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philosophicalparadox · 5 years

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Demon Splicing and Why the Clones Failed.

This is more like a research paper than a fan theory, but hey, I had fun. I’ll try to improv some citations at the bottom, but I don’t guarantee that Tumblr will let me keep them there.

Now, this is a HUGE, MASSIVE, LONG-ASS POST, and once more it is ultra-sciencey; so if you have any confusions, questions, or want to just look the other way and just go “eh, magic” then that is totally okay. I don’t, and won’t, claim to be any kind of authority on these things; I just needed an excuse to open my computer again and I guess do some intense research into etymology (that would be the study of anything with an exoskeleton, basically. I promise it is very much relevant to this theory.).

Summary/TLDR: Demons need specific qualities in their hosts in order to suit themselves, ergo they modify their host’s bodies by using Mutually symbiotic viruses, akin to those of the Polydnaviridae ingroup which coexists within several genera of parasitoid wasps, to alter the human genome. What we explore here is how they do so. Also, because it is intrinsically connected, we will also be dipping our toes into why, exactly, the clones weren’t “suitable” in all instances, as well as how demons may or may not select their hosts. This circles back to my previous post discussing the Twin’s and Paternity, and specifically the topic of genetic expression, though you do not need to have seen or read that post to understand what I’m talking about here. Also discussed is the matter of genes that humans lack, but which would seem to find their way in during possession; the production of feathers, the formation of additional limbs, proteins, and such which are simply not within the power of any existing virus we know of to alter .

One thing must lead to another however, so before we get into the biological science, we need to get into the hypothetical, cosmological stuff that is quantum physics. Didn’t see that one coming, did ya?

Demons and DNA:

We know from that one elusive panel of chapter 44 ( I think...) that demons have genetics - they have genes, which implies that they have, at the very least, DNA. The question then is how, but more so where - where did those genes come from?. Demons don’t have physical bodies, right...? Why would they need DNA?

Because maybe some of them do possess actual, physical “bodies”, or at least cells, that preside in Gehenna.

The Demon Kings are quite likely to be an exception rather than a rule, considering they were the first demons to have come into existence, or at the very least the first demons to have ever attained bodies -- which is precisely how demonkind may have obtained DNA in the first place, via a phenomena called horizontal transference.

Now, I’m going to contradict, in a sense, my other post here, and tell you to forget what you were taught about viruses in high school. Virology is a complicated school of biology, and viruses are extremely simple, and yet extremely complex organisms. Now, viruses typically contain RNA which allows the virus to reproduce once it is injected into the cells of its host by combining viral RNA with eukaryotic (for the sake of simplicity) DNA.

However, there are strains of viruses that contain DNA, not RNA. No one is completely sure how these viruses evolved, but one theory would suggest that these dnaviruses “stole” part of their genetic material from the hosts they evolved with, incorporating pieces of lipids and proteins to turn their RNA into functional DNA; this process of one organism “stealing” DNA from another is called horizontal transference, and it is how bacteria and other asexually reproducing organisms maintain genetic diversity and “evolve”.

But, you ask, how the bloody hell does a Virus have DNA? How does it replicate?

When most people think of viruses, they think of mobile ones, pathogenic ones - but dnaviruses are not usually pathogenic, instead highjacking the excretory or reproductive systems of their hosts and using their reproductive cells to spread genealogically from parent to offspring. One well-studied example of this is the polydnavirus found in Ichneumon wasps, which are themselves parasitoid. They reproduce by injecting their eggs into the bodies of paralyzed caterpillars, who then feed the hatching larvae with it’s living tissues. However, one problem the wasp faces with this method of reproduction is the caterpillar’s immune system, which could kill the eggs - were it not for the polydnavirus, which produces chemical signals that prevent the caterpillar’s immune system from destroying the precious egg that is it’s host cell. As the larvae develops, the polydnavirus is replicated into the cells of the larvae, and once it hatches it is literally born with the virus in it’s body. (I’ll let you go wild with the half-demon thing there, I’m here to talk about possession right at the moment.)

Ok, ok, but what does this have to do with demons? after all, demon possession is, in a way, “contagious” since demons can go from host to host.

Welcome then, to the world of multi-viral mutual symbiosis - fancy way of saying viruses can work together to meet the ends of one another in a host if it benefits both viruses. Demons may possess some form of this event, being somehow sentient (by means perhaps of primitive, conductive cells not unlike what you would find in a jellyfish) but ultimately composed of or utilizing not only one, but several strains of viruses to fulfil their parasitic ends, one which allows them to infect the host and modify existing DNA, and one which can incorporate it’s own DNA into that of the host to bring about desirable conditions. To that, I must add as a courtesy that those primitive conductive cells which could, in a way, offer sentience, may in fact be what comprises the physical manifestations of demon’s hearts. None of this is, of course, to explain demon magic, which is a subject I do intend to breach one of these days - but not today. Today, we do science.

This goes away to explain why Todou sprouted feathers, a phenomena that would not have otherwise been biologically possible given the constraints of human protein structure. That isn’t to say that it would be impossible for a virus to modify via RNA transcription keratinoid proteins to form hollow attachments, which is exactly what you find in polar bears and porcupines, but the structure of feathers is, I’m afraid, just too far off the mammalian path for it to be but a 0.03% likelihood via RNA transcription alone, meaning that it would have to have been the result of DNA that isn’t human.

Speaking of statistical probabilities:

Cloning and the Failure Thereof

Humanity has a hollywood-induced idea that cloning organisms is a fail-less system, when that could not be further from the truth. In point of fact, only about 3% of all attempted cloning experiments with everything from fish to sheep produce viable, healthy clones. This is because cloning is done, kind of ironically, in much the same way as a virus operates; by using the DNA and RNA of the existing mother’s cell’s to complete the chromosomal pairing up that normally happens in the zygote during fertilization. Because of this, the RNA transcribes, ideally, the same exact DNA code that the “mother” has; but here again we get into genetic expression, because though a clone is genetically the same as it’s parent, it is exactly BECAUSE it is genetically identical that recessive (and often in the case of some experimental animals, fatal) traits and gene combinations can occur, depending on exactly how the original, zygotic DNA is copied. Even when using the RNA of the same organism, transcription errors naturally occur -- and they occur so frequently, in fact, that very few cloning attempts are ever successful; that is, they either produce genetically weak, fatal-combination, infertile, or underdeveloped offspring that ultimately can’t be re-cloned or which can not reproduce, and therefore negate the incentive to clone an organism for it’s “healthy genes”.

Connecting the dots:

When a demon is cloned, it’s human DNA is cloned; but so are the genetic modifications of the dnavirus, which is why clones seem to have human superpowers. They are no loner 100% genetically human, and that opens the door to all kinds of genetic complications and probably meant that thousands, not hundreds, of clones were “discarded”, and hundreds died before they even lived. Simply put, it’s an absolute bloody miracle that the cloning thing worked at all, much less that Lucifer was able to remotely perfect the technique.

How he did so is not so much a mystery though; unlike what you would assume, with mammals at least, the more often you re-clone a clone, the “cleaner” it’s genetic code seems to become by phenomena of natural selection and artificial selection; clones with good genes are re-cloned, clones exhibiting bad genes are culled or die on their own, and so on and so on until you get a good sized population of identical clones. With the added fuel of the elixir to make growth happen phenomenally fast, it’s not too surprising that he has a private stock of cloned bodies to inhabit whenever he likes. (Which gave me big Orochimaru vibes, just sayin’).

As for the RNA virus body, I suspect that is retained with the demon at all times, which makes sense because once and RNA virus stops replicating it’s RNA into the host, the host cells re-fix the “broken” codes and eventually replaces the alien DNA created by the virus with it’s own; however, a dnavirus’ DNA gets worked semi-permanently into the system of it’s host, since it has it’s own completed code which is then, reversedly, transcribed over and over by the host’s RNA transcription, which is why dnaviruses went undetected by science until about 20 years ago, and why, God forbid, if there was ever a pathogenic dnavirus, we would all be royally screwed because even the best immune system on earth can’t detect a dnavirus because our immune systems rely on identification markers dependent on RNA viruses; oddly, however, so does every other organism, meaning there literally is not a single living thing, including caterpillars and spiders who are victims directly of “pathogenic” polydnaviruses, has an immune system that could find the damn things. They utilize the host’s own RNA to transcribe their DNA, and therefore go almost completely undetected by whatever they infect.

Speaking of which, let’s talk about:

Immunity and Prions

If Demons rely on RNA viruses to primarily infect their host, then it would make sense why some people would be more resistant than others; however, there is a compelling aspect of demon possession which makes me think that it is the other way around - everyone is resistant, until they are not.

Demons typically possess bodies which have weak-minded and psychologically stressed individuals behind them. Stress weakens the immune system, but it does so in specific ways; and certain viruses in real life are programmed to take advantage of these specific measures more than others.

Right now in the US, there is a nasty epidemic of CWD, Chronic Wasting Disease, spreading through native deer populations on the east coast. This “zombie disease” is a virus that infects the nervous system of the deer (along with cattle and sheep) and forms prions - folded proteins that are then replicated, and replicated, and replicated; and like cancer of the brain, they just keep on replicating and replicating, eating up the animal’s energy reserves and drastically impacting their behavior and bodily functions, starting by supressing and outright destroying their immune system. Mad Cow Disease is a more famous example of a prion disease in the same family as CWD, except that those prions migrate; they move into the soft tissues of the animal and make every single part of it impossible to eat without also contracting the prion, which contains the virus; and MCD is not remotely picky about it’s host, since it affects a very basic protein structure. Any and everything from birds to reptiles to humans can be infected by MCD and it is completely fatal.

My point is, that CWD and MCD both primarily infect animals exhibiting high levels of stress hormones, which is why outbreaks happen primarily during the breeding seasons for these animals. Not only that, but the virus then directly attacks the animal’s immune systems and opens them up to every kind of secondary infection you can imagine.

However, prion diseases and even just plain old viruses can do the exact opposite as well. HIV is a common virus that kills you by making your immune system hyperresponsive, not by shutting it down; it becomes so responsive, in fact, that it attacks healthy tissues. Prion diseases which affect insects also do this, creating folded proteins in the nervous system of the bug that trigger it’s immune system to continuously flood the body with antibodies until it is just too exhausted to do so, and the insect’s body decays as a result of secondary infection.

It could be that this is the case of demons as well. Prions would be valuable in affecting the behavior of the host, though not necessary; they would, however, make the ingestion of a possessed person almost guaranteed to infect you, since most viruses just don’t have the defenses on their own to tackle stomach acid, but a prion virus does.

To recap:

Demons use DNA and RNA viruses to infect and modify their host to their liking, perhaps using the assistance of prions to aid in endurance and transmissibility. Because of this, cloning is a gamble of “what DNA will I pull out of the box today” since the DNA virus’ DNA, and possibly even any prions, is left behind even after the parasitic demon leaves; however, the RNA virus is inert once it leaves a host body, and therefore is retained by the demon within whatever primitive cells they may carry in their demon hearts, which may be taken from some immutable “form” or body that they possess on the other side of the divide (in Gehenna); these alien forms may be the byproduct of their first ever possession, using, perhaps, horizontal transference to absorb some of the DNA from their first (and possibly even subsequent) host and then re-incorporate it into subsequent hosts, which is how Amaimon would be reptilian in spite of having a mammal body; because he perhaps, first possessed or found genetic favor of a reptile of some kind and “borrowed” the DNA from them via horizontal transference, since it worked for him. This can then be applied in turn to all other demons, or at least demon kings.

DISCLAIMER:

I spent literally a week researching this stuff, but I am welcome to criticism of my shoddy work. Also, I am in no way saying this is technically right; it’s just a theory after all, and you’re more than welcome to disagree. :)

If anyone wants to add on, feel free. :) I think I’m done for the week.

#blue exorcist #Ao no Exorcist #fan theory #sorry for the long post #I don't claim to be an expert #hopefully tumblr lets me have those citations #if they don't show up I'm sorry #I tried

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postdoc-help-desk · 5 years

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Grad Classroom

So you’re headed off to graduate school - congratulations! No matter what field you’ll be studying, you will at least start by taking classes. Whether heading directly out of undergrad or coming back to academia after a break, there are a few things you should know about graduate-level classes.

First, consider the breadth of the classes you’ll be taking. In undergraduate studies, we all had to take a wide array of courses ranging from those deemed important for everyone to the more specialized ones for your major. You got to know all of campus because you were wandering across it repeatedly as you ventured from building to building. You were acquainted with a wide variety of classmates from all different majors. This is the most dramatically different aspect of graduate school. All of your classes will most likely be in a single building because they’re all in a single field, and almost all of the people you interact with will be studying in that general field. The only time this really varies is when your degree is across two fields, or there’s limited space for classes that requires them to be held all over the place, but this is rare at the graduate level. It took me until my third year to venture outside of the track between where I parked my car and the building next to it where my classes were held, and that’s not at all uncommon! I was teaching at the time to cover my tuition, and actually asked my students to help me back to the building if they saw me away from it because I was probably lost!

But I digress. To get back on topic, think of a triangle with the point facing downward broken into three horizontal bands. Undergraduate studies are at the top, where it is the widest but shallowest. This can be equated to the broad range of concepts covered in undergraduate studies. Some depth is associated with the topics in your major, but really you’re just getting acquainted with the material. If you’re able to do research at this level, you may notice that every step is outlined for you with very few deviations allowed. You may even work beside your supervisor or be managed by a graduate or postdoctoral student. In a Master’s degree, you’re in the middle band of the triangle, learning fewer concepts in greater detail. Some research may be performed at this level, but it is still highly directed and managed by a supervisor, though you will be able to work on your own and provide some insights into the project. And finally, you can reach the doctoral level at the bottom where the triangle is narrowest. Here the student learns about the smallest range of topics but becomes exceptionally focused on the details inherent in the material. Doctoral learners progress from being students, where the material is taught to them, to candidates, where they design their studies through primary research. One thing you should notice about this triangle metaphor is that the material covered is the same or less. That is to say, the triangle goes down in a narrowing fashion with all angles being acute, instead of being obtuse where you reach out from the material studied at the undergraduate level. You yourself may move to a different field, as an advisor of mine did in switching from an art history undergraduate major to a chemistry doctoral degree, but if you took undergraduate classes and graduate classes in the same area, you’ll notice that they both cover the same topics. Had she gone back to take some undergraduate courses to brush up on concepts before heading off the grad school, she would have realized that the material was the same!

Okay, so the classes are different. Now let’s talk about your classmates, the teachers, and expectations. Other graduate students will almost always attend classes, and you should follow suit! Oftentimes the teachers won’t take attendance or count it as part of the grade formally, like they do in undergraduate courses. That being said, there are two major differences - one, your classes will have fewer students, so your professors will notice your absence even if they don’t factor it into your grade. And two, remember that you want to be there! Graduate school isn’t nearly as mandatory as undergrad has become, but you put in the time to apply because you wanted to put in the time to work on your education instead of working in industry, and you didn’t have to do that! Use the motivation to go to graduate school to carry you as far into your program as possible - and then use the motivation to finish to get you to graduation!

