*shakes myself violently* why can’t you just STICK TO A DESIGN

Lewis after FP1 and FP2 in Bahrain | 29.02.24 "This has been a crazy Friday (lol), I was late this morning! FP1, was very very windy this morning. Very difficult session for everyone . The track was so different to practice last week. It was feeling okay. We didn't really know where we were stood on the C2 tyres. We made some improvements over the session... Again, I don't understand... It's a shock to see us where we are, but we'll take it for now. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, we need to keep our heads down, keep working on the set up and try to extract more. I think our long run pace is nowhere near the Red Bulls, for example, and I think we’re a lot closer, so we got some work to do there.” Better this year? Yeah, I am much more happier with the car. My seat position is finally further rearwards... I've got a better feel for the car approaching the corners but there are other areas that have been fixed and improved. It feels like a race car for once. The last two cars didn’t feel like that so, it’s a really good platform for us to work on. We just gotta keep on chasing.”

Longruns? “with the new car you have new tools, everything’s been re-designed. You’re learning a whole new vocabulary when it comes to the car set up. We’ve tested some of them but not all of them because we’ve only had a day in a half.” “I hope we can make a step. I have got a bit of an idea but I don’t know how to achieve that yet with the set up changes without affecting the other side of things: single lap. So we’ll see.”

Thinking about Eddie and how it probably takes him some time to figure out what he wants from life after having his whole worldview sent toppling and very nearly dying in an alternate dimension.

Like after he gets his GED it's odd jobs and moving town to town looking for a place that isn't put off when they do a background check and find out what he'd been accused of (no matter that he was cleared of all charges) and it's changing his last name and just surviving for a while rather than chasing down any sort of passion projects.

Maybe he tries the music thing out a few years in, figuring people probably care less about who's playing a gig so long as they know their way around a guitar, but he's still young and stupid and traumatized and it becomes very clear to everyone putting in the effort to stay in touch with him that he's about to be taken majorly advantage of by the industry so that's kind of a bust. He gets out as fast as he can, can't face the reality of his name ending up in the press anymore than it already has for Wayne's sake as much as his own.

And it's hard. It's messy and it's survival and it's just a lot for a guy who never really planned to still be alive this many years after that guitar solo in the Upside Down but he has to stop running around the country at some point and hey, Chicago's as good a place as any right?

Robin's working on her Master's out there and Nancy's at the Herald kind of kicking all kinds of journalistic ass. Steve just finished up his degree after floundering a bit like Eddie for a few years there when all the head trauma caught up to him and chronic tinnitus finally started turning into hearing loss and he's working at a school for HOH and Deaf kids now, genuinely actually thriving.

And Eddie feels a little bit like he's still the third-try senior at Hawkins High because what has he done? Lots of false starts and changed minds and spontaneous moves cross-country because he got too restless being in one place for too long, what has he really done?

He moves to Chicago, though, gets a job at a bookstore which is really far from the worst gig he's had in the past five or six years and it also just so happens to only be a handful of blocks away from the Art Institute where he happens to know one of the top undergrads.

The first time Will Byers comes in it might as well be because Steve is dragging him by the ear, because Eddie's only lived here three weeks but Steve has spent every day of that time making sure Eddie is getting settled and acclimated and has people. Almost like he's worried about Eddie leaving again.

Almost like he wants Eddie to stay.

And he drags Will Byers into the bookstore, eggs them into catching up outside of the Monster Hunter Reunions Joyce tries to make happen around major holidays. And then he does it again. And again.

It's Steve and Will bringing him lunch or bringing him coffee when it starts getting cold in the windy city and Eddie is loathe to admit it, but it's nice. It's not some big revelation, it's not Eddie's chance to change the world or anything, but he's got people around who keep making him aware that they're around and he's more settled than he's maybe ever been.

And then one day it's--

"Hey, Byers, you tell Ed about that thing you've been working on?"

If Eddie's hands weren't busy designing a killer fantasy display (if he does say so himself) he would be noticing the sly smugness in Steve's shoulders. He would know this was a set-up. He would just know.

The thing Will is working on is a graphic novel.

The thing Will is working on is a fucking metal ass premise of a graphic novel, taking no shortage of inspiration from the kid's quite frankly too insane for fiction experiences while still somehow putting so much of his own voice into it and Eddie is obsessed, Eddie is enthralled, Eddie is--

"Would you mind giving me feedback sometime? It's just-- I've got all these ideas, but I never know how to streamline them. You were always so good at that as a DM-- making everything make sense, you know?"

On that day, Eddie is mostly just honored that Will sees him for more than a guy without any formal creative writing education and trusts him enough to look at his work.

A matter of weeks later, Eddie is somehow not just giving feedback, he's basically a co-author. They use the big empty wall above Eddie's couch in his tiny studio apartment for storyboards and beat notes and it's on accident, the way Eddie finds this thing he loves.

Except for the fact that it's only an accident for him.

"You're such a fucking meddler, you know that?" he says to Steve over beers at Steve's apartment one Friday afternoon after gushing over Will's new art drafts for the book for approximately 45 minutes straight.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Steve smirks, not even trying to hide it.

"Oh, come on. Will told me he came to you asking if you thought I'd be interested in helping out and you came up with this elaborate slow-burn plan. The gig is up, Harrington, I'm in your head."

Steve just telegraphs his movement as he reaches up and shuts off his hearing aid, "Sorry, I can't hear you, man. Maybe if you wrote it in a book for me, drew some pictures--"

Who would really blame Eddie for kissing him on the mouth?

Someone needs to shut that guy up every once in a while.

Random things that I know

I’m currently on a road trip, so I didn’t have much time on my hands to draw much but I do have a small wip and old sketch I did! Along with just talking about random ideas and things that I know. Which. I mostly did a bunch of research on Delta Junction, Alaska as you will be able to tell soon

I passed by Delta Junction, and I remembered that they are the city with the most Ukrainian born people in percentage, it’s even higher in ancestry as well! This is because DJ has very similar terrain and climates to Ukraine (I think??) along with the fact there are already many Ukrainians there, there is not much of a language barrier for them! That’s neat :> So I wanted to make DJ as Ukrainian, and this is just one design concept I came up with today too quickly, it is likely to change as I learn more (I don’t have a definitive answer of what gender I’m thinking them to be yet)

also I think DJ would make BANGER cream rolls. Because I know this lady that lives there that comes to my city every summer and sells cream rolls; she’s done this ever since I was little

Alaska is the windiest state, with a windspeed average of 30 mph; in Juneau they have winds called Taku winds, and in DJ they have winds called Chinook winds

DJ was also known as the “Windy City” and “Little Chicago” by soldiers stationed there, as DJ is big on the military presence stuff

DJ is a very quant and neat place I won’t lie. They have buffalos there sent from Montana!! They now roam a lot around the Delta area, most are within the Delta Bison Sanctuary; I like to imagine DJ tells Alaska to tell Montana the bison are prospering

Colorado has a coin collection due to being the worlds top producer of coins (I think that’s cool)

Cali didn’t know what mosquito repellent was or was a thing until he overheard Maine and Alaska talking about them and asked about it, the other two were horrified he didn’t know (this is a tease cuz my girlfriend didn’t know it was a thing until I asked if she had any once)

This is an old sketch of a character my girlfriend made! She based them off Mexican culture, specifically this is based on California’s Lone Star flag from way back when

I think DJ loves the idea of having a family, but the opportunity has simply never been given 😞

Talkeetna was considered abandoned in 1910, before getting revived in aboit 1920 thanks to gold rushes, I think she is a little afraid of being abandoned again tho, but she knows Mayor Denali would never do her dirty like that

Hawai’i and Alaska both have the best air quality out of the states, they’re seriously breathing that great non lower 48 stuff. They are prospering. Manifesting.

