#training guide

[lavanyachowary]

AutoCAD 2D Essentials: Your Ultimate Training Guide

[successfulpickleball]

Footwork on the Pickleball Courts

Give yourself an advantage by incorporating focused footwork drills into your routine.

Pickleball is a fast-paced, dynamic sport which requires quick reflexes and swift reactions. Players need the ability to move quickly, change direction, and position themselves properly on the court to be successful so it is essential to understand the importance of footwork on the court. Improve Agility and Movement Footwork is essential for several reasons; firstly, movement on the court and…

[sourcesupport]

Google Bard AI Training Guide

In this guide you will learn about captivating realm of artificial intelligence, specifically focusing on the innovative technology developed by Google, known as Bard. 

As AI continues to revolutionize various industries, Bard stands at the forefront, captivating audiences with its ability to generate compelling and coherent pieces of poetry.

In this guide you will learn about the underlying principles, techniques, and advancements that empower Bard to compose verse, capturing the essence of human expression.

Topics covered:

Getting Started with Google Bard AI

Fundamentals of Natural Language Processing

Bard vs. ChatGPT: What’s the difference?

Google Bard AI APIs and Tools

Advanced Techniques in Google Bard AI

And much more!

clik here

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Early 20th Century Trains

Trains were a popular means of transportation during the early 20th century. The previous decades saw to the explosion of more trains, more services and more tracks linking country communities which were isolated from cities and larger towns. So what do we need to know about trains in the early 20th century?

Typical layout

A basic layout of a train is as follows: passenger compartments, dining cars, luggage and guard vans.

Compartments: Compartments are where the passengers sat. They were divided between three classes – first, second, third. First class compartments were the most expensive. The seats were upholstered, and the floors were often carpeted. They were much larger than the other class compartments. They would be fitted with gas light like the rest of the train, the windows would have curtains, and the walls would often be panelled with wood. Second class compartments were less luxurious but pretty much the same as the first class only smaller and less grand. Third class would feature wooden benches or seats fitted with cushions or fabric, they were smaller and often more crowded. Compartments could be offered as corridor compartments which offered more movement between compartments and cars. Compartments would offer seating areas and areas to store hand luggage. Some trains travelling overnight would offer sleeper cars which offered beds and an area to wash.

Dining Cars: Dining cars were offered on some trains. There would be tables for the passengers to eat and get something to drink. Dining cars were usually offered only to certain classes or segregated by class.

Luggage Cars: Where large luggage would be stored.

Guard Vans: Where railway security staff could get warm. It also held a stove and hand-operated brakes which the designated guard would use to slow the train if needed.

Separation

Trains in this era were divided by class and in some case race. Unlike the American states and South Africa where there were laws preventing certain races from mixing with others or from using any class other than third class, Europe was a little more forgiving in the case of race. However, this is not to say there was no segregation. This was Europe at the height of the age of Empire. People who hailed from the ‘colonies’ were discriminated through subtler means than simple prevention, they would be discouraged from attempting to use the upper class tickets and sometimes they were even treated not as well as other passengers. Class was the main division on the train. First class of course had more ability to move, more access to amenities. They often had separate dining cars where they could sit down to full meals. Larger trains might even offer some other common areas such as smoking compartments. Second class were sometimes permitted to dine in the dining cars but may not have been allowed access to full meals. Third class was not permitted access to the dining cars, often having to bring along meals or buy food at the station before departure. The classes were not allowed to mingle. In cases of a first-class person travelling with a servant, they had the choice to either purchase a first-class ticket for their servant or leave them in third class.

Train and Station Staff

Trains did not run by themselves. The passengers and the train had many needs and there had to be an army of staff available to keep things chugging along *hehe*. That being said, the train staff weren’t the only people who kept things going smoothly, the station staff at each stop would also help out the staff and the passengers.

On the Train:

Drivers: These were the people who drove the train.

Firemen: These were the people who shovelled coal and kept an eye on the steam pressure.

Guards: The guards were there to keep the passengers safe. They sometimes checked tickets and would patrol the luggage cars, mainly to keep an out for anybody sneaking onto the trains without a ticket.

