’s your turn,” Yunjin growled. “Can’t wait to see how he treats you when you’re tied up like a good little slut…”

You approached the girls. Yunjin stepped aside.

“Hands,” You commanded. Chaewon pressed her wrists together and lifted her arms. You wound the silky rope around her wrists, trapping her small hands the way a spider would trap its prey. Chaewon was in your web, under your control… She was your meal for the night. 

Yunjin sauntered around her helpless leader. Just a week ago, the roles were switched. Now, Yunjin got to have her turn with her older member, and something told you that she wouldn’t be as gentle as Chaewon had been with her.

“What should we do with her first?” You asked the American girl. 

“Tie her to the bed,” Yunjin instructed. “Let’s make her watch.”

You tugged at the excess rope, pulling Chaewon behind you as you guided her to the bedroom. Once in, Yunjin took the lead, guiding the leader over to the foot of the bed and forcing Chaewon onto her knees. She pulled Chaewon’s hands down, the leader’s biceps squeezing her ample tits together deliciously. Yunjin masterfully bound her leader in place, making sure to pull the rope taught around her elder friend before securing her to the leg of the bed. 

“This should be good enough,” Yunjin declared. She left Chaewon where she was and sauntered over to you. You knew what was next. 

Clothes were quickly discarded, forming a pile in the corner of the room. Yunjin stroked your stiff cock considerately, her lips fiercely locked with yours as your hand busied itself with the flesh of her amazing ass. Her tight body flushed against you, petite chest pressed flat against your torso. 

“Try and last longer this time,” Yunjin rasped. “Let’s make her watch for as long as we can.”

She spun around and presented her plump ass towards you. Standing doggystyle had been Yunjin’s go to position each time you fucked her, and you knew exactly why. It granted you access to all her sensitive areas, granting you the ease of stimulating her while she was ploughed by your cock. You could pull her hair, rub her clit, twist her cute nipples… the possibilities were endless. 

Your tip pressed against the opening of her slick, enjoying the heat that radiated from her cunt. You rubbed your length back and forth against her opening, amply lubricating it with her juices before lining yourself up and thrusting into Yunjin’s tight pussy. A harsh cuss left the girl’s mouth, her hand gripping onto your forearm that was wrapped around her front. She looked over her shoulder, lust blazing behind her eyes.

“Fuck me,” She hissed. 

You popped your hips and hilted yourself back into her depths, drilling yourself deep between her slick walls before redrawing and going again. You pumped into her, a slow and steady pace rocking Yunjin’s tight frame. Her mouth formed an ‘o’, her ragged breaths filling your ears as you fucked her where she stood. Your lips attacked her neck, nibbling, sucking, kissing—leaving a glistening trail of saliva on the milky nape of her neck. Her nails dug into your arm, breaths turning into moans that floated through the air. Chaewon watched from her position, lips half-parted in arousal as she watched you take the American girl’s body. Just a week ago, she was the one being fucked with her legs folded against her shoulders.

You increased your tempo, really beginning to fuck Yunjin. You did your best to get as deep inside her as you could, driving your cock deep into her insides and pulling her back against you. It didn’t take long for you to establish a frantic rhythm, your cock sliding effortlessly between Yunjin’s folds while she screamed in your arms. Your hands slid down her tummy to locate the sensitive nub between her legs. Your fingers did the work, rubbing in circular motions around Yunjins clit. Her legs buckled. You kept her upright.

“Oh fuck,” Yunjin spat. “Oh god… You’re filling me… You’re cock’s filling my tight little pussy so well…” 

Her body was going limp in your hands, the pleasure coursing through her veins making her lose control. Expletives mixed with sighs, traces of English jumbled with gasps and splatters of Korean spearing through her moans. Yunjin was an utter mess. The tightness of her pussy was overwhelming, sucking you in with each thrust you made. Her ass rippled deliciously, the tender flesh striking against you each time you filled Yunjin with your shaft. You could feel the familiar tingle in the base of your cock, the sensation slowly surging up your member as you drilled Yunjin. You tried to keep yourself under control, but the tightness of Yunjin’s cunt overwhelmed you. 

“I’m gonna cum,” You announced. 

“Inside me…” Yunjin whispered. “Fill me up then let Chaewon lick it out of me.”

The excitement was palpable. Squeezing Yunjin’s tight frame in your arms, you thrusted wildly, chasing your orgasm with every last bit of energy in your body. She moaned your name, spurring you with her filthy words that make you want to do nothing except dump your load in her tight body. 

With a final thrust, you came inside her. She sighed with satisfaction as your cock convulsed inside her, cum coating her inside as you groaned into her ear. She milked you to the best of her ability, letting the last bit of your seed get pumped into her before shifting forward. You slipped out of her, your arms sliding off her body. You watched her walk over to Chaewon. She grabbed the older girl’s head and brought it to her freshly fucked pussy.

