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Chapter 1 — Welcome To The Digital World!
As the scream echoed around the office everyone looked up from their computer screens with looks of concern. “Goddamit!” Screamed the voice a second time as Payton stood up and started to walk towards the source of the noise.
As she got close she saw Lin waving her hands wildly, pure rage painted on her face. “This stupid loader, you used to work! Why won’t you work now?!” Screeched Lin as she flung her arms out, sending a mug tumbling off her desk.
Payton moved without thinking, quickly diving forward and catching the mug before it shattered on the floor. A few seconds after the mug hit her palms, Payton mentally kicked herself, realizing that the mug could have been burning hot.
As she put the mug back onto the desk, Payton looked at Lin. “You doing okay?”
“Of course I’m not,” sighed Lin before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, it isn’t your fault.”
“It’s fine, I get it.”
“This loader just refuses to load properly, I’ve tried everything, it just bugs out when players get there.”
“Right, right.” Nodded Payton as she crouched down and looked at Lin’s screen. “Nothing is jumping out to me, this whole thing makes no sense.”
“Right?” Gasped Lin. “I thought I was going nuts!”
“I.” Started Payton as she took a deep breath. “I hate to suggest this after all your work, but can we just cut the whole area?”
“That would take a major rewrite of the plot, we would need to make another way to get a load of key items.”
“Right, but will people get that far in the time they have to play it? On the show floor, they’ll play a maximum of thirty minutes right?”
“Most likely,” nodded Lin.
“So can we adjust stuff so that they won’t get to the issue within that timeframe? Leave it as a cliffhanger? Buy the full version and see what’s inside the magical non-loading castle?”
“I’ll help you out as I can quickly change the assets to put them in other places.” Smiled Payton. “But you should take a break, cool your jets a little.”
“Yeah, guess you’re right,” replied Lin, letting out a long sigh as she did. “Coffee?”
“Sure!” Nodded Payton as she stood up and started to head towards the kitchen. However, as she walked into the room she quickly realized it was full of random tables, backdrops, and technology.
“Really? Our kitchen?” Said, Lin, as she looked around the room.
“I know Bethany said people would be storing stuff in our building before they moved them to the convention hall, but I didn’t think they would use all our personal space!”
“Right?” Groaned Lin as she tried to step between the debris. “I bet the staff room is worse.”
“Well, I’m not drinking hot chocolate at my desk.” Huffed Payton, “so it better not!”
The girls did their best to make their drinks without damaging any of the stuff scattered around the room, but the lack of organization made it very hard. Something seemed to always be where Payton wanted to step.
As they made their way into the staff room they breathed a sigh of relief. While there was stuff in there it was much better laid out, allowing them to find two chairs to sit in.
“I still don’t get why we let them do this,” mumbled Lin.
“Well the convention doesn’t let you set up your booth until the morning and the boss thought that offering storage space would be a good way to generate some goodwill with a load of indie studios.”
“So when they’re done.”
“We can publish,” nodded Payton.
“Maybe they should think more about us than devs they don’t have yet,” replied Lin as she rolled her eyes and sipped her drink.
As they enjoyed the time away from their desks both girls looked at the stuff that was scattered around the room. Suddenly a light caught Payton’s eye.
“Which idiot left their stuff plugged in?” She mumbled as she walked towards the light, trying to work out just what thing it was attached to. She quickly realized the light was from a very banged up computer tower.
However, rather than having a screen or keyboard, this tower only had a headset attached to it. But it wasn’t like any headset Payton had seen before, the terrible plastic and the loose wires made it clear that this was homemade.
“What in the world?” Blinked Payton as she looked over the headset.
“What?” Shouted Lin from the other side of the room. “Oh, you found that!” She giggled as she got up and walked over.
“What even is this? A prototype? A prop? It’s a prop right?”
“Nope,” chucked Lin. “It is someone’s actual attempt at a new system, exclusive for their game.”
“A system for one game?”
“Yeah, some of the designers played it earlier, apparently it is terrible.”
“Terrible how?” Asked Payton as she raised an eyebrow.
“Well, first it is a visual novel.”
“That isn’t bad? Visual novels are a good way for first-time devs to dabble.”
“But a VR visual novel?” Laughed Lin.
“Okay, that is weird, I’ll give you that,” nodded Payton.
“And not just any visual novel, a dating sim. Think the worst dating sim you’ve ever seen, it is just fan service!”
“That sounds hard to sit through,” grimaced Payton, doing her best to be polite to this unknown dev.
“You should try it!” Smiled Lin as she grabbed the helmet. “This will make you think our game is the Mona Lisa in digital form!”
“I’m not sure if we should use it without permission,” mumbled Payton. “Especially to mock it.”
“They left it plugged in when they got here just so the designers could play it, they wouldn’t shut up about it until the designers gave it a try.”
“Well, I guess,” nodded Payton. “It couldn’t hurt for a bit and maybe I can give them some constructive criticism!” She added, doing her best to convince herself that this was okay.
“Awesome! Prepare for pain!” Grinned Lin as she passed Payton the flimsy helmet. Payton gently guided it onto her face, slightly worried that the plastic would snap at any moment.
As the world around her went dark Payton took a deep breath, doing her best to ignore how badly the helmet was pinching the bridge of her nose. “Never taken an ergonomics class I bet,” she mumbled.
“Oh not at all,” chuckled Lin as she tapped on the machine. “Okay, I’m going to turn it on, so the screen should come on.” She started only for a loud crackling noise to echo around the room.
Before Payton could do anything she felt a sharp stinging pain on her scalp, all of her muscles started to twitch and spasm as hot liquid pain ran over her. She felt herself crumple to the floor as her body continued to convulse and squirm.
Payton screamed out, however, her voice was quiet and weak, her whole world was being consumed by pain as the ringing in her ears grew louder and louder. Payton wanted to pull the helmet off of her head, however, she couldn’t get her arms to listen to her.
Her whole body felt weak and exhausted, the ringing made it hard to even hear her thoughts. She could feel herself slipping, almost like a foggy haze was washing over her. Payton felt her arm hit the floor as she fell into a dark void.
“Purin! Purin!” Echoed a high-pitched voice in Payton’s ear. “Purin! Wake up!” Shouted the voice again as Payton’s mind slowly started to think once again.
Her whole body stung, it felt like she had just finished a strenuous workout. But something felt off about her body, it felt lighter somehow.
“Purin!” Shouted another voice.
Payton lifted her head and blinked her eyes, letting the world come into focus around her. She saw a face a few inches from her own and quickly jumped back in shock, trying to work out what was going on.
This face looked like no one Payton knew, in fact, she almost looked like a cartoon character come to life with big brown eyes and short black hair. She was dressed in a terrible parody of a school girl’s uniform that was covered in bright pink buttons.
“Who,” started Payton, only to realize that she had no idea where she was. She quickly looked around and realized she was in a classroom with gothic details, however, it had a strangely unreal quality to it.
“You don’t look so good!” Giggled the girl, causing Payton to let out a little groan. “Did you stay up all night playing video games again?”
Payton’s brain was slightly overwhelmed by all of the questions running through it and that only served to make her headache worse. She reached up to try and rub her head. However, as she raised her arm she realized her skin looked different.
She quickly turned and looked at her reflection in a window, only to let out a scream. She wasn’t herself anymore, she looked as unnatural as the girl that stood in front of her.
Payton’s old red undercut was now a blonde pixie cut and her eyes had gone from brown to green. But the worst was that she now looked as weird and as fake as the other girl, she looked like something that had been drawn as opposed to born.
She tried to work out what was going on, however, the constant music made it hard to focus, part of her wanted to find the source and shut it off however she was too confused about her scenarios to even want to try.
“Nana! Sit down!” Hissed another girl, shaking Payton from her thoughts. She turned and realized there were other girls in the classroom. All of them had the same strange unreal quality that made Payton feel weird.
Suddenly, a person walked in through the door. At first, Payton presumed it was another generic girl, however, she quickly realized this wasn’t the case. While this person was wearing a uniform like the girls, they had a camera where their head should be.
Payton blinked her eyes before looking towards the other girls, hoping one of them could explain what this thing was, however, none of them seemed phased by it.
“Welcome!” Shouted the girl in pink as she threw her arms up into the air and jumped out of her seat. The other girls turned and glared at her, making her quickly sit back down.
The girl at the desk closest to the door stood up and coughed softly. Her uniform was partially hidden by a trenchcoat and she had a small grey trilby balanced on her head.
Payton looked between the girl and the new person, only to find that the new person now had a head. However, it was oddly blurry, almost as if Payton was looking through fogged up glasses.
“Hello, welcome to Sagi Academy of the arts!” Said the girl, her voice surprisingly formal. “We hope you’re going to have a great year with us, as class president allow me to introduce you to your fellow classmates!”
The blurry faced person nodded gently as the girl spoke. Once she had finished Payton saw a strange semi-transparent box appear in front of the person for a few seconds before vanishing.
“I’m sure as well!” Nodded the girl happily, sounding as if she was responding to something the person had said. “We should start with introductions, why don’t you tell us about yourself!” She added before falling silent again.
Payton saw the same thing play out, a hazy little box appeared in front of this strange person for a few seconds. It almost looked like it had writing inside it but Payton couldn’t make any of it out, trying to focus her eyes on it made her head hurt.
“Welcome name!” Smiled the girl. “Allow me to introduce myself first. I’m Sakamitsu Michiyo, but you may call me Micchi. I’m the school’s lead journalist and editor of our school newspaper. If you ever need any help or information, please come and speak to me.”
Payton’s head continued to throb as she looked between the blurred face and Micchi. She was totally confused and lost, she felt like she should be scared, but she didn’t understand the situation enough to be scared by it.
“Now allow me to introduce the rest of the class,” smiled Michiyo as she pointed to the next desk. At this desk sat a very pale girl who had a blood red dress barely hidden under her school jacket. “This is Tan.”
