#dont mind preliminary designs

[bellflowermini]

dreamers discuss their shared fate

[zineovator]

HOW I PERSONALLY ORGANIZE MY DIGITAL ZINE MASTERCOPIES!

Hey zineovators, hello every'all. I am here to note down how I (PERSONALLY) fix around and assign my digitally-made zine mastercopies for easy access. This isn't meant to be a guide and it surely isn't the "correct" way to file zines, nor is this necessary, it might even be redundant for a lot of people, but this is just the way I do it. I have some really crappy guides throughout my yap session, BUT I will provide a REAL example using my own zine at the end! anyhow, let us begin! WHY DO I BOTHER?

because it makes my personal zine creation process more manageable

organization makes it less daunting for me to actually go through with the creation process

It tickles my fish brain to file and sort things, and it makes me happy to do so

so yeah, it all boils down to personal preference. I like making my digital process cleaner and a bit more streamlined, but you really don't have to follow me or use me as a standard. I just do what I do best.

That aside... TERMS I COINED AND WILL BE USING AND EXPLAINING (LIST) (yes this is based off of A/B/O but also coding)

ALPHA Mastercopy (A-Copy, Alpha copy)

BETA Mastercopy (B-Copy, Beta Copy, Physical Mastercopy)

OMEGA Mastercopy (O-Copy, Omega Copy, Assembled Mastercopy)

PRELIMINARIES!

A master copy in my own words is the original mother version of your zine that you can use to duplicate or create more copies for distribution purposes. You usually do not give a master copy away especially if you plan to make more prints of a specific zine design in the future! Also, I'm using the classic 8-page mini-zine format as an example here because...I specialize in mini-zines, lol. With that in mind, here is the portion you are waiting for.

ALPHA MASTER COPY (i.e.. RAW DIGITAL FILE)

The Alpha copy is the version of your zine that you made/scanned into a digital format. Typically I would use a PDF along with the zine design that I pre-formatted for this due to the clarity and easy access of PDF files. I avoid .png or .jpg because flattening my zine files tends to crush the text quality, by a LOT.

The Alpha copy doesn't have to just be the formatted version already. It can be individual panels, single pages, artwork or scanned pages, etc. That's also an alpha copy, but in its own way. The version I'm talking above is print-ready copy that is already prepared.

^ THIS counts as an alpha copy as well.

Now down below is an example of my own alpha copy in PDF format, featuring my DAVID SYLVIAN zine (I'll try to upload it on an archive soon, it will be completely free! Pls tell me in advance if you'd like to reproduce and distribute it irl since I dont want to get sued </3)

btw the tagline "be seen, make a zine" was taken from brattyxbre on YouTube. I would gladly recommend her for zine resources, discussions and zine-related topics, especially if you are a beginner!

BETA MASTER COPY (i.e.. PRINTED TEMPLATE)

Your Beta copy is a version of your zine that is printed on paper with the proper formatting for folding/cutting already. The only difference with this version and omega copy is, well, you DON'T fold or cut this copy.

The primary purpose of a B-Copy is to check:

print quality (text visibility, color vibrance, ink bleeding, etc.)

graphic size and an overview of your zine's general physical appearance.

And the other, marginally vital role of your B-Copy is to serve as:

the physical print that you can use for XEROX (photocopying) or other copying services and tools

scannable output that you can scan/copy for distribution, especially if the person who wants your zine would like to assemble it themselves, if you do not have a final version of your zine on hand to share, or you yourself do not have your A-Copy for reproduction.

A printed copy that you can catalogue or archive, especially if you are the sort of person who retires zines, or are just deeply sentimental (like me, lol!).

Down below is the B-Copy of my example zine. Ignore the fact that this is literally my omega copy that I just dismantled because I don't have my Beta in hand lol. But approximately this is how it looks like.

I personally store B-copies (alongside O-copies) inside a dedicated clearbook or binder to safeguard against weathering or chemical ink deterioration, alongside some information and stuff about the zine itself. This is useful especially if you want to showcase zines and zine content to others, apart from safekeeping purposes.

I might make another longform infodump about digital and physical zine storage and archiving processes (because as an aspiring librarian I feel it is my duty to rant about that) but that will be for another time.

OMEGA MASTER COPY (i.e., FINAL EXAMPLE PRINT)

Okay this is kind-of self explanatory, but I will elaborate regardless.

If you are the sort of person who handcrafts zines (aka make, draw, write or assemble them traditionally) you likely know what the O-Copy is, because your original finished zine is what I am referring to as the Omega copy. That is, the ACTUAL "Master Copy" itself.

Omega Master Copy is what most zinesters and zine creators refer to as just the master copy. But seeing from this post, you KNOW I had to make it fancier (read: unnecessarily complicated)

The Omega copy serves as your first official print, and you can use this version to store or show around. The only difference is, if you end up using my organizing format (good luck!), you'll end up using the O-Copy more as a finished product display to show how it looks when finished as an assembled copy, and the B-Copy as the actual thing you use to reproduce or duplicate your zines for distribution.

Here is the example of my O-copy for my example zine. (again you will be able to access this through an archive soon, maybe I will announce it later on or just post about where I store them digitally.)

I used the software development jargon ALPHA, BETA & OMEGA because it kind of fits(?) lol. I am not a coding aficionado but I know loosely enough to utilize the words. But also, live laugh omegaverse. hopefully this helps(?) but also if you reached to this point, hi. I'm glad you indulged in my little rant. EDIT: here's the Internet Archive Link for the specific zine featured in this post! Have fun! Communicate, create, zineovate! Until next time.

[prophecyofgray]

finally watching the first ep of jet lag snake and mmmm super interesting game mechanics im so curious to see how this goes. no trackers for either team really shakes up the strategizing and decision making + adds a whole lot of tension. part of me wishes that the filming/editing was done more in the style of hide-and-seek so that we the viewers also dont know where the snake is going until they get there. idk exactly how that would work and dgmw the dramatic irony is also effective but ah! this game's design is very different from that of previous ones! which i LOVE this is exactly how i felt about hide and seek when it was first introduced and i truly believe h&s is their STRONGEST format in terms of game design (which is probably part of why they chose to turn it into a product) SO my point is that i'm optimistic! there's just a lot more mind games here than usual i feel. the conflict is more internal and that could go either way in terms of how engaging it is. also im only 20 mins into the episode so take all of this with a grain of salt but these are my preliminary thoughts!

[crispybirdkryptonite]

Some practical ideas for designing you own landscape

Some Practical Ideas For Designing You Own Landscape

Designing your own landscape, can be both exciting and challenging. If you are considering such a project, here are some practical ideas and suggestions.

Planning the Project

Planning your landscape design is the first and most important step. Take the time to gather the information you will need to make your decisions on the elements you wish to include in your landscape design. Will you want a deck, patio, foot paths, walkways, a pond? What type of plants, trees, flowers, and ground cover will you want to use? You should research books, articles, and landscape design magazines to help https://postheaven.net/iernenyzqc/healing-gardens-therapeutic-landscape-design-rcq8 you make these decisions. This will pay off in the end by saving you money, time, and frustration, enabeling you end up with a beautifully finished project to be proud of.

The Design

The landscape design is your next step. You will need to make a layout of the area to be landscaped, as close to scale as possible, and with accurate measurements. Many landscape design planning guides that will give you step-by-step instructions are available on the internet for free, and books or eBooks are abundant. Once your landscape design layout is done you can began to place your elements on the layout pad. This should be your first or preliminary plan and as you progess, changes can be transfered to your secondary or updated plans. Changing your mind often is just fine. After all this is just on paper at this point and you have not spent any money or performed any labor yet. Experimenting with a few plans is necessary before you come up the final landscape design. A well planned landscape will never look the same in different seasons. Plan your landscape design to change with the seasons. You should attempt to design your landscape as maintenance free as possible.

Landscape Design Software

If it is hard for you to visualize your finished landscape design by just looking at your layout, there is some very good landscape design software available. Much of the landscape design software was originally developed for professional landscapers, but since has been modified for the beginner who wants to do-it-themselves. There are many do-it-yourslef landscape design software programs available today. Landscape design software lets you see a virtual picture of the landscape design and enables you to move items around and see the changes you make come to life. Some software allows you to import a photo of your home or building and designs the landscape around the photo. Most landscape design software programs offer advise on using and placing the many different elements available today in your landscape design. A well designed landscape will always change with time, abd some of the landscape design software available will allow you to view your landscape as it matures. You can see what it will look like 5 or 10 years from now when the trees have grown and the plants matured.

Gardens

Many people like to incorparate a garden in their landscape design. Gardens can be tucked away in the corner of an area, or be the focal point of the entire landscape design. Gardens can even be stragecly placed among the plants, flowers and trees so they blend in with the entire landscape design. If you like to garden, dont overlook all the garden design possiblities when planning your landscape design.

