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Posted 7 years agoI had a 2 hour conversation with my mom, and she has come to the conclusion after a long while, and after careful consideration that i am an INFJ.
That is:
I – Introversion
N – iNtuition
F – Feeling
J – Judgment
Apparently the rarest of personality types (3%); Not only that, since i'm male AND autistic (both rare as well), my specific mixture is so rare i can be considered a unicorn.
It does help to answer some questions. It also helps to identify what works, what doesn't, what stresses, and details. Not to mention, how differently i am vs the rest of the world.
I have studying to do. With a more specific idea of what i am, maybe i'll find meaning now.
That is:
I – Introversion
N – iNtuition
F – Feeling
J – Judgment
Apparently the rarest of personality types (3%); Not only that, since i'm male AND autistic (both rare as well), my specific mixture is so rare i can be considered a unicorn.
It does help to answer some questions. It also helps to identify what works, what doesn't, what stresses, and details. Not to mention, how differently i am vs the rest of the world.
I have studying to do. With a more specific idea of what i am, maybe i'll find meaning now.
Skyrim Woes...
Posted 7 years ago Well played Skyrim the last month or so... on PS3... once the save gets above 10MB the game gets VERY unstable, slow, and other issues. My save is 25MB, and seems you need to restart the PS3 each time you go to a different town. Quite annoying.
Course all my skills are 100 (except like 3, which are all 70+). So...
Uggg... guess time to move on... When I have my gaming machine and can use mods to fix major issues and change the game and add expansions, i'll probably have more fun...
Course all my skills are 100 (except like 3, which are all 70+). So...
Uggg... guess time to move on... When I have my gaming machine and can use mods to fix major issues and change the game and add expansions, i'll probably have more fun...
I don't get it...
Posted 8 years ago Just had a closing conversation with a friend who is trying to totally disappear and hates the world and everyone in it. They were surprised that I found them, when in reality they appeared 'online' in my contact list.
Seems they deleted their profile, conversations, whole history, looking at the history it's blank and sifting through that history now is a pain requiring going through every single message manually.
I just don't get it. Why do people do this? Why beat themselves up and hate everyone, and refuse to RP and hang out with me when I'm clearly trying to cheer them up.
And it seems I'll probably never talk with them again.
*sigh*
~~~~
I'm going to miss you,
I wanted to hold you,
Wanted to take you by the hand,
take you away from this horrid land.
But now you're gone,
Where i can go,
I can not follow where you've gone
And that's too bad.
It's like you are~ too far away,
a crumbling sand~castle in my hands
it's slipping right out of my hands
I can't save it.
I can't save you.
Seems they deleted their profile, conversations, whole history, looking at the history it's blank and sifting through that history now is a pain requiring going through every single message manually.
I just don't get it. Why do people do this? Why beat themselves up and hate everyone, and refuse to RP and hang out with me when I'm clearly trying to cheer them up.
And it seems I'll probably never talk with them again.
*sigh*
~~~~
I'm going to miss you,
I wanted to hold you,
Wanted to take you by the hand,
take you away from this horrid land.
But now you're gone,
Where i can go,
I can not follow where you've gone
And that's too bad.
It's like you are~ too far away,
a crumbling sand~castle in my hands
it's slipping right out of my hands
I can't save it.
I can't save you.
Time to get prepared
Posted 9 years ago It's said an economic collapse is imminent (possibly as early as October). It's not so much conspiracy, as it is pending. Maybe it won't happen, but if it were to happen, it just might be around the corner.
For simplicity, I'd say stock up on supplies that you need (that you can't get later). Consider it preparing for a blackout or earthquake. Stock up on:
food (non-perishable)
water purifiers/filters
water (1 gallon per person minimum)
first aid supplies
matches
I'd look for a large backup water source/supply, as city water is repeatedly recycled it won't be reliable; So if the waterworks goes down you should be able to get water from somewhere. You need 2 quarts of water per person per day (if you plan to store water), so minimum 3 gallons is a week's worth of water (for one person).
Lastly, I'd say make an emergency backpack with everything you'd minimally need to go camping. This should include the 5 or 10 C's of survivability.
Cutting Tool
Cover
Combustion
Container
Cordage
Candle
Cotton
Compass
Cargo Tape
Canvas Needle
And adding to this list I'd add a Map at least, as a Compass isn't much use without something to reference with.
Assuming I'm wrong, preparing won't hurt, and you might even learn a few things.
For simplicity, I'd say stock up on supplies that you need (that you can't get later). Consider it preparing for a blackout or earthquake. Stock up on:
food (non-perishable)
water purifiers/filters
water (1 gallon per person minimum)
first aid supplies
matches
I'd look for a large backup water source/supply, as city water is repeatedly recycled it won't be reliable; So if the waterworks goes down you should be able to get water from somewhere. You need 2 quarts of water per person per day (if you plan to store water), so minimum 3 gallons is a week's worth of water (for one person).
Lastly, I'd say make an emergency backpack with everything you'd minimally need to go camping. This should include the 5 or 10 C's of survivability.
Cutting Tool
Cover
Combustion
Container
Cordage
Candle
Cotton
Compass
Cargo Tape
Canvas Needle
And adding to this list I'd add a Map at least, as a Compass isn't much use without something to reference with.
Assuming I'm wrong, preparing won't hurt, and you might even learn a few things.
Wake up scared?
Posted 9 years ago Had a dream last night, well a few hours ago... Something was going on. Anyways, I dreamed there was an argument going on and I remember carrying a knife that was hidden inside an oak tree (yeah don't worry about the logic of it) but in the argument there was my dad, and a cop talking. Well the cop ended up drawing his gun.
I was scared and worried, I moved between to protect my dad. It soon became apparent my dad wasn't going to die; I still wailed in my dream and cried, the near incident evoking such emotion.
When I woke up and the feelings carried with me. They're still here even nearly an hour later. I know it was a dream, but I can't help feel that emotion where I almost lost someone I care about.
I was scared and worried, I moved between to protect my dad. It soon became apparent my dad wasn't going to die; I still wailed in my dream and cried, the near incident evoking such emotion.
When I woke up and the feelings carried with me. They're still here even nearly an hour later. I know it was a dream, but I can't help feel that emotion where I almost lost someone I care about.
Living with Phantom Pain?
Posted 9 years ago This has nothing to do with MGS or the like. So I'll give you the basics.
Phantom Pain is generally when you've lost a limb or organ and your brain is convinced you still have the limb. So you're getting feedback from the limb even though you don't have it.
Now to back it up. I think somehow I should have lost a number of my limbs over the years; And yet I have them. But they don't feel real. They feel... like it's false, like a dream almost. Recently even having this weird split where it feels like I just committed suicide with a gun, and multiple times I touch my head and I'm looking for blood or the bullet wound. And it's not there.
This isn't quite Deja Vu... This is something freakier like Deja Vu except connected to Silent Hill or something.
One possible theory for this could be that since there's an infinite number of universes, I'm getting feedback from another me. Or that I did commit suicide in another lifetime, since it's said the universe explodes, then implodes before starting over again in an endless loop.
Does this mean anything then? Or... Does it mean nothing?
:(
Phantom Pain is generally when you've lost a limb or organ and your brain is convinced you still have the limb. So you're getting feedback from the limb even though you don't have it.
Now to back it up. I think somehow I should have lost a number of my limbs over the years; And yet I have them. But they don't feel real. They feel... like it's false, like a dream almost. Recently even having this weird split where it feels like I just committed suicide with a gun, and multiple times I touch my head and I'm looking for blood or the bullet wound. And it's not there.
This isn't quite Deja Vu... This is something freakier like Deja Vu except connected to Silent Hill or something.
One possible theory for this could be that since there's an infinite number of universes, I'm getting feedback from another me. Or that I did commit suicide in another lifetime, since it's said the universe explodes, then implodes before starting over again in an endless loop.
Does this mean anything then? Or... Does it mean nothing?
:(
Letter from Rainfurrest...
Posted 10 years ago A few minutes ago i got a letter from Rex in regards to Rainfurrest. Some of the news doesn't sound good, and there's no reason why it shouldn't be good...
Well here's the letter: https://www.rainfurrest.org/2016/in.....our-attendees/
What does this mean then? I'm not sure. Of the thousand or so attending, ten or so people were being assholes, and the hotel might be fed up enough they could throw people out at the first sign of any problems, not something I want to see happen...
* For the last few years, the Hilton sustained more damage during RainFurrest than it did from every other event at the Hilton the entire rest of the year. This doesn't even include damage to guest rooms or other incidental wear and tear like the elevators.
* This year's incidents include two plumber calls, a flooded bathroom that soaked the offices underneath, towels stuffed into a hot tub pump, and multiple petty vandalisms and thefts. A final damage report is still being compiled.
* We had to send three people to the hospital and call the police twice.
* By Sunday morning of con this year, the hotel was so exasperated that they were threatening to evict attendees for single noise complaints.
I know the volunteer staff was a little smaller than normal (heard a few of them were taking a break this year) but that shouldn't have accounted for half the problems.
Why is it always a few select people fuck everything up? I recall the opening ceremony where they asked us not to tap on the signs since they quickly sustain damage when done hundreds of time in a short period of time, but almost every single one of those problems as mentioned in the letter was preventable.
Actually I recall I was in Ops at the time one of the times the police showed up for a short while (although I have none of the details, nor could I share them if I did).
I know I've said I might not go next year... and I still might not, I don't know yet. But the Hilton may not let the con happen again would be quite a blow, since when I have gone I've generally been in higher spirits for the duration than down (mostly).
I just hope... things calm down for next year. I don't want to find out the closest con I can go to when there's an option will be gone because the hotel's trust was violated and they refuse to host it there anymore. :(
edit:
Apparently from other sources I've heard, there was a specific group who intentionally were going out of their way to try and ruin rainfurrest and get it stopped...
*sigh* Fucking trolls...