“Himemiya Elizabeth Camelia,” interrupted the girl, her voice quiet and sullen. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Tanaka Akiko is the head of the poetry club,” explained Micchi. “She also has a space for poetry in the newspaper. Or at least, she does when she submits a poem that is within the rules.”
“The bars on my creative spirit will not hold,” mumbled Akiko as Micchi rolled her eyes and pointed to the next desk.
“This is Ashley Johnson, she is our foreign exchange student from America, I’m sure you will get on well as you both know what it is like to transfer to a new school.”
“What’s up!” Grinned Ashley as she made finger guns towards the weird figure. Her appearance was ludicrous, her flowing blonde hair was partially covered by a baseball cap that seemed to be made from an American flag and she had a football jersey hidden underneath her jacket.
Micchi smiled, a hint of redness coming to her cheeks as she turned towards the next desk and pointed towards the girl who had woken Payton earlier. “This is.”
“I’m Nanapon♥!” Shouted the girl as she jumped out of her chair before Micchi could introduce her. Payton winced, something about that name hurt her brain, it felt like it contained a sound that shouldn’t exist. “I’m the best singer in the school and by far the cutest!”
“This is Ozaki Nana,” continued Micchi, acting as if the other girl hadn’t interrupted her.
“Or Uzaki as we call her,” added the next girl in line, only for Nana to huff and put her hands on her hips.
“Don’t call me that! I’m Nanapon♥!” She shouted as another wave of pain caused Payton to wince. She wailed softly as she gripped her head, but none of the girls seemed to notice or care about her very obvious discomfort.
“This is Ichiura Kirika” sighed Micchi as she pointed towards the girl who had annoyed Nana. This girl seemed slightly unkempt, her brown hair was frizzy and her uniform was slightly crumpled.
“Hi,” said the girl nonchalantly.
“Don’t mind her, she is very kind once you get to know her,” smiled Micchi before quickly moving on. “Next up, Akazuki Yui.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said the girl next to Peyton as she stood up and bowed. Unlike Kirika this girl was perfectly kept and she was the only person who had not customized her uniform, in fact, with her perfectly formed pigtails she looked like a model student. “I hope we will have a wonderful and productive year together.”
“Hase Purin,” smiled Micchi as she pointed directly at Payton.
“My name isn’t that, I’m Payton!” Shouted Payton, but none of the girls reacted.
“She is the school’s best cook! If you’re ever at a party make sure you try her cakes!” Explained Micchi.
“I can’t cook,” insisted Payton, “I can’t bake either!” She added, growing more and more frustrated at being ignored.
“She’s also a super gamer!” Interrupted Nana, “Don’t bet against her on games unless you want her to take all your money!”
“Well that about covers it, let me get a photo for the paper!” Laughed Micchi as she picked up a camera from her desk and pointed it towards the figure.
As the camera flashed Payton saw the blurred face become a camera once more. Her head was throbbing, she couldn’t work out what was going on around her, she just didn’t feel real.
An older woman in a suit walked into the room and stepped in front of the board. “Alright, welcome back, this first class will be about selecting your electives for the year,” explained the woman as the ukulele music grew louder and more annoying.
Suddenly the world went black for a brief second. At first, Payton thought she had fallen asleep, but when the darkness receded she realized she was still in that weird classroom.
It was only her, the girls Micchi had introduced and the blurry headed person. Payton felt disoriented, it was almost as if the whole world had changed without her even moving a step.
“I can’t believe I have to take classical dance,” huffed Kirika. “I don’t like old dances, they’re slow and humiliating.”
“It isn’t that bad,” smiled Yui, “culture is a wonderful thing to know, and it gets you dates!”
“I don’t want to date,” replied Kirika firmly.
“But you need to get a date for the for the school festival!” Bounced Nana excitedly. “You can’t go alone! No one ever does!”
“That isn’t for nearly three months!” Shouted Kirika.
“She is right,” added Yui. “You can’t wait until the day before!”
“Don’t sweat it dudette,” interjected Ashley as she leaned against the teacher’s desk. “I’m sure you’ll score a home run by then!”
“That makes no sense,” mumbled Payton as she stood up and moved towards the group of girls, still trying to work out what was going on. However, none of the girl’s seemed to respond to her criticizing Ashely’s metaphor.
“Thank you Purin!” Smiled Nana. “I’m glad someone understands how important planning in advance is, but with your cakes, you’ll have everyone begging to date you!” Payton blinked, despite apparently talking to her, Nana was currently facing away from Payton.
“Then why don’t you go and plan Uzaki? I’m sure people are falling over themselves to date you.” Huffed Kirika, only for a look of anger to cross Nana’s face for a brief second.
“I’m the fantastic adorable Nanapon♥!” Replied Nana as a wave of pain washed over Payton’s brain. “Boys always queue up for me, like they’ll queue up for my single!”
“You’ve told us.” Laughed Kirika sarcastically. “I’m Like Carrots” by Uzaki, that is a title that just screams hit!”
“I’m Nanapon♥!” Shouted Nana, obviously growing very angry at the insults. “My single is going to be number one! It is going to be a best seller! Everyone will be chanting L-O-V-E Lovely Nanapon♥! L-O-V-E Lovely Nanapon♥! While you sit around working in an office!”
Payton winced, something about that name made it feel like someone was pushing a hot needle into her brain, she couldn’t place what it was, but it hurt so much. Too much. “Shut up!” shouted Payton as she dug her nails into her cheek.
“Nana, calm down!” Interjected Micchi before glaring at Kirika, obviously signaling for the girl to drop the topic.
“I’m apparently taking popular music,” interrupted Ashley, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. “Any of you girls got that? Is it closer to country or western?”
“I’m doing it!” Bounced Nana, her smile instantly returning as if someone had flipped a switch. “I’m going to perform my title song as the final I think!”
“Title song?” Asked Ashley as she adjusted her cap.
“The Nanapon♥ song!” Giggled Nana as Payton let out a muffled scream. “I need to work on the verses but I’ve got the chorus! Because it is all about me!” Grinned Nana as she opened her mouth to sing.
Payton’s head was swimming, the intense burning pain was becoming too much to handle, if she heard that name once more she was going to pass out from the agony.
As the first syllable of her name formed on Nana’s lips, Payton’s body went into autopilot. She ran forward and grabbed Nana, quickly throwing the girl out of the room and into the corridor before slamming the door with a loud bang.
As she held the door shut Payton gritted her teeth, hoping to every deity she knew that these doors were soundproof. After a few seconds of silence, Payton let her jaw relax as she looked through the window.
Nana was laid on the floor, however, her legs were stiff as if she was standing and her mouth was moving as if she was singing. It was almost like Nana hadn’t even noticed she had been knocked down.
Payton turned around, hoping to ask one of the other girls about the whole situation. However, they were all looking at the empty space where Nana had previously been standing.
At first, Payton presumed they were shocked at her actions, she had just football tackled their friend after all. But Payton quickly noticed that Micchi, Ashely, and Yui were bobbing their heads and smiling, almost as if they were listening to music.
After a few seconds, Micchi and Yui started to clap. “That was amazing!” Grinned Yui.
“What do you think Name?” Asked Micchi as she turned to face the blurry headed figure. Apparently, the figure had been stood in the corner of the room the whole time, but Payton could have sworn they were not there when she got out of her chair.
The strange box appeared again as Payton’s head throbbed. After a few seconds, the box vanished and Micchi giggled, acting as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
“Well Name, I’m sure Nana will sing a lot more this year. But I realize that due to us talking about classes I didn’t give you a tour of the rest of the school! But I have to go get the school paper edited.”
“I’ll do it!” Interrupted Yui with a grin. “I have to go and run an errand anyway.”
“I could as well, not like I want to, but to be polite.” Interjected Kirika.
“I’m always down to do a dude a solid!” Beamed Ashley.
A silence hung in the air for a few seconds before Micchi burst out laughing. “Well, you have made quite the impact Name! Who would you like to show you around? “Yui, Kirika, Ashely or.” Said Micchi as she suddenly twitched.
Suddenly a loud screech filled the air as Micchi’s body seemed to become engulfed in static, her form stretching and twitching seemingly at random. As the screech echoed a second time Payton grabbed her head, the pain welling up once more.
The whole room was starting to flash as the walls dissolved into colored pixilated static. “Na,” stuttered Micchi, her voice sounding oddly robotic and corrupted. As she spoke the flashes grew more intense as several other discordant noises joined the screech in a horrific choir.
Payton pulled on her hair, trying to block out the horrible noise as the world grew more corrupted and pixilated, everything was changing color and flashing almost like Payton was stuck in a short-circuiting disco ball.
Suddenly, an electric shock ran through Payton’s body making all of her muscles stiffen. As every fiber of her being sparked and throbbed the world dissolved in a bright flash, leaving only a strange void.
Payton tried to work out what was going on. The whole world was now nothing but gently shimmering and spiraling colors. Despite seemingly being stood on solid ground, Payton felt like she was floating in liquid.
But the worst thing was the throbbing in her head, it felt like her brain was pulsating, almost like it wanted to crawl right out of her ear. This whole environment felt like an assault on her senses. Like it was somewhere Payton was not meant to be.
Her whole body started to tremble as she continued to wince, trying to work out what was going on. Suddenly, a girl popped into existence a few feet in front of Payton.
“Help me,” mumbled Payton as she reached towards the girl. However, something about the girl made Payton feel anxious, almost as if some primal part of her brain was screaming at her to run.
As she reached Payton had time to look over the girl, her eyes trying to place where this fear was coming from. She was clad in blue leather pants and a leather motorcycle jacket, almost like she was about to go racing. In her hand, she held a large sign.
“Please wait! Now loading!” Read the sign above a drawing of a smiley face. The girl looked through Payton and smiled a wide and overly artificial smile. Suddenly, the room pulsed with a green glow that was so bright it made Payton’s eyes roll up into her head.
“Purin.” Whispered a voice in Payton’s head. But it wasn’t the voice of her internal monologue, it was different, it sounded almost cartoon-like. “Hase Purin,” whispered the voice again, sounding slightly firmer than before.
Terror ran across Payton’s body, she had no idea what to do, it was like someone was whispering into her ear, but there was no one anywhere near her and the strange girl wasn’t moving her lips.
“Hase Purin likes baking,” echoed the voice. “Hase Purin is the school’s cook. Hase Purin the girly girl.”
