#qr code menus need to go

[maki-makis]

QR code menus are the prime example of everything wrong with smartifying things that were perfectly fine dumb as fuck.

QR code menus: better not forget your phone home, also make sure to have internet access, open the menu, tap and scroll through different little sections for each type of food and drinks (if you're lucky enough to not have to download an app), order after 17 minutes and 54 fucks under your breath

Physical menus: open it with your hands, go through pages, order

What was the reason for this? I wonder about this every single time I see a place that offers no physical menu. What was this for? Who suggested this?

Was it the same people who decided we need to download an app for our fridge? Smart fridges, smart washing machines, dishwashers, smart doors, windows, fuck do I know at this point.

"Oh, Jimmy, you know what would make this basic product that does not require internet to do what it's meant to do seem more modern and luxurious so we can sell it 3 times its actual value?

- A Wi-fi connection."

Jimmy: "Brilliant. I think we've really shown just how trendy and in touch with current technology we are by making everything more complicated and frustrating to use."

Only physical menus, dumb appliances and tactile buttons on cars from now on, thank you very much.

That's all.

And most importantly - if something operates as intended without an app, it does NOT need a fucking app.

[firmgripplz]

IS THERE ANYTHING WORSE THAN WHEN YOURE HANGRY AND THE MENU IS UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATED

[subjectsix]

I don't know I'm not done talking about it. It's insane that I can't just uninstall Edge or Copilot. That websites require my phone number to sign up. That people share their contacts to find their friends on social media.

I wouldn't use an adblocker if ads were just banners on the side funding a website I enjoy using and want to support. Ads pop up invasively and fill my whole screen, I misclick and get warped away to another page just for trying to read an article or get a recipe.

Every app shouldn't be like every other app. Instagram didn't need reels and a shop. TikTok doesn't need a store. Instagram doesn't need to be connected to Facebook. I don't want my apps to do everything, I want a hub for a specific thing, and I'll go to that place accordingly.

I love discord, but so much information gets lost to it. I don't want to join to view things. I want to lurk on forums. I want to be a user who can log in and join a conversation by replying to a thread, even if that conversation was two days ago. I know discord has threads, it's not the same. I don't want to have to verify my account with a phone number. I understand safety and digital concerns, but I'm concerned about information like that with leaks everywhere, even with password managers.

I shouldn't have to pay subscriptions to use services and get locked out of old versions. My old disk copy of photoshop should work. I should want to upgrade eventually because I like photoshop and supporting the business. Adobe is a whole other can of worms here.

Streaming is so splintered across everything. Shows release so fast. Things don't get physical releases. I can't stream a movie I own digitally to friends because the share-screen blocks it, even though I own two digital copies, even though I own a physical copy.

I have an iPod, and I had to install a third party OS to easily put my music on it without having to tangle with iTunes. Spotify bricked hardware I purchased because they were unwillingly to upkeep it. They don't pay their artists. iTunes isn't even iTunes anymore and Apple struggles to upkeep it.

My TV shows me ads on the home screen. My dad lost access to eBook he purchased because they were digital and got revoked by the company distributing them. Hitman 1-3 only runs online most of the time. Flash died and is staying alive because people love it and made efforts to keep it up.

I have to click "not now" and can't click "no". I don't just get emails, they want to text me to purchase things online too. My windows start search bar searches online, not just my computer. Everything is blindly called an app now. Everything wants me to upload to the cloud. These are good tools! But why am I forced to use them! Why am I not allowed to own or control them?

No more!!!!! I love my iPod with so much storage and FLAC files. I love having all my fics on my harddrive. I love having USBs and backups. I love running scripts to gut suck stuff out of my Windows computer I don't want that spies on me. I love having forums. I love sending letters. I love neocities and webpages and webrings. I will not be scanning QR codes. Please hand me a physical menu. If I didn't need a smartphone for work I'd get a "dumb" phone so fast. I want things to have buttons. I want to use a mouse. I want replaceable batteries. I want the right to repair. I grew up online and I won't forget how it was!

[baddywronglegs]

You pick up the menu at the restaurant. All it contains is a QR code and instructions.

"Simply scan QR code to download our app and point your phone at this page through our app for an AR view of our menu!"

You get up to leave. The door won't open. There's a sign next to it.

"Display your receipt in our app to the scanner to exit."

You go to the bar to talk to a human. There is no-one there.

A sign says "Need help? Just click the Help button in our app."

Relenting, you scan the QR code.

"Not compatible with your device."

[stupittmoran]

“I don’t want to connect my coffee machine to the Wifi network. I don’t want to share the file with OneDrive. I don’t want to download an app to check my car’s fluid levels. I don’t want to scan a QR code to view the restaurant menu. I don’t want to let Google know my location before showing me the search results. I don’t want to include a Teams link on the calendar invite. I don’t want to pay 50 different monthly subscription fees for all my software. I don’t want to upgrade to TurboTax platinum plus audit protection. I don’t want to install the Webex plugin to join the meeting. I don’t want to share my car’s braking data with the actuaries at State Farm. I don’t want to text with your AI chatbot. I don’t want to download the Instagram app to look at your picture. I don’t want to type in my email address to view the content on your company’s website. I don’t want text messages with promo codes. I don’t want to leave your company a five-star Google review in exchange for the chance to win a $20 Starbucks gift card. I don’t want to join your exclusive community in the metaverse. I don’t want AI to help me write my comments on LinkedIn. I don’t even want to be on LinkedIn in the first place. I just want to pay for a product one time (and only one time), know that it’s going to work flawlessly, press 0 to speak to an operator if I need help, and otherwise be left alone and treated with some small measure of human dignity, if that’s not too much to ask anymore.” ~ Robert Sterling

[digichu]

Anon here!! How did you make the heart graphic for the power rentry?

hi!! i’ll put it under the cut since there’s quite a few steps. lmk if you need a more specific tutorial or images for any of the steps!!

1) finding the base

find the shaping mask you wanna use. you can look up “shaping mask png” or “mask png” on pinterest to find some. this is the one i used:

2) removing the background

to remove the background, use the selection layer in ibis paint x. to find this layer, go to the layers panel and it should be the one all the way at the top. it is titled “selection layer.” to remove the white background, select the bucket tool and select the white background. it should turn blue. then switch from the selection layer to the layer you’re removing the background from. look at the top middle of the screen. there should be a square composed of dotted lines that looks like this:

click on it and select “cut.” this will remove the white background. click on it again and select “remove selection area.” now you’re ready to continue!

3) creating a cleaner base layer

you might want to do this if you plan to add a stroke, as once the background is removed from the mask, it tends to leave some remnants behind. this makes the stroke look choppy and pixelated. to do this, take the paint bucket tool on a new, blank layer, and fill in the black part of the base with black. then, delete the base layer underneath the new layer. the hearts will become transparent (to see this better, change the canvas from white to transparent in the layer menu) and the base will hold its shape. you can also remove the hearts in the previous step, but this tackles two birds with one stone and (in my opinion) looks cleaner.

4) filtering manga panels

to make the manga panels pink, i looked up “pink manga polarr code.” pretty much any one will do, but this is the one i used:

for the rest of this step, you’ll need the app polarr. once you get the app, go to the edit section of the menu on the bottom. click “open photos” and insert the manga panels you wish to change the colors of. then, click “filters” and “import filter.” from there, click “import qr code” and click on the filter in your gallery. the filter will go into polarr, and you can just click instant export or you can save it and then export it. it’s up to you.

