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patricia-taxxon · 5 months ago

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So wait, let me just ask for clarity because I want to understand. Do you support AI art?

i support art made with spontaneous and hands-off processes, i support the creation of art tools that are more art than tool & allow people to "participate" in someone else's creation vicariously a-la picrew, i don't support the institution of "AI" as a consumer grade technology industry that promises impossible things and prioritizes appearances and marketability over usability, i believe that if "AI" allowed people to siphon images directly from their brain with no effort required then it would be a good thing but I believe this is fundamentally impossible until we figure out how to read minds and the focus on arguing for or against accessibility is missing the point, i believe AI art can only ever be a pale imitation of the process of commissioning an artist who can't ever ask questions and cannot be trusted with object permanence, I believe copyright law is a head on the hydra of capitalism and doesn't serve artists, i believe that AI art isn't necessarily art theft but it CAN overfit to its data and create illegal works without telling you, which constitutes criminal levels of negligence, I believe all art is derivative in some way and some of the most seminal art made in this era of history has been far more dubiously infringing than AI art ever can be because AI art does not steal in the way a human does, I think the focus on energy consumption is transparently just a post-hoc justification for hating the thing you all already hated under the guise of environmentalism because it is a problem far from unique to AI, I think the focus on environmentalism was a distraction at best during the NFT craze too, i don't think AI art takes artists out of a job any more than stock photos or clipart does, but the proliferation of consumer-grade tools DOES run the risk of engendering bad client practices similar to the rise of machine translation and asking translators to simply "fix" a machine translated run of text at a marked down price, but this is not the fault of the technology itself and is instead a result of the ideological push being made by the biggest actors in the industry, i think AI art is ugly as sin and carries the pervasive quality of looking normal at a glance but getting worse and worse the longer you look at it, which can be interesting but often isn't, i think ai art is shit google images and the controversy is overblown but I think machine learning is here to stay and it will inevitably decentralize again after the immense costs catch up to all the corpos relying on it to win the future.

so like, yes and no.

#cilantromixture #patricia taxxon ask #mini essay #ai art

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vertagedialer · 2 years ago

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cece693 · 3 months ago

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What Can I Say? I'm A Man Pt. 2

pairing: will graham x male reader tags: beverly being the best wing woman, will trying to be good but failing, bad seduction skills, attempt at humor

For a few sweet, blissful months after you and Will Graham finally got together, life seemed almost perfect. The two of you enjoyed flirty banter in the FBI corridors, discreetly held hands under conference tables, and frequently snuck off for “coffee runs” that somehow always ended with will unsuccessfully hiding a hickey on his neck. Beverly Katz, having practically orchestrated your union, basked in the smug satisfaction of a successful matchmaker.

But behind Will’s gentle smiles, darkness loomed. His work—profiling some of the most depraved killers in existence—took an ever-growing toll. His nightmares escalated into vivid hallucinations. He’d jolt awake in cold sweats, and sometimes he’d see flickers of horror even in broad daylight. The pressure in his mind built until something had to give.

Try as you did to be his anchor, Will—stubborn, self-sacrificing Will—decided to end things. It happened one evening, on the porch of his Wolf Trap house, where he quietly insisted you deserved better than a man haunted by killers and ghosts. You argued, nearly in tears, but he only murmured apologies and asked you to leave, shutting you out of his life.

One moment, you were adoring him—and, let’s be real, especially that marvelous butt—the next, you were left with a gaping hole in your heart. Your bed felt emptier without Will’s presence, and your office mornings far less exciting without sneaking peeks at his backside in those perfectly fitted slacks.

Despite the ache in your chest, you knew you had to keep functioning. Enter Daniel, a friendly data analyst with a razor-sharp sense of humor. The two of you bonded over complaining about the FBI’s ancient coffee machine and the subpar quality of the break room muffins. It was refreshing to hang out with someone whose biggest drama was a broken keyboard, and not, say, nightmarish hallucinations. Of course, your office lunches with Daniel were just friendship, nothing more. But Will—holed up in his self-imposed isolation—heard whispers of “Oh, look at [Y/N] and Daniel, they’re so tight,” and promptly jumped to the worst conclusions.