Louisiana is actually one of the most, if not the most (it changes per article but they remain one of the top 3 always) stressed states, along with Mississippi and New Mexico

uhhhmm this is all I can think of currently. I hope y’all can wait for me to get back home to post regularly again 👻 that would be cool.

Have you reviewed castform yet?

Castform looks like it has breasts, all right? You know it, I know it, so let's just have a good chuckle about it and move on to the rest of the review. Good? Okay, let's continue.

Anyway, I like Castform. The weather-based gimmick is unique and fun, and the design is simple and effective minus the unfortunate body shape (which is probably meant to look like a cloud or maybe a water molecule, but either way, it's not working). The gray body reflects its default normal typing well, and the mask around the eyes breaks up the head and draws attention to the face.

(For some reason I can't find any high-res images of the other forms, so we're gonna have to settle for these.)

The Sunny Form does the obvious thing and has the head be a sun, but it does work pretty well. The round orbs for sun rays connect to the body shape, which is less unfortunate here, and the red, orange, and yellow palette is pleasant to look at. I also really like how the head is encapsulated by the weather, rather than just changing shape in and of itself.

I'm not really huge on the white body, however; I think it's meant to look like a cloud, but it makes the colors a bit too similar to the Normal Form's gray, and it makes the body look disconnected from the head. I think they could've gotten away with making it orange, but that's just me.

The Rainy Form is similar to the Sunny Form, just with a rain theme instead of a sun one. Once again, the encapsulation of the head is neat, and the type of weather it represents is obvious. I also think the cloud body works a bit better here as it's easier to tell it's meant to represent rain clouds, though once again, I wouldn't have minded it matching the head color either.

The Snowy Form is my personal favorite. I think it's the most interesting of the four due to the body shape, which goes up over the head and includes detailed tendrils and swirls. Granted, it does look much more like a flying-type "windy" form than anything snow-related (which I'd expect to look like a snowflake, given the other forms), but regardless, it's neat.

The only thing I find odd about it is that it lacks the encapsulation that the other forms have. The original sprite's semi-transparency suggests that the light turquoise around the head is supposed to serve the same function, but why is it not a light purple to match the other forms? Not a big deal, it just bugs me from a consistency standpoint. Everything else is good.

If Castform could use anything in the future, it would be new forms. It seems bizarre that the weather Pokemon lacks forms to represent all weather, with a ground-type sandstorm form being the most obvious exclusion.

I also think it could potentially use something mega evolution-esq in the future due to its poor stats. For example, perhaps a mega Castform based off a rainbow that induces random weather every three turns or so. A flat-out stat boost would also be welcome.

Overall, this is a fun and unique Pokemon. The only major issue with it is that it could use a few new forms to fully realize its gimmick; otherwise, it's fun and cute.

hellow, quick question if I could yoink a little of your time good person.

So I am developing a game that centers around a main character who uses mobility aids. I have worked with my team to develop some game mechanics that I want to make sure are not going to end up being offensive in some way or a misrepresentation of disabled people. I am physically disabled myself but ive always been too scared to actually use mobility aids and nobody else on the development team uses mobility aids. So as the same person I am, I have gone on to tumblr (the obviously best choice for this matter) looking for opinions from people who use mobility aids. You do not have to awnser if you do not feel comfortable, or if you know of a better place to get insight on this matter that would be greatly appreciated.

So the main character is an ambulatory wheelchair user. And uses forearm crutches when not in a wheelchair. They have the super power to control metals which they use to create mobility aids for themselves on the go. One of their moves is to covert one of their crutches into a sword temporarily to attack enemys. They will also have a dash feature while using a wheelchair chair. The last main feature would be the main character having to use a wheelchair when their health gets too low.

thank you so much for any feedback that you are willing to provide I appreciate it very much!

Thanks again,

Your favorite disabled anon sibling

Oh this sounds so interesting!!! I hope it goes well for you!

I don't think I can give you a lot of advice, unfortunately, especially regarding crutches (I've used them briefly before but it's been a while), but I do have some thoughts on the concept as a whole!

So first thoughts:

Love the sword idea. I'm curious as to how the crutches turn into a sword (I'm imagining either a handheld sword, or a long sword), but I love it. That sounds amazing.

Wheelchairs can be used as a small bit of extra storage, like a little bag on the back or a basket on the bottom. It's kind like a separate storage system/storage expansion. Like in RDR2 where you can store things on the horse, but can't access said storage unless you're on/next to it.

Storage on wheelchairs is still a bit limited due to weight restrictions etc. (depending on how realistic you want to get, although I suppose that could be counteracted with the metal powers). Also, it's a bit limited when using forearm crutches in terms of being able to carry things.

Does the character travel across a world? Encounter different environments? Consider how the aids would be affected in different areas i.e. crutches don't work well on ice/slippery surfaces, wheels are slightly better but lose traction easily. Some wheelchairs don't do brilliantly in windy areas and sometimes struggle on grass and sand (unless designed for that environment).

Love the metal powers, that sounds so cool! I think, if possible, it would be interesting to see if they can upgrade/change their aids as/if their power grows over the game. I.e learning how to make different upgrades, like sand tires and ice ferrules (crutch feet).

Some people like to customise their aids to make them more personal, and crutches and wheelchairs aren't suited to every situation so it would be interesting to see how/if they could use their metal powers in this way.

What do they do when there isn't much metal, or do their aids sort of act like a personal supply? What if it breaks?

Do they have the option to use a wheelchair even when their health is not low?

Is their power affected in any way by their health and vice versa? Does it rely on their energy and/or stamina?

Because of their metal powers, can they disassemble their aids when not in use i.e. could they deconstruct/fold the crutches away when in the wheelchair and vice versa. I think that would be pretty cool. Give a whole new meaning to travel aids, and could make storage easier.

And some posts for consideration:

What wheelchair users want: Some good notes on this post. Basically being like "we also want unrealistic wheelchairs. Fast and the Furious wheelchairs. Mad Max wheelchairs." I love the dash function in the wheelchair, and if you were looking for other ideas this could be good to consider.

Accessible Wordbuilding: Some good advice on how to make a world more accessible for a disabled character.

Personally I think @cripplecharacters is an excellent blog to check out if you want more insight into writing mobility aid users, and disabled characters in general.

Writing Wheelchairs: This is a really good post (with examples!) about different types of wheelchairs, for different purposes and environments.

Crutch Pose References: A video showing different pose references for forearm crutch users.

Crutch Pose References 2 Sitting Edition: A video showing more crutch poses, sitting down this time.

Character Example: If you're looking for examples of cool characters who use wheelchairs and forearm crutches together, can I direct your attention to Charlie Webber/Sun-Spider, a Spiderman with EDS!

--

If anyone else has anything to say on this please just add on.

Ahh this sounds so cool! I really hope it works out for you!! Good luck!

Hey, I hope you're doing well. I love your art, it's so colorful! Just pure eye candy. Plus I love all the little details in the characters that you draw. Anyway, just wanted to let you know to keep doing what you do. also your opinion posts are very entertaining, especially that ask game and i wish to see more of it! your denmark is so pretty. anyway, bye

Anon... do you really think so? 🥹

I'm sorry to reveal the bad news about Denmark, but I recently changed the way I draw him to be less pretty and cute. I still know how to paint him in a cute way, but I like the semi-realistic design a lot more and want to draw it more often. It's currently very windy and stormy in Denmark, so I managed to catch pretty Denmark before he gets blown away and we never see him again.