Well here's the letter: https://www.rainfurrest.org/2016/in.....our-attendees/
What does this mean then? I'm not sure. Of the thousand or so attending, ten or so people were being assholes, and the hotel might be fed up enough they could throw people out at the first sign of any problems, not something I want to see happen...
* For the last few years, the Hilton sustained more damage during RainFurrest than it did from every other event at the Hilton the entire rest of the year. This doesn't even include damage to guest rooms or other incidental wear and tear like the elevators.
* This year's incidents include two plumber calls, a flooded bathroom that soaked the offices underneath, towels stuffed into a hot tub pump, and multiple petty vandalisms and thefts. A final damage report is still being compiled.
* We had to send three people to the hospital and call the police twice.
* By Sunday morning of con this year, the hotel was so exasperated that they were threatening to evict attendees for single noise complaints.
I know the volunteer staff was a little smaller than normal (heard a few of them were taking a break this year) but that shouldn't have accounted for half the problems.
Why is it always a few select people fuck everything up? I recall the opening ceremony where they asked us not to tap on the signs since they quickly sustain damage when done hundreds of time in a short period of time, but almost every single one of those problems as mentioned in the letter was preventable.
Actually I recall I was in Ops at the time one of the times the police showed up for a short while (although I have none of the details, nor could I share them if I did).
I know I've said I might not go next year... and I still might not, I don't know yet. But the Hilton may not let the con happen again would be quite a blow, since when I have gone I've generally been in higher spirits for the duration than down (mostly).
I just hope... things calm down for next year. I don't want to find out the closest con I can go to when there's an option will be gone because the hotel's trust was violated and they refuse to host it there anymore. :(
edit:
Apparently from other sources I've heard, there was a specific group who intentionally were going out of their way to try and ruin rainfurrest and get it stopped...
*sigh* Fucking trolls...
TOO MUCH SUGAR OH MY GOD!!!
Posted 10 years ago So recently at the con I ended up going out to eat at Denny's, and although we had a lot of food we brought with us seems 
leetah43 really wanted to go out to eat more often (which is fine). However while there I didn't really want to buy a big meal since I wasn't really hungry, so I ordered a plate of hush-puppies (it was one of the smaller/cheaper items there).
I am not sure what I was expecting, I figured it was just the name of like some Silver dollar pancakes or something, but these were coated and filled with sugar, so much sugar it's made me reevaluate what I eat (or have been eating).
So when I consider what I have for sugar intake, it really isn't that much; Some flavoring for my water (usually half strength just enough to give it flavor), maybe some for tea (usually honey), and if I get sherbert then the sherbert obviously; Tablespoons of white sugar while making bread (which is for the yeast mostly). Sometimes Yogurt, and the occasional energy drink (But not pop/cola, I hate those).
But those hush-puppies seemed way over-saturated with sugar, so I wonder is what people think eating food is like every day? I know they add a lot of sugar to processed foods, but I actually find processed foods I go for don't have a lot of sugar added to them; Often I look at the labels and if something has ingredients I don't want I look for another can that DOES have what I want in it (like refried beans, they should contain beans, and salt... and maybe like chilli powder or garlic).
Usually I make my own beans/rice in bulk, I add lots of salt, spices, some bullion base (which might have some sugar). I cut my own veggies, I buy tortillas and salsa (because it's easier/simpler).
And.... that's it...
Wow... I've unintentionally weaned myself off heavy processed sugar (not that I ever had a huge amount of it at once anyways).
My god... people eat too much sugar...
leetah43 really wanted to go out to eat more often (which is fine). However while there I didn't really want to buy a big meal since I wasn't really hungry, so I ordered a plate of hush-puppies (it was one of the smaller/cheaper items there).I am not sure what I was expecting, I figured it was just the name of like some Silver dollar pancakes or something, but these were coated and filled with sugar, so much sugar it's made me reevaluate what I eat (or have been eating).
So when I consider what I have for sugar intake, it really isn't that much; Some flavoring for my water (usually half strength just enough to give it flavor), maybe some for tea (usually honey), and if I get sherbert then the sherbert obviously; Tablespoons of white sugar while making bread (which is for the yeast mostly). Sometimes Yogurt, and the occasional energy drink (But not pop/cola, I hate those).
But those hush-puppies seemed way over-saturated with sugar, so I wonder is what people think eating food is like every day? I know they add a lot of sugar to processed foods, but I actually find processed foods I go for don't have a lot of sugar added to them; Often I look at the labels and if something has ingredients I don't want I look for another can that DOES have what I want in it (like refried beans, they should contain beans, and salt... and maybe like chilli powder or garlic).
Usually I make my own beans/rice in bulk, I add lots of salt, spices, some bullion base (which might have some sugar). I cut my own veggies, I buy tortillas and salsa (because it's easier/simpler).
And.... that's it...
Wow... I've unintentionally weaned myself off heavy processed sugar (not that I ever had a huge amount of it at once anyways).
My god... people eat too much sugar...
RF 2015....
Posted 10 years ago Well at RF, and so far things have been interesting. Wrong hotel, bed bugs, and thank discounts for having to switch hotels in the middle of the night.
So activities... Going to a lot of panels this year. Last two years there were too many interesting overlapping panels so I didn't go to any of them, this year I am going to a lot of Fursuiting (making, buying, maintenance, materials, cleaning, guidelines, etc). Lots of good stuff, which means I am not playing games nearly as much.
Then comes up that I'm not able to hang out as much.
*Sigh* I really need to get laid, preferably at least a few times. It really doesn't matter if you're surrounded by tons of like-minded people who are fun loving and enjoying the same hobby if you're starving or constantly under stress because of a biological need. For me it's like I'm starving, and well I'm starving... It's difficult holding everything in. I really don't want to lash out in anger, but I feel like a starving caged animal and the animal might break out sooner or later. If/when it does, it's going to be ugly for me.
This brings back the idea and thought I've been having for a while, and that's this might be my last con for a while... or maybe ever... I can't tell if I feel like falling apart or going into a rage. Maybe both... or maybe I'll hold them in and commit suicide. I don't like any of those options. Dammit...
Does anyone out there care?
edit: So, a very unfunny thing happened. Stress, being pent up, wanting... Combined with people annoying me, rolling dice I was using or had claimed for during a game we were playing, and someone using their phone to watch some stupid music video that didn't belong to the already loud room almost made me snap.
*Sigh* I was so close to decking people. Almost attacking a friend wanting to touch my hand. Felt like I really needed a punching bag, to yell and scream, and just vent for a while. Unfortunately sex isn't an option, being touched as I am might result in injury to people. So stressed I can't look for someone to calm me, to give me the attention I need in order to be more normal. No... for now and probably for a few weeks from now, I'll end up being a total jerk, unsocial, introverted as hell, or outright violent.
Guess... no one cares...
As things stand, and is likely how things will be tomorrow... I won't be doing this again. I don't know if I can... not without a sexual partner as needy as me.
edit2: Couldn't chill out... didn't drink... just stayed in the room and tried to sleep. Worked okay for a while. Still pensive... Still stressed. horny... and fucking tired of this.
damn all the unwritten rules everyone seemingly needs to know. I'm already limited in socializing. Just... I don't know. I wish someone would find me. Someone who understood and could give me what I need.
edit3: So yeah... not sure how things go from here.
So activities... Going to a lot of panels this year. Last two years there were too many interesting overlapping panels so I didn't go to any of them, this year I am going to a lot of Fursuiting (making, buying, maintenance, materials, cleaning, guidelines, etc). Lots of good stuff, which means I am not playing games nearly as much.
Then comes up that I'm not able to hang out as much.
*Sigh* I really need to get laid, preferably at least a few times. It really doesn't matter if you're surrounded by tons of like-minded people who are fun loving and enjoying the same hobby if you're starving or constantly under stress because of a biological need. For me it's like I'm starving, and well I'm starving... It's difficult holding everything in. I really don't want to lash out in anger, but I feel like a starving caged animal and the animal might break out sooner or later. If/when it does, it's going to be ugly for me.
This brings back the idea and thought I've been having for a while, and that's this might be my last con for a while... or maybe ever... I can't tell if I feel like falling apart or going into a rage. Maybe both... or maybe I'll hold them in and commit suicide. I don't like any of those options. Dammit...
Does anyone out there care?
edit: So, a very unfunny thing happened. Stress, being pent up, wanting... Combined with people annoying me, rolling dice I was using or had claimed for during a game we were playing, and someone using their phone to watch some stupid music video that didn't belong to the already loud room almost made me snap.
*Sigh* I was so close to decking people. Almost attacking a friend wanting to touch my hand. Felt like I really needed a punching bag, to yell and scream, and just vent for a while. Unfortunately sex isn't an option, being touched as I am might result in injury to people. So stressed I can't look for someone to calm me, to give me the attention I need in order to be more normal. No... for now and probably for a few weeks from now, I'll end up being a total jerk, unsocial, introverted as hell, or outright violent.
Guess... no one cares...
As things stand, and is likely how things will be tomorrow... I won't be doing this again. I don't know if I can... not without a sexual partner as needy as me.
edit2: Couldn't chill out... didn't drink... just stayed in the room and tried to sleep. Worked okay for a while. Still pensive... Still stressed. horny... and fucking tired of this.
damn all the unwritten rules everyone seemingly needs to know. I'm already limited in socializing. Just... I don't know. I wish someone would find me. Someone who understood and could give me what I need.
edit3: So yeah... not sure how things go from here.
Just breaking down...
Posted 10 years ago A few good days here and there... And then it's all too obvious I'm depressed and it's not going away.
Worse it seems to be the same old shit day in and day out. I can't get out of my depression because I have no morale, I can't raise my own morale.
And then my thoughts begin to turn dark... always the dark places because no one's here to help me. I ask for help and it's always too much, too selfish... And so I wonder if I should seek help, but if I go get help I doubt I'll get what I ask for, I'll get offers for drugs, for physical programs I'm not ready for unless my morale is higher. It will be a big fucking waste of time, all because apparently I've been depressed 3/4ths of my life and what I need is sexual healing and it's not an option because I don't know where to look...