Beverly Katz, noticing how you walked around with a perpetual cloud over your head, tried her best to cheer you up. Whether it was slipping you candy bars or dropping off ridiculous memes about office romance, she kept the spark of hope alive. She also kept a keen eye on Will, who moped around like a tragic Victorian ghost whenever you were in the room.

One day, she caught Will glaring down the hallway as you and Daniel joked about something, Daniel gently nudging your shoulder. She dragged Will into the nearest conference room, slamming the door behind them.

“Okay, Graham, enough is enough,” Beverly growled, arms folded.

“What are you doing?” Will asked, startled.

“I should ask you that question! You’re letting the best thing that ever happened to you”—she jabbed a thumb toward the door—“slip away. Because, what, you’re mopey and think you’re protecting him?” Will opened his mouth to protest, but Beverly cut him off.

“He’s miserable, you’re miserable. If you don’t do something soon, I’ll confiscate your fishing rods, your dogs, and—and—heck, I’ll even make sure your flannels go mysteriously missing.” At the mention of his beloved flannels, Will blanched.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Watch me,” she retorted, narrowing her eyes.

Finally, Will sighed in defeat. “I can’t stand seeing him with that Daniel guy…”

Beverly’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh my God, you idiot. They’re friends. You think [Y/N] would replace you that fast? Did you forget how he all but worships your butt?”

Will turned crimson. “I… that’s… irrelevant.”

Beverly snorted. “It’s very relevant. You think Daniel’s walking around in jeans that fit that well? C’mon, Graham, you’ve got the upper hand if you’d just use it.” She slammed a scrap of paper on the table—her so-called “Winning [Y/N] Back Strategy,” complete with bullet points like “Wear something that shows off your assets” and “Stop being a stubborn idiot.” Will gulped as he read it.

Spurred on by Beverly’s ultimatum, Will devised a (very shaky) plan to win you back. He recalled how you used to watch him whenever he walked across the bullpen, gaze shamelessly trailing his backside. In fact, he remembered once catching you drooling. A small flame of confidence flickered in him—maybe that was the key. He rummaged through his closet, searching for an outfit he’d normally never dare to wear. Eventually, he settled on a snug, dark sweater that emphasized his chest and arms, plus a pair of jeans that left very little to the imagination. He stood before the mirror, tugging at the denim awkwardly.

“Beverly said I should show off my figure,” he muttered, cheeks burning. “But do I look like I’m trying too hard?” His reflection did not respond, but the jeans did confirm they were practically painted on. It would have to do.

Though Beverly had suggested a polite, straightforward approach—like calling you or knocking on your door—Will decided he needed something “dramatic.” It had worked once before, in a chaotic, heart-thumping sort of way. So he drove to your apartment late at night, using the spare key he still had from your happier days. Maybe if you saw him in this outfit, you’d realize once and for all that it was him you wanted, not Daniel.

Of course, Will’s hands shook from nerves, so when he tried to insert the key, he nearly dropped it. The door swung open rather forcefully, banging against the wall and causing you—half-asleep on your sofa—to leap up. “What the—?!” you yelped, fumbling for a nearby object (your TV remote) like it was a weapon. “Who’s there?”

When you saw Will step in—face flushed, hair in disarray, wearing the tightest outfit known to mankind—your jaw dropped. The moment felt bizarrely familiar, reminiscent of a previous break-in, except this time Will seemed more anxious than apologetic.

“I—I wanted to see you,” Will stammered. “I’m sorry I barged in, but I couldn’t wait.”

Your heart pounded, torn between confusion, excitement, and a flicker of anger. After all, he had been the one to break things off. And yet, boy, did he look good. “Will?” you breathed. “What are you—how did you—why do you look like that?”

Will cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. “Look, I know I messed up. I pushed you away because I was afraid my hallucinations, these nightmares, would drag you down. But I can’t handle the thought of you with someone else.” He paused, glancing away. “That Daniel guy…Beverly says it’s not romantic, but I kept imagining the worst. I just—I need to know if...if it’s over for good. Or if there’s a chance.”