(Just kidding, I love painting characters in the cute style, especially their eyes. It's very unlikely that pretty Denmark will be gone for good.)

Thank you for liking the opinion posts! I want to post more too, but I need to balance posting art and my hater opinions. A big problem with those posts to me besides the amount of screen space they take up is how negative they are. I like exploring the concept of immortal regional personifications, describing the practical details of their existence, and addressing the philosophical questions that this concept raises. I also like to see (specific) hot guys being sexual with each other. Canon Hetalia offers none of these. The problem is that I love the concept and art of Hetalia, but hate the execution. So just about any question that asks me about my opinion on some element of Hetalia canon will get a negative answer.

I want to make more opinion posts that are positive towards my ideas without being negative towards canon. For example, I received the question on the ask game about what Hetalia character's anime voice I like best (none of them but I truly hate Denmark's squeaky canon voice). Instead of answering it like that, I'll be making a post about what I think Mathias' voice actually sounds like using a real Danish person's voice as a reference. No hating on something that people who are not me might enjoy, just love for what I like.

the plot thickens, oh boy..

so come here with me while I psychoanalyze the Ignis and the Lost Incident children a little bit

I'm misremembering this, I thought it was Ai 😆

hmmm some questions: does this has to do with Jin? Or Lightning himself?

because Lightning is the only Ignis that would remain disconnected from humans by design

and it also brings me into those Ignis theories I want to explore deeply at some point, about the Ignis development being proportional to the amount of emotional damage their originators have gone through, the amount of support and psychological buffers, too.. but it also makes me question if this is even something accurate to measure? Since trauma is not something that can measured. Trauma is trauma

if they were not damaged by the Lost Incident, the have suffered prior to it - and that was literally Spectre, and how he was the only one who have not had a damaging experience during those 6 months.. but he also had.. nothing. That gave him something

Windy's partner was "killed", but from the little it was shown, he had friends and he was smiling so.. I don't know what to take from a few frames in one episode but the matter of fact is that, apparently, Windy was not that way, but he became twisted due to Lightning's influence

Miyu was put on a coma something during Cyberse World's destruction(?), so we don't also get to see much from her - and I think Aqua's case is quite interesting because of Aoi

Takeru got An Attitude as a response to both the trauma from the incident and also his parents' loss (which he attributes to the incident, too)

Yusaku lost a lot of things that we have no idea about because it was not showed. His life prior to the incident is pretty much a mystery. Then it happens.. and he hardens, and get stuck on a cycle of vengeance and wanting to take back what he's lost. Fair

we know nothing about Jin other than he is Shoichi's little brother and the Lost Incident completely broke his mind Lightning tortured him. I suspect his "improvement" after the Hanoi's fall/Kogami's death was mostly a reflection of Shoichi's own relief, and probably not so much about himself. Shoichi and Jin's relationship is not a healthy one and that's exactly how and why Lightning was able to exploit it

with all that said..

I thought a lot about the Ignis personalities and traits and if/how that was a reflection of their human originators. Sure it might seem like they "complement" each other? But then we have Lightning and Jin, and that theory goes down the drain a little..

they look nothing like each other

they're not even opposites

I have not the slightest clue about what was used, what was that human factor that linked them together

well, now I'm thinking about it again and a few things do come up..... Spectre's devotion looks very transparent for me in Earth, they're both also naturally solitary

again we don't know much about Windy's partner or how Windy was before he changed, maybe susceptible? Maybe one to go with the flow?

Miyu had built that relationship of trust and love with Aoi, and we do see that a lot in Aqua. I believe the relationship Aqua builds with Aoi has centered Miyu, and it would be similar if it was Miyu, centering Aoi

Takeru was a tough one because he and Flame do look like opposites. Where Takeru is impulsive and feeling, Flame is cautious and logical. Their relationship is pretty harmonious and it shows on how they coexist

Yusaku and Ai also feel a little like opposites? It's hard to get a read on them this earlier since there's still a lot of episodes to go (and the last arc being Yusaku/Ai focused) so......... stay tuned to more on this post

Jin is "absent" for most of the show, he was also absent after the incident and that guilt Shoichi carries makes me wonder if he was also absent prior to it? Lightning lacks.. everything. He has nothing, he belongs nowhere, he's a blank slate.. much like Jin. And that pisses him off - it's the cause of his complex after all - there was no possibility of him evolving any further because Jin was not there, because the incident broke him

...

there's also something interesting about the link between the Ignis and the Victims - we saw that happen with Spectre first. Just how much of the AI is in the humans, and how much of the humans is in the AI? Edit: apparently he was the only one able to feel it.. hmm..

I'll write more as I get to watch more episodes and remember more things 😆

I admit I watched the prequel pilot and if it's okay, I'd like to share my thoughts with you on everything I observed.

1. This is definitely not SPN. This is nowhere in the same universe never mind the same neighborhood. Jensen's "mother ship" really is on point since SPN is in a different galaxy compared to TW. It's obvious that they're trying to connect back to it while also doing their own thing, but this actually might go off a bit better without claiming that connection or inserting "Dean" into it all. Not much better but a little bit better

2. The POC characters are obviously being used to further the protagonist's story line. Every scene they were in was still about John and Mary, or one or the other. We don't learn anything about Carlos or Latika themselves other than Carlos is bisexual & may have a crush on Mary, that Mary is mad at him about something going wrong on a previous hunt, and Latika is not experienced at hunting and is scared (and also has that damsel in distress vibe while Mary is being given the badass and strong vibe). Even when they have a conversation between themselves, it's about one of the leads. When comparing this to let's say WIndy, we did learn something about Calian, something about Kai, within the pilot itself. While we don't learn anything yet about Augustus, we do see other characters mention him (Calian), and we do get to see him featured in other scenes that don't include the protagonist. Not to mention we get that scene between Augustus and Calian alone. They're part of the plot, not furthering it. Where Carlos and Latika are constantly furthering Mary's and now John's arcs as well. Latika is used to make Mary jealous over John, and then is used to mention and hint at the story of Maggie for Mary for her character so the audience can see her have a moment while getting that information that might help to explain Mary's brusqueness. Carlos is used to not only save John with the van in that one cringe moment, but also to back Mary up in everything she does, and then the most incredible part: get the silver blade back to Mary and John so John can then kill the monster in the hole they're stuck in. Even Ada was used to further the story line in this way. She's connected to Samuel, it's her bookshop that the "coordinates" lead to where Mary finds out Samuel has definitely been there (via papers on a board just like, yep you guessed it, the SPN pilot), and the next scene she has after being exorcised: with John talking about the MoL which is once again furthering his story line. We learn nothing about her other than that she owns a bookstore in Lubbock, TX. That's it.

3. So apparently the big bad is the Acreeda (however you spell it) or whatever it's called, a monster not of this world. Again, I couldn't help but to think back to Jensen's "mothership" comment. It would make perfect sense to me if some alien monster hybrid eventually shows up.

4. Speaking of monsters, they were absolutely horrid...in design and execution. Hell, even the Wendigo looked better and that was back in 2005! There is no excuse now with all of this technology and make-up availability, not even with a low budget.

5. There is zero chemistry between Mary and John. All the supposed "cute" moments were instead cringe. You actually find yourself asking out loud when it will all be over and the scene will change to something else.

6. Drake seemed to do a decent job with what he was given. Same for Nida, Ada, and Millie. I feel like Meg has potential but not so much as this character. I'm not sure where I stand on Jojo yet, they did decently with some scenes, where the others it felt like they were trying a bit too hard and there was some overacting on certain lines.

