#all of these designs r off of memory 2 so. hopefully they r not too off | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

juleshq · 4 years

Text

* 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐠𝐨𝐬 here and do i have the tea for you . 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 is back in bridgehampton for the summer , living off the 𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐎 family 𝟐.𝟑 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 net worth . must be nice to come back home to the hamptons , i wonder what her fellow class of 2017 grads think of her return . you know , she was known around town as the 𝐂𝐎𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 and for bhs senior superlatives pronouns was crowned as 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐕𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐒 & 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 . i wonder if that still holds true today , a lot can change when you go off to 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 and study 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘 . either way , i bet she is still very 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 , 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐃 , 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐓𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 . hopefully this time next year the plans to 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 come true . in the meantime , i look forward to seeing her blast 𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫 (𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄) 𝖇𝖞 𝐤𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬 at every hamptons function . it’s going to be a wild summer home , welcome back .

i don’t think i’ve EVER been this excited to plot and interact with a group of people , u all seem like such beaut ppl & i’m in love already but i’m a little . . . intimidated ADFJH . anyways , i’m not going to ramble bc i’m ready to get down to business , i’m sammie & i go by she / her pronouns ! under the cut is a long bio on jules ! i will GLADLY give you a synopsis on this chaotic mess pls just ask , HERE is her pinterest board please ignore the sudden amount of pins of just her , also i’m down to plot here or on discord , my discord is @ᵘ ᵍᵒᵗ ᵃ ᵈᵒˡˡᵃʳ ?#3246

* / BASICS

full name: juliana kaia dicaprio

nicknames: jules , julie / juli

age & dob: twenty-one , august 14th , 1998

place of birth: long island , new york .

sexuality: heterosexual ( that she knows off )

bender: cisfemale

* / MORE BASIC INFO

languages: english, french, some spanish.

religion: catholic

education: high school , majoring in biology at stanford

occupation: unemployed

drinks, smokes, & drugs: all of the above

* / PERSONALITY

zodiac sign: leo

likes: dark chocolate , tea in the morning , white roses , instigating bad situations , wine , black coffee , the smell of freshly brewed coffee , talking with strangers , long travels , adventures , being called “ angel ” , popcorn , quick tex responders , products made with silk , athletes , crime shows / films , crowded rooms , glitter .

dislikes: fake designer bags , people who don’t know how to lie , f , people who wear pearls regularly , long text messages , voicemails , men who are cheap , people who chew with their mouth open , humming , thrift shops , water-poof mascara , the smell of grass , extensive planning , and arrogance & stupidity combined .

bad habits: breaking promises to herself & others , not thinking before doing , fixating with her hair when nervous .

secret talent: juggling

fears: aging terribly , being widowed , drowning , being buried alive .

positive traits: alluring , convincing , affectionate , ambitious / devoted , systematic .

negative traits: manipulative , conniving , deceitful , dishonest , subjective .

* / APPEARANCE

tattoos: dagger on right index finger , “ devil ” on left index finger .

piercings: three in each ear , cartilage .

* / FAMILY INFO.

parent names: claire boucher & david dicaprio .

parent relationship: divorced .

sibling names: annalise , ashton , keller , & wade .

sibling relationship: step siblings & half .

children: none .

pets: 2 family dogs on her moms side.

* / BIOGRAPHY

i’m sorry it got long

𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄𝐑’s entire childhood was spent in the spotlight -- her father was a huge rockstar in the 70's & 80's, and her mother a model . Claire spent her childhood between Florida , California , and New York , attending red carpets , premieres , etc. Claire attended Stanford to obtain a bachelor in science but was in and out of modeling in her teens and early twenties .

𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐃 𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐎 lived an affluent life more under the radar . His grandfather is CEO of JD banking , one of the four largest banks in the world . He attended Princeton as the rest of his family did . He got involved in the company business at a very young age as did his brothers , but went on to become the new CEO after his fathers unfortunate passing in 2002 .

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 was and will forever be her parents pride & joy . her parents were high school sweethearts & got married young -- at a twenty-two / twenty-three . they had been trying for two years to start their own family but jules’ mother struggled . thanksgiving in the hamptons , a dicaprio family tradition the day is engraved in her mothers memory , in 1997 , they announced to their family that after years of trying , they were pregnant .

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 grew up completely pampered ; bi-weekly trips to the nail salon with her mother and annual father-daughter trips . her mother was her best friend until she began morphing jules into what she thought was perfect . making sure she spoke at least one other language , was active in school , extracurriculars , how she presented herself . her mother cared about image due to her own childhood of growing up in the spotlight . besides the near brainwash to fit her mother’s image of perfect , everything was ideal & ‘ normal ’ up until the summer before her freshman year of high school . her mother discovered the affair her father had been having for months with a woman he did business with . he claimed it was due to the fact that jules’ mother had returned to some normalcy and wanted to work again , modeling and doing some traveling , therefore he ‘ just missed her around ’ . jules was aware of everything going on , heard the countless nights they spent arguing in the opposite wing of the house , she picked up on her father being late to family dinner because “ he had work to do ” . her parents tried their best to keep her in the dark for the sake of her sanity , innocence , and view on her father . jules went along with it all , the daddy’s girl in her was in denial for all of the months leading up to their divorce . at the end , her mother got full custody of her .

𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄 came two “ yes ” parents . everything became a competition between the two , trying to one up the other ; who took jules on the better summer vacation , had the most over the top christmas morning , etc . it was insanely manipulative & jules there wasn’t a time period where jules felt more alone ; not having a sibling to relate to , she was embarassed to tell her peers the real reason why her parents split , it was so cliché . both parents didn’t take too long to remarry , her father found another stay-at-home wife and her mother lucked out with a lawyer ten years older than she . her step-father had two daughtes & son with whom jules hated in the beginning – it was a lot to take in and she was used to being the only child . her father went on to have a child with his new wife two years after their marriage . it was all an immense amount of change within seven years .

𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 for jules had been constantly changing since the news of her father’s affair , she’d spend her summers & holiday’s going back & forth between each parents in the hamptons until her father moved to calabasas to be closer to his wife’s family as soon as the baby was born . jules had always been a wild , reckless child at heart and the divorce between her parents only allowed her to push her limits even more . the two-three years her parents spent processing their divorce were her golden years -- she could not get in trouble with her parents and they never got upset with her . she took advantage of it all and abused drinking , hanging out with boys , you name it . she loved the attention she received from any male figure -- it made up for the lack of attention she was getting from her father once he got the boot .

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄 was where jules found her safe space ; she could be her wild self , far away from home and only a five hour drive from her father that she still rarely sees . she joined a sorority , joined the exec board , was forced to join french club by her mother , all while maintaining a 4.08 gpa .

* ` 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐄 jules has always been a wild child . she’s always had a desire for attention , all eyes & attention on her , though the B I R T H of her uncontrollable desire for attention from males stemmed after her parents divorce . the lack of attention from her father allowed her to realize her dad wasn’t the only one who could spoil her & every man was basically the same . she’s not super close with either of her dads at the moment and sees her father about three times a year , two of which are holidays & every now and then the spontaneous visit from him in cali .

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 is a h u g e cry baby in the sense that she hates not getting what she wants . its not on purpose most of the time , it’s the way she was raised and the nature of her parents . she’s never had to ask for anything twice & hates doing so . though she’s a huge cry baby , she will try her best to mask her actual tears . she does a good job of seeming innocent , she’s that one friend that is super sus & lies a lot & keeps secrets but somehow is so good at convincing people other wise ? she’s a huge flirt , even when she’s not doing it on purpose , it’s sort of a weird practice or habit she’s grown into ? she feels empowered in the weirdest way of owning men and being able to form their opinion of her for them , this stems from her newly founded daddy issues it’s more so due to the fact that her relationship with her father began to diminish once he moved out . she is & has been on her “ fuck love ” rampage .

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 do whatever she wants and will hide her bad intentions . she lives for chaos , loves enjoys pushing limits & boundaries . she loves a game of cat & mouse / teasing just knowing she has someone in her grip is what helps her sleep at night . she is a bit crazy . . . the type to watch someone’s snap score go up . def that type to block and unblock someone 238473 timES . she has an underlying need of approval from others and she almost needs to be liked by everyone she meets .

𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 she wants to model & be a playboy bunny BUT her dad would literally disown her if she didn’t follow her family legacy and attend stanford or yale to use her brains for good . she’s in school to be a pediatrician because at the end of the day she loves children and always wanted to seek a job in the healthcare field . she has plans to attend yale’s medical school after her senior year is complete at stanford .

i really based her off of american beauty & angela in the movie ( if you’ve seen it omg ily ) g

#╰ * ✴ 𝙢𝙪𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 ↝ 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 › ooc #entitled:intro #hi hI HI!!!!!!#xD

16 notes · View notes

feisty-fae · 4 years

Note

If you still do the flower ask thingys.. 👉👈 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙜𝙤 :)

HoooH boY hEre we gO-

Alisons: Sexuality?

I sexually identify as a can of beans

Amaranth: Pronouns/Gender?

Cis female she/her

Amaryllis: Birthday?

27 September

Anemone: Favorite flower?

All flowers pretty,, but stargazer lily, rose, dahlia and cherry blossoms

Angelonia: Favorite t.v. show?

I don't watch tv but I'll list some other stuff i like to watch:mha, beastars and aggretsuko

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

Idk depends on scenario??

Aster: What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"Kanye West he likes, fingers in his ass."

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

Any Milkshakes or smoothies (mostly banana and strawberry for milkshake and p much anything for smoothie)

Baby’s Breath: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

I've never had kith

Balsam Fir: Have you ever been in love?

Well you see yes but actually no

Baneberries: Favorite song?

I listen to a lot but to keep it short:baby in the kitchen, in my mouth and friends slowed (chase atlantic)

Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

We p chill fam

Beebalm: Do you have a best friend? Who is it?

Irl bestie,, shes not on tumblr lol

Begonia: Favorite color?

PinKKK

But i like most colours

Bellflower: Favorite animal?

Cats,,,,

FoxES,

ANYTHING CUDDLY AND CUTE

Bergenia: Are you a morning or night person?

Night

Black-Eyed Susan: If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

I'd be like a doggo bc it would be the most fun i think-

Bloodroots: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a vet but then when my granny asked me "but whos gonna clean up the animal poop?" I was like "eWW pO0pP!" and then decided that mayb i shouldn't be a vet

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

They're either really kind and sweet

Or literal demons from hell

Legit no inbetween

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

I'm afraid of lot of things-

Borage: Give a random fact about your childhood.

I was one dumbass bitcg-

Bugleherb: How would you spend your last day on Earth?

Idk eat pizza and cry or smth ajakamkw

Buttercup: Relationship Status?

Single

Camelia: If you could visit anywhere, where would you want to go?

NEW YORKKK, CONCRETE JUNGLE WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE OFFF THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO NOW YOU'RE IN NEW YOOORKKK

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

When someone hugs me or just generally spends time with me

Canna: Do you have any tattoos?

Nop

Canterbury Bells: Do you have any piercings?

I used to have piercings when i was a bab but eHh haven't worn them since and i dont think my ear holes are big enough now-

California Poppy: Height?

4'10 grrr I'm the omega midget and I'll devour ur ankles

Cardinal Flower: Do you believe in ghosts?

Nop

Carnation: What are you currently wearing?

Pant, pink top and black hoodie

Catnip: Have you ever slept with a nightlight?

I think i have??

Chives: Who was the last person you hugged?

My mom and my dad

Chrysanthemum: Who’s the last person you kissed?

I never kith

Cock’s Comb: Favorite font?

I dont have one so imma say sans bc it always looks out of place and makes me laugh-

Columbine: Are you tired?

I feel like screaming and jumping around my room like a crackhead

Common Boneset: What are you looking forward to?

Nothing in particular ig

Coneflower: Dream job?

Smth kinda fun and art or design related hopefully,,,,

Crane’s-Bill: Introvert or extrovert?

Introvert but i also get lonley easily

Crocus: Have you ever been in love?

Nop,,,,

Crown Imperial: What’s the farthest you would go for someone you care about?

I would get run over by 5 monster trucks, jump off a plane, get mauled by 10 bears, get trampled on by a stampede, get brutally tortured for 12 hours straight, yeet myself into the Grand Canyon and then break all my bones with my bare hands if they weren't broken already

Ok basically i care a lot

Cyclamen: Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? What was it?

I had this st bernard plush called Sparky and this lion named Sammy,,

Daffodil: What’s your zodiac sign?

Libra

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

My memory is legit so bad it's probably concerning uHHH

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Mayb art??

Daylily: What would you do if your parents didn’t like your partner(s)?

Ehhh i might reason with them and then if they still disagreed I'd just keep the relationship a secret

Dendrobium: Who is the last person that you said “I love you” to?

My parents

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

Ehhh arT

Foxgloves: What’s something you’re bad at?

EhhHh everything that isn't art-

Freesia: What are three good things that have happened in the past month?

