Organismic call/response, programmed rhythms.

Tried out a lot of new controls in this patch, trying to get deeper into modules I have a pretty narrow workflow with.

Percussion is just DFAM and Crucible. On DFAM I have a couple of channels from Pam's mixed together to decouple triggers and advances, which lets me ratchet certain steps. I did this rather simply today, but I think there's a lot more goodness to explore. Crucible is receiving SIX different sequences: a separate sequence into edge, mid, and choke, then clocked CVs from Maestro into velocity, decay, and transform. The choke trigger sequence is gated by the velocity CV, which together allow for a pretty significant change in timbre without it getting out of control. My initial motivation to pick up crucible was listening to more complex cymbal sequences in notable IDM tracks, so it's very rewarding to get closer to that. Percussion mix went through Milky Way for a nice delay, controlled by Planar.

Three Body is technically the only other sound source. I have a self-patched Volley from Just Friends clocked by Pam's which controls PM amounts of Osc 3->Osc 1 and Osc 1->Osc 2, creating a throbbing 3-OP FM sound. Sine goes through Waver for waveshaping with volume envelope coming from JF's identity output, then "Megatron Versio" and QPAS. This all goes through Magneto creating a chord-y reverb. I have Ikarie in the feedback loop, with the initial intention of creating some monotron-style grittiness but really lending more of a choral quality, so I'll need to revisit this in another patch.

A saw out of Osc 2 goes through Piston Honda to act as a waveshaper, with the other side free-running to leave some tonal content. An attenuverter in the chain changes the timbre of the noisy bursts. This goes through Sinc Bucina, gated by a trigger derived from another JF output for the formant-y noise pulses. This chain goes through Erbe-Verb.

Finally, I've got a crossfader setup on Tetrapad controlling the wet levels of both Magneto and Erbe-Verb, with a few offsets and attenuation in the path to keep the volume as consistent as possible, which allows for smooth morphing of the textures.

Lots of new ideas in here, and lots more to flesh out in further patches!

Class Favorites: Albums/EP’s

The list is bigger this year because I’ve added in EP’s, which I don’t think I’ve ever officially counted before, thus making 2020 the biggest year for albums mentioned on Class Favorites that weren’t honorable mentions.

PS: This time they are also ranked, but I also think they’ve been ranked in the past but I’m not 100% sure, so take that knowledge for what it’s worth, if anything at all.

_______________________________________________________________________

don’t you wanna be glad? - Super Whatevr

This is the album that’s been sitting in my CD player for the better part of the last several months and it’s what’s chillin in there now. At one point I remembered that I had it and just put it on and then decided I didn’t want to take it out. It’s literally been that long of a year that I forget this album even came out in 2020. It was released back in February and I forgot because I pre-ordered it around this time last year. I take this album as a whole piece, yeah I can pick out songs, but with the way I listen to it, everything just flows from one song to the next and I’m not always paying attention to when the song has switched. It’s definitely been my comfort album of the year, something just to put on and go. I passed on seeing them in tour for this album, cause I felt like I wasn’t prepared enough when they came to town, but guess who’s prepared now, when in person live shows are nonexistent?

Top 4 Tracks (That aren’t better. or melancholyism.):

i wanna be cool. ft. Lost Boy (Track 5)

so am i. (Track 3) 

holy anxious. (Track 11)

unhealthy. (Track 7)

Burst & Decay Volume II - The Wonder Years

Since the world put a wrench in the whole music industry, the site Bandcamp decided to put on “Bandcamp Fridays” once a month where all the proceeds go directly to the artist. So to go along with that idea, most months I’ve been trying to grab some music on that day, primarily from their website. That being said, Bandcamp Friday was how I finally bought both volumes of Burst & Decay and I couldn’t be happier, unless they decided to put them on CD.

Having these on repeat all year has made it so some of these song feel like I only know the acoustic version. It depends on the day though, cause sometimes I’m not sure which version of these songs hit harder. Let’s just say all versions have my heart, but I for sure get all the lyric feels from Burst & Decay. I also passed on going to see them in tour this last go-around because I wasn’t sure about how much I’d know the double setlist, but it also happened right before everything got shutdown, so I’m sad, but I don’t feel too bad about it. I did however catch their “The Wonder Years Live In Your Living Room” Livestream and attempted to make up for it that way.

Top 4 Tracks:

Washington Square Park (Track 1)

I Wanted So Badly To Be Brave (Track 3)

Cul-de-sac (Track 6)

Hoodie Weather Ft: Little Kruta (Track 7)

This song is on the list of top tracks cause I don’t know who’s out here disrespecting Hoodie Weather, but I don’t like it.

Burst & Decay Volume 1

Basically it’s the same spiel as before with volume II, because I bought them both at the same time, but I went back and listened to volume II more on an individual basis, which is why this one comes in second.  Anyway I absolutely love both of them, they give me all of those great Wonder Years feels and their replay value is one of repeat status.

PS: “You In January” was a perfect song to conclude the EP with.

Side Note: Shout out to The Wonder Years on their 10 Year Anniversary of The Upsides/Suburbia, y’all were what I needed in high school but I was just a few years late to the party. Also if anybody wants to buy me that Hank Denim Jacket, I would be hella appreciative and would make you all the mixed CD’s.

Top 4 Tracks:

Coffee Eyes (Track 3)

Don’t Let Me Cave In (Track 5)

Don’t expect anything less from me.

Dismantling Summer (Track 6) 

A Song For Ernest Hemingway (Track 1)

Nonsuch Park (sa) - Scott Helman

This was another album that was purchased on “Let’s Buy Music Fridays.” Once it was downloaded to my phone it was on repeat at work a lot and also while I brushed my teeth and while I hand washed my face masks, basically I played it a lot at work and at home in the bathroom. Anyway, I don’t think he could put out an album and it not make this list. Scott Helman’s songs aren’t ones I can play once and then move on, generally I find my favorites or in this case the whole album and continue to play it back to back forever.

PS: If you fall in love like I did, you can catch his livestream show next month on January 29th. Due to covid, it was pushed back so there’s more time to get prepared. (Tickets)

Top 4 Tracks:

Afraid of America (Track 7)

Wait No More Acoustic Version (Track 2)

I know I cheated by picking the acoustic version which is not technically on the album, but it is my preferred version. (Sue me, but here’s the video for the original cause it really good too.)  

Papa (Track 11) 

Good Problems (Track 4)

Unplugged State Champs EP - State Champs

I feel like I always have to give a shout out to State Champs for just being there and always pulling out the acoustic on the side, cause they know I love it so much. It’s been a minute since their last full album release, but I’m glad they put something out that will tide me over till the next album.

Top 4 Tracks Even Though I Know There Are Only 6:

Crying Out Loud (Track 4)

A Thousand Hearts Ft. Saxl Rose (Track 1)

Shout out to Saxl Rose for the amazing saxophone feature!

Criminal (Track 5)

The Recipe (Track 2)

Little Beirut #1: Day Off | 01

Walter walked through the door from the garage, brushing pine needles and rain out of his dense fur before he could track a mess all over the floors. Even with excessive grooming, his winter coat puffed him up to almost twice his size, hiding his lean tanuki build beneath a cloud of dusty brown fur. His fur filled his t-shirt like an over-stuffed pillow, bursting out from the collar and sleeves like he was about to explode.

He lived alone high in Portland’s West Hills overlooking the city below. The winter had been mild, and now at the tail end of the season, the air was filled with a constant drizzly mist that wasn’t quite rain, but was too wet to be anything else. He quickly ran his paws through the fur on his exposed arms to shake loose as much as he could while he kicked off his shoes, letting them tumble across the floor and lay where they fell. Only once he was satisfied that he was dry and wouldn’t track mud all through the house, Walter walked across the empty, unfurnished room toward the iron spiral staircase that led upstairs. At the top of the stairs, Walter plugged his phone into the stereo dock so it could charge, and tossed his keys onto the dining room table, on top of a pile of bills he hadn’t opened, and jackets that never got worn.

The house was entirely too big for one person. Downstairs was almost a complete apartment on its own, with an open living area, bedroom, and full bath. There was a door leading out from the downstairs living room to the front yard, which Walter had never opened, and had never felt a particular need to, mostly owing to the giant prickly pear that had taken over from whatever the house’s previous owners were trying to do with the landscaping. Before he moved in, Walter had briefly considered having the stupid cactus removed, but it kept people from using the downstairs door. So it stayed.

Upstairs, there were two more bedrooms. His, which had remained largely untouched, had enormous windows which looked over the hills and the city. At least they would have, had there not been heavy blankets nailed to the wall to black out the bedroom as much as possible. He had his small bed, messed and unmade shoved against the far wall, and a single dresser topped with the assorted trinkets and pills that got piled up and ignored. Aside from a Louisville Slugger resting against the wall near the door, Walter had not put any further energy into the room. The second bedroom, which Walter had turned into his home office, had also borne the brunt of the previous owner’s desires. It had lost its more typical door, and gained a sliding barn door in its place. It had a glass sliding door and giant windows that looked out over the narrow strip of property to the side of the house. His was one of the few West Hills properties to have a pool, leading Walter to suspect that the lunatic previous owner might have been some kind of crocodile or fish.

His office was the only room in the entire house that bore any hallmark of being used. Walter didn’t own much, outside of an enormous collection of notes and files from work that he refused to throw out. He kept neatly stacked in boxes and cabinets, alongside shelves full of small trinkets he’d collected over the years, like trophies from a hunt. He had no photographs on any of the walls or surfaces, though his desk was cluttered with the tools of his trade. A desktop computer shared space with a laptop and the latest iPad release and several old phones. Multiple cameras sat neatly arranged on one side of his desk in a mix of handicams, point and shoots, and several large dSLRs.

The front room more resembled his bedroom again. Walter had a stereo that was designed to appear antique, but with all the necessary ports and trappings to interface with modern gadgets. On the shelf below, he had a substantial vinyl collection. Beyond that, he owned little else. A dining table he never used. A black leather sofa and matching recliner, and the sort of glass and steel coffee table he had been assured was fashionable. He had nothing hung up on the slate-grey walls, save the speakers from a 9.1 surround system that attached to his stereo. He could have attached the system to his television hung above the corner fireplace as well, but in the end, he had decided it was entirely too much work when the only thing he ever watched was various news channels. He kept no rugs on the chestnut-carpeted floors, and sky lights in the high, vaulted ceiling were kept permanently closed with the shades drawn. All the damn things ever seemed to do was let all the heat escape during the long winters, and focus the full force of the sun’s energy straight onto his head in the summer. And when they weren’t doing that, they constantly leaked from all the decaying leaves and pine needles eating away at the seal.

There had been a time when Walter had considered nailing blankets over the floor-to-ceiling windows in the front room, but with the high, vaulted ceilings and a sky that was cloudy more often than not, blocking off the natural light would have required extra effort in buying and plugging in lamps. His window didn’t face any of the neighbors anyway. Instead, his property gave him a view of the entire Willamette valley below, with the city stretching off to the east and Mt Hood looming far on the horizon, all framed neatly between two giant Douglas firs on the corners of his property. But in the haze and gloom of early February, the mountain was hidden in the clouds and mist, completely invisible from the city.

More available on Smashwords. Whole chapters available for 99¢. Light Novels available for $2.99. Omnibus volumes $9.99.

Walter Jung is a tanuki in an anthropomorphic version of Portland. A busy man, Walter only gets one day off each week, and he uses it to take care of errands he isn't able to squeeze into the rest of the week. This week, he might have been better off staying home. What starts with a near miss at the gym only gets worse from there. Walter's day quickly spirals out of control, including a fender bender, a random act of violence, and a literal landslide.

Day Off is the first part of Little Beirut, a monthly serial telling a (mostly) linear narrative. Each month, join Walter, Billy, Nichola, and more as they struggle to balance their professional and private lives in this slice of life adventure.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/47983

Home Again Chapter 2

warnings: Same as the first chapter (reccommend reading chapter one first)

~10 Years Ago~

When Jean awoke, it was dark, wet, cold. The smell reminded him of that time he left a cheesesteak sub in his mother's fridge, stuffed all the way in the back and forgot about it, it smelled of rot, decay and death. The air was thick and he choked on it. When he tried to move, he couldn't, his hands behind his back and stuck to whatever wall was in the room, the feeling of mold and miss sticking to his hands had his stomach churning with disgust.

"Ah, looks like the runt is awake." A deep, raspy voice sounded, echoing off the walls and sounding much louder than what it probably was. Jean turned to the sound to see a doorway lit by a candle. Above the flame was a long, thin, stubble coated chin, a mouth of thin lips curled into a wicked smile showing off dark yellow and brown stained, crooked teeth, a short pug like nose and then eyes that seemed to burn a bright blue in the low light. The man was tall, lanky, but underneath the tight green shirt showed off toned muscle. "How you feeling princess?" 

Jean just looked at the man, "What's going on? Where am I?" He asked just above a whisper.