You stared at him, mind reeling. Part of you wanted to scoff, “You left me, remember?” But the other part—okay, most of you—was helplessly drawn to the sight of Will Graham, eyes glimmering with longing, chest heaving in a form-fitting sweater, and those incredible jeans hugging his hips. Your gaze fell involuntarily south, and Will caught it. His cheeks flared red, but a tiny hopeful flicker danced in his eyes.

“I, um…tried to wear something you might appreciate,” he admitted softly. “I’m not exactly smooth at this whole seduction thing. Beverly said I should show off…my ‘best assets.’”

Your heart squeezed in both amusement and affection. “She actually said that?”

Will nodded, cringing. “I’m pretty sure she threatened to take my dogs if I didn’t step up my game.” Despite the swirl of emotions, a laugh bubbled out of you. Leave it to Beverly to strong-arm Will into a skin-tight outfit. You set the TV remote aside, stepping forward, carefully closing the door behind him.

“Will, I’m not with Daniel,” you said plainly, staring him down. “We’re coworkers—friends, at most." Silence fell, tension palpable. Then your eyes flicked over him again, and despite yourself, you couldn’t help the smirk tugging at your lips. “Those jeans look uncomfortable,” you murmured, voice low.

Will’s ears turned scarlet. “Beverly said they’d, uh, ‘accentuate the glutes.’ Her words, not mine.”

You tried—tried very hard—not to laugh. “I see. And to think I once believed you picked them out.”

He gave a rueful chuckle. “My seduction skills are minimal, at best.”

Taking a small step closer, you let your fingers brush the hem of his snug sweater. “I appreciate the effort, though,” you said softly. “And, for the record, I am very fond of your glutes.”

Will swallowed hard, heart pounding. “I know. You made that pretty clear when we first started seeing each other.”

Your chest constricted with a mix of love and exasperation. “I can’t believe you, Will Graham. You break my heart, vanish, then come back wearing these”—you gestured at the jeans—“like you’re in a rom-com with a midnight booty call.”

He gave an awkward shrug. “I was desperate.”

Despite everything, a tender warmth spread through you. You reached up, cupping his face, feeling the tremble in his cheeks. You leaned in, about to seal the moment with a kiss. Then your phone—sitting on the coffee table—began buzzing like an angry wasp. You glanced over and saw Beverly’s name. Will groaned.

“Of course,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “She probably wants to make sure I didn’t chicken out.” You answered on speakerphone, still keeping one hand splayed over Will’s (very tense) abs.

“Hello?”

Beverly’s voice crackled through. “Hey, [Y/N], just checking in. My spidey senses say Graham might be there, parading around in unforgivably tight pants. Am I right?”

Will flushed, pressing a hand to his face. You stifled a laugh. “Wow, your intuition is spot on. Should I be concerned about privacy?”

Beverly snorted. “Please, I’m the FBI’s top meddler. Your privacy died the moment you two started eye-banging each other. Anyway, are we getting a happy ending tonight, or do I need to stage another intervention?”

Will leaned over, speaking into the phone, voice tight with embarrassment. “We’re fine, Beverly. Go away.”

Her laughter peeled through the speaker. “Take that as a yes. Good luck, lovebirds.” She hung up before either of you could protest.

Rolling your eyes affectionately, you set the phone aside, turning back to Will. “Seems like she’s invested in our outcome.”

He exhaled slowly. “She means well. Even if she forced me into these jeans.”

A soft smile tugged at your lips. “Then maybe I should thank her, because you look—” you gestured up and down, “—incredible.”

Will’s gaze flickered with relief, anxiety, and a growing hunger. Carefully, you slid your arms around his waist, resting your hands on the snug denim across his hips. He sucked in a breath at the contact, but didn’t pull away.

“I’ve missed this,” you admitted, giving a playful squeeze. “And by this, I mean everything—but especially your…”You trailed off, letting your hands speak for you by gently brushing over that firm curve.

A shaky laugh escaped him. “You haven’t changed at all.”

“Never claimed otherwise,” you teased, leaning in to brush your lips against his. This time, there was no interruption—just the slow, sweet press of mouths rediscovering each other. The heat was immediate, tangled with relief and longing. It reminded you of all the reasons you fell for Will in the first place—his warmth, his vulnerability, and yes, the glorious behind you now shamelessly palmed.