Oh boy here comes my shitty memory-

Hmmm

Idk but I'm mostly happy that I've been more social and stuff and i feel like im kinda coming out of my shell a bit

Not sure what to say for other 2 bc nothing in particular has really happend?

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

Ehhh oK??

Gardenia: Are you happy with where you’re at in your life?

Mayhapsn't

Gladiolus: What is something you hope to do in the next year or two?

I hope to pass all my exams and get an okish job mayb

Glory-of-the-Snow: What are ten things that make you happy/you’re grateful to have in your life?

1.fRIENBS ILY MY HABIBIS

2. Fammm

3. eHhh yummy food,,

4. Drawing and uhhh art

5. EPIC MUTUALS

6. Ok idk what else aside from like serious stuff like house and etc.-

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?

Drawing, crying, venting to a friend/parent

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

Hugssss,kith,cuddle, *draws u stuff*

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

MmmmmMy aRRt?

Hollyhock: Describe your ideal day.

Wake up

Don't go to school

Vibe with friends

Sleeb

Hyacinth: What do you like to do in your free time?

MmMmMM aRT-

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

Ehh 8yrs? We met in hell school

Irises: Who can you talk to about (almost) everything?

Friendos

Mom

Laceleaf: How many friends do you have?

6..?? Aa idk theres some people that idk if they'd consider me a friend or not,,

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Idk any compliment is best compliment for me,,

Larkspur: What do you think of yourself?

Ew yucky gröss

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

m y a r t

Also my hair bc its soft and wavy,,

Leather Flower: What’s your least favorite thing about yourself?

Everything else-

Lilac: What’s something you liked to do as a child?

Climb trees and do dumb shit

Lily: Who was your best friend when you were a kid?

Same irl bestie i mentioned before

Lily of the Incas: What is something you still feel guilty for?

MmmmmmMMM,,,

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?

MMMmMMmMMMMmmmMMm,,,,,,

Lupine: What does your name mean? Why is that your name?

Well I chose Fae bc i thought it sounded pretty

Marigold: Where did you grow up? Tell us about it.

Idk what to rlly say lmao

Morning Glory: What was your bedroom like growing up?

Kinda the same but i had toys everywhere-

Also when i was like 5 i had this legit fucking cursed thomas the tank engine shaped bed that i actually found a pic of but it's FUCKING HORRIFYING SO I PROBS WONT SHOW HERE-

Mugworts: What was it like for you as a teenager? Did you enjoy your teenage years?

EW BEING A TEENAGER SUCKS ASS HOW DO I UNDO????

Norwegian Angelica: Tell us about your mom.

Hi mom ily ur epic

Onions: Tell about your dad.

Hi dad ily ur epic

Orchid: Tell about your grandparents.

Omg i miss my grannies sm bc i couldn't see em this year bc nasty pandemic

Pansy: What was your most memorable birthday? What made it be so memorable?

Haha shit memory gor brrRR-

I don't really remember too many specific parties but when i was like 7-10 i had these epic parties in those birthday places with the giant play areas

I kinda wish i wasn't too old to go to them sobs

Peony: What was your first job?

I haven't had a job yet

Petunia: If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner(s)? If you’re not in a relationship, how did you meet your crush/how do you hope to meet your future partner(s), if you want any?

Hmmmm idk? I haven't really thought abt that but i don't really mind i just wanna find someone to vibe with,,

Pincushion: How do you deal with pain?

I cri

Pink: Where is home?

Home is home home

Plantain Lilies: If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would stop/change?

Now where do i start...

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

I look up to people that are kind, caring, brave, funny, cool or stronger than me ig?

Primrose: Describe your ideal life.

Basically my current life minus school, stress,pandemic and responsibilities lmao

Rhodendron: What is something you used to believe in as a child?

I used to believe in ghosts after i thought i encountered one

Ricinus: Who’s the most important in your life?

Hermmmst

Rose: What’s your favorite sound?

Peoples laughsss also music

Rosemallows: What’s your favorite memory?

Bro i dont have one,, my aphantasia makes it hard for me to remember stuff-

Sage: What’s your least favorite memory?

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?

I wantttt better chargersss thattt donttt telll meee thatt myyy tablett will finishh chargingg innn 1 dayy andd 7 hoursss

St. John’s Wort: Is it easy or difficult for you to express how you feel about things?

Kinda difficult but im opening up more

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

fRIENDS,,,,,wAh

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

8 hrs

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

Idk ig i kinda have to go to school and do stuff

Touch-Me-Not: How do you feel about your current job?

Non existant

Transvaal Daisy: What’s your favorite item of clothing?

My black and white stripy top, and all my hoodiess

Tropical White Morning Glory: Describe your aesthetic.

I don't think i have just one aesthetic bc im drawn to so many different aesthetics at the same time-

Like vintage, neon, dark, spoopy, pastel, cute, etc etc

Tulip: What would be the best present to get you?

OMG I LEGIT JUST SCREAM AT ANYTHING ANYONE GIVES ME-

IF SOMEONE GOES OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAKE ME SMTH I CRY,,

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

🤏

Wisteria: How many books have you read in the past few months? What were they called?

I haven't been reading anythinggg

But i should really finish reading Percy Jackson bc it do be picking up dust-

Wolf’s Bane: Where do you want to be in life this time next year?

Everywhere

Yarrow: Do you know what vore is?

Mmm yummy 👅

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself.

I am currently living and breathing yes

5 notes · View notes

writeanapocalae · 5 years

Text

Nano Day 2 Writing

Day 1

There was some scrambling and some grunts and something that sounded like it could be a curse word said through helium. But then there was a click and Micah opened the door.

“Hi hi!” Lan called out from where it was clinging to the doorknob. “I got the door open!”

“We can see that,” Sarah groaned and stepped inside, immediately wrapping her arms around herself in the cold.

“Good work,” Micah said, as she glared at Sarah’s back and held out her hands to scoop Lan up before it fell.

The room was dark and they all clicked on their flashlights, one by one, as they entered, doing a quick sweep of the room. It was a lobby and everything was in perfect order, there was no mess on the floor, no tossed about papers, no signs of a struggle. The floors looked like they had even been cleaned just before everyone vanished. There was a thick layer of dust on everything but that was it.

It was normal for Anton to hold onto R but, for once, it was R that was doing the gripping. It was gripping too. When R reached out it was too accommodate Anton, to help him when he stumbled or felt like he couldn’t find his way through the haze that sometimes sat on his thoughts. Ra was holding onto the edge of his vest, eyes reflecting the low light like a cats as he glanced around the lobby.

“I’m alright, R,” Anton offered. “No need to worry about me.”

R blinked in that strange way that it always did, just a bit too slow and calculated to be human. It took a step closer to Anton, close enough to whisper in his ear.

“Something feels wrong.”

That wasn’t how R talked. Even with a lack in intonation the words were too casual, too clipped, and it drew Anton’s curiosity. He swept the light through the room, over a door that had a sign for stairs next to it, and focused, not on what he was seeing, but on what he was feeling. He could tell it was a lot colder in here, though his wool vest and charcoal blazer was keeping him warm enough. It wasn’t cold enough to see one’s breath, but it was cold enough that Sarah was shivering slightly. And over all of it, as thick as the dust, was the feeling of static electricity.

“What is that?” Anton asked, looking over at R once more. There was enough light coming in from the open door for him to see R’s features, but not much beyond that.

Micah flashed her light over the pair of them, leaving long lines of brightness flaring on the now kicked up dust particles. Anton didn’t want to think about what made up all that dust. It gave R a dramatic light, almost made it look like it was in a soap opera or old science fiction show.

“My apologies,” it stated, “but I cannot answer that question. I do not understand what is giving off the sensation, aside from machinery, though this is not the sensation commonly given by computers or other androids. It is more similar to magnetism.”

“Do you think it’s something dangerous?” Micah asked, drawing closer to them. Lan was crawling up her arm and onto her shoulder, where it perched as it often did when it recorded meetings.

“I can feel it too!” Lan chirped from its perch. “It feels like bubblegum soda!”

“The sensation in itself should cause no harm,” R explained, ignoring Lan like the rest of them. “Since I have no way to find out what is creating the sensation I cannot calculate if it is harmful to humans.”

“Can you calculate the location of where the sensation is strongest?”

R started to walk then, head tilted down and eyes on the floor. It released Anton and walked the perimeter of the lobby before crossing through the center and making an x. It went to the right of the desk, where a computer still sat and waited to be used. It pointed at the floor.

“The center of the sensation is fifty feet down from here,” R explained [look up the height of a floor]

“Alright, well, it’s not a big deal,” Micah pointed out, “we’re just here to get some basic information. We don’t need to go down that deep. Sarah, you’re going to come with me and we’ll check these offices on the right. Anton, you and R will take the offices on the left.”

Sarah bent forward, mouth hanging open in an exaggerated look of confusion. “I’m sorry, are you joking me? I mean, you want us to split up?”

Anton crossed his arms. He didn’t have a problem with splitting up. He’d spent a lot of his career alone, or with just a single partner. It was more of a concern for him to work with such a large team. He’d spent time gathering evidence and sending it to a team but the investigative team with Xinzhi was so close nit, there was no time away from them. It made him feel strange. It was odd, having them see him at his best and at his weakest, to be around them at all times, and have them not care about his issues. He had a lot of them. R had helped with a lot of them.

“No, I’m serious!” Sarah continued. “Have you ever seen a horror movie? We are not splitting up!”

Anton shrugged, “We’re not in a horror movie, we’re in real life. There’s nothing in here that’s going to hurt us.”

“What about whatever R was talking about?”

R cocked its head again. “I do not believe that the sensation we are feeling will affect humans. We should not be entering the field of influence either.”

Sarah looked from one of them to the other, utterly appalled.

“Would changing partners help?” Micah offered.

“No!” Sarah all but screeched. “Unless all three, or four, or whatever of you, were replaced with actually competent people who weren’t so ready to get us all killed!”

“If there was some sort of creature that we should worry about,” R started, looking at the ceiling as it checked its memory banks. It had learned that staring forward while accessing old records or researching made people uncomfortable. “it would have broken through the locks on the door. It has also been four years since all of the Caecus employees vanished so, if something was within the facility it would have starved to death by now.”

That got her to cock and eyebrow. “How do you know that stuff?”

R looked over at Anton. He loved it when R looked at him like that, directly, not distracted by something, using Anton as an explanation of something. He wished that there was more of an emotion in its eyes, that R could understand why Anton’s heart raced at those moments, why his hands sweated with a desire to interlace their fingers.

“Anton and I watch a lot of horror movies,” R stated. “He complains about most of them but we watch them all the same.”

“And this doesn’t creep you out? We’re basically standing in the setting of a horror film!” Sarah directed that at Anton.

He shrugged, a sweaty palm in his pocket, wiping against the fabric. “I’ve been in a lot of worse places and the only thing that’s ever tried to hurt me were people. Most of them were scared or angry, so they weren’t terribly frightening themselves. I’m with R on this one, if anything wanted us dead, we would know about it by now.”

She threw her hands in the air and stomped past them all, heading in the direction of her appointed offices. “Fine! Whatever! Don’t cry to me when you end up dead!”

She threw open the door and left them, making Micah sigh, Lan chirp and cling to her ear, and Anton shrug as he watched her go. Micah walked up to them, grumbling under her breath.

“Look, I trust that you guys can find whatever we need to drive this investigation forward. I’ll catch up with Queen B. I’m sure we’re going to be drowning in apology brownies for this one, hopefully they won’t contain pot this time.”

That got a chuckle out of Anton. He’d never had so much fun at work before that. “We’ll text you every half hour, see what progress we’ve made, it’s all routine.”

“I keep forgetting you’ve done this before,” Micah nodded, “Like, a lot of times before.”

“Ten years of detective experience,” Anton reminded, “and three years solo. This is nothing.”

“Alright, then, half an hour, then you text me. We shouldn’t have gotten too far by then, but it’s good practice.”

With that they separated, Micah half jogging so as to catch up to Sarah before she got too far ahead.

There were no locked doors and it did seem that this floor was mostly offices and planning rooms. There were diagrams and charts and photos of different androids through multiple stages of completion. R started talking in an incessant drone, stating whatever it found. While that was useful, Anton wanted to grab some of the files from it, hide the photographs away. Anton had seen a lot of death in his time, more than most see in their entire lives, and they were going through images of what was the equivalent of autopsies. R didn’t seem to care, it couldn’t, really.

They were in the third room when they started to find odd things. It was the same as a lot of it, really, but there were a few books on the shelves that pointed that the owner of the office, Agatha Blan, was studying Latin and there were a few drawings of circles and shapes and letters in some language that neither Anton or R had every seen before.

It screamed of the occult. It had no place here, in a place of science, in a place where they were designing what were, at the time, the second best androids in the world.