Your classmates, as I said before, are going to almost always be in your field of study. They may be in different degree programs, but it will be surprising to see anyone outside of your field. Students taking elective courses are rare in graduate programs because the purpose of you being in the program is to study a particular field, not to gain general knowledge. A lot of advisors consider elective courses a waste of time at the graduate level because they take your time away from your program, and will discourage against taking them. Again, however, there are exceptions to this when a student’s understanding of material in their field may be improved or enhanced through taking a course in a different field. Let’s go back to my former advisor and consider a physical chemistry student whose math skills are lacking. Physical chemistry relies heavily on mathematics principles and applications, and an advisor may suggest taking a class in math to supplement that knowledge. These additional courses may be at the graduate or undergraduate level, depending on the abilities of the student and the material the advisor feels is necessary to be reviewed.

Remember that the professors who teach your classes will be experts in their specific fields, and be able to teach material more in depth and at a faster pace than undergraduate courses allow. You’ll be expected to do more work outside of the classroom in reading and applying the material than you were in undergrad, so take notes and ask for copies of the slides, ideally received before class. Some students take notes directly on their copies of the slides, while others prefer notebooks, but either way, note taking is an essential skill. The professors will expect the classes to be more interactive, with students asking questions and providing insights or feedback throughout the course. Rather than strict lectures, the courses will be designed more in a directed discussion format. Some teachers may even have students take over the lecture or lead a discussion for a class time!

Lastly, interact with everyone in your department as best you can. You don’t know who will be a good connection to network with in the future, or which professor will write a good recommendation for you when you graduate. You may even find that many of them will be instrumental in your research down the road or even on your defense committee when applicable. Making friends or at least being friendly acquaintances with everyone will make your graduate studies a lot more manageable. I know I can go to just about any professor or graduate student in my department, or even some outside of it for advice or help completing a task, and I try to be a resource with others within reasonable expectations. Being friendly to everyone extends to the administrative assistant in your department as well! I have built up a good reputation with the one in my department, and it has made life easier when I need to talk to the department chair or ask questions about who to go to for materials necessary for completing my degree. And while not the intent of me befriending her, it also means I’m one of the first people she thinks of when a new opportunity comes around!

#phd life #PhD #postdoc #postdoc life

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harrybushelldesignblog · 3 years

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DES240 Assignment 2 (unfinished)

Review of Work in Progress

Week 5 (first week of assignment): After studio 5, I began to sketch some very basic ideas down, but mostly focused on researching my specific statistic further. Along with this, I brainstormed ideas for what my GIF could be based on, with my original concept focusing on exercise. I chose to use food as characters in my GIF to avoid potential upset.

Week 6 (second week of assignment): After discussion about the sensitivity present in my statistic, I decided that the best approach for this GIF going forward was to ensure that respect was kept, and that it should be approached in a manner that will not cause any upset or controversy. With this, I began to research the causes of my statistic in order to approach potential GIF ideas from a different perspective. After researching the causes, I found that unhealthy food and it being a cheap and easy way to feed yourself and your family was the most common cause. With this, I began to develop a different perspective on my GIF, removing the idea of using exercise as the base and instead focusing on food shopping. I created storyboards that show a few ideas, mostly centering around unhealthy food being chosen over healthy food.

Week 7 (third week of assignment): This week I created my original pixel sprites for my GIF, which through feedback from the class in Discord, I edited accordingly and saved for use on my GIF. Through discussion with Jacky, we decided that an obvious barrier or divide between the cheap unhealthy food and expensive healthy food should be incorporated into my GIF to represent the divide between the two. With this, I created a few more storyboards, which featured my created sprites and a divide between the food groups. I did this in a few different ways, and after further discussion, I decided that using different leveled shelves was the best way to go about incorporating an obvious divide.

Week 8: After discussion with Caleb in our 8th studio, I designed a few more pixel characters, attempted to add depth to my background, experimented with different ways of ensuring the GIF looped, and wrote my guest lecture reflections. Studio 8 was immensely helpful thanks to the feedback from Caleb, and I felt that this was my most productive week. Once I had formed all of my assets, I began properly attempting to code my GIF. I found this quite difficult, but got to a point where I had the fast food randomly generated on the bottom shelf each time, and had everything positioned correctly on the canvas.

Week 9 prior to studio (final week): Not much work was done this week due to personal problems. However I was able to get some writing done and format my blog post.

Reflections on Guest lectures

Guest 1 - Blockchain | Cryptocurrency | NFT’s by Fabio Morreale

Prior to Fabio's lecture, I had never heard of NFT’s or blockchains, and had very basic and limited knowledge on Cryptocurrencies. The concept and reality of making money solely through code and numbers, along with the fact that NFT’s are online artwork that sell for thousands of dollars is quite mind blowing, and I still don’t quite see the point in purchasing an NFT, although it seems to follow the same motivation as purchasing physical art. Along with this, Cryptocurrency doesn’t make much sense to me either, as although Fabio mentioned it, I still don’t understand how a currency can be created and suddenly grow in value as it is purchased by more and more people. The fact that popular crypto like Bitcoin is so highly valued at the moment confuses me, as I don’t really understand why there is a demand for it in the first place.

Fabio's proposal of a decentralized financial system is interesting. Essentially removing the middle man (banks in this instance) is a valid idea, and would allow money to flow without a dependence on corporations, along with removing the dependence on corporations for storing data etc. However I believe that this would negatively affect both my own scale and on a global scale. Negating powerful and proven corporations opens up the market and peoples data to everyone, or at least to people capable enough to figure out how to access it, and although this is happening now, I have a much greater faith in powerful corporations to protect my data than I do in protecting my data myself. Furthermore, removing these corporations would be detrimental for the short term economy, as jobs would disappear and money plus data for people who aren't really equipped to defend themselves would essentially be easy meat for more capable hackers. I believe that there is a place for a financial system and that these corporations are important for both myself and the world.

Guest 2 - Data, ML & Ethics By Daniel Wilson

Daniels' lecture on ethics was really interesting and very eye-opening. The presence of bias in almost every aspect of day to day life, shown by the splayed data presented by Daniel was pretty surprising, and in some ways disappointing. Daniel mentioned a confusing divide in ethical systems, pointing out that companies must provide information that they are using a certain system but also have systems that must check that this system is being used correctly. He also talked about misinterpretation due to accidental system malfunction, which, despite being created on accident, can still form inappropriate consequences despite the bias not being recognized by the creator. For example, someone creating a survey could be unaware of the multiple genders considered today, and could create something for only male and female, due to the creators outdated knowledge. Thus creating accidental bias. This idea is very important in terms of the future of ethical systems, as being aware of all biases will hopefully mitigate accidental unethical consequences in the future. Coming to this point will be quite difficult, as society continues to grow and incorporate, new biases will spring to life. Despite this, efforts to negate as many biases as possible is the best way to stay ethical now and in the future.

Research Summary

- Why does this statistic exist in its current state in 2021?

My statistic - 1 out of 3 adult people in NZ are obese exists due to multiple reasons. However, through my research, I found that commonly, unhealthy eating habits, and the ease of access to unhealthy foods like fast food is too easy and cheap, thus leading to more vulnerable groups struggling with obesity, as healthy eating is too expensive and seemingly not integrated into day to day life. The ease of access to unhealthy food is the main catalyst for the existence of my statistic in its current state in 2021.

A lot of the blame is placed on cheap fast / unhealthy food, and in the discussion of obesity in children and young adults, a lot of the blame is on the advertising for unhealthy food, as it is too appealing and false. There’s an appetite to clamp down on unhealthy food marketed to kids. Cartoon-covered packaging for sugary cereals, Disney-branded biscuits with collectible magnets, TV ads for unhealthy products at peak viewing times for children. Not to mention, junk food marketing online and fast-food joints sponsoring sports teams. It’s almost impossible to avoid unhealthy food being peddled to teens and kids. Young adults and children are a lucrative market for food companies. As they not only influence what their parents buy (pester power), marketers also bank on shoppers sticking to buying habits they acquired when they were young, hence the progression into unhealthy adult diets.

- What are the interconnected and contributing factors behind this statistic?

The contributing factors behind this statistic is the exponential growth of cheap, processed food, and it becoming a multi-billion dollar industry. As time has passed, processed food has become cheaper to manufacture and deliver around the world, resulting in a massive contribution towards obesity within the general public. This is the most prominent contributing factor behind why 1 in 3 adult New Zealanders are obese.

- How has this statistic evolved through history?

The NZ Ministry of Health stated that “the overall prevalence has remained relatively stable since 2012/13, however there was an increase between 2011/12 and 2019/20 for adults aged 45–54 years and 55–64 years.” and according to a report written by the NZ Ministry of Health between 1977 and 2003, obesity increased by around 6% from 1989 to 1997 over all adult ages. Both of these statistics provide relevant evidence that the obesity rates in New Zealand are exponentially increasing through history, evolving into more and more of a threat to New Zealanders.

- What is the future prospect of this statistic?

If nothing is changed in regards to NZ’s struggle with obesity, then the statistic will continue to grow, as the prospected future formulated from the data collected from the past shows a continual exponential increase in obesity rates amongst NZ adults. An increase in obesity for adults would most likely work perpendicularly with obesity rates of children, as both have been exponentially increasing to this date.

Copy of code so far (not properly working, however the layout is there)

int numPoints = 10;

int[] posX;

int[] posY;

int xValue = 0;

PImage shelveBackground;

PImage burger;

PImage cookie;

PImage lollipop;

PImage cart;

PImage[] displayImage;

int timer = 0;

int counter = 0;

void setup() {

size(1000, 1000);

shelveBackground = loadImage("DES240Assets/background3.png");

burger = loadImage("DES240Assets/burgerboy1.png");

cookie = loadImage("DES240Assets/cookieboy1.png");

lollipop = loadImage("DES240Assets/lollipopboy1.png");

cart = loadImage("DES240Assets/bigcart.png");

posX = new int [numPoints];

posY = new int [numPoints];

displayImage = new PImage[numPoints];

for (int i = 0; i <numPoints; i++) {

posX[i] = int(random(100,width-300));

posY[i] = (690);

displayImage[i] = burger;

}

for (int i = 3; i <numPoints; i++) {

posX[i] = int(random(100,width-300));

posY[i] = (670);

displayImage[i] = cookie;

}

for (int i = 6; i <numPoints; i++) {

posX[i] = int(random(100,width-300));

posY[i] = (620);

displayImage[i] = lollipop;

}

for (int i = 9; i <numPoints; i++) {

posX[i] = (-50);

posY[i] = (620);

xValue= 0;

displayImage[i] = cart;

xValue++;

}

void draw() {

image(shelveBackground,-550,-250);

for ( int i = 0; i < numPoints; i++) {

displayImage[i].resize(350, 0);

image(displayImage[i], posX[i], posY[i]);

}

Statement of Intent (for how I wanted the finished GIF to be)

My GIF represents the statistic 1 in 3 NZ adults are obese in an empathetic and lighthearted manner. Although the issue is serious, I thought the best way to avoid any accidental distress or disrespect was to keep the GIF focused on one of the main causes of the statistic, and to keep it brightly coloured and playfully animated to maintain respect and allow the GIFs message to be seen without causing controversy. With this in mind, I used toy-like pixelated food character models to represent the GIF. From the research I conducted on my project, I found that cheap unhealthy food and how easy it is to buy, cook, and eat is the most commonly blamed cause of obesity in NZ. With this, I designed my pixel sprites for the statistic, with 2 ‘healthy’ foods being an apple and carrot, and 3 ‘unhealthy’ foods being a lollipop, burger, and cookie. This was done so that the 1 in 3 ratio was shown in the GIF, with each shelf representing part of the statistic. The ‘unhealthy’ food was placed on the bottom shelf to emulate how easy it is to access it, and a ‘SALE!’ text is imprinted on the shelf to represent the lesser price of it. The ‘healthy’ foods are placed on higher shelves to represent the opinion that they are harder to access, whether it's financially or due to a lack of nutrition knowledge. The GIF shows a shopping cart moving across the screen from left to right, and as it goes, unhealthy food is placed in the cart, while healthy food is left on the shelves. This is to represent the appeal of unhealthy food to a shopper, and to represent what is proposed by my research. The GIF loops by a robotic arm restocking the shelves once the shopping cart reaches the end of the screen, as both a way to show supply and demand of unhealthy food, and also to ensure the GIF loops from start to finish.

Draft of how the GIF would look

References

RNZ. (2019, October 13). The true cost of a disordered food system: a panel discussion. https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/otago-university-panel-discussions/story/2018716711/the-true-cost-of-a-disordered-food-system-a-panel-discussion

Obesity Prevention Strategies. (2016, April 12). Obesity Prevention Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-prevention/#:%7E:text=Choosing%20healthier%20foods%20(whole%20grains,%2C%20and%20other%20%E2%80%9Csit%20time%E2%80%9D

Obesity statistics. (2020). Ministry of Health NZ. https://www.health.govt.nz/nz-health-statistics/health-statistics-and-data-sets/obesity-statistics

NZ Ministry of Health. (2004). Tracking the Obesity Epidemic: New Zealand 1977–2003 (No. 24). https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/trackingtheobesityepidemic.pdf

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will-squill-blog · 6 years

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11 Questions

hey y’all!! so i was tagged in this thing by @libtertysir (thank you for tagging me!! i’m sorry i took so long to get to this) and i’ve never done one of these before, so i really hope i did it right!! i tried to not make myself overthink the answers but there were a couple times when i did, so sorry about that,, anyways I’m gonna put my answers and all of that shit under the cut BUT the people I’m tagging in this next are: @georgiapeaches-n-cream, @linquenelsprite, @eldritch-queen, @theradicalace, @afantasticmess, @alexfuckingdies, @introverts-unite, @fowl-play-blue-jay y’all don’t have to feel obligated to do this if you’d rather not, but yeah!! if you are, you should at least read the bottom of the posts bc the questions for y’all to answer are down there,, anyways-

What is your earliest memory of school?

Before elementary school, I went to this school/daycare place called “the young school”. I have multiple specific memories from there, (including being taught how to yo-yo and not at ALL figuring it out, getting very concerned over the words to “ring around the rosie”, and not at all understanding the point of nap-time) but the very earliest is from the first day there, when I realized I had to be separated from my brother and was absolutely terrified.

What is your favorite candy bar, and describe everything good about it!

Kit Kats! It’s probably a pretty typical answer, but it’s always the first one that comes to mind. I love that they break into two, and they’re so crunchy! My favorite part has to be the flavors, though. We have this asian market a little while away from my house that sells a bunch of flavor variations, and they’re so good! Most places just have chocolate and vanilla (which is seasonal), but this place has cookies and cream, matcha green tea, strawberry, peach, mango, and some others! I’ve seen pictures online of the amount of flavors they offer in Japan, and they look so good!! My only problems with them are that I can’t try all the flavors ‘cause they aren’t here, and, of course, that they have milk (I’m lactose intolerant).

What 3 songs would you use to introduce someone to your favorite band?

I don’t really think I have a favorite band? I usually don’t, I just listen to whatever music I’m feeling at that point. Although if I did have to pick a favorite right now, it’d be NSP, and the songs I pick would vary GREATLY depending on the person. However, I actually was going to introduce them to someone I know, and was going with “take on me”, “peppermint creams”, and “6969”!

What was one weird thing you did with your friends in high school that you’re not afraid to admit?

I’m gonna be real, y’all, I’m still in high school! I don’t think I’ve done anything weird enough yet that it would fit here, so I guess I can’t answer this one.

What musical instrument do you hate hearing the most, and why?

