When public services are affordable and convenient, people will always choose those resources. They are not supposed to be a capitalistic profit-seeking initiative, they are developed for the benefit of the people, for a better life, just as government resources should be used. (tweet)

I am 🌟 COLLECTING 🌟 library cards

Reminder that the Libby App (library app - has books, audio, graphic novels) let's you add multiple libraries, you just need your card number and pin, and when you search for materials will search all of the data bases you have access to! Making the chances of you getting the book (and quickly for example if one library has a wait-list for the book, another might not) much better!!!

Don't buy books from Audible/Amazon when you can use free public resources even if you can't leave your house! You can even apply for library cards online without going in and usually get a 30 day grace period before having to go in with a license/id for a permanent library card 💖💖💖

While I was working in retail, I wanted to make an illustrated PLU listing book. I no longer have time for it, and with how things are prone to changing in retail a lot I think it would quickly become obsolete for it’s intended purpose. I still think that you should have access to a PLU list so when you’re at self checkout and you have produce, you can check yourself out faster, so here’s a comprehensive document I found with most commonly used PLU codes.

More simply, always remember: Bananas will almost always be 4011 unless marked down.

The Creator's Guide to Comics Devices is OPEN!!! comicsdevices.com

An online library of visual-narrative devices that are used in the medium of comics and other sequential art.

Happy Halloween! I'm really excited to be finally launching* what is maybe one of my most ambitious, largest work yet. This online library is the next phase of a research project that began in May 2020, when I first mused on how comics as a field doesn't have a resource that catalogues devices used in the medium. Like, theatre has devices, so does literature, and film! So why shouldn't comics? I always had an interest in comics studies and analysis. I love reading, making and thinking comics. However most of my knowledge was intuitive - I learned comics from osmosis and experience. This is true for many of my peers. Speaking about comics as a creator is hard, because we don't have a robust system of language. When we had to speak, many of us tend to reach for the language developed for film by film practitioners. If there is language specific to comics, it's either scattered in multiple blogs or hidden away in academic journals. The Comics Devices library is meant to aggregate everything and everybody into a single hub! After exploring some multiple resources, alongside some original, independent research, here is the first edition! * The Comics Devices project is still a work-in-progress! It's not final, nor will it ever be. This is why I am seeking contributors to help build this library. Translations, comics examples, etc. There is a lot of work to do! If you are interested, reply to this post or submit an expression of interest on this page.  Have fun everyone!! (Now time for me to melt x_x)

some rather basic tips to writing

Start with an idea: The first step in creating a good storyline is to come up with an idea. This can be anything from a character, a setting, or a plot point that you find interesting.

Develop your characters: Once you have an idea, it's time to start developing your characters. Think about their personalities, motivations, and backstories. This will help you create characters that are relatable and interesting to your readers.

Create a plot: With your characters in mind, it's time to start creating a plot. Think about what your characters want, what obstacles they will face, and how they will overcome them. This will help you create a compelling story that will keep your readers engaged.

Use descriptive language: When writing your story, use descriptive language to help your readers visualize the setting and characters. This will help them become more invested in the story and feel like they are a part of it.

Show, don't tell: Instead of telling your readers what is happening, show them through actions and dialogue. This will help your readers become more engaged in the story and feel like they are experiencing it firsthand.

Use dialogue effectively: Dialogue is an important part of any story, as it helps to reveal character traits and move the plot forward. Use dialogue effectively by making it sound natural and realistic.

Edit and revise: Once you have finished your first draft, it's time to edit and revise. Look for areas where you can improve the story, such as plot holes or weak character development. This will help you create a polished final product that your readers will enjoy.

By following these steps, you can create a good storyline and use effective writing techniques to engage your readers and keep them invested in your story.

I love you PBS I love you NPR I love you public libraries I love you wikipedia I love you project gutenberg I love you librivox I love you libby I love you hoopla I love you openlibrary I love you internet archive I love you resources that make information free and accessible to the public

a list of cool websites, with the topic gradually changed:

Library of Short Stories - A free and accessible collection of short stories from the public domain.

Global Grey ebooks - Free ebook downloads on a wide range of topics.

Weird Old Book Finder - A search tool that responds with one public domain book at a time.

Oldest Search - Search for the oldest results on the internet.

Deletionpedia - A wiki for articles deleted from Wikipedia.

Killed by Microsoft - A graveyard for the discontinued.

i don’t know what it is about sign language that makes ppl say the most buckwild most uninformed shit you’ve ever seen in your life. like. i’m hoh and only conversationally fluent. i have access needs, sure, but i’m not qualified to educate anyone about sign language. so i generally stay out of it.

the thing is, there’s only so many times you can see someone confidently say some shit like “why didn’t they just make ONE sign language???” or “actually every country has their own asl” or “wait, i can answer this! i don’t know anything about sign language, but i read a wattpad fic about a Deaf girl in 2015—” before you start chewing on walls

I highly, highly recommend this website (thank you https://chrisisgre.at/!) which has an extensive set of resources and sources for covid knowledge.

