#and the credits page will be updated shortly

[hikaricharity]

(Pose taken from here)

I changed up Chizue’s MMD model!

The hair and skirt physics weren’t cooperating, which led to me hunting down a new hair and skirt for her. I also removed the jacket and gave her some kind of undershirt, as well as some black shorts underneath her skirt. Her necklace is even smaller (hidden by her hands lol).

The skirt is so floaty, I love it!

[dduane]

At Ebooks Direct: today's annoyance

I had a note earlier in the week from someone who let me know that they'd tried to pick up a discounted ebook bundle during the sale over the weekend, but they hadn't been able to. They wanted to use their credit card, but the store wasn't showing any payment method but PayPal.

That was genuinely bizarre, because of course we take credit cards! So I went digging around a bit under the store's hood to see if I could find out what the problem was.

Sure enough, when I tested the shopping cart and tried to go through the. checkout process, no credit card option was displaying. And shortly, with further digging, I found out that an updated gateway app to our credit card processor (Stripe), after being installed, had not also been enabled. Hence the store's front end did not display the credit card option for the whole duration of the sale.

[Insert image of DD wandering around the house muttering imprecations and kicking things.]

...Now, since we have another holiday weekend coming up—it's about to be the June bank holiday in Ireland—I'd already been planning to hold another weekend sale that would be publicized elsewhere. And that'll be going ahead as scheduled.

So it occurred to me that I might as well let people here know about it as well, so that anybody who was disappointed can have a second chance to grab what they're after.

It's exactly the same deal as last weekend: all our bundles are 50% off! The discount's in effect as of right now, because I want people to have some extra time to get at this discount if they want it; and the reduced prices will stay in place until next Tuesday morning (i.e., midnight US Pacific).

The link with the "baked in discount" is over at the sale page. And this time, if you want one of the discounted bundles, your credit card will work. All the details are over here.

...And now I'm going to go get something to eat, and pause briefly to admire the lighting on the water splash in this shot, which caught me completely by surprise. (Also, now to try testing the effect with moonlight, because that one scene from Deep Wizardry has been on my mind for a while...)

Thanks, all!

[pop-sims]

4t2 @miikocc Vintage Tapestry Top&Skirt Outfit & Dress

Hello everyone again!! I'm finally back again with a new conversion! 😄

And of course.. a Miikocc conversion, because I love all of her cc and I want to convert all of them 😳 Thank you Miiko for blessing the sims comunity with your lovely cc!

In this set I converted both the Vintage tapestry top and skirt (has a one piece) and the original dress version has well. I paired both of them with @jius-sims Mary Jane Pumps 02 (here), they look so cute! I'm gonna leave in the download folder a folder with the shoes textures in case you want to change the shoes color in a particular recolor (it's gonna have the original colors + the ones I edited)

ps: I didnt convert the plain colors of the dress version (only the floral patterns) but I will shortly after!

Also I’m using Reshade Falkii preset so the colors look a little more poped up on the photo, so check miikos screenshots to get a more accurate view of the colors here and here. And ofc get them for sims 4 if you haven't has well! here and here.

YF-AF only

Fat Morph

Everyday

Download: sfs (packages files have been compressed) (Small Update: had the wrong shoe sound, it's fixed!)

Feel free to tag me using the cc, I enjoy looking at peoples pictures 😊

Thank you all again who followed my tumblr page 💓

Credits: Miikocc , jius-sims

[vgperson]

What Did I Do In 2022?

Game Translations That Aren't YTTD: 1. Okay, maybe 1.5.

----

First of all, while I didn't add it until later in the year (not entirely unmotivated by the Stability of Platforms), my site now has an RSS feed for notable updates of any kind! I mention this upfront because I'm mostly just going over the things that are already listed there. It currently retroactively covers everything back to 2020, but I might add more past stuff over time so it can better serve as a general "everything I've ever done" page.

In February, I translated Kenshi Yonezu's POP SONG (and an interview). Noel The Mortal Fate Seasons 1-7 also got a revamped version on consoles (Switch, PS4); the console versions include a new Season 3.5 translated entirely by me, and the rest of the seasons have a revised script which is more thoroughly edited by me than even the redone Steam translation was.

In March, the update adding Kai to Your Time To Shine came out. Yes, he is Kai.

In April, I finally finished up my unofficial Japanese translation patch for Petal Crash. たのしいね、クラッシュ！ It actually just got some extra attention after the Petal Crash run for RTA In Japan about two days ago, which is kind of wild. Is this what it's like to be famous...? (clueless)

In May, I translated Kenshi Yonezu's Shin Ultraman theme song M87 (interview, interview), and the coupling song from the single, ETA. And there was an article about the 10th anniversary of his debut!

Also in May, the Ib remake came out on Steam in English! Told you they'd contact me. It was later announced to be coming to Switch, scheduled for March 2023.

In August, Your Turn To Die was announced to be coming to Steam. It's planned for early 2023, but to be clear, it'll release first in Early Access still with no final part, though with some exclusive mini-episodes and character profile sheets. Apparently once that's out, the actual completion is estimated for 6 to 12 months later... but, you know. Estimates are hard.

In September, I put together a guide for and officially "released" my Custom Translation Engine plugin for RPG Maker MV, the one I made for the Ib remake, and back-implemented into Your Turn To Die shortly after I was contacted about it coming to Steam. It's fancy (in-game language switching!), convenient (minimal direct editing of code!), and you can use it for your own translation projects if you want!

In October... well, I didn't do anything new for it, but I'll take credit for The Witch's House MV coming to consoles. (Switch, PS4, Xbox) I also translated everyone's favorite Chainsaw Man opening KICK BACK, associated interviews, and the single's coupling song Y'all Should Be Ashamed.