R stopped, freezing where it was, and then it was staring with Anton. “My apologies for not noticing this sooner,” it said, “but the half hour is over and I just attempted to text Lan. There was reception outside of the facility but now that we have entered it, there is none.”

“What do you mean, no reception?” Anton pressed. He didn’t want an answer, not really.

“I mean there is no way for me to contact the others unless it is in person.”

Anton wasn’t sure if his flashlight actually dimmed or if it was his own internal panic. What Sarah had said was suddenly ringing true. This was a lot like the start of a horror film.

@detectivesebcas @inthemoonshadow @etjwrites @lordfenric

#nano 2019 #caecus #r #anton #micah #lan #sarah

4 notes · View notes

wazafam · 3 years

Link

The future of law enforcement, heroic cyborg RoboCop has fought crime in four feature films to date, and here's how they stack up, worst to best. RoboCop began life as honest cop Alex Murphy, who made the mistake of being a good man in a dystopian future Detroit that's packed full of terrible people. His partner Anne Lewis has his back at least, but that's not enough to stop him from being brutally massacred by a gang of sadistic criminals.

On the brink of death, Murphy is rebuilt as a part-man, part-machine, all-cop hero. While the memories of his past are initially buried, they eventually resurface, leading Murphy to realize what he's become. It's surprisingly deep for a sci-fi/action flick, although that didn't stop RoboCop from being so blood-soaked that it initially received an X rating. Of course, that's the original movie. The sequels and eventual remake are their own ball of wax, each with a set of distinct pros and cons.

Related: How A Terminator & RoboCop Crossover Movie Could Revive Both Franchises

While a direct sequel to the original, RoboCop Returns, was previously in development, the project appears to have stalled as of 2019. In the meantime, fans have four movies starring Alex Murphy to revisit via streaming or Blu-Ray, and here's which ones do Detroit's honest cops proud, and which come up short.

In 1993, three years after the release of RoboCop 2, Orion Pictures set out to make another entry in what by then was seen as a franchise with a solid foundation. Bringing in Fred Dekker, helmer of cult classics Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad, to direct wasn't a bad idea, and having Dekker co-write the film with comic book legend Frank Miller certainly wasn't either, at least on paper. Unfortunately, several decisions were made that proved to be abjectly terrible in hindsight.

First off, Peter Weller, who had imbued Alex Murphy/RoboCop with his humanity in the first two films, was recast, despite Weller wanting to return. He had a scheduling conflict at the time, and for whatever reason, Orion wouldn't wait for him to be free. As if recasting the title character wasn't enough, the makers of RoboCop 3 also decided to abruptly kill off Murphy's partner Lewis, and to add insult to injury, release the film as a sometimes goofy PG-13 action romp targeted at kids, while the first two films handily earned their R-ratings. RoboCop 3 did okay but not great at the box office, was absolutely savaged by critics, and is something many franchise fans choose to ignore.

While remakes have existed since the early days of cinema, it's fair to say that the volume of them has significantly ramped up since the turn of the century, as Hollywood becomes more and more obsessed with relying on existing IPs and not new product. RoboCop got its eventual remake in 2014, and while it doesn't measure up to the first two RoboCop movies by any stretch, it's definitely quite a bit better than RoboCop 3. One thing that again held it back was going the PG-13 route, which prevented the graphic violence most fans of the franchise love. It's at least much less silly in tone than RoboCop 3, which helps.

Related: Every Major Movie & TV Franchise MGM Owns (& Could Sell)

The biggest thing RoboCop 2014 has going for it is easily its cast. Joel Kinnaman is very good in the leading role, and makes the viewer feel for this Alex Murphy's plight, even if the new RoboCop design is far from stunning. Michael Keaton could play a villain in his sleep, and does fine here, and Gary Oldman does well as RoboCop's creator. Some of the concepts presented are also good, and surprisingly moving, such as when the rebuilt Murphy is shown just how little of his human body remains intact, and asks to be euthanized. Murphy getting to reunite with his family this time is also appreciated. Despite those positives though, RoboCop 2014 just isn't very remarkable, and is sadly easy to forget.

Released three years after the original, RoboCop 2 is an entertaining sequel, but doesn't manage to measure up to its classic predecessor. Unlike RoboCop 3 and RoboCop 2014, it does at least feel like it came from the same mold as the original, even if that mold got twisted and bent into something different. RoboCop 2 thankfully brought back the R-rating alongside Weller as Murphy and Nancy Allen as Lewis, and while not as ultra-violent as RoboCop, it's definitely not shy about being made for adults, as much as kids do tend to love RoboCop.

Directed by The Empire Strikes Back's Irvin Kershner, RoboCop 2 sees Murphy and Lewis up against both the machinations of OCP's scheming leadership and a rising drug lord named Cain, played by the always creepy Tom Noonan (Red Dragon). Cain peddles a drug called Nuke, and not taking Tony Montana's advice, is also hopelessly addicted to it. When OCP attempts to use Cain as the base for a new RoboCop they can hopefully exert more control over, things go about as poorly as anyone logical would expect. RoboCop 2 is definitely not nearly as memorable as the first film, and mostly lacks its subversive satirical edge, but at the same time, those who just want some action and some RoboCop will leave fulfilled.

Directed by the always interesting Paul Verhoeven, RoboCop is one of those movies there really isn't much left to say about, as it's been praised steadily ever since its 1987 release. While its extreme level of violence proved problematic for some - especially when seen in its uncut form on home video - most saw RoboCop for what it was, an extremely intelligent, thoughtful film that also happened to have buckets of gore spilling all over the place and mountains of bullets flying around.

What makes RoboCop great is not just its creative sci-fi elements or exciting action trappings, it's the playful, sardonic spirit Verhoeven brings to the movie, which also shows itself in movies like Total Recall and Starship Troopers. RoboCop doesn't take itself too seriously, yet also pulls off telling a story with real human drama involved, mostly surrounding Murphy himself. It's a difficult tightrope to walk, but Verhoeven pulls it off splendidly. RoboCop deserves all the love it gets, and holds up just as well nearly 35 years later.

More: What RoboCop Is Doing In The Mortal Kombat Universe

Every RoboCop Movie, Ranked Worst to Best | Screen Rant from https://ift.tt/2Oc6JcV

#Blogger

0 notes

killer-barnes · 7 years

Text

Office AU Headcanon: Peter Parker

Requested: Yes

A/N: This is my first headcanon, so I hope I did okay? Not too sure how these things go. I changed it up a bit from what was requested, so hopefully they like it. Please let me know what you think, enjoy!

Want to see my other writings? Check ‘em out here: MASTERLIST

- Peter being an intern at Stark Tower

“Am I gonna help you with the suit, Mr. Stark?! O-Or the the Avengers suits? Oh! What abo-”

“No, you’re my assistant, meaning you don’t touch or bother me except for when I need something. ”

“Y-Yes, Mr. Stark, s-sir.

- He gets bored easily and starts making friends with some of the Avengers around the tower

Except for Sam

Sam doesn’t understand why a 15 year old is already interning

Shouldn’t he be in school??? *concerned parent sam*

Plus he’s full of energy in an office building and that doesn’t go too well

- He has a designated desk for himself (specifically away from anything that can be broken or messed with)

“T-This is for me? W-Wha-”

“It’s just a desk, chill out kid. Mind bringing me a cup of joe in like 20 minutes? I’ve got a meeting with a bunch of bozos and I’m going to need a pick me up.”

“O-Of course, Mr. Stark. I-I’ll get right on that!”

- But when he gets coffee for Tony, the rest of the Avengers hound him down for some too

“I’ll take a coffee with sugar and cream.” “I want a muffin, none of that whole grain shi-” “Latte with a pastry please!” “Just black coffee…” “Coffee with 6 shots of espresso, I need all the energy I can get!” and so on

Him hurriedly trying to write down their orders on a scratch piece of paper and stuffing it into his neat work pants

“O-Okay, I’ll be back s-soon!”

- Peter literally sprinting to the nearest Starbucks and the line being obnoxiously long

*silent cry* “are you kidding me?!”

Carefully maneuvering through traffic with cases full of hot coffee and bags of food

Trips over a pothole on the road, but uses his spidey reflexes to catch everything, even the stacked napkins (not in plain sight of course, duh.)

- Managing to get back to the tower in a reasonable time with sweat glistening his forehead

“I-I’m back with your o-orders!”

breathless with a exasperated expression of nervousness and glee

- All the Avengers racing to get their hot coffees before everyone else

“A-Alright, I’ve got 8 c-coffees, 1 non-whole grain muffin, 4 pastries, 2 smoothies-”

They give Peter approving nods or slaps on the back in appreciation and for getting their orders correct.

point for pete!

- Tony grabs his drink and thanks Peter

“Great work, kid!”

*incoherent excited noises*

“T-Thank you, Mr. Stark. I-I have a pretty good memory-”

“Well, you can put it to good use now, huh?”

“Yes, a-always, Mr. Star-”

“Just wait til the lunch rush, kid. Man, that’s where the true struggle begins.”

He manages to get past lunch with ease

“Man, I’m like a secretary… but for Tony Stark!”

That makes it a little better, right? riGht??

- Peter being overwhelmed by Tony letting him call him by his first name

‘W-What should I do next, Mr. S-Stark?

“First off, Tony, call me Tony. Mr. Stark makes me feel like an old fart. Second, I need another refill, but this time make it one of those green smoothies.”

*incoherent Peter noises*

Does this mean he ‘trusts’ me ??

Omg omg omg omg

Am I dreaming? *pinch* Nope, no definitely not dreaming

“R-Right, of course Mr- I-I mean, Tony.”

The widest smile is plastered across his teenage face

Still ends up calling him Mr. Stark no matter how many times he’s reminded by Tony

- Peter sneaking around the tower when he has nothing to do

“Authorized personnel only… hmm, I wonder what’s in he-”

Tony spying on him with all the cameras around

“Kid, you know this place is rigged with cameras and I can see your every move?”

Red faced Peter trying to act all innocent

“Psh, pfffft, y-yeah, I-I knew that. I was j-jus-”

“Go to your desk, underoos.”

“Sir yes sir!”

- Getting higher up in the internship to assist in scheduling things for the Avengers, like press, interviews, meetings, etc.

He never messes up times or dates

“Y-You’ve got a lunch with the mayor at noon, uh- a meeting with Bruce a-about the new machinery around four, and a press interview with Potts at 5:30. I-I did manage to squeeze a b-break in ther-”

“Well, shit. Aren’t you a scheduling wizard, kid.”

“T-Thank you, Mr. Stark. I-I try my best.”

- Peter being the first one there in the morning to make the place look nice and being the last one to leave

Tony lets him check out the lab before they leave for the day

“Woah, no way! T-This is so awesome, Mr. Stark!”

his eyes full of hope for his future there

“H-Hey, what’s this do?”

“DON’T TOUCH THA-”

“…o-oops”

*insert frustrated dad gif*

#peter parker #peter parker headcanon #tom holland #tom holland headcanon #avengers #marvel #spiderman #spiderman headcanon #peter parker imagine #spiderman imagine #pls critique me #i have no idea what I'm doing #lol halp #Peter Parker x reader #Tom holland x reader #avengers headcanon #avengers fic #tom holland imagine

691 notes · View notes

evanvanness · 4 years

Text

Annotated edition, Week in Ethereum News, April 13 issue

The newsletter didn’t get sent until Monday morning, so a bit late for me. The reason why is that last week I was busy securing the 4 major sponsors necessary to keep this newsletter free for everyone. Hopefully news on that front will be coming soon. I’ll be very grateful to the folks who help Week in Ethereum News stay free, and hopefully you will be too. As I’ve told everyone I talked to, as an editor, the product will remain the exact same. As a publisher, it’s very important to me that it’s a productive relationship for everyone.

Here’s the most clicked, preserved in a screenshot since my tweets auto-delete

People are excited that the fee market is getting simulated. This particular piece is probably a bit too simplistic, but Barnabe will be publishing more soon, with more realistic assumptions about endogenous demand.

People are excited because the fee market change will 1) make it easier for app devs to get their user transactions included and 2) because every transaction will burn some ETH, and 3) it kills economic abstraction forever, something I remember Gavin pushing quite hard in 2015 and 2016.

Meanwhile, Danny published a design on turning off PoW. Even though it’s long, it’s still rough and just an initial plan. The focus has been on launching the eth2 chain, but as soon as it is launched, the goal is to turn off the wasteful electricity burn (and issuance!) of PoW.

Eth1

EIP1559 fee market change simulations, assuming demand is exogenous

EVM Bytecode Merklization – merklize code chunks for block witnesses, estimates 40-60% reduction

Some more estimates on code merklization based on recent blocks

One important bit of stateless Ethereum is trying to merklize code chunks to shrink the witness size so that full nodes do not have to hold the full state. Two different estimates published this week on how important and feasible it is.