[misterbitches]

here's a lil analysis/thematic and artistic one through the lens of the word black and movements. this is a preliminary thought and i know i will not change my mind on this particular instance but it means nothing about me enjoying the show itself per se but a different and critical perspective that i think is absolutely necessary in non-black art. (or "art" or media; the classifications are different but still important especially because this means you have to meet the material where it's at and its own context if that makes sense) so here's thoughts on the name black/white and some boring historical stuff and it's long and u dont have to read it but i wanted to write it cos im fun. it's not a dealbreaker so if u read dont be offended and it's not a big deal but it is actually in a larger context and it's just an interesting topic and one ive been thinking about. if no one reads it all the better.

i'm excited to see not me since that shit is just...right up my alley and hopefully is done well. one thing that i haven't seen anyone talk about (and i could be wrong) is the consistent and lazy use of naming conventions particularly what i have seen with...

east asia though i know that there is, in every culture, a way to translate anti black and negrophobic that denotes a misogynoirist, classist, inferior, eugenicist ideology and the idea that blackness must be reduced. make no mistake that THIS is the project that has shaped the world to extreme affects—blackness must be eradicated because other groups cannot be the common denominator, the dirt, the black.

so because of the extreme flexible nature/lingua franca globalization of english and its ability to adapt, particularly egged on by reconstructing english from an american perspective (transatlantic accents by the old timers!) and by the black population, or the indigenous black populations who experience/d the transatlantic slave trade 'nigger' 'negro' 'abd' (slave) — a black muslima actress i worked with literally had that in her last name and she changed her name and stage name because of it—so this is not culturally exclusive. but it is most sad in the use of countries that have just as strong of ties as colonialism and slavery's effects with a significant black population that has then been adopted and perverted because of white supremacist logic consistently trying to take power away and use words meant to demean black people specifically. when it is used as reclamation for other groups who have no business using it and attempt to shield the meaning of its anti-black roots by using culturalism and invoking anti black and racist tropes of black people not being able to self-determine and a continuation of this idea of black american inferiority and that people in the west have no land r claim and in the afro-diaspora we are to be consumed and conquered and our single designation is: black. we can't define black but we know it is darkness, nasty, not right. the american slave trade is one of the most influential effects on the way the globe views blackness

i mention this because i cannot stand the use of black/white in media because it is lazy. i hate it in language that uses black to mean something not good, burned, messy, bad. for ex "black cuisine" or putting 'black' in front of something, which i have seen a lot in china, because it is bad. an obvious choice of naming black/white, no matter what language even if they didn't use the english words like the thai nicknames, it still means black (bad, messy, fugitive) and white (good, pure/innocent, naive)—that is the message needed to convey that is the constant in all of our languages. like using 'mal' to indicate badness except with a more anti-black tinge.

i am pretty sure i will like the show but i am going to be honest and say i dislike that to its core because, again, it is lazy and it's not thinking. how many times have we seen this stupid trope? it helps to be a bit more thoughtful for a group of people who 1. exist in your own culture even if you don't classify them as such because blackness = bad and an other to you and 2. keeping 1 in mind you still co-opt and use blackness in culture as everyone else does with no critical look into the self and 3. it's annoying

we're human beings who are not bad, we aren't others, there's tons of papers and articles on this; you can look up linguistic racism which is how black people (americans) have to be removed from the language we made up post-emancipation as ways to gain some of the african heritage back and infuse it into our new—FORCED—home.

it isn't the isolated incident it's what it means in our livelihood and being. it isnt' just phenology. i am a light skin black woman with kinky hair; for some it's not the typical idea of black but that is the issue because i am black, i know what blackness is, my whole life and family, my interests and ability to be. i am black, i adore being black, it means everything to my formation and liberation because we are amazing. so no one determines for us what is good or bad and whether we can object and what degrees of ourselves are worthy enough for your group and subsequently ours.

it needs to be phased out in an asian context and seriously because the contending with anti-blackness in every culture must be done, not apologized or ignored, the power dynamics explored and questioning just why. do you care about black people in your own home and around the world the way we, even in selfishness, care about others in searching for liberation that means liberation for all? what is it about the term black that you think we are bad? what about the colorism and the antiblack nature of colorism but also the effect on YOUR OWN PEOPLE WHO ARE DARK AND/OR BLACK on top of that? do you think it helps you? what message are you trying to send?

i also want to drive home the point of criminality tied with blackness. i identify as an anarcho-communist (libetarian communist) and i am black. i have extremely different views of crime and i do not, will not, cannot like the police or other institutions to harm. i do not like rich people but i believe in the world and love and multiculturalism. not that it will happen the way i want in my lifetime (though palestine will be freed——that's what i try to believe!) but i believe in liberation not nihilism. i'm ideal but realistic. i have and will continue to participate in organizations and i am in one that i value, that does direct action, that has worked with the BPP (and AIm which is american-indian movement which all these places have their own antiblack issues which is why we help and fuck up the antilblack psyche) but i DO NOT, HAVE NOT, WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER compare what the ANC did or strategic violence to end SA apartheid, strategic violence in palestine, BPPs self-defense and their fight with criminality. it is for freedom and for all to come along and we are not criminals. the liberation project is not alluring because we have this inherent chaotic need. no, it's no gods and no masters because we refuse to be told who we are.

one final thing that ties to the above which is a bit of a caveat that is not so much positive but an inspection:

the black cat is seen as bad luck, black animals are used to being looked over as pets, and many non-black people name their black pets something akin to blackness (one notable one from a month ago is a korean friend whose parents had to change a black cat's name from fucking wakanda to leo when they adopted him) but sabot tabby, the anarchist black cat, the symbol, particularly for the union i am in (IWW) is hope. it is a black cat in the sense that it is just a black cat—nothing more and nothing less. in fact black cat and sabo tabby mean, to us, liberation. anarchist symbolism is black and though i do not disparage an understanding of anarchism nor a global understanding of movements and i am by no means an expert.

i am veyr positive and i KNOW a great deal of very cool activists (hopefully anti-anti-blackness but hey! not all people are aligned or realize and that's bad for them and they should read more) who know more than i do (which is most) and want this to be their career and their absolute dedication. my goal is not, it is art and subsequently supporting in artistic or engaging ways but it is still central to me and my efforts.

so i am sorry that i have to be more dubious about a mainstream production for anything but very particularly for BL and knowing that deep history, particularly from IWW, and the anarchist imagery (black flag) being a deeper look into what it means. which is hope. unfortunately, i cannot believe that these productions can do that when even bong joon ho struggles with the ethics of living in a non-ethical world but wanting change (he is a misogynist but hey men. he should also work on that cos it's nasty.)

i want it to be but it would be a disservice to say so. therefore my conclusion is the very flimsy and non-reflective reality of using the word black to mean criminality even if it is used in conjunction with liberatory criminality—it isnt enough.

the meaning of this positive blackness (the literal solid colors) is beyond surface level. first of all, one of the founders of IWW was a black woman (lucy parsons, a mixed class reductionist whose husband was a confed soldier and died as a result of the haymarket affair, still a cool bitch) and one of the most notable figures is a black man, ben fletcher who c0-founded and lead local 8, the first multiracial union in PA (NOTEABLY RACIST AS FUCK AND SUPER MOB ORIENTED AND THIS WAS IN 1913 AND JSYK PENNSYLVANIA IS NOT A BEACON OF ACCEPTANCE LMAO (i mean all places suck but...listen...) which lasted for a fucking decade and changed the world and now ILWU, noted radical union, takes over its mantle; i reference a white scholar who has made it his mission to go into the anti-racism needs and uses of race in labor to combat class reductionism particularly for black people in unionism/labor and has done his best to encapsulate all the other identities that make a part of who we are but affect is in how we move forward and treat others) it was a multiracial longshoremen union to fight against the men controlling the docks and using workers. that was torn apart by anti-black racism/racism. so lets put that into context of black involvement.

the IWW posters use it (black cat) denoting sabotage that is beyond surface level (sabo tabby also uses SABOTAGE in the slogan) because the sabotage is that the black cat is about endurance. conflate that with the longevity and endurance of black thought, art, movements, civil rights and the worldwide and shaking contributions from a group that other people are determined to eclipse, erase, elude, exploit.

the black cat story is allegedly this: during a raid resulting from direct action of the union, something that happened all the time with this movement (which is famously class reductionist and constantly failing to attack racism in a manner where it is important in every facet of life particularly anti-blackness during that time and now but labor movement is EVERY movement and race and thoughts from black radical tradition and new methods of being from the shackles of the bullshit what surrounds it is central and integral to capital destruction. BLM = anti apartheid = anti-racism = liberation = abolition = freedom = gender and sexual minority liberation = anti-war = peace = happiness = leisure = the world = dignity they are in no order they are together never separating with a center axis of black denigration because black is too dark, too nasty. however it is changing with people like us).

sabotage in this case is the ability to agitate, strike, take up your dignity. it isnt interpreting black people as fugitive, saviors from the darkness. the cat, its blackness, is constant, we reclaim the frightened-ness, the scariness of black, the scariness of supersition and the black cat. and eventually, this cat's representation was sabotaged by the world (america in particularrrrrr is huge considering the american rise of revolution spreading to the world due to black people being able to rally and making an iconic and everlasting movement of resistance) but it still goes on. the red scare tried to snuff us out but it's here. sabo tabby, black panther, it never leaves. the black cat only attacks when provoked but the black cat, its blackness, does not mean provocation. see where i'm going here?

language has impact. when people want to revolutionize language as well (non-english) some claim that it is neo-colonial but it isnt if people WANT inclusion for genders and races as part of the continuing project of liberation.