:(
Worse it seems to be the same old shit day in and day out. I can't get out of my depression because I have no morale, I can't raise my own morale.
And then my thoughts begin to turn dark... always the dark places because no one's here to help me. I ask for help and it's always too much, too selfish... And so I wonder if I should seek help, but if I go get help I doubt I'll get what I ask for, I'll get offers for drugs, for physical programs I'm not ready for unless my morale is higher. It will be a big fucking waste of time, all because apparently I've been depressed 3/4ths of my life and what I need is sexual healing and it's not an option because I don't know where to look...
:(
What's the point?
Posted 10 years ago Yes, time for another roller-coaster ride. Depression hits again, only 8-9 months since I last felt so bad according to my journals. Immediately following rainfurrest it seems.
And of course the serious contemplation of suicide, which I probably wouldn't do. Still the thoughts are there...
Is there anyone that keeps an eye on me? Is there anyone who is willing to lend a shoulder? Offer a hug? To cuddle with under a blanket and just cry away my tears until my eyes turn red and puffy?
I suppose this is what Chronic depression really is about. It hits you and never really goes away, not when there isn't a single thing to do that makes you feel uplifting, and perhaps the one equalizer being some sexual contact is totally inaccessible since I'd be cheating on my girlfriend if I had sex but she only wants sex once a month, and any other source of sex for my needs (being probably 3 times a day) would mean all semblance of the relationship is over, which she's glad to remind me she feels she's fat and ugly and a selfish bitch (and no amount of coaxing her otherwise will change her views of herself) leaving me with a mere inch seemingly of sanity left.
Seriously though... If I don't find a friend with benefits or something, preferably during or before rainfurrest, I'll probably never go again... and I have no idea how much longer I'd live after that... I certainly don't feel like I want to live. No one really to turn to and pour my heart out to, or to protect with any of my own strength...
And then the constantly returning pain in my shoulder and leg... fun... I thought I had recovered, and it seems it's not. I just want to scream, and punch something, and go away and find myself, and I have no chance of that because if I don't give what little I can, I don't know what it means for those I am still marginally close to who I try to support.
So what's the fucking point of it all? Assuming I do find someone who wants and is willing for sex I'd probably be so mentally programmed to not expect any love, tenderness or intimacy that I couldn't get it up and feel worse, compounding the issue.
And of course the serious contemplation of suicide, which I probably wouldn't do. Still the thoughts are there...
Is there anyone that keeps an eye on me? Is there anyone who is willing to lend a shoulder? Offer a hug? To cuddle with under a blanket and just cry away my tears until my eyes turn red and puffy?
I suppose this is what Chronic depression really is about. It hits you and never really goes away, not when there isn't a single thing to do that makes you feel uplifting, and perhaps the one equalizer being some sexual contact is totally inaccessible since I'd be cheating on my girlfriend if I had sex but she only wants sex once a month, and any other source of sex for my needs (being probably 3 times a day) would mean all semblance of the relationship is over, which she's glad to remind me she feels she's fat and ugly and a selfish bitch (and no amount of coaxing her otherwise will change her views of herself) leaving me with a mere inch seemingly of sanity left.
Seriously though... If I don't find a friend with benefits or something, preferably during or before rainfurrest, I'll probably never go again... and I have no idea how much longer I'd live after that... I certainly don't feel like I want to live. No one really to turn to and pour my heart out to, or to protect with any of my own strength...
And then the constantly returning pain in my shoulder and leg... fun... I thought I had recovered, and it seems it's not. I just want to scream, and punch something, and go away and find myself, and I have no chance of that because if I don't give what little I can, I don't know what it means for those I am still marginally close to who I try to support.
So what's the fucking point of it all? Assuming I do find someone who wants and is willing for sex I'd probably be so mentally programmed to not expect any love, tenderness or intimacy that I couldn't get it up and feel worse, compounding the issue.
Monstergirlunlimited.com Gone... :(
Posted 10 years ago Well I went to an old forum site I went to a couple years ago...
and it's gone.... :(
I have a partially done erotic monstergirl story made and I'm wondering if I should post it here, considering the subject matter is something I really don't enjoy...
*Sigh*
and it's gone.... :(
I have a partially done erotic monstergirl story made and I'm wondering if I should post it here, considering the subject matter is something I really don't enjoy...
*Sigh*
Of depression and Uprezzing DMFA
Posted 11 years ago Well not much to say here. Been crappy the last few days, my days of being more active may come to an end (but at least my place looks cleaner than it has for a year...).
So what's to say... The usual depression, contemplation of suicide, knifes hurt too much and my only gun is a BB gun, and I doubt that would do the job. So drink alcohol and read comics until I feel better...
---
And then we come to DMFA. I'm a big fan of DMFA and it's been, oh, 4 months since I read the series, time to re-read it again!
Except right now there's some slight annoyances, being that I don't like reading in a tiny window so instead I blow up the images to view full screen. Although most of the comics are decent resolution, the amount of zoom depends on the ratio, specifically taller ones get zoomed more (as zooms to fit width). This naturally leaves some images VERY VERY bad looking.
Thankfully I'm unintuitive and using a Ramdrive I've added a few jobs to enhancing the images I've gotten from the site in bulk, and then when I'm done delete them (as there's no reason to keep them after I've read them).
If anyone's interested I can post a comparison of zooming vs increasing resolution. Naturally it's not as good as if the resolution were naturally higher, but it's a web comic, can't argue with free.
So... If you have a program you can do bulk images (like PSP X) then here's the steps I use.
1) Jpeg artifact removal (Adjust->Remove noise). Low, 10%-20% crispness
2) Resize to 200% or 400% size. Your choice on technique for coloring.
If you choose the 400% option:
3a) Blur (Adjust->blur->blur)
3b) Sharpen it (Adjust->Sharpness->Sharpen)
Step 3a & 3b helps remove some of the blockier transformations that failed to be dealt with during resizing larger than x2. It's not intended to be perfect, just be easier on the eyes.
As for saving, I've been saving as jpeg, but since it's heavily uprezzing, you can lower the quality level, you may not notice anything under 20% (Although you might get away with 50%) so that's probably a safe number to accept for holding the images until you've glossed over them...
So what's to say... The usual depression, contemplation of suicide, knifes hurt too much and my only gun is a BB gun, and I doubt that would do the job. So drink alcohol and read comics until I feel better...
---
And then we come to DMFA. I'm a big fan of DMFA and it's been, oh, 4 months since I read the series, time to re-read it again!
Except right now there's some slight annoyances, being that I don't like reading in a tiny window so instead I blow up the images to view full screen. Although most of the comics are decent resolution, the amount of zoom depends on the ratio, specifically taller ones get zoomed more (as zooms to fit width). This naturally leaves some images VERY VERY bad looking.
Thankfully I'm unintuitive and using a Ramdrive I've added a few jobs to enhancing the images I've gotten from the site in bulk, and then when I'm done delete them (as there's no reason to keep them after I've read them).
If anyone's interested I can post a comparison of zooming vs increasing resolution. Naturally it's not as good as if the resolution were naturally higher, but it's a web comic, can't argue with free.
So... If you have a program you can do bulk images (like PSP X) then here's the steps I use.
1) Jpeg artifact removal (Adjust->Remove noise). Low, 10%-20% crispness
2) Resize to 200% or 400% size. Your choice on technique for coloring.
If you choose the 400% option:
3a) Blur (Adjust->blur->blur)
3b) Sharpen it (Adjust->Sharpness->Sharpen)
Step 3a & 3b helps remove some of the blockier transformations that failed to be dealt with during resizing larger than x2. It's not intended to be perfect, just be easier on the eyes.
As for saving, I've been saving as jpeg, but since it's heavily uprezzing, you can lower the quality level, you may not notice anything under 20% (Although you might get away with 50%) so that's probably a safe number to accept for holding the images until you've glossed over them...
RF2014 Summary
Posted 11 years ago Well this isn't going to be too exciting. I couldn't get into the mindset of being there. I spent most of my time in the gaming room, went to almost no panels (except furry family feud), and otherwise didn't do anything much.
The hotel this year was decent, no major problems; Although internet was finicky and didn't want to work some of the time.
The con also this year didn't look as good as last year, seemed less open (although that might be due to hotel rules).
Although I did enjoy a few unique games, including one in alpha called Primal Shift. Awesome concept. So as not to spoil anything I'll refer to his page if I find him here on FA, and add money to his kickstarter when it's up probably some time next year or the year after.
Games:
NeverWhen. Got stuck on the same adventure multiple times, and never finished it. At the very end we got the GM to start the game where we left off at and actually saw the ending. Only saw one new adventure otherwise, although I got quite a collection of stuff and my 4th level pregen is overpowered in many respects.
WereWolf... Interesting system, feels like OVA and Shadowrun sorta. Ended up making as the GM called 'super stealthy Bruce-Lee wanna be' or something like that. Although a little sad as I probably won't be able to touch it again until next year.
edit: Updated game name referenced Primal Shift, by sheer accident came across some submissions that show his board, so referenced him appropriately.
The hotel this year was decent, no major problems; Although internet was finicky and didn't want to work some of the time.
The con also this year didn't look as good as last year, seemed less open (although that might be due to hotel rules).
Although I did enjoy a few unique games, including one in alpha called Primal Shift. Awesome concept. So as not to spoil anything I'll refer to his page if I find him here on FA, and add money to his kickstarter when it's up probably some time next year or the year after.
Games:
NeverWhen. Got stuck on the same adventure multiple times, and never finished it. At the very end we got the GM to start the game where we left off at and actually saw the ending. Only saw one new adventure otherwise, although I got quite a collection of stuff and my 4th level pregen is overpowered in many respects.
WereWolf... Interesting system, feels like OVA and Shadowrun sorta. Ended up making as the GM called 'super stealthy Bruce-Lee wanna be' or something like that. Although a little sad as I probably won't be able to touch it again until next year.
edit: Updated game name referenced Primal Shift, by sheer accident came across some submissions that show his board, so referenced him appropriately.