"Ah, straight to the point I see, well, ya see princess-" 

"Don't call me that." Jean hissed as a boney, calloused hand smacked him across the face.

"Don't back sass me boy!" The man's deep voice bellowed, causing the volume in the small space to vibrate the moist walls. "I will call you whatever the fuck I feel like!" The man pulled Jean up and pushed him against the wall, bending down a significant amount to get right into his face. Jean's nose scrunched as the smell of tobacco and whiskey invaded his nostrils. "You belong to the Nevidljiv now, you have no right to speak to anyone without permission. You will learn place, princess, and I will making fucking sure of it." The man sneered in his face. Jean's eyes widened and his body started to shake. What the fuck was happening? What is the Nevidlijiv? What's going to happen to me? All these questions ripped through Jean's mind as he was dropped to the floor, landing with a painful thud against the hard floor beneath him. "The quicker you learn, the less painful it'll be for you. So I suggest you do what your told the first time." The man looked at the young teen on the floor and smiled wickedly, "We start lessons in an hour." With that, the man and the source of light was gone. Jean was left alone in the cold, damp, dark space with just his thoughts.

~1 Hour Later~

Jean was suddenly dragged out from wherever he was, the sloshing of something thick and liquidy seeping into his work out sketchers. Jean let himself be taken, the words of the disgusting man from earlier still ringing in his ears, 'The quicker you learn, the less painful it'll be for you.' Jean was then led up a set of stairs, the air becoming less thick smelled more like tobacco and cinnamon scented candles. A door was swing open and Jean had to close his eyes before the blinding light that smacked in his face. "This the new kid?" Another man asked and Jean opened his eyes, only to stare into a pair of eyes, one white like cream and another eye that was like an olive green, staring back at him filled with an emotion that screamed hatred.

"Yes, sir. This one was found walking in the park only a few hours ago. Lappell found him." The man dragging him spoke, the man from earlier.

"Well, Lappell did a good job this time. Finally, a bitch that should make a decent penny if he is trained correctly. Thank you Marcus, you may leave the boy and do whatever." The man, Marcus, pushed Jean into the big, bright room and closed the door behind him. Jean stared at his surroundings, the white walls and high ceiling seemed to stretch on for forever, the only things that he could see that weren't white were the dark brown, leather couches and a baby blue door on the opposite side of the room. "Get a shower kid, then come back out. Do not make me wait longer then five minutes." The short, chubby man walked towards one of the couches and turned to look at Jean, who was standing frozen in place. "Don't make repeat myself boy!" The man yelled and Jean turned to the blue door, which he assumed was the bathroom and made a mad dash towards it, opening it and stumbling pass the threshold.

He was right, this was the bathroom, but the site of it made him want to vomit, it was dirty, spelled of shit, vomit and copper. Yellow stains covered the walls that he only assumed used to be a pristine white at one point. He quickly undressed and turned the shower on, he stepped in and let the burst of cold water drench him. He scrubbed off the dirt and sweat and everything else that seemed to cover his body in the amount of time from the morning he woke up to now. What day was it? The man, Marcus said a few hours, but was it longer? 

Jean got out of the shower only to find that his clothes were missing and he had no towel. Panic set itself within his body and he bagan to shake. Suddenly the door was ripped open, almost off it's hinges, and the shirt chubby man stood before him. Jean made aove to cover himself, but the man grabbed him arm and drug him towards the center of the two couches that now seated more men, all in dark business suits and perfectly styled hair, puffing cigars. "Men! Meet the newbie." The stubby man spoke…. Happily? 

"My, my, my. This one is a beauty! You really out done yourself this time Reggie." A pale man with peircing hazel eyes and cherry red hair spoke, lips curling into a smirk as he looked over Jean's naked form. Jean moved to cover himself again, but the red head snatched his hands. "Don't you dare cover yourself, boy. We quite like the view." Jean stared to shake again, he was not liking where the conversation suggested, he just wanted to bolt through the door Marcus brought him through, but he had no light, no clothes, no shoes, he didn't know where the hell he was or how he even got here. He was stuck and he was alone. 

"Spin around for us." Reggie spoke from his seat on the couch next to the red head. When Jean didn't move, a hand hit his face, the force giving Jean whiplash. "Spin around!" Jean nodded shakily, the faint taste of blood hitting his tounge as he slowly turned in a circle, hands balled at his sides as he concentrated on not covering up his dignity. "Good boy." Reggie purred like he was talking to a dog who just learned how to obey a simple command. "Who would like to break in the new toy first?"

~Present Day~

"Where the hell did you find him?!" Marco cried as he rushed to a sleeping Jean, holding a cold, pale, thin hand in his own warm, freckled, tan ones as a tear slowly slipped down a cheek.

"We went looking for a new maid, as you know since… Mrs. Kirstein passed, we haven't been able to find one quite as good as her. So we scouted for one at an auction." The young men were silent, all knowing how much everyone on this side of the state hated under ground auctions that sold off people for there own benefit. But Marco, knowing his father was desperate for a friend like Mrs. Kirstein, understood why he would've went so low. "We made it for the last fifteen minutes or so for the pleasure portion of the auction. None of us bothered to look and see who was being sold off, we didn't have the hearts, until the last person came out and the bids were flying out left and right, huge numbers, more then any other I've heard for being sold. I got curious and turned to see the one face I never thought I'd see again. Jean." 

Marco looked at the sleeping man and gently brushed some hair out of his face, his eyes roaming the expansive canvas of his body, bruises varying in color from blue, purple, yellow and green, all in various states of healing. The scars and freshly stitched wounds done by Dr. Yeager himself. His once almost smooth perfect body had been beaten on, dirtied, and touched by unknown men and possible women, he was put into pain and suffering for probably ten years. A while decade Marco wondered what had happened to Jean, and now he wasn't liking the reality of it. "Who had him?" He whispered as his fingers traced old wounds on jeans right arm.

"He was being sold throught a human trafficking organization known as The Nevidlijiv, it's Creation for Invisible. Meaning this organization it's soon secret, no one knows about it unless you know someone, someone powerful. It started back in the late 1800s by a group of men who wanted nothing more then to steal and use others weaker then themselves to.. keep them company, if you get my drift." Dr. Yeager informed and the rest of the young adults listen intently. "After a few years of kidnapping young men and women, they decided they wanted to make a pretty penny, so they started selling them. Always moving to different locations or even different countries to keep themselves off the grid. It's cash only, if it's traceable, it's not allowed. No phones or may other electronics are allowed in the places the auctions are held. Hence, invisible." Dr. Yeager looked at Jean's unconscious body and sighed, "And I'm afraid Jean here, was the top prize for those disgusting pigs. Sure, being the best means too care, but that doesn't exclude from anything else, he was probably treated worse because of being the top one to want." 

Marco could feel the tears cascading down his freckles cheeks, as held onto Jean's hand tighter. "Fuck! If I would've known something like this could've happened, I would've-" Eren suddenly spoke up, his voice cracking as he willed himself not to break down. Sure, he was an asshole to Jean, a major dick bucket, but he realized after Jean had vanished it was because he himself, was trying to hide the fact that he also liked the same sex. When Jean never showed up for school again, he felt this odd pang of hurt inside his chest and realized then, he really liked Jean.

"Eren, it's okay, none of us could've guessed this would've happened." Armin then spoke, putting a comforting hand on his boyfriend's shoulder and brought him in for a hug.

"Do you know what else happened to him?" Marco asked, as he looked towards his father with tear filled eyes.

"I was given this. A list of prior "owners" and all the medical records he had in the last ten years." He held out a decently sized folder, filled with papers. Marco took the black folder and began looking through it, heavy in his hands, he wanted to be sick.  Every single medical record was signed with a different name for major things like surgery or anything that required severe medical attention. Others where I put signed by people who had bought Jean at auctions and some just had awful names written down: Bitch, Whore, Slut… just to make a few. As Marco got further the papers the words began to blur into a mess of scribbles. He closed the folder and tossed to across the room, laying his head on the couch next to Jean, Marco let out a loud sob, breaking everyone hearts as they saw the heir to the Bott mafia and business weep his heart out for the boy he lost and then found again.

Jean suddenly let out an ear piercing scream, shaking and clawing at his own skin. Marco fell away as he wanted the man he loved for years convulse like mad man and scream like he was in pain. Dr. Yeager and Mr. Ackerman held him down, "Get the sedative!" Dr. Yeager yelled at no one in particular. Mikasa grabbed the syringe from her adoptive father's bag and handed it to him. After Jean was injected, Jean fell limp against the couch once more.

Priapus of the sailors

About two weeks ago I wrote about Aphrodite and her role as a sea goddess. Finding the epigrams about this aspect of hers led me to a rabbit hole of extracting dedicatory epigrams from the Palatine Anthology. Sixteen of them mentionned Priapus, of those, eleven epigrams present Priapus under a different aspect than the one we are used to: as a god of sailing and patron to fishermen.

Priapus is a complex and foreign god. Myth makes Aphrodite abandon him in the city of Lampsacus in Asia Minor (now in Turkey), which is, in fact where his cult is attested as soon as the 4th century BC. Mainland Greece wouldn't adopt him until a century later at least.

The Palatine Antholology epigrams

I won't be listing all eleven, as some are very similar. So I chose three of them as example:

Maecius Quintus “Priapus, who does delight in the sea-worn rocks of this island near the coast, and in its rugged peak, to you does Paris the fisherman dedicate this hardshelled lobster which he overcame by his lucky rod. Its flesh he roasted and enjoyed munching with his half-decayed teeth, but this its shell he gave to you. Therefore give him no great gift, kind god, but enough catch from his nets to still his barking belly.”

Anonymous “You fishermen who pulled your little boat ashore here (Go, hang out your nets to dry) having had a haul of many sea-swimming gurnard (?) and scarus, not without thrissa, honour me with slender first- fruits of a copious catch, the little Priapus under the lentisc bush, the sea-blue god, the revealer of the fish your prey, established in this grove.”

Theaetetus Scholasticus “Already the fair-foliaged field, at her fruitful birth-tide, is aflower with roses bursting from their buds ; already on the branches of the alleyed cypresses the cicada, mad for music, soothes the sheaf-binder, and the swallow, loving parent, has made her house under the eaves and shelters her brood in the mud-plastered chamber. The sea sleeps, the calm dear to the Zephyrs spreads tranquilly over the expanse that bears the ships. No longer do the waters rage against the high-built poops, or belch forth spray on the shore. Mariner, roast first by his altar to Priapus, the lord of the deep and the giver of good havens, a slice of a cuttle-fish or of lustred red mullet, or a vocal scarus, and then go fearlessly on your voyage to the bounds of the Ionian Sea.”

The Palatine Anthology is a difficult source, as it is a late Byzantine text that gathers epigrams from different periods of Antiquity and attributed to various authors. The epigrams alone do not constitute a solid foundation to come to conclusion, but we can clearly see a trend of associating the god with humble fishermen and other mariners. 

Archaeological evidence

Thankfully, there are archaeological elements that seem to back up the importance of Priapus as a sailing deity.  

Let's start with this 3rd century BC Greek inscription:

"I, Priapus, the Lampsacan, am at hand to help the city in any way, I who embark and return bringing wealth"

What is especially interesting with this inscription is that it predates a lot of the roman material we have for Priapus and gives us a more accurate idea of his role as a deity. However, his function has a wealth and luck bringer stayed the same over the centuries, whether that is through a bountiful harvest or fishing.

Findings of a terracotta phallus in the Pisa Ship E has been used a suggestion that Priapic images were carried aboard of Roman ships as a protective device. However, the problem with this particular phallus is that nothing else nearby where it was found indicated a religious context. Another find, coming from another wreck, the Planier A, found near Marseilles (France) is more explicit. The ship, dating back to the 1st century AD, contained a wooden figurine which hs been identified as Priapus: the figurine shows him lifting his tunic to show his member. The phallus is now absent. The figurine has a socket where the phallus would be, indicating that the phallus was a seperate piece that would be attached to the figurine. 

In the same wreck has been found another wooden figure, which depicts a man in a toga. Taken as a pair, they would indicate the presence of an onboard shrine (lararium) directly on the ship. The other figurine could represent the captain or the ship’s genius. Either way, the shrine's role was probably linked to guaranteeing the safety of the ship, the crew and the cargo. 

One last example before wrapping up this post: underwater survey on the coasts of Caesarea (Israel) brought up a bronze figurine portraying Aphrodite with her son, Priapus. The statuette was found at a depth where other Roman artefacts were found, which places it around the second half of the 1st century AD. This statuette is also thought to be part of objects brought by mariners aboard to bring them luck and protection.

Aphrodite and Priapus being honored together is a very interesting contrast with myth, where Aphrodite is portrayed as too disgusted by her son's ugliness to accept him. Yet, Priapus has inherited of his mother's role as a protector to seafarers.