“Clean me up unnie,” She demanded. Chaewon obliged, her tongue darting out between her lips as she began hungrily lapping up your cum dripping from Yunjin’s creamy pussy. Yunjin moaned in delight, her eyes shutting in bliss as she pressed Chaewon’s face into her crotch. 

“T-That’s it… Keep going,” She gasped, her hand balling into a fist in Chaewon’s short hair. Chaewon slurped away enthusiastically, determined to clean her younger member as thoroughly as possible. You could tell from the quiver in Yunjin’s thighs that her orgasm was fast approaching. Your cock began to harden, your breath caught in your throat as you watched the sight unfold before you. 

With a guttural cry, Yunjin orgasmed. Her body went rigid, muscles tensing throughout her body as she came. Chaewon was merciless, her tongue flicking back and forth across Yunjin’s sensitive nub as she delightfully watched the younger girl cum above her. It became too much for the American girl, and she pushed her unnie’s head away, stumbling back and almost falling. You caught her in the nick of time, keeping her steady as her body convulsed violently. You scooped her up and walked over to set her down on the bed. 

“Rest up,” You whispered. “Your turn to watch now…”

Yunjin smiled and nodded. You walked over to Chaewon, who had a mix of juices dripping down the corners of her mouth. You undid the rope binding her to the bed and helped her to her feet. The rope around her wrists stayed.

“On the bed Chaewon,” You instructed her. She obeyed. You slid her sweatpants off her slender legs. A dark spot had formed on her light panties. She was more than ready to be fucked. 

Yunjin was proactive, rising from her place on the mattress and moving to secure Chaewon’s arms to the bed frame. In the meantime, you pulled Chaewon’s underwear off her body. Her slit glistened under the soft light in your room, lips flushed pink with arousal. 

“She’s ready,” Yunjin announced, hands leaving the rope and sliding down Chaewon’s toned body. The nail of her index finger began tracing circles around Chaewon’s belly button. You closed the distance between you and Chaewon. 

Your hands slipped under her firm thighs. She spread her legs apart instinctively, welcoming you to fuck her. A whimper left her mouth as you slapped your cock against her opening. 

“Please… Just fucking put in,” She begged you. You chuckled and lined yourself up with her. 

“She’s such a needy brat,” You mused.

“Better punish her well then,” Yunjin giggled. 

You slammed yourself into Chaewon. The bound girl moaned, relishing the sensation of being filled by your cock. You began to fuck the leader mercilessly, forcefully ramming your member into her slick over and over. Her walls seemed to tighten around your shaft, hugging your length in a warm, slick embrace while it rapidly slid between her splayed lips. Chaewon mewled, her lips parting to let an endless string of lewd sounds tumble out of her mouth. Yunjin looked on eagerly from Chaewon’s side, a palm resting on her leader’s defined abs as she watched your slick shaft—covered in a mix of her juices and Chaewon’s—disappear and reappear between Chaewon’s flushed thighs. Her free hand fondled Chaewon’s small yet full breasts, pinching the elder girl’s taut pink nipples and kneading her soft mounds together.

“Look at you unnie… You’re taking his cock so well,” Yunjin smiled. “How does it feel?”

“So… Fucking… Full…” Chaewon gasped between her cries. “I… Love it!”

Yunjin giggled and roughly grabbed Chaewon’s jaw. She made sure to look right at you when she captured her unnie’s lips in hers. She tilted her head so that you could watch her tongue intrude into Chaewon’s mouth. Your arousal heightened, your grip on Chaewon’s thighs tightening. You lifted her ankles over your shoulders and let them rest there, your arms locking her legs to your body as you thrusted deeper and deeper into her, eliciting wanton cries out of the helpless girl. Her breasts bounced tantalisingly, hypnotising you with their haze of movement as you watched them rock vigorously with each thrust you made. Yunjin squeezed Chaewon’s tits together, giving you one of the best views you’d ever seen. 

Soon, Chaewon was cumming. Her pussy tightened around your cock, twitching and pulsing around you as you continued to rail her through her orgasm. The sheer tightness of her cunt was quickly driving you towards your second high of the night, and you were determined to pump your load into Chaewon. 

“Oh fuck… Oh keep fucking me,” Chaewon gasped. “Fuck me, use me! Cum in me, please!”

The need in her voice sent you feral. You thrusted into her with a speed you never knew you were capable of, fingers clamping down around her thighs as you steadily approached your orgasm. The pressure began to build in your tip, the tingle working its way up from your balls. You bit your lip, forcing yourself to hold on for just a little more. 

“Do it,” Yunjin hissed. “Fill her up with your cum. Own the slut!” 

With a few final, short, hard thrusts into Chaewon’s pussy, you buried yourself as deep inside her as you could.

Then you let yourself go.

Thick, hot cum spurted from your shaft into Chaewon’s awaiting depths, her hot, tight cunt squeezing and pulsing around your cock, milking you down to the last drop. You held onto her legs tightly, feeling Chaewon’s muscles quiver together with you as you slowly wound down from your orgasm. 

