#as always full size image == better quality

[mithrandirl]

i always get questions when i do a split gifset, and it's a deceptively simple process so i thought i'd try to show how i do it! i don't know if these types of gifsets have a more universally recognized name, but that's what i call them so that's what i'm going with.

i'm going to write this assuming you have a solid familiarity with photoshop and making gifs, but please feel free to send me an ask if anything is unclear. i use video timeline/smart objects so will be showing that (here's a great general tutorial on giffing with timeline). i will also be talking A LOT about gif dimensions, so first let's briefly go over the limits and theory a little bit.

a 1 column gifset can accommodate gifs 540 pixels wide

2 columns = 268 pixels each with a 4 pixel gutter between

3 columns = 177, 178, 177 pixels with 4 pixel gutters

i'm mostly going to talk about 2 column split gifs here (what i will refer to as 2x1 from now on - 2 across and 1 high), but the process is the same for 3 column (3x1) and so on (1x2, 2x2, etc).

so, why would you even want to make a gifset like this? i mean, let’s face it, generally, bigger is better for gifs on tumblr, and there are obvious incentives to 540 width gifs over 268 or 177/8 width, especially since the upload limit went to 10MB. but even 10MB isn’t much when you’re talking about high quality footage. gif making is a constant balance between quality (whatever that means to you: frame dimensions, sharpening, coloring, etc) and file size. split gifs are a cheat to that limitation >:)

i personally believe an untapped frontier of tumblr gifmaking is playing with dimensions and time. that sentence makes me sound like an old-timey sci-fi villain, but you get the idea: gifmaking is an art and there are many fun and interesting ways of exploring the medium. you can do a lot with 268 pixels! longer frame loops to gif longer scenes unbroken, bolder coloring on a wide shot you don’t want to pare down. and, a shorter x axis means the y axis’s bang goes a lot further on a buck. also just if you have a 2 column set but only 5 gifs so you need to make one take up 2 slots. there's a lot of reasons but the most important one is it's fun :) here are some examples of other split gifs i've made: x, x, x

this isn't so much a limitation, more of a shift in how you think about gifs, but it's important to remember that each gif should ideally be doing something still. when making split gifs, it’s easy to pick a wide scene without thinking about how it’ll be split down the middle, and then you’re left with a lot of something on one side and a lot of incongruous nothing on the other - or you're left with a person cut in half awkwardly in the middle. so while a split gif can still be a whole scene, you shouldn’t ignore the break and what it means to the bigger picture. now this is personal preference, but i like to play with the break and make it a part of the gifset. mirrored movement, subjects trapped on either side but still talking to each other, a bird flying from one side to the other. fun with frames! it can be another way of drawing attention to specific images/moments/feelings happening within the same shot.

SIMPLE SPLIT GIFS

to more narrowly define what i’m calling “simple split gifs,” it’s one set of frames split down the middle into two separate gifs that are meant to play concurrently, side by side.

first thing's first, crop your gif and uncheck delete cropped pixels if it is not already (very important). i'm cropping it to the 1x1 size, in this case 268x350. if you need to see how the full size will look, you can try it out with 536 first. but this one is pretty easy, this is the exact center of the frame (the left boundary of this crop is the center line) and both their heads fit within their respective 1x1 crop.

then color as you normally would. if your scene is very different one side to the other, it might be easier for you to color on a wider crop and then either crop again or copy paste your coloring to the smaller crop version. i do that with the 2x6s, but it's usually not that big a deal to color the 2x1s with just the small crop on your canvas at the time. this scene is very symmetrical, both in movement and colors, so i'm good.

now the fun part! once you've got one side how you want it, save/export as you normally would. at this point i also like to make a mental note of how many frames there are.

so i have 49 frames and it's still only ~3MB! this is just an example that i picked from my rotk fancy set, otherwise i probably would have made this gif longer.

then onto the other side, so i ctrl + z my way back to my smart object video timeline. to get to theoden i just drag and drop the smart object 268 pixels over. since this one is in the exact center of the image, it even helpfully guides me (this can get annoying if you are NOT giffing the center of the image fyi, but you can always manually go pixel by pixel too if you need to with your <- -> keyboard buttons. just always remember where you started and count accurately). i can never move around my smart object without hiding the adjustment layers on top of it, so you'll see me do that in this screen recording.

see how it corrected me when i dragged it a few pixels down by accident, and with all those pink guidelines? sometimes photoshop is good 😌

then make sure you still like the coloring, adjust whatever needs to be adjusted, but watch out! don't make any major changes because it still has to match the other side. and export again.

what we perceive as 1 series of frames chopped down the middle is just 2 separate gifs with the same frame rate. when tumblr loads the images, it will run concurrently in the post (even though it never does in the draft post 🙄). and that's it!

COMPLEX SPLIT GIFS

again i'm making up terms, but i call anything with more than 2 components a complex split gifset. i've tweaked some things in the process as i went along, but this is generally how i did the lotr series. these sets are basically just many split gifs with transitions. and here's where endurance becomes a factor :) there's a lot of prep done blind. but if set up well, it will be fairly easy to pull together by the end.

first i decide on my dimensions, using my upper bounds to determine how big i'm going to go. since lotr has very nice large file sizes, i can go pretty big without sacrificing much in quality. i decided on 3 rows of 350 pixel height gifs and it's worked well for me. that means my biggest gif will have a total height of 1050 pixels - fun! you could also do 8 rows, with two 2x2s or just a series of 2x1s that transition to 1x1s. there really is no limit to this except your imagination and source material.

i cap everything i'm going to use before i even open photoshop, then do all of them at once. uncheck delete cropped pixels, then i make my gifs! this is where i spend 90% of the time on this set. every gif should be the size of the smallest 1x1 gif (268x350 for me). i make all 10 into a fully colored, separate psd. (and then i usually go back through all of them a few times to get the colors to match better 😅) for the bigger ones (2x1: 536x350 and 2x6: 536x1050), i just crop them as if they were 1x1 but always thinking about how they will look when big. this gets tricky when i do the big one :) my lazy workaround for that is to basically make it twice: one cropped as it will be and one full size for me to color. then i copy and paste all the coloring layers onto the small one and voila, i know that the coloring in the upper right slice will also look good on the bottom left slice 1050 pixels away because i saw it on the full size version.

coloring is probably the biggest thing i'm thinking about with this kind of set. the whole idea is that these gifs are using the same colors, more or less, throughout each phase. even with the 1x1s, they're still part of a larger color concept, and they should (🤞) work with each other.

in a pinch, i like to eyedrop a color from one gif and add it as an accent to another. one of my 1x1s had a much more muted color palette originally, but i wanted it to have deeper blues and yellows to complement the 1x1 that would go next to it, so i added some gradients on lower opacity over it, color picked from other gifs i already colored.

i keep my coloring and the smart object in separate folders to help me in the final step of combining everything, and then i trim everything down to my lowest common denominator of frames. you might think you need to keep frames pretty minimal if you're doing 3 phases with transitions like this, but there's more room to work with on a small gif, in terms of file size. i usually do 30-50 frames for each phase, with the assumption that i'll be adding a transition on each side of each gif that will eat up some frames (i usually do 4-6 frame fade transitions). for the rotk set my final frame count was 129 and i never went over 8MB on a gif, so there's plenty of space play around with things :)

and then, combine! whatever order you start with, you are stuck with (unless you're getting even more complicated, but we won't go into that lol). for these sets i go small 1x1 -> medium 2x1 -> big 2x6. i like to think of it in phases from this point on. small is the first phase, then medium, then big. then i put in the fade transitions, chopping up the first phase gif so the last one will fade into it, restarting the whole cycle seamlessly. i'm just doing a quick and dirty fade here, but here's a tutorial if you want more explanation on transitions.

at this point i save this psd as its position, "top left" or whatever (usually it's a psb by this point too 🥲), just in case i need to go back to it. then i export this first gif and move on to the rest.

it's the same concept as a simple split gif: drag and drop the smart object to the new position, but now there are multiple phases to keep track of. folder organization has been key for me to keep everything straight. i move through the gifs in a backwards S, starting with the top left. but you could go any direction, just gotta stick with it and remember your counts. in my case, i'm always thinking of 268 pixels over and, for the 2x6, 350 up/down. it's a tedious process, but it goes quick (apart from waiting for photoshop to load each time you export).

i did this series as a color concept aesthetic kind of thing, so my theory was by using the same-ish colors throughout, that would save me in the end when it came time to export. there's only 256 colors max to work with on a gif, and that's usually what gets me over the 10MB limit. but as i said, i have never even gotten close to the size limit on this series. it's pretty hard to reach the limit on 268 pixels, but not impossible. (i did run into that on the emma set i did, and that was hell. but also not an impossible fix in the end.)

and that's it! if you try any of this and have trouble, i'm happy to help if i can but mostly this is a "click around and see what works for you" kind of process. and feel free to tag me on your split gifsets :) i love seeing them <3

[robfinancialtip]

🤔💭JJ Soria discusses the importance of obtaining inner peace, emphasizing that it is primarily within one's head. His problem with body image, revealing how he frequently scrutinizes himself in the mirror and feels the need to lose weight, serves as motivation for many people. JJ emphasizes the psychological side of weight growth, implying that he may express his worries through self-talk before they manifest physically, providing motivational insights for those facing similar issues. He also discusses the difficulty of sustaining a healthy lifestyle, emphasizing that it is about exercise and food habits, confirming the cliché that you cannot out-train a bad diet.

😊💪The constant battle with weight management and his experiences attempting to strike a balance between eating healthy, high-quality food and regulating portion sizes serve as an incentive for people seeking improved health. He enjoys the mental and physical hurdles of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, viewing it as the ultimate test of discipline and motivating others to overcome each obstacle. Despite the hurdles, JJ appears determined to face these challenges full-on, demonstrating a resilient attitude toward reaching his health goals, which can inspire others on their journey.

🌟🌱JJ discusses the importance of health and fitness in his life and shares personal experiences to inspire others. He emphasizes the complexities of the trip to physical well-being, combining mental fortitude and physical exertion, and offers motivational suggestions for individuals on similar pathways. By freely revealing his hardships, JJ humanizes the common challenges many people have when trying to live a better lifestyle, generating empathy and compassion among listeners. His willingness to address these concerns openly demonstrates vulnerability while inspiring others to face their own struggles with self-image and wellness. JJ's story serves as a reminder that the journey to self-acceptance and overall wellness is not always easy, but it does involve perseverance and self-reflection.

WATCH the related video: FAST & FURIOUS ACTOR JJ SORIA: FITNESS, DISCIPLINE & PERSONAL GROWTH ON THE ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD LEGEND

Please take note that the links below are NOT clickable anymore. You can copy and paste them into your browser.

[mxbo]

I couldn't fit the tutorial on a reply lmao, here's a full post explaining my process :]]

STAMP TUTORIAL (TF2 edition, but works for everything)

99% of the process is done on the website ezgif. Ezgif carries the stamp-making process lmao

1. Get your GIF

Tenor: Ok place to grab your GIFs. Average quality of the GIFs is good enough, and looks ok when resized to the size of the stamp. You'll find like 1 normal GIF every 4 buff characters GIF tho.

