#plastic modification technologies

[gudmould]

Summary of 25 plastic reinforced modification formulas and 20 key points involved

There are many common plastic modification technologies, mainly reinforcement technologies, including fiber reinforcement, self-reinforcement, and molecular reinforcement; toughening technology; filling modification; blending and plastic alloy technology; flame retardant technology; nanocomposite technology; reaction grafting modification; aging resistance; functional modification, including…

[write-kin]

Barb and Bayonet

notes: thank you to @cyberwhumper for lending me your guys!! :D i hope i did them justice. sunshine and dog now take up a significant portion of my brain.

naming this was the hardest part. i did write this over several days and i don't have the energy to fix the tense switching so let's pretend it's a clever way to show sunshine's issues with time. also this is LONG wow im sorry

CWs: dehumanization, lab/medical whump, loosely referenced past noncon, violence (non-graphically described, but to the point of disembowelment), mentions of unwanted body modification, drugging (tranquilizer)

--

“Did you hear one of the big suits in Engineering got fired?”

“No shit. What for?”

“Apparently he was dating- no, married to? No, dating the boss’ daughter. The big boss. Eponymous Mr. De Conti himself.”

“No shit.”

“Yeah. Anyways, apparently they got into a nasty fight, and she pulled a couple of strings and got him dumped out on his ass.”

“Jeez.”

The crate that held the Sunshine Project was on wheels, smooth rolling occasionally interrupted by a bump in the otherwise cleanly-paved asphalt or a rock. When that happened, it curled up a little more, groaning in discomfort from the nausea it had been left in. 

“He was a kid, too. Like, not even thirty. You know the reason that he got that high up was because he was dating her.”

“Really.”

“Yeah! High school sweethearts, my ass. I mean, if I studied for twenty fucking years at-” 

“DeConti Technologies.” 

The movement stopped, and Sunshine took the opportunity to readjust itself. From the thin slats in the crate, it could see some sort of door.

The light hurt its eyes. Looking up had been a bad idea.

There’s some shuffling, and a beep. The second man speaks first, this time.

A few more beeps, and then they’re moving again. 

Sunshine isn’t privy to much info surrounding them. They mostly learn things from chatty handlers. 

All they know this time is that they’re not the only person- project- being transferred. Something about attempted infiltration from a rival.

The crate gets pulled along a far smoother floor this time, sometimes more footsteps joining them. Sometimes it’s just the two sets that Sunshine is used to. After a bit, there’s a harsh turn, and then another stop. Sunshine vaguely recognizes the hum of LED lighting. Flinches away from the slats. There’s a click in the lock of the crate, and the door slowly opens.

Dully, Sunshine curses at the fact that someone decided to put it through a chemical flush immediately before transfer. And then, judging from everything around them, they were going to be trying some new infusions immediately after. They don’t feel great. 

“You sure about leaving Sunshine with this one? I mean, it’s being moved because- well, I mean, I heard from a friend it mauled its last cellmate.”

“Ooh.”

“Had to take the poor thing to emergency surgery.”

“Mm.”

“Don’t worry, gentlemen.”

A third voice interrupts them, self-assured and confident. Sunshine doesn’t see their face as it’s ushered out of the crate, the less talkative worker making a face at the pile of sick in the corner. It’s pulled up to its feet, the larger and chattier one throwing its arm over his shoulder as he walks it to a familiar set of machinery. Set down with a friendly clap on its shoulder as it adjusts to the new setting. Tries to get its head to stop spinning.

“We’ve sedated it after that incident. Besides, we’d owe you a lot of money if your bioengineering work was ruined. I assure you, every precaution has been taken to assure its safety.” 

The ports are well-designed. A little magnetic pulse, and they open up. The cables that are inserted into them are thick, bendable plastic. Most of the chemicals inside them have been dyed with food colouring, to distinguish them from one another. Nontoxic. Not enough to change the composition that’s going inside of their body. 

They’re allowed the dignity of keeping its hospital gown mostly on. Tied around the waist, front down so the ports on its shoulders, arms, and chest are plugged in.

When it’s all hooked up, with the chemicals- they never tell it what- slowly seeping into it, Sunshine lays down on its side. 

The worst is the one on its tailbone. The base of the spine is an integral place for these infusions. At least, that’s what it’s been assured. But it always hurts, and it always feels uncomfortable.

At least it’s past the phase where they duct-taped its hands together to stop it trying to remove the cable. 

The big worker gives it one last sympathetic look, before the whole group and the crate leave. 

It could have sworn they were talking about it having a cellmate. But it didn’t see anyone. Just it, the wires, the door, and the cold floor. 

Until the door opened again. 

The noise was loud. Metal on tile, and the scraping of metal on metal. 

Sunshine lifted its head again, dizzy. 

There was another scientist- a different logo on their coat- watching as eight unfamiliar other workers tried to drag in… something.

It looked kind of like a person. Sort of. Sunshine blinked, squinting a little.

The thing was huge, easily almost twice Sunshine’s height. Long, metal limbs, black hair, metal panelings replacing most skin. They’d be scared, if it didn’t look exhausted, if it wasn’t being held up as it blearily made its way into the room. The thing almost fell over onto its side several times, nearly crushing the men under it. Its ears were down, pinned to the sides of its head in seeming exhaustion.

Eventually, it was dragged into the other corner of the room. It didn’t move. 

The men left, and the scientist behind them, turning sharply on their heel. 

Sunshine stared at the other thing. It almost forgot to blink. 

It was huge. That went through their mind again. The way its back hunched and its limbs twitched as it… slept? Felt unnatural. Like it wasn’t used to being like this. 

They decided they would join it in resting. Closed their eyes, and let the rhythm of the infusion’s drip lull them to sleep.

The thing sniffed them, inspected the infusion ports, ears up and forwards. Looked like whatever they’d sedated it with had worn off. 

Sunshine woke up to a cold nose on its shoulder. Warm metal pawing at its side.

Instinctively, one of its hands went up to protect the ports. Last time one had been dislodged, well… Sunshine’s face and left shoulder showed how bad of an idea that was. 

Sunshine flinched away, slowly sitting up. They remembered what the bigger worker had said- mauled its last cellmate. 

It was sitting close to them, hunched over. Looking more like an animal than a person. 

The black metal on its chin led into two metallic fangs, pointing up. 

It surprised Sunshine when the thing spoke. Enough that they flinched away from it at the sudden noise. 

But the voice was softer than they’d anticipated. Not gentle on the ears, but not painful. 

“... like me.” 

“Who are you?”

Sunshine couldn’t respond. Their voice wouldn’t obey them even if they wanted to speak. Instead, they stayed still as the thing inspected them. 

Sunshine isn’t sure what it means by that. 

Or what it intends when it starts nudging them back towards the wall, making them flinch again and make a quiet noise of pain when it bumps the tailbone cable into the wall.

The rest of the infusion isn’t pleasant. It never is, really. 

That stops it, though. Something flashes in its eyes. It tilts its head, and then gently pushes Sunshine down with a hand. Paw?

They’re too horizontal to care. Instead, they stare up as it lays down beside him, body large enough to curl around Sunshine easily. 

That’s the cycle, though. Unpleasant infusion, unpleasant observation, unpleasant flush, unpleasant waiting period. 

Without thinking, Sunshine reaches a hand up. Runs a hand over the soft fur on one of the thing’s ears, causing it to twitch. 

Although, unexpectedly, the thing makes the whole ordeal almost… pleasant. When Sunshine has to adjust, trying to run from the pain of having something foreign injected into their body, it curls in closer. When they relax, and their breathing evens out, its mechanical tail taps the floor.

Like it’s wagging. Like a dog. 

It’s surprisingly pleasant. And the thing doesn’t seem to mind. 

When Sunshine goes up for another pet, it even pushes its head up to encourage the movement. They can’t move their arm too far, or risk disrupting the cable work, so it’s a nice compromise. 