The image above (also alt text-included) is of the youhavetoliveyour.life website, which is an incredible set of resources with articles that debunk common covid denial sayings, such as "covid is mild now" or "I got it and I'm fine" or "Healthy people don't have to worry about it." The image shows a drop-down menu with common covid denial excuses.

The website also uses photos of prominent public health leaders such as Leana Wen or Ashish Jha or Mandy Cohen, who have been touting, falsely and dangerously, that covid is "over," that it's "not a big deal," that "we have the tools now" (even though we don't, actually, and long covid is absolutely devastating).

Select a statement from the drop-down menu to find informative, helpful, and scientific articles that explain why those statements are misleading and incorrect.

Here is the link:

I've been meaning to make this post for a while because there are always arguments and frustrations regarding WCIFs here on simblr. With new users and simblrs popping up every day, I thought it wise to take a few minutes to inform people on this topic as some people really might not even know what WCIF means or what the universally acceptable way to approach WCIF asks is.

WCIF is shorthand for "where can I find..."

If you are a simblr, it is a good idea to clarify in your blog's bio if you are open to messages asking about cc, that way people visiting your blog don't have to guess. You can indicate this by saying you are either WCIF Friendly or WCIF Unfriendly/No WCIFs. If someone is WCIF friendly, it means that they welcome messages in their ask box regarding where to find a certain mod, piece of cc, etc. If someone is WCIF unfriendly, this means they do not welcome messages in their ask box of this nature.

When someone is WCIF unfriendly, you should respect their terms and boundaries by not sending them a message asking where to find something for the sims. Yes, this means even "well-intended" asks that are ultra polite are not welcome to them (which is perfectly okay). Instead, first check if the user has a "CC Finds" sideblog where they reblog the cc they use.

If they don't have a "CC Finds" blog where they essentially archive the cc they use, you can make a post on your own blog with a screenshot (with a link to the original post) and/or a description of the cc you're looking for and tag it as public wcif, this way people can respond if they know what the mod or cc is. There are also reddit threads for sims 4 wcifs you can post on. If you don't want to do any of that, try googling it by description! You'd be surprised how intuitive the results can be.

On the other hand, if someone is WCIF friendly they are open to helping you find a specific piece of cc for the sims, but you should always send them a WCIF in their ask box, not through a private message or a comment on their post. This is so they can make one public post and avoid inquiries about the same cc over and over again. They will likely tag these posts on their page as "WCIF," so be sure to check their tags before you ask them about a piece of cc because they might have already linked to it in a different ask!

It should go without saying, but even though someone is WCIF friendly this doesn't mean you can disregard kindness when it comes to asking someone a favor. Say hi, ask politely (please and thank you go a long way ya know!), and be patient. People who are wcif friendly choose to take their time to link cc for others, so they're doing you a favor...be nice!

I think I covered the basics as simply as I could; the most important thing is to remember that there are real people on the other side of simblr blogs, and whether they have 13,000 followers or 3 they deserve to be respected. Just be kind and respect people's boundaries. I hope this helps someone, and if you didn't know about any of this... now you know! 👍

following the theory that loki intentionally banded the avengers together so he could sicc them on thanos later, after he took the throne in T:TDW, i think he'd be so angry at the events of civil war like:

loki as odin: hello heimdall, how do earth's mightiest heroes fare as of late?

heimdall: they have disagreed on many subjects and split up two days ago

loki:

heimdall:

loki: they haVE WHAT?

cue loki coming down to earth and bonking everyone's heads together until they all get along again

stark: how the heck are you alive???

loki: skills. listen here, i did not pour my blood, sweat and tears to form this team for you idiots to throw all my hard work out the window!

loki, grabbing rhodes and stark by the wrists: now, we are going to get your little friends out of prison, understood?

like an exasperated kindergarten teacher, y'know?

Loki, hitting Steve over the head with a newspaper: he's your friend, of course he's upset you lied to him about something like this

Tony: hah!

Loki, giving Tony a death glare: did you have to fight each other about it

I was going to do an apothecary set this month, but ending up laid up in bed at the end of the month means it has to be pushed back... however, I did clean up and add-to my ultra useful and ohmygodcannotlivewithoutthem composition brushes to make them presentable to the public! They're easily transformed and flipped to fit your canvas, and they're immensely useful for illustrations, comic work, or any visual thing you need doing. These are up on my patreon as well as a bunch of clean, full sized comic pages, illustrations, and some bonus transparent .png borders that I made. And like I mentioned before, I'm doing a new big illo as well.. it's not quite ready yet, (though it's very close!) and its full size version will be available when it is. There's also a new comic update coming tomorrow with three pages (yikes!? yay!?) anyway, if you want stuff or want to support my work and the comic (...food), you can head over to the✨ Solivaga Patreon!✨

Reasons to Make a Library Card

(A list written by someone who has worked at a public library in the states for a year now)

Books/Traditional Materials: As you've likely heard many times before, libraries are a great place to get free books (normal and large print), DVDs, CDs, magazines, and audiobooks

E-Library: With your library card, you will also be to access Ebooks on websites like Hoopla and Libby. Library streaming services like Kanopy will also allow you to watch movies and tv shows for free! On top of these websites, libraries pay for subscriptions to databases like Creativebug that have tutorials for learning new crafts

Programming: Making new friends can be difficult, and finding fun things to do is expensive! Libraries offer fun programs for people to do activities (like crafts, yoga, dancing, and book clubs) and meet new friends! Most programs are free, and many libraries don't require you to have a library card to participate. Have a program you'd like to do but don't see on the website calendar? Many libraries are happy to take suggestions!