Further reading: 

Neilson III R. H., A terracotta phallus from Pisa Ship E: more evidence for the Priapus deity as protector of Greek and Roman navigators, in: The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 2002 Galili E., Rosen B., Protecting the ancient mariners, cultic artifacts from the holy land seas, in: Archaeologia Maritima Mediterranea, 2015 Paton R. W., The Greek Anthology, Volumes 1 and 4, 1927

My Hero Academia Headcanon

Ok so, this is not really a headcanon but it’s something I’ve noticed with a few characters and I don’t know if anyone has pointed them out yet.

So a quirk is essentially a part of yourself and the word ‘quirk’ is defined as follows:

So it’s an aspect of a person’s character right? It essentially tells us how the person acts. It gives us a summary. But it doesn’t tell us who they are as a person. I’ve analysed a few characters and these are my findings:

Izuku Midoriya: His Quirk is One For All. It isn’t his own quirk but he makes it his quirk. Before he really knew how to work it, he always broke his bones (the poor bby bean) and he always seemed to break down, hence the many many tears he has shed throughout the show. But the more he is able to control and harness the quirk he is given, the less he breaks his bones, and the less he breaks down himself. His way of building up his quirk is his way of building up himself.

Katsuki Bakugo: His Quirk is Explosion. Already in his personality, he is an explosive character, he bursts out at anyone and everyone. But his motivations are earth-shattering with how much he fights for his ideals and how he tries to live up to what he thinks a hero should be. But the more he learns to lessen the load the more he calms down (not by much but still). In the beginning of the show his way of communicating with Kirishima contrasts with his communication with Midoriya. It isn’t his volume that makes the difference, it’s the words that he uses. But through the show, it changes. His words are now more impactful on Midoriya than in the beginning, because it was the volume paired with the words that set Midoriya off from Bakugo. 

Ochaco Uraraka: Her Quirk is Zero Gravity. We can see from her personality, she is a bit air-headed in the beginning of the show. She kind of gets into her own world when she analyses things (same thing with Izuku but not the point). But the more she strengthens the use of her quirk, the more steadfast she is on her feet. The more she starts to become confident in herself as a hero. 

Tenya Iida: His Quirk is Engine. He’s as fast as his engine with just his mannerisms alone. But with his personality, he is just as fast in his speaking as he is when his Quirk propels him. He is also very loud. Just like an engine even though his engines aren’t. With his Recipro-Burst, he can move faster in a small amount of time. And he had this even before they worked on their Special Moves, and this also reflects in his personality. He says that the Recipro-Burst can be reckless because it stalls his engines. That can also be used as an analogy for his recklessness for chasing after Stain. 

Shoto Todoroki: His Quirk is Half-Hot-Half-Cold. But he only uses his ice halfway through the show. This can be used as analogy for his cold nature halfway through the show. And in the Sports Festival we see that when he uses his fire, he gets more and more motivated. And his actions are more heated throughout the Festival, kind of indicating that he is warming up (which can be used as a hint of him later using his powers against Midoriya). And after that arc in the show, we see him interact with 1-A more than he did in the first episode. I mean he still distances himself from them but not as much as he used to. And the more he works at his Quirk the more he warms up to people.

Keigo Takami (Hawks): His Quirk is Fierce Wings. He has the ability of flight and can manipulate his feathers. His kind of aloofness reflects his flight ability but the manipulation of his feathers reflects the amount of control he has.

Tomura Shigaraki: His Quirk is Decay. Just judging from his personality, he isn’t someone that you’d automatically approach. He is someone that was broken from an early stage. And he just kept deteriorating from that point on. But his early ideals also broke down after his “talk” with Midoriya. It broke down and evolved into something else. That’s the same with decay. It breaks things down and allows it to turn into something else. We see it in nature, when something dies, it’s nutrients is taken and put back into the soil where new things can grow. 

But this is just a handful of characters that reflect their personality. I mean there are a ton of characters to analyse just off of their quirk and how their personality reflects it. I just like the way Horikoshi uses it to tell you about the character. Yeah, i hear you guys say, “But the quirk doesn’t always reflect the character”. 

Yes it does, you’re just looking at the wrong thing to link it to the quirk. This kind of analysing can also be used for making any character. 

I used this kind of principle to redesign my MHA OC, Kana Kashiko. Her Quirk is essentially Shadow (I’m still working on the name). She can shoot shadow-like tendrils from any exposed body part. In the beginning, she didn’t like her quirk because people saw it as a villain’s quirk. But she overlooked that and made sure that they rather see the person using it and not the quirk itself. Her personality is a bit... dark when you first approach her. But you quickly learn that she is very understanding and listens. Most people, when they look at her quirk, and how she presents herself, as a very mean and mysterious person. 

I used her Quirk, Shadow, to look into how she is. Shadow always relates to Darkness. But Darkness doesn’t necessarily mean “evil, spooky”. it can be comforting sometimes, because no one can see you cry (I know I know, depressing) and it holds calmness in everything. So that is how she acts. She is calm and wouldn’t judge you if you were to break down. She keeps secrets as if she was a locked safe.

But enough about that. Please let me know what you guys think! Criticism is welcome. And, please, you can add to the list of characters in which you’ve noticed this kind of trend too! Or you can correct me if you feel that I either missed the pot completely, or improve what you feel is missing in this analysis!

Stay safe out there guys! Reality’s scary...

The 5 Best Albums Released In 2020 (according to me)

1. In Sickness & In Flames -The Front Bottoms

I frickin LOVE The Front Bottoms!! I don’t think this is their absolute best album, but honestly everything they do is pretty good! I think what I love the most about TFB is that they let it all loose, their lyrics are so honest that you can’t help but relate. Which means that when they told me that “everyone blooms in their own time” I also believed them. This album is a good blend of angsty relatable stuff that we can all jam to as we commiserate over 2020 and uplifting feel-good bops to remind you that life goes on. Not only a great album by a great band, but a great album for 2020. Fav Song: the truth (more love songs by TFB 2021???)

2. Bad Ideas -Tessa Violet

Okay, this album technically came out in October 2019, but it’s close enough that I think you should let it slide. The song Bored on this album is a 2020 quarantine mood anthem, so I had to include it on this list. The more I listen to this album the more I think it is brilliant, and specifically I think it’s brilliant in that the album is more than the sum of its parts. Take any song on Bad Ideas, and you’ll get a bop, but put them together in the order that Tessa Violet did? An unparalleled listening experience as you hear the story of the lyrics and the overall tone of the songs change as the album progresses. You can hear the alt influences in this very pop artist, and it makes for musicality that is complex and layered.  Fav Song: Interlude III

3. Burst And Decay (Volume II) -The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years can do no wrong. I absolutely love their acoustic recordings!! Burst and Decay (Volume I) is definitely my most-listened-to album by TWY because the vibes are just that good, so Volume II was a highly anticipated release for me, and I think they nailed it. I feel like the emotion of these songs can really shine through when they are acoustic, and I love to see the evolution of the musicality when TWY re-record older songs that they have now had time to develop further. Fav Song: Washington Square Park

4. The Bastards -Palaye Royale

Palaye Royale is just getting started on a musical career that will define future genres, yeah I really said that. I was introduced to Palaye Royale a couple of years ago and watching their growth as musicians and celebrities has been pretty cool! I think they get better and better musically with every album; they are certainly finding out what styles work for them while also continuing to push boundaries. This album was edgier than their previous two, but while still seeming honest, catchy, and so so musical! Palaye Royale is a FORCE to be reckoned with, and I am very glad they put out a screaming album in a year where we all needed to scream!! Fav Song: literally all of them, I can’t choose

5. folklore -Taylor Swift

This was the T Swift comeback that I needed in this exhausting year of 2020. It was emotional, the musicality made sense, and I felt seen by the lyrics --three important elements for me in a Taylor Swift album. I have already yelled about Taylor Swift here, so that’s all I’ll say.  Fav Song: the 1

1 14 25

thanks friend!

1. Pull - Microwave, from the album Death is a Warm Blanket

14. Hoodie Weather - The Wonder Years ft. Little Kruta, from the EP Burst and Decay Volume II

25. The Brakeman Has Resigned - Microwave, again from DIAWB

send me a number from 1-100 to get the song from that position in my Wrapped 2020 playlist

Hello, the Sakura xx crew started our haunted house oneshot and I had to capture our opening antics. Ako is mine, Satsuki is @scarfblogs, Kaguya is @xxwolfpupxx, Hitsuki is @kurisuumakise, Kimiko is @eerna, and our lovely GM is @starrycereal. 

(Also check out Jo’s art of where this story leaves off when you’re done)

///

Why won’t she stop talking? Why won’t she stop talking? Why won’t--

“And so I say to her: Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?” She pauses, waggling her eyebrows like she has a painful itch she can’t use her hands to scratch. What does it mean? Why is she still here? Why couldn’t he say no?

“I agree,” he says carefully, still not sure what kind of response she’s looking for but almost positive that people like to be agreed with.

Her laugh is like a dying clown. “You’re so funny! Thanks for helping me find this place, I’m still pretty new so I don’t know my way around town yet.”

“I didn’t help you,” he says, a little desperately. “You grabbed me after class and told me to come along, I don’t even remember your name--”

“Oh look, I think this is the address!”

Ako glances up at the large stone gate before them. It’s a simple arch with cast iron doors that open inward, as if left that way to welcome someone in. There’s a stately Victorian house at the end of a chaste gravel drive, but something about the way it looks a little too pristine puts him on edge. Before he can analyze the feeling further, though, the girl drags him through the gate and marches him towards the front of the house.

He feels the chill as they cross the threshold and knows they’ve made a grave mistake.

“We should leave—“

“That’s strange, the stairs looked a lot sturdier from the street.” The girl — Sateki? Tsukiko? — prods the lowest stair with her foot, and an errant gust of wind blows her skirt up. 

Ako, red-faced and definitely beginning to panic, looks away and tries again. “There might be foul magic here and—“

“Oi Satsuki, what are you doing here? Thought you had band practice today.” 

A girl with shoulder length white hair lazily spinning a yo-yo walks through the archway. Two other girls, one short with pink hair and the other taller with red hair, follow. Ako’s protests die on his tongue; it’s too late now. 

“Kaguya!” sings Satsuki while she scans the other two. “And Hitsuki and — KIMIKO!” Ako feels a small gust of wind as she launches herself at the tiny pink haired girl and scoops her into her arms. This is quite a feat, because now Ako can see that the tiny pink girl is holding a katana taller than she is. “What are you guys doing here?” 

“Got a job,” Kaguya says cryptically, and Ako glances back at the decaying house. Is she a plumber? 

“I saw her leave class early and tagged along!” Kimiko says, appearing to be perfectly at home in Sastuki’s never ending hug. 

“I wasn’t following Kimiko, you’re all stupid,” said the last girl, Hitsuki. She’s blushing for some reason, almost the color of her hair, or perhaps she’s just winded from the long walk from school. 

They begin to chat about something or other, which Ako promptly tunes out because he needs to confirm if his fears are valid. He takes a deep breath, sinking his awareness down through his feet and up through the top of his head -- a bird, a bug, a body -- and on the exhale, opens his eyes. 

The world looks dim and slightly grey, like it was about to thunderstorm despite the afternoon sun. Threads of pulsing light flicker in his vision, writhing around the entrance in a giant tangle that obscures the entrance. So they wouldn’t be able to leave -- that’s the tightest abjuration spell weave he’s seen in some time. There’s something off about it though, something that he can’t quite place, so he turns his gaze to the house itself. 

It looks about the same, except the threads have a creeping darkness that whisper his name. There’s that something else here too, something that taunts him but he can’t place. Distantly he hears Satsuki squealing about a squirrel. He squints and refocuses. 

“Abjuration, necromancy, and...something,” he mutters to himself. Perhaps the answer lies inside, and since they can’t leave the way they came, he might as well try to find out.

He starts up the short stairs onto the porch landing and belatedly realizes the girls are following him. “There’s magic preventing us from leaving, but I can’t get a good look at it from here. I figured I’d try inside…” His voice trails off from the intense attention he’s getting from both Satsuki and Kimiko, who seem to think he’s the most interesting creature in the world. He begins to sweat. 

“All you had to do was say you wanted to go inside!” Kimiko says with a smile that could summon a rainbow. She bounces to the door and removes a hairpin from her hair.

“I’ll help,” Kaguya says, squatting at eye level with the lock.

A minute goes by. Then another, and another, until Hitsuki says, “Here, let me try.”

Kimiko looks mildly annoyed that she didn’t get it, but hops over and passes Hitsuki the hairpin.

Ako glances back at the entrance while Hitsuki grumbles to herself at the lock. The magic seems to swirl faster, much faster than its earlier sluggish pace.

Almost like it’s waking up.

His pulse beats faster and he looks back to see Hitsuki getting increasingly frustrated trying to jimmy the lock. She pokes it over and over again until she jams the hairpin in and bends it at such an angle that it falls, useless, to the ground.