7. In the first scene we see Carlos, I don't know why but he makes me think of Sister Jo in the way he speaks, the way he presents himself, and his overall attitude. I don't know why I had that thought but I couldn't shake it once I had it so I ended up not caring for his character too much honestly.

8. Dean did not feel like "Dean", at all. Not the narration, not even in the one scene he was in. Having Baby there didn't change that vibe for me. Instead, all I saw was Jensen wearing Dean clothes and having let his hair grow out a bit. Dean being connected to this story made it feel very disconnected everywhere else.

Overall, it's blatantly obvious that they're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I almost think that had they pitched this idea without "Dean's" involvement, it still would be horrible but at least it wouldn't be disrespecting the "mothership" or tearing down the 15 year legacy of the show it's leeching off of the way that it is. And some might have even given it a chance (though not many because who really wants to see the Mary and John story?). I can see this pushing forward a little, possibly even getting a full season (because since when do AA's or hellers care about quality?), but for it to go the long mile, I'm not so sure about that. Unless people are looking for absolutely mindless television to play in the background while they fold laundry, cook dinner, do something on the computer, or pay bills, then I don't see it lasting.

Perhaps if the Ackles were truthful and just said this is a reboot to appeal to a younger generation of fans. Perhaps if Jensen and "executive producer Danneel" had just admitted up front that this is a ploy for money and to dominate the brand, that they truly don't give a crap about the quality or the story or even the cast, then maybe...no, nope, it still wouldn't work. And it's very evident that the Ackles were on set for the pilot shoot, it's all crap. We'll see what happens with the other episodes they weren't involved in. I never thought I'd say this but I kind of hope that Jensen doesn't get to direct any episodes, not to be petty but because the episode might turn out better if he doesn't (and better is a loose term). Because guaranteed Danneel will be there with him "executive producing" (making playlists and talking about the love of the story and how she knows the 1970's are real) and then it's the pilot crap all over again.

But this is all just my opinion. Thank you for letting me share all of that with you.

Thank you so much for sharing your review! I truly enjoyed reading it.

I wouldn't be surprised if Latika or Ada are dead by the end of the season (Carlos is gaining a following, so I doubt they'll go). But the others are just canon fodder. They go and nothing changes the storyline. Lovely way to treat the POC's.

Rubber monster aliens! I don't know how the cast can act around those without cracking up every time.

It's like they cast Mary and John separately based on what they thought of the characters without realizing they needed chemistry reads. I can't imagine what the failed chemistry reads look like with other actors (if there were any).

"...they're trying to fit a square peg into a round hole." They would have been better off creating a show with brand new characters, just set in the SPN universe. But then, we wouldn't get Beau Dean dealing with amnesia trying to remember that he's from Kansas instead of Texas, or what happened to his parents (or the fact that he has a younger brother, but since he's got heaven-esia and can't even remember how to get to his parent's heaven house so he can just ask them to tell their story, it's understandable.)

Loved reading your opinion, and I agree, honesty would have gone a long way towards tempering people's opinions about this whole mess. (Now it's too late for any kind of honesty... not that we'd believe them.)

I had a really nice day. It was fun working from home. It was also kind of hard because I needed feedback and had questions I will have to wait on. But I got a lot accomplished!

I didn't stay home the whole time though. I would go out at one point. I had a very productive day.

I slept alright last night. James had fallen asleep on the couch for a while and I found it hard to fall asleep knowing they were out there. I would go out and kiss them on the head and they said they were sorry and came back to bed. They didn't do anything to be sorry about, but I told them it was okay anyway.

They were already gone to work when I woke up at 9. I am glad I got to sleep in. This whole week I'm going to get to sleep a little longer and that's just so lovely.

I felt good when I woke up. I stripped the bed and tidied up a bit. And went to get washed up.

I had decided I would listen to an audio book today. Since that would be long and I wouldn't have to change it basically all day. I chose one called "The fungus" from 1990. And it was great. I really liked it. It was an apocalypse story about a mushroom/spores that take over London. It was narrated so well. There were some very very random sex scenes, and it talked about rape 4 separate times. But overall I really enjoyed it! It was nice to finish that all today while I did all my little tasks.

I decided to take a shower and wash my hair. I did not use enough conditioner and felt sort of like a lion all day. Just very fluffy hair. But it was very clean and that was nice. I felt a little greasy last night. So this made me feel better, very clean.

James had made me an omelet that they left in the microwave. And it was a particularly good one. I brought it to my studio along with my laptop to get to work.

I would spent the first couple hours of the day designing a holiday card and a postcard to give to couples who get married at camp. I thought it would be fun to have 'happy holidays' in Blackfoot. Which is what language Puhtok is from. And I was able to find it! It is more a direct translation to have a happy Christmas, but it's close enough and a debated translation. I think it's more about use, and I have literally no idea how to pronounce it. But I think it's so cool that we could use that. I hope the office agrees.

The postcard was also fun but I struggled a lot with the language on it. I made a patch design and I think it's very cute but I am not positive it's correct. Next week I will hopefully get some feedback and make it perfect. James did just tell me that I spelled congratulations wrong. Terrible. It's okay I will fix it later.

Once my laptop was on the verge of dying I would decide it was lunch time, and I would go for a drive. I had a few things I wanted to go do, and would get something to eat while I was out.

It was not as cold out, but it was very windy. Which blew my hair all over and did not help the lion hair accusations. But it was not a bad day to be out in the world.

I drove to Glen Burnie. My GPS took me a very strange way through the city to 95. Which was whatever. There wasnt any traffic and it was a pretty nice drive.

I went to value village first. I continued listening to my audio book. I enjoyed walking around and seeing all the lovely weird things. I had some excellent finds today though. I did put some things back but the trumpet candlesticks were a need. I also got a candle stick wall holder that is so lovely. I got two pairs of shoes. And another dear america book. I also got another one of the glass cups I love. I used to have more but I only have one now!! So now I have a second one again. And for $2 instead of the $20 they normally cost. Amazing.

I would pay at the self checkout after walking through the store a few times. Even though it had lights on the lady was super when I needed help when it acted wrong. "I didn't want you to use that one!!" Well then why was the light on?? And you didn't say anything. Whatever. I checked out and headed to tacobell.

It was surprisingly busy. A whole construction crew ordering at the counter. I ordered at the kiosk and had barely any wait. It was very strange.

I was all of a sudden overheated and not having a good time. I had to open the windows while I ate my lunch in the car. But once I cooled down I would feel better and be okay. Even if I had to put the AC on high in the car for a few minutes.

Target was more money then I expected. But I had fun and stuck to my list pretty well. I was very excited about the cookie/truffle tins. They light up!! It's a decoration and a snack! I was very excited for the skirt, which I thought was $10 but was actually $4! I got some hair cream. For the lion hair. And then I was done. And it was time to go home.

It was a fine drive home even if people were dumb and were being bad about merging. But I made it home in one piece.

When I got inside I took some haul pictures to show Jess what I got. And took all the tags off and put things away. And then it was back to work.

I would work on my laptop on the schedule for camp until almost 6pm. This was rough. I went through the whole schedule 3 times. I got some of it sorted. I made a lot of mistakes. I accidentally doubled things up. But I think Im at least going in the right direction even if I don't have it done yet. It was really tough to think I had it, after 3 rounds of typing everything out, and realizing it wasn't correct m it was kind of upsetting. But I need someone else who understands the schedule to give me some answers about who goes tubing and canoeing and how many lifeguards we might have. And it is just a larger task then I think I thought. And I already knew it would be hard!

I still enjoyed my book though. James would come home while I was still working. And we chatted while I worked and they helped me go over the schedule and we thought it was correct and then when I realized it wasn't I had someone to be sad with while I called it a day.