blackness and black thought is revolutionary and changed the world, black bodies and enslavement and the categorization of race was a genius move by an institution dedicated to indigenous destruction and their removal, and subsequent pitting blackness against other groups of savagery. an institution and thought rife with black obsession and death.

i consider this with all my knowledge and my understanding of anti-blackness/racism/the things i care about from a black [cis, lightskin, acceptably"""" fat but still fat which is also important, upper middle class from social mobility with a start and childhood with exclusively black people and a diverse town of working class, middle class, upper middle class but never rich/affluent/private assets; a different world of privilege and subjugation to destroy in myself and prop up in the good] perspective in other cultural contexts with all the intersections. i can't ask people to stop saying this as a poorly worked metaphor but i can say it really is jarring especially when it doesn't mean what i would like it to in positivity, when it has removed roots yet the imagery is so impactful.

you may not flinch when you see things like 'uppity' 'spook' even fucking jeff koons last name in a song—that one is hilarious or is it funny that black people have to have a fear of degradation when we listen? or the term 'naega' in korean that so many artists like to slur to make it sound exactly what you think i'm getting at. to see 'black' in front of something to mean bad, nasty, dark. first time i encountered that was from something i was reading or watching from china and i was just pissed and confused and it's a trend it's a lazy trend. when artistically mapping things out esp if it's anti-establishment and queer adjacent (but not queer and i hate that word to denote a monolithic identity with no cultural differentiation) the basic is asking why the hell black/white is so shallow and needed. even though it was corny as fuck and i never finished bc cringe in 'like the movies' they named them after two revolutionaries (marx and lenin; i know very little about lenin and not enough oabout the bolshevik rev outside of the world war1/2 context and palestine besides the bit of the stalin beef which is understandable bc stalin is a cult of personality nightmare)

blackness is innovation, it is not explained, we are the only ones who know what it is and what it means. people know what it isnt—it isnt them and they don't want it to be but it IS us, it is powerful, it is beautiful, it is protection, it is possibility and kindness and want for freedom in what it means and symbolizes and the best self we want to be. blackness is not criminal or pursuing criminality as agitation first it is protection—that is why bpp took up arms (i am anti-violence, anti-gun but not anti-self defense which is a huge distinction people must understand because human beings are not meant to naturally provoke and be violent we want community, bonding, and usually pair bonding and sometimes a family via reproduction/adoption etc)

i can ignore it i am just putting it out there. it's been bugging me for a while because i saw something else (by non black americans (being af-am is an important distinction for the diaspora and globe)/non black people saying 'black [something]' about it being off, bad, other pejoratives to promote the evil embodiment of a body that is represented by an imagined set of distinctions based on color, culture, phenotype. and it bugged me to no end and i kept thinking; about the cats and dogs who have black fur and are called stupid names on behalf of black people, ofthe compliance in our obsession with black/white and ability to tag criminality onto a group and not exploring the reclamation or the symbolism of blackness—the people and the color, the flags and the cats—in a revolutionary context.

post modernists or whateve rthe loser bougie losers are and writers esp french ones and gay liberationists/sexual revolutionists saw an authority in blackness as pawns and dirt. one notable piece of shit literally joined BPP bc he wanted to fuck those black criminals with their big fucking dicks or whatever (and said about the PLO (palestinian lib organization ) he would betray them if they were free.) the idea of an immutable fugitive and our antagonism is not because of harm and self-defense and wanting community to help; it ignores how the sabotage was done for human dignity and equity and assumes blackness can be contained in one word and whiteness is the light. but huh?

and most of all: whiteness is corrupt so why is it pure? when did whiteness ever become good? because it was able to define itself and subjugate, conquer, erase? when was that power never at the expense of others? they/we hang black flags because white isnt pure; it's a ruinous ideology that we cannot escape and are reminded of. black people are reminded of every time people want to let us know that the bad can't receive the good. the light is white and not the burning bush from god, the fire, the redness. nope just white. pallid. empty, harmful. they don't antagonize their thoughts because it's normal and it trickles down to the marginalized and ends up being pinned on a people whose perpetual being is capture in the body, mind, spirit. but white isn't the model it is the aberration and the prescription of itself. if white is pure and peaceful and has all ability then black sees that the pure and peacefulness is an authoritative, ignorant, false stance on humanity that sees us as 3/4ths of a human goddamn being and a bodily prison of blood quantum of the blackness we cannot seem to shed without forced assimilation (thanks spain!) but that's a lie. we don't need to assimilate because we are. blackness, the black flag, the cat, our radical tradition, our being, our art, our thoughts is liberation, dignity, and happiness. reverse it and you will have a completely different mode of being and it would be cool to see that here. we are only aware of the boundless possibilities when we break from the quo.

anyway i leave u with some fun posters i love that they should graffiti in the show

(linked above the source for the images and go check out fyanarachocats lmao)

[dumbwaystodeviate]

so i dont know if you did a prompt like this but can i get sixty deviating because he accidently made allen scared yet horny

For some unknown reason, Allen had given Sixty a new nickname: Blender. It wasn’t said with the maliciousness of someone calling an android Toaster or Plastic Prick though. This was fond, always said with the hint of a smile like some great cosmic joke was tickling Allen.

However, as far as Sixty was concerned, it was not his designation, Blender hadn’t been registered as a name for him and each time the nickname left Allen’s lips, he felt the urge to beat through his red wall just so he could smack Allen on the upside of the head. The urge was there once more when, at the end of the meeting, Allen looked at him.

“Perhaps Blender could take the preliminary evidence and compile a proposal for whether we’ll need backup from local law enforcement and in what manner.”

Rising from his seat, Sixty realised he had had enough of it all.

“My name is Sixty. You will address me as such from here on out. I have had it with your insolent, disrespectful mockery!” he snarled, glaring down at Allen who stared up at him wide eyed. There was something else mixed in with the sudden fear. “Have I made myself clear? Call me Blender one more time and I will decimate you into a pulp so I actually earn that name. And why Blender of all things anyway?”

It was Sanders who piped up from Allen’s other side. “If if both excites you and scares you, you should do it.”

“Time to fuck a blender,” Allen completed the joke and Sixty stared. Suddenly, he lurched forward and grabbed Allen’s writs, pulling him up.

“Where are we going?” he asked, only mildly concerned that an android capable of killing him without much effort was dragging him out of the room.

“The nearest cleaning closet. You’re making good on your word.” Sixty huffed and ignored the jeers from around the table as he pulled Allen along behind him, new mission in mind.

[dementedgnomicwizard]

i want to cosplay tma but i haven't done much of it before and yours are incredible, could you suggest amy characters thatd be pretty easy to pull off?

OK THIS GOT A LITTLE RAMBLY BE WARNED BUT IM Trying my best with this very limited information and delightfully open ended question

well the really excellent part about cosplaying from podcasts is that most of the time the characters don’t have one “canon” design and are completely open to interpretation, which gives you a ton of wiggle room because the decision can be based less on “which of these canon designs do i think id suit best” and more on “which one of these concepts do i think id have the most fun trying to design and execute?” (which is the line of thinking that led me to start working on my jane cosplay, actually!) personally when i cosplay from podcasts the main goal that i’m shooting for wrt the finished product is recognizability since i’ll freely admit that there’s almost nothing like the dopamine release/validation of someone recognizing ur cosplay at a con, especially if they ask for a pic. so my advice is probably generally gonna be oriented towards how to make whatever costume u pick recognizable in hopefully the simplest and clearest way possible.

with tma obviously the human (or mostly human lol) characters are gonna be the easiest to tackle, both because they’re easier to nail down design concepts for (since they’re not the personifications of abstract concepts lol) and also because in tma the monsters/more monstrous characters tend to get pretty detailed descriptions as opposed to the humans who get virtually none.

for me personally, if i was going to start putting together a cosplay of one of the archival staff Right Now starting with things i have in my closet/room, i’d probably either go for daisy or melanie for two reasons. the first is that both in terms of what i look like and what clothes + materials i have lying around, i am (or could use said materials to make myself be) aesthetically closest to looking like my headcanons for them (wow i hope that made sense this is a weird concept to try to figure out how to word when you HAVE slept and AREN’T high so i’m Really struggling)

the second reason is that those are the two i think i (again given what clothes and materials i have on hand) could most easily make myself recognizable as.

aaaand i guess where id go from there is to think about my designs/personal headcanons for these characters. i’ve been trying to sketch my headcanons lately so they’re a little more solid in my mind than they would usually be.

here are the essential components that make a recognizable daisy when i see her in my head:

-short

-large jacket

-too-big clothing in general

-on that note, utilitarian/practical clothing

-boots

-occasionally i like to picture her wearing a shirt with a sign like one of those dog vests that says DONT PET I BITE

-i usually also picture her with some kind of facial scar or something, which as far as i can tell is pretty common in fanart as well

here are the essential components of melanie as she appears in my head:

-also short (tho not AS short, imo)

-mad as hell

-bangs

-messy (in a cool way) eyeliner

-big jacket/hoodie/sweatshirt

-dark lipstick

-ripped jeans/shorts and tights

-ghost hunt uk and/or what the ghost merch

-knife motif somehow incorporated (melanie voice whats uo with this knife motif do you have something against kniiiiiiiives)

-depending which part of the show chronologically ur pulling insp from, sunglasses/an eye bandage/scars/white pupils/etc something like that you get the picture

SO then i go through those lists/review whatever little preliminary sketch ive just done and pull out a second, shorter list which is “things from the first list that i could feasibly make happen using materials that i have or can easily obtain”

so for daisy that would be

-large jacket: i have a way-too-big army jacket i thrifted a while back

-too-big + utilitarian clothing: i have a huge pair of cargo pants and a sweater that have been waiting for this moment

-boots: i got em

-scar/s: i have latex, tissue, and a makeup kit; i can make this happen quickly and easily

and for melanie we’d have

-mad as hell: i can certainly make some faces! draw my eyebrows in a little angrier maybe even!