Emotional nightmare...
Posted 11 years ago Seems there's been nothing to say so far; well little in the way of replies.
I hate feeling uncomfortable. I have trouble feeling, and yet I am brought to tears so easily. Reminds me not long ago, I bought a game, and at the startup the song that came up touched me so deeply I wept and listened to it for another hour on continuous repeat.
This makes it hard to know what to do or feel, as all of it feels artificial, and yet, it's so very personal. I often can't feel anything, and yet some things cut so deeply that a papercut feels like a wound to my very soul.
Maybe I haven't been praised enough... Maybe I want more praise for the work I succeed in. Or maybe I need motivation and sex in equal amounts to feel normal, otherwise I'm just sitting here biding my time until I can do something with myself.
What touched you so deeply it caused you to weep?
Intro song
I hate feeling uncomfortable. I have trouble feeling, and yet I am brought to tears so easily. Reminds me not long ago, I bought a game, and at the startup the song that came up touched me so deeply I wept and listened to it for another hour on continuous repeat.
This makes it hard to know what to do or feel, as all of it feels artificial, and yet, it's so very personal. I often can't feel anything, and yet some things cut so deeply that a papercut feels like a wound to my very soul.
Maybe I haven't been praised enough... Maybe I want more praise for the work I succeed in. Or maybe I need motivation and sex in equal amounts to feel normal, otherwise I'm just sitting here biding my time until I can do something with myself.
What touched you so deeply it caused you to weep?
Intro song
Who to talk to...
Posted 11 years ago I think I'm hitting a depressive streak. My RP's are on hold for the moment, I feel sick to my stomach, almost bi-polar... Maybe a headache...
I just don't feel comfortable with much, not even my own skin. I know I'm sexually pent up, and probably will continue to get more so (which was the primary coping method).
Who should I talk to? Where should I go? who can I be 100% open with and be honest, not get judged, and maybe just maybe get some answers (and hopefully a lover)?
Maybe I will get some type of reply before I start physically abusing myself beyond caffeine...
I just don't feel comfortable with much, not even my own skin. I know I'm sexually pent up, and probably will continue to get more so (which was the primary coping method).
Who should I talk to? Where should I go? who can I be 100% open with and be honest, not get judged, and maybe just maybe get some answers (and hopefully a lover)?
Maybe I will get some type of reply before I start physically abusing myself beyond caffeine...
Creepy dreams....
Posted 11 years ago I remember part of my dream from last night, involving a fight between two dragons. When the larger one got the upper hand, not only did he cut off one of the wings of the other dragon, but began to skin the dragon and encouraging them to keep struggling as it made skinning them easier...
*shivers*
Not sure about you, but this is a dream I wish on nobody...
*shivers*
Not sure about you, but this is a dream I wish on nobody...
Secrets of living Frugal...
Posted 11 years agoAfter a couple replies to another journal which most of mine were about future planning and a little forethought, I got in a conversation about more in depth opinions of how to survive with little money. Well I've opened the vault of my knowledge (as empty as it is) and shared all I can think of at the moment. But one problem remains, this isn't exactly a big super secret why is it treated as such?
Well here's most of my side of the conversation:
I'll start off thinking how I thought when I moved out of my parents house and had only a bag of clothes and like $500 to my name.
General: Depending on how little money you have, you will have to make sacrifices, no doubt. Consider looking for a discount store that doesn't have huge advertisements on TV; The Grocery outlet & Big Lots, and Cash&Carry for example. Fresh food is less likely but food and supplies there might be half off or more compared to their counterparts. If you can find fresh food that looks okay and isn't too expensive, get it and eat it (it probably won't stay fresh long). If you buy stuff at walmart/safeway, go for the discount stuff first. There's usually a section for either fresh bread that's a day old and more than 50% off, or products that are discontinued and will be even more off. True it's not always a good selection.
Brands: Big brands aren't for you, get the secondary ones. If you are used to Prego, say goodbye to the good stuff and get Ragu, or any secondary stuff as it's cheaper. Takes a little while to get used to it, but at least it's still edible even if it's a little different tasting. One or the other aren't bad, having them back to back will show off the quality level (Ragu tends to be a little sweeter, while Prego is better overall). Sometimes just adding a few extra seasonings will do the job. Quite often there's store brand ones: Great Value, Krugar, etc, these are usually half off as they use lower quality materials but I don't usually notice a big difference.
Pop & other stuff: Including gum, cigarettes, snack foods, etc: IGNORE IT, you don't have the money. Get a good water filter if you can afford it, or if you have decent water then you're probably okay. If you HAVE to have something flavored, probably get something that won't ruin your teeth and get Crystal Lite (it's off-brand equiv). For $2 you can make about 12 quarts of flavored water. If you can find the really strong ones or can stand for thinner drinks, you can make 18-24 quarts. Still straight water is probably better if you find a good purifier. Stores will charge 12-25 cents to refill a gallon through their purifier (better than tap but probably not by much).
Water: DO NOT BUY! Especially not Arrowhead. I had such bad experiences from them. The only reason to buy water is for the gallon containers which you will later refill and not buy new. As before, get a filter if you can, a really good filter is better but that's expensive and something to build up to.
Sanitation: Get a bottle of Bleach and a bottle of Vinegar (white or apple cider). Use vinegar on your foods if you get fresh food (a couple capfulls in a sink full of water with veggies will do), this will deal with anything still alive that you don't want like bugs, caterpillars, etc, and unlike bleach won't affect or harm you if you forget to rinse. Get a few spray bottles and dilute your bleach down for cleaning around the house; Mark it clearly with a black marker.
Dishes: Go to salvation army, second hand stores, Good-Will, Etc. You don't need a set, you probably need just enough for you and one guest. Hand pick and get 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 sets of silverware, 1 small/medium sauce pan, and 1 frying pan. If you can find one, get a croc-pot (Slow cooker). Get a bunch of PLASTIC cups, NOT GLASS (glass breaks/shatters). Plastic will do you good for a long time and if it breaks you won't have to worry about shards in your water if it's cracked. Get a drain rack, and after you eat IMMEDIATELY rinse your dishes. If you ate salads or had say food without meat in it, you can probably just rinse with water without using soap and let it dry. By getting it right away you almost completely remove the need to wash dishes. If you have to wash dishes, let them soak for 20 minutes under the water first or longer which will soften all the gunk up. But likely with as few dishes as you have you won't be letting them get dirty long enough to need to rely on this. If you aren't sure, rinse and give a quick over with some soap.
Buy in BULK!: Do not look this one away. Buy food in bulk when you can, usually it's cheaper. At Cash&Carry you can get large bags of rice and beans really cheap, soak in water for a couple days, rinse off and add seasonings, cook and it's ready to eat. Takes a little preparation but that's like 5 minutes over 2-3 days before you want to eat it. It's not hard. Also in bulk, at Cash&Carry (haven't seen it elsewhere hardly, Grocery outlet once maybe?) get the $8 seasonings, these are HUGE containers full of spices. Get some sea salt, an all purpose spice you like, Chili-powder (multiple uses outside of food), and if you like burritos, get a taco mix (Goes well with beans & rice). These will likely last at least a year compared to the $3 tiny jars you get at Safeway/Walmart. BiMart sometimes has some things to consider too, but can't think of them off hand...
Money Management: There's skills for actual money management, usually involves writing down how much money you have, then subtracting the money for utilities and rent and other things, and set aside money for food. If you got food stamps, then great, if not don't rely on them. Once you assign money for stuff, don't splurge. Keep your receipts, make a spreadsheet, figure out where your money is going, determine if you need to increase or decrease from some categories.
Computers and gaming: If you HAVE to, then get it second hand. A surplus store, pawn shop, or other store is a good place to go. You're probably looking for a Gamecube, Xbox (original), or PS2, get a handful of games. Get games that will take a while to beat, so anything Level-5 will do you good. Laptops might work, but a desktop is better, depends on your budget and sources. You might have a friend who has spare parts and can build you a decent computer for $100 in spare parts, go with that if you can. If you don't care about using old software and just need to do spreadsheets, writing, internet/email, or other simple tasks and you already got a monitor/keyboard & mouse, get a Raspberry Pi. This is $30-$45 and a tiny computer at that, does all your basic needs while fitting in your pocket. Doesn't include a screen or hard drive or any of the extras, but it's still a computer and it's cheap.
Plan ahead: You aren't going to be taking trips in the car to the store because you need a dozen eggs. If you have a bike, sure you can do that as it's good exercise, otherwise know where the stores are in relation to eachother and when you go for a trip try to conserve gas and resources. If you can walk, then walk. Have a good backpack with padding in the back (for your back) and buy only what you can carry, probably 30 pounds of stuff at a time.
Emergency heating: A little wax, oil, and cardboard or paper (from junk mail) can go for making emergency candles that last for a very very very long time. Far more likely keeping yourself warm by some long-jons is more effective than heating an entire room. There's quite a few videos on making candles on YouTube so enough on that.
If you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty, you can make your own alcohol stove (costs you only time as there's plenty of scrap aluminum all over, especially at walmart recycling centers where there's cans that won't be accepted), good for emergency cooking, or if you happen to have a lot of alcohol for some reason you can use it, but natural gas or grid electricity is cheaper usually.
Buckets: Get a few for your bulk food or to keep stuff relatively dry and sanitary. If you know someone that gets the large cat litter buckets (like tidy cats) get those, srub the inside with bleach water a couple times, rinse a few times, and it's good to go. If it still smells too strongly of perfume, you might store other valuables in it other than food, like flammables or use it as a water-proof containers. If you can get a lot of these, get them, buy shelves and just stack the shelves on two of them and you have a small desk. Continue stacking higher and you can make a bookshelf, although I wouldn't trust too much weight on them.
Rope/Cordage: They are your friend. Learn a few knots, probably the Bowline, Plank hitch, trucker's hitch, Prussic knot, Clove Hitch, among a few of them. If you have time and some cord you can make a net you can sleep in rather than get a mattress/bed (Raw materials, $50 or so probably). Get a roll of duct tape too, never know when you need it. Knots are seriously under utilized today.