Finally, in December, after lots of spending my time elsewhere and indecision about how I should go about returning to doing some dang free game translations, I concluded that what I'd really wanted to do all year was translate Uri's PEDESTAL.

I think some people latched onto specific parts of Uri's original explanation for why it wasn't being translated, such as the cultural aspects (I honestly winced at her blunt remark that the story was "no good at all"), but while Uri indeed had those doubts at the time of release, the only real reason it wasn't translated at the time is that I did a less-than-ideal rushed playthrough that slightly hurt my overall impression of its quality, and I felt too busy at the time to work on something with lots of text that was likely to be divisive. So similarly, me finally feeling up to it was the reason it did get translated. I probably should've come back to it quite a bit sooner (after I was made to give up a certain other translation, say), but as I alluded to in last year's post, I was self-conscious about "my big return to free game translations" being something that might not have wide appeal. Uh, glad to be past that, hopefully.

Oh, and ever since finishing PEDESTAL, I've been working on all sorts of overhauls to my site, but like... not the kind that actually majorly changes any part of the visible design and annoys people (and if something did change in an annoying way, it's probably accidental). Some of it's just better consideration of mobile browsing (stuff like images or tables sticking out of bounds at mobile resolutions), or making things more convenient for myself behind the scenes (did you know I made a program to add "br"s to every line of all lyrics content before considering I could just have the page code do that, and also better?).

Some more major observable changes include general renovations to the lyrics page (bigger font size, buttons that hide individual languages to aid in side-by-side comparison), and more convenient navigation of OSTER's tweets, such that I could actually imagine someone reading through them all the way from the start without it being too much of a hassle.

----

While I'm glad to be over the PEDESTAL hump, I don't... necessarily have any definite plans for upcoming free game translations. I mostly just have some stuff on a list that I may have to make myself check out soon enough. Also, Game Atsumaru (which you may know as The Site That Hosts YTTD's Japanese Version) is ending in June??? So uh, might have to accelerate checking out stuff on there, though I guess it depends on how many creators are able to migrate. (Nankidai does plan to put YTTD's Japanese browser version up somewhere else.)

As I mentioned, Your Turn To Die's Early Access release on Steam should be coming up early next year with those mini-episodes and character profiles, and the game might be completed within the year. No promises. I mean, I don't have anything to promise, it's not my game.

Speaking of my game... also no promises. But I'd really like to release one. We'll see what happens. There's also a different kind of original project I recently returned to trying to make real, which could come early in the year, but who knows. As should be apparent, I'm working on a lot of different fronts here, so I frequently feel bad about neglecting such-and-such type of creative work, which sometimes means nothing actually gets done and released. Ultimately, though, it's probably better to follow what I most feel like doing, rather than force focus on one thing and end up not actually getting much done.

Which is to say: hoping to finish something in the new year!

[paincaat]

hello.

welcome to my perfectly normal tacky techy typewriter-esque page. i am your humble host, PainCaat, here to bless your eyes with absolutely wonderous works of art. pleasure to be meeting you, quite a pleasure!

a bit about me, i'm an aroace breadcat who sold their soul to the overlord of cursed content and am now obligated to ruin everyone's eyes. i recently learned about the hellaverse just as hazbin released and made a tumblr blog for the first time shortly after to shitpost and make actual art about the show. somehow, this has devolved into a blog for cursed content. i have no idea what the fuck i'm doing. free me please.

Tags

🍞🐈‍⬛ - personal rambling

cursed nun cat alastor - this monstrosity

there will probably be more cursed ones in the future. stay tuned.

caatdoodles - doodle posts

FAQ

Why did you feel the need to make ___ cursed post?

Can I repost your work?

generally for personal use yes, but please ask first and include credit! the only exception to this is if you intend to use it with NSFW intent (ex. NSFW RP, commentary etc.). Just dont use my work please. it makes me highly uncomfortable to have my work attached to certain content and i will be blocking anyone who doesn't respect that

Can I request art?

feel free to drop them in my asks! i likely won't be able to get to all of them unfortunately so i will prioritize ones that i can make cursed, find funny. or can do quickly (just keep in mind i work over full time hours some weeks so there's a chance i'm not punctual with delivering depending on the nature of the request)

Commissions?

i'm still sorting out the details but i'd love to open them up! for now, if you want to commission me feel free to send me a DM and we could work something out!

Aspec Alastor?

i personally don't enjoy seeing the majority of alastor shipping content and will never make any serious shipping art. for cursed reasons or crackshipping? sometimes. (heck i don't even know how to draw a kiss properly).

that being said i do find onesided radiostatic funny at times and don't mind qpr radiorose. also its the internet, if you enjoy alastor shipping, be my guest. i just ask you to be respectful to my fellow aspecs and respect that this blog is meant to be an aspec-friendly space

Why is your art style so inconsistent?

lmao so i actually switch between using a bunch of drawing tools with varying proficiencies. i tend to do doodles on procreate or clip studio paint, and animate on krita. i would say that i'm probably best at using clip studio and krita since im more used to using a drawing tablet than a tablet screen. also i just like drawing in multiple styles for my personal art

thanks for reading - will update this as necessary :}

[sacredechoes]

Valentia Side Material and Translations: Resource Masterpost

This post is to organize links to side material for Gaiden/Shadows of Valentia, much of which Sacred Echoes has drawn upon for additional story and characterization details. In the case of translated material, I will link to the main translator's site; if you worked on these translations and have a Tumblr handle you'd like to be credited under as well, please message me and I'll update the post.

Art Book, Valentia Accordion

Includes concept art, full character biographies, and an official timeline. Information here is considered a primary source.

Character bios and concept art translations are hosted on Kantopia's translations blog. Additional translators assisted with individual pages and are credited therein by their Twitter handles.

Lyrics translations of the songs with vocals are available at the above link and were contributed by @mystletainn.