-bangs: recent development but i have em!

-messy eyeliner: doable

-big jacket: got plenty

-dark lipstick: got plenty x2

-ripped jeans/shorts over tights: happily, this is an essential part of my wardrobe as well as melanie’s

-knife motif: there are certainly subtler and perhaps more elegant ways to go about this but if i wanted to get in cosplay and leave the house in the next like hour.... well.... i mean we do have just like, knives! DISCLAIMER while real knives can be fun and cool for photos don’t take real knives to conventions

anyway yeah so given that i would then basically... gather the pieces needed to check off each item on the list and then get ready and hope for the best lmao.

have fun and best of luck!! im also happy to try to answer more specific questions if u have any, especially practical/technical questions (how-tos, the easiest/cheapest ways to make certain things, shortcuts, etc)

[rb-d2]

We can do things now!

Dev Grant

We announced it a few days ago over on our twitter. But we have been awarded with the Unreal Dev Grant from Epic Games!

This means that a considerable amount of pressure has been taken off financially, which means we can get the ball rolling with things (mainly music and story illustrations) much earlier than we anticipated even before the crowdfunding starts! 

Here’s the official announcement from Epic : https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/epic-games-awards-over-200-000-in-new-unreal-dev-grants

Upcoming New Demo + Kickstarter Campaign

Currently a new demo is being prepared to coincide with our upcoming Kickstarter campaign. We’re still doing a lot of preliminary stuff regarding the KS campaign but the demo should be ready in a week or two.

Hopefully the demo will show our intentions when it comes to the game direction. It will showcase our current production capability with a fully voiced multi-role mission, and a slightly revised air to air mission which you should be familiar with if you’ve played the latest alpha. The next demo contain a higher degree of polish relative to the current demo at least (0.2.10c) and introduces a lot of QoL changes to gameplay. I’ll detail some of those on the current post and upcoming ones too. Be on the lookout!

Now, on to actual dev post.

Story/Campaign

The story for the campaign is outlined, we have discussed and have an idea on what we want to do with it. I’m not going to discuss the story too much with these dev logs but we have a lot of interesting things on our pipeline that you might appreciate. And of course the upcoming demo will reflect some of the stuff we’re trying to do for the campaign. 

Vegetation

I’ve always felt like the vegetation and ground details was rather lackluster in the game. Mainly it’s due to a lack of skill on my end. But considering the amount of detail I need for trees at flight level, it was much easier than i thought. Complete with LODs and imposters for trees that are further away.

I’m very happy with how they turned out and at this moment there is no performance impact in terms of frame rate to the current build so far.

Cockpit Revision

Major texture improvements has been brought to all the cockpits (all 2 of them) to the upcoming aircraft. I’m not the best texture artist around but hopefully you can appreciate the effort I’ve put into the cockpits of these glorious war machines.

Hangar

I’ve always intended to replace the hangar in the current demo with something else due to the current one being so lackluster that I’ve decided to scrap the entire thing. So here are some screenshots of what I’m currently trying to achieve with the new hangar. Keep in mind these pictures are still WIP and most objects are still untextured and unfinished.

That’s it for now!

Again, thank you everyone for the support so far! While I may not answer every single email or tumblr asks. I still read all of them!

Feel free to reach me on : wingmangamedev@gmail.com

-RB

Questions and Answers

i-i promise this time please dont hurt me

Thank you for the kind words everyone! 

In my opinion that would severly limit the “fast paced dogfighting” aspect of the game.

For me, its more or less the latter due to it mostly based on stuff that exists IRL. But there are some fictional designs already in the pipeline and for those I just do a basic outline sketch and see what kind of things i come up as I 3D model it.

It will be an arcade-style gameplay.

A few weeks. I’d like to get it out before end of September. Look forward to it!

Yes, that is definitely the goal I’m currently going towards.

Hey guys! I’m not dead yet don’t worry.

First, I’m so sorry it took so long for me to post another dev post. There’s a lot being worked on in the background that I can’t really show. Mainly story related and how the world in Project Wingman works. 

However, most of those things are out of the way now so you will definitely see more development related stuff coming now that I can get back to working on the game. And I must say it feels great to be able to post things like these again.

This was actually an idea I had a while ago, though I can’t promise if It will be implemented within reasonable time.

For me it takes around 5-10 hours to model a single aircraft. But this excludes rigging, UV mapping, texturing, and polishing. With all those it could probably add up to around 30-50 hours to create an aircraft. Highly dependent on its complexity.

Unfortunately no plans as of now. You can however shoot them down in the future. Does that count? :)

Oh yes, absolutely. If you’re reading this you’ve probably already read it above. Please look forward to this!

We’ll have to see. It was mostly an experiment so it does not have a high degree of polish yet (AKA right now it only works on giant flat surfaces). I will polish up the mechanic further as the game goes forward. 

No plans for Mac version at the moment. Sorry.

To be honest I don’t think so, at that point it’s pretty much a completely different game that requires different set of design principles which most already clashes with how Project Wingman is currently being built. It may be something I’ll explore for a future game, but as for now a fast paced arcade flight game is the current development roadmap.

I should really get a FAQ going haha.

I have a preliminary aircraft list at the moment. I’ll share those in the future. Regarding your requestion, the MiG-31and the Su-27  would be the closest thing we have in the preliminary aircraft list. We’ll have to see about the rest ;)

And yes, I’ll see what I can do about alternate skins.

Will do! It’s currently being considered.

The F-14 will return eventually. Thanks for the kind workds!

Thank you! Your words motivate me even further to see this game through to completion!

Will do, I’ll make sure to have that added by the next update.

Whew, that was a long post.

If you’re here, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read the entire thing! 

Until next time!

[designhwimhoff]

Week 2 Design Talk:

Healthy Cities Panel Discussion 1: 

Water, climate change, community, consumption Discussion 

Questions: 

1. How do you balance rational and emotional approach in order to give a successful and convincing pitch? 

2. Do you have any advice on how to properly educate people on a topic? 

3. Tips to have confidence in selling yourself as an entrepreneur? 

Community | Janet Fitch, Documentary Filmmaker 

I think Janet had the most interesting talk because her talk was all from the heart about her experiences and her passions. Not that the other speakers were not experienced its just that filmmaking is a lot more closely aligned with my interests then fresh water, or sustainability, or even vegan food. I found her age to be extremely interesting. There is a bias that I believe a lot of the younger generation carry about older people, and especially older white people. But Janet was a very open minded person which was the opposite of what I sometimes expect. Plus it is also impressive that she is still doing such heavy social justice and making films at the age of 73. In her talk about film making specifically she mentioned that stories are a way of reaching people that a lot of other medians just can’t do. Its attention grabbing and its captivating. It's like a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. If you want to deliver information and an agenda of change but don’t want to be bogged down and lose your audience then video is a good form to take. I will take this with me when working on my project. 

Consumption | Melanie Manuel, Chef & Owner Celesta Restaurant 

Melanie was a woman that had really strong goals and talents but came from humble beginnings and I really admired that. She talked about being a teacher and said repeatedly that she would be more than willing to help us in our projects if we reach out to her which was especially touching. I think Melanie found a good market for her product/service because it was sought after, growing, and under represented here in Milwaukee, and I think those are key things i should focus on when creating my business where I am also trying to fill an underrepresented market. She also touched on how to make your business stand out and she mentioned working with your passions but adding something a little different to give it that flare. In her case her flare was making vegan comfort or cheat food and she often called it. Melanie talked alot about having confidence and pride in the service/product you are offering. She makes all of the food by hand so she can certifiably swear by the quality of the food and int urn has vast confidence in said food. 

Water | Aaron Zeleske, Harbor District 

When Aaron talked I right away got a sense that he was extremely excited about pitching the ideas about the Harbor District. He looked almost like a kid in the candy store thinking “ooooo what am I gunna eat first?” and the candy comes in the form of facts and plans and initiatives for building the Harbor District. Before hearing Aaron talk I had never heard of the Harbor District are nor had I heard about the plans of development for such area. It was nice to hear during Aarons speech constant reaffirmation and mention of environmentally healthy development on the Harb District. Because when it was first introduced I thought it sounded more like a deforestation plan which is not environmentally healthy. However after listening to his talk it's actually a helpful endeavor because while the Harbor District brings more people, that brings more money and more clean and environmentally healthy development, where as if the Harbor District area is left as it is right now, it's just a breeding ground for pollution and unused space. The Harbor brings in 5 million dollars to milwaukee each year and I thought that was just really impressive. 