5) masking the panels

import the images you just filtered into your canvas. now we’ll use a clipping layer to have them take the shape of the base. click on the image layer you want to do this with, and then hit the clipping option in the layer menu. this will have it take the shape of the base.

6) coloring the hearts

now we’ll add a new blank layer atop the clipping layers. i color picked the pink color from the image, and then used the bucket tool to fill in each of the hearts.

7) adding the extra pngs

for this step i used the sticker option in picsart and a transparent canvas to collect the pngs. i believe i looked up “pink png” in the search bar, but i’m not sure. then i imported them into the ibis paint x project and positioned them where i wanted them to go. download transparent pngs of the project (one of each image you added). toggle the eyes on and off so that you can save the different versions (not individual layers. i just mean if you added two manga panels, make sure you get one with one manga panel and one with the other).

8) creating the gif

search up ezgif animated gif maker. it should be the first option that comes up. for this, i typically switch to “manually ordered upload” opposed to “alphabetically ordered opload” (the default) so i have more control over the order of the images in the gif. once you upload them into the site and you get to the editing menu, set the delay time to 100 and click the box that says crossfade frames.

andddd you’re done!!! i hope this was somewhat comprehensible and i didn’t miss any steps xD

[bellyyearner]

Feedist Kinktober 2024 Day 3: Date Night

Word Count: 1320

Thank you to @fatguarddog for the theme list!

Feedee POV, large feedee x thin feeder, GN feedee x femme feeder, tight clothes, social setting, stuffing, belly noises

As you both are walking up the stairs you can feel your belly wobbling beneath the strained fabric of your button up, your pants were a struggle to put on and you already know you're at risk of popping the button before dinner even starts. You turn your gaze to your wife and she just looks so elegant, her lithe body adorned with a flowy knee length crimson dress, hugging her upper curves while obscuring her lower, dark brown hair cresting the tops of her shoulders. The smell of the restaurant permeates both of your noses but one of you is clearly more drawn to it than the other. Despite the extra effort of hauling the almost 200lbs of pure fat you've added to your frame you're quite thankful most of it went to your fattened middle, makes going up stairs easier as you don't have to try too hard to balance.

When you both reach the top of the stairs you step to the side and take a short breather. After a moment your partner looks up to you with beaming eyes and a wide smile

"Alright sweetie.. are you ready to have some fun?" ;)

"You know it babe"

"Good, lets go celebrate this right"

You both walk to the receptionist, they check your reservation and guide you on over to the booth your wife booked, a fact you learned less than an hour ago which explained why she was so restrictive with your meals today. "Restrictive" as in a normal day of eating for a normal sized person. She slides into her side of the booth with ease to watch the show, as you bend your knees to slide on in. Ass barely against the seat and you can feel the table digging in to your gut already, but your belly is doughy enough to not have issues sucking it in and sliding the rest of the way through.

You pull out your phone to scan the QR code on the table but as soon as you try she puts her hand over your phone and lightly pushes it to the table.

"I'll be handling this tonight sweet heart. Just be a good pig and wait a few minutes as I get us situated, get comfy you're gonna need it"

Your heart flutters as you shake your head, unable to form a proper reply. The squeeze from the table against your fattened gut is causing the rumbling to begin, an angry belly demanding to be filled letting out a roar, your wife just chuckles in response as she peruses the menu.

After the minutes pass she sets her phone down and presses the button next to the QR code, a server comes by moments later, you now realize that the kitchen door is only a mere 20 feet away. Something she definitely knew before hand.

"What can we get started for you both?"

"Hey yeah we'll get a Sea Food pallet, a Caesar salad, 2 brisket specials , 2 margaritas, and 2 glasses of water to start"

"Sounds good, I'll get those drinks out for you now, the food will be coming out in about 10 minutes"

With that your server walked to the kitchen and returned shortly after with the margaritas and water. The both of you engage in conversation and sharing memories while you wait for the plates to arrive. The margaritas went quickly so your wife presses the button again and orders another 2. The food comes out with the drinks and it smells so enticing. Unsure where to start you look to her and she greets you with hungry eyes

"Well? What are you waiting for baby? Pick up that fork and get to work, I've got big plans for you tonight"

Obediently you grab your fork and start on the brisket, the tender meat falling apart so softly in your mouth, infused with the southern flavors you've grown so accustomed to. Quickly you get sucked into your own little world, pushing more and more of the juicy meat past your lips between sips of your margarita. By the time you finish the first plate your angry gut has been replaced with a greedy one, leaning back a bit you caress your love handles to your belly button beneath the table. You feel the tip of her heel poke your fupa and you look down back at her, her head resting atop her hands as she quietly says "Good job sweetie, but that's just the start, nows not the time for a break"

Your crotch grows hot as you stifle a burp, she presses the tip of her heel into your gut deeper this time as she stares you down with greedy eyes, forcing a little more gas to come up. You taste the brisket on your breath before she says "Was the brisket good piggy? Go ahead, I didn't order this one for me anyways" she inches the plate towards you, eyes locked onto your lardy middle spilling onto the table. She presses the button on the table again as you tear into the meat once more, barely even registering her placing another drink order when the server comes by. Juicy meat with intense flavor sliding down your throat and falling into the abyss that she owns and maintains very well.

As soon as the 2nd plate was cleared the server had returned with cocktails and took away the 2 plates you already cleared. You notice your wife has just been sipping her drink and taking slow bites of her salad this whole time

"Are you not gonna have any of the seafood babe?"

"Not at all, sure it's meant to be shared but... I'm enjoying making you look like a complete and utter fat ass"

You blush hard, looking her over and taking in her thin form, the contrast between you is undeniable. Sure the booth is somewhat secluded but you know damn well your server has probably already alerted the kitchen staff to the obese pig they're cooking for. It wouldn't be a surprise if a couple of them had peeked through the window on the kitchen door to see the gargantuan size of who their feeding.

The thought quickly fades though as your wife picks up a shrimp and presses it to your lips, instinctively you open up and lean in, forgetting all about decency as you do so. With subtle words of encouragement and more of her heels poking and probing your belly the sea food pallet slowly but surely disappears. By this point your gut is pressing against the table hard. The buttons above the table are stretched tight, making the fabric between them take the shape of ovals. You're stifling burps as the gas in your belly shifts and the food churns.

A small break occurs and the two of you just enjoy each other's company, talks of when to take pto next, where you should go on vacation, what shows and books you've been wanting to watch/read. She presses the button again without acknowledging it and the conversation keeps going, once your server arrives your wife orders a parfait, a sundae, and a whole chocolate cake to go. As the server walks off your wife turns to you and rather curtly says

"The parfait is mine fatty. It may look good and tasty but you're not touching it" a smile crest her lips and she laughs, you join her as well before saying

"Don't worry about that, a sundae is just what I need, besides I doubt that cake is for tomorrow"

"Of course not, as soon as our desserts are gone, you're gonna squeeze your way out of that booth you've eaten yourself stuck into, we'll head home, and I'll have you face down in that cake as soon as we're upstairs"

She leans over the table and beckons you closer, with a whisper she says

"I'll be making you my bitch tonight sweetheart, the lube, strap on, and towels are already laid out, happy anniversary piggy"

[akehoshimystar]

Chapter 3

Negotiation Dept.

By Misora (@alcmisoyou on X)

“Negotiation!”