Free Wifi: In addition to free wifi and computers offered in the building, the library where I work also offers mobile hotspots patrons can check out for free wifi on the go. These devices are quite popular, so you may need to wait on a list, but they are a great resource for people who otherwise may not have access to the internet

Other Resources: Passes to local museums, video games (my library has a switch game collection), educational materials for all ages, and more!

You making a library card and using these resources helps libraries stay open and get the funding they need! Please use libraries, they're there for you!

America isn't the only nation where immigrants are being given aid above its own citizens. The UK is actively placing immigrants over its own citizens for financial aid, housing and healthcare. UK families have been on housing lists for months but immigrant families are housed within days to weeks. Our healthcare is free so immigrants are flocking here and combined with the crippled state of our healthcare system already, I've been waiting literal months for a basic GP appointment while the as part of aid initiatives, immigrants are being given priority.

And no, I am absolutely not saying we should not help people, or that people shouldn't come to the UK and be helped, because I absolutely believe that people fleeing volatile countries and situations have a basic right to be given refuge, but when they're fleeing to places that are already in a downward slide of taking care of the people who've lived there their entire lives, and it then begins to prioritise its already lacking resources not into diving care equally but into providing care for immigrants, its a problem.

Our NHS is already crippled and at risk of being made for-profit like America and with more and more people coming to the UK specifically for the free healthcare and more affordable living (which, trust me, its not so affordable anymore) we are literally running out of resources and people who've lived here their entire lives are losing out on housing, healthcare, financial aid and other resources because they're all being given to people seeking refuge. We can't keep going like this but our Government won't listen to us and won't work with other countries and Governments to help allocate resources, space and divide the number of people coming here. We're a small country. We don't have half the room America does or half the resources.

And you think the reason for all health, education, housing, public service, civic/arts, infrastructure, economic, etc funding being cut for British citizens, after 13 years of the Tories deliberately and extensively cutting all that funding, is because of......... immigrants?

FUCK YOU ALL GO TO THE FUCKING LIBRARY!!!!! LIBRARY I LOVE YOU I AM KISSING YOU SO MUCH

QUICK QUESTION regarding your beings made of stardust au, and I have no idea if we've been told this before BUT we know that sun, moon, eclipse and some others (lost to mukbang 20k special 💔) went on a space ship as a crew. But how common is it for these crews to exist? Do they serve some kind of cooperation or company or do they just fuck around independently for the shits and giggles until eclipse decided hmmm do you ever wonder what you taste like?

Eclipse and his crew work for the medical industry with a corporation that funds them! They gather resources that can be used as medicine! Most stardust! It's considered dangerous work so it's not too common (which means they get paid pretty handsomely) but there are other jobs that involve space travel that are a lot safer so space ship crews are very common. It's the work that's not so common. There are independent crews that are self employed but it's a lot of work! Have to find yourself, find your own employees, advertise yourself blah blah blah eclipse wanted to be self employed but because he's under watch he has to go through systems and all that. Idk if I explained that well djsjjs

I don't think I ever posted this info for sun and moon? They finished pilot school (they met there) then went their separate ways! They worked for a few years before either being laid off or fired! Eclipse and his crew started making a lot of money and wanted to upgrade to a bigger ship! The ship needed two pilots and since eclipse was their original pilot, he planned on only hiring one more. But he interviewed sun and moon (separately. They didn't know they were both going for the same job) and saw how much they could bring to the team so he hired both to be the pilots! He also chose them because he could tell they would get along really well! (He can evaluate people very well! It's one of his abilities!)

Ok, let me explain why eclipse is under watch djskjdjs when he was younger, he showed signs of being different. He was extremely intelligent but had an interest in a lot of morbid stuff. He was also very withdrawn from society and lacked the sentimentality that their species normally have. No big deal though! Their society has systems to make those like him comfortable! He was taught empathy and communication skills. He was told what was socially acceptable and what wasn't. For a long time, up until a few months before the incident with his crew, he was fine living the way he was. "under watch" really just means that he goes to therapy and checks in every so often. Eventually, he stops going and stops checking in. He lets his mind wander and he begins to let himself live by his own standards. Eventually, this leads to insecurities and paranoia. He loves his crew very much. They are his family. Soon, he starts to believe that the only way to keep them safe is to cannibalize them. He sees it as containing them within himself, so by keeping himself safe, he keeps his crew safe.

Also, wanted to go ahead and make this clear, they are not brothers in this au fjjwjdkaksisj definitely not in this au fjjsndjajsjs