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ostdrossel · 3 months ago

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Ostdrossel, how do you get started with a bird camera? Is there an affordable camera you would recommend for a beginner?

It depends on what you want. There are always options that are better or worse or more pricey or cheaper. I use different systems for different things.

My homemade "feeder cam" with an action camera (the camera has the photoburst with motion detection function but any with photo timelapse works too). I have to harvest the photos from the SD card every day and take the cam in over night. The motion trigger is hyper active, so there will be tons of unusable photos and it takes a while to go through all.

IP cameras - I am still using my old Birdsy cameras in some spots, recording and livestreaming with the help of youtube and OBS.

Wyze cameras - I use them mainly for nestboxes but they are also a cheap option for feeder or baths, maybe. They come with an app. I pay 45 bucks a year for three cam pro licenses so I don't have videos restricted to 12 seconds. The v3 and v4 are pretty good quality, and I have also used them to "stake out" locations for other cams.

An actual "feeder cam" - I use a Birdfy 2, which is quite fantastic but expensive. (I posted a more thorough review on my website and here too last year.) I think similar quality you may get from Bird Buddy and the one that WBU sells (Feather Snap?) but I cannot vouch for any of these.

Trailcams. I have started using trailcams last year and have been enjoying playing around with them a lot. The positive side is that you may get better image and sound quality than with the smart feeder cams and don't need internet or data or even wiring for them to work but you will have to harvest your footage from the SD card. Cellular ones seem to work from afar but I have not tried any because I am too cheap to pay for extra data. I have been usng three models from the Chinese company Ceyomur (the CY65, 745 and 95), and they are all three a lot of fun to work with. The best of the lot is the 75, IMO, it has the fastest reaction time, a solar panel and takes good photos and videos. All three come with a practical app (great for positioning!) and can take photos and videos at the same time (great for the harvesting stage so you don't have to watch every single video, the photos act as preview). they are all well-priced on Amazon. I also use the more expensive Browning Spec Ops elite, which has stellar video quality but does not come with an app, is not great with photos and cannot take video and photo simultaneously. I usually try to say which one I used on my posts.

Last but not least you can use a regular photo camera.

#feeder camera #bird camera #bird photography

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avinashkumar1202 · 1 year ago

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PiLog Preffered Records (PPR) - Overview

PiLog preferred record provides improved structured text descriptions based on industry-standard templates.PiLog has spent over twenty years researching, developing, and refining our Technical Dictionary and Taxonomy.

#data quality best practices #master data management solutions #lean data consulting

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dftea · 5 months ago

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Trust me - I'm a hologram

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Julian Bashir/Elim Garak Star Trek: Lower Decks - Hologram Julian Bashir/Alternate Universe Elim Garak

‘Thankfully, Julian’s enhanced brain was able to comprehend quantum realities with ease. He was having a harder time accepting that Bashir was married.’

In which a hologram saves the First Splinter timeline.

[read on ao3]

The first time Julian found himself face-to-face with Bashir in a holosuite, he thought it was one of Felix’s hilarious practical jokes.

The holographic Bashir was wearing a fake Starfleet medical uniform, with grey where the teal should be, and was smiling at him with an oddly nervous look in his eyes.

“Not Felix’s best work, honestly,” Julian said, staring down the imposter. “What, are you here to proposition me? Offer me a speech on my undying love for myself?”

Bashir made a face. “Nothing like that, old chum - I’m here to save your universe.”

# # #

Once he accepted Bashir’s explanation, such as it was, Julian found it pretty easy to accept Bashir’s place in his life. Sure, his friends thought he was vain and self-obsessed to have a portable holographic emitter with his own likeness, but he didn’t have many friends anyway.

But after Starfleet Medical, he would become a renowned doctor - famous enough to become the template for a medical hologram! - and important enough to his reality to need specifically protecting by his alternate holographic self.

Thankfully, Julian’s enhanced brain was able to comprehend quantum realities with ease. He was having a harder time accepting that Bashir was married.