GIPHY: Average quality of the GIF is better (I don't think the web compresses the GIFs that are uploaded)… If you find what you're looking for. You'll have to SCROLL before finding what you're looking for because there are always non-related GIFs on the top of your searches or the same GIF multiple times, it's crazy.

makeagif: You will find cool GIFs, but the quality is pretty low (I think the web itself compresses the GIFs a lot). It looks bad even when resized down. And it has a watermark, which I recommend cropping because it's not even visible when resized, it just looks like a gray blob on the corner.

Google: Best option by far, quality is pretty good and the ratio of “things I was looking for/things I actually find” is SLIGHTLY in favor of “things I was looking for” (and most of “things I actually find” are just the characters rotating, not NSFW, so that's only a nice change from Tenor). You won't have to scroll much to see different and interesting GIFs. JUST REMEMBER TO FILTER BY GIFS.

You search whatever > Images > Tools > Type > GIF

Make it on your own: Aka, you download your video, go to ezgif's “Video to GIF” (then you can crop it, CUT IT. THIS IS IMPORTANT, YOU DON'T NEED TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE TO CUT YOUR CLIP, YOU CAN DO IT ON EZGIF ITSELF). Ok, I lied, it wasn't Google, this is the best oftion by far. You get exactly what you want, the best quality if you don't compress it much until after the GIF has been resized into the size of a stamp… It's just super time-consuming, and you'll have to spend like an entire hour just watching a video to find the clips.

OK, I HAVE MY GIF NOW

Hehe, his legs go pipupipu

2. Resize

Go to ezgif, this is where the fun begins (if you weren't on ezgif already). You download your GIF, or copy the link and insert it, or you'll have it there if you made it yourself.

A STAMP MAKES 99px × 56px

THE INNER PART OF THE STAMP MAKES 91px × 47px

I RECOMMEND MAKING YOUR GIF 92px × 48px

BTW, THESE MEASURES ARE FOR THE TEMPLATE I'LL GIVE YOU LATER. If you use another template, just go to an image editor and see what the inner size of the stamp is.

So, you set your GIF's width to 92px.

Then crop it, so your height is 48px.

Or you can resize it so it's directly 92px × 48px, but the crop will be in the center, and SOMETIMES YOU DON'T WANT THAT.

For example:

It's a vertical GIF whose area of interest is not in the center, so if we resize it directly-

oops-

ANYWAY

Once you have your GIF resized:

IMPORTANT: BEFORE THE NEXT STEP, REMEMBER TO CONVERT TO GIF IF THE FILE YOU'RE WORKING ON ISN'T A GIF ALREADY

Sometimes you'll be working with a webp without even noticing (EW, I hate webp) and transparencies don't work particularly well with that extension.

3. Overlay

Click on this icon.

Ok, now that that's fixed:

Extend the size of the canvas.

Select your template and Upload image!

This is the template, btw.

Then move the overlay around until it contains the GIF nicely, or just set Left to 43, Top to 20 and Generate image! (I have these numbers memorized, it saves you like 20 seconds lmao)

Also, again, these numbers work on MY template, if you use another one, you'll have to figure it out yourself.

4. Crop

THIS OPTION IS A TIME-SAVER FR

5. Optimize (optional, highly recommend)

I always set my optimization method to Lossy GIF and level 10 because I find that there is no quality loss, and the file size might drop by 30%-70% (actually crazy). These percentages don't change much in higher compressions, even though you'll start seeing a drop in quality around level 35 of compression (the default).

6. Save

YIPPE!!! Your stamp is done :D

You can save it and look at it and place it on your profile or website.

Here it is btw, in case someone wanted it :]] The Sniper GIF but correctly cropped and made into a stamp as well.

Now do that another… eleven times, and you'll have a stamp pack to make into a Tumblr post... Oof TT

There's no website that lets you make stamps faster lmao (I wish)

@sir-broken-bones (I'm @ them so they actually see it, I made this tutorial for them after all lol)

[astrojulia]

Super Detailed Pick a Pile: Everything about your soulmate

Navigation:   Masterlist✦Ask Rules✦Feedbacks

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DISCLAIMER. These general free readings are made in good faith for entertainment purposes. I tried my best to leave it gender neutral, but one word or another might have escaped (Portuguese is a language where all words have gender). Also, this post is a remake of a old post of mine.

Warnings: +18 content

Hello Siren!

The Soulmate PAC is an old post of mine from another tumblr, so I wanted to remake this. This pick a pile was inspired by my full soulmate reading with you can purchase here as Sirens and Pirates, but this PAC is smaller than a SnP. It is a general reading, so pick what resonates. Each pile was made with a different tarot and was used 66 card per pile.

How to choose a pile

When you have different cards to choose from in pile 1,2,3… look at each of those cards. Wait until someone reminds you of a memory. Perhaps a character’s outfit resembles one of your own. It is this pile that has its message. What if they all remind me of something? Go for the one with the strongest memory, one might look like her earring but another might be the favorite candy you got from your grandma when you vacationed at her house. But what if none reminds me of something? Take a deep breath and wait a little longer, without charging yourself or creating worries. Relax, some will awaken some memory in you, I promise! .

Open the image for better quality!

Pile 1 - So this is Love

To find a compatible partner, one must let go of the past and embrace new opportunities for love. Feeling betrayed and exhausted by past experiences, individuals often retreat into a self-imposed cocoon, avoiding further romantic entanglements. Some even convince themselves that love is not meant for them, focusing on other aspects of their lives. However, deep down, they yearn for a loving partnership and dream of finding a soul mate. It is essential for them to regain faith in love, as that is when it will manifest itself.

This person will possess an exotic allure, standing out in a predominantly white environment if you live in one, or appearing Asian in a predominantly black community, and so on. They will exhibit distinctively masculine features, and if you are attracted to men, they will maintain a well-groomed full beard. Their physique will be muscular, possibly bearing scars from past conflicts. Despite their actual age, their appearance might suggest a weathered and tired countenance. They exude an air of confidence and vibrancy, always seeming to know their direction. Their posture is upright and correct, with a preference for looking straight ahead rather than sideways. When engaging in conversation, they make direct eye contact, conveying the need for face-to-face interaction. Symbolic tattoos, usually discreet in size, may adorn their body—a relic from their youth, which they have come to accept. Their hair color tends to lean towards shades of brown and red.

This person is naturally seductive and charismatic, a born leader who is sociable, diligent, focused, and selfless. They possess intelligence and have nurtured dreams and clear goals since childhood. They likely aspired to a particular profession from an early age, devoting extra time to study during high school to pass entrance exams for their desired schools and colleges. Due to financial constraints within their family, they started working at a young age to fulfill their desires beyond the essentials. Consequently, they appear fatigued at times, but their relentless work ethic remains unwavering. They admire hardworking individuals, especially those who hold them in high regard. Though they have experienced numerous relationships, ranging from serious commitments to fleeting encounters, they currently prefer to avoid emotional involvement, except with the right person.

You may encounter this individual at unexpected moments: perhaps attending the funeral of a distant relative, neighbor, or coworker; during a minor street accident resulting in minor vehicle damage; dropping a beverage from their hand (often on a beach); while visiting a theme park like Disney; at a job promotion celebration; or attending a lecture on physical or mental health.

You will enter into a serious relationship after 8 weeks of getting to know each other, primarily during the spring and summer seasons.

They will treat you as the love of their life, someone who gives their existence purpose. Each day, their love for you will grow, expressed through affectionate words and small gestures. Despite this, you may sense a certain barrier between you, and even with all their declarations of love, you may not feel entirely secure. However, addressing this issue relates to your own self-esteem. Even though they deeply love you, they will still value their own individuality and require personal space. They will involve you in their activities, making choices for dates that cater to your preferences, and they will strive to give you gifts that truly please you. They will enjoy carrying you and playfully tickling you. They will appreciate your body as a masterpiece and, over time, being vulnerable and exposed before you will feel natural, without any shame, as they demonstrate their profound love for you.

What captivates you most about them is their resilience in overcoming numerous challenges without losing their essence, despite the cruelty they may have faced. You will be among the few who understand the reasons behind their chosen path—a path driven by both pain and love. For instance, they may be an oncologist due to the loss of both parents to cancer or a bricklayer due to their past experience with homelessness. They are exceptionally genuine, preferring to confront the truth and accept its consequences rather than resorting to repeated lies. They treat everyone they encounter as equals, greeting all with kindness. They likely possess fluency in three languages. Although they possess great strength, they openly express their emotions, unashamed to shed tears if they identify as a man.

One aspect that may challenge your acceptance is their proclivity for swearing. You may often feel bewildered around them, as they may not take the time to explain things for your comprehension—it is your responsibility to manage your own understanding. When angry, they may speak in another language to avoid upsetting you, as they may scold you during such moments. They prefer communication through written messages, meaning you may never hear their voice if you're physically distant. They may struggle to measure their words, often unintentionally causing you pain. Additionally, they tend to speak rapidly, causing you to feel overwhelmed or lost.

They will teach you to cultivate kindness towards others, to genuinely love people without expecting anything in return. They will show you that you don't have to depend on others to attain your desires, emphasizing your complete independence and worthiness of receiving what you seek. They will inspire an entrepreneurial spirit within you and reinforce the belief that you deserve boundless love.

They enjoy teaching you one of their languages, particularly their native tongue. Couples therapy or visits to a psychologist/therapist are activities they appreciate. They are diligent about reminding you to schedule doctor appointments and even notify you when it's been a year since your last dental check-up. They also take pleasure in watching drama series or engaging in educational content, such as medical or science-related shows.

They admire your ability to rely on intuition when making decisions. Your strong familial bonds resonate with them, and if you have children, they will always express that you are the best parent in the world, crediting you with creating such a wonderful family. They appreciate your idealistic perspective on life, even if it occasionally diverges from realism. They value your commitment to fairness and your desire to contribute to society by helping others as much as possible.

When you're feeling down, they shower you with "silly" messages, including affectionate words, memes, and short funny videos featuring adorable animals. They provide calming medicine or any other assistance you need, respecting your choices and existing medical treatments. They indulge in small gestures like buying candies, chocolates, or trinkets. They also understand the importance of giving you space for introspection and solitude.

They envision a lifelong partnership with you, even until death separates you. They see both of you evolving together and dream of passing away side by side or in close succession, as they cannot fathom a moment of their existence without you. They perceive your relationship as an incredible partnership where mutual support endures in every possible aspect, forever.

They tend to be more dominant, taking pleasure in generating ideas and planning for the future. They enjoy assuming a leadership role and having precise knowledge of long-term plans, often organizing and exerting control in various aspects of their lives.

While they possess a forgiving nature, they have a strong memory and never truly forget the hurtful words or actions directed at them. They strive to avoid crossing dangerous boundaries that may inflict further pain. Similarly, they may feel inclined to comment on past mistakes you've made, but they understand it is not right to do so. They will pretend that nothing happened and that it doesn't bother them, but in reality, it does. When they are angry or when a conflict arises, they prefer to disengage and walk away, avoiding involvement in such confrontations.

They are deeply grateful for all the gestures you do for them, and they show their appreciation through actions rather than words. They consider themselves the luckiest person in the world to have you by their side, and they always strive to reciprocate by going above and beyond. For example, if you make them a coffee, they will prepare dinner for you.