Conductors: Conductors would go from car to car to check tickets, collected any outstanding fares and kept an eye on things in the compartments.

Engineers: Would travel on the train to help out with repairs on the train.

Dining car staff: Such as maids to serve tea and coffee, waiters to serve food and if the train is large enough, kitchen staff and bartenders.

The Station:

Station Masters: Was the person in charge of the station, overseeing the flow of trains and passengers through the station.

Porters: Handled the luggage.

Signalmen: Oversaw the signals to keep the trains on track *hehe*.

Parts of the train

The train is a beast of many parts. A train in this era is a steam train, which links of cars connected together behind a steam engine.

Buffers & Buffing Gear: These are the parts of the train built in to absorb impact.

Cars: The segments of the train.

Couplers: This is what connects the train cars together.

Cowcatcher/Pilot: This is the frame that sits at the very front of the train used to clear things off the track.

Carriages: These are the cars that the passenger compartments are.

Headlamp: This is the light at the front used to improve visibility.

Freight Cars: Used for transporting goods.

Locomotive: This is the train’s engine. It is the driving force of the train, where the driver and the firemen would work.

Truck: The framework that connects the axles to the wheels.

Smokebox: Where the exhaust system of the stream engine is housed.

[izzyscursedcorner]

Got jump scared by a roach at work today, I decided I deserved to treat myself. NEW HYPERFIXATION BAYBEEE

[torpublishinggroup]

GET BOOKT

A guide of books to gift the people in your life and yourself!

For the people looking to put a different kind of magic into their holidays…

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

For the genre connoisseur with a love for high concepts in short form… 

Africa Risen edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, & Zelda Knight (now in paperback!)

For the treasured party member who’s saved your character’s life many times on TTRPG night…

Bookshops & Bonedust by @travisbaldree

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

For those who love (or possibly are 👀) gay werewolves

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

For the mutual who devoured the epic highs and lows of Riverdale and craves more…

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard, now in paperback!)

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

For your brave and luckless friend, constantly trapped in transit purgatory and upset about it…

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey

For the true buckaroos trotting beside you…

Camp Damascus by @drchucktingle

For the friend who says “but have we considered burning it all down?” on an alarming and refreshingly regular basis…

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

For the friend who has a hot date on Friday night (with their book)...

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

For the avid doodler who sketches plans for their future volcanic villain lair equipped with a space laser…

Starter Villain by @jscalzi

━ ˖°˖ ☾☆☽ ˖°˖ ━

Not enough books? We agree. Check out our other GET BOOKT guide.

[hummise]

thank god for emotionally mature and responsible adults

[llitchilitchi]

so in short

-> Glaze your art if you have the access to Glaze. the computing power for it is insane, it sucks, I know. cook dinner while your art glazes or go on a walk.

-> if you have the power necessary to use Nightshade, use it too.

-> data sharing has to be turned off individually for every blog. go do that

-> if you are on desktop, go to Account and choose a blog. on the right side menu, select Blog Settings. the setting is at the bottom under Visibility. I recommend turning it on even if you do not trust that your data will not be used for training AI models

-> please do this even if you are not an artist/don't post your own images! the wording wasn't clear on whether reblogged posts will be included in scraping, and given the other info coming out, it is likely that it might be

[kinki-cami]

Dear universe,

Please let the affini be real and find us, or at least those of us that know about hdg

I wish to be cared for by plant mommy

Thank you, Cami

[onebizarrekai]

spirit tracks 100% completion has broken me

[nartothelar]

went to a train museum today! 🚂✨

[gothictravelguide]

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Royalty and the Press

In our modern world, the media are known for going after anybody they can wring a story from and royalty sell newspapers like nobody's business. Anything from the Queen wrinkling her nose at a meeting with a diplomat or a Princess at some social occasion or the King making a speech and fumbling his words, the media is there to notice and spread the word. This is not even a modern concept; for as long as people could print things, the media have been printing every single thing that a royal says and does.