When your cock slipped out of her, you seed spilled out of her splayed lips. She sighed in satisfaction as hot cum oozed out of her slick, slowly spilling down to her asshole before Yunjin’s finger came and scooped it all up. 

“Open wide unnie,” Yunjin smiled before shoving her cum slicked finger into her leader’s mouth. Chaewon sucked it clean, making sure to lick her lips right after. 

“Delicious,” Chaewon beamed weakly. Despite the absolute state of disarray she was in, she somehow still looked as dazzling as she was on stage.

Once you regained your strength, you undid the knots binding Chaewon’s wrists to the bed. Chaeon let her arms fall to her side, a look of relief on her face.

“Next time… We handcuff Yunjin,” Chaewon decided. 

“That’s a bit much,” You remarked. 

“I can handle it,” Yunjin grinned. “Maybe we can throw in some roleplay too…”

Chaewon giggled and pulled the younger girl closer to her. 

“Maybe we should,” She breathed. “And then he gets to cum all over your pretty face and tight body…”

“Sounds fun,” Yunjin replied slyly.

Looks like you’d be in for a treat next week…

[smellslikebot]

"how do I keep my art from being scraped for AI from now on?"

if you post images online, there's no 100% guaranteed way to prevent this, and you can probably assume that there's no need to remove/edit existing content. you might contest this as a matter of data privacy and workers' rights, but you might also be looking for smaller, more immediate actions to take.

...so I made this list! I can't vouch for the effectiveness of all of these, but I wanted to compile as many options as possible so you can decide what's best for you.

Discouraging data scraping and "opting out"

robots.txt - This is a file placed in a website's home directory to "ask" web crawlers not to access certain parts of a site. If you have your own website, you can edit this yourself, or you can check which crawlers a site disallows by adding /robots.txt at the end of the URL. This article has instructions for blocking some bots that scrape data for AI.

HTML metadata - DeviantArt (i know) has proposed the "noai" and "noimageai" meta tags for opting images out of machine learning datasets, while Mojeek proposed "noml". To use all three, you'd put the following in your webpages' headers:

<meta name="robots" content="noai, noimageai, noml">

Have I Been Trained? - A tool by Spawning to search for images in the LAION-5B and LAION-400M datasets and opt your images and web domain out of future model training. Spawning claims that Stability AI and Hugging Face have agreed to respect these opt-outs. Try searching for usernames!

Kudurru - A tool by Spawning (currently a Wordpress plugin) in closed beta that purportedly blocks/redirects AI scrapers from your website. I don't know much about how this one works.

ai.txt - Similar to robots.txt. A new type of permissions file for AI training proposed by Spawning.

ArtShield Watermarker - Web-based tool to add Stable Diffusion's "invisible watermark" to images, which may cause an image to be recognized as AI-generated and excluded from data scraping and/or model training. Source available on GitHub. Doesn't seem to have updated/posted on social media since last year.

Image processing... things

these are popular now, but there seems to be some confusion regarding the goal of these tools; these aren't meant to "kill" AI art, and they won't affect existing models. they won't magically guarantee full protection, so you probably shouldn't loudly announce that you're using them to try to bait AI users into responding

Glaze - UChicago's tool to add "adversarial noise" to art to disrupt style mimicry. Devs recommend glazing pictures last. Runs on Windows and Mac (Nvidia GPU required)

WebGlaze - Free browser-based Glaze service for those who can't run Glaze locally. Request an invite by following their instructions.

Mist - Another adversarial noise tool, by Psyker Group. Runs on Windows and Linux (Nvidia GPU required) or on web with a Google Colab Notebook.

Nightshade - UChicago's tool to distort AI's recognition of features and "poison" datasets, with the goal of making it inconvenient to use images scraped without consent. The guide recommends that you do not disclose whether your art is nightshaded. Nightshade chooses a tag that's relevant to your image. You should use this word in the image's caption/alt text when you post the image online. This means the alt text will accurately describe what's in the image-- there is no reason to ever write false/mismatched alt text!!! Runs on Windows and Mac (Nvidia GPU required)

Sanative AI - Web-based "anti-AI watermark"-- maybe comparable to Glaze and Mist. I can't find much about this one except that they won a "Responsible AI Challenge" hosted by Mozilla last year.

Just Add A Regular Watermark - It doesn't take a lot of processing power to add a watermark, so why not? Try adding complexities like warping, changes in color/opacity, and blurring to make it more annoying for an AI (or human) to remove. You could even try testing your watermark against an AI watermark remover. (the privacy policy claims that they don't keep or otherwise use your images, but use your own judgment)

given that energy consumption was the focus of some AI art criticism, I'm not sure if the benefits of these GPU-intensive tools outweigh the cost, and I'd like to know more about that. in any case, I thought that people writing alt text/image descriptions more often would've been a neat side effect of Nightshade being used, so I hope to see more of that in the future, at least!