Secret to Becoming Adult Man

Roka: (Huh!? What about the countless desktop PCs……!? ……Woah, since when I’m in front of the station?)

<TL Notes: This line is only found if you get the order of Watchdog Dept. -> Negotiation Dept.>

Roka: (Ah, Kiho, Riku, and Kyon-kyon! Why are they walking so fast?)

Riku: Y’know, there’s something I want to talk with Shido about~

Kyoya: My name is “✝Abyss Sympathizer✝”—

Riku: Right~ My bad, my bad~ Anyway, Abyss whatever you are.

What do you think an “adult man” is?

Kyoya: ……That’s a difficult question. What does Riku-dono think?

Riku: *kiss*

Guys who do that, I guess?

Kyoya: Ugh, so sha–……

If it wasn’t me, someone could’ve died—

Kiho: Heeey, you guys are so annoying, is that really important to talk about right noow?

Kihorin gotta catch the next train tho?

Kyoya: Fuh, I’m still moving my legs even when I talk.

\ (^w^)/== 

    (ヘ)三三

     <三三 Look at these jet black wings (fast legs)!

Kiho: Is that so. Then here’s some advice from Kihorin for the little lost lamb bastard.

Adult men are “composed men”. Keep that in mind.

— Station —

Riku: Kuh……!

Kyoya: What, is it a surprise attack from Lucifer!?

Riku: Yeah……

Kihorin, how many minutes before the train departs!?

Kiho: One.

Riku: Let me go to the toilet!

My “pe—” is!!

Kiho: Ew.

Kyoya: ＿人人人人人人人人人人＿

            ＞ 　Leave it to me!　 ＜

             ￣Y^Y^Y^Y^Y^Y^Y^Y^Y￣

15 seconds to the nearest toilet, 8 seconds to enter the cubicle and pull down your pants.

12 seconds to hold and let it out, then wipe your butt……

Approximately 42 seconds. You will make it.

Riku: Heh, as expected from my comrade!

I will be going for a bit, you guys better not get on first!

Kyoya & Kiho: ……

Kiho: Composure— is totes important.

“The door will be closing. Please be careful as the door closes.”

“Negotiation!”

A Coffee Please

Riku: —What are you guys ordering?

Kyoya: I’ve decided……

Kiho: Uh!? Woah, pri–

Riku: You shouldn’t say that it’s expensive out loud!

Kiho: So loud~

Kyoya: To think that a cup of coffee in the store we happened to enter is 1,000 yen. Is this a trial from god?

Riku: We messed up. I only have one Hideyo right now.

Kiho: Oh no, what about Shibasaburo?

Riku: Two.

Kyoya: I have one Soseki ^^

Kiho: Three generations is so feels~

Like, anyway, enough of this, I’m calling the waiter, ‘kay?

Kyoya: Wait!

……Um, why don’t we practice first?

How to say café au lait……

Is it simply “café au lait” or “café” “au” “lait”?

Kiho: Separated sounds totes cooler~

Kyoya: One café-au-lait.

Kiho: Nice~

Kyoya: ( -`ω-)☆ﾄﾞﾔｯ

Riku: You guys are so childish. What you need to order here is coffee.

Kyoya: Absolutely.

……However!!

Which coffee will make us sound cool……? There are too many kinds……

Kiho: Like how about the most pricey one~?

Riku: Right. Saying “the most expensive menu in this store” sounds cool.

Kyoya: Oh!

Kiho: Even more so by adding finger snap~

Kyoya: Oh!!

Sounds good, let’s do so. ……Alright.

Excuse me.

Waitress: Yes.

Kyoya: Give me the most—

—Expensive coffee in the store. *finger snap*

Kiho & Riku: Oooh!!! He did it!

Waitress: ……

Please order through the QR code.

Kyoya & Kiho & Riku: …………

kwawsedrftgybujsklp

What’s coming to the next “Negotiation!”?

Two episodes of “Wanting to be a Cat Day” and “Kihorin Cooking with Hammer”. Look forward to it ☆

TL Notes: The people featured in 1,000 bank notes in order were Natsume Soseki (1984~), Hideyo Noguchi (2004~), and the latest one Kitasato Shibasaburo (2024~)

Chapter 4

[greenhorn-art]

Prince of Shadows, Lord of Thieves by alkat

Fandom: The King's Avatar | 全职高手

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Category: Gen

Words: 1 929

Once upon a time, their exploits were immortalized by artists and writers across the tapestry of history. Once upon a time, they were worshipped as gods and reviled as demons. None of that stopped the Met from stealing all their shit.

About the Book

FONTS: Alegreya [Google Fonts], Lato [Google Fonts]

IMAGES: all art made by myself @greenhorn-art for this fic

MATERIALS: regular ol' printer paper (8.5"x11", 20lb, 96 bright); ~2-2.5mm binder's board; Neenah cardstock (8.5"x11", 65lb, bright white); Cialux bookcloth (black); waxed linen thread (30/3 size, white); wheat paste (1:4 flour:water); paste wax (from a friend, unknown ingredients&quantities, some kind of wax and turpentine/mineral spirits)

PROGRAMS USED: Affinity Publisher 2; Affinity Designer 2; Bookbinder JS | Renegade's Community Imposer (settings: Quarto, snug against binding edge, custom signatures of 2, 1, 2 sheets).

Text & QR codes printed with colour laser printer (duplex, flip long edge), images printed with inkjet printer. QR codes generated with LibreOffice Writer, snipped, saved, and inserted where needed.

BINDING: quarto (quarter-letter) size, sewn board binding with french link stitch and breakaway spine.

.

So this one all started because the visual of HST's outfit was so fun that I was possessed by a visceral need to draw it. Inspiration slapped me across my mind's eye, and much like a medieval knight being slapped in the face by a glove (which didn't actually happen, that's a myth that sprung from the throwing down of a gauntlet. but that's beside the point), I felt bound to take up the challenge. Which lead me to draw a few more, and then I ended up binding the whole thing.

(Also, I find it really amusing that the famous Terracotta Warriors were just storage for YXs stuff. And the gang going 'shopping' at various exhibits for gifts for friends/family,, like that sure is SOME window shopping! I can hear it now: 'Oooh I'll take one one those SMASH, and that SHATTER, and throw in some of those CRASH, they're going to love these! 😇'. All in all, it was a fun little read, and fun little project! :D)

About the Art

Because this was initially a one-off drawing I tried a new art style (and struggled to at least not stray too far for the rest). It was fun and helped me think more about shape and visual focus, instead of being caught up in the details.

The crow (based off of image ID: 4039963 from Rawpixel) and the red umbrella on the front cover were filled curves made with the pen tool. The illustrations' poses were based off of a combination of images found on Google and photos taken by myself.

Pinterest is awful for sources, but it would have been handy to pin the references I'd googled. Only remembered to save the one of a man sitting at a desk. (I deliberately searched for someone sitting with bad posture because YX is described as being "slumped" over the desk. I figure that since "the laws of physics held no meaning to ["cursed souls eschewed by the natural order"]", they'd also be immune to mundane things like discomfort from sitting hunched over for too long. Back pain images were a gold mine! All I had to do was choose one with lighting that would give me a silhouette.)

The Myriad Manifestations Umbrellas and illustrations were drawn in Procreate.

I opted for a more plain umbrella design because it's not (presumably) a fantastical weapon in this story. Though the initial version did have YX cradling the donghua!MMU.