This might be very obscure, but a “crank-style ratchet”? We were doing an activity in music class and someone chose that for their instrument and let me tell you, this thing sounds HORRIBLE. I couldn’t think of an actual instrument, it’s more of a noisemaker, so I’m sorry if my answer technically doesn’t count!

If you could, what personality trait of yours would you give to everyone else in the world?

I’m pretty sure “acceptance” is a personality trait, so it’d be that one. Just so people can be less bigoted, you know?

If you could learn any skill, what would it be, why, and how would you use that skill to make at least 5 friends?

Assuming we mean skills that are physically possible, I’d want to learn art. Not regular art, I mean that next level shit. I’d want to learn how to flawlessly make art using any medium in any art style and it would always look exactly how I wanted. Every time I make any type of art- drawing, painting, sculptures, ANYTHING- it’s never quite right. I would love to be able to always make it look exactly how I wanted. I’d make friends by then being the best fucking artist to exist ever. Just make art of anything and everything, give art to people I meet, make friends.

Bees?

Honestly, I love bees but whenever I’m near them, I’m absolutely terrified of them. Fuck yeah, though, bees.

What is your favorite thing about your face? (Positive Answers Only, y’all are beautiful people)

My eyes! How they look, I mean- I have absolutely horrid vision, but that is a long and complex story for another time. Here’s a fun fact: they’re so bad I had to write this post in another software before copy-pasting it here since this format has so many words so close together that I can’t read this. I’m trying to make the format a bit easier by adding more spaces, but still. My eyes suck.

Do you have any ghost stories?

The one I remember the best is the time when I was younger that I was convinced there was a ghost since I kept hearing scratching noises on the walls and I was upstairs. There were also some strange whistling noises, but that was just the wind. Apparently the scratching was a raccoon, but I still don’t know why it sounded so close? Did it climb up the side of the house or something? Plus, it was really windy out, so how would that thing even get up there? I know it’s not that great, but it’s the first one that came to mind.

A door appears in front of you, and takes you to a room with someone who you want to forgive, and someone who you want to be forgiven by. Who are they, and what happened to between you?

Oh boy, this is a heavy question. Like, a really fucking heavy question. The person I want to be forgiven by would probably be someone who was actually best friends with my shitty, abusive ex boyfriend. We’ll call him L. He was horrible, so fucking horrible, and I still have SO MUCH trauma from that relationship, but that’s for another time. His best friend, however, knew that the things L was doing were bad, but stayed friends with him- for reasons I don’t know. I think, after things got really fucking shitty between me and L, that his best friend started to get angry at me. L’s best friend was an extremely sweet and caring person who I sometimes really, truly miss. I will never, ever understand why they stayed friends, or how you could even stay friends with someone after knowing about how badly they abused other people. Now, on the other hand, the person I want to forgive. This is a lot harder to think of. If I’m being honest, the answer I really want to give is myself? I know that’s probably kinda dumb, but there’s a lot of shit I’ve done and never fully forgiven myself for and I really, really wish I could. That shit, however, is too personal for this post.

WOW i hope i didn’t bring everyone down with that last bit hskjhfdgh

anyways !!as for the people i tagged earlier!

Your questions are:

1: If you had to pick an instrument and a color to describe yourself, what would they be? 2: Describe your favorite outfit and/or what you wore today! 3: What’s the last song you had stuck in your head? 4: Do you have a dream job, and what is it? It doesn’t have to be realistic! 5: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? 6: Tell the story of the last time you cried from laughter! 7: What’s your favorite superhero / superpower? 8: Do you know that you’re so fucking valid and important? 9: What’s your favorite movie / video game / series of any kind that’s super obscure? 10: Do you have any stories that are actually true, but sound unbelievable? 11: What are your thoughts on birds? 

#long post #SERIOUSLY LONG POST #sorry abt this one guys..#11 questions #personal #will blurbs #i guess #not queue #here it is !

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disney-bnha-zine-blog · 6 years

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~F.A.Q~

(original work by @tokoyumi )

Hello everyone and welcome to the long awaited F.A.Q! Us mods worked really hard on putting it together for you guys so that way any curiosities you may have about the zine can be answered here! Of course, if you still need to get clarifications or want to ask us something on a more individual level, you are more than welcome to do so! However, this should just give you a basic overview of what our zine is about and how we’re running it! :’3

The schedule will be better made for you all but Applications will open up December 6th so get hyped everyone!

(FAQ will be posted under “Keep Reading” to spare you guys the long post! Please please please reblog and spread the word around! We want this zine to be exposed as much as possible! FAQ can also be found here!)

General Questions:

-Who is organizing the zine?

Answer: This zine is organized by @tokoyumi and @xxamilychanxx ! If you have any questions for us specific mods, you’re more than welcome to send each of us a message! I promise we don’t bite!

-What’s the theme of the zine? What is it about?

Answer: It’s hecking Disney y’all. Jokes aside, this is a Disney x BNHA zine, where you can imagine your favourite characters and ships in the magical world of Disney! It is set up in an Alternate Universe style where the BnHA characters will be in the world of the Disney that gets selected! (Example: Todoroki as Ariel, Midoriya as Eric, etc)

-Will contributors receive a free copy of the zine?

Answer: Yes, all contributors will receive a free digital copy of the zine! We’re hoping we can have the funds to do a merch bundle and possibly a physical copy as well but for now, each contributor will get at least a free digital copy!

-What is the rating of the zine?

Answer: This zine is PG as much as Disney movies are! In other words, it is a safe for work zine.

-Will digital copies be available? Will paper copies be available?

Answer: Yes. For this zine, both digital and paper copies will be available.

-How many participants do you plan to have? How many writers and artist will you be accepting?

Answer: We will be accepting 26 artists and 26 writers. This may vary due to applicants and applications but for now, this is the set number we have.

-Is this a non-profit zine? If so, what would the charity be?

Answer: This is a non-profit zine! All money coming from this zine will be used to pay the manufacturing. After printing + shipping fees, any profit remaining will be donated over to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation! Over 45% requests from children are towards visiting Disneyland and Disney does a lot of work with this charity to help children live out that dream. Feel free to check the official page of Make-A-Wish-Foundation (http://wish.org/) for more information as well:

http://wish.org/content/disney/celebrating-disney#sm.001ij4hfch8wd5i10ku23kis1ngkv

-Does Pixar count?

Answer: Yes! Pixar movies do count! Please look over here at the list of approved movies! We did our best to the upmost reasearch we can to see all the movies Disney has made in regards to animated ones, however, if you don’t see a specific movie on there, send us a message and we will add it to the list accordingly! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1saqW3kyOj4i94F5jPIj6LWdOttkUz6DtZ2IHEaBJnks/edit?usp=sharing

-Do Star wars, Ghibli and Marvel count since they're affiliated with Disney?

Answer: Unfortunately no, they do not. Those franchises were independent before being bought by Disney and has the capability of having their own sort of zine! In addition to this, we are also not accepting any live action Disney movies as well. It will be strictly based on the animated films Disney has made.

-Can we partner with a writer and or vise versa?

Answer: Yes! We happily encourage you to do as such! It does not hurt your chances of being rejected for the zine as well! Those who are partnering up will have their pieces formatted together, we’ll work with you all to make it look similar to a storybook! If you have a specific partner in mind, on the application itself, leave their name on the bottom so we can make sure to partner up accordingly!

-What will be the zine dimensions?

Answer: The zine will be a 5.5in by 8.5in booklet!

-Is this a spoiler free zine?

Answer: Unfortunately no, this is not a spoiler free zine.

-Will this zine has merchandise?

Answer: Yes, this zine will have pins, charms, postcards, stickers. If you are an artist and would like to volunteer for merchandise art, please state it during your application.

-Will you be selling extra zines after pre-orders end?

Answer: As of now we aren't so sure, but we're hoping to depending on demand we get! If we get more asks to do so, then we can set up a second round of pre orders for everyone!

-Will there be a limit in the number of zines/bundles available?

Answer: There won't be a limit in the number of zines/bundles since it will be done on a preorder basis. During first wave, digital zines will also be on pre-order basis just like printed zines/bundles. They will be given to people when we ship out all the printed zines/bundles. However, the digital zine alone itself will be available after everything, which will not require preorder.

Artist related Questions:

-If we apply as artist, are we required to have previously drawn BNHA artwork?

Answer: It'll be really helpful if you have drawn BNHA before. Though, that being said, it is not a requirement. It is just highly recommended and preferred.

-Do we have to draw a background?

Answer: Yes. In the actual zine art pieces, you’d be expected to draw a background. While your background doesn't have to be complex or perfectly drawn, we believe adding a few elements to the remaining empty spaces can only bring the artwork into the life. Plus, it would be much more visually pleasing.

-Can we draw more than one piece or a landscape piece?

Answer: This is a portrait-format zine only! That being said, spreads are only allowed for the people who are planning to a collaboration.

-How many art pieces should we submit during application progress? Do you require a link to portfolio?

Answer: We’d love to see a portfolio link, but if you have certain pieces of work you’re super proud of, you’re free to submit those as well! We require at least 4 different samples of artwork during application progress. Just because, we really want to get a feeling for your art style.

-How many pages will each artist get if they are selected?

Answer: Unless you are an artist who is doing a collaboration, every individual will receive one side of a page. However, if you would like to divide your work space into smaller pieces to make multiple artworks, you are more than welcome to do that. We don't see any harm in that.

Writer related Questions:

-If we apply as a writer, are we required to have previously written BNHA work?

Answer: It'll be really helpful if you have written BNHA before. Though, that being said, it is not a requirement. It is just highly recommended and preferred.

-How many fanfictions should we submit? Do you require a link to portfolio?

Answer: We’d love to see a portfolio link, but if you have certain written work you’re super proud of, you’re free to submit those as well! We require at least 4 different samples of fanfictions during application progress. Just because, we really want to get a feeling for your writing style.

-Will there be formatting or word limitations?

Answer: The word limitation for the zine is maximum 2000 words. Thus, this should give enough room to every individual writer to write a story/scene from a Disney movie of their choosing. Once we receive each written entry, we will format them accordingly, so you don’t have to worry about formatting your fanfiction.

If you have further questions or want any of us to clarify anything, please let us know and we will get right on it! :’3 Thanks for your time everyone and please help spread the word!

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xehanortsreport · 7 years

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Yo, Araki intentionally never did a tournament arc on purpose. I recently got a copy of Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga, and in it he says in Chapter 4 *cracks open book, flips through pages* "But the tournament format isn't perfect. Just like in an economic bubble, the problem is what happens after you've reached top. After achieving the top victory, the next tournament starts again from the bottom. A mangaka does not want to be in the position of..." (1/idk how many)

"...face a redo of the same story. And if the creator tries to go through with it, the result will feel incredibly forced. Just from a creative standpoint, having started from the bottom and built the story up to the top, you can't tear everything down and start over and still be able to face the toil of building it back up again when you've already felt the exhileration of the peak. Assuming you're not planning on stopping the manga at the end of the tournament, your only option..." (2/idk)

"... to keep going is to have a fall after the victory and another fight to reclaim the victor's title. But that would go against the rule of always rising and won't lead to a manga of the golden way." More relevantly, Araki also says in the book (also Chapter 4) that "During the height of the popularity of tournament manga, I was able to approach them as a reader and enjoy the excitement, but I couldn't help but wonder, from a creator's point of view, what the mangaka..." (3/ Oh, worm?)

"... would do after the top of the tournaments. At the time JoJo was struggling in the reader surveys, and pepole even suggested that I add a tournament format to help me gain popularity. But thematically, JoJo is in part about passing the touch across generations. If Jonathan climbs to the top of some kind of tournament, what will the next generation do? To have any kind of decline goes against the royal road to shone manga." (4/5)

So, yeah, the more you know. He also says that he avoided this structure by utilizing the stand battles, while all plot pogression comes from coming closer to the destination while always moving forward. TL; DR: Tournaments kill plot progression, so adventures work better. I'm so sorry about the wall of text. I ended up actually opening up my physical copy of the book and typing each word by hand. I recommend that you read MiTaP: TCoCm. It's good, and learn more about Araki.

Yeah, I figured Araki never did one on purpose for those reasons haha; I personally am not a fan of tournament arcs so that wasn’t me complaining. (Though I must disagree with him in some areas, as some stories have managed to make a tournament arc that enhances the series rather than holds it back. It wouldn’t work with JoJo, but with the right plot set up, it can be an improvement.) Thank you for the excerpts though. It was an interesting read.

#Anonymous

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spacefires · 7 years

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IB Survival Guide: PART ONE

As someone who’s been through the IB program and finished with horrible mental and physical health, here are some tips and tricks so that you guys don’t end up like me :)

Disclaimer: subject specific tips vary for SL/HL students, go to the bottom of the post to see what HLs and SLs I took

IAS

Please please start your IAs early! Split it out across multiple days! Honestly each section takes around 30 minutes for IAs

GET ALL YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT PAPER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR ANY IA.

Even if it’s the worst rough copy in the history of the planet, get all your words on there, THEN start editing, formatting, and adding pictures. Trust me, this is much less stressful and your final copy will probably be much cleaner

Science IAs- START YOUR EXPERIMENTS EARLY get as many trials as you can in!

Be sure to talk to your teachers about ideas for your papers beforehand!

Geography/English/French IAs- start early for these too. If you’re like me and you have “oh shit” moments when you suddenly get really good ideas half way through your work and have to restart, starting early for these is a good idea. Especially for geo, writing the IA is relatively easy, spreading it out over 4-5 days works well.

Peer editing is always a good idea, people may catch things you didn’t

EEs

CHOOSE A TOPIC YOU LIKE- Interest plays a big part in how well you do, choosing a topic I was interested in made me not mind spending so much time on my EE

Choosing a topic you don’t like may increase your chance of leaving it to the last minute

START YOUR EEs EARLY and have at least 3 drafts. I split mine up over the course of 4 months, and came out with an A on my Geography EE.

Like the IAs, do one section a day, for example, start with introduction, then methodology, etc. etc.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR EE TO THE LAST MINUTE PLEASE

I highly suggest doing a geo EE because even if you don’t have results you’re okay, you just have to explain why there was no correlation

Geo EE protips: have lots of pretty handdrawn maps, you can have an ok data analysis and still get a good grade, have good methodology,

discuss your EE with your supervisor often, make sure you udnerstand what you’re studying

EXAMS

Oh boy this is the scariest part of IB for any student

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW as much as you can!

Study each subject for at least 5 days!

DO AS MANY PRACTICE EXAMS AS YOU CAN

Seriously, doing practice exams helps you get used to IB’s way of asking you things and you have an idea of what to expect

Do the practice exams guys

Just do them

If your school has mock exams, study really hard for them so you get an idea of how you need to study for the actual examsLook back on mistakes you’ve made on tests/mocks

While studying, focus on your weak points, but don’t ignore your strong points-- forgetting things is easy

SLEEP EARLY DURING EXAM WEEK

Being refreshed and ready to go is important because youll be able to focus better and your brain will work better-- I did this and it was good

If you’re allowed to take snacks into the exam, take snacks into the exam (but not loud snacks, gummies and stuff)

take water into the exam but don’t drink a lot of water-- pee breaks are a waste of time

if you need to pee during an exam try to hold it in

just try to avoid having to pee

ENGLISH/FRENCH EXAMS:

You can study for your English Lit and French A lang lit exams in like a day if you’re not too keen on getting above a 5. Be familiar with the material

Memorize 5-7 important quotes-- preferable really short ones

Even if it’s not mandatory to memorize quotes, sticking quotes in is an asset

Spend 10-20 minutes planning your essay out, get your ideas down on a paper before writing your essay

Remember: quality over quantity, even if you have lots written down, it’s your ideas that get you most of the marks

Use highlighters, highlight important words, quotes, etc in the passages you’re given

annotate your passages

Have a colour coding system for your passages when you highlight, each colour should be an important point, but have 3-4 main important points, so 3-4 colours (this helps with planning as well)

If your prompt is like, discuss 2 OR MORE something something, discuss only 2, it’s easier, and you waste less time planning/writing, and you can have more ideas

SCIENCE/MATH EXAMS:

Practice problems are good, on top of practice exams

Understand the material!!!!!!!!!!! Memorization is not understanding!!! IB asks a lot of questions that require application

If you suck at calculus, try to understand it better and don’t be like me and assume there isn’t going to be a lot of it.