The official timeline was translated by @vincentasm on Serenes Forest.

Drama CD - "Foreign Skies, Daybreak Forest"

Taking place in Act 4 soon after the Deliverance crosses the Rigel border, this drama CD features Alm, Faye, Silque, Tobin, Kliff, Lukas, Forsyth, and Python, as well as three Rigelian characters not used elsewhere. Information here is considered a primary source, and this is the only quasi-official source of information about Alm's mother.

While Clive and Mathilda return to Zofia to quell dissent among the nobility in the wake of Desaix's defeat, the Deliverance are attacked by Rigelian child soldiers armed with cursed weapons. Alm's compassion and sense of justice lead him to try and reach out to these children rather than attack them with military force, and he discovers that they are orphans marginalized by brutal Rigelian customs and being used as pawns by the Duma Faithful. Alm reckons with the reality that Rigelians are not his enemies, but the systemic oppression they face from the empire and death-cult that rules over them, and through his compassion he meets some kindred spirits. Contains some really great characterizations of the Lukas/Python/Forsyth trio as well.

Text translation was done by @garmmy on their translations blog. A subtitled video playlist was created using garmmy's translations with the original audio by @fudgenomnomnom.

Valentia Comic Anthology

Includes over 100 4koma (4-panel, half-page) comics, as well as longer-form one-shots of 8 or more pages. Material here is more akin to fan comics and is thus considered a secondary source.

The 4koma have all been translated and hosted by Kantopia on their blog.

The one-shots are not all in the same place, and not all have been translated yet. Four have been done by @mystletainn a few years ago, while @hypergammaspaces is picking up the remaining chapters:

As Comrades, by Itagaki Hako - TL: mystletainn. Faye resolves to do whatever she can to help carry Alm's burdens, and brings the Ram boys along. Alm proves he loves his friends as much as they love him.

Sweet Delivery, by Watarizora Tsubamemaru - TL: mystletainn. Atlas fails to guard Mae and Leon's fresh-baked cookies, so he, Saber, and Jesse agree to gather the ingredients to replace them.

Fieldwork in Zofia, by Shiroishi Kotoni - TL: mystletainn. Taking place shortly before Act 3, Kliff ventures out to survey the lands north of Zofia Castle and encounters a certain masked knight who has more in common with him than either of them expect.

Only My Big Brother, by Kirai Yuu - TL: mystletainn. Tired of being ignored by Valbar, Leon ropes Kamui into helping him find the perfect boyfriend.

Know Your Enemy and Know Yourself, by Temo Uchida - TL: hypergammaspaces. Lukas and Forsyth try to encourage Kliff to take his combat duties seriously.

Future Wife, by Reku Hayase - TL: hypergammaspaces. Mathilda navigates her thoughts about her future with Clive as she reconciles Clair's expectations of her. Lukas is there too.

Let's Go To Ram Village, by Kazuomi Mochizuki - TL: hypergammaspaces. Translation is in-progress. Clair, having just met the Deliverance, asks to see what life in Ram Village is like, and Alm agrees to show her. Faye isn't too happy about this, but finds common ground with Clair by the end.

There are at least three more chapters yet untranslated which will be linked here as they are completed.

Rise of the Deliverance DLC

This was a set of four story maps set in the year-and-a-half or so before the events of Act 1. Focused around Clive, Fernand, Mathilda, Clair, Lukas, Forsyth, and Python, this added supports and memory prisms between these characters as well as story map dialogue. Scripts, memory prisms, and additional support transcriptions were found on a Serenes Forest forum post by user godzillahomer.

Gaiden manga

One-volume manga by Masaki Sano and Kyo Watanabe, published by Asuka Comics DX. Partial scans have been found on the Fire Emblem (Fandom) Wiki, but no complete scans or translations have been found as of this post. This is the one where Desaix stabs Kliff to death (hence Kliff joking about "maybe we can all get impaled on the same lance" in SoV). Many characters are entirely absent, while both Deen and Sonya appear in Celica's party.

Gaiden novelization

A light novel with a few illustrations throughout. Based heavily on the author's personal playthrough, Silque thus features prominently as she basically hard-carried Alm's party. Neither English FE wiki has a page about this adaptation. I have an acquaintance who owns it but I'm not aware of any full scans/translations available as of this post. This is the one where Kliff and Silque are half-siblings with the same father.

[gaiathemexicanbeauty]

gasp! shock and awe

long time no see yall! i know i've been gone for literal months but i promise i come offering gifts!

2023 was a pretty rough year for me mental health wise! i work and go to school at the same time, trying to keep my grades up and whatnot. but when i was making some resolutions for myself i realize i haven't been making any time for my hobbies; my sketchbook from senior year of high school is going to be 2 years old in may and i still have a lot of empty pages! i haven't done any personal writing since the summer of last year and i barely read anymore. thinking about that was kind of upsetting for a creator such as me, so i decided right then and there that i was going to fix that!

all this to say that i'm going to be participating in a writing challenge! i know ppl normally do thsi when they hit a follower milestone but i REALLY wanted something that would give me an excuse to just write little blurbs instead of a full length oneshot (and with my track record, nothing that's more than 5k words).

LONG STORY SHORT, BUCKLE IN EVERYONE, WE'RE GOING ON A ROAD TRIP

credit to original creator of the card!! ><

there's a twist though! bc i don't want it to be unfair to my followers, i'm going to be using a wheel that will spin and fall on a random category! for my first pick, though, i gave that role to my unassigned assigned beta reader and one of my best friends and will be posting for the category shortly! :D

with all that out of the way, my very first spot on this bingo is:

"can you stay?

stay tuned for an update and i hope you all have fun reading these! <3

P.S. i'm still a multifandom account! i'm gonna try my hardest to make a different scenario for a different character! :) don't be afraid to drop any requests for this bingo challenge in my ask box or in the comments!