Eth2

Bitfly’s explanations of eth2 block explorer charts

PegaSys’s Teku client fully syncs with the Lighthouse testnet

Latest Nimbus client update. Getting up to the multi-client testnet spec, networking improvements, interop ready with Lighthouse

SigmaPrime’s update fuzzing the eth2 clients. Catching bugs, new fuzzing engine

Work on formally verifying the eth2 spec using Dafny

A look at the GUI for Rocketpool’s decentralized staking pool

Aditya’s how FFG is implemented in Eth2 explainer

The clients are all speeding into launching the multi-client testnet. I suppose the other stuff mostly speaks for itself.

Eth2, post-BeaconChain launch

A design for merging eth1 and eth2 clients to turn off PoW

Better attestation aggregation algos

Verifiable precompiled contracts

An approach for cross-shard transfers at EE level

Perhaps people forget that when Ethereum launched in July 2015, it didn’t actually do anything. It’ll be the same with Eth2, so on the research front things shifted awhile ago towards all the things necessary to make eth2 work.

Stuff for developers

Solidity v0.6.6 and v0.6.5 – ‘immutable’ new major feature, tuple assignment bugfix, and memory array creation overflow bugfix

Truffle v5.1.21 adds Solidity’s immutable

wighawag’s Buidler Deployment Plugin

Not new, but a comparison of ethers.js and web3js

Example of using web3modal (former web3connect) with vanilla Javascript

MelonJS v1 to interact with Melon’s deployed code

Tool for decoding Ethereum storage

Arrays and maps in Solidity

Yul+ Remix plugin

Chainlink redeployed ETHUSD contract; 2 weeks to migrate from old code

Maintaining offchain NFT data using IPFS

SQL queries on DuneAnalytics tutorial

Django with web3py tutorial

Lots of devs excited about immutable.

One problem Ethereum has is that everyone prefers RicMoo’s ethers.js yet most people still use web3js because the tutorials push new devs to it.

Ecosystem

discv5: an explainer of Eth networking’s peer discovery protocol

Eth brand survey

I really appreciate Dean’s networking explainers, I find them quite well-written, and it makes me a little mad that he’s a high school dropout who writes better than I do.

Enterprise

from the founder of Simple, Sila: payments API to take on ACH

EEA mainnet survey

Hyperledger Besu v1.4.3 – adds eth/65 for better networking, issue found for private transactions created with v1.3.4 and before

Besu now running eth/65 too, which as we found out a few weeks ago, cuts bandwidth usage by a crazy amount. A nice change from Péter Szilágyi.

Governance, DAOs, and standards

MakerDAO’s 13 improvement proposals to decentralize governance

TheLAO launches April 28

how to create a bankless DAO

EIP2593: Escalator algo fee market change

This week a lawsuit was filed against Maker. Personally I think if you’re running to the US courts to bail you out (or assisting that effort) of your use of leverage, then you deserve all the opprobrium that you get.

Application layer

Reddit is rolling out the tokenization of it its karma for more than just r/EthTrader?

Status v1.2, adds Waku to replace Whisper for better messaging

SmokeSignal.eth, post by burning Dai interface prioritizes higher burn

Autumated dollar cost averaging of your stablecoins on Uniswap

Suggestions and programs in Colony

Overview of DxDAO’s Omen prediction markets

Inspect, DeFi transparency registry

Fairmint’s continuous securities offering is live on mainnet

The Reddit thing seems like an unintentional leak, where they were trying to roll it out to just one more community but it got in the app, and now they’re unsure what to do it. But they’ve been playing with this for years - I believe a job listing first surfaced for a dev to play with this stuff in late 2016 (may have been early 2017)

My weekly DeFi ratio: i’ll call it 3/8 to be DeFi, which is lower than normal. On the other, the BTC++ could have very easily been in this section (it’s all a bit arbitrary, no?) as well as the 10 Dai use cases post, etc... which would have changed it quite a bit.

Tokens/Business/Regulation

PieDAO’s BTC++ is live on mainnet, a token of comprised of multiple versions of locked/synthetic BTC

Is tokenized BTC on Ethereum good for ETH?

Top 10 use cases of Dai

NFTScribe – attach a message onchain to an NFT while you own it

a16zcrypto: crypto’s biz model isn’t that different but who benefits is

Jesse Walden’s article is now the #2 most clicked - by the time I do the #MostClicked, it’s usually pretty steady, but this time it moved up quite a bit in the subsequent 24 hours.

Betteridge’s Law of Headlines suggests the answer is no, but of course the answer is actually yes. People using ETH is a good thing, even if it is to speculate on the price of unsustainable memecoins. It’s impressive how many people are finding different ways to bring the orange memecoin into ETH, using different trust assumptions on BTC side or different use cases.

Case in point: Atomic Loans did a big push yesterday, where you can lock up BTC and get stablecoins. Pretty juicy rate to lend at - 9% for USDC and 9.5% for Dai.

General

Chicago DeFi Alliance formed to connect market makers and DeFi startups

CryptoHack: online puzzles to learn cryptography

UTokyo paper on digital courts

You can join the trusted setup ceremony for Semaphore, a zk privacy layer for apps

The CryptoHack site moved up and would have made the most clicked. Not a shocker that this audience wants to learn more crypto. Even app devs probably need to learn that the best architecture often involves more crypto and less state storage.

If you haven’t done a trusted setup ceremony, I highly recommend doing one. Contribute your entropy to the future! Semaphore is very neat gadget to help app developers be able to add privacy, which is a very needed layer to prevent dystopia.

#ethereum

0 notes

inquiringquilter · 7 years

Text

I Wish You a Merry QAL - Block 4

Hi and welcome to Block 4 in the I Wish You a Merry Quilt Along! This time the block is my design. I hope you like it! I’m calling it Christmas Memories. When I volunteered to design a block for the I Wish You a Merry Quilt Along, I immediately thought of my childhood and our Christmas tree, filled with lovely antique ornaments. I found photos of my favorites and used them to create this block.

The block uses fusible applique, although you can use needle-turn applique to complete the block if you like. I know. Applique. The "A" word. But don't worry. I've got lots of tips and step by step photos that will hopefully make this easy peasy. There are also 11 other quilt along hosts with additional tips so I promise we'll get through this together. And who knows? Maybe applique will become your favorite quilt technique! <wink>

In case you missed it, Block 3 was also released this week so you’ve got two blocks to make this time. Click here to view my version of Block 3 and to learn where to download the pattern.

If you are just joining us, it’s not too late to catch up! You can find everything you need to know about the quilt along (including where to find the patterns for Blocks 1 and 2) here. The block patterns for the quilt along will be offered free through January 15th at midnight EST, when the quilt along finishes. So get ‘em while they’re hot! <wink>

Block Pattern Overview

For my blocks, I’m using the Shiny Objects in Holiday Twinkle collection by flaurie & finch for RJR Fabrics although you can use scraps from your stash or incorporate any of the fabrics you've already used in the quilt alongs blocks to make your version of Christmas Memories.

From the Holiday Twinkle collection, I chose #2792-12 (Snow) for the block’s background, and 3022-05 (Red Velvet), 3022-06 (Seafoam), 3022-07 (Tannenbaum), 3023-05 (Scarlet), 3023-06 (Sugar), 3023-07 (Crystal), 3163-03 (Radiant Crimson), 3163-04 (Scarlet), 3163-05 (Seafoam) and gold fabric scraps to create the ornaments.

As you can see you can have a lot of fun with this block, pulling fabrics from everywhere! I encourage you to embellish it after quilting if you like, by adding crystals, sequins, and other shiny objects!

As a QAL host, I’m here to help you achieve success with this block. As the block designer, I am even more invested in helping you be successful. I want you to be happy with your block! Don’t be afraid to post your questions here or on Facebook or Instagram. If you leave a comment here, please also leave your email address so I can get right back to you. I’ll be watching my blog, Facebook, and Instagram and hopefully I can get back to you soon with an answer to any questions you have. If not, one of the other quilt along hosts should be able to. That’s the joy of doing this quilt along with so many awesome quilter friends!

Pattern Download

Ready to get at it? First, click the image below to download my pattern and print out the applique templates.

Full instructions are in the pattern, but let me step you through it and add some extra tips.

step 1: Trace the applique shapes

The pattern lists the sizes for each fabric, but that will only work if you make the same fabric selections I did. I’d recommend choosing your fabrics and listing them right on the pattern, alongside each template. That way you can group the templates logically for tracing and easily determine the size of the fabric scraps needed for your version of Christmas Memories.

The templates have already been reversed for fusible applique. If you want to use needle-turn applique, be sure to reverse the templates back and add the seam allowance. (Most of the templates are symmetrical so it won’t matter, but Template L would need to be reversed back if you use needle-turn applique).

I use Heat N Bond Lite for most applique, but I’ve also used Lite Steam a Steam 2 and Wonder Under with great success. In fact, someone will win some Lite Steam a Steam 2 as part of this block's prize package. Pretty cool, and pretty handy!

Start by tracing the applique shapes onto the back of the fusible. I normally just lay my fusible on the template sheet to trace, but if you can't see the shapes that well you can use a light box or hold the template sheet and fusible up to a window to trace.

Alternatively, you can cut out the templates and trace around them onto the back of the fusible after you've already fused it to your fabrics. Whatever works for you!

step 2: Cut out the applique shapes from the fusible

Cut the applique shapes out roughly and not on the line just yet. Don't worry about leaving a 1/4" inch or anything--you can cut around them as sloppily as you want.

If you want, you can reduce the amount of fusible in your block (leaving it a lot more supple and natural feeling) by removing the center fusible from the largest template pieces such as Templates A, B, C, F, G, K, L, M, P, Q, and R and any others you deem too filled up with fusible. Notice that I cut through the outer line into the center of the shape to cut it out. When I fuse, the two ends will go back together no problem.

Before you fuse your fabrics, I've got a tip. If you're using white fabric like I did for the far right ornament, make sure you face the white fabric so the red ornament body fabric won't show through it from underneath. All I did was fuse two pieces of white fabric together, then add my fusing to the back of the bottom fabric before cutting out my applique. You could fuse your white fabric to something slightly darker, like a light gray, but white was what I had on retreat so white was was I used!

step 3: Fuse the back of the applique fabrics

Next, fuse the back of your fabrics. Here are some general directions for using popular fusibles--but always follow the manufacturer’s directions. If you use Heat N Bond, fuse it to the back of your fabrics using a medium hot (Wool) dry iron, pressing for a few seconds. If you use Lite Steam-a-Seam 2 just peel the liner off (one side will come off easily) and press it to the back of your fabric. Then fuse it with a hot steam iron for a few seconds. If you use Wonder Under, fuse it for a few seconds using a hot, dry iron.

I fuse everything on a Teflon pressing sheet to prevent the fusible from sticking to my ironing board. I use a second pressing sheet (or the paper liner from the back of the fusible) when needed to cover the applique and preventing the fusible from getting on my iron. Yeah, this stuff gets everywhere! <grin> One note: you'll need to press a bit longer to fuse whenever you cover your appliques with a second pressing sheet.

You can remove fusible from your iron with a used dryer sheet while the iron is still warm. You can also use baking soda and water to clean your iron when it’s not hot. I found that out at a retreat recently, when we wanted to use an old iron and had to find a way to clean it. Good ol’ baking soda!

Once you've fused your fabrics, cut out the applique shapes exactly on the line. This time, you can't be sloppy!

step 4: Fuse the ribbons to the block

As instructed in the pattern, cut your background larger than ultimately needed—13-1/2” square. Fuse the ribbons to the background first using the measurements given in the pattern to center them along the top edge. For example, center Template D at the 4” mark, measured from the left edge.

Again, here’s what I think you do to use the most popular fusibles but always follow manufacturer’s instructions if you’re not sure: to fuse your ribbons using Heat N Bond, remove the paper liner and fuse with a medium hot (Wool) dry iron, pressing for about 10 seconds. If you use Lite Steam-a-Seam 2, fuse for 10 seconds with a hot steam iron. If you use Wonder Under, cover the applique with a damp cloth (I use an old dust rag I soak in water then ring out for this purpose) and fuse it for a few seconds using a medium (Wool) dry iron. I press until the cloth is about dry, then check that everything is fused.

step 5: Edge-stitch the ribbons

With fusible applique, you need to finish the edges to prevent them from coming loose and possibly unraveling a bit. You can use a blanket stitch or a satin stitch, but I prefer a straight stitch. A straight stitch might not prevent unraveling, but it is extremely easy to control so I highly recommend it. To prevent unraveling when using a straight stitch, I use the Crafted Applique technique and apply fabric Mod-Podge to my fabric then add the fusible.

Anyway, it’s often easier to edge-stitch your appliques as they are applied to your block—at least that’s the theory. So I recommend edge-stitching the ribbons now, before you continue. However, you can also wait until everything is fused down before you edge-stitch your appliques. Your choice!