“I’m not, I’m Payton,” mumbled Payton as the world started to spin, the throbbing in her brain growing more and more intense.
“You are Hase Purin,” repeated the voice, its artificial calmness making it seem more threatening than any shout or yell. “You are Hase Purin.”
Payton felt a wave of pain run over her mind as she tried to argue back. Something was very wrong, it felt like her mind was being probed almost as if something was reaching in and trying to forcefully rearrange her thoughts.
“No,” grunted Payton as she felt her legs start to give way. Suddenly space seemed to close in, the walls of color rushed towards Payton, their color changing from smooth to jagged and pixelated, it was almost like a corrupted spiral pattern.
Just as the wall came within an inch of Payton’s face it started to flash. Each flash was so bright it made Payton’s eyes burn, it was like a firework going off right in front of her, the colors overloading her retinas every time they burst forth.
“Hase Purin,” repeated the voice in Payton’s brain. However, before Payton could argue with it the colors started to flash faster. The pattern cycled between jagged pixelated spirals of red blue and green. Each flash made Payton’s eyes water and burn, it felt like the colors were trying to drill into her brain.
Payton closed her eyes, keen to block out the assault. However, to her dismay closing her eyes did nothing, the pattern was in her mind’s eye and Payton couldn’t seem to envision anything else, no matter how hard she tired the flashing colors would not vanish, they continued to bore into her mind.
“Hase Purin.” Said the voice as it echoed in Payton’s head. “Hase Purin is a girly girl who loves to bake, you are Hase Purin.” It said as every synapse in Payton’s brain tingled and stung.
The flashing wouldn’t stop, each one felt like getting hit in the face, but despite the pain, Payton couldn’t look away. Something about the jagged spiraling pattern forced Payton to stare at it, no matter how much her body and brain screamed out, Payton could not convince herself to turn her head.
Something about it was mesmerizing, almost like it was almost offering her a way out, a tunnel to escape through. Maybe if she just looked deeper into it she would pass through the spiral and the flashing colors would stop scorching her retina.
As she stared she felt herself falling into the pattern, the pain becoming less noticeable as she let herself merge into the colors. The flashes were still there, but she couldn’t feel them stinging her body.
“Purin,” said the voice, sounding much louder than it had before. Payton didn’t really care though, she was distracted by the swirling patterns. The more she gazed, the less jagged they became, looking less like pixels and more like brushstrokes. Even the shades changed, becoming more like pleasing pastels.
It was oddly calming, Payton’s body felt so far away, almost like she had left it and was just floating in the pretty colors that surrounded her. She couldn’t really hear her own thoughts anymore, all she could hear was that strange voice as it whispered into her.
“Hase Purin loves to bake sweets and cakes,” continued the voice as Payton’s mind filled with half-remembered cake recipes. “Purin is a girly girl who loves to look pretty and cook,” it added as Payton continued to let the colors massage away all of her fears.
Payton’s mind was foggy, it was almost like someone else was thinking in her brain, covering up her own thoughts with the thoughts the voice suggested.
“Purin is so girly. She loves dresses and cakes. Purin is Nanapon’s biggest fan,” explained the voice as Payton continued to swim in the colors.
“I’m so girly, I like cake, I’m,” repeated Payton. However, the mention of being Nanapon’s biggest fan make her brain skip a beat. It was wrong, that wasn’t her, she wasn’t Purin! She couldn’t stand Nana! Let alone her saccharine singing.
Payton’s brain kicked into high gear, she focused and tried to pull herself out of the colors. Looking away felt like a herculean task, almost as if Payton was trying to deadlift a car, but, by focusing all of her willpower, she was able to pull her gaze away.
As her eyes left the center of the pattern it returned to its aggressive flashes and horrific jagged edges. Payton’s eyes started to burn as the colors restarted their assault. “Not Purin,” groaned Payton as she ground her teeth together, trying to use the sensation to keep herself awake.
The jagged shapes and the static grew more and more intense, it felt like her head was about to explode. “Payton Payton Payton,” grunted Payton as she continued to bite down on herself, doing all she could to block out the voice that still whispered into her mind.
Payton’s body seized again, she wanted to scream but she couldn’t get her lips to move. The pain washed over her as the colors faded and everything went black. She could feel herself passing out, she wanted to stay conscious, but it was all too much for her, and she very quickly fell into a deep and dreamless void.
“Purin! Purin!” Echoed a high-pitched voice in Payton’s ear. “Purin! Wake up!” Shouted the voice again as Payton’s mind slowly started to think once more.
Her whole body stung, it felt like she had been hit by a car and walked into a door at the same time.
“Purin!” Shouted another voice.
Payton lifted her head and blinked her eyes, letting the world come into focus around her. She saw a face a few inches from her own and quickly jumped back in shock, trying to work out what was going on and where she was.
“Oh no,” whined Payton, as she realized it was Nana.
“You don’t look so good!” Giggled Nana. “Did you stay up all night playing video games again?”
“Again?” Blinked Payton as she massaged her head. As she rubbed she heard the ukulele music start its overly cheery loop once again. Payton let out a sigh and shook her head, hoping to clear the pain before the music gave her a headache.
As she shook her head, she caught sight of her reflection in the window. Her stomach dropped as she saw that she still looked nothing like herself, she really did look like someone who would find Nana’s singing entertaining.
“Nana! Sit down!” Hissed Micchi as Nana quickly sat down. As the strange blurred faced figure entered the room Payton resigned herself to the fact she was going to have to go through this whole thing again.
The worst part was Nana, her stage name still felt like a slap to the face. However, Payton was able to fight through it by pinching her arm as hard as she could and doing her best to not pay attention to anything that was said, it was not as if mattered, she already knew what was going on.
Once Nana finished singing her song, Payton watched as the little box appeared in front of the blurry faced person. Her head throbbed a little bit as she stared at it, but it wasn’t even a fraction as painful as her time in the strange room.
Suddenly the room went black and Payton felt the world shift around her. It was almost like she passed out or fell asleep for a few moments. But as she opened her eyes, she realized she was in a totally different place.
This new room was very large and very plain. It had white walls that were covered in various faded posters. The room was also full of chairs and tables, but they were scattered around almost at random. It reminded her a lot of the staff room at her office, just a random hang out spot that had many uses but wasn’t really effective at any of them.
The thought of the staff room stopped Payton in her tracks. She had been so confused by the strange girls and the strange room that she had totally forgotten that she had been in her office a couple of hours before.
She had been there, drinking her hot chocolate and then she tried that strange game and then she appeared wherever here was. Payton’s thoughts clicked into place like a jigsaw puzzle, it seemed so obvious but also totally insane.
Payton tried to think of a counter-argument that made more sense, but she couldn’t come up with anything. She had been told that the game was a terrible visual novel and this place felt like it was one, a load of fantasy fulfillment characters all tripping over themselves to date the protagonist.
This place reeked of it, it was a school with a uniform, but all of the girls were college age and all of them were obsessed with their one specific interest.
“Coma,” muttered Payton to no one in particular. It was the only other option that made sense. Something had happened with the headset and she had ended up in a coma, and in reality, she was currently lying in a hospital bed as her boss yelled at her for not getting the code fixed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Payton spotted some of the girls moving around and doing stuff. Ashley was doing chin-ups on a bar that had been badly attached to an old bookcase, Nana had headphones on and was practicing a very over the top dance routine and Yui was sat at a desk studying.
Payton scanned the room, wondering if she could spot any of the other girls. However, the only other girl present was Micchi and she was stood in the dead center, doing absolutely nothing.
After a few minutes, the strange blurred headed figure appeared in the room and walked over to Micchi. Payton quickly followed this strange body, hoping she could see just what was in those boxes.
As she moved close to the strange figure Payton was overcome with a strange feeling of dread. She looked over the figure’s shoulder, however, the box was still blurry, almost as if it had been mirrored or drawn on wet paper.
Payton started to slowly move around the figure, twisting her head left and right to see if she could bring the text into focus, however no matter the angle the text was always illegible squiggles.
She moved behind Micchi as she continued to squint and wiggle her head. However, she was so focused on trying to read the box, she stumbled and smacked into Micchi’s back before tumbling to the ground.
“Crap,” mumbled Payton as she looked up at Micchi. Thankfully, Micchi seemed to not notice the girl slamming into her and continued to just stare at the strange figure.
As Payton pushed herself up off the floor she saw a hazy box sitting just behind Micchi. At first, she presumed it was just the one that the blurry headed figure seemed to use. However, as she looked closer she realized that the figure still had their box open.
Payton squinted and stared at the new box and realized that while it was very distorted and blurry, she could just about make out the letters in this new box.
“Sakamitsu Debug Menu,” read the box title. Beneath it was a load of equally blurry options.
“Path state. Girl location. Loaded areas. Other. Event Strings.” Mumbled Payton as she read through the list. They did all sound like options that you would find in a debug menu and the fact it existed did add more fuel to the theory that she was in a game.
Payton reached forward and poked the Girl location option, keen to see if she could interact with these weird menus. As her hand went through it, the button illuminated and the box quickly changed.
This new box contained a list of all the girls Payton had met so far. Micchi, Nana, Ashely, and Yui were all listed as being in the common room while the others were listed as unloaded.
However, Purin stood out. The location next to her name was flashing, alternating between Common Room and Error State, the latter of which was written in bright red letters.
“Huh,” mumbled Payton. She reached to try and hit the back button, hoping to explore some other menus. However, as the blurry faced figure started to walk away, the box began to fade.
Payton scrambled, hoping to get a glimpse at something while she still had the chance. She waved her hands wildly and was able to hit one of the options at random, however she couldn’t read what it was before the box vanished into thin air.