[maireadralph]

Entrapdak Zine 5 update

First off sorry about the delay in replying to messages in the last few days 😬

It has been a busy few days with Smudge being sick and me & hubby attending a family event so I’ve been prioritising IRL and Zine stuff. Sorry if I missed a message recently, I’ll be going through my missed notifications after I finish this post.

Most importantly Smudge is all better and back to his usual hobby of hunting mice (I’ve had three “gifts” in the last week including one at 2am today). Here he is being incorrectly assembled:

Secondly the Zine is on track! Currently sitting at 61 pages with IIRC one art left to come in, a credit page to be updated and the final page with the next issue’s deadline and theme (spoiler the date will be Dec 1st and the theme potentially to be “Festive”) to be made!

Thirdly once this issue of the Zine is ready (with Zine 6’s submission post coming shortly afterwards) I will be starting on working out the Dates and Roadmap for Entrapdak Secret Santa 2023!.

I know it’s currently July at the time of this post, but it’s never too late to start planning something like this event IMO! If you participated in last year’s event or just wish to give feedback the Google Form is still open.

My rough plan for Entrapdak Secret Santa is as follows:

Open Wave 1 sign ups late July-early August via Google Form

Close Wave 1 Sign ups late September

Reconfirm interest* late September - early October

Pair Wave 1 Sign ups and hand out assignments mid - late October

Open Wave 2 Sign ups** late October - mid December

Everyone sends gifts mid December - Early January

Notes: *This is a reminder for people who signed up. It also serves as an easy way for anyone who wishes to drop/leave the project and for anyone who wishes to express the desire to not be paired with a certain person - no reason is needed for any of these just please let me know. The faster everyone replies the faster we can move on **There will be no Reminder for Wave 2, when there are 6 people signed up people will be paired and given an Assignment ASAP

Like with the Zine this is welcome to anyone who wishes to take part!

Phew that’s a lot of typing. Okay I’m going to have my tea and catch up on all the lovely posts ❤️

[manonamora-if]

August Check-In!

July has been a bit more chill? I was kind of forced to slow down cause sickness (and other personal stuff), which made progress rather slow... On the other hand, it was nice to have a bit of a break.... and kind of needed, seeing how my body just didn't want to cooperate... I have honestly not written a thing in about a month (I don't count editing/coding/fixing), so I'm half-looking forward half-dreading getting back to it.

Long post ahead:

Start with what has been done this past week (hella busy).

Some other me and IF-me-related stuff

Some IF events to participate in

What I'm planning this month

A little re-haul of the templates and guides, getting some much needed TLC:

fixing typos/errors (mainly guides),

editing the credits with more resource links,

and some reformatting/re-organising the code (mainly templates).

Update your games with the latest version! Or re-download the guides!

ALSO ALSO, this was still technically last Sunday (late), but the SugarCube Guide has been fixed of its broken links, bad formatting, and explanation errors. But as a bonus, I've found some time to add some extra passages:

The other Engine API

Localization and Translation of a game

Events to trigger code at specific rendering moment.

Some of my older Coding In Twine asks, especially the CSS ones

(Version 1.1.0)

MelS finished checking my comments on the investigation part (still needs to add the missing part), and is processing the ones I left on the exploration side (there are a lot, he's doing his best).

Fixed some minor typos in the French version. BUT most importantly, the code is now available on my GitHub! Also will be shortly on the IFArchive.

Clarence Street, 14 est maintenant disponible en Français!

I've also added the source code to my GitHub, as well as sent them to the IFArchive.

I made some minor fixes in the UI for the title page and the Restart one (issue with text size). The source files are also now available on my GitHub and sent to the IFArchive.

Quick list on other IF-me related stuff:

I've finally started AND finished reviewing the Anti-Romance IF/VN entries. That was 20 new reviews (4 I had already done with the NeoTwinies, 1 was mine :P ). If you are interested, check out @manonamora-if-reviews, they are all there. Otherwise, play the entries! I'll prob go back to finishing replaying the IFComp entries and update those reviews... Or you can submit one for me to play!

@if-confessions closed last Monday - well, the asks box did. You can still read and interact with the posts. Just because I won't be answering for a while doesn't mean the discussions are closed.

Another player has been going through the @neo-twiny-jam entries, and gave me some some lovely reviews on IFDB ! That was a nice surprise!

Some IF Events:

The IntroComp entries are out! While voting is set to start out shortly, you can already check the entries (and maybe think of feedback for the author?). Note: the stories submitted were not complete games. Also I missed the deadline... I didn't have a working WIP...

There is still one month to submit your intent to the IFComp (@ifcomp). If you don't plan on submitting a game, you can already create an account to vote. I'm not participating this year, so you might see some reviews of mine this autumn.

Over at the @neointeractives, the Single Choice Jam will be ending in about 2 weeks. There is still time to add your story to the dozen already available!

If you are looking to make something a bit more NSFW, the Orifice Jam might be for you! There is a bit more than 2 weeks to add something hole-y!

THE PLAN (for August):

This is what I'm aiming to do, probably not what I'll end up achieving.

Play some more IF games. Maybe not 7/day like this week, but a few of them/week to add to my review pile. I'm getting closer to the top of the Reviewer List... I don't think I'll ever be number 1, but I need 137 more IF reviews to get to the front page (as of today - after the IFComp this year, probably will need more...). Also I want to be better at reviewing, so practice... Also I want to bring more attention to the French games...

I'd like to swing at least a jam entry for the SingleChoice. Something either silly, or related to one of my WIPs (toying with that...). Maybe testing a new engine for funsies. I have two weeks to think about it...

In the meantime, I need to fix my website. It's a bunch of games behind, and missing some important links too! Also been toying with having a more Web 1.0 vibe to it...