They maintain a high level of honesty with you, sharing the events and experiences that have shaped their life since you met. However, they tend to avoid discussing their past, as they feel more protected by focusing on the present and future. They prioritize sharing relevant information and memories that have left a lasting impact. If you inquire about something that happened at their workplace and they haven't mentioned it, they may simply state that they didn't notice or didn't consider it important to discuss. They only speak about what they deem necessary and tend to avoid indulging in gossip or trivial matters.

While they may adjust certain habits you find displeasing, their core essence remains unchanged. Their life goals and dreams are not influenced by external factors.

They have a possessive streak and can experience jealousy, considering you as theirs. However, they place a great deal of faith in you and firmly believe in your loyalty. They take pride in showcasing you like a trophy and may become uncomfortable when others get too close.

When it comes to kissing, they engage in playful banter and tend to use a lot of tongue. They enjoy sharing laughter during these moments. They appreciate both long, passionate kisses that leave them breathless and the tender stolen kiss of a first encounter. While they possess a good understanding of kissing techniques, it doesn't guarantee that every kiss will be the best of your life, as some moments can be a bit awkward.

To express their affection for you, they often demonstrate it by giving you something you expressed a strong need or desire for. If they are not skilled in a particular craft, they may purchase a valuable item like a perfume you mentioned wanting. However, if their profession allows, such as being a woodworker, they might create a bookcase that you mentioned needing. This is how they initially convey their growing feelings for you.

They express a strong desire to get married, viewing it as a way to solidify the relationship and eliminate any competition. Marriage provides a sense of security for them, ensuring that they don't have to worry about losing you to someone else. They particularly value a civil marriage, as it allows for a name change, and they would be delighted if you choose to adopt their last name. Their proposal will be serious and formal, perhaps even appearing as if something tragic has happened. They also express an inclination towards a religious wedding, especially if they are Catholic. If you agree, the ceremony will take place in a church with a large number of guests.

Here are some nicknames they might affectionately call you: spitfire, princess, queen, sleeper, traitor, apple, star, jack of all trades.

When they start falling in love, they prefer to first discuss the relationship with their family. Until they gain their family's approval, they are hesitant to discuss the relationship with others. Their family's endorsement is crucial for them to move forward, and during this time, only you will be aware of their feelings. Once they have their family's support, they proudly introduce you to everyone. They enjoy picking you up from work or wherever they are, using the opportunity to show that they are with you. When people mention you, they respond with a silly laugh and proudly say, "Yeah, I'm dating them." They express their affection in a loving and respectful manner, not overly clingy but seeking physical contact and affection.

They prefer to engage in small displays of affection in public, such as holding hands and giving light kisses. They do not feel the need to showcase their intimate life, as they consider it a more private matter. However, they find it exciting when you flirt with them in public, building anticipation until you're alone together. They have no qualms about you wearing clothing that highlights your body; they see it as normal and don't feel embarrassed.

They possess culinary skills and are self-sufficient in the kitchen. They also excel at negotiation and can secure discounts when making purchases. They make a point to greet people they encounter and can communicate with individuals you may not be able to due to their proficiency in multiple languages.

They enjoy making love promises, expressing their deep love for you and emphasizing your importance in their life. However, they won't do this excessively, as they are rational and prefer not to repeat themselves. They derive great pleasure from surprises, both big and small. Traveling is one of their greatest passions, and they may express a desire to have a romantic getaway with you in Venice. They are likely to send you frequent short messages expressing their fondness for you, rather than constantly repeating the same declarations of love.

They assist you in making difficult decisions by presenting the pros and cons of each option. Moreover, they actively seek out opportunities for you, stepping in to help if you're unemployed. However, they never do your job for you; instead, they offer support and assistance when needed, such as helping you with a project or task.

Participating in social events, parties, and gatherings is important to them, and it contributes to their satisfaction with the relationship routine. If they are unable to go out, party, or even have a gathering at home, they may become quite upset. They also enjoy friendly competition with you, finding joy in games that have a winner, which adds excitement to their daily routine.

They aren't particularly sensitive to others' pain. If you're upset and crying, they may inquire if there's a way to solve the problem. If there isn't, they might question why you're crying excessively. They are observant and can discern your emotional state, but if your day is bad, they won't repeatedly ask how you're doing. They tend to address the matter once and then move on, not inclined to give multiple chances. If you express your desires or feelings to them, they will understand and make an effort to accommodate you. However, if you don't communicate openly, they may be aware that something is amiss but won't take action. They value direct communication.

While they consider the relationship to be a source of strength and comfort, it doesn't hinder them from pursuing their personal goals and aspirations. They view the relationship as a partnership built on trust and mutual respect. They would loathe giving up their job to live a confined life for any reason. They highly value their freedom.

They have triumphed in various battles and competitions, perhaps winning sports competitions during their high school years. However, what truly stands out to them in life is the resilience they developed from experiencing hunger and homelessness.

Physical touch isn't their preferred means of showing affection. Instead, they opt for brief, light touches to remind you of their presence. They aren't inclined towards strong hugs or prolonged clinginess. They express their affection through frequent texting (yes, they enjoy texting), engaging in late-night conversations, and, as you mentioned, through sexual intimacy.

When they miss you, they tend to eat a lot and may also indulge in adult content as a means of "relieving" their longing. Additionally, they may find solace in activities such as gardening or building something while you're away. At work, they may work overtime when they know you won't be around.

If you happen to have to work elsewhere and be separated from them, they would patiently wait for you to return, even if it takes up to seven years. They wouldn't change their current location if it's where they want to be, but if you needed to go far away, they would eagerly await your return. They firmly believe that love is something that is nurtured and built upon, and they are committed to building something meaningful with you every single day, regardless of the circumstances.

Pile 2 - Kiss the girl

Your soul mate does not reside where you currently live. They are from another state or even a different country. Your nationalities are vastly diverse, and that is why you will only encounter them once you venture beyond your familiar surroundings. You will cross paths with them when you undergo a profound transformation that reshapes your foundations, prompting you to start afresh and pursue the dreams you have harbored. Even then, despite any challenges or setbacks, you persevere and meticulously plan for a new beginning. It is in this juncture of rebuilding and expansion that you will find your soul mate. Alternatively, they may enter your life after a significant and positive transformation, when your long-cherished aspirations finally materialize, and you begin charting new paths to build upon your achievements. Another possibility is that you will encounter them when embarking on a new journey following a setback or a momentous victory.

Physically, they possess a well-defined and sturdy bone structure. Their body naturally carries a certain weight, and their features exhibit a square shape. Their skin tone is naturally dark, which may be attributed to their race or a sun-kissed complexion. They radiate a lively and dynamic aura, constantly in search of their true love. When you two meet, it will feel as if you have found your missing half. They will bear a resemblance to their ancestors and may have a distinctive accent. They prefer to dress in dress shirts, lightweight attire, and coats. Despite being dynamic and fun-loving, their posture tends to be closed and serious, as if their mind is open while their body remains guarded.

Spirituality holds significant importance for them. They have a profound sense of a life mission and feel a calling that drives them to tap into their inner power. They are deeply devoted, not to a specific entity, but to making the world a better place. They possess unwavering faith in humanity and strive to uplift it. In everyday life, they maintain a certain level of reserve and mystery. They do not easily reveal their true selves or allow others to feel too close and comfortable around them, as they cherish their personal space. They are dreamers who long for the next generation to surpass the current one, both in terms of personal growth and global betterment. Family holds immense significance to them, and they carry the lessons and values imparted by their own lineage. Consequently, they aspire to create their own family and pass down those intergenerational teachings.

You may cross paths with your soul mate in various settings: at a waterfall, within an orphanage, school, or children's establishment, during a business meeting, at a volunteer-driven Thanksgiving gathering, in a marketplace, at a street fair, or even under a sky adorned with rainbows. It will be a relationship in which neither of you needs to explicitly ask if it is serious or not. You will naturally come together without uttering the words "Will you date me?" After approximately eight weeks of getting to know each other, you will seamlessly transition into being lovers without the need for verbal confirmation. It will simply be an unspoken understanding between you both.

They are a very romantic individual, albeit a bit awkward. It seems that there's always something getting in their way due to their natural clumsiness. For example, they might buy a bouquet of flowers, but somehow manage to get it wet. Despite these quirks, they are deeply passionate and faithfully devoted to you. They perceive you as a flame, something that can both provide warmth and comfort, yet also have the potential to hurt and destroy. As a result, they both admire and fear your immense power. They often recognize your capabilities even when you may not see them yourself. They also have a strong sexual nature and view it as an essential aspect of the relationship. They have various desires and kinks, and they envision exploring them with you. While they see you as an equal, they also feel a need to protect you. You may notice that they instinctively position themselves in front of you, acting as a shield, especially when you're out in public or among strangers.

One of their most endearing qualities is their generosity. They don't consider money when it comes to buying things for you. If you ask for something, they will purchase it for you, especially if they have the means to do so. Even if they are wealthy, they won't hesitate to buy whatever brings you joy, regardless of the price. They also have a deep love for their work and are highly dedicated to it. They are constantly seeking ways to improve and make changes in their professional life, always planning for the future. Their physical appearance is important to them, and they take great care to maintain a clean and groomed appearance, including regular haircuts, showers, and clean nails. You find their beauty captivating, and you are particularly drawn to their romantic nature. Even when you try to play hard to get, you can't resist their declarations of love.

However, you may struggle to fully accept that they have experienced happiness with others in the past. Even if you have a stable relationship, you may find yourself comparing yourself to their previous partners and feeling inadequate because you didn't have the opportunity to share those moments with them. They may also have family connections or privileges that you envy, such as being from an influential family or inheriting generations of secrets and traditions. Furthermore, they may have greater financial stability than you, which can make you feel as though you constantly have to work hard for everything while they effortlessly thrive. While your family may readily accept them, their family may not be as accepting of you.

They will teach you the importance of staying true to yourself, even during the most challenging times. They will encourage you to remain faithful to both people and your beliefs, and to never lose faith. They will inspire you to cultivate strength in all aspects of your life, including your mental and physical well-being. They will help you learn to love and accept yourself as you truly are, embracing your flaws and working on self-improvement while breaking free from any psychological constraints you may have developed over time.

If you practice divination, they will be your most frequent client. They are willing to pay for your services but also genuinely value the insights you provide. They enjoy engaging in religious and mystical activities with you, whether it's attending church or participating in a witches' congregation. They also have an affinity for aquariums and may even desire to have a fish that you can care for together or enjoy going fishing as a shared activity. They particularly relish engaging in more challenging sexual positions. Sometimes, they find pleasure in simply gazing at you, admiring your presence, especially when you're immersed in something you enjoy.

They admire the way you bring humor and fun into serious moments, even when maintaining a more serious posture. Your sarcasm holds a special appeal to them. They also appreciate how you take charge of situations, confidently asserting yourself and becoming a commanding presence in times of high stress. You lead when things seem dire and dark, but once they improve, you pass the leadership role to someone else. They admire your personal history and achievements, often considering your accomplishments to be unimaginable for anyone else. They enjoy witnessing moments when you proudly share your successes and enthusiastically discuss your past or future plans. Your constant dreaming and pursuit of fulfilling your desires resonate with them. They also appreciate your inclination to help others, whether through your profession or in your daily interactions.