She could only watch as the blurred faced figure walked up to Nana and started to talk to her. Part of Payton wanted to listen into the conversation, but she decided against it, not wanting to risk getting another headache.
As she watched she debated her options. Sure, it did look like she was in a game, but this wouldn’t be the first time she had dreamt of work. Maybe this was a strange coma dream her brain had pieced together from her recent stressors.
However, as much Payton didn’t want to admit it, game or coma she had no choice but to try and find a way out. She couldn’t just sit around and wait and hope everything fixed itself, that was the quick route to insanity.
Suddenly the world went dark again and the heavy darkness washed over Payton’s mind. She instinctively started to fight as hard as she could, doing everything she could to resist the heavy void encroaching on her. She dug her nails into her palms and screamed out, determined to struggle through this, determined to break through whatever this was.
The darkness started to flicker, almost as if it was a curtain blowing in the breeze. Behind the flickering void, Payton could make out words and fragments of code. However, it was hard to focus on the text and keep fighting off the void at the same time.
Her eyes dashed left and right as her eyelids wobbled and strained against the force pushing against her. “Brain,” mumbled Payton as she squinted at a line of code, doing her best to keep moving even though it felt like she was floating in molasses. “Brainwave implementation, personality imprint,” groaned Payton as her eyelids spasmed.
She continued to try and read as much as she could, despite feeling herself slipping. No matter how hard she fought, the void seemed to push back exponentially stronger, despite her urge to fight, Payton knew it was only a matter of time and that she had to absorb as much of the code as possible.
She continued to skim the code, hoping she could find something that would give her a hint at what was going on. She searched as quickly as possible, but she was only able to take in a few small fragments of text. Out of the corner of her eye, Payton spotted a familiar bike jacket before the void crashed over her, throwing her into total darkness.
Payton lifted her heavy eyelids and looked around, trying to work out just where she was. She seemed to be in the lobby of a dorm room or something similar.
The blurry faced person was sitting in a chair and staring right at Payton. She debated trying to talk with the strange figure, however before she could open her mouth, Akiko spoke up from behind her.
“The moon has risen. I’m afraid I must retire,” she said as she walked between Payton and the figure.
“Good night!” Shouted Yui, causing Akiko to stop mid-step.
“Thank you Yui and Purin. Please enjoy the momentary peace in the arms of Morpheus.”
Payton just shrugged and ran with it, if people were going to presume her words she saw no point speaking. Once Akiko had turned the corner Yui and the figure started to talk, giving Payton plenty of time to think about what she had seen.
The bits of the code she could recall was odd, it was like nothing she had ever seen before, though, at the same time, it wasn’t that advanced, it was just calling functions she didn’t know. The “Personality Imprint” segment stuck out in her memory, it was such a weird turn of phrase and while she had seen oddly named scripts in the past, the section looked like it was a major part of the game’s backend.
“Bedtime for us!” Shouted Nana as she wrapped her hands around Payton, pulling her from her thoughts. “Night night Name!” Smiled Nana as she waved at the strange figure.
Payton’s eyes went wide as she realized what this meant. She was roommates with Nana. She had to sleep in the same room with constantly hyperactive, overly cutesy Nana.
As Nana let go and skipped towards her room, Payton sighed and stood up. She didn’t want to risk going back to that strange place again, especially if that code was real and this whole thing was attempting to brainwash her into being Purin.
As Payton walked Nana opened one of the doors, revealing a very nice looking dorm room. It was all the proof that Payton needed that this wasn’t real, while there was a small chance that girls as one dimensional as this could exist, there was no such thing as a nice dorm room.
Payton followed Nana inside and steeled herself for a fight, fully expecting the void to wash over her again. However, the second the door closed Nana froze in place, her arms sticking out at her sides as she stared blankly forward.
“Umm, Nana?” Blinked Payton. She walked around the girl and shook her a little, seeing if she could get a reaction, however, the girl was totally non-responsive.
“What do you think of Name?” Asked Nana as she stared at the door.
“Oh great,” sighed Payton as she shook her head. “Let me guess, blur face is eavesdropping on us.”
“They are cute!” Said Nana happily. “I think they are awesome!”
“Cute?” Replied Payton sarcastically. “They have no face, all the pink is rotting your mind.”
“A bet? To see who takes them to the festival? I’m in!” GIggled Nana. “If I win! You have to do my history of performance homework all year! If you win you can have my panties! They’ll be worth money!”
“Ewww,” grimaced Payton. At this moment she really couldn’t think of anything she wanted less than Nana’s underwear.
“Deal!” Shouted Nana as she remained totally still. “I don’t know why would you want those anyway!”
“I’m done!” Shouted Payton as she grabbed the door and pushed it open, she couldn’t deal with this, she was so disgusted by the idea that she would gamble to win used panties that she totally forgot where she was.
After one hard yank, the door swung open and Payton tumbled out to the floor. However, she wasn’t in the dorm lobby, she was back in the room of flashing colors.
Payton tried to cover her eyes and duck back inside the room with Nana, but as she turned she saw the room vanish into a haze of bright and strobing colors.
“No, I won’t let you do this!” Shouted Payton as she squeezed her arm, doing her best to not make direct eye contact with the swirling and jagged patterns as they strobed around her.
Payton spun around only to spot the motorcycle jacket lady stood a few feet away. “Now Loading! Please Wait!” Declared her sign, this time omitting the smiling face.
“Who are you?!” Shouted Payton. “What are you?!”
“You are Hase Purin,” whispered the artificial voice in Payton’s brain.
“No, I’m not!” Screamed Payton as her primal instincts took over. She sprinted forward and tried to swing for the girl, however, this turned out to be her undoing, as when she lifted her head to aim her punch, she made direct eye contact with the jagged flashing pixels.
Payton’s brain instantly locked up, something about the pattern was both mesmeric and painful, it felt like it was trying to force its way into her brain. Her muscles were so tense she could hardly move, let alone move at speed.
“You are Hase Purin,” whispered the voice again. “Hase Purin is a girly girl. Hase Purin loves baking.”
“No,” grunted Payton, trying to shout despite her locked jaw. “I’m not, I’m.”
“Hase Purin,” interrupted the voice, talking directly over Payton’s thoughts, stopping her mid-word. As the flashing grew brighter, her eyes started to water and flutter.
Payton couldn’t move, she didn’t feel in control of her own body, all she could do is sit helplessly as the flashing burned into her stinging brain. She tried to focus herself on something, on anything, but there was nothing but the colors.
“Hase Purin.” Repeated the voice as Payton’s internal monologue echoed the name back, despite Payton’s protests. “Hase Purin loves cakes and pretty dresses, you are Hase Purin.”
Payton wanted to scream. She couldn’t stop her brain repeating the phrases, whenever she tried to think of anything, a bright flash of color obliterated the thought and made her brain throb and ache.
“Hase Purin would love to be a princess,” said the artificial voice. “Hase Purin would like everyone to love her cakes.” Payton found herself resisting the voices, it was almost like her brain was scared of thinking, scared of having to endure another of the bright flashes. The jagged spiral offered a reprieve from the pain if she just fell into it instead of fighting.
The temptation grew by the second. The reprieve from the burning flashes just sounded so perfect and worth the cost. Even as Payton considered it, the spiral’s jagged edges started to fade, becoming smoother and prettier, the colors becoming less offensive to her eyes.
“Purin is Nana’s biggest fan, Purin has a crush on Nana.” Explained the voice frankly. Payton felt her heart surge as primal hate pushed through her veins.
“No, no, no, no, no!” She shouted in her mind as her synapses seethed with rage. “I don’t like her! I don’t like her!” She continued, drowning out the digital voice.
Payton’s body moved through the power of sheer spite, she grabbed onto her hair and yanked it as she slammed her eyes closed to block out the colors. She ducked her head down and charged forward, hoping to either hit something or escape this horrific place.
Her feet slammed against whatever was passing for a floor as she awaited an impact that never came. She had no idea how long she ran for, but she could feel her legs tiring, her muscles starting to sting as they filled with lactic acid.
Payton stumbled and then collapsed, her head hitting the floor with a hard thud. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around, praying that she had somehow found an escape from that room.
As the world came into focus Payton saw a similar face a few inches from hers. “Purin! Purin! Purin! Wake up!” Echoed Nana’s annoyingly cheery voice. Payton was unsure how to feel, part of her was overjoyed that she had gotten out of that strange void intact, but she was also devastated by the fact that she was going to have to endure the introductions again.
She shook her head and sighed, only to spot something in the window. The sky outside the classroom was different. The clouds were transparent, Payton could see code flickering in and out of existence.
Payton ran to the window and pressed her nose against the glass doing her best to make out as much as possible before the code vanished for good.
“Purin: Error State,” flashed one cloud in bright red letters. “Personality Imprint: Failed” declared another cloud, alongside a fragment that declared the Newspaper clubroom wasn’t loading correctly.
“Maybe I can see more there,” grinned Payton. “I just need to get there,” she mumbled to herself as a plan started to form in her mind.
“Nana! Sit down!” Hissed Micchi, shaking Payton from her thoughts. She spun on her heel and went to sit at her desk. However, for the briefest second she could have sworn she saw the motorcycle jacket girl stood just outside the classroom window.
A shiver ran down Payton’s spine as she sat at the desk and prepared herself to endure the stupid speeches again. However, as the events played out, Payton found herself slightly distracted by Nana.
Sure, she was annoying, but she was sweet and her enthusiasm was contagious. Payton wondered if she had been too harsh towards her. Maybe she had projected her own anxiety onto this poor wannabe popstar, her singing wasn’t that bad, it just wasn’t the type of music Payton usually listened to.
Suddenly Payton blinked and shook her head. “What am I thinking?” She mumbled to herself before her eyes went wide. “Purin has a crush on Nana.”
Her stomach dropped like a brick. She needed to find a way out of this place, and she needed to do it as quickly as possible.