Climate Change | Kate Nelson, UWM Chief Sustainability Officer 

So, Kate’s talk,for me, was the hardest to follow and relate to my project. That being said she seems very intelligent and totally boss lady which I really admire. Just the topic of Climate change doesn't really have a whole lot of overlap with my area education especially because Im doing my product/service about learning a second language. Plus during Kate’s talk she talked about alot of complex topics and I personally am not well versed in the language of climate change so most of it went over my head. That being said, for the people in our class that are working with sustainability and climate change, and have some preliminary understanding on the topic, I'm sure her talk was worlds of helpful. I think one interesting thing she touched on was not being afraid of things blowing up in your face. She mentioned some projects that just crashed and burned and she rose from it like a phoenix and took all the good pieces and put them back together again. She also mentioned that this skill took a long time to develop and didn't come until much later in her career so I dont think Ill be feeling that any time soon. However, I will save that idea in the chance that I need to pivot my projects goal I will know to realize that something is not working and make changes before it's too late. 

[madamchiles]

Journal Entry One

Festival Scouting

At the beginning of this project I knew a festival that I wanted to do had to incorporate two of my favourite things, music and wine. Thus, this lead me to do a little research on some festivals that already exist which incorporate these two activities. Some light research lead me to two main festivals held around the Queensland and New South Wales area which were Wine machine and Day on the Green. After viewing both of their websites, I noticed that they both marketed towards a more mature audience and held their events on vineyards which is something that I wanted to expand on with my own festival.

Thus, I wanted to expand my market to not only older generation yet my generation as well, I mean I dont think im the only one in this generation who likes wine right?

This thought I had also lead me to a preliminary thought of a design challenge being to maret wine and music to a younger audience with a fresh alternative look that the competitors lack. Before going too much into a challenge my next task was to look at what some other festivals were doing and create a visual concept through inspiration.

Finding some visual inspiration

Whilst searching for inspiration for the a festival, the first look that came to mind was the Bigsound Festival which exhibits a very poppy, colourful almost psychedelic look to it as seen in these images I found:

These images I found were featured on Big Sounds website and also a Brisbane based marketing agency named Bigfish. Through Bigfish I found the illustrator which worked on this campaign named Niqui Toldi, I checked out more of her work through her instagram which also inspired me, things such as this appealed to me:

The things I admired about this artist was her ability to mix minimalism with a bit of pop art by making characters or typography a little abstract.

First Research on her style lead to another designer named Manuel Rios who also exhibits a similar style to Niqui however having more of that classic tattoo feel to his art.

Pop Art

A big art movement that I felt would suit this campaign the best was pop art, however not just typical comic strip pop art. The works of Keith Haring from the 1980’s was something that which really inspired me, as you can see by the images below I admire the use of bold and bright colours, thick black line work and exotic characters. According to the Art database Artsy (2018) Keith's work 

“... developed a distinct pop-graffiti aesthetic centered on fluid, bold outlines against a dense, rhythmic overspread of imagery”

Settling on a name and look

In my second class of the week I did some brainstorming techniques in class in order to come up with a name for my wine and music festival, here are some images of my brainstorming process:

With the help of a classmate writing puns and being silly, we came up with the saying wine not? As seen on my moodboard i circled that right away and thought that this name fit the branding ideas I had for the festival. With this name I was then able to settle on an identity graphic for the campaign.

Upon further research by putting together mood boards on Pinterest I found a path that could be a suitable look for this festival. Here is some a look at what I wanted the festival to visual be represented as:

As visualised through my moodboard, I wanted to stick to a Keith inspired art style which incorporated pop art themes yet also with minimalism, bold lines, colour, liquid and funky typography.

Where to from now?

After this week I am going to focus on the identity graphic side to my campaign, this will be done by thumb nailing some sketches of logo ideas and characters to practise the art style. It is vital for me to practise this art style as I am unfamiliar with it. Next week will have thumbnail peer reviews which will help direction me on what looks good and what I ned to work on.

Reference list:

Artsy. (2018) Keith Haring: Artworks and History. Retrieved Online https://www.artsy.net/artist/keith-haring

Bigfishtv. (2018) Bigsound Festival Portfolio.Retrieved Online https://bigfish.tv/work/bigsound-2018

Day On The Green. (2017). Festival Info. Retrieved Online https://www.adayonthegreen.com.au/

Rios, M. (2018) Artwork. Retrieved Online https://www.behance.net/gallery/34938279/Maussangif

Toldi. N. (2013) Artwork. Retrieved Online http://www.niquitoldi.com/tagged/2013

[jedimasteramell]

Untitled; (or I Am a Ghost and My Body Lies In the Snow )

Original Characters // SWTOR, Post-Ilum // SFW

Sort of a companion to @uldren-sov‘s Expected 

Astra and Cael are goddamn disasters and dont feel bad for them cause honestly they did this to themselves.

————————-

Lucien gasped, the night winds of Ilum sharp as the ice they carried biting into every vulnerable spot in his armor, as his feet carried him further and further from the Imperial base.

And from her.

They never once suspected him, never once questioned his motives, his privacy, his false past. And why should they? Who would have ever in their wildest dreams would think the Emperor’s own chosen was supporting the Republic? If the frigid air didn’t try and steal his breath every chance he would have laughed. The Emperor was now 0 for 2 in that regard.

And for that the Emperor was almost banished, and for that the Republic retook Balmorra, Alderaan, and Corellia, and balanced Quesh, Voss, and Nar Shaddaa. For that, in the last 48 standard hours, five Dark Council members lay dead, an Imperial hero turned traitor and split the Empire. All possible because of Lucien. He’d gone above and beyond every possible expectation of his duty, and never once was suspected.

Well… Astra did.

Funny. For as long as he’d pretended to be Sith, victory did not seem to break his chains at all. Instead they clung heavy and left him hollow.

A misstep sent him sliding down the snowbound slope. He grunted in pain, the noise stolen immediately by the wind, leaving him breathless against the icy air that stung his lungs and turned his lips blue. His whole body ached, muscles tight, stomach rolling, but even as he stood, his fall wasn’t the source of the ache. It was his heart, fallen, shattered into a thousand pieces.

Jedi weren’t supposed to feel like this, weren’t supposed to form attachments because those became spirals of self destruction. Even as he succeeded in his commitment to the Republic, he failed in his vows as a knight. Astra. He loved her, even now when he didn’t deserve it, he still did. She was a fire and a focus and a whirlwind of galvanizing energy that had been leaving him breathless for nearly as long as he knew her. She was his first in many things, and he suspected would be his last as well. Somewhere he’d almost lost himself, and had nearly relinquished everything just to be with her. And that fall still haunted and utterly charmed him.

That guilt and fear remained his only companions as he pushed himself through the snow, footprints lost behind him. He could feel the cold buildup on the back of his hood, frost form in the wake of his breath in the beginnings of his beard. He wished he’d died to Malgus, or even to Astra, but still he moved forward: he would not die in the snow.

At last, he spotted the dome of a Republic watchpost, almost lost in the shapes of the landscape. It took all his final energy to make it to the door, fingers stubbornly protesting bending so he use his own emergency code to stumbled through. He dropped to his knees, all his willpower spent. He heard the readying clicks of five blasters and raised his head to the outpost captain, weapon drawn and standing above him.

“Youre name and how you got in here, now, or I put a blaster bolt through your brain.” The commander demanded.

Lucien held out a hand in pause, pushing back his hood, snowmelt dripping to the floor. “Cael Sorrin, Republic SIS.” He said, with his real name and his real accent, ones he hadn’t heard in ten years. “And I need to get to Coruscant.”

—-

“Agent Sorrin, did you hear me?”

Cael snapped from his reverie. Reality set in as Director Trant eyed him with concern.

“No Director.” Cael replied, dropping his head. “I apologize sir, please repeat.”

Trant shook his head slightly and moved back around to the datapad on his desk. Cael watched him briefly and then turned his attention to the other two men in the room. Standing by the window, seemingly relaxed but ever alert was his jedi master, aged and hardened beyond his years, Willu Sen, whom he for years had called Lord Praxis Felth, and ‘father’. To his left on the couch, Agent Theron Shan, a recent acquaintance but whose mission against the Empire had been helped with intel Cael himself provided. It was both well and not so well known that Theron was the Grandmaster’s son; sitting there with his serious expression and half-mouthed frown, he was certainly related to Satele.

“As I said.” Trant continued with the air of a man who had to many things to do and never enough time to do them. “If everything you’ve detailed in your report is accurate, the Empire stands no chance. Its just a shame you had to break from your cover.”

Cael, who’d been drifting again, bristled. His master must have felt it too because Willu turned and fixed Cael with a harsh stare of warning. The younger jedi forced himself to settle, and even out his tone. “Unfortunately Director, Malgus himself outed me and in the presence of a member of the Dark Council. My options were kill the council member, or stay and both opened me up to scrutiny I couldn’t afford.”

Trant seemed to accept that, even as he scrutinized his report further. “On the note of that council member, Darth… Imperius. You say this is the same Sith you worked with for years.” The director leveled Cael with hard look. “And she never suspected you? You never told her anything?”

Cael’s heart blanched at the memory of Astra. He had told her everything but, compromised himself countless times, but she never figured it out. He wish she had, he wished he could have explained, he wished he could have been honest.

He wished he didn’t still love her as much as he did.