Recycle: Don't throw away tin cans, bottles, containers that have used their one-time-use. Pill bottles and containers with a cap can likely be cleaned out and used again, although what for depends on their size and original use. Tin cans can be used to make a solar heater, heaters, storage containers, etc. Stuff that can't be used again easily (air freshener cans for example) keep them for their aluminum, you might just want to make a alcohol stove with them, and there's decent plans making use of quite a few of those. Cardboard and burnables can be used for heating and cooking, although you probably want a way to keep the soot contained and controlled. If you have a patio you can use them on outside, then great. If you can't get around to getting much in the way of dishes or cups, tin cans will work for a while.
Building Materials: If you have time, and access to lots of flat cardboard, you can make your own building materials. Buy woodglue (a gallon or so) and wood screws; Slather glue between layers of cardboard, clamp them down and put weight on them, let it solidify, repeat til 6 layers thick. Then cut and make your own shelves, tables, chairs, etc. Even if you don't, putting some boxes on their side you can probably go 6 long (or more) and maybe 3 high and it's a built-in bookshelf. I'd recommend having something to help stabilize it (Cord or a table leg does wonders).
Rent: You're probably going for what's cheapest. Sometimes second floors are a little cheaper than bottom floors. Studio apartments is most likely. Maybe renting out a garage. Check with your landlord, sometimes they will lower the price if you offer to pay in advance like a lease. Example: Some of my rent was about $400 a month, but for every 10 months or so I got a month free, which lowered the rent closer to $350 per month. If it's a few flights up, take it (you'll get used to using the stairs the more you use them).
Extras: Cord (Bankline & 550 paracord) is very versatile stuff. Once you've gotten good at knot tying to a degree you could make a hammock and hanging chairs and other things easily assuming you have somewhere to tie it down at. With that in mind, might consider 2 things. Look for locations that have exposed beams above you (2x4's probably), that will let you hang just about anything anywhere. Second is if you CAN find a place like that (basement, studio apartment or attic seem most likely, or garage) then shelling out some money for bulk cord might be a good idea. I can get 1000 feet reels of cord for about $60. I wouldn't risk my life on a single cord mind you (that would be dangerous and uncomfortable regardless of it's strength) but more likely it has multiple ties/loops/redundancies. If it's an option, it will be good for Shelving, Planks, Make-shift Ladders, a make-shift table, expanding to a backpack, making a belt, attaching and holding onto items like canteens, etc. I'm not sure if all listed can actually handle 550lbs, but this cord is the closest to actual military cord that I've used, and the most likely one I'd trust my life with. The other colors look & feel different, some are much lighter than expected (like the blue) while others are heavier (black); More likely they are newer and made more for Paracord Bracelets rather than utility. The site offers free shipping so that's one less worry.
Bankline you can get from Amazon and other sources, but it's slightly sticky (tar coated) so it takes a little getting used to, although still good stuff from what I've seen and used myself. Not good for bracelets mind you.
Internet resources: If you aren't going to be having easy access to the internet, I think it might be a good idea to download videos from youtube while you do to use with your laptop (or tablet) in cases where you ask 'how do I tie this again?', which can be especially useful for the net making (ie hammock. I calculated making one would take about 200-300ft for like a 4'x8', plenty for solo so you'd have plenty of cord left over for a lot of things). If you aren't sure how to download YT videos, I can link you a plugin plus firefox that when used together will work. 99% of the time the 360p quality is plenty (or 240p flv format), so you can get quite a few videos before you even hit a single Gig of space. Firefox Plugin
I'm sure there's a lot more I can recommend as I think about it, but some of it is just common sense or doing things as early as you can before a resource is unavailable. Sometimes afterall you gotta sleep on blankets on the flat floor, it happens.
6/28/14:
edit: regarding vinegar for food sanitation as I think about it, that might not be enough. As I think about it, it probably was a couple table-spoons (not capfulls)... or maybe as much as a cup, but that's still relatively weak, you want like 1/2 vinegar to half water for breaking down calcium deposits...
Well here's most of my side of the conversation:
I'll start off thinking how I thought when I moved out of my parents house and had only a bag of clothes and like $500 to my name.
General: Depending on how little money you have, you will have to make sacrifices, no doubt. Consider looking for a discount store that doesn't have huge advertisements on TV; The Grocery outlet & Big Lots, and Cash&Carry for example. Fresh food is less likely but food and supplies there might be half off or more compared to their counterparts. If you can find fresh food that looks okay and isn't too expensive, get it and eat it (it probably won't stay fresh long). If you buy stuff at walmart/safeway, go for the discount stuff first. There's usually a section for either fresh bread that's a day old and more than 50% off, or products that are discontinued and will be even more off. True it's not always a good selection.
Brands: Big brands aren't for you, get the secondary ones. If you are used to Prego, say goodbye to the good stuff and get Ragu, or any secondary stuff as it's cheaper. Takes a little while to get used to it, but at least it's still edible even if it's a little different tasting. One or the other aren't bad, having them back to back will show off the quality level (Ragu tends to be a little sweeter, while Prego is better overall). Sometimes just adding a few extra seasonings will do the job. Quite often there's store brand ones: Great Value, Krugar, etc, these are usually half off as they use lower quality materials but I don't usually notice a big difference.
Pop & other stuff: Including gum, cigarettes, snack foods, etc: IGNORE IT, you don't have the money. Get a good water filter if you can afford it, or if you have decent water then you're probably okay. If you HAVE to have something flavored, probably get something that won't ruin your teeth and get Crystal Lite (it's off-brand equiv). For $2 you can make about 12 quarts of flavored water. If you can find the really strong ones or can stand for thinner drinks, you can make 18-24 quarts. Still straight water is probably better if you find a good purifier. Stores will charge 12-25 cents to refill a gallon through their purifier (better than tap but probably not by much).
Water: DO NOT BUY! Especially not Arrowhead. I had such bad experiences from them. The only reason to buy water is for the gallon containers which you will later refill and not buy new. As before, get a filter if you can, a really good filter is better but that's expensive and something to build up to.
Sanitation: Get a bottle of Bleach and a bottle of Vinegar (white or apple cider). Use vinegar on your foods if you get fresh food (a couple capfulls in a sink full of water with veggies will do), this will deal with anything still alive that you don't want like bugs, caterpillars, etc, and unlike bleach won't affect or harm you if you forget to rinse. Get a few spray bottles and dilute your bleach down for cleaning around the house; Mark it clearly with a black marker.
Dishes: Go to salvation army, second hand stores, Good-Will, Etc. You don't need a set, you probably need just enough for you and one guest. Hand pick and get 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 sets of silverware, 1 small/medium sauce pan, and 1 frying pan. If you can find one, get a croc-pot (Slow cooker). Get a bunch of PLASTIC cups, NOT GLASS (glass breaks/shatters). Plastic will do you good for a long time and if it breaks you won't have to worry about shards in your water if it's cracked. Get a drain rack, and after you eat IMMEDIATELY rinse your dishes. If you ate salads or had say food without meat in it, you can probably just rinse with water without using soap and let it dry. By getting it right away you almost completely remove the need to wash dishes. If you have to wash dishes, let them soak for 20 minutes under the water first or longer which will soften all the gunk up. But likely with as few dishes as you have you won't be letting them get dirty long enough to need to rely on this. If you aren't sure, rinse and give a quick over with some soap.
Buy in BULK!: Do not look this one away. Buy food in bulk when you can, usually it's cheaper. At Cash&Carry you can get large bags of rice and beans really cheap, soak in water for a couple days, rinse off and add seasonings, cook and it's ready to eat. Takes a little preparation but that's like 5 minutes over 2-3 days before you want to eat it. It's not hard. Also in bulk, at Cash&Carry (haven't seen it elsewhere hardly, Grocery outlet once maybe?) get the $8 seasonings, these are HUGE containers full of spices. Get some sea salt, an all purpose spice you like, Chili-powder (multiple uses outside of food), and if you like burritos, get a taco mix (Goes well with beans & rice). These will likely last at least a year compared to the $3 tiny jars you get at Safeway/Walmart. BiMart sometimes has some things to consider too, but can't think of them off hand...
Money Management: There's skills for actual money management, usually involves writing down how much money you have, then subtracting the money for utilities and rent and other things, and set aside money for food. If you got food stamps, then great, if not don't rely on them. Once you assign money for stuff, don't splurge. Keep your receipts, make a spreadsheet, figure out where your money is going, determine if you need to increase or decrease from some categories.
Computers and gaming: If you HAVE to, then get it second hand. A surplus store, pawn shop, or other store is a good place to go. You're probably looking for a Gamecube, Xbox (original), or PS2, get a handful of games. Get games that will take a while to beat, so anything Level-5 will do you good. Laptops might work, but a desktop is better, depends on your budget and sources. You might have a friend who has spare parts and can build you a decent computer for $100 in spare parts, go with that if you can. If you don't care about using old software and just need to do spreadsheets, writing, internet/email, or other simple tasks and you already got a monitor/keyboard & mouse, get a Raspberry Pi. This is $30-$45 and a tiny computer at that, does all your basic needs while fitting in your pocket. Doesn't include a screen or hard drive or any of the extras, but it's still a computer and it's cheap.
Plan ahead: You aren't going to be taking trips in the car to the store because you need a dozen eggs. If you have a bike, sure you can do that as it's good exercise, otherwise know where the stores are in relation to eachother and when you go for a trip try to conserve gas and resources. If you can walk, then walk. Have a good backpack with padding in the back (for your back) and buy only what you can carry, probably 30 pounds of stuff at a time.
Emergency heating: A little wax, oil, and cardboard or paper (from junk mail) can go for making emergency candles that last for a very very very long time. Far more likely keeping yourself warm by some long-jons is more effective than heating an entire room. There's quite a few videos on making candles on YouTube so enough on that.