“You’re married…as a hologram?”

Bashir shot him a look. “You know I can’t talk about that.”

“You’re wearing a wedding ring! And I checked your data files - the ring code was a later addition to the original source. I wasn’t married when you were designed, but you are married, so–”

“It doesn't always turn out the same in every universe,” Bashir said, with the sing-song quality that implied he had said this many times before.

How many universes had Bashir saved before this one? Was Julian the key in every single one? Well, he would just have to do his duty, that’s all. He owed it to the multiverse.

But first he would find out more about this marriage.

“What isn’t the same?” he asked, innocently.

Bashir looked exasperated. “Sometimes, we’re not there together, and sometimes he’s too…different. I’m not supposed to be telling you this!”

He. Well, that was a surprise. Julian had always pictured marrying a woman, fathering children - but perhaps that was his mother’s dream, not his. Besides, there were many ways to make a family.

“Starfleet?”

Bashir squirmed. “Sometimes.”

“Human?”

No response. Not Human, then. Julian had always been a bit of a xenophile.

“A doctor?”

“Rarely. My husband is, but I don't know of any others. Look, there isn’t much to worry about in this stretch, so I’ll…leave you to it for now.”

Then he disappeared and didn’t return until the night before finals, murmuring into Julian’s half-sleeping ear that he needed to throw at least one question on the exam.

Neuroanatomy wasn’t his forte, anyway.

# # #

Julian would’ve chosen Starbase Deep Space Nine even without Bashir’s recommendation. It was frontier medicine, a chance to make a difference in the aftermath of a war, a proving ground before he secured his first five-year mission.

Then he met Elim Garak.

After flirting with the gorgeous Cardassian spy - and making an utter tit of himself in the process - he activated Bashir in his quarters.

“Is it him?” he asked.

Bashir rolled his eyes. “Are you going to ask that about every attractive alien man?”

Julian smiled triumphantly. “So you do find him attractive?”

Bashir snorted. “I’m based on you. What do you think?”

After that, Julian gave up asking. Mostly because he didn't really want to know for certain who he might marry in the future - why spoil the surprise?

Also because he had seen that soft look in Bashir’s eyes, beneath the bluster, and was afraid such softness simply wasn’t for him.

# # #

After Luther Sloan captured him, Julian carefully concealed Bashir’s emitter inside Kukalaka and never took it out again.

# # #

“Thirteen years!”

“My love, do forgive me - I couldn’t exactly destroy Kukalaka, could I?”

“It isn't as if you couldn't repair him!”

“I am just a plain and simple surgeon, not a tailor.”

“As you have said, many many times before, you are not just anything!”

Julian was dreaming. How else could he explain hearing Garak arguing with another Julian Bashir?

A memory stirred - another Bashir, in the wrong uniform - no, a later uniform, one Julian couldn’t possibly have known about until–

The memories hit him like a flood, choking him, drowning him, threatening to pull him under like a riptide.

“He’s sinking again!”

His own voice, but not him. Like a recording of an echo of another life.

“Let me try.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

Garak. Two Garaks, but that one was definitely his. If only he could open his eyes! If only he could see him again.

If only he hadn’t left Garak behind, to go with–

Another wave of despair, of raw anguished memory, but strong hands held onto his shoulders.

“Julian, my dear, I am right here.”

Julian opened his eyes, and he saw, as if for the first time, Elim Garak.

He tried to speak, but the words stuck in his throat, behind his eyes. He loved and hurt so deeply that it was like his chest was cracked open, forbidding him to breathe, to live.

Bashir was speaking. “Elim, we really should be going.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Garak said, while never taking his eyes away from Julian. “You will explain yourselves.”

“Oh, I don’t think we will,” said the other Garak, the one that Bashir called ‘Elim”.

It was so obvious that it hurt, and yet Julian tried to shut it out anyway. All the love and pain of it.

But he couldn’t deny it any longer. Not when she - when Sarina had died, and Garak had stayed.

“It’s all right,” Julian rasped, voice rough from disuse. “I know him, them. They’re here to save the timeline.”

Garak blinked at him. “Saving you will save the timeline?”