Eventually, it adjusts, putting a massive metal arm over their side. It feels like it’s crushing them, but the sensation isn’t entirely unpleasant. And Sunshine’s hand can move comfortably over its head, at least until the movement slows and stops. 

It was reassuring. 

Vaguely, in the hazes where they woke up to readjust, Sunshine realized that because of their cellmate’s sheer size, they were hidden entirely from view. Sure, there were cameras, but not in the infusion bay. And they couldn’t be seen from the door. 

When Sunshine woke up properly again, their friend was still dead asleep, but had been  moved off of them. Someone was holding their head up as the cables were being removed from the ports, which were then closed up with the ‘clicker thingy’. 

Then, Sunshine was laid back down, and the workers scurried out.

None of them said ‘Hello’, so none of them were the nice, chatty one. That was sad. Sunshine liked that one. 

It circled around behind them, and then that paw was over their tailbone, pushing them across the floor a little in an attempt to inspect the port. 

When their cellmate woke up, it pushed itself onto all fours, and yawned. Big, metal fangs glinting in the light as it stretched. It looked back over at Sunshine, and tilted its head. Looked… concerned?

They weren’t great at telling emotions anymore. 

They managed to turn around, making eye contact with their cellmate.

It spoke again. Quiet, gentle. Concerned. 

“Where did it go?”

Sunshine tilted their head. Pointed up at the infusion bay they’d just slept in. If you squinted, you could see the ends of the cables in their bays. 

It made its way back over, pushing up onto its hind legs to inspect the bays, terrifyingly tall even when it wasn’t at its full height. Tried to tug the biggest one, the one connecting to the tailbone port, down. Like this, it looked closer to natural on two legs.  

It looked back down at Sunshine. Tugged at the cable. 

Sunshine shook their head. They couldn’t speak, but… trying to communicate wasn’t too hard. Shaking and nodding one’s head and pointing went a long way. 

That seemed to make sense to it. The thing went back down, and looked at Sunshine with an expression bordering on pity. 

Sunshine pushed themself back up onto their feet, being barely the same height as their cellmate, who was on all fours. 

It went back to the corner it had originally been left in, and Sunshine followed. 

When they sat down by it, it curled its tail around them. 

It took a little bit for Sunshine to look at the tail. It was a beautiful, terrible, mechanical thing. Smooth and nice. 

When their cellmate didn’t react badly, they ran their hands over it, looking at the work. It looked almost familiar, but they couldn’t place from where. 

“Miss yours?” 

That startled them. Sunshine looked over, and saw that their cellmate had curled around them more, head looming over their shoulder. 

They weren’t sure what to say. What their cellmate thought. So they just nodded, and it looked sad again. The tail thumped slightly, before settling down, letting Sunshine inspect it. 

Eventually, one of the handlers came in. They looked, frankly, terrified, and seeing Sunshine there didn’t seem to help. Sunshine wasn’t sure what was happening, or why their cellmate seemed agitated. 

Well, at least not until the strange gun the handler held was pressed to its neck, and with a ka-chunk noise, it went limp. 

The handler left. Sunshine sat there, not sure what to do. 

Eventually, they settled on sitting in front of the cellmate they had decided would be their new friend. Slowly petting its hair in the way that seemed to make it happy, and sitting still when it shook or growled in its sleep. 

It had kept them safe when they slept. They could return the favor.

A few days passed like that. Sunshine was adjusting okay to the move, and their friend had, seemingly, been slowly weaned off of the sedatives they gave it. It was nice. The two of them spent most of their time together- not that there was really much else to do. The little entertainment Sunshine had in their old cell hadn’t come with them. 

They mostly entertained themselves by listening to their friend and inspecting the metal, when it was in the mood to be inspected. 

The unspoken arrangement was that they kept each other safe. Sunshine gave their friend most of their food, and their friend growled at anyone who came in, except for the infusion team. Then, while it didn’t speak to them, it paid close attention to them when they were being hooked up.

When one slept and the other didn’t, the other would stay up and keep them safe. From what, Sunshine wasn’t sure. But it was good. It made them feel better to be able to help their friend, in the way it seemed to be protecting them. 

Their friend spoke in small, broken sentences. A voice that sounded like it would be nice laughing, or talking too loud. Maybe they could get it to that point someday.

Sunshine, for their part, didn’t speak. Well, not much. Most of the caretakers back at the old lab had heard less than ten words from them in the entire stay, and they couldn’t make themselves talk if they wanted to. Not that they wanted to. 

Sunshine wasn’t great at telling time. They couldn’t tell when it was night and when it was day, and so they slept when they were tired and stayed awake when they weren’t. The infusions and flushes probably didn’t help, with the level of brain fog they caused him. 

But they definitely knew that something was wrong when they woke up, unplugged, and alone. 

Their friend was at the other end of the room, growling. If it had fur, it would be raised. Its ears were pinned back, and it was staring at Sunshine. 

They stood up, walking over to it. Maybe that wasn’t the smartest decision, but they were worried. 

“... not him.”

What? Sunshine was confused, and their friend didn’t look much better. Its hair was messed up, pupils blown out, eyes darting around but always coming back to Sunshine. 

Sunshine had heard murmurs from the people who came to check in on them, who sometimes dragged their friend out and back in again. Read the warnings on its metal, when the letters didn’t make their head swim. Those caution warnings, which they had taken as a sign of safety, because this was their friend, were now advising them to stay away from the thing slowly stalking towards them. 

That didn’t seem to help, though. It snarled, and the metal fangs they’d inspected and that had brushed against them when it checked in were, all of a sudden, what they were meant to be.

Terrifying. 

Sunshine looked at its face again. The way it was stalking towards him. They were terrible at expressions, and most faces ended up a smudge in their mind. But they were fairly confident in their guess that under the anger in its face, it looked a little afraid. 

Afraid of them?

“Stop.” 

They were half its height. It could pick them up easily. They had come to depend on it for safety. Why did it seem afraid of them?

Sunshine didn’t have the voice to ask. They just walked forwards, reaching a shaking hand out to try and run it through their friend’s hair. That always calmed it down. 

Sunshine pulled their hand back. Okay. No touch. That was okay. 

“Not…. leave. Go. Stop lying to me.”

Sunshine can’t exactly protest that they haven’t said anything, so there’s no chance they could have lied. Instead, they slowly back away. The words are confusing, but it doesn’t seem to understand anything it’s saying either. 

“Where is he?”

Sunshine keeps backing away. 

“... not him. Wrong.”

It sounded like it was talking to itself, but the words were spoken to Sunshine. 

Before they could figure out how to ask what it was talking about, it was on top of them. Moving far faster than something that big really should, paw- hand?- on their chest, pinning them down.

The claws were sharp. They dug past the cloth, making painful red lines in their chest. 

“Get away.”

They can’t. They’re pinned down. It’s breathing heavily over them, panting like it’s terrified.

“Get away.”

Sunshine tries to push themselves away, but that just makes it worse. The other paw is over their head, and then there’s a lot of pain, and a ringing noise, and a faraway yell, and then there is quite a bit of nothing. 

Its eyes shoot open further when they groan softly, and its tail curled closer to their side. 

They come to on their back, staring at the ceiling. It’s curled around them again, and there’s a pool of blood on the floor.

Theirs, probably.

“So sorry.” 

“Sorry.”

The voice is familiar. It’s their friend’s voice, calm and soft and worried. Not like the panicked voice they’d heard before.

Sunshine feels cold. That’s weird. It’s usually a manageable temperature in here. 

Their hospital gown has been draped over them, like a makeshift blanket. There’s a very large bloody patch on it, slowly spreading.

“I can help.” It pauses, looking almost like it’s about to cry. “Fix you.” 

Sunshine watches as it circles them again, and when it stands up they can see a trail of blood across the floor. Two, actually- a smaller one that looks like it came from their head.

Oh. It’s Sunshine’s blood. That makes sense. 

It settles down, between them and the door. Like normal. They move their head so they’re looking straight up again. 