Maybe try to take one one of the WIPs and add a chapter or something (haven't decided which... the folders have been side-eyeing at my complacency).

Add more pages to the SugarCube Guide.

Code the update for TaTEH (dependent on MelS)

And if I can't write a single world, I can pick from the following pile pr probably not too much brain power needed:

translate Escape Goncharov! into French.

fix the bugs in EDOC + overall the French version to match

fix the bugs of TRNT + find a way to add the missing pieces (mayyyybe translate into French?)

fix the formatting of DOL-OS + translate into English

update LPM with the missing content + translate into English

The rest of the To-Do pile is (not month specific):

Finish The Rye in the Dark City (and maybe translate?)

Finish P-Rix - Space Trucker (and try to translate)

Finish Exquisite Cadaver (translation unlikely, current gameplay too complex to port for French)

Add a chapter to CRWL

Re-working TTTT to its originally planned state (lol, not likety)

Re-working SPS Iron Hammer (samesies)

Emptying my inboxes

Let's see what can be accomplished this month! I would like to check some more boxes of my new year resolutions.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Brick Walls by LA Witt - 3.25/5 stars

Honestly not a great book, from a writing mechanics perspective. This definitely could have benefited from a few more editing passes. It dragged in parts because the characters kept having the same internal monologue over and over, and there were too many scenes of the two mains sniping at each other with the exact same argument. THAT SAID, the MCs themselves were charming and likable, and the second chance romance was compelling. I also thought the cocaine addiction storyline was pretty well done, especially considering this is a hockey romance.

Deny Me, the Nightshade Boy by Mary Vanalstine - 5/5 stars

This is the debut novel of a pal! Very fun book set primarily in Minnesota. It's gay, plus there's a cat named Arwen Undómeow, which is obviously an A+ pun. Also points for a dig at Chaska.

Young Men in Love, edited by Joe Glass and Matt Miner - 4/5 stars

Nice little queer comics romance anthology.

Fire and Sand by Andrew Grey - 3.75/5 stars

The Professor's Green Card Marriage by Heidi Cullinan - 4.25/5 stars

This book was delightful and taught me that I had selective mutism as a child, despite the fact that apparently the therapist I saw insisted I didn't. I was even able to forgive Cullinan's fudging of USCIS's requirements for dramatic purposes because the story was lovely.

Up in Smoke by Annabeth Albert - 4/5 stars

Once a Rogue by Allie Therin - 4/5 stars

The Doctor's Secret by Heidi Cullinan - 4/5 stars

His Reluctant Cowboy by AM Arthur - 4/5 stars

Charmed & Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy, edited by Jordan Castillo Price - 5/5 stars

One of the best short story anthologies I've ever read. There are some real legends in here, like Ginn Hale, KJ Charles, and Jordan L Hawk. Ginn Hale's story belongs to one of my favorite genres, "Harry Potter was a defining piece of fiction for me but what if I ran with its sketchy elements?" (see also: Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow trilogy). I think a lot of the stories in this collection are spinoffs of the authors' already existing fiction (KJ Charles's definitely is—I had actually already read the sequel to the story in this anthology), but that didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Precious Metals by LA Witt - 4/5 stars

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood - 2/5 stars

Oof. Look, I know it's YA. But I've read some great YA—and this is not it. First off, it's a myth retelling, which I categorically despise. Second, the blurb makes it clear there's a love triangle involved. Blech. The only reason I read this one is because I got it in an Illumicrate. And to be perfectly fair, I was enjoying it a fair bit until about the last quarter. That was the point at which we got Melantho's rape scene and, very shortly afterwards, Leto and Mathias having sex, which I found extremely squicky because it was structurally and narratively very similar to the rape, even though it's consensual. It made my skin crawl. Also I really Did Not Like the fact that Leto was in love with both Melantho and Mathias (yeah yeah polyships whatever, I hate polyships though). Didn't like the theme of 'choosing' one or the other when the choice was made for Leto but she still got to take credit for it. The idea that all the death could have been avoided if People Had Just Talked To Each Other made me wonder why the book had to be 490 pages long. The ending has none of the gravitas of an actual Greek tragedy, even though that's what it's supposed to be. And like, I got it. I got what Underwood was going for like 100 pages in. It wasn't subtle. Ultimately I think a better/more mature author could have pulled this stuff off, but Underwood was twenty-one when she wrote this, and it shows.

[honeydontfeedit]

masterlist | navigation | rules for requests

santrey | she/her | 20 | MDNI

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

contents posted on this page can be triggering, unpalatable, and/or inappropriate. turn away if it's not your cup of tea. minors are strictly unwelcome, any interaction will be blocked.

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

requests are currently closed! you can send them through here or find the link on my page. You can check out my requirements for sending requests when they are open.

fandoms I will be writing about will be updated shortly! suggestions are appreciated <3

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

you're always welcome to hmu here or in my dms!

you're safe here regardless of your identity, community, race, and sexuality. you're welcomed and loved, always.

all likes, reblogs, and comments are most appreciated and encouraged <3

divider credits: @samspenandsword & pinterest

[wutbju]

The State is reporting that Bob Jones University's suspicious granting of Ellen Weaver's grad degree is under official and increased scrutiny.

College accrediting agency steps up oversight of Bob Jones’ accelerated master’s program

BY ZAK KOESKE

UPDATED DECEMBER 07, 2022 8:01 AM

A college accrediting body has asked Bob Jones University to submit an additional report regarding the accelerated master’s degree program that Republican state Superintendent-elect Ellen Weaver completed earlier this year.

The board of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, on Tuesday asked the Greenville-based private evangelical Christian university to submit a “monitoring report,” within the next six months, spokeswoman Janea Johnson said.