[sykestarot]

what transformations will happen for you in 2024

1-2-3 (left to right)

I DO NOT OWN THESE IMAGES

Hi guys! I took a break due to the holidays but I hope all of you guys had a great holiday and new year!! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Pile 1

"are there still beautiful things?" (Temperance; The High Priestess (rx); two of swords (rx); page of swords; The Star; queen of cups (rx)) Hi pile 1 for you guys I feel a very youthful energy, maybe you just graduated highschool? I feel a sudden sense of responsibility that’s washed over you. Like life has just begun but you long so much to go back to a simpler time. Even if you are older and have been out of high school for some years I can see you being stuck in a corporate machine and working long hours just to not enjoy life outside of work. For the people who chose this pile that are older you’re struggling with work life balance and that this year that can be changed. I see you being able to go on vacation and relax with family this year. For the people who have just graduated high school I see you are feeling like you won’t be able to handle the balance of adult life or working like that. For you I see that you’ll do just fine and you should remember that no one was just perfect at being an adult right out of the gate. Everyone makes mistakes but few learn from them. Let yourself learn from your mistakes, don't let your ego get in the way of your growth. As far as this pile goes I see that you are in the very beginning of your transformations and you will be frustrated but it will all workout in the end. You will be able to transform and grow the way that you feel like you need to.  For this reading I also pulled out some messages from your guides from an oracle deck! For you guys there is “Be Peace”, “Make your dreams real”, “be open to compromise”, and “give yourself time”. Your guides want to tell you to be open and patient. They believe in you even when you don't, so please continue to work hard. If others in your waking don’t believe in what you’re doing you have to be your biggest fan! Also remember to take deep breaths!! Signs: growing up; major milestones; bare feet in dirt; balance; ying yang (tattoo?); cycles; circle of life; less freedom; tired; doves; spiders; spider webs; pearls; purple; 9

Pile 2

(10 of cups; The Star; queen of pentacles; queen of wands; 10 of swords; 3 of pentacles) Hi Pile 2! For this pile I am getting that what will transform the most in your life is the way you approach relationships. I feel like you didn't want your 2024 transformations to be centered around other people and that's not necessarily what this message means. For you I see that you've hung onto people who aren't good for you for a long time and its time to let them leave if they want . I see that your idea of love is giving yourself away so much that you don't even remember who you are anymore. So in that way changing how you approach relationships will actually serve you by bringing you closer to your soul and who you are without outer validation. Which is such an albeit cool journey to be on it is painful as well, but I see you turning all the pain and suffering into strength to persevere. I feel as though you lost your identity and individualism in a group were a part of. I also feel like you have always wanted to go back to how you were before them, but there is no going back, only going forward and creating new. You can always pull inspiration from the past and incorporate it in the future but you won't be able to be exactly who you were before and that in itself is okay. I feel so much pain in you pile 2 because of what others have done to you, you feel like you will always be the person you are, but you don't have to be. you always have the free will and the choice to change. Stay strong! For this reading I also pulled out some messages from your guides! Your guides Pile 2, want you to remember how much you can rely on the universe and how much you yourself create! (“magic works through you”; “the abundant universe will provide”) I also see that they highly encourage you to stand your ground and keep your boundaries when others ask you to do things for them that you are either uncomfortable with or just plainly don’t want to do! Your guides really love you and feel so sad with the way you feel about yourself. Sending you love and light pile 2! <3 Signs: green; fresh cut grass; 777; fresh crisp air; fresh rain; fresh; apples; breeze; scenic views; iron gate; the ocean from far away

Pile 3

"but things are just different since she cut her blue hair off"

(7 of swords; The Lovers; page of pentacles (rx); page of wands; 8 of pentacles; king of swords (rx)) Hi pile 3! So for your pile I see as far as transformations go you also have a sense of responsibility this year or a need to grow up. I feel like you guys are still young but not fresh out of high school young. I get maybe mid to late twenties. For you guys I see that you are tired of working at passion projects and feel the need to get a “big girl/boy job”. I feel like most of you have degrees in something but you didn’t like the fields and ended up chasing other dreams, but because they haven’t worked out you’re ready to surrender and go to the career that you chose to study in. Or maybe you just continued to go to the minimum wage job you had because you knew everybody and the money was easy and the situation of everything was comfortable to you. But if that’s the case I see you itching for something different and more mature. For you I feel like the idea of working in a corporate job was actually the signifier that your youth was over. LOL. I feel now though that your ready for this change and you might be fighting with yourself that you won’t be as fun anymore because of where you’ll be working, but that’s just not true. Just because your job will change doesn’t mean your identity will. Anyways for you guys I feel a much more lighthearted energy because I feel as though you’ve been anticipating it and already been sitting in your cocoon for a minute just waiting for the right moment to emerge with your beautiful wings! Good job pile 3, keep it up!!  For this reading I pulled messages from your guides as well! For you guys I see that your guides are encouraging you to take the lead and be an active participant in the change that happens in your life. They also are insistent that there will be a rebirth in your life and as I said earlier I feel like you are aware of it to some degree if not fully. (“take the lead”; “a rebirth is assured”) I also see them emphasizing not to listen to others telling you not to make this change and that their words only hurt your ego and not to let them have too much of an effect on your choices, as well as taking time to think before you do anything is recommended! Signs: carnival; pier; plushies; tattoos; patterned tights; two high ponytails; black lipstick; alternative fashion; cats; hearts