The Power of the Print

Think back to the last news headline you saw about a member of a royal family. It made you feel a certain way about that person on account of who wrote it. The media is not unbiased. Every outlet has a view, either approving or disapproving opinion of somebody and their actions and it's their intention to get you to think like them. There is power in their words, and sometimes it's what the media pumps out that can be life or death for the monarchy.

Using the Media Wisely

If your royal family is saavy in the knowledge of the media's power, they will use it to their advantage. You will notice at most events, the media is invited to snap photographs or observe what is going on. While some royals might be sympathetic and warm with the people they are meeting, the entire act is a performance at its most fundamental level. What they wear, who comes with them, what they say etc. Nothing is left to chance. They may even leak information beforehand so the media knows what to look out for. For example, Queen Elizabeth II often wore certain colours or broaches in order to convey a message or to mark the occasion, like wearing purple in Japan or her Silver Fern broach in New Zealand. Royalty will make sure they are seen doing events, not only for personal gain but to show the people they doing something or to bring awareness to whatever event they are doing.

When Media Use Goes Wrong

We all have embarrassing photographs or get caught saying things we shouldn't. For royalty, it refcts badly on them and the monarchy. From Prince Harry in his Nazi uniform to a cartoon of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in bed with Rasputin, the media tends to feed on these things. Why? Because the media wants money and money is best obtained when the masses smell a scandal. So the media lurks hoping to catch them off guard, whether it's at a private party where they will have their guard down or somewhere they thought they would have privacy. The media is invasive, no matter how much they are kept happy by the royals. They will use any means necessary, harassing them while they are on their down time, using false documents to lure them into trusting them, crowding around them, bribing servants and their friends to spill the beans on them. These might range from being downright nuisances or fatal.

Protection from the Media

Royalty are well aware of media presence and they will take steps to protect themselves from any intrusion. They will exchange information in order to stop other stories coming to light. They will bribe/bully/threaten journalists into not publishing anything damaging and when they can't, it's likely they will flood the news with other less harmful news. They will use protected phone lines, hire only vetted staff, do the occasional sweep of their residences for bugs or spies, they will bury facts, pay off who they can and if things take a dark turn... Hey, people fall down stairs all the time. These are not people just protecting their children or their spouses, they are protecting the Crown and the government will be complicit in cover ups. Avoidance of media interference will often lead to royals going to lengths to keep secrets, such as hiding relationships, travelling incognito, disguises etc.

Communication with the Media

There is direct contact, such as interviews, photocalls, events and such and then there is indirect. Royals often release statements. These are short responses to say disasters or events in the world and sometimes in answer to media coverage on their actions - especially if it's negative. These can be speeches pre-recorded or in print or before a selected group of journalists. Bulletins might also be posted outside the palace gates to inform the people of births, marriages, deaths etc. The royal family will often have an agreement with the media surrounding the deaths of monarchs, usually if they find out before it's released that the media will wait until the formal announcement is made. Sometimes the media might even reach out to a royal for a comment or interview. Questions are always screened and most times, somebody is there to yank the royal out before they can say something dumb - like Prince Andrew "I can't sweat" dumb.

Your Royals and the Media

Pay attention to the climate out there i.e. don't be photographed dripping in diamonds while the people are starving.

PR is not mumbo jumbo. If you want to keep bring royal, you need the people and if you cannot make them like you or respect you at very least, you may need to find a new job.

All royals - ALL ROYALS - will have some sort of media training. They will know how to conduct themselves before a camera, in an interview etc. The consequences will be drilled into them from the get go. You do not send out loose canons and neither will you be caught with your guard down.

Stick to the script. Don't stray from what you have been told to say or do. Yes, work that PR magic but within certain perameters.

The Media can be Manipulated. The media can be a shield for the Crown. The Prince fucked up? Guess what, here's a picture of him after joining the army, here's 30+ photos of him in their uniform with all the other soldiers! The royal family is unpopular? Look, your favourite royal is out doing charity work! Use the media when you can.