They don’t have time for this. Something set these wards, something controls these grounds, and they need to find out who or what that is as soon as they can. He inhales again, deeper this time, eyes sliding shut while he reaches out to his magic. The air begins to tingle around him, microscopic snaps of energy that he can only feel because he’s searching for them.

This is the nature of his destruction.

“Woah woah woah, what’s that kid doing?” Hitsuki says. She must also study magic, to sense what he’s doing. 

Kimiko hums. “There’s just a little green cloud around his hands, that doesn’t look so bad.”

“No really, he looks like he’s gonna blow us all up or something, someone get the door quick.”

“Don’t worry, I’m helping,” Ako replies, voice slipping an octave lower, green energy dripping out the corners of his mouth. He’s forgotten what power feels like, the raw and unfiltered freedom of it. For a moment he could almost understand the decisions his parents made. 

But they’re gone, and he’s got a door to disintegrate. Like his teacher told him so many years ago, he imagines the bonds between atoms snapping, sundering, coming to dust. The difference between is and is not is smaller than most think.

“Anyone?” Hitsuki groans.

With a sigh, Kaguya shoves off of the porch railing where she’d been leaning. Hands still in her pockets, she spins and lands a solid roundhouse kick that shatters the door completely.

Perplexed, Ako looks at his hands. The energy of unmaking is still curled, unreleased, around his fingers. He shakes it away.

“Door’s open,” Kaguya says, faint sparks of electricity leaping from her fingers to her hair.

“Thank goodness,” Hitsuki mutters. “We almost had a situation there.” She shoots Ako a nasty look and heads in, trailed by the others.

Heat rises in his cheeks. What’s wrong, there was a problem and he was going to solve it! 

Shaking his head, he follows the group inside. Heavy darkness assails him -- the table, the knife, the goblet -- so he gasps and scrabbles for his journal. It’s the largest item on him and thus the biggest catalyst for his Light spell.

Sweet, safe light bursts from his journal, now held aloft like a lantern. Kimiko claps delightedly. 

They’re inside a large entrance foyer, with rows and rows of framed portraits on the walls. A pair of wide staircases that connect at an upper landing takes up most of the room, and sheet-covered shapes are dotted around what must have been a small sitting area.

He breathes in again to focus his vision. Threads of illusion tinged with that same necromancy from before cloak each of the paintings. Nothing seems to be affecting the sheet-covered shapes, so he walks a little farther in, holding up his notebook to create the largest ring of light possible.

The sense of something unfinished makes him scan the portraits again. One of them is woven more heavily with illusion, a tricky weave that even he would struggle with. He takes a step closer.

Shrill, booming cackles emanate from the portrait’s mouth, startling him so badly he almost drops his journal.

“What’s that?” Kimiko yelps, drawing her gigantic sword. 

“I’m not sure,” Ako replies nervously. Something is very, very wrong.

“I don’t like it!” she yells and dashes forward. One clean slice is all it takes to cut it in half, the bisected pieces clattering to the floor more loudly than they should.

The laughter continues, less amused, and Ako swallows. It sounds angry now.

“I don’t like this,” Hitsuki mutters.

“Do you guys hear that?” Kaguya asks quietly. It’s the volume of her voice that makes the hair on the back of Ako’s neck stand up. 

They listen for a beat. Kaguya says, “Someone was thumping around in a room down the hall, but it just stopped.”

A wave of fear ripples through Ako. He siddles over to the wall near Kimiko, who has proven herself more than capable of slicing bad things in two.

“I don’t like this either,” she whispers as the rest of the group gathers behind her, eyes trained on the gloom down the hall, backs against the wall.

It’s quiet except for everyone’s ragged breathing. Satsuki crouches down and hugs her knees to her chest. All of Ako’s senses strain to hear something, anything, and then --

“Hey, how’d you get in here?”

Ako snaps his head around to see a faintly glowing hand emerge from the wall, and tries desperately not to pass out.

///

1/?

Science Wizard

In college I have to take three physics classes, followed by a long list of “physics but more specific” classes, so I wrote a GLOG wizard school to cope with this reality. It covers chemistry, thermodynamics, and several branches of physics. It’s very utility- and control-based until you get to the emblem spells, but a creative player who doesn’t mind a bit of math could do a lot with it.

(Ok, so you’re not exactly this but it was too cool not to include. From WOTC’s Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica.)

Perk: If you spend a round observing something, you can recall it perfectly. You can hold [template]+2 known spells in your brain instead of [template]+1.

Drawback: Can’t cast spells if you are diseased, poisoned, noticeably dirty, or have loose/dangly hair or jewelry. Safety first!

Lab safety guidelines make for a fun drawback, similar to the Elf Wizard. I wanna see wizards running around with hairnets and jugs of hand sanitizer.

Cantrips

Learn the temperature, mass, or volume of any discrete object you can see.

Hold small objects in your hand to oxidize them.

Generate strong but non-damaging static shocks from your hands.

Not especially powerful, but you can plan shenanigans, destroy evidence, and prank people.

Mishaps

MD only return to your pool on a 1-2 for 24 hours.

Take 1d6 damage.

Random mutation for 1d6 rounds, then Save. Permanent if you fail.

Blind and deaf for 1d6 rounds as sound and electromagnetic waves avoid you.

Glow brightly for 24 hours, illuminating as a torch but doubling the encounter rate.

Thrown 50’ in a random direction.

Mishaps are pretty tame, and #5 could be quite useful.

Dooms

For 24 hours, every time you attack or cast a spell at range, Save or be pulled towards the target. Collisions deal fall damage.

All the particles in your body turn into waves for a day. As waves, you cannot interact with physical objects except by hitting them, which causes them to glow briefly. Electricity, magnets, and magical darkness deal 1d6 damage.

You leak out of existence, leaving a you-shaped mass of antimatter in your place.

This doom can be avoided by solving a theoretical problem that has never been solved before, or by discovering a new element or type of particle.

Dooms are pretty bad though. This is what happens when you mess with the fundamental laws of the universe. You’d better hope you don’t hit your last doom anywhere near civilization. You can avoid your fate by learning secrets about the universe that no one else knows.

Spell List

(Spells #1, #3, #4, and #5 stolen from Skerples)

1. Draw Heat R: [dice]x100’ T: 2 creatures or objects D: concentration You must have at least two working eyes to cast this spell. You stare at one target with one eye, and another target with another to transfer heat between them. For example, you could transfer a torch’s heat to a creature for damage, or the icy cold of a glacier to a campfire to extinguish it. You cannot amplify the heat.

2. Centripetal Force R: 50’ T: [dice]x10’ radius area D: [sum] rounds Loose objects in the area are pulled towards the center, and creatures in the area must spend their full movement moving in a circle around the center or be pulled in as well.

Good for battlefield control, or getting treasure from hard-to-reach places.

3. Feather Fall R: 10’ T: [dice] creatures or objects D: instant If you would take fall damage, you can cast this spell as a reaction to negate it. You float gently to the ground (possibly alarmingly late).

4. Alter Local Gravity R: 50’ T: [sum]x5’ squares D: [sum] rounds You must cast this spell in an enclosed area with a solid roof. The target area has its gravity altered to either a direction or a lower strength that you specify for the duration. The effect takes place gradually, allowing creatures a Dex check to hang on to something. In lower gravity, you can jump higher and farther, but virtually any action requires a Dex check. If you invest 3 or more [dice] the duration becomes permanent.

5. Desiccate R: 50’ T: creature or object D: instant Hydrated target takes 1d6+[dice] damage. Can also be used to turn meat into jerky or concentrate water-based liquids (wine, most acids), up to 2 gallons per [dice].

6. Equilibrium R: 50’ T: creature or object D: [sum] rounds You generate enough reaction force to hold a target of up to [dice]x100 lb in static equilibrium. If the target is a creature, they get a Save to resist, and an additional Save each turn at a -[dice] penalty to break free.

Hold Person with utility applications.

7. Ionize R: touch T: up to [dice] gallons of liquid D: concentration You absorb all ions in the liquid and can store them safely as long as you maintain concentration. You can end the spell at any time by releasing the ions into another liquid. If your concentration is broken, the ions escape into the nearest liquid.

Like Desiccate, but you’re removing the solute, not the solvent. Can be used to purify water, make acid, or really fuck up someone’s bloodstream if you can touch it.

8. Impulse R: touch T: creature or object D: instant Target weighing at least 1/[dice] lb is thrown or shoved with a fixed amount of impulse, traveling [sum]x100’/the target’s weight. If you invest 3 or more [dice], the target will continue traveling the same distance every round until stopped by a solid object. Collisions deal [sum] damage.

Shove people across the room, or even better, throw small rocks so fast they break the sound barrier.

9. Phase Shift R: 50’ T: [dice] objects or [dice]x5’ cube volume D: [sum] rounds Target changes state by one phase, though its temperature does not change. Targets must be of similar substance and undergo the same phase change. If you invest 4 or more [dice], targets can change state by two phases.

Liquify treasure. Liquify the air. Turn the environment into traps.

10. Haste R: touch T: creature D: [sum] rounds Target has double movement speed and can take an additional action on each of its turns. Target cannot act for a round when the spell ends.

11. Chain Reaction R: 50’ T: creature D: instant Target bursts into flames, taking [sum] damage, Save for half. The flames activate any potions or magic items the target is carrying. At the start of each round, the flames transfer to the nearest creature within [dice]x10’ that has not yet been targeted, dealing another [sum] damage, or die out if this is not possible. Your allies are not immune.

Based on Wandering Flame from this list, but more chaotic and potentially infinite.

12. Half-Life R: 50’, T: creature, D: varies, see below You destabilize the target’s particles, setting it a half-life of at least 15-[sum] hours (minimum 1 round). Powerful creatures get a Save to negate. Every half-life, the target decays to half its size and loses half its HD, dying when it drops below [dice]/2 HD. Other creatures must Save vs. mutation for every half-life spent near the target.

A curse-like spell with scientific flavor. Plus radioactivity, that’s always fun.

Edit: Added commentary and design notes in italics.