When you're feeling down, they are quick to make tea or prepare a remedy passed down from their mother, who seemingly has a cure for every kind of pain. In more serious situations, they have the car keys in hand, ready to take you to the doctor or hospital if necessary. They are willing to engage in conversations to understand if you're facing psychological or emotional challenges, offering support. If it appears that you require professional assistance, they will accompany you and ensure you receive the necessary help, even if it means spending the entire day at appointments.

They envision a future where you excel in your chosen field, or at the very least, gain significant recognition. They are always eager to learn something new and plan to take courses well into their 70s. They will encourage you to join them on this learning journey. They aspire to become an exceptional teacher or mentor in their field, and as they near the end of their life, their primary desire is to impart knowledge and educate others. They hope that you will either teach alongside them or attend all their classes. They also express a strong desire to have children, and the number of children they envision having depends entirely on your preference. Whether it's one, two, three, four, or more, the decision is ultimately yours. They see the two of you remaining youthful at heart, always striving to bring joy to the world in some way.

Their dominant or passive nature tends to fluctuate depending on the situation. Sometimes, they have no strong opinions and allow you to take charge entirely, while in other instances, they may argue their perspective and strive to do things their way. However, they are skilled at making you believe that they are doing what you want, when in reality, it was their plan all along. They are not inclined to use verbal aggression or engage in direct confrontation. Instead, they persistently pursue their own interests until they achieve their desired outcome.

Occasionally, they can experience outbursts of anger, saying and doing things that are uncharacteristic of their usual nature. They may bring up past mistakes and faults, casting you as a bad person. These moments of anger typically last for a brief period, perhaps one or two minutes, before they regain control and retreat. They often apologize swiftly after such episodes. It's worth noting that they may get over the issue quickly while you're still upset. Over time, they will engage in fewer fights, but in the initial stages of the relationship, there may be some heated arguments.

They have a significant ego, which leads them to hesitate when it comes to expressing gratitude towards you. However, deep down, they truly appreciate you. They may express gratitude if you initiate it first, and it must always be reciprocal. If you haven't praised them on a given day, they won't praise you either. Nevertheless, they genuinely value your presence and believe that you have brought immense happiness into their life. Particularly if you have children together, they will take great pride in being a parent and become extremely protective, especially if they have daughters. They are aware of everything you do for them and feel grateful, but don't expect constant reminders from them.

They tend to share their secrets only once everything is planned and in motion. They will confide in you about their plans after they have already made the necessary preparations. They may seek emotional support from you or, if you happen to be someone who practices divination, they may inquire about what the future holds. However, they are reserved by nature and prefer not to divulge everything. They believe in maintaining individuality, as knowing every detail about each other's lives can diminish the sense of excitement and mystery.

Their connection with spirituality and their mother has changed since they met you. Perhaps they didn't have a strong bond with their mother before, but with you in their life, they now view her differently. They have also become more romantic and affectionate in general, influenced by your presence. They are willing to make rational changes in various aspects of their life, such as changing colleges if they are dissatisfied, but when it comes to emotional matters and personal convictions, they are more resistant to change. While you have altered their worldview to some extent, not all aspects have undergone transformation.

Jealousy is not a significant issue for them when it comes to you. If you have children, they may feel more protective of the kids rather than being jealous of you. They appreciate your free-spirited nature, recognizing that children don't have the same level of freedom. If they do happen to experience jealousy, they might engage in activities related to the sea as a means of coping. For example, they may take you out to eat seafood, either because you enjoy it or as a way for them to destress.

Communication is more important to them than physical affection. They are skilled in the art of seduction but don't expect movie-style kisses every time. They enjoy giving you kisses, but they tend to be more gentle and playful rather than deep and intense. They take pleasure in teasing you until you're the one who initiates the kiss. It's possible that your first kiss could happen in a movie theater or as a result of their playful teasing.

To confess their love, they would recreate the most romantic scenes from a movie. They are the type to present you with a bouquet of roses, or perhaps strawberry and chocolate ones, along with a box of chocolates and a heartfelt love letter. They have a fondness for writing letters, and it's possible that they have written many letters about you, even if they were never sent.

Marriage is something they contemplate. Although they may have believed for a long time that it wasn't necessary, at some point, they will change their mind and desire to get married. Perhaps if one of you becomes pregnant, you'll both feel the urge to prepare for marriage before the baby is born. The proposal may be a simple moment of sitting on the couch, looking into each other's eyes, and asking, "Is it time to get married?" with both of you agreeing and proceeding to plan the wedding. They would prefer to have a family member officiate the ceremony, and the location is not as important to them, but they will invite a large number of guests.

During intimate moments, they use various affectionate nicknames that I cannot explicitly mention here. However, in non-sexual contexts, they may call you treasure, queen, mermaid, jewel, lioness, warrior, gladiator, gypsy, or hippie.

They have a tendency to gaze at you with longing, as if they can't take their eyes off you, even though they might deny it. They may avert their gaze, but it's apparent that they are watching you. Others may notice this because they can't stop looking at you—it's their way of showing their affection. They also enjoy assisting with physically demanding tasks that involve heavy lifting, as it allows them to showcase their strength for you. However, they may not explicitly confess their love for you.

They are not inclined to display affection openly, as they believe you could stay at home where no one else can see you. They are reserved when it comes to showing public displays of affection and prefer to keep such moments private.

They know how to take care of children, and for some reason, kids tend to get along well with them. It may seem like the children prefer them over you. They possess knowledge about condoms; that's all I have to say on the matter. They are also highly creative and full of energy, often waking up early and encouraging you to start the day early as well. They are an early bird.

In everyday life, they aren't particularly romantic, and you may even find them to be a bit distant at times. They express romantic gestures when they feel like it, and if they don't feel the inclination, they won't engage in such acts. However, they are quite generous when it comes to allowing you to sleep, especially if you enjoy it. They will let you stay in bed for as long as you need. They also enjoy taking short walks at night or going out for dinner.

They are the person who believes in your dreams and goals the most. When you feel tired or discouraged, they will be the one to uplift your spirits. If you hold meetings, they want to be involved, even if they aren't an employee. They are also quite helpful with accounting, writing, and every strategic aspect of your plans.

They appreciate routine and knowing what's happening on a daily basis. However, they also enjoy a bit of mystery and occasional surprises. They need to go out and do something together at least once a month, whether it's visiting a museum, going to a park, or watching a movie. The activity may vary, but they prioritize spending quality time together at least once a month.

They have a knack for learning secrets and staying informed about gossip, even more than they let on. That's why they may know a lot about you from your mother or other people, rather than directly from your own mouth. They might be the type to say, "Yes, your mother already told me that." They are attentive to your material needs, such as knowing when you'll have your period and ensuring you have an ample supply of pads. However, they may not be as attuned to your emotional needs, so you'll need to communicate with them about that.

They view being by your side as a great opportunity. They appreciate that you allocate some of your precious time to them, and they cherish those moments. They understand that they are a part of your life but not the entirety of it, and that's why they have immense respect for you. They see the relationship as an avenue for self-expression and an opportunity to open up with someone they can trust.

They tried to grow out their hair when they were younger, but it didn't work out for them. They also experimented with dyeing their hair, but that didn't work either. They have experienced being dumped multiple times, although they keep that information to themselves.

When it comes to displaying affection, they are a very discreet person. They prefer to show their affection when you're alone together, leaning against you and finding opportunities to have their hand somewhere, particularly on your thigh while driving. They have a fondness for your hair, and if you ask, they will gladly help comb it.

When you're apart or when they miss you, they have a tendency to travel somewhere else or spend time at their mother's house, and perhaps even yours.

They are the type of person who would be willing to change their religion for you, but they would not compromise their core beliefs and convictions. There are many things that they hold steadfastly to. They would also be open to changing countries if necessary.

Pile 3 - Someday My Prince Will Come

It's important for you to take a break from actively seeking your true love and soul mate. Instead, familiarize yourself with the "Law of Attraction" and understand that constantly imagining and wishing for their arrival won't necessarily make it happen. By fixating on finding them, you only increase your anxiety and stress. It's crucial to focus on your own life, pursue activities and interests unrelated to romantic pursuits, explore different subjects, engage with people from diverse backgrounds, and patiently wait for the right moment to come.

They exude a youthful and energetic aura, often appearing younger than their actual age. They have a playful and childlike nature. Their expressive mouth and nose tend to catch attention. Their fashion sense may be considered unconventional or quirky, but they embrace it. From the moment you meet, you'll feel drawn to them and desire closeness.

They are a free-spirited individual who relishes in traveling, meeting new people, trying new activities, and embarking on adventures. They have a penchant for dating but haven't experienced a lasting relationship yet. At first glance, they may resemble a charming prince, but they are not. They are not inherently bad, but they greatly value their freedom.

You may encounter them in various situations such as street fights, workplace conflicts, store quarrels, while shopping for sports or camping gear, or during competitions at work or school, as well as in team-building activities or camping trips.

Your relationship with them is likely to commence in early spring or during the month of March.

They will experience jealousy towards you and won't appreciate others getting involved with you. In the beginning, they may not take the relationship seriously, leading them to go out with you and other people simultaneously. For them, if the relationship isn't official, they don't feel the need for commitment. They aren't inclined to share their belongings freely. You will find that you have contrasting opinions on many matters, and they will frequently express fear of being betrayed. They harbor significant insecurities regarding love.

You'll particularly appreciate their appearance and presence in bed. It's undeniable. Additionally, you're drawn to their ability to construct and deconstruct things, persisting and remaking projects if needed. If they were a draftsman, you could envision their room filled with crumpled and torn papers as they persistently try again. They're a source of constant surprises, always revealing something new and unexpected when you least anticipate it.

However, you'll struggle to come to terms with the fact that they likely cheated on you early in the relationship, an experience that will linger in your memory. You'll also find yourself waiting for hours when you make plans together because they're always late. During challenging times, you'll often feel a sense of loneliness, as their support may not meet your expectations.

On the other hand, they will teach you the importance of self-love and valuing yourself. They'll guide you in nurturing your beauty and femininity, and they'll encourage you to be independent and proactive rather than relying on others. They'll remind you that you hold responsibilities for many aspects of your life and the people around you. They'll inspire faith and respect for your own cycles. They'll help you tap into your productivity and creativity.

They enjoy going out to eat with you or simply relaxing at home without any worries. They appreciate working together in group settings, be it in a professional environment, volunteering, or academia. They find pleasure in building furniture and engaging in crafting activities alongside you. They also enjoy going shopping with you.

They hold deep admiration for your diligent work ethic and your ability to manage your finances. They appreciate your dedication and unwavering conviction in pursuing your goals with passion. They notice how you radiate youthfulness, simplicity, and innocence despite the complexity of life. Your vibrant and joyful energy leaves a lasting impression.

When you're not feeling well, they typically give you some space to reflect and gather your thoughts. If there's a way for them to offer assistance, they'll show care and attentiveness, albeit maintaining a slight distance while being present during challenging times.

They envision a future filled with ups and downs, challenges, and difficulties. Despite the potential hurdles, both of you are working together and supporting one another to overcome obstacles and make things work. They have a belief in fate, trusting that whatever is meant to happen will unfold naturally, so they don't worry too much about the future. They have a sense of being protected in the future, as if things will work out fine no matter what, desiring a happy future but not dwelling on it.

They have a chaotic nature, which means they may try to dominate if not controlled, but if you can establish control, they become more passive. They enjoy venturing into new experiences but won't complain if you take the initiative to plan activities. In fact, they appreciate it as it helps them relax.