domain: literature


text:
For the very first time after the Year 2014, the federal government has gone easy concerning the penalties and punishments for the hospitals which report more than the average Readmission rates. Amendments have been introduced in the hospital readmissions reduction program.
The decision was taken in light of the covid-19 pandemic. For the first time, very few penalties have been imposed upon the hospital authorities, who even report high hospitalizations.
How Does The Readmission Reduction Program Benefits Patients?
According to these amendments, a stay has been imposed on the calculation of penalties concerning medicare’s hospital payment. The program has been developed under the affordable care act.
The main intention of the program was to evaluate the frequency at which most Medicare patients return to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. It has a connection with these patients’ payments to the hospital.
If the patients return within 30 days, there is a greater expectation of a higher return being reaped by the hospital readmissions authorities. Most hospitals retain the opportunity to make extra money, which is why they do not provide the best treatment to the patients in the first go.
It does not at all pose a heavy burden on the pockets of the patients but, at the same time, is detrimental to the health of these patients. That is why hospitals are penalized for indulging in such conduct.
What Is The Situation After COVID?
The situation after covid-19 has undergone a complete change. The rate of hospital readmissions has increased to a great extent. Not only this but also the hospitals have suffered because of conducting significant surgeries due to the fear of infection. The only type of cases handled by the hospital during this time was related to the covid-19 infection.
It has already caused a lot to the hospitals in terms of the loss of medical healthcare personnel and the annual revenue generated by the hospitals. The entire situation has been different from what it is always. In light of these situations, the government has decided to relax the penalties imposed on hospitals under this act.
What did The Government decide?
The government has decided to exclude the period of the first 6 months of 2020 from the entire calculation of penalties in terms of admission rate. This will prevent the unnecessary burden from being imposed upon the hospitals.
The most important reason is that the hospitals cannot be sure about the infection with which the patients came. It could be pneumonia, or it could be covid-19.
The first half of the Year needed more effective testing facilities. Due to this reason, segregation of infections could not take place. In such a situation, it would be in the interest of the hospitals to exclude such a duration from the calculation of penalties.
It is probably the first time that the lowest amount has been imposed on the hospital. These relaxations are only available for the first half of the Year. The hospitals in the United States of America have been affected even during the second wave. Discussions have been underway to support this change over time.
The shift in government policies is all because of the pandemic, which has affected the lives of so many people. It was probably the first time in human history that the world has been caught in the Jaws of death. All of these factors have affected not only the policies but also how medical health treatment is available in the hospital.

domain: economics


text:
It all started when i got my first autographed drum head in the early 1980's. I had just a nail on the wall and hung the head on that. No rim or frame to make it look professional. Then, years later, I had collected 4 more signed heads....and i also am a drummer.....so, i thought what if i could make a frame out of a rim from a drum. ( AS pictured on my main page...Slayer was the first head framed.....then i had to finally make it look complete.) A few years on R & D. And now i have a finished product i think will be around for a very long time. !!
Thanks to my Dad who inspired me to tinker with tools and such, encouraged me to make HEADFRAMEZ. I dedicate this whole design and inspiration to my Dad ! ( R.I.P. My friend )
Easy to insert any drum head according to the appropriate size...14" drum head = 14" head frame
Simple to remove the head to easily clean the frame, then re-insert the head !!

domain: design


Video : 2013 Hyundai Sonata Limited Sedan 4dr Editorial
The 2013 Hyundai Sonata takes its place with the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord as a top choice for a midsize sedan. Its bold styling, roomy interior, and wide array of posh features add a hint of luxury for discerning buyers, especially for those who choose the Limited trim.
Check out a car video for a virtual tour of the 2013 Hyundai Sonata Limited. Or use the search feature to find more Hyundai car videos.
Boasting powerful yet fuel-efficient engine choices, the 2013 Hyundai Sonata comes equipped with either a 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 198 horsepower or a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for 274 horsepower. A six-speed automatic transmission is the only available option. At its top, the Sonata boasts a class-leading 35 mpg on the highway.
For 2013, heated front seats are standard on every trim level except for the base GLS trim. The top-of-the-line Limited trim is still a relatively inexpensive option in the Sonata lineup and comes standard with goodies such as heated rear seats, HD radio, eight-way adjustable driver seat with lumbar support, push-button start, and leather and woodgrain materials.
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text:
Temperatures of the lubricant in the inlet zone, the central contact zone, and the outlet zone of EHL line contact conjunctions were simultaneously calculated for a complete range of sliding conditions by using the new thermal circular non-Newtonian EHL model. The complete range of sliding conditions includes pure rolling, normal sliding, simple sliding, and opposite sliding. The result reveals the strong effect of sliding condition on the magnitude and distribution of the lubricant temperature. It also shows the diffusion time effect on the lubricant temperature, which builds up near the slower moving solid surface in the inlet zone. The effect of viscous normal stress on the temperature distribution was also investigated. Results indicate that the effect is not significant except for applications at very high entraining velocities. In addition, thermal degradation of the lubricant was studied. Results show that it may become a problem for applications at high speeds and high sliding conditions.
Temperature Distribution and Thermal Degradation of the Lubricant in EHL Line Contact Conjunctions
Hsiao, H. S., and Hamrock, B. J. (October 1, 1994). "Temperature Distribution and Thermal Degradation of the Lubricant in EHL Line Contact Conjunctions." ASME. J. Tribol. October 1994; 116(4): 794–803. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2927334
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domain: chemistry