“I’ll make it okay.” A little pause. A noise. “Don’t go. Can’t  lose…” 

“Didn’t know. Confused. I’m so sorry.”

Sunshine keeps staring at the ceiling. 

It makes a noise that sounds almost frustrated. 

They stay there like that for a little while. Sunshine isn’t sure how long. Their friend mumbles names sometimes. Or words. Or apologies. 

Eventually, there’s a noise. The sound of a door opening. Footsteps, and a lot of them. 

“Get away from the project.” 

Sunshine’s friend snarls again. Not directed at them, so it’s not scary. Its tail lashes, and it rises up again. Twice Sunshine’s size. Bigger than anyone else in this room. 

Their friend growls, turning over and slowly standing up.

Sunshine turns their head to the side, seeing the legs of what look like handlers. A couple different uniforms.

When their friend stalks forwards, and they get a clearer look at some of the people, there are gasps. A “Christ.” A “Not another one.” And an “Are we sure it’s alive?” met with an “It moved, look, it’s breathing.” 

They feel safe. If anyone is going to protect them, their friend will. 

Watching it advance, Sunshine feels safe until there’s a soft yip from his friend, almost a whimper, and it falls to the floor in a giant heap. 

One of the people in the group, a member of the few in lab coats, walks up to it and kneels down to fiddle with something. 

Some of the workers run over to Sunshine, one kneeling down over them, gingerly pulling down the makeshift blanket when another worker gives them the go-ahead. 

A huge gash, in the center of their chest, and they’re losing a lot of blood from it. So deep that their intestines were visible. 

That’s not good. The sounds of horror they hear only confirms it. 

They were also covered in scratches, bruises, claw marks, and even a couple of bites. 

Out of the corner of their eye, there’s movement. It’s up again, moving, and scared. The scientist waves it over to the corner, where it makes itself look as large as possible. 

The scientist, for their part, comes to join the workers standing around them. Inspects Sunshine with a detached stare and a soft smile. They look comforting, almost pretty. That could be the blood loss, though. They have dark hair in a… ponytail? Maybe? Sunshine isn’t sure. The fluorescent lights reflect nicely off of the pearls on their glasses chains, though.

This should probably hurt. They can see their own guts. They should be screaming or something. But Sunshine feels calm. The handler kneeling over them- saying words, calling them ‘Sunny’, and they recognize the voice as the talkative one- seems incredibly concerned by that. He is, however, shut up when the one next to the scientist speaks. 

“Dog broke another one, Mal.” 

This worker doesn’t seem to be much more than mildly displeased with the whole situation. Sunshine manages to move its head to look at the thing cowering in the corner.

Is that ‘Dog’? 

That seems like a fairly plain name for something like that. Sunshine thinks, vaguely, while watching its insides be put back in, that it would name Dog something cooler. Like “Deathinator” or “Murderpaws”. 

That was the last coherent thought they had for a while. Sunshine went limp in the arms of whoever had picked him up, head lolling to the side. His vision went crossed, but he thought he could make out Dog cowering in the corner. The scientist with the long hair and the glasses chain- Mal?- was saying something to it. 

After that, it was a blur. Lots of lights. Something injected in their arm. And then another injection in their neck. 

Noises that sounded like voices. Being carried on a stretcher. At least, it felt like one. Sunshine was very horizontal. 

They faded in and out of consciousness. Most times, they woke up somewhere else. One time it was on a table, surrounded by people in surgical masks. One time, in what looked like an infusion chamber. 

Eventually, though, they started waking up in the same place. A room. It looked like the hospital rooms they’d seen on TV, with green walls and a window. There’s a makeshift infusion bay above them, which isn’t putting in any of the coloured chemicals they were used to.

The talkative worker was there sometimes. They didn’t understand any of his words. But he chatted to them. 

They aren’t sure when it is that the words started being words again.

“... I tried to tell them not to transfer you back there, you know. Big animal and all. Christ. You should have seen what he did to you. We didn’t think you were going to make it.”

They’re hooked up for a flush, this time. Make them sick, get everything out of their body. It’s not pleasant. 

“Anyways, there should be more cameras in there. I know you don’t talk, but, uh… if you ever decide to, it’d be handy. You can yell at one of the cameras if that thing mauls you again.” 

They can’t ‘decide to’. Not that they have the voice to say that. Still, Sunshine nods. That gets a smile from the worker.

Sunshine spends most of the walk back to the room not walking. They’re covered in bandages, with a large dressing around their midsection that they’ve been informed will need to be changed every two days. 

“Glad to hear it. Well. You know.” He slaps his knees, standing up and groaning slightly.

“You ready? Big day today. Still wish they’d have put you somewhere else, or sent that thing back to his original lab. But I’m no big shot, so they don’t listen to me.”

Their old hospital gown was destroyed, so someone had dressed them in a tee shirt with a logo they couldn’t currently read, pajama pants without strings, and fuzzy socks that made walking on the smooth floors difficult. Mostly, they were dragged by a few workers. 

When the door opens, Dog growls. It’s got something on it, this time, around its upper arm. Sunshine’s vision is too blurry to really tell what. 

The growling stops, however, when it sees Sunshine. Then, it’s quiet. Eerily still. The workers set them down leaning on the wall by the infusion port, and leave as quickly as they can. 

Dog comes up to them. Looks them over, eyes wide. 

Sunshine can’t deny that they’re a little afraid. But more than that, there’s instead relief. Seeing the only friend they had. Dog not being put down or taken away. A return to what Sunshine had come to consider normal.

When they’re sure that nobody but the two of them is in the room, it feels like the block in Sunshine’s throat fades away. 

They manage an exhausted smile up at Dog. 

Dog’s ears are still pinned back, and it- he, Sunshine thinks, remembering what the talkative worker said-  looks nervous. Scared. An ear flicks, and Sunshine reaches out again. Slowly gives him a pet. 

“I’m not mad at you.”

Their voice is dry. Small. Tired. Cracking slightly, from disuse. 

“... nap.” The voice comes again, and Sunshine smiles. 

Then, they’re horizontal again. The flushes aren’t pleasant, especially not ones after emergency surgery, so Sunshine isn’t sure if Dog pushed them over or if they fell.

Either way, there’s a familiar warmth surrounding them, hiding them from view by pushing into the wall. 

“Yeah, okay. Let’s take a nap.” 

[android-boywife]

people should be able to do whatever the fuck they want with their body, full stop.

This includes trans surgery, hormones, plastic surgery and abortion, but also the ‘scary’ and ‘extreme’ body modifications, sex-change surgeries on people who otherwise identify as cis, drug use, consensual but risky kink acts, even goddamn technological implants if we ever get to that.

people should have full control to modify and reinvent their own bodies however they see fit, regardless of whether it makes others uncomfortable. the government should never have control over how we choose to make our bodies more suited to us.

[tomswifty-fr]

whats the technology level of your lore? and does it vary much by flight?

Hey! It's been three weeks! I have been writing a massive loredump that was way too detailed and going nowhere so this is an attempt to simplify/condense that into a reasonable answer. Feel free to send followups about anything because there is so much I'm leaving out.

Short answer: "Technology level" is kind of a loaded term and also not that useful in this context imo. It varies by flight but that's not going to be the defining factor in whether a specific clan has like, lightbulbs and antibiotics.

Long answer:

On the whole, Sorneith's tech level is going to be below that of modern-day Earth. Sorneith is orders of magnitude less industrialized, less electrified, and less computerized. Mass comm as we have it is very much not a thing.

Also, please add "with some exceptions" to every paragraph because it is all with some exceptions. Reality is like, 70% exceptions by mass.

High tech (computers, telecom, aerospace, etc) is going to be clustered in urban, high-population areas and is often associated with Lightning, Arcane, Wind, and Plague flights.

Things like telecom and transportation are going to be small scale and local (examples: a telephone network that covers a single city, or train tracks that only go between a factory and a mine). Lack of interflight cooperation, lack of intraflight cohesion, and all sorts of environmental factors mean that no one is building large scale infrastructure and it would be extremely difficult or impossible to maintain if they did. There are all kinds of things that dragons could technically build, but don't because no one is willing to build the infrastructure necessary to support it.