The monitoring report is a form of oversight, she said, but does not constitute a sanction and does not imply any violation or deficiency by the university.

Gary Weier, BJU’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, declined comment on SACSCOC’s request, saying the university had not yet been apprised of the decision.

The accrediting agency’s request comes following a review of numerous complaints that alleged Bob Jones gave Weaver preferential treatment. Johnson wouldn’t specify how many complaints SACSCOC received about the school, but said they outnumbered the charges made this year against any other institution.

“This is a one-in-a-million type of circumstance,” she said of the allegations that Bob Jones afforded Weaver special treatment that allowed her to earn a master’s degree in just six months.

Weaver, who last month won a four-year term as South Carolina’s schools chief, is required by law to possess an advanced degree when she takes office in January. The South Carolina Republican Party certified her candidacy in March, pledging that she would meet the qualifications for the position by Election Day, or “as otherwise required by law.”

Weaver, who was not a student at Bob Jones when her candidacy was certified, enrolled shortly thereafter in the university’s Educational Leadership master’s program.

She announced in mid-October she’d completed the 33-credit self-paced online program, which is tailored to people pursuing leadership roles in Christian education. The university confirmed Weaver’s announcement a short time later and said she would be presented her diploma Dec. 16.

BJU ACCUSED OF FAVORITISM

Critics of Weaver’s have long alleged that Bob Jones made exceptions for the well-connected state superintendent candidate, a 2001 Bob Jones graduate, and afforded her special treatment that was not available to the general public.

Specifically, they accused Bob Jones of letting Weaver enroll in the program after the spring session registration deadline had passed, take more credits per session than was allowed and complete her capstone research project early and without adhering to its stated requirements.

Campaign donations from multiple Bob Jones employees, including the school’s director of admissions and enrollment, and President Steve Pettit’s public support of Weaver’s candidacy also fueled speculation that her degree was tainted.

The university has denied any wrongdoing.

“We would do for any student what we have done for her,” BJU chief of staff Randy Page said earlier this year.

The college accrediting body, which has fielded complaints about Weaver’s situation for much of the year, opened an investigation into the allegations in early July.

It asked Bob Jones to address the accusations of bias and provide information to support its defense, but could not compel the university to turn over documents because it lacks subpoena power.

“We may ask certain questions or ask an institution to address a particular concern that was raised,” said Johnson, SACSCOC’s spokeswoman. “But how or what they use to support their response is really up to the institution.”

Page said in October the school had complied with the commission’s requests and provided copies of its “policies, procedures and student outcomes.”

Johnson said Tuesday she could not disclose what additional information SACSCOC seeks from the university or why it asked for it. The agency’s board will review Bob Jones’ monitoring report at its June 2023 meeting and may or may not take additional action at that time.

[toptrendingforexbrokers]

How to Buy Bitcoin on eToro: A Step-by-Step Guide

Bitcoin has gained immense popularity worldwide, and eToro is one of the most trusted platforms for trading this cryptocurrency. If you’re looking for a clear guide to purchasing Bitcoin on eToro, you’re in the right place. This guide will walk you through every step of the process, ensuring you can buy Bitcoin with ease and confidence.

What is eToro?

eToro is a leading multi-asset trading platform that allows you to invest in a variety of financial instruments, including cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Known for its user-friendly interface and copy trading feature, eToro has become popular among both new and experienced traders. The platform is secure, regulated, and offers a wide range of tools for efficient trading.

Step 1: Sign Up for an eToro Account

To begin, you need to set up your account on eToro. Here’s how:

Go to the eToro Website: Visit eToro’s official website and click “Join Now” to start.

Enter Personal Information: Fill in your name, email, username, and password. Ensure the details are accurate, as they will be needed for account verification.

Complete KYC Verification: eToro is a regulated platform, and you must verify your identity. Upload a government-issued ID and proof of residence.

Agree to Terms and Conditions: Read and accept the terms to finalize your account setup.

Step 2: Deposit Funds into Your eToro Account

Now that your account is set up, the next step is to deposit funds.

Log in to Your eToro Account: After logging in, click on Deposit Funds in the lower-left corner.

Select Payment Method: eToro offers multiple payment options such as credit/debit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers. Choose the one that works best for you.

Enter the Deposit Amount: Be aware of the minimum deposit requirements in your country.

Complete the Deposit: Follow the prompts to complete the transaction. Depending on the payment method, your deposit should appear shortly in your account.

Step 3: Navigate to Bitcoin on eToro

Once you have funds in your account, it’s time to buy Bitcoin.

Search for Bitcoin: In the search bar, type Bitcoin or BTC. eToro will show you the Bitcoin trading page.

Analyze the Market: Take advantage of eToro’s charts, trends, and analytics to make an informed decision.

Access Bitcoin’s Page: Click on Bitcoin to see detailed market information and begin your trade.

Step 4: Buy Bitcoin on eToro

Here’s how to purchase Bitcoin on eToro:

Click “Trade”: On Bitcoin’s market page, press the Trade button.

Enter the Amount: Input the amount of USD (or another currency) you want to invest, or specify the amount of Bitcoin you want to buy.

Choose Buy Options: Opt to purchase Bitcoin outright or consider leverage options. It’s advisable for beginners to buy without leverage.

Confirm the Trade: Double-check the trade details and click Open Trade. The Bitcoin will then appear in your eToro portfolio.

Step 5: Monitor and Store Your Bitcoin

After buying Bitcoin, managing and securing your investment is key.

Monitor Price Movements: Use eToro’s Portfolio section to keep track of Bitcoin’s price changes.

Transfer to eToro Wallet: For added security, transfer your Bitcoin to the eToro Wallet, which provides a secure mobile environment.

Stay Updated: Keep an eye on cryptocurrency news and market trends to make informed decisions about holding or selling your Bitcoin.