"Number All My Bones: There and Back and There Again" Part 1 Chapter 10

Beginning: https://bit.ly/2NtGPgu Previous:https://bit.ly/2UaBRHN Next: https://bit.ly/2EwotbC I must have run a mile looking for Betty. I must have. If any neighbors saw me or called that, I didn’t see. I didn’t hear. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear. So I climbed into my sedan after the quickest of mutters to Chara that I would be back from the few minutes. Five minutes of driving to the Anti-Monster Department, and I saw someone on the road. I could point out the shilouette from a mile away if it weren’t for the sun. “My God.” It was Asriel. It was Asriel. An annoying itch flared up my left eye- I figured it was some sort of dust speck- then a glaring hole of pain. And then came the images. I was always told they would come if something horrible would happen to Sans, but they never told me what. Besides, it was all superstition. All superstition. Superstition aside, I still can’t describe how horrific were the images that came. Images of the worst things, of the decay of the rose-tinged future I thought of for myself at the first step from the mountain. Images of blood, although I didn’t know who or where it came from. Eventually, when I blinked, blinked hard, and the images fell away and shriveled, their eyes still glazed and glaring at me, I noticed where the blood was coming from. It was coming from a trail that was supposed to lead to the Anti-Monster Department building. It was coming from Asriel’s clothes, weeping and seeping on the outside. Asriel lay in front of one of the street poles, the summer heat turning the blood into a slightly lighter shade, the summer heat sticking the clothes to the pole, looking as if it were absorbing them. I didn’t ask any questions, didn’t allow Asriel any leeway. God, I didn’t see what was in his hands. It was my son’s hoodie. I didn’t know it. And he didn’t know it either, at least not all the way through. All that my brain could tell me to do was to pull over, to scoop up Asriel and buckle him in the sedan before we rushed back to the laboratory, hands almost looking as if they were shaking the steering wheel as fast as they could. Once I was there, I took him out, and instead of lolling forward, to my great relief, he stood up on his own. Once he got in the house, he did much more than stand up. His eyes were wider than anything, wider than a camera’s aperture with the opening on full display for all the world to see. He was panting quick, like a German shepherd that Undyne loves to watch in her cop shows- “You, left, the, TV, on...” I muttered a “thanks”, not even thinking to shut the door behind me. Chara came in tow, hounding me, asking me what was happening, what was wrong with Asriel, but I couldn’t, didn’t say anything. I could feel my heart bursting, every inch of tissue feeling as if it was on the point of explosion, but I couldn’t imagine why other than the images that battered me earlier. I could feel the dread pouncing at me, but still I couldn’t imagine why. I couldn’t imagine why all of that escalated when I saw what was on the TV in the first place. It was some sort of commercial about the summer Olympics, blaring over and over about javelins, javelins, javelins. But when I turned off the remote and the TV finally stopped screaming, I noticed I was shaking. But that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered when I looked at Asriel. He had collapsed in the floor just leading to the living room, eyes entranced in the TV, shaking at least three or four times harder than I was, tears sweeping down his trembling cheeks every once in awhile, breathing faster and faster and faster, the oxygen only adding to his shaking. I immediately knew what it was, and it was fear. Not the type that happens when one is scared, but something far more serious. Trauma. This fear had seeped so hard into his brain that it had left something there, permanent damage. Something had happened with him in that camera room, and I wanted to find out what. I needed to find out what. God, if I found out sooner. Maybe I wouldn’t be the man I am today. Maybe better, maybe worse. More recovered, perhaps. But I certainly wouldn’t be the man I am today. That wasn’t happening with Asriel like that. I called Toriel, told her to come as soon as she could, telling her as soft as I could that Asriel’s adventure in the camera rooms may have resulted in some post-traumatic stress. She yelped, dropped the phone, called Asgore’s name, and I shut off the phone. I told Asriel to try and get some rest in hopes that some sleep would clear up his emotions, and he nodded, falling asleep on the couch within a minute, breath still fast. I wish I could say I took a sigh of relief after that, but I didn’t. That fear I was feeling, while not quite escalating to trauma, only escalated. Darn it, I couldn’t even last a minute without having to wipe a piece of slightly dirty sweat off of me and onto the waiting poplar floor. I told Chara that something had scared Asriel. When I grilled him on if he knew what PTSD was, he only shrugged and fiddled with a piece of skin on his arm. Perhaps he was just as scared as I was. I wouldn’t blame him. That half an hour was some of the longest time I can recall. Even now I wake up at one, two, three in the morning, and my brain springs to life, muddling over those thirty minutes. It’s almost a ritual now, and a ritual that I use to keep myself from becoming an insomniac and needing more melatonin than I already use. I combed through the books, nearly dropping the Human-Monster History volume on the floor, but only plopping on my desk so that Chara wouldn’t have to hear. I remember reading through the foreword, reading through the index, a sigh almost letting itself exhale its way out of me when I realized that nothing in there was going to mention the human-monster war. Thirty minutes, almost thirty forewords. My bookshelf was a mess by the time it was over, and it likely would still be a mess by the time the day was done. I woke Asriel, hoping the incomplete sleep cycle would let him stir back to life, but not completely. Enough drowsiness would most likely keep him from entering his state of acute trauma. I considered going downstairs and grabbing some of the mildest tranquilizer I had from the cabinet just in case, but it punched me in the gut. This was Asriel. I asked him what happened, and I heard Chara’s footsteps teeter in. “We were with the cameras, and we saw, we saw, we saw, we saw Jessica fire the gun, and we saw, we saw the night Betty was in your house, the cameras caught her outside, even though she was supposed to be in your lab… we knew something was wrong with her, oh Jesus, oh Jesus… Jesus don’t take ‘im… and she came in the door, and Sans told me warn the others, warn the others, I have to warn the others, warn the others, warn the others…” He kept on going like this for two minutes, and I had to put a hand on his shoulder to keep him going. “Warn the others, I have to warn the others… Sans tried to teleport, but Jessica came back, and…” Jessica. Dam her. I could feel the warmth start to creep towards my vision, turn the edges into a momentous throbbing pattern. “She shot him… he was in so much pain… then I saw Chara, he was right in front of me… but somewhere inside me, I knew it wasn’t Chara, I knew it wasn’t… then, she turned into Betty again, and she threw the javelin, and… he teleported in front of me, and…and…” Back and forth, over and over. He rocked back and forth, and the tears shook him, turned him into an earthquake. “Right in the chest… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” He clung onto me, almost dug his fingernails into me. “I’m sorry, Dr. Gaster, I’m so, so, so sorry… I shouldn’t be here… I’m so sorry…” Later that night, Toriel would tell me that while she washed his shirt, she saw a piece of hardened sugar falling off of it. She said she wondered what I let Asriel eat that day, even through that should have been the last thing on her mind. Her way to cope with it, I suppose. She said it looked a little flat, with a few even tinier ridges on the side. She crushed it, disintegrated it. And she didn’t think about it. She didn’t even think about it. It was only months later when I realize she’d crushed a tiny piece of my son’s sternum.

Homebrew Archetype: Brinesmith

Alchemist Archetype, Goblin only.

The love goblins have for pickles and pickled objects is well known. What’s less known, however, is how the love of pickles and pickled objects can transform especially manic goblins into the horrors known as Brinesmiths. Brinesmiths are once-goblins twisted by a love of pickling whatever they get their hands on so thorough and consuming that they even begin pickling themselves, transforming over time from a normal goblin into a salt-crusted, leathery, shrunken creature that can barely be defined as ‘alive.’

The forbidden pickling experiments conducted by the Brinesmiths almost always end up with them get the boot from their clans, if not killed outright, though there are rare times when their eccentricities are accepted by their peers and they’re allowed to hone their craft so long as they continue to provide the clan with delicious, delicious pickled goods.

Brine Bombs (Su): A Brinesmith’s Alchemist Bombs deal acid damage rather than fire damage, and operate by bathing their victims in pickling fluids so violently caustic that the fumes themselves are dangerously acidic. They deal damage using d4 damage dice rather than d6, but anyone taking damage (including splash damage) from the Bomb must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Brinesmith’s class level + the Brinesmith’s Intelligence modifier) or be blinded for 1 round by the fumes. This alters Bombs.

Pickled Potions (Ex): The forbidden pickling experiments of the Brinesmith will often see them mixing dangerous preservatives into their potions and extracts, sometimes without even realizing what they’re doing. While they gain the Brew Potion feat as normal, they also gain the Infusion Discovery automatically at level 1. However, any non-goblin (not including the Brinesmith, even if they have been changed into a different shape) drinking a potion or extract created by a Brinesmith is automatically sickened for a number of rounds equal to the duration of the potion or extract’s effect (min 1 round). This ability alters Brew Potion and affects extracts created via the Infusion Discovery.

Brineskin Brew (Su): Rather than creating a Mutagen or Cognatogen, a Brinesmith can create a foul-smelling mixture called the Brineskin Brew instead. Creating a Brineskin Brew takes 1 hour to do, but it remains potent until it is used. The Brinesmith can only maintain one dose of this Brew at a time, and creating another one will render the previous Brew inert. The Brew is treated as a jar of Goblin Pickles when not in the Brinesmith’s possession.

Upon drinking the Brineskin Brew (a standard action), the Brinesmith’s whole body painfully but temporarily mummifies itself. Their skin grows sturdy and leathery, their muscles tightening and solidifying as salt crystals as strong as steel randomly grow from their body. In this state, the Brinesmith gains a +4 Alchemical bonus to their AC, gains DR 10/piercing, and immunity to poison and disease as their metabolism slows to a crawl. Ongoing poisons and diseases have their effects suppressed so long as the Brew’s effect is active, and resume once the Brew’s effects cease unless cured beforehand.

This painful transformation has some downsides, as well: The Brineskin Brew deals 2 damage to the Brinesmith’s Dexterity and Strength from the tightening of their muscles and joints, all of their movement speeds are reduced by 10 feet--nonmagical flight speeds are reduced by 20, to a minimum of 0 (preventing flight)--and they exude a powerfully sour-smelling fluid from their skin that grants them the Stench universal monster ability, with the DC to resist becoming sickened being 10 + 1/2 the Brinesmith’s level + their Constitution modifier, and the duration of the sickened condition being equal to 1/2 the Brinesmith’s level.

If the Brinesmith consumes a Brineskin Brew while one is already in effect, the previous instance expires immediately. The Brineskin Brew’s effects lasts for 1 minute per Brinesmith level. If the Brinesmith has certain Discoveries, though, the Brew’s has different effects:

Preserve Organs x 1: The Brew lasts for 10 minutes per level instead, and the Brew’s Strength damage is reduced to 1.

Preserve Organs x 2: The Brew lasts for 30 minutes per level instead, and the Brew’s Dexterity damage is reduced to 1.

Preserve Organs x 3: The Brew lasts for 1 hour per level instead, and the movement speed reduction from the Brew is reduced by half.

Mummification: The Brew’s natural armor bonus increases to +6, the DR 10/piercing becomes DR 10/--, and any poisons or diseases affecting them are automatically cured when the Brew is imbibed.

Rag Doll Mutagen: Affects the Brineskin Brew instead of the Mutagen. Ability score damage caused by the Brineskin Brew is automatically healed when the Brew’s effects expire. In addition, if the Brinesmith’s Strength or Dexterity was damaged or drained by another source, they heal 1 point of this ability damage or drain when the Brew’s effects expire.

Purging Mutagen: Affects the Brineskin Brew instead of the Mutagen. The Brinesmith does not become nauseated when using the purging effects on themselves, and the save DC to resist becoming sickened by the Brinesmith’s Stench is increased by 4.

Splitting Mutagen: Affects the Brineskin Brew instead of the Mutagen. The copy that fades away does not turn to mist, but instead collapses into a pile of jagged salt shards, spreading across 10 feet and operating as if it were caltrops, where it lingers for 5 minutes before crumbling to harmless, tasty, useful salt.

Bitter Pill and/or Nauseating Flesh: While the Brineskin Brew is in effect, the DC to resist Bitter Pill or Nauseating Flesh is increased by 4.

Pheromones: The save DC to resist becoming sickened by the Brinesmith’s Stench is increased by 4. Any creature that fails the saving throw to avoid becoming sickened by the Stench is also nauseated for 1 round. 

This ability replaces Mutagen and Persistent Mutagen. For the purposes of Discovery prerequisites, the Brineskin Brew is considered to be Mutagen.

Discovery (Su): Brinesmiths does not have access to all Alchemist discoveries. The Discoveries a Brinesmith retains access to are: Alchemical Zombie, Bitter Pill, Boneshard Bomb, Bottled Ooze*, Breath Weapon Bomb, Combine Extracts, Concentrate Poison, Confusion Bomb, Cytillesh Bomb, Defoliant Bomb, Delayed Bomb, Dilution, Directed Bomb, Dispelling Bomb, Elixir of Life, Enhance Potion, Eternal Potion, Extend Potion, Fast Bombs, Flesh-Eating Bombs, Grease Bomb, Infuse Mutagen, Lingering Spirit, Madness Bomb, Malignant Poison, Nauseating Flesh, Neutralizing Bomb, Ooze Blight, Parasitic Twin, Pheromones, Pickled Quasit**, Poison Bomb, Poison Conversion, Psychoactive Bomb, Purging Mutagen, Rag Doll Mutagen, Remedy Extract, Rocket Bomb, Smoke Bomb, Splitting Mutagen***, Spontaneous Healing, Sticky Bombs, Sticky Poison, Stink Bomb, Tainted Infusion, Tentacle, Tumor Familiar, Vestigial Arm, Volumizer, Wings.

*A Brinesmith may select Bottled Ooze at Alchemist 4 instead of Alchemist 6 and may bottle Oozes with a CR up to the extract’s level +1, instead of simply the extract’s level.

**A Brinesmith may select Pickled Quasit at Alchemist 6 instead of Alchemist 10 and may pickle Quasits using extract slots as low as level 2 instead of level 4.

***A Brinesmith may select Splitting Mutagen at Alchemist 8 instead of Alchemist 12.

This ability alters Discovery. A Brinesmith may also select the new Brinesmith Discoveries listed at the end of this post.

Shriveling Form (Ex): At levels 2, 5, and 8, the Brinesmith automatically gains an instance of the Preserve Organs Discovery as their self-experimentation warps their body. At level 10, the Brinesmith gains the Mummification Discovery automatically. The Brinesmith treats the Preserve Organs and Mummufication Discoveries as extraordinary abilities rather than supernatural ones. A Brinesmith gaining Mummification does not have to go through the 30-day rigors normally associated with the Discovery--they’ve been going through it since the beginning of their time as a Brinesmith.

This ability replaces Poison Resistance and Poison Immunity.

------

NEW DISCOVERIES:

Pickled Pals

Prereq: Alchemist 4.

An Alchemist with this Discovery can create mutated Pickled Punks with the use of animal corpses or the scraps of larger entities prepared in a special solution costing 30gp to create and held within a tiny container. A Pickled Pal takes 1d3 days to grow to usefulness and remains dormant in its jar until unleashed by the Alchemist, either by being uncorked and dumped out or by the entire jar being flung at an enemy as an improvised weapon. All creatures damaged by a jar being thrown are exposed to the Pickled Pal’s Irritant ability as the jar bursts and sprays them with the caustic chemicals. Using a jar to attack in this manner does not harm the Pal.

Pickled Pals can be augmented with one of the following Discoveries, provided the Alchemist themselves also possesses it: Bitter Pill, Nauseating Flesh, Parasitic Twin, Tentacle, Vestigial Arm, Tentacle. If you have 10 or more levels of Alchemist, you may select an additional Discovery to augment the Pal with. If you have 15 or more levels of Alchemist, you may select one more Discovery to augment them (for a maximum of 3).