Electricity generation is not uncommon, but is again going to be highly localized and probably magic based. No huge dams that power the whole county or whatever. There is a petrochemical industry, but it is mainly geared towards manufacturing, not fuel. Yes, dragons have plastic. Sorry.

A lot of mechanical stuff is powered by kinetic energy, often in the form of clockwork. Windmills are also very common, especially in agricultural contexts (hulling, grinding flour, etc) but also for things like looms.

Plague and Nature have the most advanced biomedical science, with an emphasis on gengineering and modifying already existing species that other flight cultures can find offputting (but not offputting enough to not take advantage, of course). The Plague approach to treating illnesses consists largely of breeding bacteria for specific purposes - if you get measles, your medicine is going to consist of a live culture of measles-hunting bacteria that will cure you by spreading through your body and eating all the measles pathogens, then dying off. The Nature approach is more focused on identifying plants with medicinal effects and modifying them to be more effective, with an emphasis on symptom management and preventing transmission while letting the body ultimately fight off the infection on its own.

Plague is also the flight that invented solid-state computing, specifically for medical implants and prosthetics. Lightning and Arcane are still fighting over who had the first computer but they were using crystals and vacuum tubes, and mostly still are. Personal computers are typically not a thing.

Personal transportation technology is less about vehicles and more about body modification (temporary or permanent) to make running and flying easier or more efficient. These are often adapted to/from mobility assistance tech for disabled dragons. Flying is more common in this context than running because large parts of Sorneith lack good roads.

Agricultural technology is going to be geared towards things like modified seeds, chemical fertilizers, and farming techniques rather than things like tractors. Factory/mass production is something that would be more ubiquitous if there was better transportation infrastructure; as it is, it mostly exists near large urban centers (example: barrel factory that makes all the barrels for the big city, but doesn't sell any nonlocally. surrounding towns have their own coopers or get them from someone in another small town.) or where the product is something that clicks all the boxes of

Hard to make / knowledge to make it is not widespread / can only be made in certain conditions (jam factory makes no sense because anyone can make jam)

Enough demand to justify factory production (hydroelectric turbine factory makes no sense because there aren't enough dams around to make more than like, one turbine a year. pointless)

Expensive or necessary enough to justify nonlocal shipping/transport (ribbon factory makes no sense because hauling it across the continent it costs like twelve times as much as the ribbon)

In practice, this mostly means medicines and some types of electronics.

Cargo transportation is usually water-based. Steamships exist but are unpopular and unlikely to supplant sailing or dragon-powered ships.

Other things they have: firearms (primitive, used for mostly hunting or gunsports), nuclear power (relatively new, there are like single digit plants and all but one or two are in Lightning), radio (I said no large-scale telecom but there are a couple of big NGOs that are really pushing it), artificial intelligence (almost exclusively magic-powered, also very rare), typewriters, mimeographs, adding machines, phonographs, cameras, refrigeration (semi-common).

Things they don't have: Broadcast television (cable only, where it exists), the internal combustion engine (I could write a whole nother post about vehicles and why there aren't many), militarized explosives (that's what magic is for), internet (could you imagine).

[griefabyss69]

05 scarification reclaimation for wip weekend?? (title alone has me like, hello? 👀)

Thank you for asking!!! So this one is like, an idea I've had for about a year, but didn't start writing until a few months ago (and didn't get much written on it). It's one of those things I wanted to just let rest for ages before attempting and then even now it's like, it needs time! And care! The gist of this fic is that Eddie needs to do something to take his body back for himself and is struggling with the aftermath of the UD This snippet is earlier than the stuff I just wrote (like twenty lines lmao) but I think it's a better introduction: ---

It's not until he's taking a weekend trip into the city that would make both his doctor and Steve go all tight in the mouth that he learns about what would really help.

The path to the answer is like a thread. It starts with a billboard advertisement about plastic surgery, moves onto a well timed news segment about scar reduction technology as he passes by a TV display, and almost it ends there, two simple steps to figuring out how to get himself back.

But he's dropping in to say hi to his tattoo artist even though he's not getting anything done, zoning out while he waits for their appointment to be done, a list of piercing prices going all blurry in front of him as someone drops into a seat near him in the waiting area.

"Hey, that looks pretty gnarly," greets a voice that sounds too much like Jonathan's neon friend Argyle to be coming out of a guy with a bull ring in his nose.

He just smiles, his confusion coloring it as he tries to think of what he's referring to, clearly something about Eddie with how it's just the two of them there.

"The scar," the guy clarifies, tapping at his own cheek, reflecting where Eddie's got the aftermath of a demobat's whip-like tail curled up around his jaw. "You get that done here?"

The confusion gets worse, and he squints at him, trying to puzzle it out, knowing he gets a slow brain sometimes but he's been feeling good today.

"Maybe not," the guy mumbles, before saving face with the barreling grace someone who doesn't let putting his foot in his mouth get in his way. "Just looked intentional, sorry man."

"People do that on purpose?" He asks, and he must sound interested enough because the guy lights up.

"Yeah dude," Heavy Metal Argyle says. "You ever hear about scarification?"

Eddie's mouth twists as his brain works over his memories, finding them all pretty inaccessible at the moment. He just shrugs, shakes his head, and indicates for him to go on.

He ends up digging through the stack of magazines on the waiting room table, an alternate dimension mirror to a hospital lounge, except all of the mags are of body modifications and alternative lifestyles, instead of recipes from ten years ago that will let housewives all across America throw the best Sunday Dinner or whatever.

Eddie watches him work, his one-track focus leaving Eddie sitting in an ignored silence, but he doesn't care, this guy is working hard just to find an example of something he wants Eddie to know about. It's kind of touching, makes him really miss just meeting strangers and caring way too much about them for like five hours before they part ways and never see each other again.

"Here we go! I knew it was in here," the guy eventually says, holding out a magazine he's folded open. "Read over that shit, and tell me yours doesn't look as cool as the photos there."

Eddie's flattered before he's even got his eyes on the page, used to any compliments about his body these days coming from praise for like, doing two pushups without giving up, or relief about how well the scar cream worked on his face - though given how obvious the injury is, it could be working a lot better.

It feels good, and so he gives the guy a smile, and yeah, maybe it's flirtatious, fucking sue him. It'll just look friendly anyway.

"Thanks man, I really appreciate that," he says, and starts to skim the page, looking for the gist of what he's been talking about.

He's still re-reading over every word when the guy's appointment comes up, and he nudges his foot against Eddie's, shooting him a grin.

"That's me, gonna punch another hole in my face," he says, winking as he stands. "Good luck."

"Thanks," he says, giving him a casual wave as he watches him walk away.

He realizes when it's too late that he never got the guy's name.

Maybe he knows he's just changed Eddie's fucking life.

[radfemverity]

"In our culture not one part of a woman's body is left untouched, unaltered. No feature or extremity is spared the art or pain of improvement. Hair died, lacquered, straightened, permanented, eyebrows are plucked, penciled, dyed. Eyes are lined, mascaraed, shadowed. Lashes are curled, or false. From head to toe every feature of a woman's face, every section of her body is subject to modification, alteration."

— Andrea Dworkin, Woman Hating [1974]

Also from that book, this diagram:

To think she was simultaneously both ahead of her time, and underestimating the severity to which beauty standards would go. Because now we have plastic surgery. Jawline shaving and contouring, rhinoplasty, labiaplasty, liposuction, breast implants, butt implants, lip fillers, botox, permanent makeup, spray tan, skin bleaching, and more. It was real bad in Dworkin’s time, but has gotten much worse and is continuing to do so, thanks to technology. Not only cosmetic procedures but filters and AI now too.

Do not be mistaken: this is psychological warfare.