The Media is not your friend. In the sane breath, never imagine those journalists care about your wellbeing. They have to sell papers. They will throw you under the bus if it would sell a few million copies.

Establish contacts you can trust. Know which journalists and publications that will give you a break. Know your enemies.

Never give them a real story. If they must write about something, better they write about something not so bad rather than a clusterfuck. Know which stories to leak, know which ones to bury.

There's a lot you can say not saying anything. Sometimes the most ingenious statement or action is silence on a matter but you can make a statement through your actions or clothes.

When in doubt, consult an expert. Have you news you're not sure how to break to the media? Or have you some damaging story you need to fight? Look no further, your royal probably has a guy for that. If not, call Ms. Pope.

[magicswordszin]

Affini Hypno Domme Faces You In The Marketplace Of Ideas ASMR

You are an independent terran of undefined gender, and you have found yourself collared after making some very bad choices. You are not surprised about the sedative-laden collar; that's how the Affini operate. But you are surprised that none of them were even willing to listen to your arguments! Surely if you can just find an affini to hear you out then they'll understand that you're perfectly capable of independence!

cw: non-consensual hypnotism, implied/referenced suicide attempt

You sit on your bed, seething and fingering the smooth metal of the collar that has been affixed to your neck. You aren't a floret. You aren't a floret no matter what anyone says, you haven't signed any damn contract and you aren't about to. You're still a free fucking terran and it doesn't matter what kind of a sham treaty those plants shove at you.

If they would just listen to you, if at least one would actually discuss it with you, you're certain they would understand. You aren't a raving lunatic! You aren't a babbling toddler! And…you had told your warden as much.

Screamed, more like. You aren't…proud of your loss of composure. You–

You flinch as the door suddenly opens and another affini sticks its head in. "Knock, knock," it says, grinning at you with a mouth full of thorns. This one is covered in some kind of white fur, with two big silvery eyes and a pair of antennae. "My name is Néarcta Pallas, Ninth Bloom (she/her). I heard there's a terran with some very big ideas about the philosophical quandary they've found themself in!" 

Condescension. Again. You look at your feet.

"Quite alright; your owner has already told me your name and pronouns."

You try to control your reaction but a huff of indignity still escapes at the word owner.

"Well, you look relatively well fed compared to the last batch of ferals I worked with!" Says the monster cheerfully. "But you seem so anxious, petal. Do we frighten you so badly?"

"Oh, no," You say. "Of course not! You just…came into Terran Space, compromised our governments, destroyed anything we could resist you with, and crowned yourself protectors!"

"My goodness! And, let me see…" She bends down over you and, before you can react, puts her talons around you and lifts you bodily from the bed. You yelp and squirm, but there is no escape as she carefully checks all over your body with her vines before setting you back down. "But despite all those terrible things, it seems you haven't been harmed at all!"

"Really!?" you yell, scrambling away from her. "Thank you! I hadn't noticed!"

"You're quite welcome, flower. I know some of you sweet terrans struggle to tell whether or not something has actually injured you!"

"Th-that was sarcasm!" Maybe you can't reason with these damn plants if they can't even tell what's serious and what's sarcastic!

It gives you a wide, patient, deeply intimidating smile, and a shiver runs down your spine. "See, just look at the way you're reacting," it says. "Pupils dilating, pulse accelerating, as though I, personally, constitute some kind of threat to your health!" Of course it does! Just look at those teeth, those talons, all those fucking vines and needles! "But all I'm doing is talking to you! Though, I did gently pick you up, I suppose."

"I'm not concerned about being injured," you spit. You couldn't care less. You would welcome it over what was being proposed. You take a deep breath and try to focus on the point you want to make. "Listen, I'll even let it slide that you picked me up without my prior consent."

"How gracious of you!"

"My concern," you continue, "is in regard to a document, which describes me as property, as a slave, and this fucking thing around my damn neck!"