Pickled Pals created with this ability last for 30 minutes after being released before decaying into piles of useless sludge (triggering their Death Throes). An Alchemist can maintain a number of jarred up Pickled Pals equal to their Intelligence modifier. If they create a new one when they already have their maximum number, the oldest Pal instantly collapses into useless sludge.

Pickled Mephit

Prereq: Pickled Quasit, Brinesmith Archetype.

Brinesmiths know the dark secrets to transform created Quasits into wicked Mephits. Whenever a Brinesmith creates a Pickled Quasit using a level 3 or higher extract slot, they may either apply the Advanced simple template to the creature, or elect to create a Pickled Mephit instead. A Pickled Mephit uses the stats of a Salt Mephit, unless it was created using a level 6 extract slot, in which case it gains the Advanced simple template and may use its Dehydrate ability an additional time each day.

Pickled Mephits and Quasits created by a Brinesmith always obey the maker’s orders. Mephits created by a Brinesmith last 1 minute per level instead of 1 round, though Quasits still only linger for 1 round round per level before dissolving.

Salty Treats

Prereq: Brinesmith Archetype, Alchemist 6.

A Brinesmith knows how to preserve just about anything, including the vitality that still lingers in a freshly-dead body. If a Brinesmith happens upon the body of a Small or larger creature that has been dead for less than 1 minute, they can begin harvesting choice portions of the corpse in a process that takes 5 minutes to perform and costs 10gp in regents to undergo. The result of this process is a Salty Treat, a specialized jar of goblin “pickles” that acts as a Potion of Cure Light Wounds cast at the Brinesmith’s caster level, with some important differences.

A Salty Treat takes a full round to consume instead of a standard action, and any non-goblin (excluding the Brinesmith if they have been changed into another form) is automatically nauseated for 1 minute after using the item. Because a Salty Treat takes some degree of chewing to use, it cannot be administered to an unconscious victim.

A Brinesmith cannot make a Salty Treat out of an undead being (whether or not it’s still ‘alive’), or a creature not made out of delicious flesh, including but not limited to constructs, elemental beings, and most types of ooze.

Episode Reviews - Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 (1 of 6)

Capitalising on my last day of a break from my novel-writing efforts, I’m getting a start on episode reviews for the third season for Star Trek: The Next Generation now, so as to tide you all over until next weekend.

Episode 1: Evolution

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise approaches the Kavis Alpha binary star system to perform an astrophysics experiment led by Dr Paul Stubbs, analysing the decay of neutronium as a result of a stellar explosion that occurs every 196 years and is due to occur in the next few hours. Stubbs plans to launch a probe, dubbed the Egg, to gather the data, a result of a lifetime's development. Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Crusher has returned to her duties on the Enterprise after a tour of duty at Starfleet Medical.

 As the expected time of the stellar explosion nears, the ship beings to malfunction, and the issue is traced to the computer core. Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher, who had been working on a project involving microscopic nanites, realizes that he may have inadvertently let two nanites from his experiments loose. The nanites were programmed to find ways to work together and may have evolved as a result. A scan of the computer core reveals that the nanites have replicated themselves and have taken up residence in the computer core. With the computer controls unreliable, the crew and Dr Stubbs attempt to see if they can remove the nanites from the core. However, Dr Stubbs shoots the core with a burst of gamma radiation, destroying a large number of the nanites. They retaliate by flooding the bridge with nitrogen dioxide, which the crew overrides.

 Dr Stubbs is confined to quarters, but the nanites attempt further revenge by shocking him with electricity. Captain Picard prepares to flood the computer core with gamma radiation to remove the nanites completely, but the android Second Officer Lt. Commander Data establishes communication with the nanites and allows them to use his body to speak with Picard. Picard realizes that the nanites are self-aware and conscious and took Dr Stubbs' actions as hostile, but they want peace. Picard negotiates a deal to send the nanites to Kavis Alpha IV, designating it as their homeworld with Dr Stubbs’ assistance. The nanites agree and repair the damage to the computer core before they leave it. Dr Stubbs launches his probe on time and collects numerous volumes of data.

Review:

There are a few notable changes in the show’s line-up; Worf has gone up from a lower grade of lieutenant to a higher one while Geordi is now a Lieutenant Commander, putting him up to the same rank as Data. Gates McFadden is now back as Dr Beverley Crusher, and as a result the supposedly McCoy-esque Dr Poklaski character is gone, along with head writer Maurice Hurley, who is believed to have been behind Gates’ departure back at the end of season 1.  Finally, the uniforms have undergone a change in design and material that was apparently requested by Patrick Stewart.

 This episode is better than either of the previous two season openers TNG has offered up, though it’s not as good as it could be. Apparently when Michael Pillar took over as head writer early in this season, he insisted every episode focus primarily on one character and be about something.  By that criteria, we get a focus of sorts in Wesley, and we get to see that not only is he struggling to measure up to all the demands placed on him as student and acting officer, but we also see something of what over-dedication could do to Wesley through the analogue of guest character Dr Stubbs. However, the nano-technology thread detracts from effective exploration of either issue.

 To make this episode truly brilliant, I think they should have either built up to Wesley letting the nanites out in error more and focused on his struggling to juggle his responsibilities and his mother’s concerns about that, or they should have focused on creating more parallels between Wesley and Stubbs to be explored.  In essence, this episode is evidence that Pillar’s approach was very much in its infancy at that point and was not well developed yet.  However, it does improve down the line, and the closing scene in Ten-Forward between Beverley and Guinan is superb.  Overall, I’d give this episode 8 out of 10.

Episode 2: The Ensigns of Commands

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise receives an automated message from the enigmatic Sheliak: Remove the humans on planet Tau Cygni V in four days. The Sheliak are a non-humanoid species with little regard for human life and would exterminate any humans found in their path. Their message is only due to their obligation under a treaty with the Federation to notify their intention to colonize before taking further action.

 There is no record of a Federation colony ship being sent there as it contains levels of hyperonic radiation lethal to humans, which doesn't explain why the Sheliak indicate otherwise. The Enterprise arrives in the system to find what looks to be a small colony on the surface. The android Second Officer, Lt. Commander Data takes a shuttlecraft to the planet to coordinate the evacuation as he is the only crewmember unaffected by the radiation. Once he arrives, he finds that the sensor readings were incorrect. He is informed by locals Haritath and Kentor that it is a colony of 15,253 people, the descendants of the wayward colony ship Artemis launched 92 years prior. The colonists' ancestors found a means to survive within the radiation but initially suffered heavy loss of life before an effective defence was found.

 Although it would normally be a simple matter of beaming the colonists off the planet, hyperonic radiation renders the transporters useless. Because of this, a complete evacuation of the planet would take an estimated three weeks as no dedicated transport ships are available until then, and the Sheliak are not willing to give the Federation any extra time beyond the three days required by the treaty.

 After explaining the situation and being rebuffed by the colony's leader, Gosheven, Data is befriended by a sympathetic colonist named Ard'rian. She expresses interest in Data as an android and invites Data to her home, where they discuss ways to persuade the colonists to evacuate. To his puzzlement Ard'rian kisses Data. Data explains to the colonists that they should evacuate their world before its imminent destruction, pointing out by reverse psychology that the only result of their heroic hopeless last stand will be their total annihilation. Gosheven, however, refuses to leave and insists they will protect themselves by fighting, which many of the colonists agree with.

 With time running out, Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew begin poring through the 500,000-word treaty in the hopes of finding something they can use to their advantage.

 At a meeting at Ard'rian’s home, Data talks to several of the colonists who are thinking of leaving the doomed colony; Gosheven comes in and electrocutes Data. Data recovers and reasons that if persuasion cannot work, then intimidation through a show of force should be his next option. Modifying his phaser to work in the hyperonic atmosphere, he raids the colonists' aqueduct to prove they are helpless to defend their livelihood. When Data easily stuns the colonists guarding the aqueduct, he points out that if they can't defend against a single person with a phaser, then they aren't capable of fighting the hundreds of Sheliak, who would likely destroy them via orbital bombardment. Data then sends a phaser charge up the aqueduct system to vaporise the water that is vital to the colony's survival, convincing the colonists to evacuate the world. Gosheven reluctantly relents.

 Back on the Enterprise, Picard exploits a loophole in the treaty. He invokes a section calling for third-party arbitration to resolve the dispute and names as arbitrators the Grizzelas, a species that is in its hibernation cycle for another six months. Picard offers the Sheliak a choice: wait six months for the Grizzelas to come out of hibernation, or give the Federation three weeks to evacuate the colony. Ultimately, the Sheliak give the Federation the three weeks.

 Just as Data is about to leave the colony in his shuttle, Ard'rian comes to say goodbye. She asks Data if he has any feeling over what has just happened, and Data explains that he cannot experience feelings. To her surprise, He then kisses Ard'rian. She remarks that he "realized" she needed a kiss; Data leaves Ard'rian and returns to the Enterprise.

 Aboard the Enterprise, Picard comments on Data's performance at a classical concert before his mission with the human colonists. Picard tells Data he performed with feeling, and Data reminds Picard that he has no feeling. Picard says that this is hard to believe, noting his fusion of two very different music styles in his performance suggests real creativity. At that, and in obvious reflection of his recent solution of the colony problem, Data concedes that he has become more creative when necessary.

Review:

It’s taken me reading through Memory Alpha’s notes on this episode to get any idea of what this episode’s title means. Apparently, it’s taken from a poem by John Quincey Adams and talks about ensigns as in flags or symbols rather than the officer rank used in TNG.  However, this episode is focusing more on Data struggling with how to take command when his lack of emotion hinders him.  That has nothing to do with flags or symbols, so for me the episode feels completely mis-labelled.  I think the writers should have worked longer and harder to find a more literal title and not picked a random line from a bloody poem (I, for one, find poetry to be largely intolerable; just a bunch of bad song lyrics no one could be arsed to put to music in the vast majority of cases where I’m concerned).

 That aside, this is a decent episode that does well to show Data having to cope in a situation a bit outside his comfort zone, while Picard and company do well to support the main story in their contributions to the episode.  It’s also a good episode about not only the merits of playing on people’s emotions and actions often having more impact than words, not to mention the importance of putting lives above places and possessions in crisis situations.  I also don’t much mind that Goshoven’s prejudice against Data isn’t better explored, since that would have just repeated ‘Measure of a Man’ from last season, and that wouldn’t add anything to the show as a whole, nor to this episode in particular.  Overall, I give it 9 out of 10.

Episode 3: The Survivors

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise responds to a distress call from a Federation colony on Delta Rana IV and discovers the planet to be devastated and devoid of life, save for a patch of land containing a house and vegetation. Transporting to the surface, the away team meets the human occupants of the house, Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge, who claim to have witnessed the attack that destroyed the colony, but are unaware that they are the only survivors. The team, finding nothing of interest save for a small music box, insists that the Uxbridges return to the Enterprise for safety, but they refuse. Aboard the Enterprise, Counsellor Troi begins to hear the music from the music box in her mind constantly, each repetition slightly louder than the last, which eventually reduces her to screaming hysterics. Dr Crusher is forced to place her in an induced coma.

 An unknown spacecraft appears and attacks the Enterprise, then flees. The Enterprise gives chase but is unable to overtake the spaceship; eventually Captain Picard orders the Enterprise to return to the planet. Picard transports to the surface personally; Kevin suggests they were spared because they are pacifists. Upon the away team's return, the spaceship appears in orbit again, this time delivering a far more powerful attack. Picard orders the Enterprise to leave the system first, but then begins to suspect that the crew is being toyed with.

 Returning to the planet again, Picard transports to the surface to plead with the Uxbridges to leave with him. After being refused again, Picard tells them the Enterprise will remain to protect them as long as they live, and returns to the ship. The alien spaceship appears again and destroys the Uxbridges' home. Picard orders an attack on the craft, and unlike the previous encounters, easily destroys it. Playing on a suspicion, Picard has the Enterprise move to a higher orbit; after a short time, the Uxbridges' home reappears.

 Picard orders the Uxbridges beamed up to the Enterprise and confronts Kevin with his suspicions: Kevin and Rishon's house was destroyed in the attack and Rishon was killed, but Kevin, who is not human, has recreated them both, and created the alien warship to dissuade the Enterprise from investigating. Kevin admits the truth, and the illusory Rishon disappears. He removes the torturous music that he had placed in Troi's mind to prevent her from telepathically identifying him.

 Kevin reveals that he is a Douwd, an immortal energy being with vast powers, who fell in love with Rishon and settled with her on Rana IV. When the planet was attacked by an aggressive, destructive species called the Husnock, he refused to join the fight in accordance with his species' pacifism. Rishon, however, died defending the colony. Stricken with grief, Kevin lashed out with his vast powers and wiped out the entire Husnock species; over 50 billion. Horrified by his crime, he chose self-exile to the planet, creating the replicas of Rishon and their house to spend the rest of eternity. Picard states that they are not qualified to be his judges, having no laws to fit the magnitude of his crime. The Enterprise leaves Kevin and his illusion in peace, and Picard confirms he will issue a warning not to visit the planet. Picard later opines in his log that a being as powerful and conscientious as Kevin is best left alone.