So if you want to, go ahead and edge stitch the ribbons now before you continue. I’ll wait. <wink>

Oh! I almost forgot. If you are satin-stitching your edges, you’ll achieve better results if you fuse some water-soluble or tear-away stabilizer to the back of your block to prevent puckering.

step 6: Fuse the first ornament

I thought it might make things easier to fuse together the pieces of each ornament and move them to the background for final fusing rather than placing each piece on the block background and fusing them all at the same time. There’s no right or wrong however, so if you want to place everything on the background and then fuse all the pieces down, go right ahead.

If you want to fuse the first ornament together, arrange Templates A, B, and C on a Teflon pressing sheet and fuse. They’ll fuse together, but not to the Teflon. When cool, you can move the ornament into place on the background and fuse it down. If you don’t have a Teflon pressing sheet, you can use the paper liner from your fusible or parchment paper for this purpose.

Fuse this ornament just below the first ribbon (Template D). The stem of the ornament should butt up against the bottom edge of the ribbon. Don’t worry about a tiny gap—you’ll be covering it later with the ornament cap (Template E).

step 7: Fuse the rest of the ornaments

Follow the pattern instructions to fuse together the last three ornaments. Move each ornament to the background and fuse it in place. Be sure to fuse the third ornament (Templates L and K) down last, as it goes in front of the fourth ornament (Templates P, Q, R).

I’ll confess. I didn’t notice this little error until I’d already finished my block. That's what I get for being a pattern tester! <grin> So my third ornament defies all logic (and gravity) and hangs in front of ornament #2, but behind ornament #3, which is definitely in front of ornament #4. Oh well. I won't tell if you won't! <wink>

step 8: Add the ornament caps

After fusing the ornaments down, add the ornament caps and fuse them in place. Each cap (such as Template E) will cover the bottom edge of a ribbon and the top edge of its corresponding ornament. The little indent faces down.

step 9: Edge stitch the ornaments

Finish the edges of all the applique pieces with a straight stitch, blanket stitch, or satin stitch.

I used Aurifil 50 wt #2835, Madeira Polyneon 40 wt. #1904, Sulky 40 wt #1055, #561, and #1169, and Sulky Metallic #7001 to edge stitch my ornaments.

When all the edge-stitching is done, press everything—edge stitching often causes some gathering of the fabric. I press from behind to prevent crushing the appliques.

step 10: Trim your background to 12-1/2” square

Now that your block is finished and pressed, it’s time to trim your background to 12-1/2" square. You’ll be trimming only three edges of the block (left, right, and bottom), as shown here.

I can’t wait to see what you make with my block. There are so many possibilities to be creative. For example, you might chose a background that looks like a tree. After all, these are Christmas ornaments so they could be hanging in a tree. They could also be hanging in a window, or simply floating against a snow filled background like my block.

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to visit the other quilt along hosts to see their versions of my Christmas Memories block.

Abbie at Sparkle On April at JANDA Bend Quilts Becca at Pretty Piney Bobbi at Snowy Days Quilting Diane at Cwilt Jennifer at The Inquiring Quilter Karen at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts Sandy at SandyStar Designs Sherry at Powered by Quilting Vanda at Quilt in Piece

Be sure to enter the giveaway!

In case you didn’t know, there are two blocks this week, and two separate giveaways. To enter the Christmas Memories block giveaway, you must make the block and post it in one of these three places by Monday, September 11th at midnight EST.

On Instagram, with the hashtag #iwishyouamerrychristmasqal. I'd love you to also add the hashtag #christmasmemoriesblock too, but it's not required to enter.

In the quilt along's private Facebook group

To the linky right here at the end of this blog post

If you post your Christmas Memories block by the deadline, you might win this wonderful prize package—two Lite Steam a Seam 2 sheet packages and one PDF pattern of your choice from yours truly, Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter.

Special offer!

This block comes with a special offer for everyone! To celebrate my new block pattern—Christmas Memories--I’m offering 20% off all patterns in my shop (PDF download or printed) from now until the end of September (midnight EST September 30th). Just enter the code MERRYQAL20 in the Promo Code box at checkout to receive 20% off all the patterns in your shopping cart. Click the image below to enter my shop.

Don't forget about Block 3!

In case you missed it, there are two block patterns in the quilt along this week. Click here to view my version of Block 3-Santa’s Belt and to learn where to download it. There are two blocks this time (Block 3 Santa's Belt and Block 4 Christmas Memories) and two giveaways, so don’t forget to enter both to be eligible for both prize packages.

On Tuesday, September 12th, be sure to come back here for the next block in our quilt along! You can follow me on social media or sign up for my newsletter if you’d like a reminder when the next block is posted. You’ll find all the ways to follow me at the top of my sidebar. If you have any general questions about the quilt along or would like to see the complete schedule, click the I Wish You a Merry QAL tab above.

You can post you finished Christmas Memories block here, in the Facebook group, or on Instagram with the hashtags #iwishyouamerryqal and #christmasmemoriesblock. Deadline for posting is September 11th at 11:59 EST.

Never linked up before? Click here for help on how to link up. The instructions for linking talk about my Wednesday Wait Loss linky, but the process is roughly the same. If you’ve got time, I’d love it if you’d link up to three works in progress or recent finishes and enter my Wednesday Wait Loss giveaway! Last week’s linkup is still open until 12 PM EST today (Tuesday, August 29th) so don’t miss out. In addition, be sure to come back tomorrow for the next installment of Wednesday Wait Loss so you can enter up to three more projects for more chances to win!

An InLinkz Link-up

you might also like

Tell me...what is your favorite Christmas Memory?

#I Wish You a Merry Quilt Along

2 notes · View notes

ioistan · 7 years

Text

happy birthday bubba!!!

it’s phoenix aka pho aka bubba aka @kangspeach birthday so here’s a list of some running jokes/memories between us and a heartfelt message at the end because i protec but i also attac

anyways u should probs only read if ur pho because i’m not trigger tagging this post but it’ll be under a read more

no one handles can handle

id ride his dick into the sunset

the roast pig is p hood

ivonique

good lucky buddy

dead god

sHUR THE HECK UP

hot topic is love hot topic is life

the only major ones i temember is christams

trig can go burb

omg thats so cure

kwedn of urls

imma right u

hopefully theres some good stuff at ur th maxx

what is wrong w me todat

idk a hoya i only know a daniel

what is going on here on this here day yoy binch

a hand fetish? in my good christian neighborhood?

sehun could fuck me ear if he asked

6/18/17 kylee and winnie meet

i found ya you little slut

#giveroserecognition2kforevef

the minion kink

a feast of minick (minion dick) and minussy (minion pussy)

“would u give him the minussy” “okay”

there so go

whatever the fuck our first conversation was

all i remember is designer eye bags, dan, and toxic hellscapes

free the tiddy

chug the windex to cue urself of all ailments

support the winnie cause

“man i hope winnies dad chokes on air-obamas departure speech 2k17″

yes because im capable of taking five dicks at a time

ride the thigh into the sunset

when he hitting it from behind and he growl babdook

the babadook fanclub

dangerous noodle duo

ur the noddle curlier than all the other noodles

can i get a uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh bronut and a shot of dude milk?

no homo broski

luhans arms

the koreeb phase

furries #neverforgeturfursona

ur deviantart died with a furry icon

nonbinary queen #1 and #2

shut the heck ur mouth

were u commented rawr x3 on my gfs pix??

so what if i was huh

fite meh !1!!1!1!!1 “pulls out flowing green radioactive scythe

come at me!!1!1!1!1!!1 *pulls out purple cat shaped shuriken*

sdudenly i cnanto rdea–

baby eater

xXxEdGeLoRdXxX

edgy emo pornstars

the furry sc adventures

im crying they rlly memed iy

“BITHC U DONT NEED SCREENSHOTS ANYTIME ANYDAY ID RIDE THAT MAN INTO THE SUNSET” i dont even know who this was about send help

T******

D A R K T I D D I E S S H O W M E T H E B R O K E N L A W S O F P H Y S I C S

MY ULT BIAS LUHANNIR

ur magcon phase

ur one direction phase

the holy emo trinity

tao and wendy are sex gods apparently

emo furry phase

ur deviantart icon was a scene furry

im gonna fucking did

omg ur 5sos phase

u admitted ud be jealous of vivi if sehun gave them more attention than u

#getonurknees4yixing2k16

ridr

the monsta x bias bet that we gave up on like 2 months into

wjohnny

phtaphon

wjtaphon

june 2016 when i asked u for chinese food and u said no and im bring this up to my deathbed and beyond

forever grude

drudge

grudge

FUCK

EARLESS PHO

JUST LIKE THE ANIME CHARACTERS I DREW

NO EARS

u drew charas w ears wdym!!!

FURRIES

F U R R I E S W E A R S

“id set u on fire if u sent me a used cactus” “guess u should set me on firr”

“ur mans a furry just like u. furry^2″ “leave us ALONE”

the anon hate

“U SNET THAT 2 ME, UNDER MY ROOF, THE DAY OF MY DAUGHTERS WEDDING, SHAT ALL OVER MY GARLIC BREAD,”

the tongue emoji debate

“ur tongue is too pink “at least our tongue doesnt look like it caught the bubonic plague”

“hoya who? i only need cheesy garlic bread to make me sq***t”

baboon > bab

thigh riding team competition?? what the fuck were we on my dude

nutted so hard my nuts flew off

situp competition with ur ex

#keepurcoochiessafe2k16

kink s a m e

3d design guy that ended up being a closet ussr lover

lamao

lmoa

gonna best u up

dont let the selfies glop, uh dont let the selfies glop UH

hand sink mayhaps

ho(rt)

“also five years ull be a loaf of bread how do u feel” “i hope chanyeol eats me”

ur shinee bias? ot5

hoeror

gOROR

HOROR

the xiumin bias dilemma

mystic messenger craze

“who at the top of ur hit list” “u”

midnight cinderella screenshot

the phos reciepts folder on my phone

my memes folder has more potential then my future

“no nothing u cried after stepping on ur stuffed animal??? that’s so innocent. how r u so pure and nasty at the same time”

xfivesvcondsofhorrorx

“gomen ne! gomen’nasai!! i haven’t been posting recently but-”

makoto tachibana and haruka nanase have returned to their well-deserved places in my heart and i’m sure they’re not leaving anymore”

ONE TRUE PAIRING U BAKA

the furry commission

the booty poem that some1 commissioned u to write

elephants with hair debate’our failed snapchat streaks

anyways i hope u got a good laugh out of that because i know i certainly did because some of the shit we sent each other was wild

anyways where do i even begin!! happy birthday to my bubba, my babdook fanclub vice president, my nonbinary queen #1, my ride or die, ½ of my dangerous noodle duo!!!! it’s been a long 2?? years together and i hope we spend even more than that!! you’ve been there for me thru thick and thin, through the ups and downs, through my oanic attacks and dilemmas, and im glad we’ve stuck through!!! you’ve made so many jokes with me, hell it’s so nice that you’re someone i can talk to about anything no matter how strange, nasty, or borderline uncomfortable and not be judged for it!! i love the fact that when i’m at a low and i don’t feel like talking u don’t complain about me avoiding a conversation and we just go right back to it!! ur the strongest, kindest, most hardworking and dedicated individual i’ve met and thru the odds you’ve always come out better and better, and i love my typo queen. i hope being 145 is a year that treats u well, after all u aren’t half way to thirty forever, only 6 months actually ;P my fave fetus and my fave shorty, i’m glad we’ve been able to grow together. from 13 to grandmas, remember? also hey if we’re both single at 45 we should just get married and adopt a bunch of pets because i’m so down for that. i love having a non judgemental, open minded friend that i can talk about anything with, that entertains my 3am thoughts and listens to me fangirl despite the fact that some of our fandoms dont even interlap anymore. ur the kindest, sweetest, funniest, and most photogenic person i’ve ever met, and i’m glad i can meme it to death with you!!!! happy birthday pho, and never forget: there so go!

#text #dangerous noodle duo #babdook fanclub

3 notes · View notes

swearronchanel · 7 years

Text

continuing the hiatus with 4.05

Well I'm here avoiding responsibilities as usual, pretending that I don't have class in the morning or any laundry to do but like I said I've been watching shameless and I need a little wholesome ctm to balance it out lol & @ilovemushystuff recommended I watch 4.05 *thank u 😌*but let us go on this journey together 🙃...

the clothes lines remind me of home bc we don't have a dryer in our apartment haha & when it's cold out my mom hangs everything up around the house it's a hilarious nyc struggle lol

my bby shelagh!! 💕 so precious pushing the pram! omg we get to see this again next series *hopefully* with unnamed baby turner 😭!!

aw I miss summer!! I love being out in the summer *plus my birthday is in August*🙃

Ahh aren't we glad Shelagh got new dresses, cause I'm not feeling this one lol

Jenny Agutter's smile w/ her eyebrows raised >>, am I right

Wait this is the osteogenesis imperfecta case right ??