The plant nods, and sits cross legged on the floor, its face calming somewhat. "Flower," it says conversationally, "say you saw an adorable little kitten wandering toward a busy road. Would you intervene?" You open your mouth to respond but the plant doesn't even pause what she's saying. "Of course you would! You wouldn't want that precious little thing to get hurt! Even if that darling little kitten might squirm and scratch and yell, you'd try to get it to safety!" You grit your teeth at the implication. You aren't a fucking kitten! "Why, then, do you think that we would allow you to hurt yourself?" It taps one of those long wooden claws against the lips of its mask. "And, since you seem like the type to overuse certain words, I'm afraid I require your response to be absent the words person and consent. You'll be penalized if you include them!"

"Oh, that's what we're doing now? We're playing cute little analogies?" You fume, but if this is your chance to actually get an affini to listen to you then you'll take it. "Fine. There are important things that distinguish me from a kitten. I am an adult. I am a terran. And I know that you can tell the difference between a kitten and a terran because you use the word sophont to describe one and not the other. Unlike a kitten stumbling toward a road, I have the ability to look both ways, assess the risks, and then decide whether or not it is a good time to cross." You swallow, suddenly nervous. She hadn't reacted yet with anything but attentive interest, but the affini don't usually handle criticism well. She nods, encouraging, and you steel yourself. Nothing to do but keep going.

"Because I am a sophont, I have the capacity to understand abstract ideas, like the concept of my own death. Yes, the actions I took could have resulted in my death. But I determined that the risk was worth it compared to what I was facing. You want to protect me from myself? Stop threatening me! Stop holding domestication over me! That's the reason I did it, and if there's no reason to try and cross that road then I won't have to take that risk! But you won't because you don't really care about protecting me, you care about maintaining control!" She is smiling at you, unoffended. Are you actually getting through to her? Hope starts to rise in your chest as your voice grows louder and more confident. "Ban all the words you want. That's fine. I'll still find a way to make my point. Because you can't ban the idea of self-determination. The fact is: I know the fucking stove is hot, and I don't need a caretaker to wrap me in blankets and keep me away from it!"

You climb to your feet, still not quite at eye level with the affini but closer, and look her right in those glimmering eyes. "Yes, I am clawing and biting. But don't put that on me. If you want my trust, then you need to earn it. You want to help me? You want to protect me? Do better. Show me that you care about my opinions, respect my ability to reason and make choices, and support me in making decisions that you don't fully agree with. If you're unwilling to do that, then it's clear that you see no difference between a fully grown sophont and a tiny ball of fluff. And if you can't, then I was right to make the judgement that I did."

Let's see the weed refute that!

But then she does something that surprises you. She smiles and nods again. "That's right, petal. Look me right in the eyes as you hold onto those feelings."

You swallow as scintillating colors start to spread over your vision. You'd…done it? You'd really convinced her? She's…

"You did very good. You followed my challenge to the letter and answered my question very convincingly. You are a good sophont."

Pride swells in you until you think you'll burst. You aren't some kitten! You're a logical, intelligent sophont, and more than that: you're right!

"You've been feeling so scared for so long, and I understand, petal. Some people just give in at the first sign of adversity, but not you. You're a fighter, and you've been fighting as hard as you can. But another important skill for a fighter is to know when to rest, when to conserve your strength. Right now is not the time to fight, flower."

You nod, slightly confused.

"You're feeling so good, so right, so triumphant. And I want you to hold onto that. You don't like being a floret, I know. Being called a floret makes you nervous. But I'm going to teach you a trick to make things easier."

A trick? That might be useful. You obviously hate being called a floret, because you aren't one, and you know your emotional outbursts aren't helping your case for independence.

"From now on, whenever you're called a floret, you're going to remember this feeling you have right now. This good, warm, bright feeling of rightness. It's going to remind you that it's not the time for fighting, it's the time for resting."

You nod. That makes sense.

"So, when I say that you're a good floret, you're not going to object or fight against it. You're going to remember how good and right you feel. You're going to feel yourself resting, conserving your energy. And especially when Miss Eloxochitl calls you a good floret, you're going to remember that it's not time to fight."

Yeah. You can't fight them. You have to wait. You have to keep your morale up until they're willing to listen. If you just behave yourself for a little while…

"Keeping hold of those things, remembering how nice this felt, you're going to find yourself drifting back up, and up, and back to being awake."