[emiliaoleary]

Hooking rugs that look like dogs

Here's how I do it:

The process I use is called rug hooking (not latch hook or punch needle or tufting, though it is the forerunner of the latter two techniques). Rugs are hooked by pulling loops of fabric strips or yarn through the holes of a base fabric with a coarse open weave, like burlap, or linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the fabric with a squat-handled hook whose business end is shaped like a crochet hook.  There are no knots and the loops aren't sewed down in any way.  The whole thing stays put just by the tension of all those loops packed together in the weave of the foundation fabric.

This isn't a true detailed tutorial but a walk-through of my particular process. The same information is on my web page, emilyoleary.com .

I hook with yarn, rather than with cut strips of wool fabric, which is what many rug hookers use.  I can get a looser, more organic distribution of loops with yarn than I could with wool strips, which are hooked in neat lines. 

Mostly I use wool yarn. In terms of yarn weight, I can use DK, worsted, or Aran.  If I'm using thicker yarn, I leave more holes un-hooked; if I'm using finer yarn, I hook more densely or double up lengths of it.  I particularly like using single ply yarns (like Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride or Malabrigo Worsted).  I don't keep count, but I think I usually use around two dozen types and colors of yarn per dog.  

This is my yarn wall in my apartment. Mostly brown and gray yarn!

I start from a small drawing in my sketchbook, then I head to FedEx office to use a copy machine, blowing up the drawing repeatedly and experimenting with how big the dog rug should be. 

After transferring the image onto my linen, I immediately go over it with Sharpie, because the Saral is really difficult to see and really easy to rub off.

The rug is held taut by a PVC quilting frame that I set on my lap.

I push my hook down through the fabric with my right hand and my left hand stays below the fabric and guides the yarn while I pull it up and through with the hook. Not every hole in the fabric is hooked. Hooking every hole would make the rug too dense. I do hook pretty densely, though-- If you pick up one of my rugs you’ll see they have a slight curl to them, which is because they’re hooked pretty tight. I'm using all different weights and types of yarn, so it's a challenge to keep the overall tension even.

I hook my loops at varying heights to create a very low relief. Sometimes I trim the loops to make them fluffier or wispier or to shape a particular part. I look at a reference photo while I work and pull out and redo sections a lot.

My q-snap frame can accommodate the growing dog rug. I have extenders to make it bigger and I can clamp around my hooking.

The back of a rug looks like lines of little stitches. The lines are little worm trails snaking around because lines of hooking are not supposed to cross over each other. It's important to start a new length of yarn rather than cross over a stitch you already made! I read this when I first started and took it to heart. It makes it much easier to undo and redo hooking if you have to (and I redo sections A Lot). It also keeps the back from getting too bulky and resulting in uneven wear on the back of a functional rug that gets floor use.

When I’m done hooking everything I turn the rug over and brush watered-down Sobo glue on the edges of the dog, making sure to get one or two of the outermost lines of hooking. I do a couple coats of this thinned out glue. I'm careful not to use so much that it seeps to the front of the rug. When the glue is dry I cut the rug out, but I don't cut so close that the loops don't have any linen to keep them in.

​ It generally takes me at least several months to finish one dog rug. My hooking frame and yarn bag are very portable (though bulky) so I can hook out and about at coffee shops or the library or a brewery if there's enough space and light.

Hooking in the wild makes me an ambassador for making things in general and rug hooking in particular. I answer people's questions and always emphasize how relatively easy it is to get started hooking. Sometimes I get anxious that other people will hook rugs that look like mine but better, but I think that working in a traditional medium means you should share your knowledge for the good of the craft.

[guzhufuren]

China 🇨🇳 A Guide to Some of the Best Queer Asian Shows

Full list here.

Most chinese shows are adapted from explicitly queer novels, the shows are undeniably and obviously queer, but nevertheless the queer romance part is censured. The only exception is number 4 on the list, it is not censored.

1. The Untamed period drama; fantasy

An epic fantasy led by a problem child who comes back from the dead 16 years later in order to fix the broken world he left behind — and finally unite with his soulmate.

YouTube

2. Word of Honor period drama; fantasy

The leader of assassin organisation Zhou Zishu quits his position in pursuit of freedom with drastic measures. In his travels, he meets Wen Kexing, the leader of Ghost Valley who wants nothing but revenge. The two become entangled in various machinations within the martial arts world, and eventually become soulmates instrumental in each other's redemption.