If you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty, you can make your own alcohol stove (costs you only time as there's plenty of scrap aluminum all over, especially at walmart recycling centers where there's cans that won't be accepted), good for emergency cooking, or if you happen to have a lot of alcohol for some reason you can use it, but natural gas or grid electricity is cheaper usually.
Buckets: Get a few for your bulk food or to keep stuff relatively dry and sanitary. If you know someone that gets the large cat litter buckets (like tidy cats) get those, srub the inside with bleach water a couple times, rinse a few times, and it's good to go. If it still smells too strongly of perfume, you might store other valuables in it other than food, like flammables or use it as a water-proof containers. If you can get a lot of these, get them, buy shelves and just stack the shelves on two of them and you have a small desk. Continue stacking higher and you can make a bookshelf, although I wouldn't trust too much weight on them.
Rope/Cordage: They are your friend. Learn a few knots, probably the Bowline, Plank hitch, trucker's hitch, Prussic knot, Clove Hitch, among a few of them. If you have time and some cord you can make a net you can sleep in rather than get a mattress/bed (Raw materials, $50 or so probably). Get a roll of duct tape too, never know when you need it. Knots are seriously under utilized today.
Recycle: Don't throw away tin cans, bottles, containers that have used their one-time-use. Pill bottles and containers with a cap can likely be cleaned out and used again, although what for depends on their size and original use. Tin cans can be used to make a solar heater, heaters, storage containers, etc. Stuff that can't be used again easily (air freshener cans for example) keep them for their aluminum, you might just want to make a alcohol stove with them, and there's decent plans making use of quite a few of those. Cardboard and burnables can be used for heating and cooking, although you probably want a way to keep the soot contained and controlled. If you have a patio you can use them on outside, then great. If you can't get around to getting much in the way of dishes or cups, tin cans will work for a while.
Building Materials: If you have time, and access to lots of flat cardboard, you can make your own building materials. Buy woodglue (a gallon or so) and wood screws; Slather glue between layers of cardboard, clamp them down and put weight on them, let it solidify, repeat til 6 layers thick. Then cut and make your own shelves, tables, chairs, etc. Even if you don't, putting some boxes on their side you can probably go 6 long (or more) and maybe 3 high and it's a built-in bookshelf. I'd recommend having something to help stabilize it (Cord or a table leg does wonders).
Rent: You're probably going for what's cheapest. Sometimes second floors are a little cheaper than bottom floors. Studio apartments is most likely. Maybe renting out a garage. Check with your landlord, sometimes they will lower the price if you offer to pay in advance like a lease. Example: Some of my rent was about $400 a month, but for every 10 months or so I got a month free, which lowered the rent closer to $350 per month. If it's a few flights up, take it (you'll get used to using the stairs the more you use them).
Extras: Cord (Bankline & 550 paracord) is very versatile stuff. Once you've gotten good at knot tying to a degree you could make a hammock and hanging chairs and other things easily assuming you have somewhere to tie it down at. With that in mind, might consider 2 things. Look for locations that have exposed beams above you (2x4's probably), that will let you hang just about anything anywhere. Second is if you CAN find a place like that (basement, studio apartment or attic seem most likely, or garage) then shelling out some money for bulk cord might be a good idea. I can get 1000 feet reels of cord for about $60. I wouldn't risk my life on a single cord mind you (that would be dangerous and uncomfortable regardless of it's strength) but more likely it has multiple ties/loops/redundancies. If it's an option, it will be good for Shelving, Planks, Make-shift Ladders, a make-shift table, expanding to a backpack, making a belt, attaching and holding onto items like canteens, etc. I'm not sure if all listed can actually handle 550lbs, but this cord is the closest to actual military cord that I've used, and the most likely one I'd trust my life with. The other colors look & feel different, some are much lighter than expected (like the blue) while others are heavier (black); More likely they are newer and made more for Paracord Bracelets rather than utility. The site offers free shipping so that's one less worry.
Bankline you can get from Amazon and other sources, but it's slightly sticky (tar coated) so it takes a little getting used to, although still good stuff from what I've seen and used myself. Not good for bracelets mind you.
Internet resources: If you aren't going to be having easy access to the internet, I think it might be a good idea to download videos from youtube while you do to use with your laptop (or tablet) in cases where you ask 'how do I tie this again?', which can be especially useful for the net making (ie hammock. I calculated making one would take about 200-300ft for like a 4'x8', plenty for solo so you'd have plenty of cord left over for a lot of things). If you aren't sure how to download YT videos, I can link you a plugin plus firefox that when used together will work. 99% of the time the 360p quality is plenty (or 240p flv format), so you can get quite a few videos before you even hit a single Gig of space. Firefox Plugin
I'm sure there's a lot more I can recommend as I think about it, but some of it is just common sense or doing things as early as you can before a resource is unavailable. Sometimes afterall you gotta sleep on blankets on the flat floor, it happens.
6/28/14:
edit: regarding vinegar for food sanitation as I think about it, that might not be enough. As I think about it, it probably was a couple table-spoons (not capfulls)... or maybe as much as a cup, but that's still relatively weak, you want like 1/2 vinegar to half water for breaking down calcium deposits...
Canada...
Posted 11 years ago Years ago (20 maybe?) I heard on my parents record player a song called 'Canada' from Dan Hill, curiously when I searched for the song for years and years I couldn't find it, I could only find 'Sometimes when we touch' which seemed to be the only thing people wanted to listen to. There were a few others of his songs but Canada stood out to me somehow.
Finally I found someone uploaded some of the old records; True the audio isn't very well normalized, but it's good enough. It's still a very pretty song, one I've longed to hear again for over 10 years now. I'll enjoy a cleaner version when it's avaliable, but for now just enjoy the music.
Canada - Dan Hill 1976
Finally I found someone uploaded some of the old records; True the audio isn't very well normalized, but it's good enough. It's still a very pretty song, one I've longed to hear again for over 10 years now. I'll enjoy a cleaner version when it's avaliable, but for now just enjoy the music.
Canada - Dan Hill 1976
Is sudden DIY interest strange?
Posted 11 years ago The last few weeks I've been watching plenty of videos on bush-craft (survival outdoors & camping) -link-, along with solar and other greener energy alternatives -link-, which I never really watched or got that much into before. So my current girlfriend/live-in FWOB (friend with occasional benefits) has been getting at me and wondering my sudden interest in all this stuff, and it seems like it's very random when indeed it is quite the opposite.
A little history.
I got kicked out of my parent's house when I was 18 (religious reasons) and so I started with nothing; Literally! Just my computer, my midi keyboard, and clothes on my back and that was just about it. At that point I bought up supplies needed to live in an apartment. For the next 12 years I've lived pretty much on little/minimal pay since I've refused to go to college and get into 40k of debt for a trade that seems to be getting over-saturated (and MicroSoft & other companies more than once laid off thousands of more experienced people than me), plus getting the loans would have been a pain.
These 12 years I've lived and gone with pretty much the minimal of things. My computer(s) until just recently were bare-bones or used laptops, and tools have been a slowly growing collection of hand tools starting when I was in the military; I never owned any power tools until 2 years ago even (but now I have a growing collection of what I need).
So history lesson over.
So now I'm watching lots of videos on Solar panels and power, on camping and survival, and on anything and everything that catches my eye. I've even bought a bunch of Fresnel lenses. I'm planning on buying solar panels soon (although how soon I am not sure), and if we were outside of city limits I might consider other options like water collection and storage as well.
Why the sudden interest? Well I've never had access to a huge amount of money and after my time in the military my financial resources have stabilized a bit. This means for once I have more money than I need just to survive. Now I can start diverting my interest in other things, assuming I can pay for them (without credit cards and debt problems later). Is it all that strange I've always been interested in Solar Energy? Magnetism? Electricity? Wood-working? Welding?
Well it seems like quite a shock, even though I have a big box in my closet that has some super-strong magnets for wind-turbines, and I've made attempts at a small test alternator (and my electronic skills suck so nothing ever works); With small scale experiments not working I've looked more towards solar power. Just today the two of us went out and set some paper and random wood on fire with a few fresnel lenses I got, and it started up quickly and powerfully! (Too bad they are just paper sheet sized and not like 60inch+ size that could really do some power)
If I could go to college for free for years, I would! Course this comes to online courses in the form of YouTube videos from publicly published semesters which I've watched quite a few and expanded my knowledge.
So do you think it's strange? Or does she just not know me as well as she thinks she does?
A little history.
I got kicked out of my parent's house when I was 18 (religious reasons) and so I started with nothing; Literally! Just my computer, my midi keyboard, and clothes on my back and that was just about it. At that point I bought up supplies needed to live in an apartment. For the next 12 years I've lived pretty much on little/minimal pay since I've refused to go to college and get into 40k of debt for a trade that seems to be getting over-saturated (and MicroSoft & other companies more than once laid off thousands of more experienced people than me), plus getting the loans would have been a pain.
These 12 years I've lived and gone with pretty much the minimal of things. My computer(s) until just recently were bare-bones or used laptops, and tools have been a slowly growing collection of hand tools starting when I was in the military; I never owned any power tools until 2 years ago even (but now I have a growing collection of what I need).
So history lesson over.
So now I'm watching lots of videos on Solar panels and power, on camping and survival, and on anything and everything that catches my eye. I've even bought a bunch of Fresnel lenses. I'm planning on buying solar panels soon (although how soon I am not sure), and if we were outside of city limits I might consider other options like water collection and storage as well.
Why the sudden interest? Well I've never had access to a huge amount of money and after my time in the military my financial resources have stabilized a bit. This means for once I have more money than I need just to survive. Now I can start diverting my interest in other things, assuming I can pay for them (without credit cards and debt problems later). Is it all that strange I've always been interested in Solar Energy? Magnetism? Electricity? Wood-working? Welding?