James warmed up leftovers for us. And they went to their room to play DND with friends. And I started reading another book.

Actually reading this time and not listening. I got a copy of "ballad of songbirds and snakes" and read the first 3 chapters and it's great so far. I loved the hunger game series when it came out and I'm excited that I finally am interested in reading the prequel. So then I can watch the movie.

I would take a quick shower. And get changed. I hung out in my studio for a bit. Changing out my piercings. Feeling annoyed with my second hole in my ear. I don't have any good rings for it right now, they are all broken or missing parts. I have some earrings I can wear but I am not thrilled with them right now.

I grilled my bangs and moisturized my face. And now me and James are in bed.

And tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We are going to the Chang's and I am looking forward to that. But during the day I hope to read and do some sewing. I usually hate holidays because it's so much waiting and then I can't function. But I have decided that I am doing these two things so I can't be upset about waiting all day.

And I can just be thankful for my husband and my family.

I am also thankful for you reading this. I love you. Goodnight everyone.

Hi! I was thinking more of stone monkeys because they are pretty interesting to me!

I already said some of my little headcanons of them, but i wanted to go more in depth.

So yes! Here's the part two!

- stone monkeys don't rend to feel that much attraction to sex or romance, but again, it can happened for them to feel that way. It's just not necessarily important, they are rocks, they well. Get made in a pretty different way. (Imagine it like eggs.)

- each type of rock means a different type of personality, (but as a now living being, it can change into something worse or not.) By "different type" it's just how they were made, stone monkeys are based of physical things more than emotional or mental ones.

- as said, stone monkeys do live a LONG time as rocks "life spawn" is long, but eventually they do die. Or well. Break.

remember how in the specials LBD skin cracked a little? Okay, imagine that, but with stone monkeys it's a sign they are growing too old, they will soon break (die)

- stone monkeys do not have powers, other than the four elements, but it's just them being way more skilled in certain things, such as harvest (earth), surviving under water (can't swim though. But they don't have much problems staying there without breathing), handling well fire (but still gets damaged or directly melts if the temperature is too high) and they do handle wind well too! exactly like water, they aren't bothered by a windy weather, but too much wind can do damaged (a tornado for an example), they aren't immune.

- i already said how they can use the four elements but for a limited or short period of time, such as them being able to "control earth" and do so with the other elements. Like avatar imagine it like that, but they can't pass it as magic as again, their period of time is short for how much they can use it.

Like when you can hold your breath for longer than you should be, a skill that is cool but can't be too "useful" y'know?

- stone monkeys took longer to age, a stone monkey can be the oldest, but still look like the youngest

- they can stay still for a long, LONG period of time, with sleeping too! Like hibernating. And then go on with their day like nothing, unlike for example humans who if don't move too much their muscle become too weak to move anymore.

- stubborn.

- (already mentioned) they are strong physically, so it's not weird how wukong at the age of 10 could lift an entire tree without a bother.

- (already mentioned) depending on how big the rock is, they are more heavy, and depending on what type of rock, they are more hard to hurt (example: if you punch wukong, he won't feel a thing, but that also depends on how strong you are)

- they can't control their temperature, their body wasn't made to change temperature, they are like cold-blooded animals! They change their temperature based on the environment and weather they are in (summer = warmer ect.)

it does affect them tho sadly, in winter it's a pain if you don't have 60 warm fluffy monkeys to keep you warm.

- they have their own language! Just like demons, monkeys and humans! Wukong never learned it because he was the only type.

- just like irl rocks, every stone monkey has a different design! They can come out shiny (with like their skin made out of crystal) or rough (like with coal for example)

- let's say stone monkeys put more attention on body language, or anything related to physically stuff,

They aren't that much of a romantic type of spiece. But in the sense of flirting, complimenting and everything, when it comes to cuddles, kisses, or making their partners feel good, they are fucking great at it.

- when a stone monkey eats a rock, it's considered cannibalism.

- there are stone monkeys who are more social or more introvert, you can tell the difference if a stone monkey was born in the surface, (very social) in the ground, but not too deep (kinda neutral, both introvert and extrovert, or if they were born deep down in the ground (introvert).

Again, their personalities can change, it's based on the experiences and people around just like us.

And that's it!

That's my idea of stone monkeys :) i can write more if you want! (Maybe on personality ect.)

Part 1

I really like some of these headcanons and I might use some of them in the future

A small analysis on 3 'Can't You See Me?' Characters: Giselle, Six, Mono.

TW: Mentions of alcohol abuse, hospitals/pills y etc, blood?, religion, traumas.

Small context: This is me elaborating a bit on my thought process in a few characters of my Little Nightmares AU. It is on Ao3, with 10 chapters, and you can find it in my pinned post!

> Giselle.

I have yet to make her character sheet — But one thing about Giselle:

She doesn't have a set nationality. The thing about nationalities in CYSM is that they don't exactly interfere on the character's plots, but they help to bring in more depth to their designs through actual real-life cultures that they'd be a part of, or are inspired by, if the countries said cultures are a part of even existed in CYSM.

In a technical level, they do, but not explicitly —A Brazillian-inspired place isn't going to be called Brazil but readers would eventually find out it is basically the in-universe Brazil equivalent ig

So, with Giselle: She doensn't have a set nationality.

Giselle's nationality is a mystery because i personally thought it'd be cool if the girl who worships a alien god from somewhere from outer space, also decided to keep her roots hidden — It makes her more similar to her god and more mysterious in a way.

However, she's highly inspired by vampires and Rosaria from Genshin Impact.

Giselle is a character that's very in line with toxic religion — not a specific one in mind, but just the obsessive faith one might have that they think they're entitled to something just because they believe on a certain god, even if the decisions they make around their faith might harm the people surrounding them, even if they don't hold the same beliefs.

I tend to be as light as possible on topics as these, to be honest — I don't think a Little Nightmares fanfiction is the place to discuss real-life serious issues, though with brevity and creativity, I think Giselle's concept/idea as a character works balances things out quite well — it doesn't go too deep on said topics but it also goes far enough for the storyline to progress while sending a message across.

> Six:

Okay so brace yourselves — Six is kind of a doozy.

Six is... well, she's a mix. I think she encapsulates well the aesthetic appeal of games like Silent Hill — when i think of Six, I think of something like that, believe it or not.

Blood splatters on the snow, cloudy skies on a windy day, open bottle pills — Six's personality and even her concept board(Sorry i can't show it :( Has spoilers) is very intertwined with hospital imagery. It could be because she herself feels ill, even if her own body is seemingly fine. There's a lot to Six, and obviously the themes of lost childhood are very present on her entire characterization in CYSM.

She looks like the kind of girl who'd stitch up creepy teddy bears and plush bunnies, the kind of girl who'd still play with and cherish her dolls even if she's past the age of playing with toys (perhaps once everything's normal again, she could become a collector?), and the kind of girl who enjoys cute and morbid things alike.

I think, if i had to choose a description for her — I'd probably call her a fallen angel or something along these lines. She has a unreal beauty and tragedy to her, and such a specific personality I often find myself having difficulty explaining how much thought went into her characterization with just words. She's much deeper than how I've written her so far.

Here's a small look into her pinterest board:

> Mono:

Mono, or also known as Mauricio — He's brazillian! — Is an artist. He's the definition of the word; a creative young man who isn't afraid to use his talents to change the world, the boy is afraid of life, but presses fowards even if he's terrified of what the future may hold for him. I mean, after nine years of doing nothing, it was about time he'd start exploring the world around him, yes?