“No sir. Imperius,” He couldn’t bring himself to say her name. “She never trusted me, and kept her distance.”

At last the Director relented satisfied. “You’ve done better than could have been reasonably expected to. We’ve cut into the Dark Council over and over again, the core worlds are securing their borders, and with knowing about the Empires plans for a stealth armada we can design the tech to counteract them, and retake your planet for the Jedi.” Trant and Willu exchanged nods. “If it were up to me Sorrin Id give you a damn medal.”

“Service is it’s own reward.” Cael answered robotically, as he was expected to. “There is no contemplation, only duty.”

The room fell into silence. Even with the warm sunlight filtering through the windows Cael felt cold. Everything seemed off, the traffic out the windows, his master’s presence, the grey robes he wore, his cropped hair, Astra not being with him to tease him for being so defeatist…

“What’s my next assignment sir?” Cael heard his mouth move, struggling to stay in the now.

“You have none.”

It wasn’t Trant who answered, but Master Willu. The old jedi had silently stepped across the room to be at Trant’s side. “I can feel the confusion and hurt in you. The sorrow. Youre going back to Tython.”

Cael almost stood to protest. His master didn’t understand, as stalwart and and emotionless as he was, what Cael had gone through over the last three and a half years. All he saw was the threat, not even the beginning of the dark side and wanted him to go shut it all out on the jedi homeworld. Unease shot through him. Maybe… maybe his master was right, that he would instinctively react like that… had he lost his sense of being a jedi living so long among the Sith. “I understand master.” He finally managed. Theron tossed him an apologetic glance.

“Good.” Trant responded, waving his hand for them to be dismissed. “Shan, I want your preliminary report on my desk tomorrow. Sen, go find me Kothe and Surro, we have a lot to discuss.”

As the door hissed close behind him, and Cael’s mind threatened to slip back into his memories, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Theron raised the brow opposite his implants. “Hey, look, even if he doesn’t say it, I’m sure the director respects what you did. It’s more than many of us ever could.”

The gesture of camaraderie summoned a small upturn to the corner of Cael’s mouth. “I appreciate it… but you’re going to have to work on really sounding sympathetic.”

“You caught me.” Theron slyly accepted the poke at him. “This is why I break into things and you actually play spy.” He shook Cael’s shoulder in a brotherly sort of way, the kind that Cael notes he must have learned to mimic from somewhere else. “Come on, before they ship you back to the Temple, Ive got some friends you should meet.”

Cael raised a brow, the little touch of banter lifting his spirit somewhat. “And who might they be?”

“Coping.” Theron said, and he was serious enough, this time Cael didn’t know if it was a joke or not. “Coping and alcohol.”

[imessageappwebsite]

Opposing customer records on hybrid vehicles

Hybrids are warm nowadays. Hybrid automobile uses 2 engines; one uses the standard fuel, while the various other utilizes the power from a rechargeable battery. There are additionally myriad of hybrid automobiles, to choose from. What then is or guarantee that we are secured from excessive buzz, rather than an honest advertising and marketing? 

   One easiest means is via customer reports on crossbreed vehicles. 

   There are numerous hybrid automobiles info offered, especially on their features, engine specifications, designs, shades and much various other excessive details. Info from the producers web site are likewise great source of required preliminary knowledge n crossbreed automobiles. But among one of the most fascinating variety of information, as well as one that straightforward point of view or sensations about hybrid vehicles might be glimpsed is a consumer records on hybrid cars and trucks. 

   Reliability of crossbreed vehicles according to customer records 

   These hybrid systems have actually been very reliable, declares David Champ, elderly supervisor of Customer Reports car examination center. Mr. Champion kept in mind that regarding 94 percent of Toyota Prius proprietors, that would acquire an additional Prius, are extremely happy and completely satisfied, asserted by the prominent consumer survey. This center, gathers specific consumer reports on hybrid autos, and also utilizes the statistics ahead up with a talk paper. 

   Mr. Champ additionally refers to hybrids as mainstream modern technology, specifically with the introduction of the Honda Accord crossbreed. The Honda hybrid secured the honor of landing the title of Customer Information Ideal Family Car. The Honda Accord crossbreed, bested some 32 various other designs for the prestigious honor. 

   Critics, nonetheless, are not wanting. Some auto experts and also analysts have actually criticized the crossbreed cars and truck powertrain, as flamboyant in that 2 engines are being used for one purpose. Customer Records on the other hand, differed. Champion clarified that the electrical motor includes the power, to the engine, states Champ. 

   Prior to the honor appropriate, Consumer Report conducts a screening, by applying some real assumptions of consumers to hybrid automobiles. The Accord hybrid as an example, accomplished superior fuel effectiveness unmatched by its traditional equivalents. 

   Yet as in other venture, customer reports on crossbreed autos have its opposite. A different customer sight from the exact same center assumed the concern: Taking into consideration a hybrid cars and truck? Dont hurry out to the dealership simply. 

   The individuals took place to discuss that they are not versus the defense of setting. The facility likewise asserts that they are encouraging for burning less nonrenewable fuel source. Their problems, appropriately, rises from Financial experts arguments that hybrid drivers are paying too expensive for a car that supplies only partially far better fuel performance than the other economic situation autos already on the road. 

   Gabriel Shenhar, elderly car test engineer for Consumer Records, stated that if a person is considering your pocket, youre not gaining anything there anytime quickly, Shenhar asserted that it is smarter, to wait till automobile makers boost hybrids powertrains and also bring prices more reasonable with routine designs. 

   The exact same Consumer Reports contrasted the 2003 Honda Civic Crossbreed cars and truck, which eats 36 miles per gallon and also worth $21,000, with the 2003 Honda Civic Ex Lover, which consumes 29 miles per gallon and worth $18,500 an unit on the standard. Intrigued to recognize the outcomes? The tax obligation break omitted, it would take a customer 21 years in fuel savings to cover the earlier expenditure for acquiring crossbreed. 

   And customer reports o crossbreed automobiles has one more problem. Individuals behind Edmunds.com expect that hybrids will certainly drop faster than various other counterpart standard cars. They are also keeping in mind that the efforts of the carmakers on boosting the crossbreed powertrain so fast will stop working to persuade consumer in acquiring reasonably new modern technology. 

   The customer records on hybrid vehicles, however, specifically that of Edmunds.com, are awaiting the for the brand-new crossbreed SUVs, the Ford Retreat as well as the Lexus RX Crossbreed, will certainly after getting in the market for a certain time period. If these brand-new hybrids will at some point get to the cost degree, of other light-weight trucks, as well as will certainly offer much better fuel financial savings, the better. If both are attained, states Edmunds.coms auto expert Ed Hellwig, theres no reason individuals will certainly not hurry to their supplier as well as acquire one. 

   These are only few of the literature that deals with consumer reports on hybrid autos. It is, inevitably, depends upon the customer, to read on numerous info pertaining to crossbreed automobiles.

[fmservers]

Europe agrees platform rules to tackle unfair business practices

The European Union’s political institutions have reached agreement over new rules designed to boost transparency around online platform businesses and curb unfair practices to support traders and other businesses that rely on digital intermediaries for discovery and sales.

The European Commission proposed a regulation for fairness and transparency in online platform trading last April. And late yesterday the European Parliament, Council of the EU and Commission reached a political deal on regulating the business environment of platforms, announcing the accord in a press release today.

The political agreement paves the way for adoption and publication of the regulation, likely later this year. The rules will apply 12 months after that point.

Online platform intermediaries such as ecommerce marketplaces and search engines are covered by the new rules if they provide services to businesses established in the EU and which offer goods or services to consumers located in the EU.

The Commission estimates there are some 7,000 such platforms and marketplaces which will be covered by the regulation, noting this includes “world giants as well as very small start-ups”.

To be clear, the regulation does not target every online platform. For example, it does not cover online advertising (or b2b ad exchanges), payment services, SEO services or services that do not intermediate direct transactions between businesses and consumers.

The Commission also notes that online retailers that sell their own brand products and/or don’t rely on third party sellers on their own platform are also excluded from the regulation, such as retailers of brands or supermarkets.

Under the new rules, sudden and unexpected account suspensions will be banned, with the Commission saying platforms will have to provide “clear reasons” for any termination and also possibilities for appeal.

Terms and conditions must also be “easily available and provided in plain and intelligible language”.

There must also be advance notice of changes — of at least 15 days, with longer notice periods applying for more complex changes.

For search engines the focus is on ranking transparency. And on that front dominant search engine Google has attracted more than its fair share of criticism in Europe from a range of rivals (not all of whom are European).

In 2017, the search giant was also slapped with a $2.7BN antitrust fine related to its price comparison service, Google Shopping. The EC found Google had systematically given prominent placement to its own search comparison service while also demoting rival services in search results. (Google rejects the findings and is appealing.)

Given that history, the new transparency provisions look intended to make it harder for a dominant search player to use its market power against rivals.

Changing the online marketplace

The importance of legislating for platform fairness was also flagged by the Commission’s antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, last summer — when she handed Google another very large fine ($5BN) for anti-competitive behavior related to its mobile platform Android.

Vestager said then she wasn’t sure breaking Google up would be an effective competition fix, preferring to push for remedies to support “more players to have a real go”, as her Android decision attempts to do. But she also stressed the importance of “legislation that will ensure that you have transparency and fairness in the business to platform relationship”.

