#nerd post

[coffeeandambientnoise]

Haven't played Elden Ring in a while. This is my astrologer, Lysandra.

[frankenshane]

i'm not a listening to randoms talk their dnd games sort of person but i am interested in what jujubee and bob the drag queen have to offer on that front

[shoulda-been-a-redhead]

RIP Virgil, you would've loved Barbara Kingsolver

[gerrykeay]

did you know there's a day-by-day timeline of the plot in the dungeon meshi adventurer's bible and TODAY is when it all kicks off

happy falin gets eaten and the gang starts eatin' day :)

[tank-nerd]

Quick reminder:

Car companies are replacing buttons and dials with touch screens because it's cheaper.

But tank-nerd, how could it possibly be cheaper?

It's very simple: every single button and dial costs money, as do the wires that connect it to the on-board computer.

Add design costs to have holes for them, don't forget the extra labour to mount them, paint the labels, and, God forbid, adding indicator lights (extra design time, at least another wire each).

These might seem very small costs, but they add up, fast.

Now consider the touch screen:

It connects to the computer with a single cable. They mount a single device where every function is implemented in software, at basically no cost.

They pay once to develop the software, and now that there are no buttons to install, the hardware cost is just the dime a dozen touchscreen.

And then they'll charge you an extra for the "high-tech" model.

It's the definition of win-win for the manufacturer.

nobody:

the most obnoxious idiot on the planet: "what if we replaced the buttons with a touch interface"

[shesnake]

full offence but I do NOT watch movies so I can "turn my brain off" I take this shit so seriously

[slushy-sash]

why is bro in port ormos when he works at the akademiya

[weirdsociology]

hey writers we have to talk.

if you've read any romance or fanfic in the past twenty years (i know you have), you know that there are a certain number of scents associated with hot dudes. you can probably recite the list of Things Men in Fic smell like in your sleep: leather, black pepper, pine, sandalwood, "something uniquely him", clean sweat, and if the character has ever fucking been within 50 yards of a firearm, something called "cordite".

here's the thing.

NO ONE SMELLS LIKE CORDITE.

cordite was a highly specific type of smokeless gunpowder developed in the 1890s by england specifically and used mostly in wwi.

if your good-smelling guy is not (a) english (b) using a very specific type of british rifle (c) dying in a trench in flanders, he does not smell like cordite. technically even if he does meet all those conditions he still doesn't smell like cordite because he smells like trenchfoot.

the point is, cordite is so far from universal that no one but the most hardcore gun nerds give a single shit about it. making your Sexy Hero smell like cordite is like naming a cassette-only bootleg live recording from the 1970s as your favorite grateful dead album. everyone at the party hates you immediately and knows you're doing it for clout. also, it's just factually... wrong. please stop. i know everyone else is doing it, but you can do the right thing here, i believe in you.

so what do people who are using guns smell like?

well if your story is set before the late 1880s, the smell of a fired gun is black powder, which, unfortunately, smells like seventeen flatulent cows have been shoved in a tire factory. trust me, you do not want your Hot Dude to smell like black powder. it's b a d.

if your story is set after the late 1880s, guns are using some variety of modern 'smokeless' powder - which speaking broadly doesn't really have a ton of scent when used. it does have some, but it's sort of non-descript: the best way i can describe it is the sweet, ozone, hot-plate smell of popping your car hood with a warm engine.

people who use guns a lot don't smell like fired guns all the time anyway, so while those scents might work in a fight scene, they're not realistic all the time. but there are some things that your Sexy Shootist will smell like basically 24/7 and that's metal and gun oil. metal you can go and sniff (i recommend non-stainless steel), but if you want a reference, most gun oils have a sharp, organic smell that's not dissimilar to canola oil but muskier and with a tang overtop. it's not unlikely leather is in the mix as well due to routine handling of leather equipment and gear. modern gear also tends to have a certain smell although it varies by production country and storage conditions - lots of opportunities there.

in conclusion: gunslingers and hired killers and military folks can be sexy and smell great on page, but i am begging you not to say "cordite" when you mean "gunpowder" ever again. we can do this. we are writers and therefore pedants. i believe in us!

[ilikeloons]

Alright bird nerds, buckle up. It's profile picture lore time.

This is an 'I'iwi (ee-EE-vee) or a Scarlet Honeycreeper. They are endemic only to the Hawaiian Islands and high high altitudes. Although they will sometimes head further down to forage for food, which is flower nectar (unsurprising after peeping that beak). They are in the same family as the American gold Finch and Pine Siskin - which is a fact that blew my mind.

They are at risk from mammal introduction to the islands and avian pox/malaria and scarce food. The 'ōhi'a tree, one of their main food sources, is similarly vulnerable from a fungus that can kill a tree in a matter of days.

This 'I'iwi was photographed at Hosmer Grove in Haleakalā National Park. We were able to watch them for a few hours before heading up to the summit. I had gotten a few of the photos below, but not up close shots. On our way back down the volcano, I asked my boyfriend if he minded stopping for an extra 20 mins to see if I could get a closer picture. Right as I walked into the grove I got this shot.

Few others from the same day:

[avani-hub]

Happy 4/13 to all my non-homestuck and still homestuck followers and friends.

[wolfbunsart]

There's a trend on Twitter of drawing fat college Asriels, upon hearing about this my "drawing pathetic looking fat men" muscles activated.

[Original Tweet] | [Timelapse available on my Telegram channel]

[corgiteatime]

I love that Gale is completely self aware that his own hubris and curiosity fucked up his life. But then he sees yet another questionably cursed book in a long dead temple and he wiggles his fingers while saying, "Ooh! Let's be naughty. Don't mind if I do!" as if he's just ordered a dessert with brunch.

[surrah698]

[biteable-pink-pixie]

You're such a nerd. Wanna fuck nasty?

[blumineck]

Bows vs Guns: when does it make sense for modern/ sci-fi characters to use guns?

This is just one example! For a longer breakdown (with some bonus history!), check out my YouTube channel.

And don’t forget there are art reference packs now up on Patreon!