For the scene breaks I inserted the images, pinned them inline as character, and adjusted height and baseline in the pinning menu to fit.

The author wrote one scene break differently than the others, using multiple empty paragraphs instead of just one. Following suit, I used a different image for that particular break. I wanted to reference vampires somewhere, so for that break I made two bloody spots resembling bite marks. The blood spots were made with a group of shapes in Designer.

On cover design:

Because the MMU is what sparks the whole heist, I wanted it on the front cover.

Earlier iterations involved a full cover spread with a man's shadow standing before a shattered glass case, with a plaque mounted on the wall to the left providing information. The plaque was formatted like a museum label and had the author, date published, title, event collection, and story description. I'd also added a QR code to it. Ultimately, I abandoned the concept because it was difficult to decipher what is was when only looking a one cover at a time.

My second idea for the cover would have been a bookcloth-only cover with a cut-out of the MMU on the front, acting like a window showing off an image of the MMU on paper below it. (Inspired by the work of a number of folks over on Renegade's Discord. Here's a few examples gleaned from a quick search: szynkaaa's lung cutouts, some of EHyde's books, and the front cover of Spock's massive all-in-one TGCF). As fun as that would have been to try out, I felt it didn't quite suit the style of the art so I nixed that too.

Eventually I landed on the back cover design with the Met exhibition webpage. At last, I felt that the back & white and simple-shapes-background went with the artwork. The webpage viewed on the phone is based off of the Met's actual website. I took a snip/screenshot of the Met's logo from the banner at the top, then looked at their exhibitions' pages and eyeballed it to create my own. (Threw in the QR because I wanted the easy access to the fic online on the back cover). I chose to use a phone screen rather than I computer monitor because it worked better composition-wise. And besides, while YX may be allergic to owning a phone, SMC is not. I imagine that she saw the news while on her phone then messaged him.

The front cover came together after that. An umbrella for the MMU, and a pop of red. One of YX's messenger crows. A black shape in the background similar to the back cover's, sort of creating a spotlight over the umbrella and placing the rest of the cover in shadow.

Trying New Things: Applying a protective finish to printed covers

Over on the Renegade Bindery Discord, folks have spoken about using a beeswax & turpentine/mineral spirits 50-50 mix to seal printed covers (thank you Kate). According to my dad that's just a paste wax, so he threw 3 different ones at me and said 'have at it'.

I tested them out using the same paper and inkjet I'll use for the cover. I was looking at 1) whether the paste wax affected the paper colour or print quality, and 2) the finish. After applying one coat each and buffing them out I had my winner. Then I applied & buffed two more coats to it and tested 3) water resistance by dripping tea on it. The liquid beaded up and wiped away without staining -- good, three coats will work nicely.

(Test results: Mystery paste wax from a friend wins.

The commercial SC Johnson Paste Wax Original formula (intended for woodworking) has a nice dry shiny finish, but coloured the paper slightly brown -> disqualified

My dad's homemade stuff has a nice shiny/satin finish and didn't change paper's colour, but it felt slightly tacky even after buffing it -- maybe I didn't buff it enough?

The gifted paste wax has a matte finish, didn't change paper's colour (in the image below this one has 3 coats. The paper is now slightly off-white, but still acceptable), and while not as dry-to-touch as the Johnson it was not as tacky as the other homemade stuff.)

When I print out my quarto covers, I print front and back covers side-by-side on the same page*, with some guides to ensure I'm cutting and gluing in the correct place. (The guides mark the boundaries of the covers and start of the turn-ins, and stop at the edge of where I cut. Before cutting I flip it over to mark the guides [see marks indicated in image below] on the wrong side and connect them so I can see where to glue/place book. Then flip it back over to cut, right side up.)

*I'm being economical here at the cost of possible warping damage. This layout means that I'm only using one sheet of paper, but the grain is running in the wrong direction (across the book instead of preferred head-to-tail/top-bottom). This could cause warping issues, but I'm OK with that. I'm hoping that by just gluing at the edges, instead of pasting down the whole thing, warping will be minimized. (I use wrong-grain endpapers most of the time with larger books anyways).

I applied the paste wax before cutting out the covers, working carefully to avoid accidentally creasing/bending the paper (which happened twice, but it was minimal and I hardly notice it). Doing so before cutting ensured that the cover material was completely covered. Even the turn-ins -- something I later came to regret. After all, wax is used specifically so that things don't stick to it. It made it rather difficult to drum on the endpapers because I was trying to glue something down onto a waxy surface. It all worked out in the end -- perhaps due to the fact that there were multiple layers of wheat paste which could adhere to each other, followed by being squashed in a press.

[buffetlicious]

Saw the advertisement on television promoting the bundle deal of three dishes by Tun Xiang Hokkien Delights (豚香福建馆). Thought that it was a good deal plus the fact I have not been to the place yet. Dragged mum along to Northpoint City mall on a hot weekend afternoon since I couldn't possibly finish the set meal alone.

Upon seated, the wait staff informed us that you can scan the QR code on the table to access the digital menu plus order. Placed ordered for the Bundled Deal (S$28.80++) consisting of the Signature Hokkien Mee, Iberico Pork Fried Beancurd and White Pepper Collagen Pig Stomach Soup.

The Signature Hokkien Mee (招牌黑猪福建面) came with a mixture of yellow noodles and bee hoon (rice vermicelli) served over banana leaf. At a glance, one can spot prawns, squids, matchstick sized pork and plenty of deep-fried pork lards soaked in the gravy. While the overall taste is decent, the flavour profile of the prawn is not pronounced enough like they didn’t use enough prawn heads and shells to render out the prawn oil.

Both of us enjoyed the Iberico Pork Fried Beancurd (酥炸黑猪酿卜) a lot. The minced pork is well seasoned and stuffed into fried bean curd puffs before going into hot oil. The puff outside is crispy while the meat is juicy. Remember to dip the whole thing into the sweet thick sauce for the complete package before devouring it.

Was reminded that the White Pepper Collagen Pig Stomach Soup (胶原胡椒猪肚汤) is hot when it was served. It came with thinly sliced Iberico pork, tripe, fish maw and garnished with coriander and chilli. Taking a sip of the soup, I can detect the stickiness of the collagen on the lips and the spiciness of peppercorns though I would have enjoyed a stronger peppery taste. Both the tripe and pork were tender enough but the fish maw needs a longer cooking time to get to the softer texture I preferred.

While I enjoyed the meal, mum is a lot harder to please. She claims that the noodles look like last night leftover and other than the fried bean curd, I don’t think she like the other two dishes.

[seenoversundown]

Sparrow Of the Dawn : Chapter 2

Warnings: Drinking, Self deprecating humor, otherwise fluff - unfortunately comedic themes.

Word Count: 3.7k

Summary : Sam unfortunately finds himself in not so meet cute with Willa. Hopeful that he doesn't cross her path again; the world works in mysterious ways and not always in your favor.

Author's Note: I was too excited for you to meet Willa officially, and want you to love her as much as I do! The official posting schedule for Sparrow of The Dawn will be on Sundays. Things are only beginning for these two and boy does it get GOOOD. 💜

You’re So Vain - Carly Simon “You’re so vain You probably think this song is about you”

Honestly speaking, I don’t even know why I’m here. Dating is not something that is hugely important to me. I like my independence too much and really there is nothing a man can do for me that I can’t already do for myself. I said what I said. But Katie swore up and down that this guy, Jeff, was a good guy, and I needed to get out of the house. Or, at least, I thought I wanted to get out of the house until this morning. 