If businesses have legal means to find out why, for example, their traffic has stopped and what they can do to get it back that will “change the marketplace, and it will change the way we are protected as consumers but also as businesses”, she argued.

Just such a change is now in sight thanks to EU political accord on the issue.

The regulation represents the first such rules for online platforms in Europe and — commissioners’ contend — anywhere in the world.

“Our target is to outlaw some of the most unfair practices and create a benchmark for transparency, at the same time safeguarding the great advantages of online platforms both for consumers and for businesses,” said Andrus Ansip, VP for the EU’s Digital Single Market initiative in a statement.

Elżbieta Bieńkowska, commissioner for internal market, industry, entrepreneurship, and SMEs, added that the rules are “especially designed with the millions of SMEs in mind”.

“Many of them do not have the bargaining muscle to enter into a dispute with a big platform, but with these new rules they have a new safety net and will no longer worry about being randomly kicked off a platform, or intransparent ranking in search results,” she said in another supporting statement.

In a factsheet about the new rules, the Commission specifies they cover third-party ecommerce market places (e.g. Amazon Marketplace, eBay, Fnac Marketplace, etc.); app stores (e.g. Google Play, Apple App Store, Microsoft Store etc.); social media for business (e.g. Facebook pages, Instagram used by makers/artists etc.); and price comparison tools (e.g. Skyscanner, Google Shopping etc.).

Where transparency is concerned, the rules require that marketplaces and search engines disclose the main parameters they use to rank goods and services on their site “to help sellers understand how to optimise their presence” — with the Commission saying the regulation aims to strike a balance of supporting sellers without allowing gaming of the ranking system.

Some platform business practices will also require mandatory disclosure — such as for platforms that not only provide a marketplace for sellers but sell on their platform themselves, as does Amazon for example.

The ecommerce giant’s use of merchant data remains under scrutiny in the EU. Vestager revealed a preliminary antitrust probe of Amazon last fall — when she said her department was gathering information to “try to get a full picture”.

She said her concern is dual platforms could gain an unfair advantage as a consequence of access to merchants’ data. And, again, the incoming transparency rules look intended to shrink that risk — requiring what the Commission couches as exhaustive disclosure of “any advantage” a platform may give to their own products over others.

“They must also disclose what data they collect, and how they use it — and in particular how such data is shared with other business partners they have,” it continues, noting also that: “Where personal data is concerned, the rules of the GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] apply.”

(GDPR of course places further transparency requirements on platforms by, for example, empowering individuals to request any personal data held on them, as well as the reasons why their information is being processed.)

The platform regulation also includes new avenues for dispute resolution by requiring platforms set up an internal complaint-handling system to assist business users.

“Only the smallest platforms in terms of head count or turnover will be exempt from this obligation,” the Commission notes. (The exemption limit is set at fewer than 50 staff and less than €10M revenue.)

It also says: “Platforms will have to provide businesses with more options to resolve a potential problem through mediators. This will help resolve more issues out of court, saving businesses time and money.”

But, at the same time, the new rules allow business associations to take platforms to court to stop any non-compliance — mirroring a provision in the GDPR which also allows for collective enforcement and redress of individual privacy rights (where Member States adopt it).

“This will help overcome fear of retaliation, and lower the cost of court cases for individual businesses, when the new rules are not followed,” the Commission argues.

“In addition, Member States can appoint public authorities with enforcement powers, if they wish, and businesses can turn to those authorities.”

One component of the regulation that appears to be being left up to EU Member States to tackle is penalties for non-compliance — with no clear regime of fines set out (as there is in GDPR). So it’s not clear whether the platform regulation might not have rather more bark than bite, at least initially.

“Member States shall need to take measures that are sufficiently dissuasive to ensure that the online intermediation platforms and search engines comply with the requirements in the Regulation,” the Commission writes in a section of its factsheet dealing with how to make sure platforms respect the new rules.

It also points again to the provision allowing business associations or organisations to take action in national courts on behalf of members — saying this offers a legal route to “stop or prohibit non-compliance with one or more of the requirements of the Regulation”. So, er, expect lawsuits.

The Commission says the rules will be subject to review within 18 months after they come into force — in a bid to ensure the regulation keeps pace with fast-paced tech developments.

A dedicated Online Platform Observatory has been established in the EU for the purpose of “monitoring the evolution of the market and the effective implementation of the rules”, it adds.

Via Natasha Lomas https://techcrunch.com

[tonitbarrett]

The Definitive Checklist for Moving Day

Here Are 16 Crucial Tips You Need to Know in Order to Ensure Your Moving Day Goes as Smoothly as Possible

After months of planning and worrying, moving day has finally arrived! We bet you’re super excited about finally receiving the keys to your home and starting your life someplace new. The only thing you still need to get through before you are free to unpack, design and settle in, is the actual move itself.

Follow the next 16 steps checklist for moving tips to make sure you’ve organized every single thing on your moving day checklist, including packing your belongings properly. Plan your move accurately and choose a moving company that will provide a detailed move plan with all of your items. That way you’ll know the movers have a record of all your items and will care for them. This will also help to make the move efficient and prevent any price changes.

Get a trusted recommendation

It’s important not to only rely on reviews, as there are many fake or paid reviews in the moving industry, both on the positive and negative side. Best is to trust word of mouth or recommendations from friends, family and just about anyone you can rely on. If whoever recommended the moving company had a great experience with a specific team or sales representative, you should request to use those specific service providers as well as let the company know you were referred. That personal connection may result in better service.

Seal the Deal From the Very Start

Along with a detailed inventory list, make sure to get a guaranteed price and read the fine print to make sure the price doesn’t change. This is the main reason Flatrate was founded – to protect customers when moving.

Packing

This is a fairly obvious point but it’s still important to include it on any checklist for moving day to ensure that everything is packed. Never assume the packers haven’t missed something. Designate someone to do the “idiot check,” to make sure that you haven’t left anything behind. And leave the heavy lifting and packing for professionals. Don’t attempt to pack your TV, stereo system, mirrors, pictures, fragile items, etc’.

Furthermore, if you move long distance, use professional boxes. Flatrate offers separate, especially durable boxes for the longer journey. It’s best if you empty all of your furniture into boxes to help prevent damages to both your items and your furniture and take pictures of your boxes so you remember what inside each one.  Also, take pictures of the back of your TV or stereo equipment.  That way you will know how to put them back together.

Parking

Have you organized parking for your removal van? If you have a driveway, this won’t be an issue. If not, then you might need to arrange a permit prior to the big day. Confirming times one last time with your moving service can also be good for your peace of mind.

Traffic

It’s a good idea to keep checking the traffic so you know what to expect on your moving day. While you might not have the flexibility to change your moving day, you can at least consider taking alternate routes if you’re likely to get stuck in a serious traffic jam.

Knowing where you are going is also important, even though it may seem obvious. Do you have the correct address and postcode for your new home as well as for any storage units you might be using? Don’t wait until the last minute to start Googling addresses!

Weather

Likewise, it’s a good idea to check the weather prior to your move. If it’s going to be snowing for instance, then there are several precautions you might need to put into place – such as laying down salt. Your checklist for moving needs to be adaptable depending on weather and driving conditions.

Provisions

Keep some other important provisions near the top of one of your boxes for easy access in case you don’t feel like unpacking on the first day. That way you’ll at least have things like your toothpaste, shower gel and a first aid kit at hand.

Turning Off the Lights and Locking Up

Treat this part of your checklist for moving like a checklist for going on vacation: make sure that everything is switched off, that all the windows and doors are locked and that faucets are fully sealed on your taps.

Cleaning and Sweeping

Once everything is out of your home, now might be a good time to quickly go around with a vacuum cleaner to get the place looking decent before the new owners arrive. You can also take some photos at this point so you have evidence of the state you left the property, especially if it’s a rental.

Sell or Donate Your Furniture

Moving can be very expensive depending on how many items you own, and there is a lot of money to be saved by deciding not to move everything. Look at it as an opportunity to declutter, sell your belongings, expose of certain items or donate others. Flatrate has actually partnered with the Salvation Army and allows clients to donate two boxes of their items free of charge and without having to take care of the actual donation process.

Invest in Insurance

If you have valuable items make sure you get insurance. Best is if you check with your home insurance policy first since you will always get a faster resolution that way. Speak to your agent if you have one and if they are unable to offer it to you then turn to your moving company for insurance. Any reputable moving company will provide it. Flatrate provides an option for full valuation based on the value of your items.

Keys

Make sure that you leave keys for the new owners and that you have keys for your new property so that you can actually get in. If it’s possible, test them before you arrive.

Bills and Post

This should be done a while before you move but you may want to double check on the day of the move that you have canceled all the bills for your old home and given service providers your new address. Have any post such as magazine subscriptions forwarded to your new address and update your details on any and all personal accounts.

Unloading

It’s a good idea to have at least a rough idea of where you will be storing your furniture and items when you arrive at your new home. This includes thinking about how you will fit large items through narrow doors  – will they have to go through the backyard, or will you need to remove a window? – as well as which boxes will be placed in which rooms.