“The captain was fuzzy on the details,” Bashir said, brightly. “I’m sure you’ll work it out.”

“Don’t worry about it at all,” Elim put in. “We won’t let them pop the bubble.”

And then the room was quiet, with only Garak’s breathing and his, the tsunami of memory and feeling held back only by the grip Garak had on him.

“You know them,” Garak repeated, carefully neutral.

“He said it doesn't always turn out the same in every universe,” Julian blurted, then wondered why he’d said it. Still making a tit of himself, even after all these years.

“What doesn't?”

“His marriage. Their…their marriage. Sometimes it’s different. Sometimes…”

Sometimes it doesn’t work out at all.

But they were together in this universe, and Garak wasn't “too different”, was he? The resemblance had been uncanny, even just hearing his voice.

“They are married. The Cardassian Starfleet doctor and the hologram of you.” Garak sounded like he might be concussed.

Julian knew the feeling. “Wait…Starfleet?”

His head was spinning, and not just for suddenly finding himself awake to the world for the first time in too long.

“As much as I would like to speculate on how our counterparts came to be married and our solemn responsibility to save the universe,” Garak said, “I would first like to say: welcome home, my dear. I missed you.”

“I’m not going to let you miss me again,” Julian said, fervently. “Let's get married.”

# # #

“After we restored the equilibrium of the timeline, the rest just…fell into place.”

Boimler regarded his two officers with narrowed eyes.

“You got Bashir and Garak to hook up, didn’t you?”

“It is the most efficient strategy,” Elim said, gravely.

“One might call it a cardinal event.”

Boimler sighed and ticked another universe off the list.

#star trek deep space nine #star trek ds9 #lower decks #lower decks spoilers #garashir #canon garashir #obligatory fissure quest fic #crack treated seriously

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solacescastleglow · 4 months ago

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How to Make an EDC that Actually Works for You

So often, I look at people's EDCs (everyday carries) and think 'OK, but there's no way you're gonna use all of that'. Because, to be honest, I wouldn't use 3/4 of the stuff that's in these videos. But I do prefer to go out knowing I won't need need anything I don't have, so there's a happy medium. Here's how I worked out mine, and how you can too!

1. Data collection

First, go out with only what you absolutely need (clothes, shoes) and a pen and paper. If it would be dangerous or impossibly impractical for you to go without something, that's a need and will definitely be in your EDC. Note that something that feels necessary and something that is necessary are two separate things. Anyway, every time you need something or use any extras you've taken with you, write down the need (i.e. instead of 'phone' write 'entertainment'/ 'communication', instead of 'taser'/'knife' write 'safety'). If it's already on your list, write it again. Do this for a week, going about things the way you always do.

2. Data analysis

Look at your list. The things you wrote down the most often are the things you really need to prioritise in terms of quality and convenience. Highlight or put a circle around those. Then, for each need, list out all the different ways to meet that need, and the pros and cons of each. For example:

ENTERTAINMENT (EARS) • phone - pros: has lots of other uses, spotify / cons: distracting, yet another screen (ick), uses up data • walkman - pros: not as distracting, old timey charm, no internet or data usage / cons: requires cassettes, can only play one at a time • mp3 player - pros: not as distracting, can put anything on there, no internet or data usage / cons: i have to put songs on beforehand

In this instance, an MP3 player seems like the best option for me. Your list might be different. Do this for every need you had. Make sure everything you list out is something you either already have or can get easily, and that every option is legal where you live.

3. Data analysis pt. 2

You should have a bunch of lists now. Are there any that can be combined? Let's say I have a need for music and communication and the internet. That MP3 player's not looking as good as the phone right now, is it? But just because it can be combined, doesn't mean it should be. If I really wanted to save on data and the Spotify subscription, I could have a phone with the internet and the MP3 player. I can't make that kind of decision for you, just go based on what feels right.

4. Filling in the gaps

Now, I want you to think of scenarios that you have found yourself in at least 3 times, but not during your data collection week. Maybe you've unexpectedly gotten your period, or someone threatened you in some way, or you got someone's number and had no way to write it down. Think of solutions for those things too. Again: legal, practical, acquirable solutions.