My roommate Quinn has been going through a terrible, messy breakup with a complete ASS of a man. It’s their first break-up I’m going through with them; even though we met in college a few years ago, they’ve never really dated much. In my attempt to cheer them up, though they don’t seem like they really need it, I went to the farmers market to grab them some flowers and ran into another complete ASS of a man. It has left me feeling a bit hopeless regarding the male species. 

So anyway, here I am.. At a bar.. On a first date. He clearly put a lot of effort into this. He didn’t bother to get out of the car when he came to pick me up, didn’t open the front door when we got here, and he’s wearing a Celtics jersey over a white t-shirt and Timberlands. Not exactly my type, but I'm trying hard not to let my shitty day sour my mood and attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt. I, however, wore a short black sleeveless dress with a high neck, a black leather blazer jacket, tights, and ankle boots because I was trying to impress him. Like I said, the difference in effort is astounding.

After getting our IDs checked by the tall, curly-headed bouncer, we settle into a booth toward the back, looking over the paper menu at the drink specials. I’m surprised there isn’t a QR code menu here. I heard the owner of this place was fairly young, and most places nowadays use QR codes over regular menus.

“What are you going to get?” I ask Jeff, trying to make conversation. He’s busy looking at his phone instead.

“Huh?” not even bothering to look up at me, “Oh, uhm, I’ll probably just get a bud light or something.”

Riiiiight, okay. I really should have stayed home. I let out a huff of air, resting my chin against my hand. Bored with lack of conversation and an underwhelming date, I take to people-watching. There’s so much life in this bar tonight, such a stark contrast to the man sitting across from me. People in their costumes, brightly colored wigs, all adorning smiles and laughing loudly. The red hue from the neon lights and colorful display of the jukebox only added to the atmosphere. Carly Simon sings to me through the speakers. I close my eyes, listening to her words, I always loved this song. I wonder if he’d even notice if I left and weaseled my way into one of these stranger’s tables instead. No, probably not. 

“So, do you want a beer or something?” Jeff asks plainly. 

“Yeah, I’ll just have one of whatever you’re having.” I don’t even like beer that much. I’m more of a rum kind of gal. Something tells me he wants to be here as much as I do and doesn’t actually care what I’d like to drink.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” I give him a small smile as he gets up and heads toward the bar to place our order. At least he’s starting a tab for us; I can count that as a win. 

My eyes scan the bar once more, searching for a form of entertainment, when I spot him behind the bar, standing next to a shorter man with a mustache who looks eerily similar to him. The guy from the flower truck. They’re both staring at me, but only one of them has the decency to look away when I make eye contact, and it's not the flower guy. What the ever-loving fuck is he doing here? Does he work here? There’s no way he’s the owner. No way. Right? I avert my gaze as Jeff returns with two bottles of Bud Light, sliding me one across the table. I internally sigh, knowing this date is going to drag. 

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Maybe if I squint, my ears will start to focus and listen to what Jeff is actually saying. I have no idea what he’s been going on about, but I swear it’s been  half an hour, and I’ve retained nothing. Is he talking about sports? His job? A hobby? 

“I think they’ll probably end up making a trade,” he says, his phone still in his hand.

Literally no fucking idea. It's not like he’s taken any interest in me or made any attempt to make this conversation anything other than one-sided. I opt to search for him again, curiosity taking its hold on my eyes. 

“You guys all set?” Flower truck guy says, right behind me. It startles me so bad I jump a little, causing me to knock over my half-drunk beer. 

“Shit,” I say, standing up and trying to find some napkins, “I’m so sorry.” God, can this night get any worse?

“Oh fucks sake,” Jeff says just as it spills onto his lap. “Are you kidding me?” All he does is glare at me with his hands up, helpless. Yes. Yes, it can get worse, apparently.

Flower truck guy sets down the towel previously stored in his back pocket and starts to wipe up my mess. Great, I’ve spilled my drink on my date, and as boring as he is, I still wanted to make a good impression, and the guy who took all the irises I wanted to get for Quinn is now cleaning up my mess. I can’t believe how much of a disaster this is right now. 

“Katie didn’t say you were so fucking clumsy,” his annoyed tone is like knives against my brain. 

“It was an accident, Jeff,” I say, throwing him back some attitude. 

He takes the towel right from Flower Boy's hand and starts to try to clean himself up. In realizing it's a bit too wet from mopping up the table he tosses it back to him. 

“God, girls,” he rolls his eyes and elbows Flower Boy, “amiright?”

“Yeahhh, don’t bring me into that commentary, champ.” Flower boy raises his eyebrows. Jeff scoffs at him and turns, heading toward, what I can assume is the bathroom. 

I sit back down in my chair and rest my head in my hands. “Good god,” I say aloud, mostly to myself. I can count on two hands how many times I’ve thought about the fact that I should have stayed home. Next time, I’ll trust my gut. It’s damn near never led me astray. 

“What a winner you got there, dagger fingers.” 

I lift my head then and glare at him for the second time that day. Dagger fingers? I don’t care how unsuccessful my date is going or how much of a douchebag he just was. I will not let this man get the better of me again. I take a deep breath in through my nose, trying to calm down.

“Would you be happy if you just got a drink spilled on you? No, I don’t suppose you would be.” I try to lay the snark on thick. 

He looks around confused, “Last time I checked..Yeah,” he shakes his head up and down aggressively, “Yeah, I do work in a bar. Do you have any idea how often that occurs?” It's my turn to scoff. “You really shouldn’t defend that guy. He’s a dick. He brings all his dates here. He was literally here two days ago with a different girl. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.” He reaches for the discarded towel and walks off. 

Oh, this guy. The fucking audacity of this guy. Who the hell does he think he is? I immediately grab my pocketbook and jacket and stalk after him, following his footsteps all the way to the counter where he’s handing the shorter guy from earlier the tray and towel he had been holding. 

“Do you know what your fucking problem is?” I huff out, jabbing him in the chest with my finger. You call my fingers daggers, and I’ll use them as such. I set my purse on the counter to my right and slip on my jacket. 

Mustache man lets out a loud laugh, “Oh sweetheart, you don’t even know the half of it.”

“Uhm.. Ow?” he says, rubbing at his shoulder. “And you, shut up. I wanna know exactly what my problem is. This should be good.” He crosses his arms against his chest. Waiting. In my flurry of anger, I hadn’t exactly worked out what his problem actually is. Just that he seems fucking arrogant and has been a thorn in my side one too many times today. “She doesn’t even know me. She’s just accosted me, twice in one day, in fact, and is now making assumptions based on nothing. Thanks for that, by the way, I don’t know how I got to be so lucky.” he finishes. 

I can see the surprised look on Jake’s face in my periphery. “Aww,” I place my hand on my chest, “cute of you to talk about me already. I’ll tell you, I am a bit surprised, though, considering you think you’re the only person to walk the planet. It’s like the whole world revolves around you. Flower Boy’s world, and we're all just livin’ in it." I emphasize my sentiment with a dramatic roll of my eyes. 