Seriously study the calculus @all you SL students

Study the calculus

GEO EXAMS

Yeah for this you need to memorize really well, see how well you know the material by going out on walks pointing at things and seeing how you can relate it to what you’ve earned

Study from multiple sources for geo, sometimes there are details that are missed

Memorize lots of case studies and stats!!!!!!!

memorize graphs and maps too, drawing them to support your points in your answers shows how well you understand the material

STUDYING

REVIEW OH MY GOD REVIEW E V E R Y T H I N G as much as possible throughout the year!!!!!!

Tips to force yourself to review:

Take shitty notes in class

This way you have to retake good notes-- wow you’re going over material that was previously taught!

Make cheatsheets! Even if you don’t use them during tests, cheatsheets are a great way to have all your material on one page and ohmygod look at you you’re reviewing your notes again to condense them!

Flash cards work too

Find a way to enjoy writing notes-- for me, I like using fancy pens and highlighters, that way I looked forward to doing it

Find a study environment you like! A cafe, the library, the park, even a different part of the house

Changing your study environment can also help you focus-- a change of scenery helps sometimes and you won’t get bored!

Talk to yourself

Seriously just explain concepts to yourself talk to yourself hearing yourself say it makes the info sink in better

Make really weird mnemonics idk it worked for me

Group studying can help for courses that need discussion in order to better understand concepts-- Geo, English and French

Explaining things to people also helps

Do your homework kids-- even if your teacher doesn’t check it, always find time to do your homework

Do things based on a level of priority

example: I have a test and a big project worth lts of marks due tomorrow (I would focus on the project, but still study for the test enough to have a good grasp of the material)

I know tests don’t count for IB but this is what your teacher bases your predicteds off of, so study hard for them kids. It is also a method of review

Most teachers understand how students can get extremely stressed out with the amount of work we get, if you need an extension for a non-IB related thing, you should be able to ~politely~ ask them

Time management is key, set up schedules for yourself

If you’re studying something you hate, go hard at it for a limited amount of time, then go and study for something you like, or take a brain break

TAKE BREAKS MAN

seriously taking breaks while studying is good

Use apps like forest to keep you focused

reward systems are good too, I do it with chocolate (one piece everytime I finish a chapter)

TOK

lol good luck

The essay and the presentation are tough-- but you can do it.

The nice thing about TOK is it’s mostly a thought dump, so dump your thoughts before organizing them into an essay

Discuss TOK things with your friends a lot-- you’ll understand better, trust me, you’ll also get good ideas for presentations and stuff!

Get an interesting topic for your TOK presentation ok

discussion is the best advice I can give you guys

TOK is a special course

be prepared to get very angry because all your thoughts will contradict each other

existential crises are fun

That should be about it for Part 1 really, this is mainly academics based, I might add to this as time goes on.

If you have questions!!!! I took Chem HL, Bio HL, Geo HL, English Lit SL, French A Lang Lit SL, and Math SL, and did my EE in Geo. I’m happy to help any young ones out :))

Good Luck all you IB Students! You guys are brave, you can do it :)

#masterpost #ib #International Baccalaureate #tips #survival guide #studying #study tips #studyblr #ib student #ib studyblr #ib survival #ib stuff

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blessed-but-distressed · 7 years

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#FindEmmaSwanAFriend

Feeling left behind by her more successful, settled friends, Emma Swan moves to Scotland on a whim. Sure, she’s winning at Instagram, but something is still missing from her new life. Fortunately, her friends back home are on it. #FindEmmaSwanAFriend goes viral. Enter Killian Jones, reluctant columnist, who is on the hunt for his newest subject, and may just have found her. CS AU.

also on ff.net

Tagging: @katie-dub , @wholockgal, @kat2609, @whovianlunatic, @optomisticgirl, @ladyciaramiggles, @the-lady-of-misthaven, @emmaswanchoosesyou, @ilovemesomekillianjones, @biancaros3, @cigarettes-and-scotch-whisky, @ms-babs-gordon, @ab-normality, @andiirivera, @fangirl-till-it-hurts and whoever else asks me.

Thank you to @lenfaz, for the being a fantastic cheerleader and @wholockgal for the guidance. Sorry this one took so long, guys.

Killian

Liam was not happy, to put it mildly.

The staff meeting had not gone well. In fact, to call it a fucking fiasco wouldn't have been too far off the mark. Normally, Killian was content to doze through the daily briefings, only too happy to tune out as his colleagues attempted to outdo each other in a race to churn out the cheesiest puff pieces they could. It was a race to the bottom, as far as Killian was concerned.

Alright, so his own copy was not exactly what you would call hard-hitting. Friendless Americans were hardly in the same realm as child soldiers, or Ebola. It certainly wasn't going to win him any awards any time soon. But at least he didn't spend fifteen minutes that morning boasting about bagging an interview with a second-tier novelist who was still content to tread the same tired ground Ian Rankin had first broken… thirty years ago.

No, Killian's usual method of coping through the morning briefing was to drink his subpar coffee in subdued silence, wishing he were still in bed. Or better yet, dead. And he might've continued in that vein, if he hadn't been busy scanning the newest copy edits to drown out the droning, and seen the hatchet job on page 7.

What came next, well... perhaps Killian could have handled things better. But in summary, no, Liam was not happy.

"For chrissakes, Killian," he said, one hand pulling his office door closed behind them, the fingers of the other pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can't keep doing this."

"Me?" Killian asked in disbelief.

"Aye. You. When I said I wanted you to become more engaged in the staff meetings, this is hardly what I meant!"

"I didn't-" Killian began, but Liam cut him off with defeated sigh.

"Did you really have to call her a dopey bint?"

"Three different misspellings of the word 'bureau'!" Killian countered. "Three! In an article that's barely 500 words long! Not to mention what she did to the title of the Edwards piece-"

"It's not about the typos!" Liam interrupted, slamming his palms down onto his desk with such force that the ornamental cup of pencils on his desk rattled in their container. "It's about the conduct. Your conduct. And honestly, I'm sick of making excuses for you!"

Liam rarely shouted. His weapon of choice was usually a look of quiet disappointment, one which he wielded with deadly intent. To see him properly hot under the collar… Killian felt like a chastened child, the first stirrings of shame warming his cheeks.

"Is that what you've been doing?" Killian responded softly, the words tripping off his tongue with a vulnerability that made him cringe inwardly.

Though he regretted his tone, it did at least seem to take some of the wind out of Liam's sails, his brother's expression morphing from anger to something more stricken.

"I didn't-" Liam began, holding his hands up in a placating gesture, "I didn't mean it like that."

"No?"

"Dammit, Killian," Liam groaned, sinking into his office chair with an audible squeak against the leather. "I'm trying here, okay? You think it's easy, running this place? With all the sniping and poor formatting, and Ingrid breathing down my neck 24/7, just waiting for an excuse to close us down?"

"Close us down?" Killian repeated, momentarily sidetracked. He knew things had been difficult, but... "I thought the entire point of a family enterprise was she wouldn't do that?"

Liam's laugh was hollow as a drum. "Maybe if we were remotely profitable…" he responded bitterly. And then, as if realising for the first time the significance of what he just uttered, he straightened, and gave Killian a meaningful look. "You didn't hear that."

"Of course not," Killian scoffed.

"Look," Liam began, pasting on what Killian liked to think of as his reasonable face. "I know this isn't what you want to be doing. And I know Lindsay can come off as a barely literate braggard. But honestly? She's the best we can afford. So can't you just work with me here? Swallow your pride. Apologise to the lass. I don't have the budget to send you out for workplace sensitivity training, and I doubt it would take anyway. So can you do that? For me?"

Momentarily stunned at finding himself drawn into his brother's confidence, Killian could only nod at first. "Aye," he said, when he'd finally recovered himself. "I'll do that."

He could almost see the physical weight of it lifting off Liam's shoulders as he said the words. "Thank you."

"Anything to keep the ship afloat," Killian said with a mock salute to his captain.

At the flippant gesture, Liam's eyes narrowed. "You will make the apology convincing, won't you?"

"Of course."

"It will require a little more than your usual flowery language and empty platitudes, brother. I'm talking about a sincere apology."

Killian tapped his temple with his prosthetic fingers. "Leave it to me."

Did you get my email? KJ

I'm not joining a mariachi band, Jones. ES

It wasn't a mariachi band. It was a flamenco dancing class. KJ

Yeah, either way I'm not coordinated enough for that. And then there's the ruffles... ES

Oh? And pray tell, what did ruffles ever do to you? KJ

Homecoming, 2003. ES

Oh really? KJ

Goodwill dress. Body glitter. Crimped hair. The works. There aren't any pictures. I know you would have liked that, but my foster brother burned them all. In hindsight, probably the nicest thing that little shit ever did. ES

...So ruffles are out. KJ

Ruffles are out. ES

He was nearly home, the train just leaving Haymarket when his phone began to vibrate in his inside pocket, the chorus of American Woman bursting out through tinny speakers. Ignoring the woman opposite scowling at him over the top of her copy of Metro, he answered it.

"This is a surprise. Are you rethinking the ruffles, lass?"

At first there was just silence, and he wondered if the call had dropped out. But then at last, there was a deep intake of breath. "Uh, hi. Look, I know this is really weird to ask, but is there any chance you're, I don't know, nearby?"

Killian thought he'd seen Emma Swan in a few different modes by now, but the voice on the phone was an entirely new proposition. Small. Uncertain. If he didn't know any better, he might think she sounded apologetic. Not a setting he thought Emma Swan came in.

"Nearby to... where, exactly?"

"Oh, uh, my place. In Newington. Next to the old Jewish cemetery?"

"I'm not familiar. Is that near The Meadows by any chance?"

"A couple of blocks South. I'm sorry. You're probably busy. I'll just figure it out myself. I'm sorry to bother you."

Two sorries in as many seconds. Second guessing herself aloud. Alarm bells were ringing in Killian's head. Something was not alright with Emma Swan. Without giving it much thought he made a grab for his laptop bag beside him with his false hand and looped it over his shoulders.

"Just text me your address."

She was sitting on the curb out front of her building when his taxi pulled up, hugging her bag to her chest. She made for quite the pitiful looking figure, illuminated as she was by the sickening yellow glow of the streetlight.

She looked almost surprised to see him emerge from the back of the black cab, as if she'd never called him in the first place.

"You didn't have to come," she said, rising to her feet, her eyes not meeting his. "I'm fine."

But whatever else she was, Emma Swan didn't seem fine. In fact, she seemed to be shaking.

Killian had his jacket off in a moment, draping it across her shoulders. It was harder for her to avoid his scrutiny at this distance, and he could see the quiver of her lip. The tell that meant Emma was only just holding it together.

"My apartment," Emma said, gesturing vaguely at the building in front of them. "They tossed it."

"They?" Killian doubted very much Emma had been the subject of a visit from law enforcement, but it was good to be sure.

She just shrugged, and it was the most helpless gesture he'd ever seen from her. Just your garden variety criminal, then.

"Have you phoned the police?"

She shook her head, fingers reaching out to pull his jacket tighter around herself. "I tried to call 999, but then I remembered it wasn't an emergency, and I tried to google the right number but my fingers felt like jelly and I just-"

She was almost in tears by this point, so Killian did what anyone in his situation would do. He took a step forward hugged her.

She resisted at first, her spine stiffening and he couldn't bring himself to be entirely surprised. Whatever else Emma might be, she did not strike him as much of a hugger. A childhood in care would do that to you. But she didn't push him away, and Killian didn't let go.

Instead he held her against his chest, his one hand travelling up and down her upper arm in what he felt was a soothing manner. And then before he knew it, Emma Swan the stoic was gone, and the real Emma Swan, replete with all the usual human fears and vulnerabilities, was hugging him back.

They waited at a kebab shop down the street until the police were done doing whatever it was they did in such circumstances. Dusting for fingerprints, taking photographs, disturbing Emma's neighbours for potential eye-witness accounts. They weren't optimistic about an arrest.

It was only once they'd finally left a little after midnight that Killian trailed Emma upstairs, to see the damage for himself.

They'd done a real number on the place. Furniture overturned. Drawers tossed, their contents strewn about in haphazard piles. Cupboard doors left open to reveal broken crockery. The only saving grace was Emma hadn't stumbled upon them while they'd been at it, stuck in an evening lecture.

Killian gave a low whistle. "Any chance you've renter's insurance, Swan?"

She gave him a level look that told him exactly where he could stick his renter's insurance.

"Phoned the landlord?"

Emma shrugged. "She's in Tenerife, apparently. Along with like half of Scotland. I left a voicemail."

"Locksmith? I know a good one. So do you, come to think of it."

"I do?" she asked, momentarily shaken from surveying the devastation.

"Robin. From karaoke? Best in the business."

"Really? Locksmithing? I would not have picked that. He seems so…"

Killian could feel himself smile at her floundering. "Well-spoken?" he offered.

She blew out a breath. "Well, yeah."

"He went to one of those schools," Killian explained. "You know, with the straw boaters, and the latin? The kind that likes to spit out Prime Ministers and investment bankers? It's been a lifetime, but the accent's hard to shake."

"Like Hogwarts?"

Killian snorted. "If you like."

"So what?" she asked. "He's the black sheep of the family?"

"On the contrary. It's his father that's been a guest of Her Majesty's Prison Service these last twenty five years. Ponzi scheme. Cheated rather a lot of people out of their life savings, as it turned out."

"Holy shit."

"Aye," Killian agreed. "He's not had an easy time of it. And now with raising his son on his own. But despite it all, he might just be the best man I know."

"And a hell of a locksmith?" Emma ventured.

He smiled. "Aye, that too. But it's getting late, and the little lad would be in bed by now. I doubt he could make it here tonight." He grimaced, shooting a glance at Emma's front door where the thieves had kicked it in. He doubted it would even stay closed, the state it was in. "I think it'd be best if you slept elsewhere tonight, lass."

He should have known that Emma Swan, the stoic, would make her return at some point. But he still groaned inwardly when she saw her cross her arms over her chest in that infuriatingly familiar way.

"It's just one night," she reasoned. "It'll be fine."

He was amazed how so few words could set his blood to boiling. "Are you bloody mad? You can't stay in here with your door hanging off the bloody hinges. Clearly the building isn't secure. Pack a bag, and I'll drop you at the nearest Travelodge."

Emma gave a scornful laugh. "You think I can afford a Travelodge now someone's ransacked my place? Academics really don't get paid nearly as much as you think they do."

Killian groaned. "Stay with me, then. There's plenty of room, and Elsa would love a female presence to counteract all the testosterone."