Smoke Pot Make Art Unisex Hooded Sweatshirt
Smoke Pot, Make Art, it’s as simple as that! Let those creative juices flow. Puff Puff Paste! This design is great for the artist and recreational smoker in your life.
$38.04 – $73.22
Crafted for comfort, this lighter weight sweatshirt is perfect for relaxing. Once put on, it will be impossible to take off.
.: Classic fit
.: 50% Cotton; 50% Polyester (fibre content may vary for different colors)
.: Medium fabric (8.0 oz/yd² (271.25 g/m²))
.: Sewn in label
.: Runs true to size


text:
Yakuza Zero, an upcoming prequel to the Yakuza Franchise which released in Japan earlier this month, has finally been announced for a western release in “early 2017”.
The game was released on PS3 and PS4 in Japan – only the PS4 version will be making its way west – but it will be getting a physical release alongside a digital one.
The game will focus on the rise of Kazuma Kiryu while you will also be able to play as another recurring character, Majima Goro, known as the Mad Dog of Shimao.
For anyone who has never played a Yakuza game before, the game will only have a Japanese dub with English subtitles, check out this European trailer that Sega released with the news.
And when you’re done with that, check out this trailer that came out with the American reveal, which I think is just a fantastic trailer:

domain: game


text:
Cashew Curry (කජු ව්යාංජනය)
Passed down through generations of families in Sri Lanka, the Cashew Curry or more popularly known as the “Kadju Maluwa” is a much loved vegetarian dish that is also gluten free. Often served as a celebratory dish at special Events and Weddings, it can be cooked and served as a creamier version or as a crunchier one to have some bite.
A dish that is loved by many, the cashew curry is a quite mild compared to the many spicy dishes that Sri Lankans enjoy. Turmeric and Chilli is used but the balance is found with the thick coconut milk that is added in abundance to give that creamy and deliciously mouthwatering texture.
Here’s a recipe for a creamy “Kadju Maluwa”
- 1/2 Large onion Chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic Chopped
- 1 Chillie Chopped (optional)
- 5 Curry Leaves
- 350 g Cashew nuts Raw (roasted is optional if you need a crunchy curry)
- 2 tbsp Oil (Canola, vegetable, Coconut, olive oil)
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 500ml Thick Coconut Milk (or as needed)
- Soak the raw cashews in water with 1 tsp of salt overnight. ( cashews should be submerged in water)
- Heat a pan on medium heat with oil.
- Add onions, garlic, chillie, Curry Leaves and cook until soft.
- When the onions are soft add the mustard seeds and cook them for 30 seconds, then add turmeric, salt and cashews ( drained)
- Add Coconut Milk (All ingredients should be covered with the milk) cook for 20 minutes with a lid on.
- Then after 20 minutes add more coconut milk and cook without the lid for further 30 minutes (if the liquid has evaporated, keep adding more coconut milk).
- The trick is not adding too much coconut milk at once but keep adding as needed so the cashews soak up coconut milk which in turn gives its creamy texture. ( you might need to add coconut milk 3 times)
- After 50 minutes of cooking the cashew curry, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Cashews should be ultra-soft at this point.
- Serve hot.

domain: food


text:
The following answers to watercolor problems, questions, and solutions are meant to help you become a better watercolor painter. Watercolor painting is often thought to be a “non-fixable medium.” Even the best Watercolor Paintings may have been adjusted and turned into a beautiful Watercolor Painting.
You can correct mistakes and bingo a beautiful watercolor painting will appear. Keep this handy fix-it guide close by and consider this free watercolor software. Problems are not in any order of the most numerous to least. The first one does occur quite often, however.
This is overworking watercolor paint:
- When you think a few more details, a few more brush strokes, and pushing and pulling color over the paper will improve the painting.
- When you don’t know when to stop expecting perfection, so you start fussing back and forth.
Watercolor paint does not like being messed with, just like us.
Make a stroke and leave it alone. Don’t push and stroke it again and again. If you must, let it dry, then apply “what ever you were going to do in the first place”.
Don’t use tiny brushes— they’re an absolute invitation to fiddle and overwork. Use the biggest brush you feel confident with. This is what I see every day, loading a brush with paint, , painting and painting until the paint is almost exhausted, then wondering why it looks dull and streaky. This is what you should be doing, load the brush, paint a small area, re-load the brush, paint again (say the size of two or three postage stamps).
Glazing is the only excuse for going over a previously painted area.
Pale colors that look drab, weak and washed out.
Do not use dry, hard colors that have dried out in your palette.
Try putting fresh paint out every time you paint. Mix generous amounts of paint in your palette.
Paint with a larger brush than you would normally use.
1) – No scrubbing at a dried-up blob of paint. Squeeze out fresh paint from a tube.
2) – Use the right size of brush for the job.
Unwanted watermarks on the paper.
- Don’t paint into “damp” washes. When a wash area starts to dry, keep out. Or the fresh wash will creep into an area that is starting to dry and leave a tide mark or back run.
- Always watch for any puddles of extra paint and water at edges of a wash and mop it up before it creeps back in.
- As I stated before, you should watch out for gritty, granular paint. These granules can catch in your brush and cause unwanted streaks that are difficult to remove. Use fresh paint to avoid these little gremlins. Again watch your water-to-paint ratio.
- When painting into wet, already painted areas, you can get unwanted lines and blossoms when you have excess water in your brush, as the new load of liquid pushes the previously applied pigment outward. When the paint dries, lines and blossoms occur.
- Some artists use these blossoms to their advantage, however, and knowing how they’re created will help you use them strategically.
- Understanding your materials and what they can do for you can take you a long way toward avoiding the common problems discussed here. You may want to deliberately use these irregularities sometimes, but you must have the knowledge and the ability to control them. And, most importantly, a good watercolorist must know how to avoid and overcome the unwanted problems they create.
Hills and valleys that form on the paper.
Thicker paper weight than you usually use.
Stretch the paper (click “Techniques on home page and go to stretching paper).
Inconsistent color coverage.
Use a wide flat brush, make sure you don’t run out of pigment.
Work fast once you have started painting.
Re-load brush on every pass with color. In other words – DO NOT PAINT UNTIL you are about to exhaust paint on the brush.
Paint a few strokes, re-load, paint, re-load etc.
Make sure if you have applied clear water to the paper it is evenly dispersed – it should leave a smooth even sheen on the paper.
Not protecting tools or paper from dust, lint, hairs, grease, fingerprints and “people”.
Try to store paper in a safe place, away from people handling the paper.
Results are not what you had hoped for.
- Giving up too soon.
- Every painting (well nearly) goes through a “Yucky” stage and you may well start again – DO NOT DO THIS.
- As of to-day you must finish every painting you start. So plan your painting before grabbing the brush. Spend a little time with thumbnail sketches, good reference materials and above all else press on to the end (with care) even if you’re discouraged half way through. Think, plan, you will not be sorry you finished the painting.
- There is a reason when something does not look the way you thought it would. May be a lack of experience, so don’t get mad. Art is a lifetime of fun continually putting your heart out there on the line, taking leaps into the unknown.
Dull, lifeless looking mess in your palette
- Painting two or more opaque paints together.
- Using tubes with more than one or two pigments in the tube. Buying inferior Student Grade paint, overlapping brush loads of paint. Going back into the wet paint and overlapping brush loads of paint.
- Do this for a good illustration of mud. Paint three colored strips side by side, Red, Green & Yellow. Bright colorful strips, now before they dry, brush across strips back and forth. Bingo MUD.
- When you see the lack of vibrant color your tendency is to fix it now. But wait, don’t work more color into a wet area you will have a bigger pool of mud on your paper. Wait, let it dry then try to change it.
What surface and explain what weight should a novice buy.
- First buy the best paper in your budget. 140 lb. Cold Press, cotton or rag content.
- Surface can be Cold Press (CP), Hot Press (HP), Rough (R). Rough , lot of texture available.
- Note: “Acid Free“—-means: Paper was a relatively neutral (ph) of about “7”. Low quality papers, yellow quickly (newspapers for example). Always mat with acid free mat board.
Is there a way to remove color (colour) once I have put it down on the paper?
- Some pigments easy, some staining pigments a little harder.
- Stainers will never completely come off to the white of paper.
- Without a doubt Mr.Clean “Magic Eraser” does a good job. He barely roughs up the paper. Find him in the food store. He contains no chemicals what-so-ever.