Laura looking angelic but that is not at all new, I just have to always mention it

Now all I can do is stare at her hair bc of this debate earlier 😂 what color??

but damn I don't like this dress either I forgot how disrespectful the costume designers were in series 4😂😂

Patrick grabbing her hand saying thank you ugh so pure 😭😢

"Two weeks in Lyme Regis does sound nice" ugh Shelagh's so adorable but LETS HERE IT FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT™ BC SHE DIDN'T EVEN REALLY ASK TO GO ON HOLIDAY EVEN THOUGH SHE OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO & IN THE NEXT SERIES SHE PLANNED THE WHOLE DAMN TRIP WITHOUT TELLING HIM👏🏼 LOVE IT lol even though camping was a disaster

It's been 3 fucking mins and look at all the shit I've said wow I hate me

Pats and Trix!! I miss their friendship

Haha omg this is right after Trixie and Tom broke up #awkward

"Wild peach, isn't it glorious?" I love my other bby trixie. We are so similar but she's better 💕

PHYLLIS OUT HERE YES

"Roasted like a Sunday dinner" LMAO

aw this is the episode with the Sylheti mum, here's some quality early Babs

SISTER E 😭😭😭 I miss her aww

Omg &Sister Mary Cynthia! she just became a nun aw I miss her being so happy 💔 I hope she's in the Christmas special or Series 7 Premiere

"Ready?" ugh I just think of all the times we're heard that, like Trixie asking Shelagh when she was about to get married *hello my two favs interacting its iconic for me* or when Trixie told Sister MC off she wanted to ask her if she was ready when she went to become a postulant like if she was getting married, my heart 😭 UPDATE: I made a post about it

speaking of my gal Beatrix here she is again

I want to be that platinum blonde tbh

Sister Julienne saying "little man" yes I'm here for this such thing

little Raymond like ST Raymond or the baby that was left on the steps .. wait what happened to him? I forgot lol it's been a while

I do not like Sister Mj's absence

but yes her nephew! Did he just like stop picking her up??

Aw Trixie wanted to hug sister MC I can tell, nuns can hug though why didn't she?

we were robbed of a cute sister MC & sister W young- nun dynamic duo

but I like sister Winifred so much more now she's lowkey golden

Diphtheria yikes

LMAO FRED HAS A DU RAG ON ??

I forgot that the old nurses uniforms were so washed out looking

sweetie, if a ANGLICAN NUN is telling you the baby needs more than prayer wouldn't you believe it ??

like wtf is Christian scientist anyway, yo no se

lol calm down Barbara that's a lot to translate

woah Pat's looks hella good with her hair like that 😍

my bby Trixie serving looks but is heartbroken 😍😢💔

THE PICTURE OF HER AND CYNTHIA!! THAT IS NOW ON HER VANITY MIRROR !! MY H E A R T

*twerks to the bicycle song*

"She says where he goes, we go - even the moon" ahh again my heart!! & it's so similar to what shelagh said in the last Christmas special 😭💕 *i think it was a bible reference but I can't remember bc my memory is fuzzy from being a reckless heathen* jk jk😂

How does a faja type belt help her?

I initially really liked Trixie and Tom but I'm so glad they found better matches

yo I'd be shook though if my baby's bones kept breaking and I didn't know why omg

The nurses being cute eating popsicles outside lol

aw wait Fred and Violet weren't together yet here, they're so cute haha

again so wild, like imagine no one knowing what your baby is hurt and no one believing that you didn't abuse your child?! I cNt

so scary

Ameerah is so pretty & how sweet omg she brought Babs a dish. She misses having girl friends omg!

The Poor Pentergasts

I feel you Mrs ^, I scream into my hands at least 3x a day *for obvs diff reasons*

Baby Angela💕💕 so precious

aw Patrick & Shelagh😭 but now that shelagh's been on her nightie game this blue nightgown should finally go #hereforthebrinylon™

Shit now Patrick is going to realize and blame himself

let Patrick not feel guilty for anything in series 7, cut this guy a break pls

osteogenesis imperfecta yup I remembered ✔️ well I remember watching this with my mom & her calling if before they knew it and I was annoyed bc She can't just watch she always has to be a nurse & put her opinion out there😂 like we watched the finale yesterday and I thought there'd be some suspense but nah she knew the pill gave her a deadly blood clot😒she was surprised they killed the first women described it to though

Shelagh's face while Patrick gets in the ambulance 😭💔

I miss the nuns singing !! mainly miss Laura singing but still!! it's very peaceful you feel?? let me hear some hymns

I feel you Patrick, you smoke that cig

Alright damn Mr Pentergast, I feel your anger but wtf were they supposed to think??

I get anxious watching Patrick be anxious tbh omg xzjkalsfo

the way he fidgets the pen so relatable

Shelagh kissing him on the forehead and the cheek 😢😭💔💕melts my cold little heart

"I don't want my Geraldine being seen by the receptionist" fuck u lady she's the best damn nurse out here Lmaoo

But seriously did everyone just forget she was a nurse/midwife when she was a nun? it has only been like a year since she left and got married so I wouldn’t think people would forget just yet but maybe? wtf lol. I feel like their story was such gossip that it'd be unforgettable? that's just me Lmaoo

Go get that uniform Shelagh!!!

she's so patient, dios te bendiga. She’s too good.

my angry self would've been like "do 👏🏼 ya👏🏼not👏🏼get👏🏼that👏🏼I 👏🏼was👏🏼 a nurse 👏🏼and 👏🏼delivered 👏🏼like 👏🏼half 👏🏼of 👏🏼your👏🏼 gremlin 👏🏼 children?!" Or "you don't want me to help? Okay there's the door, don't let it hit you on the way out"!

SHE'S GETTING THE UNIFORM PEOPLE

okay I don't think I've ever thought about it until now but Shelagh talks about Patrick's war neurosis with Sister Julienne like she already knew?? I bet Shelagh went to her after the adoption interview 😭

ugh I love their friendship/relationship it's so pure

This whole show is so pure! how can it remind you of the darkness in the world while still giving you faith in humanity?? There's nothing like it

I told you I caught my mom up with series 6 & she was just like "I can't believe we have to wait so long. Why can't America make a show as great as this?"

I then said "I know I have like no reason to live until Christmas" but she said i was being dramatic oops

*cue in the mirror*✨

SHE'S PUTTING ON THE UNIFORM PEOPLE THIS IS NOT A DRILL

you guys don't get how happy this made me when I first saw it omg, I was so tired of seeing her sad/upset and lost and distressed and everything but happy but THEN SHE PUT THE UNIFORM ON AND THE LITTLE HAT AND LOOKED IN THE DAMN MIRROR WITH HER MILLON DOLLAR SMILE AND I WANTED TO COMBUST I WAS SO HAPPY I WAS IN TEARS😭😭💖💖

SHELAGH TURNER DESERVES THE WORLD AND MORE, I WILL ALLOW NO ONE TO DISAGREE

AND IF U DO WE CAN FIGHT RN

I'm so proud of how far my bby has come ugh I can't deal

It's 1am why am I being a little emotional bitch™ ?? Ugh I just love this character

I'd fight for Shealgh or Trixie/ Laura and Helen in real life. They are gifts we don't deserve

BUT ALSO, YOU MEAN TO TELL ME ALL THESE PEOPLE DIDNT BELIEVE SHE WAS A NURSE & THEN SAW HER IN A NURSE UNIFORM THE NEXT TIME AND QUESTIONED NOTHING???

Like I know it wasn't the same people but still word gets around?

Shelagh and Tim's hug aww

Can we pls see a cute moment between them? We were played with that hospital scene in 6.4 bc it was like 2 seconds long

Patrick's pyjamas though >

the flat filled with things from patients is so sweet aww

How did no one else in Ameera's house get sick though?

Angela looking so adorable wow what a pretty baby

the real million $ question is, will we ever see Mrs B? Probs not Lmaoo

Still waiting for the day Timothy Turner has an angsty teen moment bc his unrealistic perfect child-ness has been going on too long

Disregarding that time he was mean to Shelagh in series 3, I won't forget it bc I wanted to smack him 😂👋🏼

*shelagh voice* Dr Turner's back to save poplar from ill health and disease

THE WAY HE LOOKS AT SHELAGH WHEN HE REALIZES IT WAS HER IN THE NURSES UNIFORM

ALSO I'm sure he realized a kink he didn't know he had lol 😭😂

tracheotomy 😬 how do they make it look so real ahhh!? wild

"..Because I have you" BYEEEE 😭😭💖💔💔💔 my heart melted into a puddle & I can no longer live

the first kiss that you can't even see !! But still it took a season & a half for the married couple to kiss!😂

Ok shh Vanessa is gonna say something profound I must hear

Who tf am i talking to? I'm losing my damn marbles

And yes that's a Hook reference

"Humanity is fragile and all the sunshine in the world can't save the frail or make the delicate invincible but love has the power to strengthen and protect and guide us to a place where we feel sheltered and fulfilled. Where it doesn't matter if it rains for we are home and dry"

UGH SUCH GOLD!!!

And Shelagh holding Angela next to Ameerah and her new baby, my heart!!

such an amazing show

The End.. until next time..

#my commentaries™#call the midwife #the hiatus struggle #who lets me do these lol

24 notes · View notes

stellxuk · 4 years

Text

Day 1 - Kensington Gardens/ Buckingham Palace/ Westminister Bridge/ Checking in/ The Fish House

London, 7am. I got on the Heathrow Express for a straight train ride to Paddington station before transiting to High Street Kensington, where I’ll be dropping off my luggage at my Airbnb hosts’ office. It was already quite a navigational process to find the Heathrow Express platform just ‘cause I wasn’t used to needing to take a monorail to another terminal to get to customs and head out of Terminal 5. I remember queueing even with others to get my passport stamped, only to have the customs officer firmly tell me that I could’ve gone through the e-gate. Already embarrassed I walked through the lane and as my mom had always reminded me, check and make sure your passport’s stamped. There was no stamp. So I approached another customs officer and he looked at me, eyebrows furrowed, physically it didn’t make sense, yet I was asking a rather outdated question.

“You don’t need a stamp anymore.” Ah.

High Street Kensington felt familiar, with my first pret-a-manger in sight – a place that would’ve served me very well to buffer time and grab quick bites in the following days.

At my Airbnb hosts’ office, conveniently just across the road, the receptionist (French 20-something who thinks she’s superior with her bob and straight bangs) rudely brushed me off by saying nobody’s in the office yet so I’d just have to wait. I was too tired to argue and had no reason to be equally sassy so I waited, it was by then 8am in the morning anyway so I was ahead of schedule. However, sitting in the lobby watching other office-workers and executive members walk in an out, eyeballing me and giving subtle looks, I got increasingly uncomfortable and wondered if the lady was going to ignore me perpetually. Thank goodness she approached right on cue then with a nicer tone, asking to follow her to the office.

It was a quick straight walk down to Kensington Gardens, and with the morning light the barren trees gave off sepia hues in the cool winter. The grass, however, thrived in luscious green and abundance. There were so many dog walkers, but all rather aloof to my smiles at their pups, who also trotted along and paid no heel. I started snapping away – of William and Kate’s abode (the Kensington Palace), of a lone man walking down a narrow path separating two large grass fields, of the pond inhabited by swans that swam so close to the edge you could see them eye to eye. I r e a l l y loved the pond at Kensington Gardens, circular and central to the park, I didn’t care that I looked like some greenhorn who’d never seen anything so typical of a park as others just jogged past with their ears plugged. I live just opposite a reservoir, yet this pond – its serenity in the cold, the swans’ majestically floating, ducks pruning their feathers by the edges – was a sight to behold. It overwritten all the rough encounters I had earlier in the morning.

Walking further down to Hyde Park I was headed to Buckingham Palace for their changeover at 10am. Crossing the road to enter Buckingham Palace Green, I saw that my phone was soon dying. But shit. I had left my portable charger in my carry-on that had been left at the office. My first onset panic mode. I was contemplating whether to take the walk back, albeit far but still manageable, to grab my portable charger and re-walk the whole route to hopefully make it in time for the changeover at the Palace. Or should I just keep going, since after the palace I just wanted to walk around the city for a bit and head back in a couple of hours in time to check in to the Airbnb. While my head battled the options on the outside I was calmly making my way further and further from the office, and so I guessed my feet had made the decision for me. We walk on and hope I won’t be crippled without access to Google Maps.

Buckingham Palace! There was already a crowd lined up, flagging themselves to the gates and looking through the thin steel railings to see the guards marching to and fro intermittently. I found a spot to squeeze in between 2 families and took it all in. At one point the Royal Mail van drove in, and a couple of luxury cars were also taking their exit. People were also seated around (and on) the Victoria Memorial just opposite.

I checked the time – 9.30am, I didn’t think there’d be much to do for 30 minutes, plus we were on a time crunch cause my battery was at 10%. So I decided to forgo the ceremony and continued walking.