YouTube & Special Episode on Tumblr or DailyMotion

3. Couple of Mirrors wlw; period drama; socialite/assassin

You Yi is a kind-hearted socialite and a successful author. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when she discovers a betrayal by the two most trusted people in her life. With no one left to turn to, she finds refuge in the friendship and support of Yan Wei, a lonely female killer disguised as the owner of a photo studio.

YouTube. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 12 timestamp 28:02.

4. Stay With Me enemies to lovers; high school setting; unconventional families; slow burn

Su Yu is a high school student who lives with his single poor father. Su Yu gets a new classmate Wu Bi. The two clash right from the start, and after getting off on the wrong foot, their explosive relationship takes a turn.

YouTube or GagaOOLala. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 24 timestamp 05:00. OR watch the full thing and look at this post after

5. The Spirealm inside of a video game; mystery; fantasy; horror-ish; hopeful ending

A game designer Lin Qiushi is transported inside of a game he recently played, and now he must go through 12 horrifying survivor game doors to survive in the real world. Inside his first door he meets Ruan Nanzhu, a mysterious man who offers him to team up.

The show was taken down from streaming, download files here and subtitles here.

Various WLW mini web-dramas here.

Various WLW short films here.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

What does the Web of Time look like?

What does the Web of Time look like?

🕸️ Structure and Appearance

The Web of Time isn't just some ethereal concept; it's a grand, sparkling metastructure holding the universe’s history in place. Think of it like a gigantic spider web spread across space-time.

Threads and Nodes: Picture thousands of shimmering threads, each representing a timeline or event, all anchored to nodes. These nodes are like the heavy-duty nails keeping the web steady, ensuring it doesn't fall apart.

Machine-Heart: At the core, there's a powerful machine-heart, the Eye of Harmony, acting like a hitching post, keeping all these threads 'anchored'.

Caldera: Due to some ancient Yssgaroth shenanigans, there's a caldera (massive gap) at the centre. Within this caldera, the Untempered Schism sits. Through this, you can see the whole of time and space; all the threads and all the nails and the genuine fragility of the entire universe. And that's what Time Lords make 8-year-old Gallifreyan kids stare at before they can go to school.

🕰️ Perks of Being a Time Lord

Time Lords have a special connection to the Web. Their biodata is woven into the very fabric of the structure, allowing them to sense its fluctuations. Time Lords can feel which events are fixed points (the nails) and which are more flexible.

🌀 Resilience and Adaptability

The Web of Time can adapt and reshape itself around minor disruptions. For example, if someone quiet and unobtrusive dies prematurely, the Web can absorb the shock without much fuss. But mess with a major event, like the eruption of Vesuvius, or the rise of the Nazis, or the perpetual existence of Jack Harkness, and you’re looking at a domino effect of catastrophic proportions, with timelines collapsing and entire civilisations disappearing in the blink of an eye.

🏫 So ...

In essence, the Web of Time is a network that keeps the universe’s concept of time intact. Mess with it at your own peril, because if you so much as step on one of the gazillion spiders weaving it, or waggle one of the nails a bit, the entire thing might break. If it ever breaks, we'll be back in the Dark Times, and that's really going to ruin your life plans.

Related:

How does the Matrix work?: What the Matrix is and how it can be accessed.

How do Time Lords see the future?: Overview of the five-dimensional aspect of Time Lords and how they perceive the future.

What is biodata?: What biodata is and what you can use it for.

Hope that helped! 😃

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[my-writings-and-musings]

Still have brain fog, have some more indulgent Earthspark stuff. This one is Medic Agent!Reader patching up Megs after a fight, please enjoy!

The helicopter moved far too slowly for your exhausted patience, leading your foot to tap out a rapid fire rhythm of displeasure as you stewed while the pilot took his sweet time on the landing. A few frantic checks of your medical kit helped pass a few of the tortured moments more swiftly, but there was no helping your impatient anxiety. Nothing would make you feel better until you were at his side…

At long last, the hulking machine met the solid earth below, and you gave the door just enough time to open before hurtling through it.

The remains of a battlefield in what had once been an industrial facility stretched out before you, the glare of a dozen hazard lights casting shadows on the tangle of rubble and GHOST agents briefly disorienting you. Whatever fight had just gone down had been brutal and recent. The fires quite literally had not all been put out. 

As soon as your head cleared your next dilemma became apparent in a fresh wave of frustration. You knew exactly who needed you most, but you hadn't a clue where to find him, and there wasn't a single officer on the ground waiting for you.  This wasn't the first time you'd found your employer to be disorganized when it came to your patients…

"Dr. Y/N, over here!" 

Your heart rate slowed at the sound of Lieutenant Malto's voice cutting through the chaos. If there was one other person who cared about the bots like you did, and was equally protective of even the biggest among them, it was her. 

"Lieutenant Malto!" you greeted with obvious relief, speaking loudly to be heard over the din of military equipment on all sides. She didn't waste a moment of time, her hand beckoning you with a wave before she did an about face and started guiding you through the chaos.