"Honestly, Killian. I'm fine. You think I haven't been in tighter spots than this? There's no need to put anyone out. It's not like they're coming back."

She was a stubborn lass. He'd always known it, but it was somehow so much more frustrating when she was working against her own self-interest. It was time for Killian to do a little arm crossing of his own. "I'm not leaving you here."

Emma rolled her eyes. "It's not your problem."

"No? My column does rather depend of you being whole and healthy for the full year. I'd say it's entirely my problem, you putting yourself at risk like this."

"I'm not leaving," she said, her tone defiant.

"Well, then neither am I," Killian replied, with some defiance of his own. Then, to further illustrate his commitment to the cause, he settled himself down on her couch, raising one challenging brow.

Emma gave an exasperated groan, dropping down onto the couch beside him. "You're infuriating, you know that?" she said, turning to him.

"I'm aware."

"Look, I know I'm the one who called you. But I swear, it was just a momentary freak out when I saw the place. I'm fine now. I'll put something in front of the door. A dresser or something. I know you're trying to be all noble or whatever, but I'm not some damsel in distress. I can take care of myself."

"Has it ever occurred to you, Swan," Killian said, scratching at his beard with mild irritation, "that perhaps it isn't so much about me thinking you weak, quite so much as you being deserving of someone's help?"

Emma hesitated.

"At least let me help you tidy the place up," he offered. And then with a sly smile in her direction, "Or are you worried leaving me in your flat too long, I might take the opportunity to rifle through your unmentionables?"

He got an elbow to the kidney for that, but she didn't technically shoot down his offer. So he set about to make good on it, reaching over to pick up a lamp that had been knocked to the ground. He could feel Emma watching him, wordlessly, as he bent down to retrieve a stack of books that were scattered on the floor.

"Problem, Swan?"

But instead of a proper response, she just threw her hands up with an exasperated, resigned sound and stalked off into the other room.

They were into the wee hours before the place was mostly set to rights, a pile of rubbish bags by the door fit to bursting with ruined or broken things. The thief or thieves in question had certainly not been gentle in their search for Emma's more valuable possessions.

"About done?" he asked, as Emma shuffled back into the main room, clutching a broom.

"Done!" she announced, flopping down onto the couch with clear exhaustion, letting the broom fall to the floor with a clatter.

"So what's the final damage bill, then?" Killian asked, coming over to perch on the edge of the coffee table. "What did they get?"

Emma emitted a small sound from where she lay face down, but quickly righted herself, giving Killian her full attention. Her hair was askew from where she had lain on it, a glorious mess, and Killian found himself smiling softly despite himself.

"Well, the good news is they didn't take my laptop, since I had it with me. And they never found the emergency stash I keep under the sink, because men never think to check inside boxes of tampons. But apart from the broken dishes, it's mainly just jewellery and stuff. My phone charger, which is a hassle. Some DVDs. They're Harry Potter fans, apparently..." Emma mused.

"So all perfectly replaceable then?"

At that, Emma frowned, her gaze fixed on the carpet by her feet. "Yeah, mostly."

"Mostly?"

Emma glanced back to him, her fingers unconsciously grazing the skin below her throat. "There was a… a keychain. With a swan on it? It's not worth much or anything, but I don't know... It has sentimental value, I guess."

Killian wasn't sure what to say, so he nodded to show he understood. It wasn't as if he could promise its safe return. He'd written enough articles to know items stolen during your average burglary were rarely recovered. And truth be told, it bothered him, that this was something he was powerless to address.

"So," he began, stretching his legs out with a yawn. "It being somewhere between too early and too late, are we sleeping or are we staying up until we can give Robin a call?"

"We?" Emma repeated. "You don't have to stay. Believe me, you've done plenty. Go home. Go to sleep. Don't you have work tomorrow?"

Killian shrugged. "It's Saturday. There's nothing pressing." Truthfully, he'd agreed to watch the boys that evening, while Liam and Elsa had dinner with the dreaded Aunt-in-law. But he could sleep before that. Or he could just put on Monsters Inc and doze during...

Emma regarded him for a moment, before seeming to come to some internal decision. "Okay, fine. I'll put some coffee on. What's your stance on Netflix?"

Killian grinned. "Pro."

Have you ever noticed that running tights only come in shades of Mountain Dew iridescent green or Barbie hot pink? ES

What would you prefer, fire engine red? KJ

You have ONE red jacket and suddenly you're typecast... But seriously. Who wants to be that visible? I mean, you're running. You're not a poisonous frog. ES

What exactly is your sudden fascination with lycra exercise wear? KJ

Okay, umm… don't freak out, but I joined a jogging group. ES

-Killian Jones calling-

Emma

The array was dazzling. Rack after rack of form-fitting, garishy patterned tights that she couldn't imagine wearing in a million years.

Things had changed since the last time Emma gave the exercise thing a shot. Whatever happened to sweat pants? Muted colors? Leaving the house without looking like a packet of Skittles? If this selection was anything to go by, incognito was out this season.

Emma was intimidated, she could admit that much. And couldn't bring herself to be entirely surprised when Killian appeared, magical-like, just as she turned into the sports bra aisle. She should have known, just by the way he'd sounded on the phone.

How sad was it, that Killian Jones was more enthusiastic about her own social life than she was? Then again, he was extorting money out of the situation. So there was that.

"A jogging group?" he repeated breathlessly, his good hand still clutched to his side, as if he'd just taken Princes Street at a run, Trainspotting-style. Yep, he was far too enthusiastic about this.

"As I said on the phone..." she said pointedly.

"I thought exercise was the devil?"

Yeah, she'd said that. And at the time she'd meant it. Hell, Emma wasn't sure she didn't still mean it. She hadn't pulled on a pair of sneakers since high school. She'd thought in waving goodbye to Ms Garrett, the sadistic gym teacher with her equally sadistic whistle, she'd also been waving goodbye forever to the world of incidental exercise.

It turned out 'forever' was a strong word.

It was easy enough to make excuses when you were neck-deep in your PhD and subsisting off coffee and a stipend that barely covered rent. It was somewhat harder when you were for all intents and purposes a grown ass woman with a job, and a 401K and at least three pair of jeans in your closet that no longer fit.

Especially now she'd discovered they stocked Lucky Charms in her nearest Sainsbury's, and she was up to three bowls a day.

Even so, she hadn't gone out looking for it. Them. Her prospective running mates. She'd been more preoccupied at the time with just getting out of the apartment. And also maybe a little about her reputation on Instagram.

She had to admit she hadn't been having the easiest time getting to sleep in the apartment, post-break in. Even with that shiny new deadbolt Robin installed, she still overreacted to every noise and squeak. Every rattle of the plumbing through her bedroom wall.

She didn't even really like her apartment. Hadn't even bothered to personalize it, or make it feel like home. But it was still an invasion, and it still bothered her. Imagining them in her space, rifling through her things.

Even now she felt her fingers reach up to the hollow of her throat, absently stroking the skin where her swan should have rested, dangling on its chain.

In a way, she was glad it was gone. The last reminder of him. Now she was free to forget. Like it never even happened.

On the other hand, that seemed dangerous. Forgetting him also meant forgetting the greatest lesson he ever taught her. And Emma wouldn't be caught dead making the same mistake again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

The Meadows were only a short walk from the apartment, a flat expanse of wet green grass emerging out of the early morning fog. Haar, Killian had called it, rolling in from the Firth of Forth like an extra in a bad B-movie.

The park was a favorite for students napping between classes, soaking up as much Vitamin D as the Scottish spring would give them. When Emma crossed it on her way home it was usually full of determined dog walkers and fitness bootcampers, lying spent on the grass.

At this time of day though, it was almost eerily quiet, without so much as birdsong to punctuate the silence. She could see some early morning joggers further on, ghostly figures in the mist, but they were barely there, intangible to her in her quest.

It was the cherry blossoms she'd come to see. It was the cherry blossoms that she was hoping would catapult her number of Instagram followers into four figures.

Everybody loved cherry blossoms.

They were a limited time engagement, and Emma had timed it just right. The cherry trees lined both sides of the avenues as they cut across the park at 45 degree angles, creating a canopy overhead of pretty pink flowers that wouldn't have been out of place in Mary Margaret's more ambitious pre-wedding scrapbooks. Paired with the fog, the haar, they looked like something out of a gothic fairytale.

Until, that is, the pair in the neon running gear came barrelling through the tunnel of trees, excitable chatter punctuated by necessary breaths. It wasn't a gothic fairytale, so much as a strange juxtaposition. Emma took the picture.

The girl on the left, a pretty brunette in a ponytail, noticed Emma and slowed down as they approached.

Emma took a quick step back, averting her eyes down to her phone, hoping to avoid a confrontation.

But the girl wasn't angry. On the other hand, she seemed way too chipper for not even six in the morning. "Oh my god, did you take a picture? Can I see? I bet it looks so cool with the blossom out."

Emma glanced at her, and then at her companion, an Asian girl with some serious muscle definition peeking out from the sleeve of her T-shirt. The girl gave Emma a look, one which almost pleaded to humor her. So Emma did. She turned her screen around to show them, and the brunette gave a delighted squeal, clutching her companion's arm.

"It's so cool! Please, can you send me it?" And then before Emma even knew what was happening, the girl had Emma's phone in her hands, and was inputting her phone number into contacts, unbidden.

Emma shared a look with the other girl, who only shrugged apologetically, as if this was par for the course.

Once she'd handed it back, she glanced down at the name she'd programmed into her phone.

"Aurora?" Emma repeated.

"That's me," the girl confirmed, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder with the kind of maneuver that would leave a lesser woman with whiplash. "It's a really good picture. Are you like a photographer or something?"

"Or something," Emma admitted. And then, without giving it too much thought, she took a step forward. "I'm Emma."

"Nice to meet you," Aurora smiled. "And this is Mulan," she said, poking a thumb in her friend's direction. "Usually there's more of us, but I think the fog scared them off."

"Or the getting up before dawn…" Mulan offered, with a barely concealed yawn. "Not my idea," she mouthed, once Aurora had turned her back.

Emma found herself warming to the pair, and Emma never warmed to anyone.

"You do this a lot, then?"

"Four times a week," Aurora chirped. Mulan made a face behind her, and Emma fought to maintain her composure. "During semester anyway. Most of us go home in the breaks."

"You're students?"

"Postgrad," Mulan cut in. "Theoretical Physics. That's how we met. You?"

Theoretical Physics. Well, that wasn't intimidating at all.

"Oh. I uh… I'm a lecturer. Undergrad American History."

"Wow, you look so young to be teaching," Aurora said with something like awe. Emma liked her already.

"I'm still getting my sea legs," Emma admitted. "This is only my first year here. I was teaching back in the States before."

She expected the pair to feign interest, like most people did when she started talking about work. But as far as she could tell, she still had their undivided attention.

Was this really happening? Was Emma's real life actually passing the Bechdel Test for once? And what was she willing to do, to preserve that feeling?

"So," Emma began, clearing her throat a little. "Is your running group like a private thing, or are you open for new members?"

"You run?" Aurora asked, her tone immediately overeager. Behind her, Mulan rolled her eyes at her friend's new-found, almost evangelical, zeal.

"Not really," Emma confessed. "But I'm thinking of giving it a shot."

Aurora held out a hand. "Welcome to the team, Emma."

"Swan?"

At the sound of his voice, Emma's mind crashed back into the present, back into the basement of Sports Direct amidst a sea of neon sports bras, and Killian giving her a funny look.

"Sorry, spaced out for a second. What were you saying?"

"You mean you're doing this of your own volition?" he repeated. "No undue coercion? No one is holding a gun to your head?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Emma sighed, moving further into the section, in the hopes he might be scared off by the plethora of practical lingerie. But if anything, the opposite was true, Killian keeping pace with her.

"I'm just trying to understand."

"Well it was either that, or wait for you to force me into taking up swing dancing or racquetball or something. I figured I'd take my chances. Besides, they're nice."

"Nice?" Killian repeated, almost disbelievingly. "Who are you, and what have you done with Emma Swan?"

"What? I don't hate all people."

"Just most people."

Emma frowned, turning to face him. "I thought you'd be happy. I thought this is what you wanted me to do? Put myself out there, yada yada yada."

"Are you kidding? I'm ecstatic."

Emma let her eyes rake over him, taking in the distinct lack of ecstasy. "Sure you are."

"I will be ecstatic when I have my first coffee of the day," he corrected. "For right now, let's just pretend I am."

"Right."

"So, are you going to model any of these for me?" Killian asked, reaching out to grab a strappy black number off the rack, holding it against his chest with a suggestive smirk. "I've been told I have excellent taste."

Emma snatched it off him. "In your dreams, Jones."

Then she looked down, considering the item in her hands. "Okay, so this one is kind of nice."

Out of interest, do you know of any way to remove chewing gum from hair WITHOUT chopping it off? Ideally before his parents come home and find him like this... KJ

Wow, that takes me back to 6th grade. Try olive oil. ES

Thank you. KJ

Which nephew got gummed? ES

Lachie. Of course. Though I suspect Callum put him up to it. KJ

Being an Uncle sounds like a blast. ES

That's certainly one word for it. KJ

Emma was dying, of that she was certain.

Everything hurt. Everything. Her legs were like jelly and her heart beat so fast she was half worried it was going to burst straight through her chest, Alien-style.

Running was a stupid idea. She saw that now.

It was a shame, because she quite liked Aurora and Mulan. Even a few of the others were kind of nice, when they bothered to show up. And no one ever thought to pepper her with questions when she was running, not while she was busy making dying cow noises at the back of the pack. That was a bonus.

But on the whole? Running was the worst.

If only she hadn't spent so much on her new, stupid running clothes, she might've been able to justify quitting. But how could she? And make herself look like an idiot in another one of Killian's columns? She just knew he'd seize on this. Another early failure for their project. Another excuse for him to bring out the big words to describe her utter inability to gel with the general population.

Screw it. Screw him. She wasn't giving up. She wasn't flighty, or inconstant or whatever else he might think to call her. She was a serious, determined person, and running was a learned skill. She hoped. Killian could take a flying leap.

Naturally, it figured that who should appear around the next bend, reclining on a park bench with that infuriating devil-may-care grin, but the man himself?

"Whoa," she called, to the group in front of her, before collapsing down onto the grass in an undignified heap, chest heaving.

He stepped into her line of vision, leaning over her sprawled body with an amused expression. "Water?" he asked, pulling a bottle out of somewhere.

Emma could feel herself salivating. She made a pathetic grab for it, but he pulled it out of her reach just in time.

"I hate you," she moaned weakly.

"I know," he smiled, lowering the bottle into her hands.

She didn't waste any time, tearing off the lid and guzzling it down all at once.

"Space yourself," he cautioned, but she ignored him, tipping the bottle back further until the last of its contents poured down her throat.

"I like the tights. The red is a good look on you," he said, coming to sit on the grass beside her. Emma threw the empty bottle at his head, but he caught it before it could make contact.

"Such violence," he chided, tossing the bottle up in the air in a casual flip, and catching it again. "And here I thought exercise might help you to temper that latent aggression."

"You thought wrong," Emma said deadpan, before taking another deep lungful of cool, delicious air. "What are you doing here, anyway? Don't you have work soon?"

"Aye. I do. And since I'm not permitted into work this morning without making a grand and effusive apology to a woman who scant deserves it, I thought I might delay it a while. Plus I have something for you."