Making a turn down to birdcage walk I chanced upon this area (?) called the Victoria Nova/ The Nova Building. Thinking maybe I can grab a proper bite, the only thing that attracted me was a standalone push cart called the Chai Guys. You guessed it, they were selling coffee but more importantly, chai. I got my first cuppa and their design was so cute I had to take that typical arm-extended-against-cityscape shot:

Looking at the underground sign at the entrance of Victoria station I contemplated yet again to take the train back to High Street Kensington to grab my portable charger before getting back on my itinerary (you can see how ensuring my phone stays alive has killed some fun and ability of being in the moment). But the thought of needing to explain myself to the rude French receptionist and trouble her to escort me up and down again deterred me entirely. Instead, I circled back again to Buckingham Palace to see if the changeover had started.

Thinking I’ll keep walking instead of stopping to watch the whole thing, in order to get back on track and head towards the city, I managed to catch them just walking in to the palace. The crowd grew bigger and there were security personnels warning people to carry their backpacks on their fronts because there’re pickpocketed lurking in this area. That all the more made me want to keep walking.

Another 5-10 minutes and I found the famous red telephone booth. I didn’t trust want someone to help take a picture for me so I wanted just the memory of a lone telephone booth. I eventually had to wait a minute for it because couples, mother-daughter duos and tween groups were all taking turns to enter the booth and take their signature interactive poses. From the aloof locals, to how easily my space could be “invaded” and presence kinda looked over, London was starting to make me feel a little transparent and for a split second it hit me that I was really alone.

What happened next didn’t help to soothe my soul in any way. After the telephone booths, past Westminister Abbey, was of course the Westminister bridge that would lead me into the city centre of London. It was a very very very busy bridge – everyone was almost passing through shoulder-to-shoulder and I had my eye on a pop up store selling souvenirs when suddenly a lady stopped me and started shoving a clipboard and a pen against my torso.

“For the deaf and blind. Please sign.” She chanted, refusing my refusals and letting me walk ahead. Soon another guy and woman on her team cornered me and continued pressurising me to sign it. I knew what this was – one of those petitions where after you “harmlessly” sign you’d have to make a mandatory donation, something I was already warned about by my colleague. So I kept saying “No”, zig-zagging to pass them but they locked me down and met me even when I pushed through the crowd to get to the other side of the bridge. Finally as I was saying my 100th no, this time also physically pushing away her clipboard, the lady interrupted me with a mumble in a foreign language before dropping everything and walking away. It was instant. Like an off-switch was activated inside of her. I was slightly perturbed as to why she’d suddenly give up, and what exactly she was mumbling about, when an instinct kicked in to look down and check my bag. My heart dropped when I saw my fanny pack zipped open, my camera (which took up the bulk of the space) in plain sight.

I rushed to a quieter corner at the end of the bridge and rummaged through my things. Passport, wallet, oyster card, they were all intact. But I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was there something more valuable I was forgetting that should’ve been inside? I hurried again, almost deliriously, to someplace I could properly sit down, catch my breath, slow my heart rate, and be sure that I wasn’t just pickpocketed.

Finally I saw there was a Starbucks and I took a sit outside among pigeons nibbling on leftovers and families feeding their children in prams to take out my things and account for each one. Nothing was lost, seriously. I didn’t know how to find relief, a part of me wanted to just retreat and go back to the unwelcoming office lobby. But I’d have to find a way that didn’t involve passing that damn Westminister bridge again. Throughout the entire trip I’d never revisited that bridge.

“Just keep going, Estella. Don’t let this ruin the day.” And so I did. I walked along Southbank, took that quintessential tourist picture of the London Eye, of the National Theatre, and ended up at Gabriel’s Wharf. Thinking I’ll finally (finally) have my first meal at this fish and chips restaurant, I walked away because of the crowd and the price for a simple Dory’s fish and chips.

I ended up at OXO Tower Wharf, which seemed like a Design Orchard equivalent with cubic spaces across two floors that showcase the works of up and coming designers and artists. Walking into a quirky design store, I thought I’d be able to find a portable charger but alas, there were Frida Kahlo lip balms and kids schoolbags in the shape of a space rocket, but absolutely z e r o portable chargers. I was at 2%, and Blackfriars bridge was where I threw in the white flag. I was supposed to make it all the way to Borough market, but I clearly had underestimated the walk, and it was enough risking (and turn of events) for the day.

I settled for a chicken salad from LEON and sat by the window, people watching as friends met up at the entrance of High Street Kensington station, grandmas got ready to head out with their daughters and grandchildren, mature couples stepping in to Marks and Spencers for their daily shopping. Even though my phone was dying, I was struggling with time because it was 1pm, an odd time to be heading to the office and waiting to check in until 3pm. But there wasn’t enough time to grab my portable charger and head out again. So I just sat at LEON, in slight disbelief of the sights and sounds I had encountered in a mere 5+ hours. London, baby.

We were inching to 2pm when I could no longer hog the seat at LEON, so I took a stroll into the famous Boots store just adjacent to the station, and took a look at Zara Home just opposite. Oh yes, I’d also forgotten to bring my glasses on the trip, so I walked into a prescription store along the street as well but soon realised it was a dumb move because frames alone were minimally 50 pounds (and those were ugly). My astigmatism isn’t dreadful enough for me to spend money on a pair of glasses that would be deemed useless once I got back to Singapore.

Finally, finally, after a little more waiting in the lobby (the French receptionist had ended her shift and now a nice 20-something male Londoner helmed the desk) I could finally check in to my Airbnb. I took a quick 2-stop bus ride down to Notting Hill Gate and arrived at the bright pink door. Lugging my suitcase up the 4 flights of stairs was THE WORST, and I soon came face-to-face with the small cubic loft that, in the following days, would’ve risen my anxiety levels with its misleading paper thin walls that made me purvy to when every neighbour was coming home, opening their doors (which often sounded like they were trying to barge through mine), stepping into showers, and when the garbage collector came on Wednesday morning and made such a ruckus I thought a fight broke out along the street.

After taking a video tour of the place and sending it to Mom, I settled in, changed and freshened up for dinner. It was at a nearby fish and chips place called the Fish House. No more adventurous trails and exploring for me. The restaurant was in a quaint shophouse with a very tiny shopfront where you could order takeaways. To get a seat, you’d then have to take another 2 narrow flights of stairs up to their topmost floor. When I arrived a family had just finished their dinner so by the time I ordered I had the whole place to myself (which I thought was quite iffy cause Google shown great reviews). The fish and chips was alright, along with the cup of hot tea, and after an hour or so I made my leave and called it a night.

0 notes

jonathanbelloblog · 6 years

Text

Learning to Drive a Manual at Honda’s First Annual Shifting Gears Event

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDEGE, California — My first encounter with a manual transmission car occurred in the early 1990s in my dad’s 1984 Ford F-150 pickup in the parking lot of a park. I was a wimpy looking 13-year girl who thought she could do anything the world tossed her way after driving a manual that day. Years later, there were occasional opportunities to drive a manual thanks to guy friends who were carefree enough to allow me to get behind the wheel. Though I lacked this basic life skill, I always managed to keep the car rolling without crashing or destroying the clutch. After these experiences, I purchased a pre-owned 1998 Toyota Camry with an automatic transmission and driving a manual became a faint memory of my teenage years.

When Honda extended the invitation to attend their first annual Shifting Gears event near Angeles Crest Highway, it compelled me to learn how to drive a manual again. Though there are pros to not driving a manual in Los Angeles traffic there are also cons to not being able to do so, such as being unable to drive manual test cars—like the fabulous Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Honda Civic Type R that I missed out on testing during the 2018 edition of our annual Automobile All-Stars competition

Eager to learn the art of driving a manual, I arrived an hour and some change before Honda’s first training session went into effect. While I waited I browsed through the various Hondas on hand: the Fit, Civic Type R, Civic Si Coupe, Accord Sport 2.0T, and the HR-V. But wait, there’s more: Honda also brought along a first-generation Civic, a Prelude, an S2000 CR, a 1999-2000 Civic Si coupe, and a Z600 coupe. All were available to drive—after successfully completing the training, of course. (Due to some mechanical issues on arrival, however, the Z600 coupe and first-gen Civic were not available for use.)

The cool thing about this event is that Honda also welcomed those who already possessed the skill of driving a manual to participate just for fun. Experienced manual drivers could arrive at any time during the event and drive any available car up Angeles Crest Highway. Learners like myself, however, were required to pass the manual driving exercises first. Honda used colored wristbands to separate the two groups—learners were were given a blue wristband while experienced manual drivers were given a red one.

After viewing an entertaining primer video that Honda produced about the manual driving exercises, I was paired up with instructor Chris Martin of Honda Public Relations. On the enclosed course set up for learners, Martin went over the basics and before I knew it, I was in the driver seat of the Honda Fit, shifting into first gear. The car stalled and shut off a number of times and driving a manual up Angeles Crest started feeling more like a fantasy.

“Put it in first gear and release the clutch pedal slowly. You don’t have to push the gas pedal immediately because you can control the speed with the clutch pedal,” instructed Martin.

On the other hand, for some odd reason, reverse proved a walk in the park as I nailed it after a few attempts. Clutch pedal, gear, release clutch, gas pedal, release gas pedal, clutch, gear, gas pedal…this kept playing on my mind like a version of Daft Punk’s “Technologic.”

I worked my way up to third gear and when I finally demonstrated that I had a good grip on the basics I was ready to go on the public roads. I explained to Chris that I really wanted to learn how to downshift because it was something I struggled with in the past. Once I got the Honda Fit rolling on the road, that was the first concept I practiced.

There were two routes designated for learners and manual drivers and we mistakenly went off route. But instead of panicking I pretended to be a driver with years of experience operating a manual.I successfully completed the off-route driving exercise without stalling and graduated with honors. After I obtained a red wristband, without thinking twice, I signed up for a Honda Civic Si coupe and accelerated up Angeles Crest Highway. All I need to say about this is that driving a manual up the famed mountain road will forever be one of the coolest things I have ever accomplished as a driver.

Prior to leaving Shifting Gears, I chatted with Carl Pulley, Assistant Manager of Honda Public Relations, and asked how the event came to be. “We wanted to get our mojo back by bringing the fun to driving. That’s what Honda is about. We are one of the few brands that still offers a manual across all passenger vehicles,” stated Pulley. “We want to teach people a new life skill. Driving a manual is a fully immersive and engaging experience and we wanted to share the enthusiasm of driving a manual.”

Honda’s strategy to teach drivers how to operate a manual was a fun and educational experience. What I appreciated the most is how laid-back the instructors were and that they offered many opportunities to go for a drive in a wide variety of vehicles. And not not just on any road, but on Angeles Crest Highway. What more can one ask for? There couldn’t be a more effective way to learn manual. They made the entire process of learning how to drive a manual less intimidating and more like a life skill one should possess.

Now that I know how to drive a manual, I can get into our long-term Honda Civic Type R. Thank you Honda. I look forward to attending the next event and hopefully this time I can get behind the wheel of that S2000 CR.

Top 10 Reasons to Drive a Manual Transmission according to Honda

10. You can pretend you’re a racecar driver

9. Thwart would-be car thieves…well, some of them

8. Strengthen your left calf and right arm

7. Drive a friend’s car home after they celebrated too much

6. It goes with your other DIY hobbies (craft beer, beekeeping, etc.)

5. Texting and driving is hard…and, really stupid

4. More control of the vehicle – unleash your inner control freak

3. Drive a rental in Timbuktu (or Europe)

2. Take the long way home because…

1. …it’s WAY more fun!

IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger Feed 4

0 notes

jesusvasser · 6 years

Text

Learning to Drive a Manual at Honda’s First Annual Shifting Gears Event

“Put it in first gear and release the clutch pedal slowly. You don’t have to push the gas pedal immediately because you can control the speed with the clutch pedal,” instructed Martin.

Top 10 Reasons to Drive a Manual Transmission according to Honda

10. You can pretend you’re a racecar driver

9. Thwart would-be car thieves…well, some of them

8. Strengthen your left calf and right arm

7. Drive a friend’s car home after they celebrated too much

6. It goes with your other DIY hobbies (craft beer, beekeeping, etc.)

5. Texting and driving is hard…and, really stupid

4. More control of the vehicle – unleash your inner control freak

3. Drive a rental in Timbuktu (or Europe)

2. Take the long way home because…

1. …it’s WAY more fun!

IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk WP Feed 4

0 notes

smoothshift · 7 years

Text

Why I Like Driving Manual via /r/cars

Why I Like Driving Manual

For over a year now (since mid 2016 – so obviously don’t expect any tips from me) I’ve been driving manual transmission cars only, and it’s been so enjoyable for me. Here’s why I like driving manual, why I do it, and some of my perceived benefits.