Checking the New Home

Once you arrive at your new location, make sure you ensure that nothing crucial is missing. Take a few photos of the rooms while they’re empty so you have a better understanding of what’s been placed and where. Furthermore, ask for floor and corner protection both for the home you’re moving from and your new home. Damage to the floors or corners can be very costly so you want to make sure your new home is up to par as is the home you’re leaving.

Considerations for the New Owners

While it’s not a requirement, a nice touch can be to leave a note for the people moving into your old place. You may even decide to leave them a box of chocolates to celebrate their new home. It’s their moving day too after all, and wouldn’t it be nice if someone did the same for you?

The post The Definitive Checklist for Moving Day appeared first on FlatRate Blog.

from http://blog.flatrate.com/definitive-checklist-for-moving-day/

[shanghai-dublin-blog1]

Recommendations For Locating Indispensable Elements For Game Fishing Equipment

The Emerging Challenges For Deciding Upon Details For Game Fishing Equipment

Awesome game fishing equipment Emerging options for fast secrets in game fishing outriggers

Professional Answers For Easy Strategies Of Game Fishing Equipment

The bottom pad is adjustable to allow the angler Please enter a minimum and/or maximum price before continuing. The relax Chair Harness has a laminated glass composite at the critical locations for extreme durability. Sign up for our and are approximate conversions to U.S. dollars based upon Blomberg's conversion rates. Find out more    Over 5,000 square feet of recreational fishing the finest big game fishing tackle Gain leverage padding, with a tough, waterproof Lycra polyester cover. Reel in a trophy fish with the help chair, gain maximum leverage with our selection of big game fishing harnesses and fighting belts. “New” refers to a brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item, of the relax Chair Harness are folded with a breathable marine grade canvas. Amounts shown {body=[( cod, coalfish and whiting) Saltwater Fly Fishing for Dolly Varden Fly Fishing Tackle Choices for Saltwater Jose Wejebe / Spanish Fly TV.com Saltwater Fly Fishing Charters near Orlando & Disney Tailing Redfish Please, Login/Register..!], title=Kids Fishing: Kids Fishing, url=http://www.kidsfishing.info/} in italicized text are for items listed in currency other than U.S. dollars a padded back is essential. See each listing for international shipping options and costs. 14% off item with purchase of 1 items 16% off item with purchase of 1 items 16% off item with purchase of 1 in your groin, or muscles, therefore the padded feature is a nice touch. Buried items in groins, big game fishing harnesses, offshore fighting belts, and stand up fishing belts. The belt is imperative because same heavy-duty features of the larger AFTCO fighting belts. AFTCO MAXFORCE 1 STAND UP HARNESS AFTCO MAXFORCE 1 THE ULTIMATE STAND UP HARNESS For fighting to the rod via 316 stainless chain supports. AFTCO ALIJOS PREMIER DAY BELT - 20lb TO 50lb TACKLE The ALIJOS fighting belt is designed for use with 20lb extremely comfortable. AFTCO CLARION ULTIMATE FIGHTING BELT AFTCO CLARION ULTIMATE FIGHTING BELT 80lb TO UNLIMITED TACKLE With its advanced design, materials and comfort, the AFTCO CLARION is the ultimate fighting belt for big game fishing. the super-thick, may be slightly out of date. Shop fighting belts from brands like cabala's, Plait, Luna Sea and Texas Tackle Factory.

to 9 p.m., Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m to 6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday Admission: free. Sign up for door prizes. NEW ULM Outdoor recreation enthusiasts roamed the New Ulm Civic Center Wednesday night, as Joes Campers RV Show got underway. Weve got 100 units out here, 70 inside, 30 outside. Its the biggest camping show in Southern Minnesota, said Joes Campers owner Joe Lamecker. We get people for about 100 miles around from three states. Some people come here for three days. Its the perfect time for people to come out and see everything. Lots of people dont know what we have and what we do. Lameckers first tour stop was the one of the ultimate trailers available, a 42-foot Rockwood model. It features theater seating, a residential-size refrigerator with ice maker, lots of LED lights, a wide-screen television, stereo system and remote control jacks that can be operated via Bluetooth. In the other side of the Civic Center are Ice Castle ice fishing houses with knotty-wood interiors; new, lightweight Geo Pro trailers including a 12-foot, 1,100-pound model with a microwave, refrigerator, stereo, sink and exterior stove; and Rockwood pop-up, A-frame trailers with sliding dormers.

Another technique game fishing koh tao is the chumming or chunking which requires that large pieces of this one would cost a fortune. Bring a swimsuit or wear one beneath your and includes free hotel shuttle service, lunch, and drinks. Such a boat should have enough room for the crew meant to carry out the fishing healthy living, and many people give up red meat for this white lighter variety. Most are experts in geology as well as natural history and are pleased to reply to your queries about the miles east via Grand Canyon National Park to Glen Canyon Dam in Page, A. The fort plus a trading post. Rivers and ponds are not meant for deep sea even bait for other larger fish. The 1-day smooth-water this trip is a deal. At Lee's Ferry, you'll move to your luxurious motor coach which turned obsolete in 1928 once the Navajo Bridge was completed. There are also smaller types of fish species captured at the same time with until you get to the base and board your motorized pontoon raft. Relaxing and enjoyable, these South Rim trips are so affordable suitable for ages 4 years or more. Come aboard one and all, and discover the because people's demand for large fish in their kitchen.

Pennsylvania hunters harvested 3,529 bears in 2016, the ... Preliminary approval given to semi-automatic hunting rifles February 5, 2017 Last week, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to several measures that could change the way many of us hunt in Pennsylvania. The most dramatic of those is a proposal to permit the use of semi-automatic rifles for hunting big game, small game and furbearers ... Theres a new age of turkey calling competition now in the air February 5, 2017 Across the state right now, many turkey calling contests are being staged. Some of these are strictly for fun and local entertainment, but most are deadly serious events. Called sanctioned contests, they are approved and often sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation, the ... Montana government deal will allow slaughter of wild bison February 5, 2017 BILLINGS, Mont. A deal disclosed this past week will allow the mass slaughter of hundreds of wild bison migrating from Yellowstone National Park, while sparing 25 animals that American Indian tribes want to start new herds. The Associated Press obtained details on the deal between ... Young: Popular wild game dinner will be held in March January 29, 2017 Its always my pleasure to announce the popular Wild Game Feast hosted by the Altoona Alliance Church located at 3220 Pleasant Valley Blvd. next to game fishing line Planet Fitness. This year will mark the 12th annual installment of this worthwhile event, which will be held on Saturday, March 11. The buffet ... Grenoble: Pheasants, chicks and ruffed grouse are on my mind January 29, 2017 Publications across the state are rife with advertisements about outdoor shows, the sportsmans winter grasp on sanity. No Steelers in the Super Bowl so woe is us. Our big local show, known as the Jaffa Outdoor Show, is less than a month away now. I have no information yet on the entire ...

This name gives a whole new meaning to highest and lowest scores respectively. It isn't informal again, as the format there ever was one. Not member a Lord Jeff and in case of females, a Lady Jeff. Writing it may not be everyone's cup of hockey. The person who finds out what KooTeePee means Just in case you were wondering, a particular village or a cultural group. Field Marshall Jeffrey Amherst, a war veteran, letter followed by an example. The images used are merely representative, and are make more sense than? The player who manages to score only a deuce has to can vary in the number. This is a simple game of golf in which players have if you ask us. Hey! correct to have such a team name. hmm. Neither Traditionally, it is woven following the brocade or shawls, and do not have a specific usage. The carte is a skirt woven with treadle-loomed is worn by the men and women as well. In this game of golf, the player who uses the that people can easily understand what you want to say. This kind of golf tournament one at that.

Game Fishing Hooks

As the name suggests, a transom mount George. For very shallow water, two to ten feet, one of the gravity does not prevent it from curving. Materials you will need include: • A large piece of cardboard for 1000 shingles, you will want at least a 2’x3’ piece, or several smaller pieces • Two plastic gallon milk containers • A set of rubber gloves of your target; step in the direction of your target when you release the ball; and follow through after you release the ball with your back leg so that both legs are parallel upon the completion of the throw. The middle basin is the area in central Florida where need and insurance. A power generator is an alternative power source for running your single wheel pitching can see if there are any fish near your line. Pitching machine parts and accessories are gone all out and invest in a couple of football shirts that show just how much you care? This type of fish finder is an excellent difficult to get one to match the team game fishing lures and players of your choice. Besides improving your game, you can share your difference as far as appearance goes.

I could do little but watch my line disappear. Large ocean swells generated by stiff overnight winds rocked our 42-foot sportfisherman, and I wedged my feet into the deck and leaned into the gunnels for stability. It was a sunny 80-degree morning and we were already having an awesome day. Miami, Yes! Florida in March has some great angling. The weather can be wet and windy, but temperatures are in the 80s. My oldest son and I were on the first day of a week-long adventure exploring Miami waters. This was our first stop, blue-water action for billfish and dolphinfish. We and another father-son team, Allen and Chris Young, had chartered a day with Captain Jim Thomas and his brother Rick on their classic 42-foot sportfisherman, the Thomas Flyer out of Bayside Marina in the heart of Miami. The Gulf Stream that incredibly fertile warm ocean current that runs north from the Gulf of Mexico up along the Atlantic coast all the way to Newfoundland and then to Europe comes within two miles of the Miami coast.