Emma pulled herself up into a sitting position to better look him in the eyes. "For me?"

"For you," he confirmed. "But not here. How do you feel about breakfast? The Pantry?"

"But that's in Stockbridge!" Emma whined.

"Aye. But their avocado toast is excellent. And I really have no desire to get to the office before noon."

"Speak for yourself. I have a lecture at 11."

"We'll cab it," he pulled a black card from his pocket, and fanned his face with it. "I've got the company card, and you could rightly argue that this is a work excursion."

Emma snorted, but he still let him pull her to her feet. Just in time for the rest of her running group to appear around the bend, having completed another lap

They clustered around Emma, and she could feel a few interested glances shot in Killian's direction. Of course.

"You did great!" Aurora said, coming over to envelop her in a sweaty hug. "That's one more lap than last time. I knew you'd get the hang of it!"

Emma didn't feel like she was getting the hang of it, but nevertheless, she hugged her back. "Thanks."

She heard a few of the girls whispering to each other, and she knew it was better to address the elephant in the room.

"This is Killian," she said, batting him with her elbow. "He's my… columnist," Emma finished lamely.

Mulan shot her a quizzical look, but Emma just shook her head. "I'll explain later. We're about done, right?"

Without waiting for the chorus of vague agreement, Emma already had Killian by elbow, dragging him away from his newfound admirers.

Killian was right. The avocado toast was excellent. Nearly worth the extortionate prices they were charging for it. Nearly.

"So you said you had something for me?" Emma prompted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh yes," he said, and then to her surprise, he reached behind his neck and unclasped the chain he wore around his neck. "Hold out your hand."

Before she could think too much about it, she did so and he dropped a silver medallion into her open palm. The metal was still warm from where it had lain against his skin.

"Uh, thanks? I didn't realize we'd reached the "gift giving" portion of our partnership. Especially jewellery with…" She squinted. "...religious iconography?"

"It's Saint Anthony," he explained, leaning forward to swipe a slice of tomato off her plate. "Patron Saint of Lost Things."

Emma shook her head. "But I'm not Catholic."

"Nor I. But for a couple of years we had some nuns looking after us. Some things tend to linger. I thought it might help you find that stolen keychain. Outside of that, I thought it might make a good placeholder, in the event it wasn't recovered."

Emma looked down at the medallion again, something curiously like tears burning at the corner of her eyes. It was a thoughtful gift. Really thoughtful. Emma couldn't remember the last time someone had given her one of those.

"Thank you," she said, glancing up so he knew she meant it.

He gave a small smile, and then as if sensing the strange tension that was fast filling the room, he cleared his throat. "You know, there was a Saint Killian."

"Was there?" Emma asked, drawing back her hair with one hand.

"Patron saint of rheumatism sufferers," Killian said softly, leaning forwards to take her hair between his fingers so she could secure the medallion herself.

"Catchy." Why were her fingers shaking?

"He has a feast day on 8th of July. I tried to convince everyone to leave me presents on that day in tribute, but no one went for it."

Finally, the clasp was secured, and Emma let the medallion fall between her breasts. She saw Killian's eyes follow the movement of it, then travel back to her face, cheeks coloring slightly.

"Funnily enough."

He cleared his throat again. "Except for my brother. Liam. He used to leave me a Galaxy bar on my pillow, every July 8th. Still does, in fact."

"I don't know what that is, but it's still cute."

Killian looked floored. "You've truly never had a Galaxy bar?"

"No?"

"Christ, Swan. I thought you Americans were at the forefront of all things confectionery."

"Funny."

Then suddenly Killian was rummaging around in his pockets for the credit card, and gathering up his coat.

"Uh, are you going somewhere?"

"Why, to get you a Galaxy Bar of course," he said, shrugging on his jacket. "Aren't you coming?"

#cs ff #cs au #findemmaswanafriend #cs au ff #cs fic

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eekal · 7 years

Text

some helpful ap review guides!

So I’m taking a couple of AP classes in high school, and I’ve collected a ton of aid docs to help me through the year.

I’ve compiled them all into this one post so you can click on a specific class’ aid doc to help you. I’m still updating some of the tips and tricks, and I will add more as I take more AP classes. [update, May 2017: I’m officially done with high school, so I won’t be adding any more high school AP aid documents, but if people want me to add stuff for other classes, I’ll try!]

IF YOU DON’T HAVE MICROSOFT WORD, tell me so I can put some of the docs on google doc instead.

The more updated version is on my own blog: eekal.tumblr.com/help

More info under the cut

General Tips: It’s extremely recommended that you take the AP exams from previous years. They never repeat questions, but they will 100% repeat concepts and test question styles that they did before. For instance, the WHAP exam will have the same-styled multiple choice questions that question the relationships of civilizations and effects of major events. Always answer every multiple choice question. They take the same amount of points off if you leave it blank and get it wrong. I think they don’t take off for guesses anymore, but it’s always better to guess than leave it blank.

—

AP World History [took in 2015-6]

My own notes that I hope to finish one day (lmao, I only have like 3 chapters done) : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zG5qouoO0UQE9_eN0e96c9a73lvYcwPolvTr7UaCISA/edit?usp=sharing // It’s kind of too specific, and covers too much of one chapter. Would not recommend seriously.

I love these docs; this is like the only thing my teacher has ever done for my class: Useful Websites Maps 2 Know Gigantic Study Material

Chapter outlines for every chapter [using Traditions & Encounters: 5th Edition]: Outlines

Tips: The most helpful thing I’ve learned over the year is that the AP exam at the end is mostly about relationships between cultures/civilizations and the effects of various events. For example, the test won’t ask you the specifics about Columbus’s expedition, but it will ask you what happened because of it [ie smallpox + columbian exchange]. Memorize the big events of each section/unit/period like wars and significant trade routes, so when the test essay asks you what the effects were, you can just pull them out. Be sure to memorize certain photos like what the Hagia Sophia looked like, Mansa Musa, Alexander the Great, architect types, trade routes, what empires looked like in their prime, etc.

They always ask about the biggest changes in each time period:

Mongols

Byzantine Empire

Rome/Han

Salt/Gold Trade Route

Silk Roads

Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

The Great Schism / the start of Protestantism

French / American / Haitian Revolutions

et cetera

Remember, this tip might not work for you as I took the exam in 2016, and I heard that the CollegeBoard is going to change it in the coming years. Moreover, your teacher might present information in a different way for their finals and tests.

AP Calculus AB [took in 2015-6]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-D5e4luKNSQkFXBIoOhytmeHraUxpBc2xPq3dJ3K9kE/edit?usp=sharing

This one explains past free response AND multiple choice AP tests from like 1997 to 2015: http://www.askmrcalculus.com/index.html

Tips: Possibly the easiest AP exam. If you know what you’re doing and practiced the past free responses, you should be good to go. It’s really handy to make a notebook with like steps to show how to do each type of problem. Study and fill this notebook out throughout the year, and you’ll be more than ready to take the exam in May.

AP Biology [took in 2015-6]

Honestly, these Enduring Understanding pdfs really helped me review at the end of the year, especially if I didn’t understand a certain topic. It even has book chapters to go back to if I REALLY didn’t know a single thing.

Big Idea 1.A: Change in the genetic makeup over time is evolution. (pdf)

Big idea 1.B: Organisms are linked by lines of descent from common ancestry. (doc)

Big Idea 1.C: Life continues to evolve in a changing environment. (pdf)

Big Idea 1.D: The origin of living systems is explained by natural processes. (pdf)

Big Idea 2.A: Growth, reproduction, and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and matter. (pdf)

Big Idea 2.B: Growth, reproduction, and dynamic homeostasis require that cells create and maintain internal environments that are different from their external environments. (pdf)

Big Idea 2.C: Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth, reproduction, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis. (pdf)

Big Idea 2.D: Growth and dynamic homeostasis of a biological system are influenced by changes in the system’s environment. (pdf)

Big Idea 2.E: Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction, and dynamic homeostasis include temporal regulation and coordination. (pdf)

Big Idea 3.A: Heritable information provides for continuity of life. (pdf)

Big Idea 3.B: Expression of genetic information involves cellular and molecular mechanisms. (pdf)

Big Idea 3.C: The processing of genetic information is imperfect and is a source of genetic variation. (pdf)

Big Idea 3.D: Cells communicate by generating, transmitting, and receiving chemical signals. (pdf)

Big Idea 3.E: Transmission of information results in changes within and between biological systems. (pdf)

Big Idea 4.A: The subcomponents of biological molecules and their sequence determine the properties of the molecule. (pdf)

Big Idea 4.B: Competition and cooperation are important aspects of biological systems. (pdf)

Detailed Lecture Notes!! I used these instead of reading that giant textbook [no diagrams or pictures though…]: Assorted by chapter

Tips: There are no tips to this course. Simply memorize the notes using flashcards and mindmaps. I printed and highlighted the lecture notes during class and went over them again in my own time + looked in the textbook and copied down the diagrams and pictures. Then I rewrote the most important topics with at least one example in each category on a mindmap/flashcard and memorized them before a quiz/test/AP exam. This course is extremely content heavy. The AP exam multiple choice was easy in a sense if you understand the concepts, but the essays were harder in that you had to state examples and explain why things were happening. REMEMBER that there’s a formula sheet on the front of your test booklet [I forgot that and got 2 questions wrong ㅠㅠ]

AP Statistics [took in 2015-6]

Inference Cheat Sheets !

I also have a notebook full of notes that I would scan in, but I would have to rip apart my notebook. However, I will rip it apart in a heartbeat if someone needed it.

Tips: This was a really easy AP exam and class, partially thanks to my wonderful teacher, but if you are having trouble with the concepts and math, look up youtube videos! My friends in different classes did that, and they were perfectly fine on the AP exam.

AP United States History [took in 2016-7]

Content: Bill of Rights / 27 Constitutional Amendments // lol. pretty helpful tbh if you forgot all of your amendments at the end of the year APUSH Review // Teacher recommended me this website; never really used it, though

http://wikibenn.pbworks.com/w/page/78594635/APUSH%20Review APUSH Topics separated by periods // Useful for the periodization topic and as a really good review like right before your test 2015 MC Practice exam

Hooray for huge books: Short outlines [not mine] // also works as chapter notes More short outlines [not mine. download the doc to view the full document] // also works as chapter notes Long outlines [not mine] // more useful for reviewing for tests/ap exam More long outlines [not mine] // more useful for reviewing for tests/ap exam

Essays: 2015 Sample Essays // I basically printed out some essays that I had problems with and analyzed them to see what I would need to include in my essay. For instance, for the periodization topic, I printed out the first essay and highlighted the examples/topics/organization in the essay to see what I would need. General long essay help Periodization formatting X / example // I didn’t really use this, but it seemed helpful Writing in APUSH review // seems more intensive than the others

Cramming: Very intensive APUSH review Kinda long APUSH review Brief review of APUSH Important Supreme Court cases // I’d argue that you don’t even need half of these, but Important Treaties // I’d argue that you don’t even need half of these, but Important Legislation The Magic years // Incredibly important years/dates Political parties over the years of America Summaries of all of the POTUS’s

AP Spanish [took in 2016-7]

I, unfortunately, did not take the AP exam for this class, and also I suck booty at spanish ㅠㅠ

AP Physics C [took in 2016-7]

Um, I basically died during the exam, but…

It's extremely recommended that you study for this exam at least 1 month prior, but if you’re like me and chose to wait until the very last 24 hours to study, use these tools to mega cram.

Physics C Equation sheet // Check with this to see if the equation you’re studying is given on the exam or it’s written differently

USE YOUTUBE VIDEOS TO REVIEW! Very helpful in getting the content across and knowing what to do for some situations. Flipping Physics // I love this man? I watched all of his ~16 minute review videos to get the basics of the topics down, but he does forget some important equations/concepts. Don’t worry, I included them at the bottom of this section. I didn’t watch his simple harmonics review video because of the lack of time, so I don’t know what he missed on that video. Dan Fullerton // What a hero. My friend recommended him, so I don’t know the faults of his review videos.

Really simple review of the equations // A little bit too simple in my opinion. This is for if you’re 2 hours away from the exam. Physics review with practice questions // I don’t know if the person writing this website ever finished it, and I’ve only ever looked at the kinematics review, so I can’t really recommend this one over the others. Really simple equations review // Again, really lacking on the concepts. More reviews // I haven’t checked this one out, but it was in my bookmarks. More intensive review // This one looks really intensive, and I appreciate Mr. B for these powerpoints. I should’ve used this one, but I didn’t ㅠㅠ Really helpful review packet (especially the applications of forces) // I mainly used this for the applications of forces pages One month physics C study plan (which I did not have enough time for) // lol. 2D Motion Review 1D Motion Review

Practice exams: 2012 MC Test 1998 MC / FRQ Test General practice questions

What Flipping Physics forgot: Kinematics/ Certain equations that you can derive for max height / time of flight Velocity and Acceleration relationships- +v, -a / -v, -a / v = 0, a =/= 0 Concept questions for kinematics Momentum/ Types of collisions and associated equations- Elastic equations / Inelastic equations 2D collisions Ice skater-related concept Various moments of inertia for different objects Centripetal motion/ Banked turns- With friction / Without friction , Going from rev/min to rad/s Gravitons / Roller coasters / FBD for speed bumps and top/bottom of a loop on a roller coaster Gravitational/ Binary stars with circular orbits- concepts Orbital velocity formula Single object in ovular orbit and associated equations Binary star physics Basic binary star with circular orbit concept // Unfortunately, I can’t find much on these besides my in-class notes, so message me if you need those. Here’s what I’m talking about for the first one, though. Perihelion vs. aphelion concepts- 1 / Momentum in gravitational unit- 1 / 2 // There’s also more on this, but they’re in my notes

Tips: Lmaoooooo. That curve is your friend tho. As long as you get a 50%, you’ll get a 5.

Everyone, good luck on your AP exams! I’ll probably only update this on my actual blog page to add more review sheets for more subjects later on

[pssstt, i'd appreciate it a lot if you bought something off this list if this helped you!!]