Another howl of laughter escapes the peanut gallery to my right. Flower Boy rubs his fingers across his chin, eyes narrowing on me. “Yeah, I’m clearly the problem here. But it’s not my date that’s sneaking out the front door and leaving me with the bill, now is it, Babydoll ?” He raises his eyebrows toward the entrance. As I follow his line of sight toward the door, I just make out the back of Jeff’s head as it closes behind him. Wonderful. I turn back around, and my eyes land on the smirk resting on his lips. If he wasn’t so cocky in this moment, I might appreciate that smirk. The thought alone only serves to fuel my anger.

“Hey,” Jake says, tapping the bar rapidly to get our attention, effectively drawing my gaze away from his lips, “Listen, I would love to listen to you humble Sammy boy here. But you’re slowly entertaining the entire bar. Either talk it out quietly or go get some fresh air… Please.” 

I pause to glance around at the eyes trained on us. A wave of embarrassment washes over me. Taking that opportunity to dig through my bag, I pull out a twenty-dollar bill and slam it onto the counter, looking Sammy Boy directly in the eyes. “Thanks for the amazing hospitality, Jake. I’ll make sure to give you a 5-star review. You deserve it, dealing with this schmuck.” 

As I exit, I pull out my phone and step to the side, trying to order myself an Uber now that I’ve been abandoned. I swear to god, Katie is never going to hear the end of this when I see her next. I tap through the app and hit another extraordinary stroke of luck today. There are no drivers available. The heavy creek of the front door opens, and Flower Noy.. Sammy pops his head out. There is nowhere for me to hide, fuck.

As he approaches me, he has his hands up in mock surrender. “Look, why don’t you just have a seat at the bar? We’ll get a replacement drink.. On the house, you can just hang out for a bit.” He then reaches into his back pocket and pulls out my twenty from earlier and hands it to me. I snatch it from him with a bit more force than I intend. Why is he being nice to me now? And why is it so irritating? 

My phone vibrates in my hand, and I swipe the notification. A driver has picked up my ride, oh thank god. 

“I’d rather rot in hell, actually.” I regret the words as soon as they're out of my mouth. I regret them even more when I dare to look him in the face. I may not like him, but it's not his fault my date was an asshole. He’s just the unfortunate person to continually be on the receiving end of.. Well me. I can feel the will to stay angry start to dissipate as the guilt takes over; I’m more tired and ready for this day to be over than anything right now. 

Sammy just sighs loudly, mumbling under his breath, “Not sure why I even bother,” before disappearing back inside. Ugh. 

When the Uber arrives, I slide my phone back into my purse and hop into the back seat. Thankfully, my driver is a man of few words, in lieu of conversation, I instead let the words of ‘Crimson and Clover’ dance around my ears. 

“When she comes walking over

Now I've been waitin' to show her

Crimson and clover”

I lean my head back against the headrest, my emotions hitting a breaking point. I really can’t remember the last time I suffered such a series of unfortunate events. Finally boiling over, a single tear spills from my eye. Wiping it away quickly, I shake my head. You do not cry. I tell myself. You do not cry.

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I shut the front door to my apartment and lean against it. The highest, feral scream escapes my mouth, and I slink down, sitting on my heels. I hear Quinn’s footsteps and a quick shut of their bedroom door before I see them round the corner. The heavy thuds running to my aid. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, are you okay?” They say exasperatedly, hanging on to their bedroom doorway. “You’d have thought you were being murdered with a scream like that.”

“If I lay down on the floor, can you just drop something heavy on my skull and put me out of my misery?” I look over to them, displeasure written all over my face. They make their way into the living room sitting on the couch and propping their feet up on the coffee table.

“I take it the date didn’t go well?” My only response is a glare. “Do we need a therapy session then?”

“How much time do you have?” I frown. 

They take their phone out of their back pocket, tapping a few times. “Yeah, my schedule is clear tonight.” Sending me a small smile. 

“I just.. Urrrrrgh,” I stand in a huff, shrugging off my jacket and discarding it next to my purse on the floor. “I definitely should have never left the house today. Period. At all. For anything.” I whine. Taking a moment to unzip my boots and kick them off, adding to my pile, and finally sliding my feet into my comfy slippers.

“Firstly, there was that whole guy and the flowers I told you about this morning, right?” The sounds of my slippers scuff against the hardwood floor as I pace back and forth. “Then that date Katie set me up on, Jeff? Boring as hell. I mean, he immediately gave me ehh vibes when he couldn’t be bothered to come meet me at the door, but.. Whatever. I gave him the benefit of the doubt.” I dramatically wave my arms around. “Because I’m trying to be nice and not close myself off. We get to the bar, he can’t be bothered to look up from his fucking phone at all. Then, guess who I see there? AT the bar?” 

“.. who?” Quinn inquires

“The fricken GUY from the flower truck! The world is too small, I swear to GOD. ANYWAY.” I run my hands down my face. “So Jeff finally decides he wants to speak actual words to me. Does he ask me any questions about myself? NO, he just rants about I dont know, only god knows what because I couldn’t fucking tell you. Flower guy sneaks up behind me to check on our table because I guess he works there or something, and he scares the SHIT out of me, and I spill my drink.. Where? ALL over Jeff's lap. It was sooooo cute.” I drop my arms to my sides, and my hands smack against my thighs. The sound reverberates through the open room. When I look back at Quinn, they’re staring at their bedroom door. Weird but okay.

“I’ve pretty much prayed to the cosmic universe to swallow me up at this point in the evening but then what happens? Arrogant Flower Boy decides to sass me about my date, so I yelled at him. His brother behind the bar was cackling, listening to the whole thing, and then he basically kicked me out. Well.. he told us to shut up or fight outside essentially. And then flower boy.. I don’t know, tried to make amends or something and offered me a drink on the house, and I kinda told him to eat shit...” I push my lips out and give Quinn an innocent side eye, ready for them to read me for filth. “.. and poked him.. Again.” I add, finally. One could say I didn’t handle the course of events correctly today. One could even say that I was a tad bit more rude than necessary. One could say that, not me but… ya know, one could. 

“So,” They pause, “how cute is Flower Boy?”

“I mean, he’s got a really great smile. Even if he only uses his mouth to talk shit – Hey. Wait.” I hold up my pointer finger. “Out of everything I've said to you, that's where you ended up?”

“I mean, I’m not going to say you spent more time talking about him than your date.. But you spent more time talking about him than your date, Wills.” they glance down at their phone. 

I cannot help but defend myself. “That’s because he is single handedly the most annoying person I have come across in the last like.. Month.”

A ding comes from their bedroom, and I look towards their door with my eyebrows raised. If their phone is in their hand..

They clear their throat, “Sure, so did you want solutions, or did you need to yell?” They rush out, “Because if it’s solutions, we have a bat in the closet, and I have some knitting needles in my room. Bricks out front by the porch, whatever you need.” They let out a chuckle. 

Putting a finger to my chin, feigning deep thought, I reply, “That’s not a half-bad idea, Quinny, you may need to put that on the back burner. I do feel a bit better now that I’ve word-vomited some of that out. Thank God I never have to see him again, though.”

“Happy to be obliged, madam. You know I'm always here for whatever you need. Venting or violence, I’ll be there,” They stand and take a bow. “However, I do think you’d feel a lot better with a pamper session. Ya know, face washed, mask applied, those weird little eye patches you put on.” Shooing me a little bit and heading toward their bedroom. 

I curtsey in return, “You’re right, thank you, my liege. If you’ll excuse me, I shall retire to my bedchambers for the evening. Because this bitch is tired.”

“Goodnight, Winslow,” they call back to me from their bedroom doorway. 