They easily forgive and forget, leaving the past behind as another story. They are focused on living in the present, addressing issues as they arise, and moving on. During conflicts, they remain quiet and observe, asking at the end, "Done? Did you calm down?"

They are deeply grateful for your help and acknowledge that you have made them wiser and more patient. They recognize the impact you've had on their personal growth and maturity, and they aim to reciprocate this favor in the future. As the years go by, they will be increasingly present in your life. Initially, relating to each other may be challenging, but this relationship is a joint construction between the two of you.

They will openly share every aspect of their life with you. Initially, it may be frustrating because they lack a filter, unaware of what should or shouldn't be said. Consequently, they express the whole truth in an abrupt and direct manner. Over time, they will improve their communication skills and become more mindful of their words. They will refrain from making fun of your haircut, even if they don't particularly like it. They will learn to adapt and be more considerate.

Through the course of your relationship, both of you will undergo significant personal growth, often catalyzed by painful experiences. You will confront fears and traumas together, making efforts to heal and overcome them. It will be a journey of discovering and addressing problems and traumas as a team.

They experience jealousy and tend to express it in a passive-aggressive manner. Instead of directly communicating their feelings, they try to make you understand through subtle actions and distancing themselves when jealous.

Their kisses are often romantic, characterized by a slow and passionate exchange. They prefer to savor the moment and engage in unhurried experiences. During these intimate times, they desire to fully immerse themselves in the present. The first kiss between you two might occur while under the influence of alcohol, with neither of you remembering the details.

They might express their affection for you after spending a night together, usually when they are tired and sleepy. However, they won't repeat what they said the next day, nor will they deny it. They will carry on as if nothing happened. They will only confess their feelings after you have already expressed your liking for them; they are too insecure to be the first to say "I love you."

In a spontaneous moment following a fight, they may propose marriage as a way to reconcile. This proposal will be impulsive and unfiltered, happening on the spot. While it's not their dream scenario, they view it as a compromise. They envision a simple and intimate wedding, perhaps in a country setting or on a beach, with close family and a few acquaintances. They prefer a wedding that is comfortable and unpretentious. You may also have the tradition of throwing rice at the newlyweds after the ceremony.

Some nicknames they might affectionately call you include: treasure, empress, devil, baby, baby girl/boy, sweetie, and nervous.

When they are interested in someone, they tend to talk to others to seek assistance in getting closer to you. They are unafraid to flirt openly and shamelessly. However, if you are oblivious to their advances, you may not notice their flirtatious behavior. To demonstrate their affection, they enjoy attending music shows and purchasing items together. Music plays a significant role in their life, and their most prized possessions could be musical instruments or CDs.

They are straightforward when it comes to relationships and may even suggest an open relationship. They act on their desires whenever they feel the impulse, regardless of the context. If they want to kiss you in front of your parents, they will do so without hesitation. They dislike conventional norms and are attracted to unconventional aspects in relationships. They enjoy taking risks.

Having worked as a bartender in the past, they possess knowledge of crafting various drinks. They also have a keen intuition and can often sense events before they occur. They feel a strong spiritual protection, which makes them believe that even in the face of a fatal accident, they will survive. They are self-aware and acknowledge both their positive and negative aspects. Additionally, they have a knack for detecting lies.

They have a great belief in you and dream even bigger than you do, sometimes to the point of being overly idealistic. For example, if you mention wanting to buy a house, they might question why you don't desire a mansion. Emotionally, they provide support and discuss dreams and desires. They may even pray for those dreams to come true. However, when it comes to taking action, they may claim not to know how to fulfill those desires if you ask them to do something.

They have a great belief in you and dream even bigger than you do, sometimes to the point of being overly idealistic. For example, if you mention wanting to buy a house, they might question why you don't desire a mansion. Emotionally, they provide support and discuss dreams and desires. They may even pray for those dreams to come true. However, when it comes to taking action, they may claim not to know how to fulfill those desires if you ask them to do something.

They have a tendency to provoke small conflicts in order to add spice to the relationship, finding excitement in the act of arguing (especially if they are a man). Most of the time, their routine remains unchanged, as they are naturally chaotic. However, their actions become predictable over time, and their behavior can become mundane. They have a strong need for social interaction and value having a circle of friends. They also have a desire to have a pet in the home.

They possess a great deal of empathy and can often explain your emotions even before you fully comprehend them yourself. They have a deep understanding of the emotional realm and are not afraid of diving into this domain. They will express their emotions while also comprehending yours. In times of uncertainty, they provide valuable assistance by helping you discover what truly brings you happiness. They can also recognize your facial expressions, even if you try to conceal your intentions.

The relationship you share is something they desired and patiently awaited, a wish that has now come true. They lead a faith-driven life, praying and seeking assistance when in need, without strictly adhering to religious dogma. Nevertheless, their prayers have been answered, and having this relationship was one of those answered prayers. Despite occasionally placing the relationship in the background, it remains one of their pillars and a source of security. They are not inclined to take an active role in the relationship because they believe that everything is always fine. Therefore, if you have any issues or dislikes, it is important for you to be proactive and express what you don't like, along with the best way to address it. Otherwise, things may remain the same because no one knows how to bring about the necessary changes.

They are very fond of games and casinos, having spent a significant amount of money on them, including video game loot boxes. It's possible they may have developed an addiction to these activities. They have a history of cheating in games and possess extensive knowledge of cheating methods to secure victories.

In terms of displaying affection, they have a particular fondness for food. When they are extremely happy, they enjoy feeding you or sharing food with you. They have expectations for reciprocation, meaning if they show you affection, they anticipate receiving something in return. They also take pleasure in twirling your hair between their fingers and touching your hair and/or head. Additionally, they have a tendency to give small trinkets and beauty products as gifts.

When they miss you or when you need to be away for a while, they often question what they did wrong to contribute to the situation. They blame themselves for any distance between you, even if it's due to work commitments. This self-blame may lead to insomnia and excessive rumination. They may isolate themselves and prefer not to spend time with others.

Despite their childlike nature, they would go to great lengths for you. While they may not go as far as cutting off a limb, they would be willing to donate a kidney for you. They would even quit drinking if you asked them to. In summary, they would do anything to earn your acceptance and make you happy.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[canon-in-too-deep]

Free Book of Dragons Typeset

This next typeset is for The Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit, and was suggested to me by @goodnightmoonvale. I hadn't heard of the book before, but I love dragons, and getting to use all my fancy dragon drop caps was an opportunity I couldn't pass up! I tried to make the title page reminiscent of those old YA fantasy novels I'd always borrow at the library, but then I went a little over the top with the chapter title pages. I included all the incredible illustrations of the book, but please note that the pdf is sized for half letter (letter folio), and the scan quality I found of the illustrations was pretty poor, so the illustrations unfortunately had to be shrunk down on the pages for some weird looking margins. I made them as large as I could, and left them on full pages for now, in case I can find better quality images in the future and just drop them in. There were also some formatting issues with the text when I imported it, so if anyone finds any errors, feel free to let me know! Anyway, this typeset is FREE and is available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1S2wl_PuxCupofnDpqGuk7VjMHYFMWC6g?usp=sharing

Please consider leaving a like or reblog if these typesets are helpful, and you can follow this blog for future free files! If you use any of my typesets, feel free to tag me! And let me know if you have any suggestions for future public domain works I should do.

[artfightdramaconfessions]

Just wanna share some art exporting tips that I’ve found useful. I use Clip specifically, but I’m sure other programs probably have similar functions. You can always try and google it for your art program.

If your file is too big, and it has a full background, you can:

Export (Single Layer) => JPEG => OK on the first pop up.

Now you should see your image preview. There is an option below that that says Quality followed by a number. Underneath that is the file size. Adjust the quality until your file size is small enough.

It still artifacts the image a bit, especially if you’re way over file size, but it will give you precise control over have much you reduce the file size by, and you also won’t have to download.

If your image is too big, or if you do small scale pixel art:

Edit => Change Image Resolution

If you are over 8000 x 8000 px, grab either your height or width, whichever is largest, and change it to 8000 px. The other number will automatically adjust itself. Again, some artifacting is to be expected.

Alternatively, if you do pixel art and your art is very small, click scale. You can change the scale number as needed, I like to make at least one of my sides around 4000 px. This way, when you save and upload your piece, your pixel art won’t be tiny, and it won’t become blurry when it’s zoomed in on or when they show it off on discord or something or other. All your details will be crisp, and the receiver can adjust the size as they desire.

Like see this

https://f2.toyhou.se/file/f2-toyhou-se/images/84524950_0TKKNuMEfnRz92o.png

Vs this

https://f2.toyhou.se/file/f2-toyhou-se/images/84524999_TAUrkr41SQh51Wy.png

As you zoom into the first one to get a better look at it, it starts to get blurry cause it’s so small, and there’s not enough information for the computer to know what to do.

That is all, thank you.

link 1 link 2

[noxiatoxia]

Beta Hajime Hinata Sprite Analysis

So I have yet to make part 2 of my big beta sprite post but I want to make this post because...why not.

So, a little context. Today I'll be talking about this sprite:

Because out of all the Hajime sprites that I currently have knowledge on, it's the one with the most complex history.

I won't bore you with reiteration if you've seen my Part 1 post, so please go read that if you want extra context on the existing beta SDR2 sprites. But basically, in a nutshell, DRS used quite a few beta sprites for their swimsuit sprite sets. As such, this is the sprite used for Hajime in this pose, a comparison gif included:

Fun fact about comparing these sprites, is that Danganronpa commonly will change the line art of their sprites, but not fix the coloring layer.

For example, since Hajime's eye was moved further left, the...general prohibition sign, I guess, in his eye is no longer dead center like it was obviously meant to be.

You can see the blue area fluctuates in width on the final sprite (left) while in the original sprite, it was as intended. This is very common. Several other Danganronpa character have this issue. Off the top of my head I can name Nagito, Kauzichi, and Junko who have this kind of color error in one or several of their sprites.

That, aside, please now look at this picture from the Japanese SDR2 PSP manual (which I scanned and uploaded myself - you can find the full manual here).

This sprite is even earlier than the one shown in DRS. Sadly because of the manual's printing quality, it's hard to make out details, but...with a bit of computer magic (blurring the photo and Hajime's sprite) we can better do a comparison.

So, here's what we can tell about the facial differences: his eye was longer, his hair was sharper (including extra black outlines), his mouth was slightly more slanted, his ear was bigger (un-detailed ears are a telling sign of a Danganronpa beta sprite) and his eyebrows looked meaner. In general, I've found many of Hajime's earlier sprites to have been designed to look meaner, likely because conceptually, he was always meant to be a more "assertive" and "masculine" protagonist to counter Makoto, who spoke rather casually but politely in the Japanese version. Hajime on the other hand speaks much more roughly (his rudeness is more akin to how Byakuya talks. This detail was lost in translation though...) so it makes sense his sprites were originally planning to reflect this "meaner" protagonist image.

For fun I attempted to edit Hajime's DRS sprite and put together what this theoretical early beta may have looked like.

Far from perfect but it gives an idea. I also found through editing the sprite that Hajime's torso was sized down in the final sprite. I really only focused on editing his face so some minor details on the shirt were largely ignored.

I promise I'll make that part 2 post sometime this month...maybe.