domain: hobby


text:
The Savannah River Chiefdoms [electronic resource] : Political Change in the Late Prehistoric Southeast / David G. Anderson.
- Tuscaloosa : University of Alabama Press, c1994.
1 online resource (481 p.)
- Indians of North America -- Savannah River Watershed (Ga. and S.C.) -- Antiquities.
Indians of North America -- Savannah River Watershed (Ga. and S.C.) -- Politics and government.
Chiefdoms -- Savannah River Watershed (Ga. and S.C.)
Mississippian culture -- Savannah River Watershed (Ga. and S.C.)
Savannah River Watershed (Ga. and S.C.) -- Antiquities.
- Electronic books.
- This volume explores political change in chiefdom's, specifically how complex chiefdom's emerge and collapse, and how this process-called cycling-can be examined using archaeological, ethnohistoric, paleoclimatic, paleosubsistence, and physical anthropological data. The focus for the research is the prehistoric and initial contact-era Mississippian chiefdom's of the Southeastern United States, specifically the societies occupying the Savannah River basin from ca. A.D. 1000 to 1600. This regional focus and the multidisciplinary nature of the investigation provide a solid introduction to
- Contents; Figures and Tables; Acknowledgments; 1. Political Evolution and Cycling; 2. The Causes of Cycling; 3. Mississippian Political Change: Evidence from Ethnohistoric Accounts; 4. Mississippian Political Change: Evidence from Archaeological Research; 5. Evidence for Mississippian Occupation in the Savannah River Valley; 6. The Record of Political Change in the Savannah River Chiefdom's; 7. Political Change in the Savannah River Chiefdom's: Environmental Factors; 8. Political Change in the Savannah River Chiefdom's: Events at Particular Sites and General Trends
9. Exploring Political Change in Chiefdom Society Appendix A. Early Historic Descriptions of Mississippian Centers in the Savannah River Basim; Appendix B. Mississippian Cultural Sequences in the Savannah River Valley; References Cited; Index
- Originally presented as author's dissertation (doctoral--University of Michigan, 1990).
Includes bibliographical references (p. -446) and index.
Description based on print version record.
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domain: geography


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miniAegg Launch and Offer
Aegg will be officially launching its new ‘miniAegg’ service at the company’s stand C25 at the Packaging Innovations Exhibition at the NEC on 1-2nd March, 2017.‘miniAegg’ Launch and Offer
The new service is aimed at food outlets or food producers wanting to order smaller quantities of its off-the-shelf premium plastic food packaging from one box upwards, ideal for smaller companies’ cashflow and storage space needs.
miniAegg has made available a range of its premium off-the-shelf packaging products, found on supermarket shelves throughout the UK, which can be ordered in minimum quantities from one box upwards. The products include glass-like PS, coloured plastic pots and bowls ideal for companies wanting to premiumise their products, whether on shelf or on the plate, whilst minimising their outlay.
Jamie Gorman, managing director at Aegg, added “We do get approached by smaller, emerging businesses that are constrained by limited amounts of storage space or require smaller amounts of packaging, so providing the miniAegg service is the ideal solution for them. There are 20 products to choose from and, for the first time, clients are able to order a minimum of one box, or multiple boxes of products. New pots will be added to the miniAegg range. By launching miniAegg, the company can cater for all sizes of companies’ requirements, from the smaller delis and independent food companies with miniAegg, right up to global food brands requiring bespoke or large volume solutions from parent company Aegg.”
miniAegg Launch Offer:
If you are attending Packaging Innovations NEC on 1-2 March 2017, Aegg is offering 25% off the first order taken at the show, or resulting from a conversation at the show (terms apply).

domain: news


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Posted by Aubain (Rome, Samoa) on 10 March 2014 in Cityscape & Urban.
Listed on Photoblogs.org
Interesting frame and composition.
10 Mar 2014 8:22am
Superb, and very good title. The processing bothered me a bit at first, but I still love the whole.
10 Mar 2014 5:39pm
un intéressant effet
11 Mar 2014 9:13am
Add your comment ...
Photography by Aubain © 2014
Powered by Aminus3 Photoblog Software

domain: artistic


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Final Glance: Autos companies
NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of some top autos companies were down at the close of trading:
Ford Motor Co. unchanged at $15.39.
General Motors Co. fell $.57 or 1.6 percent, to $36.20.
Honda Motor Co. fell $.38 or 1.0 percent, to $36.05.
Toyota Motor Corp. fell $.72 or .6 percent, to $115.30.


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What is conversational ecommerce? Our guest explains that it’s the intersection between messaging apps and shopping, empowering brands to interact directly with consumers. How does this impact the guest journey? The guest experience during their stay? Your hotel revenue? Only one way to find out…listen in now!
Guest: Lex ten Veen, EVP Strategic Partnerships, Uberall, former CEO of Navads
Time: 28 min

domain: travel


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Previous versions of Device::WebIO::RaspberryPi grabbed still images from the camera by calling out to
raspistill. Given the limitations of the Rpi, this meant it had to load a program off the SD card into main memory and execute.
Meanwhile, the GStreamer framework has a plugin to read from the Rpi camera on its own. Problem was, the existing GStreamer module on CPAN was compiled against the deprecated 0.10 API, and rpicamsrc wouldn’t work against it.
I ended up asking around about 1.0 API bindings on the gtk2-perl list, and they were very patient in walking me through how to create them using Glib::Object::Introspection. Creating the bindings themselves was easy; hard part was figuring out all the magic it did behind the scenes to link to the C libraries and build Perl classes out of them.
After getting all that worked out, I released GStreamer1 on CPAN (the version number in the module name follows convention from Gtk2). Short on its heels, Device::WebIO::RaspberryPi 0.006 was released, which uses GStreamer1 to grab camera data for still images.
This greatly improves the wait time for grabbing an image in Device::WebIO::RaspberryPi. It also neatly solves a problem I’ve been struggling with since building the WumpusRover, which is that it was hard to reliably get images off the Rpi camera via Perl. With better Gst bindings, I think this is finally nailed down.


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Beyonce decided to bring some holiday cheer to unsuspecting Walmart shoppers this past Friday in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. The Daily News reports that the 32 year old songstress showed up around 7 p.m. with friends, and made her way through the store pushing a shopping cart. She then gifted every customer present with a $50 gift card, which came to a total of $37,500 for 720 people.
Earlier this week, Target announced they would not carry Beyonce’s self-titled album, because of her decision to release it online first. Erica Julkowski, a spokesperson for the retail giant explained: “At Target we focus on offering our guests a wide assortment of physical CDs, and when a new album is available digitally before it is available physically, it impacts demand and sales projections.”
To date, Beyonce’s album has sold over 1 million units over iTunes.
GET THE LATEST IN NEWS AND GOSSIP ON THE URBAN DAILY!
Beyonce Surprises Walmart Shoppers With Over $37K In Gift Cards was originally published on theurbandaily.com


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A traditional Sephardic Passover meal for the Jews of Turkey and Rhodes contains a lot of stuffed vegetable dishes. Nona always mentioned the little stuffed eggplants; I think it was her favorite. You can find little Japanese eggplants everywhere now and also there are so many other small eggplants, round ones, striped white and purple ones. They will all work.
Serves10 to 20
10 to12 small Japanese eggplants (depending on size)
1 1/ 4 pounds of ground beef
1 cup of freshly chopped parsley
1 large clove of garlic, minced
3 extra large eggs
1/3 cup matzo meal
Freshly ground pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 cups small diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
Wash and dry eggplants. Slice a small piece of the stem end off each eggplant. Slice eggplants in half and using a small melon ball scoop, take out some pulp to create a shell to stuff. Reserve the removed pulp after dicing it into small pieces for use later in the recipe.
Heat a large 12 inch skillet on medium-high and then, add two tablespoons oil. Season eggplants shells with salt and sauté each shell scooped side down until golden and beginning to soften. Remove eggplant shells and set aside on a large plate.
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, parsley, garlic, eggs and matzo meal. Season the mix with salt and pepper.
Heat a 12 inch skillet and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Safflower (this oil is kosher for Passover). Add diced onions and sauté until translucent. Next, add reserved, diced eggplant pulp. Season onion mix, with salt and pepper and sauté until slightly golden and beginning to stick. Add diced tomatoes and cook down for another 2 minutes.
Heat oven to 350° F. Spoon sautéed vegetables evenly over eggplants in baking dish. Mix crushed tomatoes with water and pour over baking dish. Garnish with a tablespoon of parsley and season once more with salt and pepper. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Place baking dish in hot oven and bake one half hour. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another one half hour. Remove dish from oven when it looks golden and bubbly, cooked through. You may make this several days ahead. It can be re-heated or eaten cold as you prefer for an appetizer or vegetable side dish at the Seder.