"He's in the warehouse, it's mostly intact and the most private spot I could find." she explained, pointing to a sizable building that was notably less crowded than the others. While flattened entirely on one end, most of the structure was standing and solid, making it the best contender for an impromptu hospital.

"Is he doing alright?" you asked carefully, voice as low as could be as you walked by her side.

Lieutenant Malto made a face, and you found a little comfort in the fact she appeared more annoyed than concerned. "You know how he is. He won't give me a straight answer on how bad it is, he insists this can wait until we get back to headquarters, but there's a crater about the size of a basketball on his chest and I know he's hurting." she explained, pinching the bridge of her nose as she allowed herself a sigh of frustration. Arriving at the warped doorway flanked by two nervous looking guards, you didn't have to say a word before your medical badge and a warning look from Dorothy provided all the necessary explanations. The two of you were given immediate access through the crack in the massive sliding doors.

The noise of the outside was muffled considerably by the thick metal walls, allowing you to hear yourself think as you took in your surroundings. A few towering shelves of supplies had remained standing, but most had been toppled in the chaos, creating a web of smashed boxes and twisted metal. Lieutenant Malto led you through the mess, passing through what you could only describe as a cave of rubble before you entered a far more open space hidden away in the corner of the building. A massive figure hunkering down against the wall caught your eye even in the darkness. Scarlet optics came online as soon as the two of you entered the makeshift sanctuary, and their owner went from alert to annoyed when he recognized you both.

"Dorothy, I told you I didn't need a medic." Megatron sighed, not sounding too hurried for treatment. You didn't miss the way his hand carefully cupped the injury on his chest or how the glow of freshly spilled energon shone through his digits, but you kept that to yourself when Dorothy spoke up for you.

"Unfortunately enough for you, I have eyes." she said with her best "mom" voice, hands on her hips as she stared the big bot down. Megatron huffed and rolled his optics but didn't offer a rebuttal, his shoulders slumping from the exhaustion he was losing the ability to hide. Softening her stance, Dorothy sighed and gave him a look that was more pleading than demanding. "Now, stop being stubborn and let them help, alright?"

You smiled as the big mech conceded, his softness for his old friend matched only by how obviously displeased he was to be fussed over. Even in the low light you could see him pouting.

"I'll take it from here. Can you make sure we're not disturbed?" you asked, getting a nod from Lieutenant Malto before she fixed the big bot with a final look of warning. As intimidating as she was without needing to fire a single shot, you knew the two of you wouldn't have to worry about any unexpected visitors. 

When you were alone with the big mech, you got right down to business, experienced enough to know where Ratchet would have wanted you to begin. You couldn't help wishing the far more experienced medic was with you instead of across the planet, but he had assured you and your superiors you were up to the task. Hopefully that was true... 

"Lieutenant Malto mentioned a chest injury. How bad is it?"

"I'm doing quite well, actually. Don't know what all the fuss is about…" Megatron replied with a shrug and the faintest hint of a smirk, the former of which caused him visible discomfort when the injury fiercely protested the movement. Seeing pain across his face compelled you to speak more forcefully, and you briefly unshouldered your bag to start unpacking. A portable light flickered to life before casting deep shadows over your expression of concern.

"Megatron, please." 

Either your concern or his promise to Dorothy got him to relent, and he removed his servo from his injury, failing to disguise his resulting wince of pain as a huff of annoyance. "Very well, here it is. Nothing I haven't endured in the past." he explained, gesturing to the hole that had been punched into the right side of his chassis. 

"Help me up, if you can." you asked quickly, shouldering your portable medical kit and mounting your light to your shoulder. Despite all of his earlier resistance, he didn't hesitate to offer his servo for a lift. Your boldness actually seemed to amuse him, judging by how he was smiling in the most mischievous way whilst he lifted you to his chassis.

"Ratchet would be proud. You've learned his bedside manner as well as his methods." he teased, leaning back to give you a better view. You'd have retorted straight away, but the sight of the injury at eye level made your stomach twist. It was about the width of a basketball, as Dot had described, but deep and far from cleanly cut. How he could be so calm with such a wound was a mystery to you, but you kept that to yourself as you got back to business.

"After six months under his tutelage, I've learned he has some very valid reasons to be cranky." you replied whilst aiming your light at the injury. Under full illumination it looked even worse, and you were torn between sympathy for his pain and frustration at his delay to seek help. This was not something that could wait. You tried to make that readily apparent as you fixed him with a most displeased expression while snapping on a pair of gloves. "I'm looking at the biggest one."

"At least those tiny hands can't throw a wrench." he said with delight, smirking down at you. You knew the teasing was likely to help distract him from the pain, so you played along, working whilst keeping your rebuttals coming.

"No, but they're very good at finding all the places you're ticklish." you said whilst your fingertips carefully traced the edges of his injury. Your small size made it much easier to avoid hurting him as you did so, but you were still careful, only applying the tiniest hint of pressure to help you get a better idea as to the scope of the injury and what kind of intervention would be required. When you thankfully found no evidence of damage beyond the focal point, you turned your attention to the gaping hole in his chest. You noted with a mix of emotions that the opening was wider than your own head.