IT’S FUN

There’s reason number one, in an automatic all you do is press the gas pedal and go. In a manual car you need to work with the clutch, gas, upshifting, and my favorite part – downshifting. There’s like 4x as many things to do which I enjoy doing so it’s way more fun to drive manual.

Depending on what vehicle you’re driving, you can drive more efficiently!

I drive mostly older vehicles, because they’re cheap, and because “they don’t make em like they used to”… Kidding but not kidding, my current car is a 2002 Volkswagen TDI which I selected specifically for the super efficient 1.9L turbo diesel engine with a mechanical injection pump. This car came with either an automatic (it sucks) or a 5 speed manual transmission (it rocks). You have a hard time getting 30mpg in the automatic yet the manual can pull 40-50 with ease. This is due to an inefficient torque converter and poor gearing – oh and the thing blows up at 150k miles too. The bottom line is when driving manual YOU select the gears, and if you can do a better job than the automatic transmission option then you can save money on fuel… and also rip it into 3rd at high RPM as well so there’s that.

In more recent cars with CVT’s and DSG’s the transmissions are often more efficient than even the best manual driver, so there is that to consider if you’re making your decision based purely on fuel efficiency. HOWEVER base models often come with the manual trans and could save you a few thousand dollars, which the slight difference in fuel economy would take years to pay off if you select the more efficient automatic transmission.

I like the challenge and love improving at driving manual

Some people will pick up on learning to drive manual faster than others – in my opinion it’s ideal to start learning how to drive on a manual car rather than an automatic. It will stick with you forever and I think it makes people better drivers to know how to drive standard.

For me I did most of my learning solo, through YouTube videos and reading forums. I was terrible at first but over time I learned more about my car, my timings improved, and I practiced practiced practiced. I consider myself fairly competent after driving stick for a year but there is always room to improve – especially considering that if I’m tired or near the end of a road trip sometimes my shift quality suffers. That means I can further develop my muscle memory and really nail down my technique to be near flawless all the time.

I still practice to this day, heading out during the evening at say 9 or 10pm to work on something specific is a nice way to end the day, off of the computer screen and away from the phone. I’ll practice my 3 to 2 downshift, or my 1-2 shift as in my opinion those are the most difficult parts of driving manual and if you can nail those you’re set.

I’d rather replace a clutch than an entire transmission

Clutches are a few hundred dollars, transmissions are expensive! Like I said I drive older vehicles so I’d rather have to do a clutch job rather than replace an entire automatic transmission or have it rebuilt. I plan on getting an older 3/4ton diesel truck like a Ram 2500 or F-250 and ideally I’d like it to be a manual transmission because IF something goes wrong with the transmission I’d much rather do a clutch. Besides it’s way more fun like I said! And a lot of the older manual transmissions were rated to tow more than the overdrive automatics that went in the old Dodge and Ford trucks. And again like I mentioned the experienced manual driver can be more efficient than some of the older automatic transmissions – and this could be more specifically applied to towing situations where you want to be in full control of what gear you’re in vs letting an automatic decide.

Those are the big main reasons why I love driving manual – here’s another little list of reasons/benefits I can come up with, but they don’t quite warrant their entire section.

You might need to know how to drive a manual trans. car in an emergency situation

It’s fun to be able to teach your friends and family a new skill

In a turbo diesel if you ever had a runaway situation you can stall out the engine

It makes you drive properly in traffic to try to maintain momentum instead of how some people ram up each others asses as soon as they have any space in front of them

Downsides of Driving Manual

And of course there are some downsides to driving manual – here are a few of my negatives to consider, although there are not many.

After a long road trip with the cruise control on, you might not be the best shifter in the world pulling into your destination with a left leg that fell asleep.

If you’re tired in the morning, could encounter the same thing of clunky-shifting due to being tired/sleepy

It’s annoying as shit in traffic because everyone gasses it as soon as there is space, and you want to conserve your momentum and not be braking, clutching, neutral, clutching, gearing every 5 seconds

In the winter (I'm from Canada yo), depending on what transmission fluid you use your trans could be notchy/difficult to shift for the first few minutes. I swapped to a 75w80 instead of the 75w90 to alleviate this issue and also hopefully gain 1% fuel economy (lol).

If you need a designated driver, not everyone can drive your car.

If you ever had a left leg or hand injury you might not be able to drive where in an automatic all you need is your right foot and one hand.

Those are some things to consider – but overall are not deal breakers for me. I work from home so I’m not often stuck in traffic and the home stretch of a road trip is a time for me to really focus on my shifting and make sure I nail my shifts even when I’m tired – it’s a welcome challenge.

Overall I love driving manual. I hope to be able to drive manual for a long time. I love driving different makes of cars to see how they shift, and I’m interested in driving some super cars with manual shift as well. If you’ve never tried it before I encourage you to find someone you know who has a manual trans car and ask if you can go for a drive! Don’t be shy it’s not too hard to pick up some basics around the parking lot – getting moving is the hardest part.

Full post with images of my trusty vtroubleu.

#reddit #autonews #auto #cars

0 notes

movietvtechgeeks · 7 years

Photo

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/nintendo-switch-impressive-works-lacking-games/

Nintendo Switch: Impressive when it works but lacking games

Nintendo certainly has had a banner year with Pokemon Go, so anticipation has been very high for their Nintendo Switch which hits on Friday. You can check out pricing on it here and be ready to get your own. You might want to read our review first though. The idea behind it is perfect. An all-in-one gaming machine that serves as both a handheld device and a TV game console. Nintendo pretty much imprinted us with the idea when Game Boy came out that your portable devices would always be separate from your Nintendo home console. Even the games were different. If you wanted to play the same game on your portable and home console, you had to buy the same game that was made for each one. There was no crossover, until now. The Nintendo Switch bridges this huge gap which is very exciting. Basically, it's a mini table that comes with a 6.2-inch screen that you could use to play games. The only problem there is that they don't have any games that would play on a touchscreen. They have added two small game controllers (called Joy-Cons) that slide into the sides of the tablet. That grooves on the side are very easy to slide into so no worry about having to jam them in with frustration. This simple act turns the Nintendo Switch into a fully-functional while still traditional gaming machine. Plus it has those great controllers serving as joysticks. A small plastic dock let you connect everything to your tv through HDMI. So all you do is stick your Nintendo Switch into the dock, and it's all on your television screen. You pop (er slide) the controllers off, and they are wireless play toys letting you relax on the couch and have some fun. That tablet comes with a little kickstand so you can treat it like a real tablet and prop it up on a table while you work the controllers in your hands. Sounds perfect. Sounds like heaven. Right? Well, then we run into a frustrating problem. The Switch doesn't always make for such an easy switch. The device plays fine in handheld most, but we kept having sync issues with the left half of the Joy-Con. It has a very annoying lag, so when you hit the button, it takes a moment to register on your tv screen. Sometimes it just drops the connection. We noticed that many times after taking it out on the road and coming back to the office to play would require a hard reset. Another annoying thing as who wants to have to reset your console like that. The idea behind the Nintendo Switch is to be able to play on the road, come home and 'switch' seamlessly over. Like a designer having a bad week on "Project Runway," these seams are showing. This was one of my big frustrations when Guitar Hero Live hit as those dongles did something similar. Nintendo has made an answer for this. You can purchase the optional "Pro Controller" for $70 and problem solved. I can only hope that Nintendo has addressed this issue and it will be fixed in the consoles that hit on Friday. Otherwise, there going to hear a lot of grumbling all weekend long. There are a couple of other things the Switch can’t do. You can’t charge the Joy-Cons while playing in TV mode. You’ll need to buy a separate Charging Grip ($30) for that. And since the USB-C power outlet is on the bottom of the tablet, you can’t play it in the “kickstand” configuration while it’s plugged in—the cord gets in the way. Switch includes one AC adapter, but this has to be used both by the dock and while on the go. So if you want to set the dock up in your entertainment center and run the plug behind the cabinet and never touch it again, you’ll probably want a second adapter ($30). If you're hoping to hook up the Nintendo Switch to another tv in your home, you have to put out $90 for another dock. Then you're able to just pop the Switch into either dock so you can play on another television. So you can see where this is heading. Like with so many gaming systems, you get that initial price to pay, then there are all those optional features you wind up getting. So that $300 turns into $500 rather quickly. When you're putting out $300 for a gaming system, you expect it to work perfectly out of the box, but even Sony has learned that hard lesson when buyers strike back online. Our fruther fleshed out review continues on dealing with the lack of games for the Switch. When you're deep in a video game, the last thing you want to do is leave home. If only you could take the game with you for your commute to work or your bus ride to school, or to liven up your lunch hour. Nintendo's new Switch console tries to address that by letting you play it anywhere. You simply yank the Switch out of its docking station. It functions as a tablet with a built-in display, so you don't have to worry about finding a TV. Games typically work without a persistent internet connection. Once you're back home, just slide it back into the docking station to play games on a big-screen TV. The Switch works like a traditional game console when you want that; it offers portability when you need that. Over the past week, I've played the new "Legend of Zelda" game at home, outside, in a laundromat and in a mechanic's waiting room. The game picks right up wherever I left off. The big question, as it so often is with Nintendo, is whether it will be able to deliver enough games. When the console starts selling Friday, for $300, the Switch will have a paltry nine titles, leaning heavily toward familiar franchises such as "Just Dance" and "Skylanders." By contrast, Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One had about 20 games each at launch. A new hardware introduction is big for any company, and even more so for a company in such a state of transition. Nintendo's Wii U console bombed when it came out in 2012, and its long-held dominance of the portable game market has been usurped by smartphones and tablets. Its two big successes of 2016 - "Pokemon Go" and "Super Mario Run" - were made to be played on other companies' devices. "Pokemon Go" wasn't even developed in-house, but under license by a California company called Niantic. The Switch is a gutsy attempt by Nintendo to reclaim its territory in both the home and portable markets. The console comes with two controllers, known as Joy-Cons. Each has a control stick, four buttons, two triggers, motion sensors and haptic feedback. The right one also has an infrared sensor to detect nearby objects. On the go, you can turn the tablet into a hand-held game machine by attaching Joy-Cons to each side. Or just prop the tablet on a table with a built-in kickstand and use the Joy-Cons as wireless controllers, just as you would at home. You can also transform the Joy-Cons into a more traditional game controller by sliding them into a wireless grip accessory, which is included. To play a solo adventure like "Zelda," you'll need all the buttons on both Joy-Cons. But Nintendo also wants you to play socially, so each Joy-Con functions as a freestanding controller for party games like "Just Dance 2017" and "Super Bomberman R." The Joy-Cons are surprisingly comfortable given that they are small, about the size of a candy bar. I'd be more worried about losing them than getting hand cramps. They slide into slots on the tablet and the grip with a satisfying snap. The tablet, with the Joy-Cons attached, is about as wide as a standard iPad held horizontally, but just a little more than half as tall. The screen resolution is equivalent to 720p high definition. "Zelda" looks just about as good here as on your big-screen HDTV. The battery lasts about six hours, though a power-hungry game like "Zelda" could cut that down in half. The Switch has a puny 32 gigabytes of internal storage. You'll need to buy a memory card if you intend to download plenty of games. Games also come on postage-stamp-sized game cards you slide into a slot on top. It remains to be seen just how many games you'll want. There's a drab collection of multiplayer mini-games, packaged as "1-2-Switch." The package would have been great as a free starter kit; instead, it costs $60. "Snipperclips," for just $20, is a more inspired cooperative puzzle game. The marquee attraction, of course, is "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" ($60). It is spectacular, but also available on the Wii U, so owners of that console don't need to upgrade yet. Granted, I am a hardcore gamer, the type of guy who would buy a Switch just for "Zelda" and spend 100 hours happily wallowing in it. Casual gamers who get by with the occasional fix of "Candy Crush Saga" on cellphones will probably wish for a broader selection. Nintendo says more than 80 games are in development, with homegrown franchise titles like "Super Mario Odyssey," ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and "Splatoon 2" coming this year. But Nintendo hasn't said whether the Switch will get some version of its Virtual Console, which delivered classic hits from the company's 30-plus-year history to the Wii U. The Switch hardware is very impressive, and the ability to easily take a game from the living room to the laundromat scratches an itch I didn't know I had. But in bridging two worlds, it sacrifices important pieces of both. It doesn't have all the functions you want from a tablet; even the Xbox and the PlayStation have web browsers and video apps such as Netflix on their non-portable systems. And the Switch doesn't (yet) deliver the range of games you want from a home console. The Wii U failed, in part, because Nintendo left too many of its most beloved heroes idling on the bench. Consoles gathered dust because there weren't enough compelling games to play. The long-awaited "Zelda" is a good start for the Switch, but Nintendo will need to deliver this kind of quality more consistently. Again, hopefully Nintendo has dealt with the lag issue on their Switch so you can enjoy it fully.

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

#Featured #Gaming Reviews #Joy Con #Nintendo #Nintendo Switch #PS4 #Zelda

0 notes