And as he explores, he brings messages of hope and kindness for other survivors, through his art! Mono is the kind of relaxed, laid-back artist who enjoys scribbling in his notebook while drinking something, so he can eventually bring those drawings to life by replicating them on the walls everywhere he goes, may it be cities, broken houses, forgotten towns and village or even random rocks he finds in the wilderness — The world is his canvas, his home, and he's determined to try and fix it.

So it's not a surprise, as seen though his entire personality, that Mono is the kind of artist who enjoys making critics about the world they live in — He doesn't consider himself a hero, but he feels pride in sending the messages and criticism he believes the others need to hear.

hes also kind of a drunkard lmfao

(i couldn't find any credits for the art of the wolf on the print below, please tell me if you know so i can properly credit!)

hellloooo!!

💣 Blow it up: pick one NHL team. Change its name, mascot, logo/colors. Tell me why you chose the new elements.

🌟 What are your five favorite things about yourself? Come on, don’t be shy. Give me 5.

🪽 Name a NHL player whom you would: Sacrifice to the Gods, Do Hard Crimes With, and Save the World With.

🏛️ Here, have a soap box. What is one thing you feel really strongly about that you think everyone should know?

🎶 What would your goal song be and why?

💣 Blow it up: pick one NHL team. Change its name, mascot, logo/colors. Tell me why you chose the new elements. i just rebranded the b.lackhawks! but i'll do it again. it's the windy city! chicago's team is now the chicago zephyr! this time we'll do a full rebrand, colors and jerseys and all. i like the idea of the guys in black. black is such an Intimidating color you know... i think it makes guys look bigger, more imposing. so let's do black and light gray and light aqua blue. gray and blue being vaguely... wind colors. i'm imagining the blue accents being glittery like lak and vgk glittery silver and gold accents respectively. i think the logo is like a simplified swirl type thing. :)

🌟 What are your five favorite things about yourself? Come on, don’t be shy. Give me 5. hehe ok. i make good friends and hopefully am a good friend also <3, i am really hard to stress out — i'm very level headed! i have a good eye for graphic design and also i'm a good graphic designer. i cook well and love doing it! and also my hair is nice.

🪽 Name a NHL player whom you would: Sacrifice to the Gods, Do Hard Crimes With, and Save the World With. sacrifice to the gods: i know i said i wasn't going to sacrifice anyone last time i answered this. but now i'm watching caps pens. so i'm a different person. goodbye sid you had a good run. do hard crimes: ok i think. i would like to go on a crime spree with nikita kucherov. i think it would be fun. AND i think we would get away with it. save the world with: come along tj oshie. we have a world to save. (we'd do it. it'd be kind of like..... touch and go. but we'd do it. and morale would NEVER waver.)

🏛️ Here, have a soap box. What is one thing you feel really strongly about that you think everyone should know? thought about talking about nicklas but i talk about him so much already i guess i'll switch it up!!! do you people know that matthew tkachuk is really genuinely one of the best playmakers in the league. like he is really good at hockey lol. i don't think the tumblr/twt fandom perception of him is like... correct! like for instance i feel like i see people act like b.rady is the de facto better player and at this point in their careers.... that's just not correct. he's bigger! he's got a better shot. but matthew is craftier, a better playmaker, a better passer. and this is likely partly a product of being older and b.rady will grow into this too, but rn matthew walks the line of antagonizing the other team without going too far really well. he stirs things up and then skates away and picks up an assist on the power play. he's the best american winger in the game right now and i mean it!

🎶 What would your goal song be and why? hehe i previously said glory and gore by lorde BUT i'll throw in hooked on a feeling by blue suede. i think she'd get the crowd GOIN

The Notes You Left pt. 2

Part One Is Here | Explanation Post is Here

Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback! Someone in the comments showed me that someone managed to get a rough estimate of how much Batman weighs and his height by using a picture of him standing next to Bruce after an attack on Wayne Manor. And DANG I knew Bruce was tall and bulky but DAMN. Batman is 6"4 and 250lbs of straight muscle. For anyone who isn't aware, according to most sources Bruce is anywhere between 5"11 and 6 foot, and is almost always quoted as being 190lbs. Like Bruce is also pure muscle but holy shit he must be TINY compared to Batman. ALSO: some people who are new to the fandom are just now discovering the "Abel Bates" name! The fandom came up with it! I can't honestly remember what Abel means, but I remember that Bates is an Old English word for Bat. On the nose lol I know. Anyway, here's chapter 2!

Chapter 2:

"Glider wings require a heavier, more durable fabric. They are fine if you are in clear skies, but if this is gonna be a product for tactical use or an everyday transportation method for those in cities or in heavily wooded areas, a fabric change is necessary. Given that most people don't live in the suburbs, I would highly recommend graphene fabric. I understand it is a newer technology but its great at getting the job done. There is a place in Metropolis that makes it if your ok with outsourcing. If not, I'm sure Wayne Tech is smart enough to figure it out. Other than that, my only note is that landing with this thing is horrible. It can be done but not as easily as you'd hope. Perhaps its an aerodynamics problem, or its not designed for Gotham weather, but perhaps different models for different climates and weather patterns. Gotham is gonna need one that lands easily on windy days, otherwise someone could get seriously hurt. Thank you for your understanding, and as always, the other prototypes were left unharmed.

        - B"

Bruce saw it on the news before anyone even reported it missing. The Batman using a Wayne Tech prototype glider while fighting Riddler. People were starting to assume Bruce was just giving this stuff to him. In many ways, he essentially was.

Monday was the press meetings. Damage control. "We are doing everything in our power to stop these thefts. As of now, we have no leads, and no idea where the prototypes could be going."

Tuesday was the police. "Seriously? Again Mr. Wayne? Don't you guys have security?"

Today was Wednesday. Get into work early, plant the note in the science department, erase footage from cameras. Easy peasy.

Bruce finished up transcribing the latest letter. The Batman had left this, along side various tests he had run. Bruce had no idea what the hell "graphene fabric" is but he's sure either the science department or the textiles department will know.

"Alfred, you know a lot of tailors, right?" Bruce asked. Alfred Pennyworth, the man who was just suppose to be his butler. It was a big media storm when Alfred announced he was adopting Bruce after the Waynes were murdered. Social services nearly stopped him, but something happened and the adoption went through. They've been each other's family since.

"A select few. I knew more when you were a teenager. I had to get your clothes mended and adjusted at least twice a month when you were that age. I'd blink and you'd grow an inch, it was a constant problem. Now that your an adult? Not nearly as many. Why?" Alfred asked him.

"Do you think any of them would know what graphene fabric is?"

"Graphene what? I've never even heard of it."

"It's a type of fabric, it's meant to be very durable."

"Master Bruce, I have been washing, drying, and ironing your clothing since you were a baby. Almost all of your clothes are made from long lasting, durable fabrics. I can tell you right now that the suit you have on right now is made of pure silk. I have done enough laundry and looked at enough of the tags on your clothes to know that whatever that is is not in anyway a common fabric. At least not for clothing."

Bruce thought about this for a moment before speaking. "Alright then. Hey, just so you know, typewriter is gonna need more ink", he said, before finishing his coffee and leaving for work.

-----------------------------

Bruce arrived early. 5:30 am, to be exact. Nobody is working until 7 at the earliest. Gives him plenty of time to plant the note, erase any footage of him in the building, and then go get a non-caffeinated breakfast.

After successfully planting the note in the science department, he goes to erase the footage, only to find the cameras are already off.

"Why are you helping me?" A deep voice behind him asks. Bruce feels a chill run down his spine as he turns around.

There he is. In the flesh. The Batman. Something about being this close to him is horrifying. The suit definitely adds some of the bulk, but this guy is Big.

"Am I not suppose to help?"