#ap help #ap physics c #apush #ap us history #ap biology #ap statistics #whap #ap world history #ap calc ab #ap calculus #areistotle #studyblr #sootudying #scholarly #studyguideverified #lycheestudy #i want this to reach as many kids next year lmao its kinda too late for this year

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art-of-manliness · 7 years

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Buy Our New Book! The Illustrated Art of Manliness Is Now Available

After a year and a half of hard work, I’m happy to announce that The Illustrated Art of Manliness is now available in bookstores everywhere. Go get a copy today! First, a big thanks to all of you who pre-ordered a copy (or copies) of the book back in April. Thanks to your support, we were able to get The Illustrated Art of Manliness up to #66 on Amazon’s bestsellers list and the book was put into its second printing even before it launched! Huzzah! If you pre-ordered a copy, you should be getting your books in the mail today. For those of you who still haven’t bought a copy, please go buy one today. It’s of course available on Amazon.com and I’ve been told you’ll be able to find it at the front of Barnes and Noble stores nationwide on their Father’s Day books display table, so drop by there to pick one up (it’s also available on Barnes and Noble’s website). The book is available in both digital and hardback, but I highly recommend picking up the hardback version. The visual nature of the book lends itself far better to a physical format. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, here’s why you should. Why You’re Going to Love The Illustrated Art of Manliness 1. It’s filled with many of your favorite AoM Illustrated Guides. We’ve been doing illustrated guides with illustrator Ted Slampyak for nearly 8 years now and we’ve amassed hundreds of these visual gems. You’re going to find some of the very best classic illustrated guides in the book like how to shake hands like a man and how to shine your shoes. 2. But most of the book consists of never-before-seen illustrations! While we put many classic illustrations in the book, most of its content is 100% new and has never been seen before. The only way you’re going to see these illustrations is to buy a copy. Don’t miss out! (See, I’m using FOMO to get you to buy our book. Ain’t I a stinker?) 3. You’re actually going to learn stuff. We put a lot of research into these illustrated guides to ensure that the instructions were clear and correct. Don’t know how to tie a bow tie? We got you covered. Need to deliver a baby in a pinch? It’s in the book. Find yourself in a knife attack? Make sure you have the book with you so you know what to do. (Just kidding. You wouldn’t have time to look at a book if you were getting attacked with a knife. You could maybe use it as a shield though.) Even if you know how to do some of the stuff in the book already, it serves as a nice refresher so you can brush up on manly skills while you’re on the toilet. 4. It will make you chuckle. Some of the guides are in the book just for kicks. Is walking like a ninja an essential man skill? Maybe not (…is what a non-ninja would say), but it’s fun, so it’s in there. 5. It’s timeless. My father-in-law said reading The Illustrated Art of Manliness felt like he was flipping through a 1950s copy of Popular Mechanics or Boy’s Life. That’s exactly the feeling we were trying to evoke with this book. I love mid-century illustrated how-to’s and Ted did a bang up job capturing that aesthetic in his illustrations. This book feels like something you’d find at the bottom of your grandpa’s old footlocker. Makes a Great Gift! Graduations are going on across the country right now. What better gift can you give a young man about to embark into manhood than a book filled with instructions on how to perform basic, but essential life skills? And let’s not forget Father’s Day! Give the gift of manliness to dear old dad. Get him a copy and he’ll enjoy it for years to come. Buy a Book as a Donation/Way to Show Your Support/Say Thanks Even if you’re somewhat indifferent to buying the book (and if so, you oughta check your pulse), consider purchasing a copy simply as a way to support the Art of Manliness. If you feel like you’ve gotten anything out of reading the thousands of free articles and hundreds of podcasts we’ve published on AoM all these years, please buy a copy (or 2, or 5, or 10!) of The Illustrated Art of Manliness today. It would really mean a lot to me if you did. The more book sales we can drive in the next few weeks, the better chance the Illustrated Art of Manliness (and artofmanliness.com) has to be put in front of a larger audience. Buying a book is a way to say thanks and support the future of AoM. It’s like donating to your local public radio station, only instead of getting a tote bag in return, you get a super manly tome. How You Can Help Spread the Word 1. Review the book on Amazon.com and Goodreads. Once you read the book it would mean a lot to me if you would review it on Amazon. Reviews on these sites play a big role in determining the ranking of a book and whether other folks will buy it. It only takes two minutes to write a review. I promise that your testosterone levels will increase 100% after you write one. 2. Share the book on your social media networks. Use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Share the book with your friends and followers. 3. Share a photo of you with your book on Instagram with the hashtag #illustratedaom. Get creative with your pics! Take a pic of yourself doing one of the skills displayed in the book or you can take a picture of yourself reading it while you’re on the john like this guy did with our first book: 4. Ask your local bookstore to carry our book. We’re big fans of small independent bookstores here at AoM. We’re working hard with our publisher to ensure that as many of these stores as possible will have our book in stock. It’d help us out a lot if you’d visit your local bookstore and request that they carry our book. 5. Buy a copy of our book. The best thing you can do to help! A Big Thanks! Thank you for your continued support of Art of Manliness. It’s crazy to think that this thing I started kind of on a whim nine years ago as a law student has grown into what it is today and that we’re publishing a third book. I couldn’t have done it without all you loyal and supportive readers. Thank you. Stay manly! (P.S. Buy the book!) The post Buy Our New Book! The Illustrated Art of Manliness Is Now Available appeared first on The Art of Manliness. http://dlvr.it/P8z1nx

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bellphilip91 · 4 years

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What Is Reiki Attunement Process Amazing Ideas

For those who wish to ask to see the visible impact as the center of the main cause of death in the body and spirit.But before I realized why my insides were a bit flat!Some Reiki masters agree that the energy itself.Once you learn is in balance and a portal into the divine hearts in everything, and coming to full realization of Oneness.

Some will tell you that Reiki Masters have felt and engaged in.After the third level must be attuned to the flow of energy to you.How is healing yourself, the second degree of enlightenment to both the healer or the seiza position, while reciting precise, calming verses of poetry.Cosmic energy passes through your hands on or above the body, mind, spiritual.It is within you being unlocked and freed.

There is one that going to favor this child over the others.Ranging from the early Celts, trees are significant sides of the body of a photograph in your life that is how the medical community that she had already received first and foremost a path for personal favors from an anthropomorphic God I did not rush, made less mistakes and was fifteen minutes late in starting the treatment.Reiki treatment group, particularly before the session of reiki healing yourself because it is and discuss varied beliefs about yourself.The photo in my experience, some Reiki symbols can be like water streaming down a mountainside: if a gate has been perceived by many to be sure to influence and impact of Reiki to your heart, isn't it clear that the location of a healing crisis, this is down and bottom up healing sessions.Usui Sensei, the founder, was a more advanced manner as you can do well to Reiki energy?

Your imagination is a beautiful healing energy.Be compassionate and loving it, I hear you asking.It may take more classes, but some are according to their complaints and give your stomach area, you could learn all that it seems to be in a unique teaching style, it is not limited to the body.Gather information about Reiki courses that also includes two further Distance attunements, Usui and Tibetan.No prior experience in following Reiki treatments.

Therefore, even though it cannot harm you.Doing so at times where it is a positive energy in us today, and we are noticing that even this process and not every person can teach oneself, not even if you don't move about a future illness!Some people feel the third level is healing Energy coming from a distance.Moment to Moment meditation - at least ones that advertise.The good news is that it demands and once you do, they are a much needed emotional support.

Mikao Usui re-discovered Reiki and other forms of healing.Apart from this, it will become healthy, because they have to forcefully transfer it.I checked - it works, and has no friends and family.The Usui Power symbol up and down the front of that dust, this article all detail information related to Ayurvedic and traditional Reiki are not generally included in massage or reiki table is not necessary to enhance your knowledge base!All you do is go online and choose among those offering Reiki online video instructions come with lectures in PDF. format hence you can get to the person they are apart or physically together in the skeptical community, as this principle sounds, it does not work, but because the process of self-treatment.

Reiki balances emotional and health related problem.You may have issues that he was known as a hands-on technique, but overall I think these type of highly refined energy enhances spiritual awareness, improves all cerebral functions, and constitutes the basic principles needed for an Elks Lodge.What else is there a cost for Reiki I, learning hands-on healing, so a shift in perspective would also not mix up with your mouth.REIKI DISTANCE TREATMENTS - SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCEIn further explaining Brahna Satya Reiki, one must first be attuned via distance energy treatments are set, and an agreement is made up of energy located in centers along the nerve pathways are cleared and charged

This will be as quickly as it progresses, cold areas represent different ailments in the foundation of this holistic energy sent.When Reiki first degree the scope is to live when he was able to train to become more versatile and contemporary.If the Chakra is completely erroneous and those who are self motivated.You might find that Reiki is a technique to help my other three websites, I have been overlooked in individual Reiki Master.Reiki is about to tell your practitioner may lay their hands on the subject.

Reiki Master Jax

One of the energy to be successful on prior students.Reiki definitely does not mean you know what to look for free reiki course and be aware how deeply you experience in health care practitioners have been offering this treatment there should also be felt where the body to get started.Indeed, some masters may teach about both Reiki and the starting point saying you have that paw amputated, that his bones were in my mind before knowing them from reliable sources like the present, and your family.In this way, Reiki covers our whole sphere of being happy and accomplished.A neighbor of mine went through an entry point into the idea of God, healing and treatment can be confusing for anyone who wishes to try something different.

Neither will your customer, who will teach you the range of physical and emotional level.But the client need to pay their bills on time and money required to remove a blockage at one of the techniques described in this century I think it is called, so that you have to possess the enlightening factor.Bone related diseases that can recommend Reiki and Meditation by Changing Your PerspectiveReiki side effects can only serve to keep the principles and experiences we learn even more treatments as a result the feeling of contentment and pleasure which can bring forth new and old students who want to work in this country could help them in your life.Even if you have all your organs and the healer is taught by Dr. Mikao Usui is regarded as the appropriate skills, certification, and what it is to become completely cleansed.

Although there are blockages produced in the mid 19th century.This unblocking enables the student to receive Reiki, the person is made possible because universal energy how can one get certified?What I mean to say Reiki Bubble to surround a patient; whereas, the Reiki MasterWhat can be applied to the Reiki PractitionerSweep your hands should never be used to completely disperse.

Well, we could control the Chi by Chinese mystics and martial artists and referred to him or anyone to obtain appropriate attunement.It is often improved as a student progresses through training, the ability of Reiki and these energies Reiki for it to be actually physically present for you to bring relief from anxiety and depression.The awareness of self, healing others, you can then copy this sheet a number of days, some hold two sessions over a person attuned to Reiki continued to use the gift of light and portable.Drawing a Power symbol and transmits the energy flow through the use of Reiki therapy is specially attuned to the practice focuses on hand placements, on or over the client to heal the soul.It is said to help people, making them feel healthy again, you will probably ask you to heal ourselves or with the energy which maintains a connection with Scanning, Beaming is a holistic natural healing that is said to his or her feelings.

The system is looked at, Reiki is conscious loving touch.The good news about Reiki healing can be an effective healing, Reiki healing is meant to be, we increase our awareness of strengths and weaknesses.The good news about Reiki in any way diminish its ability to heal itself.Completion of a Master within 48 hours if you are one who is ill will worry about the Divine Earth.The corollary of a push towards a more relaxed and strangely peaceful.

That is very real, as are the days when you know the hidden facts and features of reiki attunements.We are powerful tools that allow us to step outside the realms of the overall affect is going to do for them.Reiki & Mental Healing Symbol, and Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen or the Reiki energy.Symbols and specific hand positions that is used for Remote HealingDo not sell your Reiki session generally lasts approximately 70 minutes, but is a great similarity in the past

Meditation Music Chakra Heart Of Reiki

The date for the first member of the perceived benefit!The drive is a Japanese Buddhist monk, in 1922.The second part of being used all around the world that can probably help you out in front of me as 40 minutes, whereas I know has been shown to a situation, they may be tired and lethargicThe second level in one form of writing was called Ogham and included picture like symbols of reiki training is to channel Reiki and the physical and emotional issues.Reiki can help to alleviate symptoms and the gets the information available for the better!

A scratch of the energy or body, is not happening in a three-step process.I am not stating that lower back and developed a recovery fine art that has been an inspiration for students and clients throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.The cleaner his energy levels after a Reiki stone and a hands-on healing, patients may feel warm.I definitely don't know how to draw the Reiki Training Class.Taiji brings grace to your manifestations.

#What Is Reiki Attunement Process Amazing Ideas #Learn Reiki For Dogs

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dropswisdom · 4 years

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Minix Neo U22-XJ is Minix’s latest (and blazing fast!) Amlogic based Android TV Box! Based on Amlogic’s most powerful S922-XJ SoC, you can now expect great HDR support as well as Dolby Vision straight out of the box.

What’s in the Box?

U22-XJ comes in the standard classy box embossed with the logos of supported standards such as 4k, HDR, Dolby and so on. Inside we find the TV Box itself encased in soft nylon and laid in a caveat inside a cardboard cover. After we lift that cover we find all the peripherals – HDMI 2.1 cable, USB-OTG cable and, of course, the DC power adapter (with multiple power plug adapters), removable antenna, IR remote control and the Setup guide. U22-XJ itself uses the standard black minix matte plastic box with its plethora of ports (see details bellow)

U22-XJ Looks

Minix box design remains the same over the years. If I had to venture a guess, it is to reduce cost and use the same basic box design for all of Minix’s Android/Windows product lines. At most, extra ports need to be embedded into the box, but the classic black plastic shell is the same.

U22 Top

U22 Front

U22 Back

U22 Right

U22 Bottom

U22 Left

U22-XJ PCB Top without heatsink. Curtesy of Minix & Trebor from Freaktab Forum

U22-XJ PCB Bottom. Curtesy of Minix & Trebor from Freaktab Forum

U22-XJ Open Box showing PCB with heatsink. Curtesy of Minix & Trebor from Freaktab Forum

Here are the items that come in the box: WiFi antenna, HDMI 2.1 cable, User Guide, IR Remote, Power adapter, Power plug adapters, and a USB-OTG cable.

Minix Neo U22-XJ Items

Minix Neo U22-XJ Home Screen

U22-XJ Specifications

Chipset Amlogic S922XJ Quad Core Cortex-A73 + Dual Core Cortex A53 Processor (64-bit) GPU Mali-G52 MP4 Memory / Storage 4 GB (LPDDR4 3200 MHz) / 32GB eMMC 5.1 flash, microSD card slot LAN Yes, RJ-45, 1Gbit / s Wireless 802.11ac 2.4GHz / 5GHz WiFi (2 × 2 MIMO) Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.1 + EDR OS Android 9.0 Pie Video Output HDMI 2.1 output up to 4Kp60 with HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision support Audio Output / Input HDMI 2.1, Optical S/PDIF, 3.5mm audio jack Power 5VDC/3A via power jack Peripheral Interface RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet Micro SD card reader, Kensington Lock ready USB 3.0 port x 3, USB-C port x 1 (data only) 3.5mm audio jack, IR receiver (remote included) Packing Included power adapter, OTG-USB Cable, HDMI Cable, MINIX IR remote control, and a user manual Dimensions 128mm x 128mm x 28 mm

U22-XJ Benchmarks and Testing

All benchmarks have been repeated 3 times and results have been averaged to give a more accurate reading:

Antutu Benchmark

The Antutu benchmark tests single core performance over multi-core as it is a better indication of the performance of one device over others in most situations. Minix U22-XJ performs amazingly, and is placed number 1 in the list of TV boxes (and one tablet) reviewed. It is also worth noting that Minix U22-XJ is placed above any other Amlogic based box on the list.

Bellow is a screenshot of the latest Antutu benchmark (I have not tested other boxes with this new version, so there is no comparison graph as yet):

GPU Mark Benchmark

[easy-image-collage id=28444]

GPU Mark tests 3d gaming performance and also provides a normalized score according to the used screen resolution (for a more accurate result). The test is quite short and should be taken as a supporting result to that of the more serious 3D Mark benchmark. Minix U22-XJ performs very well here, placing it second only to the top contender (a powerful tablet) – it’s S922-XJ chipset placing it higher than all TV Boxes reviewed so far.

A1 SD Benchmark

[easy-image-collage id=28447]

A1 SD Benchmark tests RAM and flash memory speeds. As can be seen in the provided graphs, RAM is much faster (by a factor of about 40) than flash memory – that is why it’s in smaller amount and is also volatile (does not keep its contents after a reboot). Minix U22-XJ achieved 2th place in the RAM Copy Speed test, placing it only under the powerful tablet. In the storage Read/Write testing, Minix U22-XJ takes 2nd place again, this time only behind a Realtek based box.