[hardwiredweird]

The DPI Issue

Okay, I keep seeing and hearing folks talk about DPI and how important it is to set your digital canvas to 300 DPI without actually giving the full information.

Why am I qualified to talk about this?

I am a trained, certified photographer who trained with a school that specialises in printing and have been working in the field for 16 years. I am the designated digital file wrangler and printer at the studio I work for.

This is my job.

And I can tell you with pretty decent authority that most of the advice about the 300 DPI thing you have heard is barely half of what you need to know to use your DPI settings effectively.

I'm not blaming anyone giving the incomplete info because they probably don't know either, but LET'S DO THIS.

Let's start with clarifying what DPI is.

DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. That refers to the dots the printer makes per inch of paper. So 300 DPI makes 300 tiny lil ink dots per inch printed. So in a square inch we have 90.000 dots of ink. Thats a lot and definitely more than 5.184 you get at a print resolution of 72, right? Makes sense why the 300 would look better? I thought so.

Now, most printers will print at 300 DPI (a lot of higher quality professional printers even print at 360 DPI) regardless, but the software will try to upscale the image to 300 DPI (or 360 DPI, but upscaling from 300 to 360 isn't as big of a deal as from 72 to 300) and upscaling is always a bit of guesstimation and will most likely result in blurry or pixelated images.

Which is WHY everyone tells you to set your DPI to 300.

What they very often don't add is that THAT ONLY MATTERS IF YOU ALSO SET A PHYSICAL DIMENSION.

For example: 8 by 12 inches at 300 DPI.

That results in a canvas that is 2400 by 3600 pixels.

Because DPI is not actually a setting, per se. It is a conversion rate.

It is a number that tells you how to translate your pixels (dots) to physical dimensions (inches).

Changing the DPI to a higher number when you set a canvas size in pixels WILL NOT RESULT IN BETTER PRINT QUALITY.

If you set your canvas to 600 by 900 pixels no amount of setting your DPI to 300 will make this print at a higher quality. You can SET your DPI to 300, but if we were to print this canvas at 8 by 12 inches, you'd still only have a print resolution of about 75 DPI.

At 300 DPI that canvas only prints at 2 by 3 inches.

I will repeat again: DPI IS A CONVERSION RATE NOT A QUALITY SETTING!

If you always set your canvas size in pixels you can use the DPI as a way to calculate how big you can print your pieces without sacrificing quality, but setting a higher DPI won't increase print quality.

[godesssiri]

Thrifting antiques and valuable vintage.

I have an 8 foot high shelf in my living room. It’s huge and it’s packed full of gorgeous goodies. I would estimate that there’s easily $10,000 on those shelves – a grand a shelf + a bit extra because I have a pair of stupidly valuable vases that I could sell for $3000. Have I actually spent that much to acquire those items? Hahahahahahahahahahaha! No. I’m not rich, what I am is a dedicated thrifter who has learned to pick the treasures from the trash. Here are my best tips:

1.Pick things up, turn them over, look for maker’s marks, snap a pic and do a google image search, with a lot of them you can narrow down when something was made to a 10-20 year time-frame. Is the item heavier than you were expecting? Antiques are often heavier than new productions because they’re using better quality materiel or just more of the materiel because it was cheaper back then. Look for signs of wear, has the paint or plating rubbed off over time? Unless you like that look steer clear of really worn items, the fact they’re so worn detracts from the value and indicates they weren’t that high quality to begin with. You can learn and awful lot just by picking something up off the shelf.

2. Hand painted items. The stupidly valuable vases? Are exquisitely hand-painted. I got them for 30 bucks and almost had a heart attack when I did a google image search. I’ve got several hand painted things that I’ve picked up for cheap and could easily sell for 10 x what I paid for them. Look for fine painting, things that are intricate and detailed, not blobby. There is a HUGE collector’s market for hand-painted Chinese export porcelain that's over about 50 years old at least.

3. Antique books. A lot of people don’t place value on old books and tragically A LOT get thrown in the trash or cut up by crafters (if you are an artist who uses old books in your work, I’m BEGGING you to look at the publication date before you cut the pages out unless it’s already so damaged there’s no saving it). Anything pre-1950 there’s a collector’s market. Anything over 100 years old is officially antique and is a treasure. I have 3 books that were published in the 1700s and the most I’ve paid was $50, one of them I got for $10 – because the sellers didn’t bother to google the title and author and figure out exactly how old the book was. Since at least the early 1800s most books have had the publication date printed right there in the front so it’s super easy to figure out if the book in your hand with a 50-cent price tag is a genuine antique.

4. Pairs. Things are always more valuable as a pair. So, if you have the chance to buy a pair grab them. The stupidly valuable vases are more valuable as a pair – a single sells for $1000. Or if something was once part of a pair and there’s a chance of you coming across another one then it’s well worth it to make a new pair. I will always grab a single foo-dog/temple-lion because I have made up pairs from 2 singles and it instantly increases the value. The same goes for sets of things. I’m slowly putting together a set of 6 Libby cactus margarita glasses and when I have a full set I’ll probably sell them because I need the space and I have other glasses I like better – but I won’t sell until I find number 6 (I’ve got 5 and it’s driving me insane waiting to find the last one) because an even numbered set is worth so much more than an odd number.

5. Solid brass. See above re. picking things up and feeling for the weight. Solid brass is a lot heavier than hollow and is worth a whole lot more. Next time you’re in a thrift store and there’s a bunch of brass pick up different things and feel the difference in weight, you’ll find a huge variance between similarly sized items. The heavier ones also tend to have finer details which is another indicator and quality and value – not always but most of the time.

6. Details. Speaking of fine detail, up until fairly recently the more finely detailed something was the harder it was to manufacture, therefore the higher quality it was, so always keep an eye on the details. Look at how anything that came from a mold is shaped – are the details sharp and clear or are they a bit blurred and blobby, does it have a visible seem? If something is carved is the carving detailed and smooth or chunky and rough? If something is jointed together, are the joins tight and straight or is there a gap or a crooked join? Look closely and see how things have been made. Good quality is easy to spot when you look closely.

7. Be prepared to pay up. Sometimes you’ll come across things that are pricey by thrift store standards but they’re still a fraction of what the item is actually worth. I have a malachite trinket box. I paid $45 for it and was hesitant to spend that much. But I looked it up and similarly sized boxes brand new are about $150. I’d always wanted a malachite box but there’s no way I’m ever gonna spend $150 on one. But $45? That fits into my discretionary budget for something I’d always wanted. I love Majolica pottery, but it is very very expensive so when I’m able to thrift it I’m willing to pay up – thrift store prices are still just a fraction of antique store prices even when they know they’ve got something special and have priced it on the higher side. And I have picked up some incredible bargains, like a plate for $10, when most of the plates in the store were in the $1-$5 range, but if they’d slapped a $20 price-tag on it then it still would have been a bargain because the same plate from and antique dealer would have cost me $50.

8. Know what you’re looking for. If you love a certain type of antique or vintage collectable, then research research research. Create a pintrest board and pin 10 zillion examples of that that thing until you can identify one in the wild just by a 2 second glance. Read up about when and where it was manufactured. If you see it in antique stores for way more than you’re willing/able to pay still go looking because seeing it in person helps you to learn what to look for when you’re thrifting. Look at listings online and read the descriptions, follow online auctions to see what it goes for, so you know when you find it and it’s way under-value, or maybe there won't be many bidders and you can score a bargain. You can search for things on Ebay then sort by sold listings and that’ll tell you what collectors are actually willing to pay so you can make a realistic offer to a dealer who has it way overpriced. I research a lot, and I know to swoop on a Victorian Bristol glass vase for $7 because it’s actually worth $50, or a Famille Rose vase for $5 when it’s worth $80 (I have a vase addiction OK? I’m aware of it, I have no interest in seeking treatment for it).

9. Search specifically and also search broadly. When you’re looking online it’s great to enter very specific search terms because even if you don’t find things you can afford, you’ll learn a lot. And sometimes you do find exactly what you’re looking for at a reasonable price. If you’re willing to put in the time, it’s also well worth it to keep your search terms very broad. One of the antiques I love is Chinese export Famille Rose porcelain. Yesterday I literally just typed ‘Chinese’ into FB Marketplace and scrolled through hundreds of listings because I figured if there was someone out there who didn’t know exactly what it was, they would at least be able to tell it was Chinese and they might have it listed as ‘Chinese porcelain’ or ‘Chinese figure’ or one I found was ‘Weird little Chinese dude’. I currently have 4 figurines on their way to me that are worth about $200 all up and I spent less than $40 including shipping – yes, I bought the weird little dude. I’ll often just type in ‘Antique’ and set a range of how far I’m willing to drive and just see what cool old stuff is available in that range – often people don’t know what they’ve got but they know it’s old so they list it as antique and you can pick up ridiculous bargains cause they don’t see the value in the item and just want it gone but want a few bucks for it.

10. Pick what you love. In the end it doesn’t matter if something is incredibly valuable if you think it’s ugly. I keep the stupidly valuable vases because I love them and enjoy looking at them on my shelf. I could flip them for a profit and if the day ever came that I really needed to then I would. But it didn’t cost me much to have that beauty in my life and I’m gonna keep it until I’m good and ready to let it go. The more you indulge your own tastes the more discerning you become and the more you’re able to spot treasure in the trash. My favorite aisle in my favorite thrift store is the one where the staff shove items that they think are rubbish. I’ve picked easily a thousand dollars worth of antiques from that aisle in the last year alone because they were things that I liked – things that made me go: Ooh that’s something special.

[saruin]

throughout the years of collecting cc for ts4 I saw so much of those high-detailed full neck tattoos that they always felt like a given, but now that I actually sat myself to make one it turned out to be quite a struggle. my brain is literally melting rn. now I'm wondering: are there any tricks on how to make them look so detailed that I'm not aware of? maybe some tutorial? all google is offering is stuff for beginners, and I still feel like I'm missing something obvious. will you help me please?

the only thing I can think of is increasing the texture size from 1024x2048 to 2048x4096 it makes the file size a bit bigger but you can keep some of the quality of the image when you import, also saving the image as .dds instead of .png if I'm not mistaken .dds is better for image compression something sims 4 will actively destroy if you let it

[canyoufucksoniccharacters]

CAN YOU FUCK BLAZE THE CAT?

From one purple cat to the other. Strap in, this is when it starts to get a bit weird.

Alright, as always, we're going to start off by going to the Wayback Machine and digging up the unlisted character ages.

Funny enough- This time, Sonic Channel is our only source, as Sonic Heroes was the last time the character ages were EVER listed- outside of a specific internal guide book thing that Sega has where they list off... The Classic characters. With Sonic being listed as 15 there. Classic Sonic. Yeah, you can tell it was made in the middle of Forces' development.

That aside, let's take a look...

... What?

Ok, so, for reference, Sonic had been listed as 15 ever since the manual for Heroes came out- even after Generations, the game where his literal birthday party happened. Before and after the anniversary game where they celebrate Sonic's birthday in-universe, he was listed as 15. Which is stupid. But what's even more stupid is the idea that Blaze could be younger than Sonic. Blaze, on multiple occasions, shows a similar, if not slightly higher level of maturity than Sonic.