Step 6: Withdrawing Your Bitcoin (Optional)

If you choose to withdraw your Bitcoin or convert it to cash, eToro makes this easy:

Navigate to Your Portfolio: Find your Bitcoin holdings under Portfolio.

Click “Sell”: To convert your Bitcoin to fiat currency, click the Sell option.

Withdraw Your Funds: Once you’ve sold your Bitcoin, click Withdraw Funds and choose your preferred withdrawal method.

Wait for the Transaction: Depending on the method, the withdrawal process may take a few days to complete.

Why Choose eToro for Buying Bitcoin?

Intuitive User Interface: eToro’s platform is designed for simplicity, making it ideal for all traders.

Multiple Payment Methods: You can fund your account using various payment methods, including PayPal, credit cards, and bank transfers.

Security: eToro is regulated by multiple authorities, ensuring your funds are safe.

Copy Trading: eToro’s copy trading feature allows users to follow and copy the strategies of successful traders.

Mobile App: With the eToro mobile app, you can manage your Bitcoin investments on the go.

Conclusion

Buying Bitcoin on eToro is a smooth process, from setting up your account to purchasing and storing your cryptocurrency. With a user-friendly platform and a range of security features, eToro is a great choice for anyone looking to invest in Bitcoin. Make sure to do your research and consider storing your Bitcoin in a secure wallet for added protection.

[myraelvira]

Scott Williams [Soilent Green]

James Scott Williams was born on August 18th, 1966. His parents were Patricia Diamond Williams, and James Williams Jr.. He had a sister, named Kim. Not much else is known about his life, or anything from when he was growing up, at least. Once source states that he was a lifelong resident of Gretna, Louisiana.

At some point, Scott gained an interest in music, and began playing bass. He was in the band ‘New Religion’ playing bass from 1989-1991. The band only seemed to have lasted between those years, with a demo in ‘89, and ‘91 being released, both on cassette.

At some unknown period of time, Scott was in a band with Donovan Punch, and Punch’s girlfriend, called PCP. The band was later renamed ‘Bum Freakin In Egypt’. There doesn’t seem to be any info on this band either, at least on the metal archives.

In 1992, Scott joined Soilent Green as their new bassist. He is first credited with having played on the 1995 split album, ‘Green Vegetable Matter/Soilent Green’. He played on all of Soilent Green’s released from 1995-2001, and is credited with also appearing on the 2002 split album, of Soilent Green and Eyehategod. Most sources state that Scott left Soilent Green in the 2001-02 era, though none had ever said why; at least, none from that time period, that could still be found today.

On April 26th, 2004, Scott was murdered by his roommate in a murder-suicide. The details of this are scant, and some sources and old forum posts have implied that Scott and his roommate were romantic partners.

Scott had went to a restaurant in Gretna, Louisiana, with his partner Tracey Terry, on what is recalled as a Monday night. The two men had moved in with Scott’s mother of the 600 block on Bannerwood Drive area two months before.

The two men, Tracey and Scott, had-had dinner with two other men that night, and the unnamed men stated that Tracey Terry left the restaurant angry because Scott had been talking to another person. The unnamed men brought Scott home shortly afterwards, implying that Tracey Terry had stranded Scott without a way home.

At about 11:50 pm, Tracey Terry shot Scott Williams in the head with a .38 caliber revolver. Terry then pointed the gun on himself, committing suicide.

Scott’s mother heard a loud noise, and found her son bleeding from the head. When deputies arrived later, they found Tracey Terry with a self inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

Neighbors stated that they never heard any arguments or disturbances, with one stating that they were very quiet at the Williams’ household.

Scott Williams was 37 years old at the times of his death. A funeral was held for him on April 30th, 2004. His internment was private.

I don’t know much of anything on Tracey Terry, only that he was 40 years old at the time of the murder. I could not find any find a grave page, or obituary on him, which I assume is because of Louisiana’s privacy laws.

A benefit show was held for Scott on June 18th, 2004, with bands like Goatwhore, Valume Nob, Outlaw Order, Rat in The Bucket, and Soilent Green performing, to help with the funeral costs. Apparently, this was the first show that Zack Simmons played with Goatwhore.

On July 21st, 2004, an article from lambgoat posted an update about the benefit concert. It stated at quote from the Soilent Green website, “First off, we would like to thank everyone that came out on Friday, June 18th, for the benefit show of the late Scott Williams. The show raised $2900, and was a huge success. The money helped Scott’s family for the funeral costs.” A PO box was listed where users could donate to the Scott Williams fund, though I am unsure if it is still in use anymore.

Scott Williams does not seem to have a find a grave page, at least when I checked in 2023.

My video on him:

[jcmarchi]

Ukraine Uses Vintage T-64, But It's More Modern Than You Think - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/ukraine-uses-vintage-t-64-but-its-more-modern-than-you-think-technology-org/

Ukraine Uses Vintage T-64, But It's More Modern Than You Think - Technology Org

The T-64 main battle tank entered service in 1966. It is a very old tank model. By comparison, the Leopard 1 entered service in 1965. When it was new, the T-64 was praised for its compact engine and transmission assembly, automatic loader, and reasonably light weight. But now it’s just an old tank. Ukrainians, on the other hand, would disagree with that.

Ukrainian T-64BV. Doesn’t look like a 50-year-old tank, does it? Image credit: Сергій Попсуєвич via Wikimedia (GFDL)

For a long time, the T-64 was the main tank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and to this day it remains the most abundant machine of this type in the Ukrainian forces. However, according to Forbes, it should not be assumed that Ukraine uses antique half-century-old tanks. The T-64 was produced in Kharkiv until 1987. In addition, many Ukrainian T-64s have been significantly modernized. And this process still continues.