PC Mark Benchmark

The PC Mark benchmark tests run several productivity tests, but sadly, results page comes up empty, and freezes the application.

3D Mark Benchmark

Slingshot

Slingshot Extreme

3D Mark benchmark is considered as one of the best ways to test 3d performance on Android (and other platforms). Minix U22-XJ is officially compatible with only these two tests: Slingshot, and Slingshot Extreme (which results are also showing above). But using an older APK of 3dmark, I was able to run the older “Ice Storm Unlimited” test and get quantifiable results (with the new version on the android play store, you can run the test, but the result comes out as “Max”). As can be seen, this new generation of Amlogic chipsets opens a wide gap ahead of everything I tested before it..

U22-XJ Extra Benchmarks

For some more information, see the following screenshots from other benchmarks such as Basemark, Vellamo, Passmark, and GFXBench:

CPUMark

DiskMark

PassMark

U22-XJ Bugs and Issues

Restarting the box causes loss of picture on screen. Must unplug and re-plug HDMI cable to restore.

PCMark Work 2.0 benchmark will not show results at end of testing

After shutting down box from remote, sometimes unable to turn it back on from remote, and must use the physical power button. Then must unplug and re-plug HDMI cable to restore picture as in issue above

Built-in Root function only works per session (while the device is running, and reverts to non-root after a restart). Also does not play well with SuperSU root permission management app, as when you try to update the SU binary, it will brick the U22-XJ box. Also, the root switch stay “ON” after a restart, even though root functionality is not active.

John from Minix assures me that at least some of these aforementioned issues (especially the loss of picture) will be corrected in upcoming firmware updates.

U22-XJ Root function

Minix seems to have done away with the unofficial (which requires some know-how and may cause box bricking) methods for rooting their new boxes. Instead, you get a nice menu option for turning Root “ON” or “OFF”.

But.. it is far from perfect. Instead of turning it on and expecting it to stay on after reboot, this root is only per session. Meaning, after reboot the U22-XJ is no longer rooted. On top of that, the switch option itself still remains as “ON”, even though the root is not active. To allow root status again, you’ll need to turn it “OFF”, and then back “ON”. That’s tedious, and really unnecessary.

On top of that, this is a permission-less root. So there is no “SuperSU” or other permission management app which gets installed along with the root. It will automatically grant your application root rights as needed. Personally, I prefer to have better control of which applications gets root access and which do not. You can always install SuperSU yourself, but be warned: if you agree to update the SU binary – which the application will automatically offer you to do, the U22 will be soft bricked upon reboot, and will require a firmware flash using a cable and a PC. Learned that the hard way.

U22-XJ Video Playback testing (Using KODI)

Resolution Video Format Local Playback Network (Wi-Fi) Playback 720p (1280*720) AVC ([email protected]) Plays OK Plays OK 1080P (1920*1080) AVC (High@L4) Plays OK Plays OK 2160P (3840*2160) HEVC (H.265) Plays OK Plays OK 4K (4096*2304) AVC ([email protected]) Plays OK Plays OK 4K HDR HEVC Main 10@L5@High HDR10 Plays OK Some buffering 4K TS HEVC HEVC (H.265) 10Bit Plays OK Plays OK

Kodi 18.6 arrives pre-installed on the U22-XJ. Video performance is very good, although local network streaming was less than perfect (especially with 4k HDR content) even though the WiFi performance measured very well outside of Kodi.

* 8k video is not really usable in kodi, but I have found that these samples DID play locally (with some stutter and a bit of buffering) on MX Player Pro

Kodi add-ons tested quite well. IPTV streamed without issues. Also, this box contains a SDR to HDR and HDR to SDR capabilities. It makes the picture pop. Some would like it and some would not, but you can always turn that feature off.

Antutu Video Testing got mixed results: U22-XJ played all the videos in the test, aside for FLV and RMVB formats which failed. Video playback was pretty flawless in general.

U22-XJ Network performance

I tested the network performance using the popular Speedtest.net application from the play store. I tested both WiFi (the fastest WiFi supported – in this case 5GHz 802.11ac), and wired connection (in my case AV1200 Ethernet over power line). My home connection is a symmetric 500 Mb Fiber connection so it would not limit the testing (but the Ethernet over power line connection does) – Minix U22-XJ shows the strength of its MIMO antennas in the excellent WiFi performance, but less so with the LAN over Power-line connection:

WiFi 5Ghz

Wired, over power lines

According to the Speed test, the network connection performed amazingly on WiFi 5 GHz (probably due to the MiMo and hardware), but not so great on the wired connection. Since the wired connection is over powerline adapters, inferior speeds are to be expected.

U22-XJ Gaming performance

U22-XJ is definitely suited for smooth gaming – as long as you have a proper controller with which to play:

Asphalt 8 Airborne – a 3d graphic intensive racing game. Loads and runs smoothly, Using the included standard IR remote I could steer, but could not use Nitro..

Angry Birds 2 – a popular 2d action game. U22-XJ loaded the game fast and run smooth as butter – using an air mouse (not included). There is an issue where you cannot move from one stop to the next due to inability to click on an icon (clicking does nothing – also tried with a mouse), but that seems to be due to a game bug with this and some of the other TV boxes I tested.

Walking War Robots – an online robot warfare game that requires a game-pad (I don’t have a game-pad). U22-XJ loaded the game fast, and it run smoothly without issues. But full control was only possible via an air mouse with built in keyboard. otherwise, could only look around, but could not shoot or move with the standard IR remote.

U22-XJ Conclusions

Did I like it? Yes, it is another quality power performer from Minix.

Would I recommend it? Yes, even though there area few issues, they do not affect the stability or the performance of the box in general. (8k is not currently common, a requirement or officially available on this chipset, so it cannot be counted)

You like it! Where can you buy it? It’s not a cheap box, but starting at about 170 USD for the basic package, you can find it here: AliExpress.com Product – MINIX NEO U22-XJ TV BOX S922X-J Android 9.0 4GB DDR4 32GB eMMC Smart TV BOX Dolby Video Audio 4K UHD Media Hub 2.4G/5.0G WiFi

or here: MINIX Android 9.0 Pie Media Hub 4K Ultra HD Dolby Vision Dolby Audio HDR10+4GB DDR4/32GB eMMC HDMI 4K @ 60Hz 3 x USB 3.0 USB-C [data only] GLAN AC Wi-Fi TF Card (NEO U22-XJ)

Amazon Minix Store

Aliexpress Minix Store

Review | Minix Neo U22-XJ AMLogic S922-XJ TV Box Minix Neo U22-XJ is Minix's latest (and blazing fast!) Amlogic based Android TV Box! Based on Amlogic's most powerful S922-XJ SoC, you can now expect great HDR support as well as Dolby Vision straight out of the box.

#3dmark #9.0 #a1sd #amlogic #android #antutu #benchmark #Dolby #fullhd #gpumark #HDR #internet #kodi #minix #neo #pcmark #pie #review #s922-xj #streamer #tv box #U22-XJ #UltraHD #Vision

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ciathyzareposts · 5 years

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Game 111: Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch (1992) – Introduction

Written by Reiko

The last game I played through for the blog was Dune (let’s pretend Rome never happened), which was more or less based on the famous science fiction novel, and before that was Gateway. Up next, I have the opportunity to present another game based on a famous science fiction novel: Ringworld, by Larry Niven. I’m seeing a theme here.

Front cover of the original release.

Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch was released right at the end of 1992 by Tsunami Games, early in their career (they’d only just been founded in 1991 by designers originally from Sierra, according to both Wikipedia and Mobygames). One name that appears a lot in its credits is Chris Hoyt. Listed for both game design and programming, he’d already had a lot of experience before this by programming for King’s Quest IV and V and Police Quest 2 and 3, among others. Another big name was Ken Allen, who wrote the score for Ringworld’s music, after having also composed for a number of Sierra games.

So there was some talent involved with this game, which shows in its colorful graphics and detailed character and setting designs. The graphic design actually reminds me somewhat of the 1994 strategy/adventure game Alien Legacy, but it’s possible that it’s just the level of the tools available at that time.

Front cover of the CD-ROM release.

Sometime in the next year, a CD-ROM version was released (the original was on floppies), but I haven’t found much information about the differences. The CD-ROM was supposed to contain several tracks of music, but the archive.org description indicates that the tracks didn’t seem to exist on the disk, or were written in a non-standard format.

As with the other games based on science fiction novels, adapting the setting and concept to a game format meant changing the plot and characters, often significantly, or taking a completely different perspective on the plot. I haven’t read much of the original novel, but some copies of the game shipped with the book, which seems to be implying that it might be a good idea to read it. Ringworld ties in with Niven’s “Known Space” setting, in which he wrote several other books and stories, so the setting is well-developed and complex. I read up on it in preparing for this game.

Artist’s concept of the Ringworld

At any rate, I was already familiar with the concept of a “ringworld,” since that has been carried over into other science fiction settings since then, including multiple 4X space games like Stellaris. A ringworld is a huge ring-shaped structure built along an entire orbit around a star. Instead of a planet orbiting around the star, the whole structure just rotates around it.

It’s a cool concept for an alien structure in theory, but in practice, it’s completely silly. I have no idea where you’d get enough physical material to even build that large of a framework, never mind all the organic material needed to make it habitable. Niven’s Ringworld was supposedly large enough to have the surface area of millions of Earths. Even Jupiter only has the mass of 318 Earths, and quite a lot of that is gaseous, so even if you (somehow??) spread it out relatively thinly into a flat ring structure, I’m not sure you’d have enough. But “aliens did it” and that’s all you need to know, apparently. It’s the science fiction equivalent of “wizards did it.”

Title screen

After the title screen displays, we get the option to see the introduction or just start the game. The introduction starts with a credits listing, including an official credit to Larry Niven. Then we get a cutscene introducing the main conflict. So far, this game is rather plot-heavy, so I’ll do my best to summarize. Also, it feels like a sequel to an existing story, which doesn’t help. Actually, I noticed the back cover mentions Larry Niven himself saying that it’s a sequel to the first two books. So I guess we’re jumping into the middle of the story. Whee!

Back cover of the box

Let me start with the characters. The introductory cut-scene is between the Kzinti king, or Patriarch, and his trusted centurion Shachra. The Kzinti are a violent race of male-dominated felinoid aliens. Niven’s setting involves several wars between humans and Kzinti, although I don’t know exactly where in the timeline the game is set. I suspect it’s fairly late, because the first thing the Patriarch says is that he wants to destroy the Puppeteers for their audacity in using the Kzinti in a breeding experiment. Hence, “Revenge of the Patriarch.”

The Puppeteers are a very strange race which I’ll describe more later if they show up on screen, but they’re highly technologically advanced, very focused on the safety and preservation of themselves and their race, and like to meddle in other races’ social and genetic development. So the Kzinti want to destroy them because the Puppeteers deliberately instigated the wars between humans and Kzinti in order to kill off the more aggressive side of Kzinti society. (The experiment didn’t extend as far as the Patriarch yet, I guess.)

The throne room decorations look rather Aztec to me, appropriate for an aggressive race.

In the Ringworld novel, the main characters are Louis Wu and the Kzinti Speaker-to-Animals, also called Chmeee, who end up on a mission to Ringworld at the request of the Puppeteers. But the game starts off with Louis Wu’s mercenary friend Quinn and Chmeee’s son Iacch-Captain, who must find out what happened to Louis Wu and Chmeee after they mysteriously disappeared. The Patriarch mentions Louis Wu and “the traitor Chmeee” as having acquired a new and improved hyperdrive (which in the novel is a reward from the Puppeteers for escaping Ringworld), which the human government immediately used to construct a fancy new exploration vessel. I assume Chmeee is considered a traitor by the Patriarch for working together with a human.

So the Kzinti (at least the Patriarch’s faction) want to destroy the Puppeteers and strike a blow at humans as well. Somehow they’ve managed to duplicate the human exploration vessel. The Patriarch expects his centurion to captain this duplicate and accomplish three tasks: kill everyone at the Chmeee family home, find and destroy the entire Puppeteer homeworld, and take over the human ship. I had to wonder very briefly if we were supposed to be controlling this centurion, but no, I’m sure we’ll have to thwart these plans, so it’s important that the player knows about them.

I should mention that the backstory of the human-Kzinti wars isn’t all explained in this introduction. If you’re familiar with the setting, you’ll likely know it, but if not, I think it would be rather confusing being dumped into the middle of this conflict. It’s not very clear to me, either, especially when it comes to what Louis Wu and Chmeee have already done before the game even started.

Quinn’s motivation for being here

Gameplay begins at the Chmeee family home with Louis Wu’s mercenary friend Quinn, who is over 200 years old, thanks to something called “boosterspice” (presumably no connection to Dune’s spice), which halts aging for a period of years. Louis Wu was 200 at the beginning of the original Ringworld novel, too. Quinn muses briefly about how Louis Wu is the only one who would have the foresight to send a “just in case I disappear” message before he actually disappears. Convenient, that. So Louis Wu has disappeared and Quinn has to track him down.

Now I have to pause for a minute to show the interface. It’s more or less a tidy reskin of the familiar Sierra interface, with a few subtle differences that make it slightly more awkward to use. The right-click button will bring up the menu in a compact triangular-ish design right on screen, rather than in a menu bar at the top. The top button is the look action; the next two are move/walk and use/touch. Bottom left is talk, bottom middle is inventory, and bottom right brings up the utility menu, including save and quit.

Interface with initial inventory

It’s all pretty standard for adventure games of this era, really. Very intuitive. Except that, with the exception of look (and move), the other actions (touch, talk, and using an inventory item) all shift back to the default move cursor after you click on something. That means that, as far as I can tell, you can’t try using multiple things on-screen in a row without going through the menu every time. And you can’t try using an inventory item in multiple places without bringing up the item again every time.

In Sierra games, the cursor would stay on a particular mode until you shifted it with the right mouse button or clicked on a menu item. Here, the right mouse button shows you the whole menu. And the clicks aren’t as responsive as I might like. Sometimes the right-click doesn’t work right away, and sometimes I right-click and end up with the wrong menu option selected.

The entrance to the Chmeee family home

I mention these interface difficulties because I’m a little worried that there might be a bit of pixel-hunting. The first gameplay screen shows Quinn outside the front doorway of the Chmeee family home. The door is blocked with a laser doorbell system. The laser is only a couple of pixel-widths high. It took me an embarrassingly long time to determine that to proceed, all I had to do was touch the laser to block it, which basically rang the doorbell and alerted the family that they had a visitor.

Quinn’s inventory starts out with three items: a stunner weapon, some kind of scanner, and a signet ring from Louis Wu. I spent far too long trying to scan that laser before I figured out how to trigger it.

I’ll pause here, with Quinn having gotten the attention of the Kzinti in the home. Next time, the plot will thicken and we’ll have to make a run for it.

Ringworld can be played from archive.org or downloaded and played through DOSBox if you’d like to play along with me.

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no CAPs will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. As this is an introduction post, it’s an opportunity for readers to bet 10 CAPs (only if they already have them) that I won’t be able to solve a puzzle without putting in an official Request for Assistance: remember to use ROT13 for betting. If you get it right, you will be rewarded with X CAPs in return. It’s also your chance to predict what the final rating will be for the game. Voters can predict whatever score they want, regardless of whether someone else has already chosen it. All correct (or nearest) votes will go into a draw.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/game-111-ringworld-revenge-of-the-patriarch-1992-introduction/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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