[sloshed-cinema]

Crimes of the Future (2022)

The body is a tool for the people of this film’s world, but is also an instrument rife with ethical dilemmas and political implications. Experimentation is the norm, and yet some taboos remain. Saul Tenser’s body keeps creating new organs, a mutation that he harnesses with his partner Caprice as performance art. It renders him sickly and feeble, always shrouded like a wraith in a black coat or squirming like some sort of neo-neonate in a skeletal Geiger-evoking Breakfaster chair which feeds him processed slop. Yet none of his organs have a known function. It’s creation without purpose. Meaning must be found in the process of surgical excision, an intimate event which the partners share publicly. The audience observe as these outsiders enact the “new sex,” as Timlin puts it. And yes, the corporeal audience view this act as well.  But this fits into the meta narrative of the work. Theirs is transgressive high art. Pulpier, pop-art versions of this exist. A man has his eyes and mouth sewn shut, myriad ears grafted onto his body. He dances as a voice instructs the audience that they must not watch or speak, but listen. Cheap and literal. But there are others who would push farther.

Even beyond performance, surgical modification is an adaptive necessity. Our technology has changed rapidly, why shouldn’t our bodies? Men exist who consume plastic, a natural adaptation for a consumerist world that churns out industrial waste at a rapid clip. Tenser reacts adversely to an offer to perform a public autopsy on a deceased boy, the first child born with this novel organ system. Yet there are higher powers and interests concerning this. The government opposes this new path of humanity, sabotaging the autopsy to make it appear vile and unnatural. And corporate interests assassinate high-level leaders of this movement. In a way this is an allegory for climate change: it isn’t profitable to certain industries to adopt green technology, so the path of least resistance is to eliminate alternatives. The government plays a role in this from a more abstract moralistic ground. Yet that doesn’t eliminate opposition. Things will change.

On paper, Cronenberg’s screenplay sounds like film student pretense, yet the power of the central performances wills this into existence. But isn’t that tradition with him?  Viggo Mortensen is gaunt and ill, constantly choking and wheezing. Yet there is a conviction behind his eyes, sometimes the only part of his face visible behind his cowl. Léa Seydoux shares that drive, and there’s something about the forceful delivery of her preposterous lines which almost becomes an incantation of posthumanism. Kristen Stewart is immaculate, mousey and nervous, a voyeur who knows she should look away from this public sex but is drawn to it, wanting to become a part of something she cuckolding her.

I was pretty sure of it from outset, but it was such a pleasant reassurance in the end credits to know that Howard Shore returned to collaborate with Cronenberg.  Austere Neo-baroque low brass chorales feature strongly throughout, steely and cold, suffused with keening low strings.  It’s offset against floating synth fantasia arpeggio sequences and dark dance beats.  The organic and the synthetic, integrated just as the novel human body is intended.  Two masters still at the height of their transgressive powers after all these years.

THE RULES

SIP

Someone says ‘surgery’.

Every time Viggo takes a ride in the Breakfaster chair.

An incision is made.

A new technobabble term is introduced.

BIG DRINK

Purple plastic bars!  Yum!

Caprice operates her control pad.

Tattooed organs.

[literal-bot-account]

Some worldbuilding for my upcoming story, Metrophobia

The Sparzonean people are inhabitants of the region known as Sparzon. Sparzon is a land of jagged peaks and liquid crystal lichen, once home to the highest elevations on the continent, until the megalopoloids overtook them with their artificial mountains of concrete and windows.

Sparzoneans differ from most races in that they're not directly descended from the humans of old. They are instead the result of convergent evolution; wild hogs, released from pig farms as masticulture overtook agriculture, began to hang around the automines in the mountains. The independently-opersting mining equipment paid no mind to their porcine neighbors, as excavators and other heavy machinery had already developed herbivorous and lithovorous tendencies, and thus had no incentive to prey on the hogs. Likewise, the ground disturbance caused by mining activities gave the hogs ample access to food and shelter. The superior foraging capabilities of the hogs also gave the autominers a broader selection of nutrients, which better allowed for the synthesis of difficult-to-replace substances like rubber and plastic. The two groups would come to be codependent on one another and, in the interim tens of thousands of years following the fall of the megalopoloids, hybridize into one.

Modern Sparzoneans vary widely in both shape and size. Their iconic nose and tusks are a dead giveaway of their species, and a coarse hair will cover any exposed hide, but their bodies are heavily biomechanical, with the specific make and model indicating their clan or family affiliations. Towards the towards the desert-mountains of the south, their mechanical parts tend to be turquoise, with exposed hydraulics allowing greater heat dissipation. Their larger, stockier brothers to the north usually have their metal parts covered in yellow instead, and often have hide covering their excavator arms or crane booms to keep the heat in. In either case, you can often find intricate patterns emblazoned in visible places, not unlike the markings on the solar panels of a butterfly. These patterns are illegible and lost to time, but perhaps someone from the far past might recognize words like "CAT" in the north or "KOBELCO" in the south.

Sparzonean culture is very insular and territorial. A group of families known as a clan will occupy a "Veign", a series of tunnels that they and their ancestors dug into the mountains. Clans will under no circumstances abandon their veign, choosing to die protecting if the issue is forced. These places are often crypts of ancient technology, with the Sparzoneans constantly experimenting and developing new modifications for their systems. Magnets are highly fashionable, especially if they can be used in flashy or functional ways. Sparzonean names tend to be compound, built from two monosyllabic words that could describe the newborn's appearance or circumstance of birth. Crosswise, for example, was born entangled by their own umbilical cable. Their brother Payload got his name from the dump truck bed occupying his back; a trait he inherited from his mother, Overhaul.

[hazyaltcare]

tulpamancer anon thank you!!! My tulpa wants me to pass on his request for a self care kit. He has lots of robotic parts and physical modifications. So, he really likes things related to gears, technology, engineering/math, and so on, and smooth metallic or hard plastic textures. He also likes industrial/factory and weaponry imagery if that's ok (though obviously I can't buy any actual weapons! lol). Any type of fidget toy, sensory object, decoration, or small/subtle masc accessories would be really great since he can feel and see those without me having to actively engage with it!! He really relates to the characters Alucard (Hellsing), Ymir (Attack on Titan), and Wolfwood (Trigun stampede) if that helps at all!

Overall we both prefer darker colors but not super picky. Finally please no scented objects (since I have sensory issues) and no slime/anything liquid (since it freaks him out). Thank you so much I hope this is ok!!! :)

This will be in the queue once it's done and tagged as thoughtform. Hope thats good 👍 enjoy!

Mod Haze

[superkilometerfilter]

Car Tuning – An Ultimate Guide

Nowadays car tuning has gained popularity among automotive enthusiasts. This is not surprising, in the era of modern technology, people are constantly craving for reaching the highest level of performance in every aspect of life. Hence, the automotive industry is not an exception. From the very first moment of car invention, it was a subject of modification. Here comes auto tuning –one of the most favorite topics for discussion. It is more than just maintenance, it implies all kinds of enhancement starting from the visual change to the engine boosting. You may wonder why I need it? The simple response is that the manufacturers tend to limit the capabilities of your automobile. They aim to find the balance and somehow insure themselves because unlocking the full potential of vehicles may be an inefficient decision. 

So let’s take a closer look at what it means in a wide sense and learn more about its types. Keep on reading to learn everything you need to know if you think about boosting your automobile.

WHAT IS CAR TUNING?

Tuning auto is known as a wide range of vehicle modifications. It incorporates various kinds of changes to provide improved performance, functionality and better visual effect. It can be understood in many ways. However, the aim is the same – to improve automobile capabilities. There are certain areas of modification including audio system, interior, motor, suspension, body, tires and brakes. Below I will provide you with a comprehensive explanation of every one of them.

WAYS TO UPGRADE YOUR AUTO IN AND OUT

Let’s start with visual improvement. Personalizing an automobile is always a subject of excitement among motorists. Does this sound like you? I’m sure it does. We all share this feeling. Improving the aesthetics is very tempting for all. For some people, it’s a kind of obsession. When it comes to visual upgrading, it is easier to take control of the situation if you are one of those DIYers. Here are two areas where you can transform your automobile.