Well it seems like quite a shock, even though I have a big box in my closet that has some super-strong magnets for wind-turbines, and I've made attempts at a small test alternator (and my electronic skills suck so nothing ever works); With small scale experiments not working I've looked more towards solar power. Just today the two of us went out and set some paper and random wood on fire with a few fresnel lenses I got, and it started up quickly and powerfully! (Too bad they are just paper sheet sized and not like 60inch+ size that could really do some power)
If I could go to college for free for years, I would! Course this comes to online courses in the form of YouTube videos from publicly published semesters which I've watched quite a few and expanded my knowledge.
So do you think it's strange? Or does she just not know me as well as she thinks she does?
Bash Scripting...
Posted 11 years ago Well something I've been doing lately is anything I download (like my games) I've been recompressing it using zopfli to lower it's size. This includes PNG's and zip flies as the primary. The amount I've gotten per file usually is fairly small, but the space saved has been at least a CD's worth.
Anyways Windows doesn't let you make modifications to how it works, things that would be nice like default priority for programs who you know use huge amounts of processing and take a while, instead it's all defaulted as 'normal' so running a dozen background jobs is slow as hell.
So I've pulled out my book of bash power tools and scripting, and managed to build a script that not only divides the job up to individual processes so it takes advantage of multiple cores, but puts them in the background priority so it won't slow down anything I'm working with. curious how only a little work and lookup using a couple lines of code makes such a difference.
Anyways here's the script. If you have questions let me know. BTW I'm using AdvancedMAME recompression tools for this.
[code]
#!/bin/bash
for x
do
#check file size, if it exceeds 800Mb there's a decent chance it will fail due to memory issues
#If there's a better option for checking the file size, then du/sed should be replaced. It's slow but works.
if [ `du -BM $x|sed 's/M.*//'` -lt 800 ]
then
#low priority, plus each file has it's own background process to take advantage of multi-cores
nice -15 advzip -4 -z $x&
# ls $x
fi
done
[/code]
Anyways Windows doesn't let you make modifications to how it works, things that would be nice like default priority for programs who you know use huge amounts of processing and take a while, instead it's all defaulted as 'normal' so running a dozen background jobs is slow as hell.
So I've pulled out my book of bash power tools and scripting, and managed to build a script that not only divides the job up to individual processes so it takes advantage of multiple cores, but puts them in the background priority so it won't slow down anything I'm working with. curious how only a little work and lookup using a couple lines of code makes such a difference.
Anyways here's the script. If you have questions let me know. BTW I'm using AdvancedMAME recompression tools for this.
[code]
#!/bin/bash
for x
do
#check file size, if it exceeds 800Mb there's a decent chance it will fail due to memory issues
#If there's a better option for checking the file size, then du/sed should be replaced. It's slow but works.
if [ `du -BM $x|sed 's/M.*//'` -lt 800 ]
then
#low priority, plus each file has it's own background process to take advantage of multi-cores
nice -15 advzip -4 -z $x&
# ls $x
fi
done
[/code]
4/10/14 - dream Journal
Posted 11 years ago Perhaps the most lucid dream I've ever had. I remember lots of details, but most of the details are faces, colors, people, clothing, a world in my head that I didn't know before. Following traffic laws and hacking a computer to try and figure out why someone had died and was being sent via another plane for a family, only to find out the girl 'looked' like their girl a lot. Kinda confusing.
There was an assembly of some kind, something involving basketball. I remember someone wanted to prevent me from getting closer, and I almost choked and threatened him, only to realize I didn't care about basketball and so I walked away. After the assembly it was time to go home. At this point I was walking through people, walls, rebuilding the world, floating if I wanted to. I could touch or not touch at my choice, taste or not taste. I rebuilt the airport and it was odd as it was this aqua multifaceted world around, much like a slow computer loading up and building the world around me until it was a bustling airport. My GF's step-dad was there, somehow I had made him the owner of a huge corporation, and HDMI 15 was out where there was demos of the newest PlayStation games on the television, it had such clarity, although I didn't pay too much attention at that.
I pulled a girl I think I liked close, she might have been someone random and I kissed her. She didn't resist long and soon got into it, and I gave her a 'dream card' similar to a business card except it was more prismatic. Basically mentally an invitation for her to join me in another dream some time for personal fun.
Next we sat down, and someone began giving a talk to us about who were taught and what we qualified under. I commented I was 'self taught' but I don't think I was heard. After this point though I know I was sitting down, with a familiar old lady in a red coat in front, and I remember answering her 'because this is a dream'. I almost wanted to lie to save her feelings, but I knew there were none. Then I burst out crying because I knew the dream would end soon.
I woke up crying.
I feel terrible because the likelihood of getting something like that again is rather low. Maybe I was touched by god, shown what I could do as god, or maybe.. just maybe it was just a dream. Trying to go back to sleep with the cat yowling and being nudged only showed me pale imitations of the dream. Eventually I got up to deal with the cat, but it seems he won't take any answer we give him.
There was an assembly of some kind, something involving basketball. I remember someone wanted to prevent me from getting closer, and I almost choked and threatened him, only to realize I didn't care about basketball and so I walked away. After the assembly it was time to go home. At this point I was walking through people, walls, rebuilding the world, floating if I wanted to. I could touch or not touch at my choice, taste or not taste. I rebuilt the airport and it was odd as it was this aqua multifaceted world around, much like a slow computer loading up and building the world around me until it was a bustling airport. My GF's step-dad was there, somehow I had made him the owner of a huge corporation, and HDMI 15 was out where there was demos of the newest PlayStation games on the television, it had such clarity, although I didn't pay too much attention at that.
I pulled a girl I think I liked close, she might have been someone random and I kissed her. She didn't resist long and soon got into it, and I gave her a 'dream card' similar to a business card except it was more prismatic. Basically mentally an invitation for her to join me in another dream some time for personal fun.
Next we sat down, and someone began giving a talk to us about who were taught and what we qualified under. I commented I was 'self taught' but I don't think I was heard. After this point though I know I was sitting down, with a familiar old lady in a red coat in front, and I remember answering her 'because this is a dream'. I almost wanted to lie to save her feelings, but I knew there were none. Then I burst out crying because I knew the dream would end soon.
I woke up crying.
I feel terrible because the likelihood of getting something like that again is rather low. Maybe I was touched by god, shown what I could do as god, or maybe.. just maybe it was just a dream. Trying to go back to sleep with the cat yowling and being nudged only showed me pale imitations of the dream. Eventually I got up to deal with the cat, but it seems he won't take any answer we give him.
My new fursuit... - Walmart Outing...
Posted 11 years ago Well, as described in my recent posts it is snowing here, it is winter time, and well being bored and not having worn my suit much I wanted to wear it. So wear it I did!
I needed a few things anyways. I've been trying out wearing a workout suit under the fursuit to help contain the water, which seems to do a decent job (It's not like it will retain heat any more than a full suit!!). With the workout suit on I can feel after an hour or so the sweat collecting, but that's fine it evenly distributes at my legs or around my waist (what fun). I'm not sure if this is the best method, but checking the suit afterwards I found almost no wet spots, most spots I think were from the snow and not from me (course they get a touchup cleaning anyways).
So the fun part. Immediately at arriving at walmart and walking through the parking lot, I know I could be seen quite well, and walking in there were friendly smiles from seemingly everyone. I think everyone knows I did it out of boredom. The self-checkout employee got a hug, and a couple kids along with a few pictures by parents.
It seems while I was out a few of the kids were terrified of me (along with our cats), why? I'm a big cuddly Guy. But it seems it isn't to be, not even with fun antics of biting on product cases, or hiding behind corners and then peeking to see the children looking at me oddly, or trying to say hello and converse with the M&M stand.
There were however several instances where once the kids see you and are obviously curious that approaching in a playful and harmless manner got them to want a hug, course offering high-fives seems to be universally acceptable and understood by the parents who then explain what to do.
I'm thinking I might end up getting a squeaking accessory, since I don't think I need to be talking, but squeaking or chipping might just add character without adding words that are muffled. We'll see, got some on order and I'll see what seems to fit the character.
There was a minor mishap however, while there I could feel my tail getting lower and lower, and due to it's construction (to be separate so I can do a partial, at my request so it could be my mistake), I went to the restroom to fix it. Seems while tightening the belt it tore and barely held together enough to finish the day, seems I'll have to get that fixed. (The belt's super-simpler so I just need to pull out the sowing machine in the corner).
So I guess experiences learned:
You get hot fast, however this is the body's natural reaction to being covered, after having it on me over half an hour my body began to adjust to it and I wasn't sure if I was hot anymore, the sweat on the other hand collecting at my elbows (in the workout suit) was more distracting than anything else, and I'll see if I can get that better controlled/contained. I wonder if there's a way to collect it and remove it without having to remove parts or the whole suit, then it can remain dry all the time externally while I'm active. Calls for experimentation...
You get thirsty immediately. Upon getting fully dressed (taking 10 minutes or so) I wanted to drink water cold; I might try having a camel-back either on or under the suit, if it's over I'll have to make it obvious I'm using it, while if it's under it can be invisible (probably).
Third, your vision is weird. First time wearing the suit I couldn't see, but the second time I adapted quickly, however once the head is off I found my eyes trying to cross oddly and I have trouble going back to viewing the world normally, I guess it's trying to ignore that big middle section between my nose where my vision is lost. Hmmm...
So I guess for other suiters who read this:
Is having the sweatsuit under a good idea?
If not why, and what other options would you suggest?
What methods do you have to keep cool?
What things/actions should I begin doing while suited up? What seems to get the most amusement from viewers?
I needed a few things anyways. I've been trying out wearing a workout suit under the fursuit to help contain the water, which seems to do a decent job (It's not like it will retain heat any more than a full suit!!). With the workout suit on I can feel after an hour or so the sweat collecting, but that's fine it evenly distributes at my legs or around my waist (what fun). I'm not sure if this is the best method, but checking the suit afterwards I found almost no wet spots, most spots I think were from the snow and not from me (course they get a touchup cleaning anyways).
So the fun part. Immediately at arriving at walmart and walking through the parking lot, I know I could be seen quite well, and walking in there were friendly smiles from seemingly everyone. I think everyone knows I did it out of boredom. The self-checkout employee got a hug, and a couple kids along with a few pictures by parents.