Her dialogue has a MUCH more refined tone very frequently- she is shown to be highly responsible, and despite her tendency to have a one-track mind, she's shown to have a pretty large sense of responsibility. Something that would be hard to buy if she's younger than sonic.

In fact, recently we've gotten artwork of her displaying said sense of responsibility, and the fact that, y'know... She's a princess. A literal one. Or well, more like a queen all things considered, but y'know- she holds actual political responsibility, and, well-

Nothing really seems to show she can't handle said responsibilities. She seems to be a competent, active political figure! Which I guess isn't impossible for a 14 year old in a fictional universe, but Sonic, despite its absurdity, has a lorekeeping team now for a reason. Having a preteen be an important political figure is just a bit too far for Sonic, considering all the political figures we've seen, human or animal, have been on the more realistic side.

To add to all this, the idea that Blaze's level of maturity is pretty well defined and definitely not as young as Sonic Channel says it is, I'd like to bring up a segment from a design document, from Sonic 2006.

Forgive the poor image quality, I couldn't find anything better. Text is in the image ID. While this is likely not canon, funny as it may be to assume it is, due to it being from a somewhat early design document for Sonic 06. However, the fact this was ever considered at all tells us one of two things, either Sega is full of freakos that think about underage people's chest size and their feelings on it, or maybe, just maybe, she's always been meant to lean more on the mature side. The latter seems more likely, but who knows.

Although there's a possibility that she's not an adult by the time Sonic Rush and/or 06 happen, she is absolutely not 14, and since those games, there's been both an in-universe birthday party for Sonic, and a 6-month timeskip in Sonic Forces. So with an age that was unlisted that completely contradicts her actual behavior, and time clearly having explicitly passed between and during games, it's highly unlikely she's still a minor. Remember, the ages were unlisted for a reason. Most of them were either plucked from the American manual for Sonic Heroes, or seemingly made up on the spot.

I believe that's what happened here- with the Sonic Channel age for Blaze. There's no other official documentation that refers to her age, only Sonic Channel. If I had to guess, since they had already listed the ages of the Sonic Heroes characters, they felt an obligation to list the ages of the other characters from games past Heroes. But, of course, Sonic Channel is just a website. It is not a published work, it is not a game, it is not anything of large significance from a company perspective. Likely thing is, some random employee at Sega was tasked to look at these characters and assign them an age, without any real consultation, and put them up on the website. After all- why else would they get removed? If they're accurate, reliable information, why would they randomly decide to remove them?

So, TL;DR- I don't think Blaze's listed age on Sonic Channel ever held any ground, due to a very clear and consistent pattern of decently mature behavior from the character, and a character document making reference to pretty mature matters regarding her, which would be EXTREMELY weird if she was, indeed, 14. That, combined with the passage of time within and between multiple Sonic games, makes it impossible for me to believe she's still a minor, if she ever was one.

In conclusion; can you fuck Blaze The Cat? Considering the aforementioned information, the answer is, most likely...

Yes, you can fuck Blaze The Cat.

Most likely, anyways. There is a small, pretty small chance of her not being 18 or above. That will go for a lot of our candidates. But, until Sega says otherwise; You can, in fact, fuck Blaze The Cat.

[slowestlap]

do you pay for the pictures?

Hiya 👋🏻

No no. The only thing i spend money on is monthly photoshop subscription.

If i post edits, it's almost always either from m/otorsportimages, r/edbullcontentpool, official teams' or photographers' instagram accounts.

If you're wondering how to get the full size photos, on m/otorsportimages, i open the photo in full screen, click ctrl+print screen, then i paste it on paint and save from there 😅

On r/edbullcontentpool, you can open the image in a new tab (i use chrome), then right click the photo, inspect, type "liiift" into the search html bar and with clicking enter find the full size photo link and open it in a new tab and save from there 😌 (or have an account and then the photos can be downloaded, but i try to avoid making unnecessary accounts so this is a roundabout way of saving photos)

With social media accounts i always download the content too (i.e. snapinsta) so that they'll be in better quality than screenshots or screenrecords

[tipsy-scales]

I fell asleep last night writing a more contemplative version of this, but today I actually bought the items, so lemme go over how I want to do my next gallery wall which I’m calling “The 2B 9S wall” (though it’s not limited to them. There’s just a huge a$$ picture of them on that wall)

Here is is now. We wallpapered here as a feature wall, so I always intended to leave it blank, but It started feeling bare to me and as I ran out of space elsewhere, I began to regret giving up a whole wall. Recently though I saw a room with similar floral patterned paper that had frames on it and I loved how full and formal it looked. The final thing convincing me was realizing I COULD hang up my giant 2B 9S poster. Every other wall didn’t have space for it, and considering its size, I wasn’t sure if I could get away with using it in any other room until I have my own place…

Anyway here are my other walls

If it wasn’t clear before, I’m a maximalist LOL. It’s supposed to look FULL but hopefully not cluttered. And if it is cluttered, it should be so in an artistic way. (Hopefully).

My guideline for keeping things uniform is similar frames ofc but also using prints with minimal colors. This is a case of my aesthetic lining up well with my collection. I started with some of the Hanako kun coasters and the Homunculi placemat and realized they go together, then I filled out my collection with more pieces I genuinely like that match.

Getting my room how I wanted it was a big project the last year and a half. When I’m putting things together, it’s kind of stressful because I want it to be done, so I keep thinking about what to add next and looking for the right pieces. Once it’s all done though, I stop thinking about it and it’s nice.

What makes the 2B 9S wall different is the wallpaper, so instead of having the frames and prints be busy, I want the prints to be a visual break from the craziness of the wall. This is once again kind of a coincidence as after hanging up the big a$$ poster, I liked the negative space and B&W palette a lot. I also bought a simple black frame because it was cheap, but I think I’ll stick with simpler black frames on this wall.

So that’s the plan for prints on this wall. Images with a B&W palette and simple black frames.

I thought about things I’ve been wanting to add to the collection and got these two clear files

The TBHK one is an illustration I LOOOOVE. I’ve been meaning to buy the clear file forever but never could justify it. It has more colors than the poster but is still very stark in its values, so I thought it could work. It would also make it clear this is NOT a 2B 9S exclusive wall. There’s just a huge a$$ poster of them on it.

The second one…is 2B and 9S. I fully admit I threw this one in last minute, but I love this illustration as well AND it fits my limited palette. Both have a smoky dreamy quality to them. I hope they pair well.

The other thing I’ve struggled with is fillers. On my other walls, I found myself going to “small round thing” a lot to add variety. I guess it makes a nice mirror since the walls are facing, but I don’t want to keep doing it.

My solution was one of my forgotten dreams: having an acrylic stand collection.

I freed this shelf up recently and planned to make a 9Shrine here for some stands I bought, but instead I think it’ll be better to display stands on the wall! This way they’ll all stay together and be united by being stands not by being all the same character. That is important to me because I’ve realized if I make a committed shrine or even collection for a character, I tend to get out of hand and start buying things I don’t even like just because the character is on them.

This freed me up to buy more Hanako kun stuff I wanted which I’ll happily do because TBHK has such beautiful art. I buy the Nier stuff because I love the characters, but the art doesn’t always do it for me the same way TBHK does.

Anyway, here’s the Nier stands I have otw

These are my absolute favorite Nier stands. I love the t shirts and they both look really cute in the first ones. Then the second…9S is so…they rlly did good there. They made that for me.

and here’s the TBHK ones I bought

They’re more colorful but I think it’ll tie in well to the one tbhk clear file I’ll have up.

For hanging these up, I’m planning on a combination of floating wall shelves and gaudy sconces

So that’s the plan!! Next paycheck I’ll go after the shelves because whoo. I also better not start hanging things up until I’ve got it all. I’m sure I’ll add more things to this wall, but this is enough to get it feeling complete enough that I won’t go crazy having a half finished wall.

Thanks for reading! I’m excited to get everything in.

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

Aries 

Remember the old cartoon production company, “Hanna Barberra”? Over the years they made only a handful of shows based off of real people: Laurel and Hardy, The Robonic Stooges, The Globetrotters and Super Globetrotters, The Gary Coleman Show, and The Abbott and Costello Cartoon Show. You know how many had the actual people voicing themselves? Two! Gary Coleman and Bud Abbott. This week stop wondering who’ll play you in the movie about your life - it’s not going to be you.

Taurus (https://www.dolmetsch.com/musicalsymbols.htm)

Putting together a visual reference for musical symbols should be a fairly simple affair. Staff Lines, Clef Marks, and Sharps and Flats are common, so explaining them in great detail isn’t needed. Showing a fat, squat letter “A” and explaining it means, “Play With A Fingernail”... Ok, that’s an esoteric symbol and a simple description. But if you add a variety of symbols to indicate which instrument a percussionist should be playing, and end with, “most are self-explanatory”... No, Janet! It’s not self-evident why a percussionist should have a handgun… Unless it’s pointed at the viola section. This week stop assuming things!

Gemini   

Last week’s Horrible-Scope included the mental image of Miss Piggy in Shibari rope bondage hanging in a deli window like a piece of uncured mortadella. Since the US National Pork Board complained, we’d like to clarify something; we in NO way meant to kink-shame Miss Piggy, the Muppets, or anyone who likes to engage in Safe, Sane, and Consensual acts, as well as whatever they like to eat. Please just remember to choose a proper safeword that is easily understood, even if you have a frog in your throat. 

Cancer Moon-Child 

Last week, when we told you to, quote, make an apple pie from scratch… we didn’t think we had to remind you to not create an entire parallel universe first. But since you did, you’re now going to have to wait about Thirteen-point-Seven Billion. That “B” - Billion! Thirteen-point-Seven billion years for the first apple trees to appear in it. Obviously you weren’t planning ahead, since right now all you have is a universe of nothing but heat, comparable to biting full-face into a McDonald’s Hot Apple Pie. Stay in your own universe and just… toast an English Muffin instead.

Leo 

It’s a current Law Of The Universe that, “if Weird Al covers your song, you’ve made it.” It’s a double-edged sword, though, since people might start to remember Al’s version better. And this is why your friends never let you pick songs on long car rides because you always sing Al’s lyrics instead of the right ones! This week start playing your music with the lyrics showing.

Virgo 

Yeah, uhh… about us picking on you for those D-Size batteries you have. Uhhh… Yeah. We accidentally found out what they’re for, and… uhh… Yeah. We’re just gunna go out and buy you the biggest Maglite flashlight we can find, which would be the ML300L LED 6-Cell D Flashlight. At just under a hundred U.S. Monetary Units, it’ll help US sleep better at night.

Libra 

In the market for a car? How about this… BUY A HEARSE! Look… a 2011 Cadillac Eagle Coach Kingsley with 67,200 miles for $35,000. It takes standard gasoline, doesn’t get great mileage, but it’s got room enough for a mattress and STILL has room for a full-size spare tire, everyone will do everything to NOT hit you, and you can park it anywhere without an alarm… because EVERYONE will be watching it for you. This week go shopping outside the box.

Scorpio 

Cool Things are harder to do than you realize. You want to learn how to crack a bullwhip but you can only afford the piece of crap at the mall edgy-teen store? Just don’t bother. If you do learn to pop it it’ll disintegrate almost immediately. And if you can afford a good quality one you might seriously hurt yourself by doing it wrong. This week invest in an oiled canvas riding jacket instead.  