“Goodnight, Quinndolyn Christie.” I giggle.

“That is Ser Quinndolyn Christie to you.”

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I run a makeup remover wipe over my face, taking off my makeup from my failed date. Finding the smallest bit of solace in my nighttime routine and ‘me’ time, Quinn suggested. And you know, they were right. I do feel a bit better wiping off my makeup. I splash some water on my face, creating a slick base for my cleanser. As it foams on my face, I think back to my evening. Honestly, what a mess. 

I hear Quinn giggle and shuffling. That’s weird?

Then I hear a loud thud. 

I turn and feel around for the door handle, eyes closed so I don’t get my face wash in them. That would hurt like a bitch. 

“Hey Quinn, you okay?” I call out. 

“Huh? What?”

“I heard a noise.” trying not to get too many of the water droplets falling off my elbows on to the floor below me. 

“It was just the knitting needles I was talking about earlier. Was just prepping them for battle. Make sure they were at the ready.” They giggle again. 

“It sounded a bit heavier than a knitting needle.” 

“Are you sure you’re not hearing things? You should get your ears checked.”

“Okay keep your secrets then.” feeling my way blindly back to my bathroom to wash off my face. 

As I apply my various serums and moisturizers, my thoughts find their way back to Sam. Sam. No. Not gunna go there. 

I start whispering to myself, “I bet he doesn’t even need to do all this stuff. Stupid, perfect skin on his stupid, perfect face. Probably only uses bar soap. And it’s probably the same bar of soap he uses to wash his ASS.” Yes, that’s it, talking out loud to yourself is completely normal, Willa. Please keep going. I groan internally. “Ridiculous freckles on his ridiculous cheeks bet he’s never heard of SPF specifically for the face. What he should be doing is investing in an exfoliant for his stupidly perfect but chapped lips.”

Woah, now, Willa. What the fuck?? No. Go to bed.

I stare at myself in a mirror for a long minute before I rush to turn off the light and jump into bed. I settle in and wait for the soft plush of my blankets to lull me to sleep. 

When I wake up, I look over at my clock. It’s 3:15 a.m., and my first thought is Sam.

Fuck.

&lt;- Chapter One Chapter Three ->

Masterpost | Taglist

Taglist 💜 :

@gvfsstardust, @myleftsock, @mindastreamofcolours, @imleavingyoufornewyork, @dont-go-home-without-me, @literal-dead-leaf, @lizzys-sunflower, @threadofstars, @mackalah,@klarxtr, @ourlovesdesire, @writingcold ,@edgingthedarkness, @takenbythemadness, @i-love-gvf, @ladywhimsymoon, @earthgrlsreasy, @peaceloveunitygvf, @violet-hayes, @anythingforjtk

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP Memes from Reddit’s Thread “What’s a casual unpopular opinion you will always stand on?”

“I really don't feel the need to update my wardrobe to "modernize" it. “

“People who tell you that they're "brutally honest" are usually just mean.” “Leagues don’t exist in dating. You never know who someone would be into.” “I prefer my water plain. Never liked any flavored, carbonated, sparkling water, or whatever else that isn't just plain water.” “Over half the dog owners are terrible pet owners, let their dogs do whatever it desires and don't deserve to own any pets.” “Here’s my hot take: I actually love rainy days!” “I think its great to be lazy and not be permanently on " The Grind" or giving your 100% in your day to day experience on a regular.” “Plain lettuce is delicious.” “People who don’t like cats are people who get offended by being told no or things don’t go their way.” “I don't like lemon in my water. If a restaurant serves me water with lemon in it, I'll fish it out with silverware.” “Winter is my favorite season.” “Grey vinyl plank floors are the ugliest, cheapest looking, tackiest thing you can install in a home and I wish they would be outlawed for assaulting my eyes for the past 10 years. “ “Barbecue sauce is disgusting on anything and always makes a dish worse.” “When eating a string cheese, I don’t pull it into “strings” I just bite it.” “Death is a part of life and shouldn't be feared in the way it is.” “Alcohol sucks in every way.” “You can typically fix being cold but it’s harder to fix being hot.” “New car smell is gross. It literally makes me want to vomit.” “There are much worse things in life than being alone.” “I think chocolate is boring and overrated.” “Tea is better than coffee.” “I refuse to sleep naked.” “Residential recycling doesn't work. More than half of that stuff ends up in the trash anyway.” “I could eat mustard straight. It’s the best.” “I love sleeping with socks on. It's like a blanket just for my feet.” “My unpopular opinion is I like QR code menus. And even more if I can order directly from it.” “Toast must be burnt. Unburned toast is just warm bread.” “Pineapple goes on pizza and it’s delicious.” “Pot is not as cool as everybody thinks it is. It is overrated and stinks way worse than people think.” “Fried eggs are the best food ever. If there were no side effects, I'd eat three meals of them everyday for the rest of my life.” “You can’t just change your sports team because they are losing. Pick a team and stay with them.” “Its pop not soda! The bubbles go pop. This is one of my strongest opinions and I will never back down to a soda-er.” “We can change at any age.” “It's never too early to decorate for a holiday you like.” “Iced coffee is INSANELY overrated.” “Don’t listen to those that have been successful. These people are an example of survivorship bias.” “Vegetables are actually very tasty in raw and all other forms. A carrot or a celery stick is as fun to me as chips or biscuits.” “I think it's a weird flex to brag you have no friends or that you hate people” “Salt and vinegar chips are amazing. I don't care how much it hurts my tongue.” “The tooth fairy is real.” “Milk should always be poured before cereal. Soggy cereal is disgusting.” “Mayonnaise doesn't taste good, and neither does ketchup.” “Flat soda is delicious. They should just make cola and rootbeer flavored water.” “Not every sandwich needs cheese on it.”

[c1rcus-of-homosexuality]

A guide to how I edit my photos!

[[Pt: A guide to how I edit my photos! End pt]]

[Guide below cut <3]

ONE - Setting + Character

[[Pt: one - setting + character end pt]]

First, either choose a character on your own or consult friends to choose for you. For this example, I'm going to choose Billy, since I already have his outfit on.

For the map, go to the recon area, and select what map you want. I'm going with mahi-mahi resort.

TWO - Taking Pictures

[[Pt: two - taking pictures end pt]]

Next, I walk around the map to find some nice spots to take photos in. Sometimes, I use Splatoon 3's in-game filters [specifically 3, 6, or 7,]. Other times, I just mess around with the photo editor on my phone! Sometimes I even do both!! But, for this example, I'll only be using my phone's photo editor.

For posing, I use the bomb-throwing functions, along with the "Booyah!" And "This way!" Buttons to try to get photos I like. If I have any Pic ideas that require inking the ground, I do them last.

THREE - Transferring Images

[[Pt: three - transferring images end pt]]

For this step, you need a phone that can scan QR codes [I think?? Most phones can do this?? Idk tho]. I'm going to break this next part into 7 steps.

3.1 - go to your switch's gallery

3.2 - click on one of the photos you took

3.3 - press 'A' to open the menu, and then click "send to smartphone", then "send a batch".

3.4 - select your photos [you can send up to 10 at a time !]

3.5 - take out your phone, and follow the instructions that appear on your switch screen.

3.6 download all of your images!

3.7 - if you took more than 10 photos, repeat steps 3.2 - 3.5 as many times as you need. If not , then you're done!

FOUR - Editing On Phone

[[Pt: four - editing on phone end pt]]

This step is optional, but I like doing it for certain photos.