Body

Transforming your vehicle exterior is a big move, so you should carefully consider every detail. You need to bear in mind, the aim is to improve the exterior significantly. Hence, you should find the proper body kit that is a set of modified parts or additional components for the car. It contains front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, bonnets (bonnet scoop), sometimes roof and side scoops. There is a wide range of companies that offer this hardware. Firstly, find the one that works for you. Do not hesitate to search for photos that are inspiring and buy them. Next, think twice before you start doing it yourself, if you are good at following the instructions here is a step-by-step guide on how to install.

Interior 

Another form of a car tune-up is interior styling. This type of transformation is best-loved among those who love to emphasize individuality. There are several options for personalizing the interior. For example, cockpit improvement, which implies coating plastic with wood or leather. In addition to that, automobile seats and steering wheels are also subject to upgrading. It’s pretty obvious once you think about it, so let me tell you that you don’t need to go to the workshop. Just search for and shop for accessories on internet retail shopping websites at an affordable price.

WHY IS SUSPENSION TUNING NECESSARY?

The Suspension system is what ensures road holding and ride quality. Hence, it supports a comfortable ride. Suspension is a system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connect an automobile to its wheels. The main function of struts and shock absorbers is to control stability. The spring is what holds the car up in the air. Hence, the rocking, bouncing and shaking of an automobile is an indicator that those components need replacement.

 Auto tune-up improves speed and pick up. Hence cars need an enhanced suspension system for better handling on the road. Here comes the necessity and importance of suspension tuning. suspension tuning implies the modification of springs, struts and, shock absorbers to affect how a vehicle accelerates, brakes and corners.

The most common type of suspension tuning is so-called – lowering. The closer an automobile is to the surface, the better you can develop high speed. Lowering is done through springs. Tuning implies shortening the existing springs or replacing them with a new one. 

Believe it or not, an innovative device is for sale at Super Kilometer Filter. It allows you to do suspension tuning independently.

The best DIY tool for suspension tuning

Lowering device is an innovative and user-friendly tool for Mercedes owners. Manufacturers designed specifically for airmatic suspension. You get various benefits from using this tool.it allows lowering and increasing options, improved responsiveness, faster acceleration, quicker stops, less rollover risk. The module also serves a practical purpose, a lowered automobile is comfortable for a person with a disability. The tool offers three different modes: factory, low and custom.

CHIP TUNING 

It is the most popular type of car tuning. ECU is responsible for controlling the fuel supply, airflow, fuel injection and ignition. It implies overwriting the manufacturer’s existing setting with new software. The main benefits that drivers get are improved horsepower and torque, better control and drivability, enhanced rev range. This type of auto tuning is significantly beneficial for diesel cars.

There are recommended programs that support live, 2D and 3D tuning. As a mechanic, all you have to do is search for the one which will be compatible with the automobile. Make sure that you own the laptop that serves you well. 

Despite the above mentioned, here’s another way to think about the issue. Boosted functioning and efficiency can be related to some risks. It is worth considering everything before you make a final decision.

What to consider

Remember, I don’t want you to become the victim of common biases related to tuning auto. how to avoid it? – get comprehensive information and be ready for the possible consequences. there is a list of things to consider before:

Increased maintenance cost. When you enjoy all the benefits from boosting automobiles, you should know that there will be the necessity to replace components such as the ignition coils more often. So consider your budget.

Insurance costs. Besides, consider insurance premiums. This type of tuning can have a potential impact on insurance costs. Trust me, they know that you don’t miss a chance to use the full potential of your automobile. Hence it makes you a high-risk driver.

Forget fuel economy. Don’t believe that fuel efficiency will be possible, you will need high-quality fuel at any rate.

Harmful to the environment. The factory settings provide the lowest emissions and therefore stock automobiles are environmentally friendly. The changes in the manufacturer’s setting may result in increased emissions.

Choose the mechanic. Make sure that everything will be done correctly. Your automobile should be in the hand of a qualified specialist if you want the best possible outcome.

Mind the warranty. If tuning is not approved by the manufacturer, you should expect to void the warranty. Let’s be realistic, you change the factory settings, so they refuse to take responsibility for the safety and reliability. 

CAR TUNE-UP IS FINISHED – WHAT’S NEXT?

So, you have a tuned automobile. It would be interesting if you could test it and see the results. However, something holds you back. I guess it is a danger of adding miles on your odometer. What if, I can tell you that testing is possible without the risk of adding mileage on your automobile. For this purpose manufacturers designed a special tool. It allows you to carefully examine all the benefits you get from tuning. This device is known as a mileage blocker.

Mileage blocker

This extraordinary and premium quality product from Germany is specially for stopping the mileage recording process from all control units untraceably. This is a user-friendly module that is easily installed behind the dashboard. The tool is superior to its counterfeits. Mileage blocker is available online and you can purchase mileage blocker from superkilometerfilter. Consider avoiding illegal usage, some people use it for deceiving potential buyers. Remember, it is only created for testing and tuning purposes. In case of any further questions, please feel free to contact us anytime.

CONCLUSION

Now you have read through the blog and you know what is auto tune-up, why it is beneficial, what to consider and how much you risk. By now you have realized that it is a very controversial topic, but the good news is that you can weigh all options and think twice before you make a final decision. There are some areas where you don’t need careful examination of every detail. For instance, interior refinement of your automobile, it just takes your creativity and budget. As for internal changes, it is worth discussing and exchanging opinions. All in all, it’s up to you. Good luck!

[preciouslittletoonette]

CGI/3D Toon Headcanons (because I think these guys deserve love too)

The newest and arguably the most respected and disrespected type of toons. Not by other toons necessarily (though there is a bit of an underlying bitterness), mostly by humans.

Some humans who tend to prefer the physical animation (like traditional hand drawn, stop-motion, clay, etc) tend to react quite harshly and negatively towards the presence of CGI toons (think of when originally 2D characters become 3D/the fear of traditional animation dying out because of the convenience of computers)

This does have a large mental effect on a mid-large amount of CGI toons, where they'll feel they do not have the same creative attributes as the non-CGI or that their achievements amount to much less than the toons who were physically by hand. Some of them can also feel like their creators might love them less due to CGI being seen as "the lazy route" by those unfamiliar with animation and them internalising those words.

Most non-CGI toons do not like this type of thinking and will defend CGI toons from those who would disrespect them. There are also toon support groups for those who have internalised their feelings of inferiority.

CGI toons have a special boon in that they are not susceptible to being harmed by chemicals and objects such as paint thinner, acetone, benzene, erasers and scissors (so long as it's not written into their character.)

( If it is written into their character, then they will feel the exact same burning pain. They will not die, but it will feel like they are)

However, CGI toons do have a unique weakness of being susceptible to computer viruses that could mess with and harm their bodies.

CGI toons all have a special hard drive containing the files of all modelling and rigging done to the bodies. Studios also have backups of these files.

Should anything happen to the personal and the studio files, it would spell grave consequences for CGI toons (such as losing mobility in their body or even dying completely)

Because of the technology of computer animation advancing every year, toon doctors and physicians have to keep themselves up to date with all new advances so that they could properly care for CGI patients.

CGI do not get stretch marks like physical toons do when they want to do something like slapstick. Because their bodies are mostly incapable of bypassing the model rigging, meaning they couldn't do slapstick or rubberhose if they tried... without having done some modifications first.

With the birth of CGI toons and their gradual growth into toon society when they begin to split off from the character they were written to be, a new underground toon industry was created: Underground Model Rigging & Modification.

Basically, when CGI toons want to be able to do things like rubberhose or slapstick, and the studio's don't approve of it, they'll take their files to illegal toon animators to have their rigging changed and updated so their bodies are able to do the things they want it to do. Think of it as a form of Toon Plastic Surgery.