Suddenly, you realize you can't see anything. You reach up to find the affini's claws covering your eyes and tentatively pull them away. She allows it, and you look at her, confused, not entirely sure what's happening.

"Well, petal, I think you proved your point quite ably! Consider me bested in the marketplace of ideas!"

"You'll…you'll tell, um, my–" you don't know what to call it. The affini who calls itself your owner.

"Yes, petal, I'll tell it that you proved your point to me."

"Oh. Um, thank you."

She pats you on the head and you control your flinch. She's helping you, you should avoid offending her. "You're quite welcome, petal."

*

Later, the plant that calls itself your owner comes back. You look up attentively when it enters your room and are pleased to see that its expression seems morose.

"Miss Néarcta let me know that you made a convincing argument for your independence," it says.

You let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad that you're finally seeing reason. I may have had some struggles before but…"

It nods, then shakes its head sadly. "It's just too bad. I really do think you'd make such a good floret."

Your heart skips a beat as a sensation of peace and pride washes over you. "I–what? Huh?"

The plant smiles slightly. "Mmm, I was just saying to my friend how proud I was to have a good floret like you."

Another wave of happiness. It thinks you'd be a good floret? "D-do you really think so?"

"Oh, yes!" It laughs. "I know a good floret when I see one!"

You laugh along with it. It's proud of you! It's happy about you! It feels so…right, all of sudden, and you're not sure what's changed.

"Ah, well." It kneels down beside you; you flush and at its sudden closeness. "I'll take off your collar. You're free to go, I suppose."

"W-wait!" You yelp.

"Yes, petal? What is it?"

"Um, w-well… I-I… If I really would be s-such a good floret–" you sway as you say it, slumping over, and your forehead lands on the affini's shoulder. The contact feels…nice. "It'd be a waste," you finish weakly.

Tendrils twin through your hair, rubbing and scratching your scalp lightly. You shiver. "Would you like that? Would you like to be a good floret for me?"

"Yeah," you say, voice husky. "Yeah."

"Hm. I'm not sure." It withdraws, stands back up, and steps away;  suddenly you feel cold, lonely, and very small. "No, I don't think so. I was mistaken. You proved it. You're too independent to ever really be a good floret."

A thrill runs through your body, a pleasure that you're suddenly terrified to lose. "N-no! Please! I-I'll prove it! How can I prove it?"

"The same way you prove anything," It says, voice perfectly freezing. "Convince me."

"I can be a good flor–" You sway, fall off the bed, thump to your knees, then look back up at your affini so far above you. The feelings rushing through you are making it difficult to think. What had the argument been earlier? "I-I'm confused. I'm broken. I don't want to be alone. P-please?"

It bends toward you and scoops you into its vines. "Good floret," it coos. "What a good, good floret."

You giggle and squirm in its grip, waves of pleasure washing over you. You're a good floret! Everything is going to be okay! You can rest. "Now, I've got a nice dinner all ready for my very good floret. Does that sound nice?"

"Mm-hm! Thank you!"

"Aw, you're welcome petal! I love my good floret so much!"

Tears start to leak from your eyes. "I…I love you, too!"

[thenecropolix]

I don't know who to send this ask so I'm gonna leave it out here for the public because it just came to me out of the blue: locomotive literature

And I don't mean literature about locomotives, but rather literature written by locomotives

Train biographies detailing their lives on the railway and documenting how things have changed since they were first built

Ghost writers publishing literary works written by trains

Trains with human editors sitting on their buffers as they write down what their engines say and making adjustments for those especially picky or who's words cannot be transcribed because they will be banned otherwise (looking at you Duncan)

Just

Train authors you guys

[dopscratch]

this is for like the 5 people who are really into the httyd books and delicious in dungeon

if people like it enough i might actually do more than this dumb ten minute doodle

idk i feel like httyd books and delicious in dungeon share a few themes

especially with the eat or be eaten sort of thing

maybe im just overextending but

something might be happening...