Review:

This is an interesting mystery episode that seems to focus primarily on Picard, since he works out the mystery fairly quickly but then keeps the solution, or at least his part of it, unrevealed until much later.  However, once again the idiocy of Roddenberry rears its head, as according to an episode commentary I watched on a later episode in this round, 24th century humans supposedly weren’t meant to get angry at anything in Roddenberry’s mind. This is a stupid idea that is totally unbelievable, and as a result no one objects to Picard’s apparent sacrifice of the Uxbridges.  No one but Picard has apparently deduced they’re dealing with illusions of a kind, so surely someone should have questioned the captain’s actions.

 This is a clear-cut example of why Roddenberry becoming less involved during this season and eventually leaving Trek was a fundamental necessity for the franchise’s long-term survival.  To believe that humans, that any species, could ever lose such an integral and necessary emotion as anger, or that losing our anger is somehow a desirable evolutionary path, is simply idiotic. The fact that suppressing human emotion was the subject of a dystopian film like Equilibrium is also proof of this, as the dystopian emotion-suppressing regime is total collapse by that film’s end and rightly so.

 However, there’s not much issue exploration in this episode.  The mystery, when revealed, turns out to be Trek doing its own version of what Chris Claremont did in X-Men comics with the Dark Phoenix saga, but since the cosmically powered being going too far in moments of overwhelming need or emotion is just a guest character, it lacks the same sort of resonance.  The bottom line is this episode shows that despite the quality of the season’s first two episodes, TNG had yet to fully abandon its errors of the first two seasons.  I also absolutely loathed Troi’s hysteria performance and had to fast-forward it.  On balance, I’d give this episode 5 out of 10.

Episode 4: Who Watches The Watchers

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise travels to the planet Mintaka III to resupply and repair a Federation outpost being used to monitor the Mintakan people, a proto-Vulcan race near a Bronze Age level of cultural development.

 As the Enterprise nears the outpost, an accident causes the holographic rockface to disappear, exposing the outpost to Liko, a Mintakan. Liko attempts to approach and is hit with an electrical shock, which causes him to fall off the cliff and sustain critical injuries. When Chief Medical Officer Dr Crusher rushes to provide aid, she realizes the injuries are too severe to treat there and has him transported to the Enterprise for treatment despite the action violating the Prime Directive. Liko becomes conscious and witnesses everything occurring in Sick Bay, and focuses on Captain Picard giving instructions. Dr Crusher is able to heal Liko and attempts to wipe his memory of the incident before returning him to the planet. Commander Riker suggests that he and Counsellor Troi disguise themselves as Mintakans in order to search for Palmer, a missing member of the anthropological team, and to monitor Liko, to make sure the memory wipe worked. They discover to their horror that the mind wipe did not take, as Liko recalls an image of "the Picard", and has convinced other Mintakans that the Picard must be their god.

 Troi and Riker subtly try to dispel the myth of the Picard, which gains traction until a hunting party arrives with a delirious Palmer in tow. While Troi provides a diversion, telling the clan that another "like Palmer" is heading for the caves, Riker ties up an elderly man who was left behind to keep an eye on Palmer, and Riker and Palmer run away, and narrowly escape back to the Enterprise. Unfortunately, Troi is captured and held captive for her hand in the escape, leaving Picard to take steps to rectify the situation without further violation of the Prime Directive.

 Picard transports Nuria, the leader of the village where Troi is being held, to the Enterprise and attempts to show her that he and the rest of the crew are mortal, including having her witness the death of a member of the anthropological team in Sickbay. Picard returns with Nuria to the surface in the middle of a thunderstorm, which Liko has taken as a sign of the Picard's anger. Nuria attempts to rationalize with Liko, but Liko demands his own proof of Picard's mortality and aims an arrow at Picard. Picard insists that if that is the only proof that Liko will accept, then Liko should shoot. Liko does, but his daughter pushes him so that he only wounds Picard. Nuria shows Liko Picard's blood from the wound, and Liko and the others come to accept that Picard is not a god. Picard and Troi return to the Enterprise, and after he is treated, Picard returns to the surface one last time, and explains to the Mintakans that they will be removing the outpost and allowing them to develop on their own. Before Picard leaves, Nuria gives him a Mintakan tapestry as a gift.

Review:

This is our second Picard-centric episode on the run, and it’s much better in terms of both performance and issue exploration, not to mention emotional expression.  Moreover, it’s another chance to explore and debate that classic Trek chestnut known as the Prime Directive, which this time is broken by accident when it would obviously have been better to avoid that situation, and thereafter the issue becomes how best to resolve it.  As someone who thinks all religions are best treated as theories until proven or disproven by science (which in real life science cannot yet achieve), I enjoyed this because it honestly tries to look at the issue from both sides, albeit not for long.

 The episode explores the idea of an advanced race appearing god-like to a less advanced civilisation, which in more recent times has been utilised to work Thor and the Asgardian race into Marvel’s film in a sci-fi way rather than as beings of mystic fantasy, and also points out the inherent flaw in all religions.  Basically, once our guest aliens start believing in Picard as a god, they’re almost constantly trying to work out what do, and as Troi points out, “that’s the problem with believing in a supernatural being; trying to work out what he wants.”  This is where all religions fall down, because by and large that supernatural being never appears, never communicates directly, so you have no reliable, impartial means by which to determine if what ‘God’, ‘Allah’, ‘Zeus’, ‘Odin’ or whoever wants you to do has or hasn’t been done.

 The guest character of Dr Barron even suggests that to minimise the damage caused by the Prime Directive being violated, Picard actually step into that supernatural being role and impose commandments so that the potential religion goes in a positive direction, but Picard shoots the idea down.  He sees the abandoning of religion as an achievement, and to a degree I see his point of view.  A lot of our history’s worst moments have been born out of misinterpreting or misusing religion as an excuse for wars, bigotry, inquisitions, etc. and that’s even when there are commandments built into a religion.  The reality is that while religion can have its positive elements, it is ultimately through secular morality that isn’t based on abstract that a society is more likely to progress and thrive.

 For me, this is a great episode and another example of Trek at its finest.  I give it top marks because it really doesn’t put a foot wrong; 10 out of 10.

Episode 5: The Bonding

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

While investigating a planet once occupied by Koinonians, Lt. Worf and members of the Enterprise away team trigger an ancient mine. They are transported to Sickbay, but Lieutenant Marla Aster is dead. As Captain Picard delivers the news of Marla's death to her son Jeremy, Wesley Crusher talks with Commander Riker about how Picard had delivered the news of his father's death to his mother and himself. Worf expresses his desire to make R'uustai, a Klingon bonding ritual with Jeremy, as they are both orphans and he believes he can help the boy recover emotionally, but Counsellor Troi warns that Jeremy may react badly if Worf makes such an offer too soon.

 The crew investigates the planet, discovering mines that were recently unearthed and exposed. They observe a beam of charged particles emanating from the surface headed towards the Enterprise, while Troi senses a new presence from the planet. In Jeremy's quarters, a physical manifestation of Marla appears, explaining that the crew mistakenly considered her dead and that she wants Jeremy to live on the planet. Worf and security officers follow the two, preventing "Marla" from using the transporter to return to the planet, and Troi and Picard also intervene. Troi and Jeremy return to the Aster family quarters, which has the appearance of the Asters' home on Earth. Chief Engineer La Forge tunes the shields to stop the particle beam, causing "Marla" to disappear and the room returns to normal.

 A filament rises from the planet, striking the Enterprise and disrupting the shields; "Marla" appears and takes Jeremy, intent on going to the transporter room. Picard contains "Marla" with force fields and talks to her. "Marla" explains that she is one of two races that once lived on the planet; her species, made from energy, watched the other physical species wipe themselves out from wars and her people want to prevent more suffering caused by the remnants of the war, thus providing Jeremy with the illusion of his mother still being alive. Picard and Troi point out that dealing with death is part of the human condition. Wesley explains to Jeremy how he dealt with his father's death, explaining he was initially angry with Picard for living while his father died. Jeremy expresses his own anger at Worf, but Troi points out they are both orphans, while Worf notes that he was aided by humans after he lost his parents. Jeremy decides to go with Worf. Realizing that Jeremy will be all right, the illusion of Marla disappears and the alien presence is no more.

 Sometime later, Worf and Jeremy undertake the R'uustai ritual.

Review:

This is the episode I was talking about earlier where I checked out the commentary and discovered yet more example of how idiotic some of Roddenberry’s idealism got.  The episode is very much centred around the necessity of grieving for those we lose to death and how we go through that, and Roddenberry apparently didn’t want the affected child in this episode getting angry, part of which was down to this idea that 24th century humans just don’t get angry.  The other part was that he thought the humans of this time period would be taught to accept death from an early age, and as such there would be no inter-personal conflict as a result of someone losing anyone close to them.

 Frankly, that’s about the most inhuman concept I could imagine, because having experienced the loss of all my grandparents to various causes, most of which allowed for some preparation time, I can attest to this being the worst idea imaginable.  Nothing is ever going to prepare you to lose someone close to you, and no amount of time or human advancement will ever make accepting death any easier.  Luckily, the re-writes on the show’s original script nicely bypass Roddenberry’s filters and keep the natural emotions of grieving in there; they just lay beneath the surface of most of the affected characters because everyone’s basically repressing them, and there’s a kind of gentle catharsis for everyone in the final act.

 It’s also an episode where I feel the intended and actual focus of the story are different.  This was apparently meant to be a Worf story, but so much focus is put on the guest characters, not to mention Troi, Picard and Wesley, that it doesn’t really seem like Worf ends up really being the true focal point at all. However, it’s interesting to see how all these characters make worthwhile contributions to the subject at hand.  Wesley and Worf have both been through the same kind of thing Jeremy has experienced, Troi is brilliant acting as counsellor and helping everyone out (this is how she should be in more of her own episodes), and then you’ve got Picard not only struggling with this terrible duty, but also with the question of ‘why do we let families on this ship?’

 The last point is one that I think many people will find puzzling about TNG’s Enterprise; it’s a Federation ship, the Starfleet flagship at that, and we’ve seen by now how much danger it can encounter. As such, Picard has the right idea in noting how dubious a decision it is to have families, to have children and non-Starfleet adults, aboard a ship of exploration when it’s constantly risking the unknown and the potential perils that lurk therein.  It’s notable that later shows, and even all TNG films after Generations, removed the family ship concept.  We also get Data making some quite relevant queries and observations in a scene with Riker, so almost all the crew get their moment to comment, with only Geordi missing out from the main cast in terms of the focal issue.

 However, overall, it’s a brilliant episode, and a great testament to the wisdom of Michael Piller.  Another thing he did as head writer was to open the door to spec scripts, which were scripts submitted by the general public.  This enabled Trek fans and unestablished writers to make contributions and, in some cases, to get on the Trek shows.  Melissa Snodgrass’ script for ‘Measure of a Man’ was an early example of a spec script being used, and this one came courtesy of Ronald D. Moore, who ended up becoming a staff writer on the Trek shows for a decade after a few spec script successes.  If you can get this quality of Trek by taking on unsolicited fan scripts rather than using established TV writers who have little understanding of the franchise, then I think a lot of other franchises need to tap their fan-base in the same way. All in all, I give this episode 10 out of 10.

Application of monolithic concrete forming on residential construction.

In recent years, the general scope of individual construction, the growth of requirements for the architectural appearance and quality of houses, professional design have led to a wider use of concrete in residential construction.

 In this article, I would like to draw the attention of developers to new opportunities that have appeared recently in this area, new technologies, materials, and methods. Earlier, concrete was traditionally used for the construction of foundations and basement floors, but now more and more often in individual construction, concreting is also used to erect walls and ceilings, i.e. the whole box of the building. Obviously, the reasons for this are as follows: - improvement of concreting technology, the appearance of effective formwork; -availability of ready-mixed concrete mixtures and special equipment for the delivery and laying of concrete; - complex architectural solutions that dictate the use of reinforced concrete for their implementation; -price factor; -high pace of construction; -appearance of effective materials for additional thermal protection of concrete structures and their decoration.

 Fundamentally different are two ways of erecting buildings using the method of monolithic concreting - into panel formwork and in permanent formwork. In connection with various technological features, primarily, with the turnover of formwork, the first method is most common and expedient for the construction of multi-storey buildings, and the second one is for residential construction. Consider some of its features. The essence of the method is that the elements of the building structure are formed from the formwork, which is filled with concrete. After its setting, the formwork is not removed, as usual, but remains, performing decorative or heat-insulating functions.