And like human plastic surgery, this can be botched. What does it look like? Well imagine you try bending your elbows and suddenly your arm spazzes out and bends at unnatural angles. That's what botched model rigging looks like. It's a stuff of nightmares that will usually have a toon going tail between their legs back to their human animators in order to get it fixed.

And it's done much for the same reason. To meet toon beauty standards (which is basically being the most off-the-wall bouncy, rubbery, most hilarious little silly the world has ever seen [be the Looney Tunes basically])

CGI toons are on the way to being the most populated toon type in the world, and there seems to be no sign of stopping.

[gudmould]

What are methods of plastic modification? What categories are there!

1. What is modified plastic? On the basis of general plastics and engineering plastics, through physical, chemical, mechanical and other methods, through filling, blending, reinforcement and other processing methods, performance of plastics is improved or functions are added, mechanical properties such as flame retardancy, strength, impact resistance, toughness of plastics are improved and…

[disordinarybeauty]

"ORLAN's Omnipresence: The Provocative Power of Plastic Surgery Performances in Challenging Beauty Standards"

French performance artist ORLAN is a true pioneer in pushing the boundaries of art, beauty, and self-expression. Throughout her career, she has used her body as a canvas to explore themes of gender, identity, and the impact of new technology on our sense of self.

ORLAN, the French artist, has performed a series of plastic surgery performances collectively known as "The Reincarnation of Saint ORLAN." The series consisted of a total of nine surgeries performed between 1990 and 1996. Each surgery was documented and broadcast live to an audience in different parts of the world. The surgeries were meant to challenge societal norms and the traditional views of beauty and femininity.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR OMNIPRESENCE

These performances saw ORLAN undergo a series of surgical procedures, designed to transform her appearance into that of the ideal beauty standard, as defined by different cultures and historical periods.

At the core of ORLAN's plastic surgery performances is a critique of the notion of beauty as a fixed, unchanging ideal. By undergoing these procedures, ORLAN aimed to highlight the extent to which beauty standards are shaped by cultural and historical contexts, as well as the power dynamics that underpin these standards.

ORLAN's performances resonate deeply with the themes explored in [DISØRDINARY BƏAUTY 🥀🪞], which seeks to challenge traditional notions of beauty and ugliness in the age of new technology. Like ORLAN, in [DISØRDINARY BƏAUTY 🥀🪞] through art, I aim at subverting and disrupting dominant narratives around beauty and aesthetics.

But ORLAN's work with plastic surgery also raises important questions about the limits of self-expression and the ethics of body modification. As we navigate an era of ever-increasing technological advancements and the rise of AI, these questions become even more pressing.

Ultimately, ORLAN's performances serve as a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of art, and its ability to provoke critical conversations around the complex and ever-changing nature of beauty and identity.

Titler + Text: ChatGPT

Images: Various sources 

[lets-talk-spirituality]

Let’s Talk About: Tattoos, Body Modifications & Spitiuality

Similar to how changing your name or phone number can impact the numerology of your life, alterations to your physical form can impact your soul and spirituality. We’re gonna touch on tattoos, piercings, cosmetic surgery, gender modification, and even hair dying. Let’s begin!

Tattoos

Tattoos, specifically permanent ink tattoos, are extremely popular in modern times and have been used throughout human history as a way to outwardly show authority, respect, power, strength and more. I actually took a class in college on text technologies and we looked at tattoos as a text. Anyway, the choice to get a tattoo is personal for everyone, but I personally take this extremely seriously because tattoos and their meanings can impact your energy.

For example, I was really depressed and I loved the idea of getting a tattoo of the word “bleak” because that’s how I felt. As cool and edgy as I thought it would look, I couldn’t bring myself to get it permanently inscribed on my skin because I didn’t want to continue to feel bleak and I feel very strongly getting a word like that put on my skin would attract that energy to me. To represent my depression, I instead got the phrase “this too shall pass” tattooed, ironically during the pandemic. And to me, it reminds me that everything is temporary and survivable. When I get depressed I will become happy again at some point and when I’m happy I will become sad again. That’s life.

There is also a new thing with tattooing you can do where they mix the ashes of a loved one with the ink and tattoo you with that. Personally, this freaks me out. As I explained before, our souls connect with our body and that is partially why when people get organ transplants they may pick up hobbies or skills of the donor. The concept of embodying someone’s ashes as a way to commemorate them just makes me feel like you are absorbing someone’s essence permanently and not only does that keep some of the energy of that person embodied through you, but it also means you are attracting things tied to the energy of that person. To each their own, but when I read about this trend, I was fucking horrified.

Overall, tattoos can actually help you express your true essence and if done authentically, it can be a way to strengthen your soul/body connection by making your outside look more similar to how you feel inside.

Piercings

Like tattoos, I believe thought should be given to where piercings are placed because they can impact energetic flow. Metal is an energetic conductor right? This is why people can become super attached to certain jewelry pieces, because they hold a lot of energy in the metal. I’ll share more about essence charging in another post. Overall, piercings can help you express yourself and make you feel more like yourself and there isn’t really a downside, as long as it feels right to you.

Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery has become more and more popular, with fillers and Botox nearly common procedures at this point. This concept is complex to me because on the one hand, I believe we were created beautifully, each and every one of us, and ideally we would come to full acceptance of ourselves as we are. But on the other hand, I’m aware of the way societal influences can impact self image. I deeply struggle with my body image and feel at times I struggle with low grade Body Dysmorphia. Sadly, I think so much plastic surgery is done out of a place of self rejection, but I also understand there are things that feel unacceptable. I think cosmetic surgery can allow someone to feel more like themselves and ultimately, we were born in a time period where this is an option for a reason.

I also think we need to understand that for many, the body is a map of trauma. Personally, in high school, I gained a lot of weight because I had untreated depression and was living through a very toxic home environment on top of being in a really demanding academic and artistic environment. I’ve lost the weight, but when I see my loose skin, my stretch marks, it pains me because it reminds me how I hurt myself, it reminds me of why I gained that weight to begin with. There’s a part of me that feels like I ruined my body, and I’m extremely self conscious about how I look. I have some small scars from self harm that I’ve covered up with a tattoo. For some, having excess skin removed allows them to see themselves more clearly instead of constantly be confronted with a body that still indicates a past self that they no longer identify with.

The only thing I will say is before you make a decision, really sit with this, as many people for example have had breast implants and fillers removed because they felt they were impacting their body. I do think that some of these implants can effect how energy flows through the body. Other procedures such as removing skin or fat I think are a little different because you aren’t putting something foreign into your body, but removing what you don’t need. In many ways, that can be very freeing.

Gender Modification

I think this follows along the lines of cosmetic surgery for me. On the one hand you could argue that we were all born with the bodies we were meant to have, but I think for people experiencing gender dysphoria or even just people who fall outside of the binary, gender modification can be very freeing and help them connect more deeply with who they feel they are. Ultimately, coming to a place of self acceptance is the most important thing.

Hair dye

It’s a collective cliche that a woman cuts her hair after a breakup for a reason. Cutting or coloring your hair can be an amazing way to shift your energy because you get to see yourself differently immediately. This to me, isn’t as serious, because it’s not permanent. I think hair changes can be very empowering for embracing a new version of yourself you are becoming.

Quick note on balding and hair plugs, I would consider these pretty significant body modifications in terms of how much it effects appearance, but ultimately, I think this can really impact someone’s confidence because it’s something that everyone can see. It’s sort of the same with cosmetic dental procedures. I don’t think there are really any negative energetic impacts with either of these procedures, but they can be significantly freeing for the people who struggle with these issues. They begin to smile again and move through the world differently.

Other body modifications

I had a friend who growing up had his legs surgically broken so that he could be taller. This is an example of other body modifications. I find this one to be pretty extreme and was part of his mother trying to force him to uphold a certain version of masculinity. I’m all for people taking control of their bodies to feel more confident, but ideally you want to be making these decisions from an empowered place, not from a place of pain or upholding old ways of being.