"First note was a mistake. I was bleeding, in a hurry, and pen and paper were the only thing I could find. The second was to see if you'd cover for me again. And you did cover for me again. And again. And again. So once again Bruce, why are you helping me?" He asked him. Bruce understood how he could be so intimidating. But at the same time, there was this feeling of... familiarity to it. He wondered how far he could push it.

"Well, you see Bats, those notes you leave us are gaining me more than I'm losing. Those products release with almost no bugs left. Even this latest theft of yours is gonna be beneficial for me. I don't even know what graphene fabric is, let alone how useful it could be in this and in other products. I am a business man. This is a profit." Bruce explained. That wasn't the real reason. That was the reason he told himself so he didn't think about it too much.

"That explains why you didn't turn the notes in. Not why you've been transcribing them."

Bruce was taken aback by this. He shouldn't know that part.

"How do you-"

"I hack into your cameras regularly to turn them off. You think I don't do the same thing to watch whats happening? How do you think I know what to take? So once again, why are you transcribing the notes for me?"

"Your handwriting is shit"

"And yet you can read it"

The tension in the room was... heavy. Bruce couldn't entirely tell what it was other than intimidating and scary, but there was something else in the air that he couldn't place.

"I don't want you getting caught". Bruce explained. "I'm afraid someone will turn it in, or that they'll recognize the handwriting and turn you in."

"I appreciate that. Now why do you care?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Most wealthy people in Gotham wish I were dead. The police force hates me. And for every 10 citizens to whom I bring peace, there is 1 who I scare to the bone. So why do you want to protect me?" He asked. Bruce couldn't see his eyes under the mask, but he could feel them. He could tell that there was eye contact that had gone unbroken since the second this conversation began. It shook him to his core.

"Something about the way you write those notes is familiar. Something about you in general is familiar. Even talking to you right now feels familiar. Seriously, do I know you under that mask? You don't have to tell me who you are, just a yes or no"

Bruce felt, in that moment, that he was being studied. The eyes under the mask seemed to have left his own, and instead took a moment to ponder his body language. He suddenly felt that everything he was doing was wrong. The way he stood, the way his hands rested, the look on his face, it was suddenly all being tested and put under review. It made it hard to think.

"Will you continue to help if I tell you?" The man in the mask asked him.

"Of course."

"Yes. You know me. Hurry up and get out of here, it's almost 6:30, you should be gone by now. Do yourself a favor, pretend to sleep in and show up late."

"What about the footage?" Bruce asked.

"Bruce, no offense, you are shit at actually erasing the footage. I do this for you everytime. I'm amazed you didn't get caught the first time. Now go."

Without another word, Bruce left.

ACTUAL Author's Note: Ya know how sometimes when Bruce and Batman have to be somewhere at the same time (for example when Bruce sorta just KNOWS a banquet he's holding is gonna be attacked) that Bruce will have Clark be Batman for the night, that way people don't think they are the same person? Yeah that's where those "Batman measurements" ACTUALLY come from. It's just Clark compared to Bruce lol.

Btw feel free to share this and reblog it, this is such a niche fic and I doubt anyone is gonna see it otherwise

Tag list: @fuckingshittykawa and whoever else wants to be added to the tag list

Cbeebies alphablocks game

CBEEBIES ALPHABLOCKS GAME TV

CBEEBIES ALPHABLOCKS GAME MAC

Learning with the Alphablocks is easy – by watching the episodes and playing the games the phonics sink in and become second nature while they’re having fun! From phonics with the Alphablocks to shapes with Hey Duggee there is so much to help kids learn in this fun CBeebies app. All the collection of latest new cbeebies games are listed below. Click the "ADD NEW PAGE" or "EDIT" button at the top of any page to get started! Windy Adventures. chanson ABC alphabet en anglais | ABC song alphablocks cbeebies toys.

CBEEBIES ALPHABLOCKS GAME MAC

Blue Zoo has produced many hit pre-school shows including Go Jetters, Digby Dragon, Miffy, Tree Fu Tom, Mac & Izzy, and more.2:05.

CBEEBIES ALPHABLOCKS GAME TV

Alphablocks is a step-by-step reading system with episodes, books and more that has helped over a million children learn to read the fun way.Īlphablocks Letter Fun was created by Blue Zoo Animation, the multi-award winning studio who are passionate about creating fantastic content for kids tv and games. It’s built around systematic synthetic phonics, as taught in UK schools. You can reset it if you want to start again or to let a friend or sibling play.)Īlphablocks is made by teachers and reading experts. Can you light up all the stars for all your Alphablocks? (The app keeps your progress between visits. Collect all four stars to watch the Alphablock sing their line from the Alphablocks letter song. When your child has mastered their letters and sounds, change to Letter Name mode and have fun learning all the letter names too.Įvery minigame earns a star. Sing along with the Alphablocks as they all get together to sing their letter sounds in a mnemonic song that kids will love and remember! ◆ Hide and seek - listen carefully to tell letter sounds apart, and see if you can spot where the Alphablock is hiding. ◆ Favourite things - listen out for words that begin with each letter sound and add them to the Alphablock’s collection of favourite things. ◆ Paint me - listen to letter sounds as you paint each Alphablock with your finger. ◆ Bubble pop! - match letters to sounds by popping the bubbles that match the sounds you hear. There are four minigames per Alphablock - that’s over 100 great activities for kids to enjoy! They’ll have great fun getting hands-on with letters and sounds. 'Alphablock A says a! when an apple lands on her head! 'Įvery Alphablock is designed to make their letter and sound easy to learn, encouraging kids to interact with the characters and really get to know the alphabet. Now your little ones can meet all the Alphablocks from A to Z, learning letters and sounds with four great phonics mini-games and a fantastic singalong song. It’s hugely entertaining to play and makes a real difference to their reading through fun, multisensory learning.Īlphablocks has been on TV for nearly a decade, helping millions of children learn to read the fun way. Your little ones are going to LOVE interacting with the Alphablocks in this amazing App. Letter Fun has four minigames for each Alphablock (more than 100 total) to help your child master their letters and sounds, and they can sing along to the whole Alphablocks letter song.įrom the BAFTA nominated pre-school learning TV shows Alphablocks and Numberblocks, we bring you Alphablocks Letter Fun! If you enjoy this app, try ALPHABLOCKS LETTER FUN and really get to know the Alphablocks and the alphabet. Watch Alphablocks on CBeebies and find out more at READY FOR MORE? It’s also part of a whole reading system that can give your child a boost in key phonics skills. Listen to the Alphablocks singing their letter sounds, then change to Letter Name mode and have fun learning all the letter names too.Īlphablocks uses best-practice phonics as taught in UK schools. Every Alphablock is designed to help your child remember their letters and letter sounds, so A says a! when an apple falls on her head, and so on. It couldn’t be simpler: tap to bring each Alphablock to life and hear them sing their letter sound and a line from the Alphablocks song. Alphablocks is the hit TV show that’s helping millions of children learn to read the fun way. Meet the Alphablocks, get to know your alphabet and letter sounds and sing along to the Alphablocks song.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Texas Ranchers Face Crippling Losses (NYT) Justin Homen kept driving across his vast Texas ranch, but he only found the same bleak scenes: blackened grassland, charred cow carcasses and smoldering debris turned almost entirely to ash. Then he arrived at the place he thinks of as a hidden oasis: a pond and small lake that, in better times, bask in the emerald glow of looping, leafy trees and tall grass. As he stepped out of the cab of his truck and onto the singed grass, his mutter was nearly drowned out by the wind. “Pretty sickening.” Almost all of his family’s century-old ranch, a swath of land nearly the size of Manhattan, had been burned this week when the largest fire in state history tore through the Texas Panhandle. Mr. Homen, 41, finds himself among scores of cattle ranchers across the Great Plains looking at an uncertain future. Thousands of animals have been killed, and outbuildings and homes have been destroyed in fires across Texas, Nebraska and Kansas. The Smokehouse Creek fire, near Mr. Homen’s ranch outside the town of Pampa, has expanded to more than one million acres and threatens to grow further this weekend with windy, dry conditions expected.