 There are currently two types of fixed formwork on the market. The first is a fairly large hollow blocks, of which walls and floors are mounted. After installation, they are filled with concrete mortar. Foamed polystyrene, wood-cement mixtures, expanded clay, slags are used as material for blocks. Thus, the concrete core provides structural strength, and the light shell of the blocks provides the necessary thermal insulation. Unconditional advantages include simplicity and high speed of installation, excellent thermotechnical properties of such structures, low requirements for the qualifications of the builder, which attracts private developers. The entire construction process is reminiscent of a game with the LEGO constructor. However, the disadvantages are poor bearing capacity, the need to have many different types of blocks for the implementation of the architectural elements of the building, high fire hazard (polystyrene), difficult additional surface finish of the finished wall.

 1This technology has several advantages over block technology. This is an increased bearing capacity, the absence of a variety of prefabricated elements (blocks), wide architectural capabilities, the required thermal insulation and fire protection are easily achieved. The most famous manufacturers of fixed panel formwork elements are VELOX (Austria) and Eltomation (Holland). Analysis of modern low-cost construction technologies available in Russia allows us to recommend that individual developers pay special attention to VELOX formwork. Recall briefly the essence of the method. Wall formwork is collected simultaneously along the entire contour of the house on a flat, even surface, which may be the basement basement slab, the basement or floor overlap. The wall is assembled in layers of narrow (500 mm) plates with a thickness of 35 mm, fastened together by steel ties. Screeds simultaneously calibrate the wall thickness and prevent the formwork from bursting during concreting. The outer formwork plate is installed with a pre-glued insulation, the thickness of which is determined by the requirements of thermal insulation. Depending on the design of the house, fittings can be installed in the formwork gap. Concreting of each floor is usually carried out in several stages. After installing the first row of formwork (500 mm high) and checking all sizes about.

1. Material, its physical properties. The plate is made by semi-dry pressing of wood chips, pre-coated with cement. The finished plate is non-hygroscopic, not subject to swelling and decay, porous, has good strength, developed surface, environmentally friendly, easy to process. The porosity of the slab is important when concreting, as excess water is removed almost immediately and concrete does not shrink, and during operation, a wall with such a coating regulates humidity well due to its good sorbing ability. The developed surface of the plate provides good adhesion to any finishing compounds.

2. Easy to install. Dry installation of the formwork allows you to control the quality of the assembly well, makes it easy to correct errors, does not require highly qualified builder. The combination of an external plate with a heater of various thicknesses allows any thermal insulation to be provided, while the wall structure and installation method are not changed. The use of special screeds increases the accuracy and quality of installation. Simple constructive solutions for interfaces with roofs, floors, stairs, balconies.

3. Architectural capabilities. The technology allows you to implement any architectural solutions - arches, arches, curly openings, inclined walls, volumetric decorative elements, etc. Moreover, everything from stairs to ventilation channels is made of one material. The nomenclature of materials required for construction is reduced by 3-4 times compared to other technologies.

4. Low cost. Since the basic materials are not exotic and inexpensive, this allows you to ensure the cost per square meter of the outer wall within $ 50 with good finishes and excellent thermal characteristics. The latter circumstance is especially important when operating a house and will provide additional cost savings. Reducing the range of materials helps to reduce costs due to transport and operational costs for their search and purchase. The low laboriousness of basic construction operations also saves on labor costs, and the simplicity of the technology allows the developer to refuse the services of expensive specialists and perform some of the work on their own without risking losing quality and time.

5. High quality housing. It is achieved through accurate assembly of the box at home, providing high thermal insulation, good finish. The environmental aspect is very important. There is a prejudice against the use of concrete in residential buildings. It is fully justified for prefabricated houses, as the high density of the factory-made concrete panel and its insufficient thermal insulation lead to condensation of vapors on the panel surface and the abundance of surfaces with different temperatures and humidity in the living volume. In our case, concrete is cut off from the living volume by a layer of slab with excellent heat-insulating and sorbing properties. And the external location of the insulation brings the dew point to the outer surface of the concrete core and the mass of concrete creates an additional temperature buffer when the outside temperature changes and increases the comfort of the room. In addition, the technology allows the use of light or porous concrete for pouring the core.

6. High rates of construction. The average time for the construction of one floor with an area of ​​100 square meters is 7-10 days by 3-4 people. However, it should be noted that after the completion of the box and the installation of the roof, it takes time (3-4 weeks) for the concrete to dry. Usually, during this period, they are engaged in the device of internal networks, and then proceed to finish. Thus, it is possible to completely complete the construction in one season. We hope that the listed features of the technology of cast-in-place concreting into fixed formwork will attract the attention of individual developers and will provide another opportunity to quickly, efficiently and inexpensively solve the problem of building a house that meets all modern requirements.

Air purifier is useful to improve air quality significantly

December 2015, Northeast China, Beijing, Tianjin and the surrounding areas after another heavy air pollution process appears.

Experts said that most of the time people stay at home, offices and other indoor spaces, indoor air pollution prevention and control can not be taken lightly, scientific understanding of the proper use of air purification means, for the interior space is also put on the “anti-haze masks.”

Purifier significantly improve air quality

“Modern, 80% of the time indoors, when the outdoor pollution, the indoor air purification treatment if done, is not optimistic.” Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University Associate Professor Zhang expressed.

November 2014 to January this year, the Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University Building Environment Test Center and other units jointly sponsored Beijing indoor air quality research. Zhang is in charge of the research project. Beijing research group collected a total of 407 volunteers 110,000 hours of indoor data, announced the “data analysis reports indoor air quality research.”

The report shows that during the sampling period, the average PM2.5 Beijing outdoor (fine particles) at a concentration of 91.5 micrograms / cubic meter, residents of the average PM2.5 concentration in indoor air was 82.6 micrograms / cubic meter, in light pollution category. 20 hours of exposure to indoor PM2.5 total daily exposure is about 82%, while the outdoor four-hour PM2.5 exposure was about 18% of total daily exposure. Indoor PM2.5 intake per capita is four times the outside.

The report shows that the distance between the main roads can affect indoor air, away from the main road “is more than 500 meters,” “100-500 meters” “is less than 100 meters,” the building, indoor air quality showed a gradual downward trend.

The report also noted that there is a certain correlation between the living-room floor and the concentration of pollutants. During sampling, in almost all 17 floors above the outdoor concentration interval, showed the lowest value of indoor concentration. Outdoor concentration in the range of 0-200 micrograms / cubic meter, the concentration of higher value interior layer 1-8; in the range of 200-400 micrograms / cubic meter, the higher the indoor concentration layer 9-16.

An association exists between the floor and the concentration of indoor pollutants conclusion, to stimulate discussion and questioning. Zhang said that the report presented only data correlation results of the sampling time, “the impact on the indoor air quality of the floor is very complex, with the season, the wind between the floor have a relationship. Want more stringent causal conclusions, the sample size also to continue to expand. this result led to the interest we continue to explore the relationship between the floor and indoor air quality, but it is currently too early to draw conclusions. ”

Distance and main roads, floors and other factors, the impact on air quality is clear, the report notes, whether indoor air purification equipment a greater impact on air quality. Open air purifier indoor air quality plays a significant role in the promotion, regardless of the value of outdoor, indoor value is always maintained at about 15 micrograms / cubic meter.

      The best placement itself from closer

Professor, Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University School of Architecture Zhao Bin said, “in all the doors and windows closed, no indoor purification conditions, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations is 1/3 to 2 / 3.PM2.5 settlement or not all self-digestion, which means that if you do not take purifying means the lowest concentration of indoor air pollution is also the outdoor 1/3 haze serious, or should we turn the air purifier. ”

The proper use of air purifiers to fully play its role.

Zhao Bin said purifier work efficiency depends on the amount of clean air (CADR), per unit time, how much “clean air”. Clean room space required time = (room volume / purifier CADR) × (2 or 3). “For example, a 40 cubic meters of space, if you are using a CADR of 40 cubic meters per hour of purification, then doing a clean indoor air purification takes about 3 hours. Suggest that you be converted at the time of purchase, to match the indoor area . ”

Air purifier placement is very particular. Zhang believes that the best cleaner is located away from the space itself closer. “Now most of the air purifier is monitoring the outlet, but the outlet may not be able to clean air throughout the room .PM2.5 suspension relatively long time, if people in the living room, but the purifier in the bedroom, other rooms doors are open, the air quality around the body will not be improved as soon as possible. the best is where people, put the cleaner on the side, the other unused room doors are closed, surrounding itself guarantee clean air. ”

Air purifiers how long it takes to start work, Zhang pointed out that the data sampling process was observed within 20-30 minutes after the cleaner turned on, indoor air pollution, not fall phenomenon. He speculated that this is due to the presence of indoor air exchange, resulting in the original settlement on the ground of a larger pollution particles into the air, after the pollutant concentration gradually with cleaner work increases. “Based on the presence of secondary dust, we suggest that you turn on the air purifier will not take less than half an hour, but also to maintain a cleaner surrounding sanitation.”

Poor outdoor air quality can be “short window, close the window length”

Experts suggest that different types of purifiers and the use of different frequencies can affect filter replacement time. In more serious air pollution in the region, the use of relatively high frequency, it is best to filter purifier replaced every few months.

“When the cleaner dust rate decreased to 80% of the initial efficiency, or increase resistance 2-3 times when it should be replaced.” Zhao Bin said, “specific determination method, if the open and saw the purifiers filter has been blackened, or gently touch, to see visible signs of dust off, a respect for the core. If you smell bad taste back, is already too late. ”

Professor Zhang Yinping director of Tsinghua University Building Environment Test Center also suggested that “domestic PM2.5 detector can be put out on the air cleaner outlet, if you find small numbers no longer reduce or decline, is the time to replace the filter. ”

When the outdoor air quality index “burst table”, but also ventilation windows do,

Experts said that even if the outdoor air is very bad, crowded indoor places or should choose the ventilation. This is not just because of indoor pollutants PM2.5 in a hermetic doors can be reduced although the haze impact on the human body, but it makes other contaminants, such as carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides concentration increases, if the environment has been in a closed, no fresh air circulation, would endanger human health.

“Experiments show that the concentration of carbon dioxide rises, people will feel dizzy discomfort when its concentration reaches a certain height, on human cognitive behavior have a significant impact on the brain’s response rate will decrease. People need to open the window ventilation and air purification find a good balance. “Zhang said.

Zhao Bin believes that the outdoor air quality is poor, it can “short window, close the window long.” For example, when you get up in the morning to leave the bedroom, but a short time window, immediately turn off once returned to the bedroom window open purifier. “A lot of phone APP can view real-time outdoor air quality, people can choose day time relatively good air quality ventilation.”

In addition to the right of purification means, people should focus on their own haze-day cleaning. “Because PM2.5 only through the respiratory tract into the body, exposed to contact with the outer skin of pollution particles will also bring back the living environment, so back to the room from the outside, it is best to clean the skin, mouth and nose as soon as possible.” Zhao Bin said.

The new “air purifier” national standard core indicators

The newly revised “air purifier” national standards this year September 15 release, will be officially implemented March 1, 2016.

The new national standard air purifier to improve the evaluation of two types of basic technical indicators, “the amount of clean air” (CADR) and the “total amount of purification.” “Clean air amount” is the normal indicators, referring to the “capability at rated state and the prescribed test conditions, providing clean air volume” air purifier, which is purified target pollutants (particulate and gaseous pollutants) of ability. “Total amount of purification” is the long-term targets, namely air purifier during continuous operation, “the amount of clean air ‘to decay to half the total amount of the initial value, the cumulative removal of target pollutants. “Clean air amount to” inspect air purifier purification capacity, the “total amount of purification” from the perspective of life to measure the performance of the air purifier.

In addition, the new national standard also adds easy to understand the consumer, to buy all kinds of product identification labels, such as “Application area”, “life” is derived algorithm and parameter descriptions. Additional information is also standardized product labeling should indicate signs, such as the use of the product, replace the filter (cleaning), routine maintenance methods.

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Top 14 albums of the year, because I didn’t have 15 that I listened to and liked enough to add!

1:Pure Comedy - Father John Misty 2:Saturation 2 - BROCKHAMPTON 3:Goths - the Mountain Goats 4:Saturation 3 - BROCKHAMPTON 5:Saturation - BROCKHAMPTON 6:A Crow Looked At Me - Mount Eerie 7:Scum Fuck Flower Boy - Tyler, The Creator 8:Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex 9:Burst & Decay - The Wonder Years 10:50 Song Memoir - The Magnetic Fields 11:DAMN. - Kendrick Lamar 12:Mouth Moods - Neil Cicierga 13:From A Room: Volume One - Chris Stapleton 14:Salutations - Conor Oberst

---Honorable Mentions -or- Albums I didn't get to---

Sleep Well Beast - The National Low In High School - Morrissey Ursa Minor - Nana Grizol This Old Dog - Mac DeMarco Appointments - Julien Baker Return To Ommadawn - Mike Oldfield After The Party - The Menzingers Enter the Kingdom - Frontier Ruckus Moh Lhean - Why? From A Room: Volume 2 - Chris Stapleton