The T-64BV1K modification of the T-64 is very rare, as it was only announced shortly before the ongoing Russian invasion in 2022. However, this tank is no longer reminiscent of the one introduced in the middle of the Cold War.

The crew of the T-64 tank consists of only three people. This, by the way, was once a big innovation – the automatic loader of the 125 mm gun made it possible to reduce the size of the crew and the tank itself, which made the T-64 a smaller target for the enemy and helped to save weight.

Even the modernized T-64BV, which received additional protection, weighs only 43 tonnes, although it still has quite thick armour. In other words, the T-64BV1K is much lighter than most modern tanks, which can be very important when the ground becomes soft as the seasons change.

Ukrainian T-64s in winter camouflage, photo from 2022. Image credit: Mil.gov.ua via Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0)

Forbes writes that in direct fire mode, the T-64BV1K can destroy targets at a distance of up to 4 km. This means that the updated tank has good sights. Ukrainians say that although the smooth-bore 125 mm gun is not new, it is excellent at crushing Russian positions. Meanwhile, the fire control system is new – even better than the one installed in the 2017 modification.

The updated T-64BV1K has additional armour over the fuel tanks, an 840 horsepower engine, and NATO-standard radio equipment. It works so well, by the way, that the T-64BV1K can coordinate the work of larger tanks and other combat vehicle groups during battles.

Exactly how many T-64 tanks Ukraine has is unknown. That number could be around 800. All of them are upgraded – although the T-64BV1K is still a very rare tank, T-64s that were upgraded before are also very valuable.

Russia, by the way, does not use the T-64 anymore. However, the T-80 is a kind of descendant of the T-64 with the features of the T-72.

Ukraine still needs more modern tanks. Hopefully, more Western armour is underway. However, in the meantime, the home-cooked T-64BV1K is a great tool for the Ukrainian defensive effort.

Written by Povilas M.

Sources: Tsn.ua, Wikipedia

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[taeyongfmd]

finally got around to finalizing ash’s revamped claims and stuff. don’t look at any pages yet because because they’re probably not perfectly updated on the main and almost nothing is updated on ash’s blog, but i’ve compiled a list of major development changes below the cut for reference for anyone who cares to know.

some changes to his discography over the years; most major being lovesick & fatalism being sort of merged into one album released mid-2020, and blacklight becoming an english-language album which was released december 2022 as his english-language market debut

ash has some more involvement in the creative side of polaris in the past now (including participating in concept direction for the most beautiful moment in life, pt 1 and pt, 2 + black swan). this makes him even more sensitive when they do shit he doesn’t like lmao (like dynamite, which he now didn’t have any credits on at all)

he’s also now a ~director~ and has helped direct some polaris mvs (and few mvs of other boy groups) and participated in directing partially or fully a lot of the music videos off of his solo albums as well. his youtube channel is primarily for him to experiment with directing and videomaking now.

in general, ash’s career has shifted focus to more creative / behind the scenes stuff, less on-camera stuff, though that was already happening in the present anyway

most of the major development changes were made regarding the hiatuses he went on in 2020-2022 to basically spread the whole thing out more and give him the larger timeframe and more actual time away i honestly think he needed for that that i couldn’t give him at the time. a lot of details but i’ll give a summary since it might be relevant to certain connections he has?

things were ROUGH for ash in 2020. he was very clearly not in the best place but that didn’t really matter to dimensions because he and polaris were printing money. they just stuck their pr extra hard on making sure all his reckless shit didn’t go too public and hoped for the best.

shortly after re-signing with dimensions and releasing fatalism in august 2020, he had his mini breakdown on instagram. that resulted in him just apologizing for worrying people and being like ‘i was just really tired sorry for all that silly shit i said i didn’t mean it <3′ and dimensions made him deactivate his instagram account because he had a tour schedule and our songs later on that he couldn’t just cancel.

he competed on our songs (but not kiss & cry, i removed that) and just kept dropping songs that made his fans go,, uhhhh this man ok? he went on hiatus like, a day after he released “instagram” in december 2020 (and never held any promotional stages for it). dimensions said he was suffering unspecified health issues, generally assumed by most to be physical due to dimensions’ wording, and had been advised to focus on recovering. he fucked off to jeju for a few weeks because dimensions was really hoping that would magically ‘fix’ everything and he’d be as good as new by polaris’s next comeback (his final tour dates had to be “delayed” and then cancelled)

returned for polaris’s “boy with luv” promotions ~4 months later in april 2021. was obviously not feeling like a boy with luv. 

shortly after, he hit a new low and he went back on hiatus. this time, dimensions was a little more honest, citing stress and anxiety. at the beginning of the hiatus, he mostly just ran away, but eventually, he began to actually get help to get into a better place. he wrote very little music during this time. he stayed away from seoul and dimensions as much as he could and he returned to activities ~eight months after the start of his hiatus to participate in polaris’s “black swan” (one of the only songs he finished during his hiatus) and map of the soul: 6 promos.

was officially back and active as of end of january 2022, but showed up in public only for group schedules really for most of the year. he didn’t do any solo schedules except for some contractually required calvin klein ads here and there and some behind-the-camera directing and songwriting/producing work (though most of the stuff he was credited on during this time had been written a few years before).

returned to solo music at the very end of last year with blacklight (his english-language debut album), close to two and a half years after his last album and two years after his last solo music of any kind. is sorta focusing on more overseas (u.s.) promos rn solo-wise, having performed at dick clark’s nye, sxsw, and coachella since.

i might make a q2 update post with more details about where he is right this moment but this was mostly just for me to feel like he had more actual development in regards to certain major plotlines that i feel i ended up rushing or not fleshing out enough over the past few years to really know where ash stood.

if you think any connections or plots with ash will need to change because of this lmk, but on my end, i think everything major should be able to remain intact! everything current should still be pretty much the same; some of the details of how he got here just shifted a lil