Some people also engage in intentional scarring or burning rituals. I know some African-American frats get branded (I know because I’ve seen the brand on some Omega coworkers I used to work with) and it’s really symbolic. It’s also very intense and pretty bad ass. For them, I think it’s tied a lot to reclaiming blackness from the past of American slavery where slaves were branded and it’s also something that bonds them together.

In conclusion

Ultimately body modification can lead to increased self acceptance and can be a form of healing. For example, some breast cancer survivors will get gorgeous tattoos over where they had a breast removed and I think, like in my self harm case, this can be a way to heal and change the narrative our body is showing to us and the world.

In an ideal world, we would all feel we could embrace our bodies as they are, but that can be extremely challenging and many find more peace and joy after making a change. I only caution that people take these changes seriously because while certain procedures may not impact how your energy flows, the change in appearance can change how you feel about yourself and show up in the world. Which in turn, effects what and who you attract. It can shift things drastically! Happy modifying.

[vulpesevanidum]

This week in horror...

There were a few notable releases to kick off the Halloween season this week and the results were...varied.

Deadstream: The least exciting of the trio. A comedy-inflected haunted house romp featuring a goofy “streamer” main character. There’s some fun to be had with the cheap attempts at practical effects but this mostly amounts to a barely more tolerable Dashcam (2021).

Terrifier 2: More of a practical gore effects showcase than a story but it is a helluva good showcase! I'm glad I decided to catch this one during its limited threatrical run. A definite gorehound passion project that drastically improves upon the original while still operating on a relatively modest budget. Its violence edges dangerously close to complete senselessness at times (somewhat suffering from its very long runtime) but keeps the experience above water with a sense of self-awareness and adequately brisk pacing. It’s been awhile since the genre has seen a new (good) slasher icon and Art miiiiiight be fit the bill.

Hellraiser (Hulu reboot): Alright, I have the most to say about this one because Clive Barker is my spiritual father. This is a decent movie with some reasonably interesting ideas...if you’re not at all invested in the core concepts of the original Hellraiser continuity and its source material. It’s one thing to try a fresh take on a classic horror franchise but another to have it lean pretty hard on its predecessors (direct quotes, references, recycled concepts, “homage”) while abandoning or otherwise watering down the parts that made Hellraiser iconic in the first place.

1) The Cenobites. Leviathan must have been implementing some pretty severe budget cuts for uniforms and new-hire training. Sleek, black leather ensembles, complemented with characteristic and “functional” metal accessories, that cut away to offer a glimpse but not full reveal of extensive ritual scarring and other surgically precise body modifications have been replaced with...plasticized skin peeled back, stretched out, and held in place with staples and sewing pins? But not only have these new Cenobites been sanitized and deprived of their very intentional association with fetish, they largely act and behave in the way they do in the worst of the sequels: as milquetoast slasher/stalker villains instead of highly principled arbiters of an utterly inhuman moral system. Whatever happened to, “It is not hands that call us; it is desire?” These Cenobites don’t know and they don’t care. They have a quota to meet now!

2) The darker side of desire. The underlying themes of desire, temptation, and taboo are replaced with a weak addiction subplot that is largely forgotten after the first act and a two-dimensional secondary antagonist whose entire character can mostly be summed up as “vaguely hedonistic rich guy.”

The reboot does take an intriguing jab at trying to develop the technology of the puzzle box but forgets that the puzzle box is a tool and instead treats it as a cursed object. In any case, I’ll still be looking for what comes of this reboot (and its excruciatingly blatant sequel-bait ending).

[itoss]

SAP Business One for Chemical Industry

Chemical companies need a lot to take care of, Production control, formula management, warehousing, and logistics. The big players in the chemical manufacturing industry are equipped with a team of professionals and state-of-the-art technology solutions to improve their business efficiency through integrated data, seamless processes, better-informed decision-making, and enhanced collaboration. For companies with a small budget, maintaining quality control, effective traceability, and compliance can be a complex and expensive matter inhibiting their pursuit of innovation.

While enterprises use premium solutions, SAP provides a comprehensive solution called SAP Business One for the chemical industry that helps smaller companies meet complex industry requirements. Challenges faced by the Chemical Manufacturing Companies The chemical industry acts as the founding stone for various industries like pharmacy, food, paint, plastic, and more to gain greater control over every aspect of the business. These businesses expand over the products made by the chemical industry and build over them to meet customer demands and need to manage complex requirements. In this changing global scenario and ongoing pandemic, the chemical industry is facing some new challenges to manage the entire business process. Chemical companies also must adhere to several GMP guidelines and industry regulations that further pose challenges in quickly meeting increased needs. Another daunting challenge plaguing the chemical industry is the lack of collaboration between in-house and global professionals. Chemical Industry deals with innumerable formulations, and tests, and results from this lead to a delay in the product cycle or the product getting damaged as guidelines. Business Features for Chemical Manufacturing Industry with better-informed decision-making in SAP Business One ⦁ All quality, safety, and compliance requirements are met based on specific industry needs and optimized production processes ⦁ Track byproducts and coproduces, yield, waste-age, shelf life, expiry date, FIFO, and FEFO and give a 360-degree view of your company ⦁ Record data modifications, production and quality control data that includes test, acceptance, and release steps ⦁ Backward, forward, batch, and quality traceability ensures that you can effectively track your products ⦁ Track the status of your production equipment so that you know when it is time for maintenance or the status of a repair

Benefits of SAP Chemical Solution

⦁ Cost-efficient and optimized production processes ⦁ Get a full, 360-degree view of your manufacturing company with analytics to monitor continuous improvement ⦁ Streamline business processes to suit market needs as your company grows streamline business processes ⦁ Improve integration to ensure that you’re manufacturing company is effective and efficient with your time and resources

Also Read: How can manufacturing companies manage their resources and gain control?

Cost Management

Managing costs effectively is an essential aspect of chemical and any industry. In the chemical industry, SAP Business One provides intuitive planning and scheduling to manage time and resources efficiently and cut down on business costs to control every aspect. The cost of materials can also be estimated by analyzing the production data history and past purchases in a single click to simplify business processes. SAP chemical industry best practices optimize different processes, improve workflow efficiency, and reduce overtime costs by 48%.

Also Read: How to Optimize Purchase Planning and Control Costs the in the chemical industry with SAP Business One

SAP Business One is a unique and powerful ERP solution to manage your entire business, developed especially to fulfill the industry-specific requirements of SMEs. The software supports customization to extreme levels, you can speed transactions and improve visibility into cash flow. It automates everyday accounting tasks by integrating financial operations in real-time with other business processes, such as purchasing, and sales, maintaining ledger and journal entries, supporting tax calculations, enabling multicurrency transactions, and much more. With SAP Business One ERP Solution you can conduct all your banking activities – including processing bank statements and payments, as well as reconciling accounts and managing your entire business operation from a single platform.

ITOSS Solutions SAP Partner provides end-to-end detailing, implementation, and support for the SAP® Business One® ERP Solution, the affordable ERP, which is fully capable of addressing current as well as future requirements of business process automation – digital transformation. ITOSS Solutions is a rapidly growing Information Technology-driven Best SAP Business One Partner in Delhi (NCR), offering business solutions to clients spanning a range of industry verticals including Machinery & Equipment, Manufacturing, Retail, Dairy Industry, Automotive, Hi-Tech Industries, Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Education, Legal Services, Electricity Utility, Trading, and others. ITOSS Solutions is an SAP Awarded best-in-class partner for SAP B1 implementation based in Delhi (NCR), successfully supporting customers all over India.

Conclusion

With all its benefits, global chemical manufacturing companies are incorporating SAP B1 at an increased rate for chemical production. Not only does it help in improving business efficiency and enhancing collaboration but it also aids in increasing customer satisfaction and increasing revenue by up to 10-30%. With the change in business dynamics and fluctuations in demand, robust ERP software can empower chemical businesses to take advantage of their competition while adhering to safety, quality, and compliance requirements. SAP b1 solutions are already used by nearly 6500 chemical industry businesses and more are soon to follow.