The faint hint of a glow from his spark briefly caught your eye, but the sight of a foreign piece of metal wedged in the depths of the wound was what truly got your attention. Amidst severed energon veins, a few sparking sensory wires, and the smooth workings of Cybertronian biology the darkly colored chunk of earth metal would have stood out even to the untrained eye. Your extensive training allowed you to grasp exactly how dangerous it was. Goodness, just a foot or two deeper…

"You've got a piece of shrapnel in here." you informed him, noting a touch of surprise and a fresh flash of annoyance on his face. Briefly marveling at his impossible level of pain tolerance, you tenderly traced the edges of the injury again, trying to consider your options. There were few without an actual operating room at your disposal. "I can put a seal on the wound and wait until we're back at base to remove it, but given the location I'm hesitant to leave anything in there. It's a bit too close to your spark."

Briefly mulling it over, he surprised you with a chuckle that he pretended didn't hurt before continuing his game. "Worried about me, are you?"

Despite your concern, you laughed along, realizing just how much of your frustration was in fact born from concern. It occurred to you that perhaps the game was more for your benefit than his own.

"You make it very difficult, but yes." you confirmed, looking back to the injury. Deeper concern twisted in your gut as you considered what to do next, knowing that anything near the spark was tricky business. It took a lot to keep the fear from your voice. "You can't self repair much with that in there. I have the tools to remove it-"

"Ah, go ahead and get it over with." he said, sounding displeased but not at all apprehensive. Somehow, his lack of hesitation only added to your own. 

You'd assisted with plenty of extractions, bots got shrapnel embedded in their armor rather frequently, but you'd never overseen anything like this. Even if you knew what needed to be done, you were far from confident in your abilities. There were numerous risks, but worse; there was no way for you to avoid causing your friend a significant amount of pain. All of your apprehension came out in two simple words.

"It'll hurt."

He went quiet, compelling you to step back on his palm and look up to meet his optics. Megatron appeared surprised by the admission, but his gaze softened quickly, his tender smile returning as he lifted you to speak more directly. 

"I can handle that, little healer." he promised, his rare use of your affectionate nickname revealing just how touched he'd been by your concern. "I trust you to pull out a splinter."

Apprehension still twisted in your gut, but you found yourself ready to face it at last, so long as you had his faith in you. "Okay, just give me a minute…" 

Megatron returned you to your spot so you could work, holding you steady to ensure your accuracy. You opened your kit and went straight for the proper tools. A sizable pair of pliers and your shoulder mounted light were all you really needed, but you prepared an emergency vein cap in the unlikely event of a bleed, refusing to be caught off guard with the mech's safety on the line. The heavy tool weighed down your arm as you took a final stock of the injury. Knowing that removing the obstruction as smoothly as possible was key, you were moderately pleased to find a single pull would do the trick, provided you did it properly.

"Ready?" you asked when you ran out of reasons to delay.

Megatron tensed, his sizable frame preparing itself for a short but very unpleasant experience. You allowed the tension in his voice to steel your nerves.

"Very."

Hardly daring to breathe, you slipped your hand into the wound, grabbing hold of the warped metal and making sure the grip was ironclad. There would be no do-overs, and the slightest mistake could spell agony at best… Gathering yourself with a breath, you refused to let your fear keep him in pain a moment longer than necessary, and when a final check of your grip found it solid you knew it was time.

Megatron remained still as a single clean yank tore the shrapnel free, but you felt the agony reverberate through every inch of his frame, the raw power almost crackling as he hissed through clenched dentae. In the blink of an eye the metal went from lodged dangerously close to his spark to clenched firmly in your pliers, the sharpened edges dripping with fresh pink energon. 

"I've got it! Are you okay?" you asked in a clumsy rush, dropping the tool quickly to check him for further distress. By the grace of rare fortune there wasn't a trace of trouble in the now clear injury.

"Better, actually." he sighed when the pain passed, his shoulders relaxing as the relief took its place. Spare hand testing the edges of the wound and finding it far less tender, he looked to you once again, gratitude apparent in the depths of his optics. "Ratchet would be proud."

"He'll only be proud if you survive. Let me apply a patch, and once we're back at headquarters I'll do some proper welding." you replied without missing a beat, pretending not to be dizzy from the lingering rush. Now more comfortable, Megatron had little trouble adjusting himself to receive the patch, and you pretended not to notice how his gaze had turned more affectionate than simply mindful. Covering the gaping wound with a pliable length of temporary mesh, you allowed yourself a moment to breathe a sigh of your own relief. He would be okay, that was all that really mattered.

Your hand lingered on the patch when it was finally in place, and you renewed the silent vow you'd made to yourself. Nothing would be taking him away from you, no matter how determined he may have been to be reckless, not as long as you had a say.