It seems while I was out a few of the kids were terrified of me (along with our cats), why? I'm a big cuddly Guy. But it seems it isn't to be, not even with fun antics of biting on product cases, or hiding behind corners and then peeking to see the children looking at me oddly, or trying to say hello and converse with the M&M stand.
There were however several instances where once the kids see you and are obviously curious that approaching in a playful and harmless manner got them to want a hug, course offering high-fives seems to be universally acceptable and understood by the parents who then explain what to do.
I'm thinking I might end up getting a squeaking accessory, since I don't think I need to be talking, but squeaking or chipping might just add character without adding words that are muffled. We'll see, got some on order and I'll see what seems to fit the character.
There was a minor mishap however, while there I could feel my tail getting lower and lower, and due to it's construction (to be separate so I can do a partial, at my request so it could be my mistake), I went to the restroom to fix it. Seems while tightening the belt it tore and barely held together enough to finish the day, seems I'll have to get that fixed. (The belt's super-simpler so I just need to pull out the sowing machine in the corner).
So I guess experiences learned:
You get hot fast, however this is the body's natural reaction to being covered, after having it on me over half an hour my body began to adjust to it and I wasn't sure if I was hot anymore, the sweat on the other hand collecting at my elbows (in the workout suit) was more distracting than anything else, and I'll see if I can get that better controlled/contained. I wonder if there's a way to collect it and remove it without having to remove parts or the whole suit, then it can remain dry all the time externally while I'm active. Calls for experimentation...
You get thirsty immediately. Upon getting fully dressed (taking 10 minutes or so) I wanted to drink water cold; I might try having a camel-back either on or under the suit, if it's over I'll have to make it obvious I'm using it, while if it's under it can be invisible (probably).
Third, your vision is weird. First time wearing the suit I couldn't see, but the second time I adapted quickly, however once the head is off I found my eyes trying to cross oddly and I have trouble going back to viewing the world normally, I guess it's trying to ignore that big middle section between my nose where my vision is lost. Hmmm...
So I guess for other suiters who read this:
Is having the sweatsuit under a good idea?
If not why, and what other options would you suggest?
What methods do you have to keep cool?
What things/actions should I begin doing while suited up? What seems to get the most amusement from viewers?
My new fursuit... - First walk in public!
Posted 12 years ago Well being Halloween we decided to grab candy from the store, and I decided to wear my suit as a partial for this venture. I can tell when I got hot, and when my body adjusted much like when I was in the army. You never really forget.
Anyways, got 3 pictures taken of me, said hi to the neighbors, and after an hour or so got home to cool down. I might have been a lot hotter if I was wearing the full suit as I know my shirt was breathing plenty of cool air for me.
Currently my problem seems to be that my eyes are giving me a headache, specifically they feel like they both want to point outwards and have a different center, since in the suit I can't see straight down so I'm trying to adjust to wearing it and then not wearing it.
So far, I love the suit, but I've got to get used to wearing it a little more, except that means I'm going to be quite hot when I do. As it gets colder the suit will be more comfortable, I can tell, but I won't be wearing it in public most of the time unless I've a friend to help me.
Oh yes, when I got home the cats freaked out. I could tell when Orange our cat visibly relaxed when my head appeared and she knew I wasn't this threat invading her home. That was kinda fun...
Edit: Halloween
Alright, I put on a workout sweat suit that holds in moisture in order to help keep sweat off my suit. Seems to have worked, although the collection of sweat needed something to close off the suit more. Wasn't bad, but I wore the suit seemingly for 2 hours before the trick-or-treating really took effect. This means although I was fine to keep going for a while, I needed to get out of the suit for a while, and ended up pretty much done with the suit for the night.
But the one reaction I got from answering the door in full suit was comical, unfortunately it didn't repeat otherwise I'd put up a video. To put it mildly, I shocked the kids, and when they cried out in surprise I acted surprised.
Well I got a good sized bin now for my suit, may take some re-arranging before it all fits properly. Only the head needs to air out due to the sweating while the rest of it remained dry. I definitely need some type of cooling method. I'm thinking a camel-back filled with ice water, then feed the tube through the neck and sip on it.
On a brighter note, I am getting used to putting the head on, hopefully that's a good thing and not me mistreating the poor thing. I still got a really positive reaction at the store, so that's good.
Anyways, got 3 pictures taken of me, said hi to the neighbors, and after an hour or so got home to cool down. I might have been a lot hotter if I was wearing the full suit as I know my shirt was breathing plenty of cool air for me.
Currently my problem seems to be that my eyes are giving me a headache, specifically they feel like they both want to point outwards and have a different center, since in the suit I can't see straight down so I'm trying to adjust to wearing it and then not wearing it.
So far, I love the suit, but I've got to get used to wearing it a little more, except that means I'm going to be quite hot when I do. As it gets colder the suit will be more comfortable, I can tell, but I won't be wearing it in public most of the time unless I've a friend to help me.
Oh yes, when I got home the cats freaked out. I could tell when Orange our cat visibly relaxed when my head appeared and she knew I wasn't this threat invading her home. That was kinda fun...
Edit: Halloween
Alright, I put on a workout sweat suit that holds in moisture in order to help keep sweat off my suit. Seems to have worked, although the collection of sweat needed something to close off the suit more. Wasn't bad, but I wore the suit seemingly for 2 hours before the trick-or-treating really took effect. This means although I was fine to keep going for a while, I needed to get out of the suit for a while, and ended up pretty much done with the suit for the night.
But the one reaction I got from answering the door in full suit was comical, unfortunately it didn't repeat otherwise I'd put up a video. To put it mildly, I shocked the kids, and when they cried out in surprise I acted surprised.
Well I got a good sized bin now for my suit, may take some re-arranging before it all fits properly. Only the head needs to air out due to the sweating while the rest of it remained dry. I definitely need some type of cooling method. I'm thinking a camel-back filled with ice water, then feed the tube through the neck and sip on it.
On a brighter note, I am getting used to putting the head on, hopefully that's a good thing and not me mistreating the poor thing. I still got a really positive reaction at the store, so that's good.
RainFurrest 2013
Posted 12 years ago Well, I guess I'll give my impressions of the first visit to a furry con.
The hotel: Ended up staying at the holiday inn. Honestly I give the place 2 stars. Reasons:
1) The hotel was being remodeled.
2) You're charged a parking space (didn't mention it anywhere that I recall) which was $8 a day (or $15 normally).
3) The room had distinct issues, water damage in places, the window gave off huge drafts, especially later as it became rainy.
4) The hotel had a sudden leaking issues the last two days.
5) Although you got coupons for free all-you-can-eat breakfast, the food didn't taste fully cooked, and the pancakes were especially 'heavy'. Not sure if that matters.
On the up side, the internet worked fairly well, got up to 2Mb/sec, although you have to re-sign in every 2 days.
Now the Con itself. First day I felt out of it, but then again I needed some socializing, and it takes about 3 days to fully break out of habits or feel like you've been doing something for any real length of time.
There were a lot of panels I would have loved going to, but ended up missing (Damn them overlapping time periods!). Seriously wish it could have been split up to take a few weeks rather than 4-5 days, but resource-wise we all know that hotel costs wouldn't have made it possible. I just hope any recorded sessions can be accessed online somehow.
I spent a good amount of time in the game room, socializing at it's best!. Ended up playing NeverWhen far more than anything else, maybe we'll get some good players locally soon and can do this more often.
There's a few private gatherings at the con, got nearly drunk at one (mmm creamy alcohol! :) ).
Now last two days I got sick (UGGG!!!). So I was more exhausted than I'd like to have been, and missed more evening (18+) panels.
Now curiously I was completely comfortable around all of the suiters. There were several I really liked, too bad I didn't take any pictures or it's probably post them here (and probably find them and link them appropriately here on FA). I may have to find them anyways.
What I did get involved in I really enjoyed, and wish I had more time to enjoy it (when I'm not sick). On the other hand I couldn't sleep half the nights when I was trying to sleep which probably led to me getting sick, that and caffeine and alcohol.
The hotel: Ended up staying at the holiday inn. Honestly I give the place 2 stars. Reasons:
1) The hotel was being remodeled.
2) You're charged a parking space (didn't mention it anywhere that I recall) which was $8 a day (or $15 normally).
3) The room had distinct issues, water damage in places, the window gave off huge drafts, especially later as it became rainy.
4) The hotel had a sudden leaking issues the last two days.
5) Although you got coupons for free all-you-can-eat breakfast, the food didn't taste fully cooked, and the pancakes were especially 'heavy'. Not sure if that matters.
On the up side, the internet worked fairly well, got up to 2Mb/sec, although you have to re-sign in every 2 days.
Now the Con itself. First day I felt out of it, but then again I needed some socializing, and it takes about 3 days to fully break out of habits or feel like you've been doing something for any real length of time.
There were a lot of panels I would have loved going to, but ended up missing (Damn them overlapping time periods!). Seriously wish it could have been split up to take a few weeks rather than 4-5 days, but resource-wise we all know that hotel costs wouldn't have made it possible. I just hope any recorded sessions can be accessed online somehow.
I spent a good amount of time in the game room, socializing at it's best!. Ended up playing NeverWhen far more than anything else, maybe we'll get some good players locally soon and can do this more often.
There's a few private gatherings at the con, got nearly drunk at one (mmm creamy alcohol! :) ).
Now last two days I got sick (UGGG!!!). So I was more exhausted than I'd like to have been, and missed more evening (18+) panels.
Now curiously I was completely comfortable around all of the suiters. There were several I really liked, too bad I didn't take any pictures or it's probably post them here (and probably find them and link them appropriately here on FA). I may have to find them anyways.
What I did get involved in I really enjoyed, and wish I had more time to enjoy it (when I'm not sick). On the other hand I couldn't sleep half the nights when I was trying to sleep which probably led to me getting sick, that and caffeine and alcohol.