I open my gallery, click on an image, then crop the image, and mess around with the contrast, highlights, etc. Until I end up with something I like.

And then we're done! Happy editing!!

[[Pt: and then we're done! happy editing!! end pt]]

[faranae]

My first ever hacker in Friendship: The Game!

After quite the glowy display they lit themselves without me touching them, started using top-tier friendship emotes at me, exploded ALL of their light all over the map, got it all back again...

A friend of theirs (I assume) showed up, lit themselves for me just like the first one did, and proceeded to watch the utter chaos unfold.

SooOOOoooo anyway if you ever need to report a hacker in Sky, it's easier than it seems:

In the support menu, you know that QR code it generates? First of all, that's clickable so you don't actually need a camera. (That's not super clear on PC, at least.) Tapping/clicking it will take you to a simple-looking support page with a chatbot.

Some folks think it's a generic page, but that QR code includes a "payload" in the URL that identifies you! So once you're in there, you don't have to worry about remembering all of the technical details. All you have to do is answer a few questions which the bot will walk you through; For most answers, it will provide options for you to click.

For the final details, all you have to do is give what info you can about the hacker and the mischief they were up to. The person looking at your ticket will have access to a log of what happened, not direct footage: If you can give specifics about the hacker themselves such as a notable item they were wearing or expression they were using, it can help identify which player is causing the problem.

Once you've given the information you can remember, that's it! You can go back to playing, or close everything out if you'd like! You don't have to wait for any responses or anything like that.

Also, something super cute? The chatbot, whose name is, generically, "Thatgamecompany Support", will change its name as soon as it realizes you're reporting a hacker.

So don't worry. The Abuse Spirit will take good care of you.

[amarantine-amirite]

I’ve Been Trying To Do It Right

It’s official. Hipster music is back in vogue.

I never cared for hipster bands. Nobody did. They’re pretentious and not very skilled. All they do is stomp-clap-guitar-hey, and everyone is overly cheery. That’s why they rub most people the wrong way. 

My issue with that style is a little more specific, and no, it’s not because it was the hold music for 911. They sound like that commercial that the state of Michigan put out when they implemented full-day kindergarten. Saying that out loud sounds forbidden, like I’m confessing something deeply personal. Full-day kindergarten doesn't affect you, you're in ninth grade. You just don't like the idea of full-day kindergarten because you hate change. 

You can’t hate change because it always takes something away from you. You need to learn to embrace change. Instead of saying the change takes something away from you, say that you're displeased because the money for the symphonic band's trip to Singapore you were looking forward to instead got handed over to procure staff and supplies for full day kindergarten.

Except there never was a trip to Singapore. I’m not upset about missing my trip because there wasn’t one. This is different; this laid bare a fundamental problem. 

When the state of Michigan rolled out full day kindergarten, they did something unusual to make sure that the kids had enough space to engage in play based learning - they lengthened the school day. This did nothing to address the crowding and proved to be highly disruptive for me because that meant instead of going 6 hours without food, I went 10 hours without food. Not good.

How does something like this happen? At my high school, kids born in odd-numbered months had lunch periods from 11:00 to 11:30, while those born in even-numbered months had lunch from 11:30 to 12:00. As a leap baby, the school couldn't decide whether to use March 1 or February 28 as the common year birthday, meaning I never got assigned a lunch period.

Today was the first day they rolled out the extended school day. I really thought I was going to make it. 

I got through school without incident, which was good. Better still, I got myself invited to dinner with one of the 12th graders. Susan, Dana’s older sister, just finished college and would start her first job out of school in a week. Dana’s friend Vickie came with them and she brought her boyfriend, Jimmy. They said their parents would arrive a bit later.

I didn’t think we’d be going to Shake Shack. Honestly, I thought we’d be going somewhere a bit nicer. We were celebrating Susan literally walking off the stage into a new job, after all. 

We entered the restaurant and sat down. I took one look at the table and said, “Oh, balls, no”.

“What's the problem?” Dana asked.

“There’s a sticker on the table that tells us to scan the QR code to see the menu and I've been grounded from my phone for three months.”

Jimmy looked at me and shook his head. “It’s not big deal”

“It is a big deal,” I shouted, “You're supposed to provide a menu in a restaurant. You gotta be stupid to do something like this”. I pointed to the QR code. 

Jimmy didn't understand my objection. “How's that a problem?”

“it’s a problem because we're sitting there like idiots, waiting to order without a menu.” 

I got up and began walking around the restaurant asking people what they ordered, how it was, how much it cost, stuff like that. Honestly, it felt like something my grandfather would do.

I saw a couple with a taco salad thing that looked good. “hi, I hope you don't mind, what are you working with, there?” I asked.

They weren't too thrilled by a random teenager sneaking up behind them while they were eating. “Yes, I mind,” the man replied, "Now go bug your parents!” 

OK grouchy, I thought, it's not like I'm a bored 8 year old sticking my fingers in your mashed potatoes.

I made my way over to the table behind them. “That looks good,” I said, eyeing the meal, “What is it?”

“Just ignore her,” the wife from the previous table said, “she's being a menace”

“no I'm not,” I grinned. I turned back to the people at the current table. “anyway…” I continued before the wife interrupted me. “Yes, you're being a menace,” she clapped back, “Why can't you order from the menu like a normal person?”

“I got grounded from my phone and it's a QR menu”

The wife tipped her head to one side. “If you're grounded, then why are you out?” she snipped.

“I'm just grounded from my phone, not grounded-grounded.”

The people from this table gestures to a kiosk. “there's a self checkout there” they said. I don't know whether they were trying to help or they wanted me to leave, but either way, I have no idea how I missed that.

I got to the self checkout, found something that I liked and cost less than the cash I had on hand, got my meal, and returned to the table.

I didn't tip the self checkout. The cashier who gave me the food treated it like a dine and dash. She waited until I finished eating, then followed me outside and forced me to vomit up what I ate. Two guesses where the vom landed. She can't figure out why she got barfed on.  

Susan stepped outside. “You’re throwing up all over the place,” she said, “and whose fault is that?” 

The cashier’s, I thought. I tried to think of all the ways she could spend this to make the events that transpired my fault, but I couldn't think of anything.

I wiped away the vomit from my mouth and looked at Susan. “Alright,” she said, “If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know, I haven’t been alive long enough to have that problem,” Usually, when people ask that question, they're talking about what you could do if you could do your life over again. They aren't talking about a specific point in time, just general regrets. Ninth-graders don't really have stuff like that.

“Wrong answer,” she replied with a serene severity behind her eyes. “Think about what you did.”

My mistake was letting myself go without eating for too long. Beyond that, I've got nothing other than don't poke me after 2:30 in the afternoon. 

[ranmagender]

"its not possible to survive in the modern age without a smartphone, many restaurants require you to scan qr codes, disneyland requires an app and many concert tickets are digital only"

hey there productivity influencer trying to teach me how to reduce my screen time by turning off notifications, those three examples are bad.

if a restaurant doesnt have a menu without needing to scan a qr code im not eating there...

i dont go to disneyland because fuck disney

id check before buying a concert ticket but most concerts ive been to ive just printed out the ticket beforehand.

i got a smartphone altho i agree it should be more utilitarian than it currently is designed i found that to be weird examples and almost like he was justifying it to himself as if buying a dumbphone is like some alien concept that just wont fly in the modern age.