Sagittarius 

Time to test your trivia knowledge. The word is, “Zectron”, coined in 1964. Without looking it up is it A) the brand name of the material Super Balls are made of, B) a one-off villain from the Japanese series “Ishimaru of the Wind” who was able to dispel illusions, C) the design code-name for the SCART A/V connector used in Europe or D) a tongue-in-cheek reference to an inking mistake in the early Warner Brothers cartoon production cells.  

Capricorn 

Your nostalgia for the Game Boy Color is cute. In 2000 the game Robot Wars Metal Mayhem was released, taking direct inspiration from the TV series Robot Wars. It was great marketing for the show, but with a screen resolution of 160 x 144, the most animated part of the game was the intro credits. This week consider buying a Steam Deck and play some Nintendo Switch games on it.

Aquarius 

It’s time to go clothes shopping again. No, you can’t put it off any longer, you need new underwear and new socks, in that order. Yes it can be embarrassing, but think about how soft, smooth, and comfortable you’ll feel in them. It’s like having that New Car Smell, but for your feet. Speaking of which - this week, hit up Bath & Body Works for a Eucalyptus Spearmint spray for yours.

Pisces 

It's the Pre-Winter-Holiday Vacation Season”, so you better put in your time-off request this week. The only remaining question is, where to go? Plot out on a map a drive that’ll take about three hours and spend a long weekend there. And don’t go for a big name hotel - just find a single-level strip-plaza no-tell motel and stay there. If you get the last room on a side you can be as loud as you want without disturbing anyone. And enjoy the time. 

And THOSE are your Hobble-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[sdmicrotech]

The Ultimate Guide To Selecting The Right SD Card For Any Device

Are you trying to figure out which SD card is ideal for your device? If so, read this article and get all the info you want. With so many various types of SD cards available, ranging in size, capacity, and speed, it can be difficult to choose the best one for your smartphone, tablet, or camera. Beyond simply selecting the appropriate card, it is vital to properly format your SD card with tools such as SD Card Formatter to ensure peak performance. This program helps you prepare your card for long-term use by reducing errors and ensuring that your device reads the card correctly. In this article, we'll cover all the information you need to make the best choice and guarantee the longevity of your SD card.

Overview of SD Cards

Secure Digital cards, occasionally known as SD cards, are compact, portable storage units that are used to expand the capacity of a variety of devices, including cameras, tablets, and smartphones. Because they exist in an array of sizes, capacities, and speed classes, they might be used for a variety of tasks, such as storing music and apps and high-quality photographs and videos. The most common SD card types are:

Standard SD: the original size, typically found in outdated electronics and cameras.

microSD: A smaller SD card that is commonly seen in action cameras, tablets, and smartphones.

miniSD: An uncommon, intermediate size that is mostly out of usage today.

Additionally, in terms of their physical size, SD cards are classified based on their capacity and speed, which influence performance in tasks like video recording and photography. Choosing the right SD card offers maximum storage and performance for your device.

Things to be Consider Before Selecting an SD Card For a Device

1 - Consider the Device's Compatibility It is imperative that you review the specifications of your device before making an SD card purchase. Utilizing an SD card that isn't compatible with your device could result in data loss or performance problems. The following are the primary SD card types:

Standard SD (Secure Digital): Most cameras make use of these.

microSD: The tiny size makes them ideally suited for smartphones and tablets.

miniSD: Rarely used but present on certain older devices.

Determine which type your device supports. Most DSLR and mirrorless cameras utilize full-size SD cards, although action cameras and drones might utilize microSD cards. Some gadgets, such as smartphones and tablets, have constraints on the amount of storage they can manage, so always consult the manufacturer's guidelines. 2 - Storage Capacity The next serious issue is capacity, which governs how much data can be stored. SD cards show up in several sizes.

SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity): 4GB to 32GB

SDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity): 64GB to 2TB

For regular smartphone users, 32GB may be sufficient for images, apps, and videos. However, if you're shooting 4K video, utilizing professional photography equipment, or storing huge amounts of media on your camera, you'll need an SDXC card with more than 64GB of storage. Higher capacity cards are also suitable for archiving apps and media on tablets. 3 - Speed Class for Optimal Performance

SD card speed is crucial for devices that need to transport data quickly, like high-end cameras and tablets that play 4K videos. Here is an explanation of the speed classes.

Class 10: Works nicely with HD video and rapid photography.

UHS-I/II/III: Designed for 4K video and professional programs with faster data transmission rates.

Class 10 or UHS-I cards perform better for 4K video recording and application management on a vast majority of smartphones and tablets. Professional photographers and videographers might consider using UHS-II or UHS-III for smoother operation. 4- Durability and Reliability

If you intend to use the SD card for anything that requires extreme weather, such as drones, action cameras, or environmental photography, be sure it is durable. Look for characteristics like these:

Waterproofing

Shock resistance

Temperature resistance

X-ray protection

These measures can protect your data from unintentional damage while also extending the card's lifespan. If you often move SD cards between devices or use them in unusual conditions, longevity is critical to avoiding data loss. 5 - Proper Formatting with SD Card Formatter

After selecting the appropriate SD card, formatting it correctly is critical. While most devices allow you to format your card, the SD Card Formatter tool provides better results. 6 - Brand Reputation and Warranty

When it comes to SD cards, stay with well-known manufacturers such as SanDisk, Samsung, Kingston, or Lexar. These manufacturers provide high-quality, dependable devices with warranties, guaranteeing that your data is preserved safely. Choosing cheaper, lesser-known brands can result in data loss or corruption, which is a serious concern, especially if you're working with sensitive media files. 7 - Budget Considerations When choosing an SD card, it is critical to strike a balance between cost and performance. While high-capacity and faster cards are usually more expensive, they offer better performance and durability, particularly for professional applications. For casual users, a lesser-capacity, low-cost card from a trusted brand would suffice. However, if you are a professional photographer or routinely record 4K films, a higher-end card is worth the investment.

Conclusion

Choosing the ideal SD card entails understanding your device's compatibility, determining your storage requirements, and picking the appropriate speed class for maximum performance. Tools like SD Card Formatter ensure that your card is correctly prepared, resulting in improved performance and a longer lifespan. Remember to invest in reputable companies since quality counts when it comes to protecting your data.

By focusing on these characteristics, you'll be better able to select an SD card that improves device performance while also protecting your data.

[music-industry-updates]

Common Mistakes in Video Optimization and How to Avoid Them

In today’s digital music landscape, videos are an essential part of an artist’s promotional toolkit. They provide a powerful medium to convey stories, enhance music, and connect with audiences visually. But simply creating a high-quality video is not enough. For your video to reach its full potential, especially across multiple platforms, it needs to be properly optimized. This guide will walk you through the crucial steps to optimize your music video for maximum performance on platforms supported by Deliver My Tune.

Understanding Platform Requirements

Every platform has its own set of video requirements. Whether you’re distributing your video to YouTube, Vevo, or streaming it on social media platforms, understanding the unique demands of each service is essential to ensure your content is delivered in the highest quality.

Platforms like YouTube typically recommend a resolution of 1080p or higher for optimal quality, while others like Instagram may prefer videos formatted for mobile devices. On platforms where mobile-first audiences dominate, such as Instagram and TikTok, videos in vertical formats (9:16 aspect ratio) perform better. Meanwhile, YouTube and other desktop-centric platforms thrive on landscape formats (16:9).

Apart from video format and resolution, understanding bitrate requirements is crucial. High-bitrate videos result in better quality, but may also lead to longer buffering times on slower networks. Finding a balance between quality and speed is key for a smooth viewing experience. Each platform has its guidelines regarding optimal bitrates, and sticking to these recommendations ensures your video is always presented at its best.

Best Practices for Uploading Videos

When uploading your video, there are several technical considerations to keep in mind to guarantee that it meets the platform’s standards and performs well. Let’s break down the main points:

Resolution: As previously mentioned, resolution matters. Aim for a minimum of 1080p (Full HD), which provides a crisp, clear image on most devices. For those who want the best possible quality, 4K (2160p) is now widely accepted, but make sure that the platform you’re uploading to supports 4K playback.

Aspect Ratio: Different platforms call for different aspect ratios. For traditional music videos, a 16:9 aspect ratio is often ideal for platforms like YouTube, Vevo, and Facebook. Meanwhile, social media apps such as Instagram Stories and TikTok work better with a 9:16 aspect ratio.

File Format: MP4 is the most widely accepted format across platforms, thanks to its combination of high-quality video and relatively small file size. Make sure your video is in MP4 format, and use the H.264 codec for compatibility with most streaming platforms.

Compression: When uploading, use a compressed video file to avoid excessively large file sizes that could impact upload speed and buffer times. However, it’s important to compress without sacrificing too much quality. Tools like HandBrake or Adobe Premiere offer options to reduce file size while maintaining high resolution.

Ensuring Consistency in Metadata

Video optimization goes beyond just technical specifications — it extends to how your video is presented through metadata. Metadata includes the title, description, tags, and other relevant information that help platforms categorize and surface your video to the right audience.

Title Optimization: Your video’s title is the first thing a viewer will see. Make it compelling, descriptive, and clear. Avoid clickbait, but do ensure that it’s engaging enough to encourage a click. Including keywords in your title can help with search engine optimization (SEO) and improve your video’s discoverability.

Tags and Keywords: Most platforms allow you to tag your video with relevant keywords. This is especially important for making your video discoverable in search results. Include both general tags, such as your genre or video type, and specific tags, like the names of artists, songs, or themes featured in the video.

Description: The video description offers a chance to provide additional context, promote your social media links, and offer more information about the song, video concept, or the artists involved. The description is also a great place to add keywords to enhance SEO.

Thumbnail: Don’t underestimate the power of a good thumbnail. It’s often the deciding factor for whether someone clicks on your video. Use a high-resolution, captivating image that accurately represents your video content. Text overlays on thumbnails, especially ones highlighting the video’s theme or song title, can also help attract more clicks.

Cross-Platform Considerations

One of the greatest challenges in video optimization is ensuring that the video performs well across multiple platforms. When optimizing your music video for Deliver My Tune’s supported platforms, ensure that you’re not just tailoring the video to one platform’s specifications but considering the broader distribution.

Mobile vs. Desktop Optimization: With more users consuming content on mobile devices, it’s important to ensure that your video is optimized for smaller screens. This includes paying attention to aspect ratios, video file sizes, and thumbnail visibility on mobile.

Playback and Buffering Issues: A large video file size can cause buffering problems for users with slower internet connections. Ensuring that the video is compressed without losing too much quality is critical for offering a seamless viewing experience on all devices.

Platform-Specific Features: Some platforms offer additional features like closed captions, end screens, or cards (on YouTube) that can further engage viewers. These elements should be considered part of your overall video optimization strategy.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways for Seamless Video Distribution

Optimizing your music video across multiple platforms may seem like a daunting task, but by following these best practices, you can ensure your video performs well and reaches the maximum number of viewers. From choosing the right resolution and format to perfecting your metadata and ensuring cross-platform compatibility, every step plays a crucial role in how your video is presented and consumed.

Remember, Deliver My Tune supports a variety of platforms, so staying consistent with your video specifications and metadata can help guarantee your music gets the visibility and engagement it deserves. By taking the time to properly optimize, you’ll improve the chances of your video reaching a wider audience and creating a lasting impact.