Organized crime attacks on local candidates raise fears Mexico may face its bloodiest elections ever (AP) As Mexico prepares for the largest elections in its history, organized crime is once again preying on local candidates across swaths of the country where cartels dominate, raising concerns among experts that these could be Mexico’s bloodiest elections ever. Julián López, coordinator for the Citizen Movement party in the southern state of Guerrero, experienced it first hand when rifle-toting gunmen abducted him and two colleagues while they were driving on Feb. 7. The 43-year-old López was beaten, stripped of his possessions, made to kneel near a remote garbage dump and ultimately abandoned in the middle of the night. Two mayoral hopefuls in the town of Maravatio in neighboring Michoacan state were not so fortunate. They were killed by gunmen within hours of each other Monday. A third mayoral hopeful from that town was abducted and found dead in November. While federal authorities offer security details to national candidates, those running for local offices—the ones that drug cartels really want to control—are completely exposed.

Armed gangs attack main prison in Haiti, releasing inmates (Miami Herald) Armed gangs attacked Haiti’s National Penitentiary on Saturday, allowing several notorious gang leaders and other prisoners to escape the vastly overcrowded facility, a high-level police source confirmed. The prison houses some of the country’s highest-profile inmates, including indicted suspects in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. The break occurred after gangs had besieged the Port-au-Prince prison for days. The siege unfolded while Prime Minister Ariel Henry was visiting Kenya. In his absence, terrorizing gangs launched an attack on the capital that led to the deaths of at least five police officers when they overtook a police station, and the cancellation of international flights. The National Penitentiary in downtown Port-au-Prince is Haiti’s most overcrowded prison. It was designed for 3,900 inmates, but as of early January held 11,778 inmates.

Argentina’s Milei pledges to ‘speed up’ plans in fiery challenge to Congress (Reuters) Argentine President Javier Milei vowed to “speed up” his plans to overhaul the country and solve its economic woes in a fiery speech to Congress on Friday, challenging them to pass a new package of bills after an earlier version of his “omnibus” reform was rebuffed last month. Milei, speaking to lawmakers in a state-of-the-union style address, took an aggressive tone, inviting Congress to join him but warning that he would make changes with or without the legislature. “We won’t back down, we’re going to keep pushing forward,” Milei said. “Whether that’s by law, presidential decree or by modifying regulations.” The speech underscored Milei’s determination to push ahead with divisive economic reforms and austerity measures that have boosted markets but have sparked protests, including outside of Congress on Friday, and pushback among lawmakers. Milei’s proposals include slashing government spending on politicians, including benefits such as private jets.

Ever more undocumented Indian migrants (Washington Post) Billboards crowd the small lanes of this northern Indian city, calling out to those who dream of a different future. A sign in the Punjabi language beckons: “Let’s Go To America.” Indians have come to make up the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center’s 2021 estimates, which put the number of such Indians at 725,000. India is the only country in the top five outside Latin America, and since 2011, the number of undocumented Indians in the United States has grown by 70 percent, the fastest growth of all nationalities. Figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show that the number of undocumented Indian immigrants increased the fastest between 2020 and 2023. The immigrants are often from middle-class families. They frequently sell their land to pay for the journey—which families say can run $40,000 to $100,000 per person—hoping that working in America will triple their wages, produce a secure future for their children and yield a higher value in the marriage market for their sons. These migrants are “not the desperately poor” and often come from the most prosperous states in India, said Devesh Kapur, a South Asian studies professor at Johns Hopkins University who focuses on the Indian diaspora. But faced with a shortage of attractive jobs and a struggling agricultural sector, they find that the wealth they have in India is not enough to transform their lives, and this creates “a culture of migration,” he said.

China’s major political meeting of the year gets underway (AP) One burning issue dominates as the 2024 session of China’s legislature gets underway this week: the economy. The National People’s Congress annual meeting, which opens Tuesday, is being closely watched for any signals on what the ruling Communist Party might do to reenergize an economy that is sagging under the weight of expanded government controls and the bursting of a real-estate bubble. That is not to say that other issues won’t come up. Proposals to raise the retirement age are expected to be a hot topic, the state-owned Global Times newspaper said last week. And China watchers will parse the annual defense budget and the possible introduction of a new foreign minister. But the economy is what is on most people’s minds in a country that may be at a major turning point after four decades of growth that propelled China into a position of economic and geopolitical power. For many Chinese, the failure of the post-COVID economy to rally strongly last year is shaking a long-held confidence in the future.

Welcome to Japan, Where the Bad News Is the Good News (NYT) The economy is now in recession after barely growing for decades. The population continues to shrink, with births last year plunging to a nadir. The country’s politics appear frozen as one party holds a virtual lock on power no matter how scandal-tainted and unpopular it becomes. But not to worry. This is Japan. Take a look around. There are few signs of the societal discord you might expect in a place with trend lines like Japan’s, such as accumulating garbage, potholes or picket lines. The country remains remarkably stable and cohesive, with little sense of impending doom. That equanimity reflects a no-need-to-rock-the-boat mind-set: “Shouganai”—“it can’t be helped”—is something of a national refrain. It’s easy to see why people might be nonchalant. Unemployment is low, the trains run on time and the cherry blossoms bloom every spring. Tourists are flooding the shrines and shopping districts, and the stock market has hit a record high. Housing is generally affordable even in Tokyo, and everybody is covered by national health insurance. Crime is low: In 2022, there were just three gun killings in all of Japan. If you forget your cellphone in a restaurant, chances are it will be there when you return.

Palestinian women detained by Israel allege abuse in Israeli custody (AP) Nabela thought the United Nations school in Gaza City was a safe haven. Then, the Israeli army arrived. Soldiers stormed the place, ordering men to undress and hauling women to a mosque for strip searches, she said. So began six weeks in Israeli custody that she says included repeated beatings and interrogations. “The soldiers were very harsh, they beat us and screamed at us in Hebrew,” said the 39-year-old from Gaza City, who spoke on condition that her last name not be used for fear of being arrested again. “If we raised our heads or uttered any words, they beat us on the head.” Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war have alleged widespread physical abuse and neglect. It’s not known how many women or minors have been detained. Rights groups say Israel is “disappearing” Gaza Palestinians—detaining them without charge or trial and not disclosing to family or lawyers where they’re held. Israel’s prison service says all “basic rights required are fully applied by professionally trained prison guards.”

Houthi fight extracts heavy cost on Pentagon (The Hill) More than two months of direct fighting with the Houthis has heavily taxed the U.S. military, which is expending a significant amount of money to take down cheap drones, launch retaliatory strikes and defend against rebels who are, in turn, shooting down pricey American drones. In most cases, the U.S. is launching $2 million defense missiles to stop $2,000 Houthi drones, a discrepancy that the Yemini rebel group has noted in its statements mocking Washington. The cost of taking on the Houthis is also becoming more apparent as the defiant fighters show no signs of stopping and could lock the U.S. into a long conflict—and it’s throwing the world into a tough spot. “North Yemen is becoming like North Korea when it comes to firing rockets over the seas,” said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen and Middle East expert at analyst and consulting company Navanti Group. “It’s going to be a long-term issue for not just us, but for the world.”