5. Assembly

This is the fun part: time to get your EDC together! You can have multiple depending on the situation, but your core EDC should remain the same. This is made up of the solutions to your highlighted or circled needs, plus anything that's small enough that it's worth taking with you.

My circled problems: recording information and ideas, telling the time, entertainment (ears), entertainment (eyes/brain), payment, proof of identity, physical support, vision, getting into the house, hydration, cooling down, COVID safety, extra storage, peace of mind

My core EDC: notebook and pen/cil, watch, MP3 player and in-ear headphones, small book or e reader, wallet, forearm crutch, glasses, keys, small water bottle, hand fan, mask, hand sanitiser, a foldable shopping bag, small emergency kit*, a keychain torch (with a strobe setting for self defence)

If you've noticed that I didn't mention my phone, that's because my SIM card is broken so it's useless outside of playing downloaded music. It's also just nice, you know? I only bring it if I'm going somewhere further away than I usually go, and when it's fixed I'll probably still do that.

*lip balm, liquid IV and a werther's original, 3 each of the meds I need need, a bit of money, a band aid, 2 pimple patches.

6. Storage

Every outfit (including bags) you wear outside the house should be able to hold, at the very least, your core EDC and anything else you need for that particular outing. Since I carry a lot in my pockets, I store everything in a set place when I'm at home so I don't lose things. I keep them in my bedroom, where I get dressed, but you can put them by the front door if you live alone. If you use the same bag every time, don't bother.

---

You might do all of that just to realise you don't actually need to change anything about what you carry. If so, sorry! But if not, you'll either get stuck in bad situations way less often or have more space for what actually matters. Happy travelling!

#self improvement #edc #everyday carry #what's in my bag #op

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the-final-sif · 8 months ago

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Well, it's for a school research paper and we have to gather data on how social media affects stress and people's mental health.

Thank you for answering my dumbass questions even though it probably seems stupid, i really appreciate it

First off, asking for help on finding sources is not stupid/dumbass, it's the opposite. Smart people ask for help when they don't know what they're doing.

Second, since you said school and not uni, I'm going to assume you're at high school level roughly and not uni/college. If so, then google scholar is going to be a fine starting point for you to find sources. It's generally user friendly and going to provide decently quality for what you need.

Unlike main google, it's been untouched by the AI nonsense and functions mostly like it did 5 years ago. It's also handy because it will often provide free copies of papers when it can find one. It should help you get some good research papers as sources that you can use as citations, and it'll let you save articles/handles citations for you.

Here's a quick guide for what you need to know to use google scholar!

When searching, put in keywords, NOT questions.

For reasons unclear to me, search engines and humans being weird has trained people to type in queries to search engines like questions. This is bad!!! It will get you worse results!! You want to instead remove any unnecessary words and focus in on giving the computer the most unique keywords to match you with what you actually want. For example:

BAD: how does social media affect stress and mental health?

BETTER: social media stress effect mental health

BEST: social media mental health

You really want to par down your keywords as much as possible, limiting connector or filler unless you absolutely need it. The more specific words you use (ie using "depression" rather than the more general "mental health") the more specific your results. Focus on practicing that and you'll do excellent.

With that out of the way, for actual google scholar use:

Right here, we have a very important feature, the free copy. If google can pull up a free public copy of a paper, it will! Always use those when possible.

Always check the date on the research you're pulling! For a topic like social media, I would be wary of pulling any source that's 5 years or older, since it's an evolving landscape! For other topics, the rules vary a lot depending on the topic and quality of research available.

Next up, saving & citation. The save button lets you save an article for later. You can stick it on a particular list. Handy for keeping track of sources. The cite button generates citations for you, in most of the common styles. Saves you having to mess with making them yourself.

Finally! Further research! When you click down here, you can see articles that have cited this paper and related articles. Both are quite handy for exploring a particular topic further as you look for research that builds on what you've found. Particularly when the area you're looking at is niche or highly specific. Also a great way to find systematic reviews of data that are sometimes a bit stubborn about showing up in research results.

Hopefully all of that is helpful, best of luck on your paper anon!

#sif answers #Anonymous #research #research guide #google scholar

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