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About Kitano Gourmet
Hokkaido, with its vast land and rich nature, is attracting thousands of tourists who seek seasonal delicacies, winter sports, or as a destination for their summer resort. Its very distinct seasonal variation enriches vegetation and other food supply, and in deed, there are so many kinds of seasonal gourmets available in Hokkaido. In summer, Hokkaido becomes one of the coldest place in Japan, and thus attracts many people who seek for milder climate, and even in winter time, Hokkaido is visited by many people for skiing and snowboarding. The snow festival, or so called 'Yuki Matsuri' in February, is one of the most famous events in Hokkaido, entertaining an increasing number of foreign tourists all over the world.
Since the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market opened to the public, truck loads of local foods are delivered to the marked from various locations ever day. Our shop mainly deals with marine products, and other delicious foods in Hokkaido. Our in-shop restaurant serves seafood dishes at a reasonable price.
A staff who speak English and Chinese can help you in our shop. We do have a free shuttle service from and to your hotel (in Chuo Ward or Kita Ward, Sapporo) and Sapporo Station.
(There may not be the staff who can speak English. At that time, please request the contact to our shop to the hotel reception desk Japan staying. )
We have a delivery service available for those of who visit our shop, in which we deliver items to your hotel in Japan on the date of your request.You can have it delivered on the date of your departure so that you can take them home for your souvenir from Japan.
For travel agents
We accept reservation for our restaurant seats, and prepare course dishes within your budget.
Please use our parking lot for a tour bus, and our private lounge for the drivers and tour conductors.
Completely equipped with elevators, toilets for wheel chairs and a parking lot.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to find out more about our services available to your customers, regardless of its group size .We are looking forward to your coming to our shop from the bottom of our hearts.


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Since the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was announced, both agricultural groups and lawmakers have had concerns that the funding will not go far enough. Conversations between Congress and the Senate are hopeful to get additional funding for direct payments to producers and hopefully an increase in the CCC’s borrowing authority.
For additional information, the links below are available:
- USDA's CFAP Website
- The USDA's press release
- USDA Chart on CFAP eligibility
- CFAP final rule
- CFAP Cost-benefit analysis
- VIDEO: Explanation of payment calculations
Read more in the June 8, 2020, American Association of Crop Insurers (AACI) newsletter: HERE
In addition, the first $1.4 billion in CFAP payments have been disbursed to farmers according to the USDA. Nearly half of the money ($676 million) went to livestock producers with beef, cattle, and hogs. The rest has been split between dairy farms ($377 million), row crops ($368 million) including corn, soybeans, and cotton. Less than $25 million went to producers of fruits and vegetables, as well as other specialty crops.
Concerns still brood in Washington over how the funds are being distributed as well as inadequate staffing in Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices that are dealing with a massive influx of enrollment needs from producers for CFAP and other USDA FSA programs. Links to the letters written to the USDA as well as USDA data on distribution of payments are listed below:
Read more in the June 15, 2020, American Association of Crop Insurers (AACI) newsletter: HERE


CANCUN: The Wikileaks
cablegate hit the climate talks at Cancun as well with leaked documents showing how the US and EU had attempted to manipulate talks in favour of the Copenhagen Accord
by offering monetary carrots to small countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change and cutting aid to those who dared to oppose them.
Several countries had talked of dirty tricks played by rich countries even at Copenhagen in December 2009 but the game seems to have got dirtier after the infamous Copenhagen Accord was signed at the Danish capital but could not fly with some countries ensuring that it never became a formal UN document.
US and even the UN secretary general pushed countries to associate with the accord which diluted the differentiation between rich and poor countries embedded in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
But emerging economies China, India, Brazil and South Africa took a stronger position post-Copenhagen. They associated themselves with the accord they had negotiated but did not allow it to become part of the official UN negotiating text.


Super-Soft Fur Lined Bed in Giraffe Style Print
Take a walk on the wild side with this imitation giraffe fur lined bed from Yap! The luxurious deisgn allows even the most pampered of pooches to snooze in style.
Super-soft faux fur will keep your dog or puppy as snug as a bug as they snuggle down inside the high sides of this bed. Practical too, it is fully machine washable.
- Faux fur interior provides superb warmth and comfort
- Removable base cushion for easy cleaning
- Drop fronted design to allow ease of access
- High sides to keep draughts at bay
- Modern chocolate brown outer fabric suits most interior settings
- Great for all types of dog
Fabric & Care:
- Machine washable
- Do not tumble dry
- Five sizes available, see the measurements in the size guide tab above


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A few people think about the demonstration of perusing as a clear errand that is anything but difficult to ace. In all actuality, it's an unpredictable procedure that draws on a wide range of abilities. Together, Readability reading goals these abilities lead to a definitive objective of perusing: understanding cognizance, or understanding what's been perused.
What is reading comprehension?
Perusing perception is the demonstration of understanding what you are perusing. While the definition can be essentially expressed the demonstration isn't easy to instruct, learn or practice. It is a deliberate, dynamic, intelligent procedure that happens previously, during and after an individual peruses a specific bit of composing.
It is one of the mainstays of the demonstration of perusing.
At the point when an individual peruses a book he takes part in an intricate exhibit of subjective procedures. He is at the same time utilizing his mindfulness and comprehension of phonemes (singular sound "pieces" in language), phonics (association among letters and sounds and the connection between sounds, letters and words) and capacity to appreciate or build importance from the content.
This last segment of the demonstration of perusing is understanding appreciation. It can't happen free of the other two components of the procedure. Simultaneously, it is the most troublesome and generally significant of the three.
Interpreting depends on associating singular sounds to letters. For example, to peruse the word sun, kids must realize that the letter s makes the/s/sound.
Getting a handle on the association between a letter (or gathering of letters) and the sounds they ordinarily make is a significant advance toward "sounding out" words.
Translating depends on an early language ability called phonemic mindfulness.
Phonemic mindfulness lets kids hear singular sounds in words (known as phonemes).
It likewise enables them to "play" with sounds at the word and syllable level.
Familiarity accelerates the rate at which they can peruse and get content. It's additionally significant when children experience unpredictable words, as of and the, which can't be sounded out.
Sounding out or disentangling each word can require a ton of exertion. Word acknowledgment is the capacity to perceive entire words in a split second by locate, without sounding them out.
Familiar perusers read easily at a decent pace. They bunch words together to help with importance, and they utilize the best possible tone in their voice when perusing so anyone might hear. Perusing familiarity is fundamental for acceptable understanding appreciation.
To comprehend what you're perusing, you have to see the greater part of the words in the content. Having a solid jargon is a key part of understanding appreciation. Understudies can learn jargon through guidance. Yet, they ordinarily become familiar with the importance of words through regular experience and furthermore by perusing.
Perusing together consistently additionally improves jargon. When perusing out loud, stop at new words and characterize them. Yet additionally urge your kid to peruse alone. Indeed, even without hearing a meaning of another word, your youngster can utilize setting to help make sense of it.
Knowing how thoughts connect up at the sentence level assists kids with getting importance from sections and whole messages. It likewise prompts something many refer to as lucidness, or the capacity to interface thoughts to different thoughts in a general bit of composing.

domain: psychology


WORKFORCE: The mental health foundation trust covering Cambridgeshire and Peterbrough has appointed a new chief executive.
Dr Attila Vegh, a medical doctor, has joined the FT from North East London Foundation Trust.
A statement from the Cambridgeshire trust said Dr Attila Vegh, a qualified medical doctor, has a PhD in cancer research and a master’s degree in healthcare management.
It added: “Attila brings a unique combination of experiences as a clinician and transformational manager from both the private and public sectors.”
Dr Vegh said: “I see it as our duty to provide care in which local people can have confidence, and that our staff would recommend to their family and friends. Change is happening in the NHS at an unprecedented pace and scale.
“This will put significant challenges on the organisation and will require us to continually develop the way we provide services,” he said.
“In particular, the financial challenges facing the NHS as a whole will put considerable pressure on us and means that we will have to continually innovate and find more efficient ways of delivering great care to local people,” he added.


text:
Women in Rural Development
Sponsoring Agency: Agricultural Missions, Inc.
Purpose: Work towards greater gender equality in leadership of community organizations and groups through business training that starts with literacy and numeracy that moves into microenterprise where successful businesses give women stature in the community (Haiti).
When you make a gift to mission you will have the option of honoring someone. You will be prompted to send an optional email notification or you can download and print a gift card to let them know you have donated in his or her name.

domain: sociology


Brokerage firm Blau & Berg announced it has brokered the lease of 50 S. Center St. in Orange to New York-based dried fruit wholesaler Grassland Food. Michael Schipper, senior associate at The Blau & Berg Co. represented the tenant in the transaction.
“Grassland Foods was seeking to improve its business by relocating near the active port of Newark and its network of transport highways,” Schipper said. “Under new ownership, the facility was restored and updated to allow for cleaner and more efficient workspace and is part of a larger revitalization of the area, making it especially appealing.”
Grassland Foods, according to Blau & Berg opted to relocate from Long Island following a period of rapid sales growth. The firm chose to lease 7,271 square feet in Orange for its location along Interstate 280, its adjacency to the Orange NJ Transit station and easy access to I-80 and I-287.
The Blau & Berg Company is based in Short Hills.


text:
Attorney General Lisa Madigan moved Monday to get Gov. Pat Quinn another month to mull over newly passed legislation to give Illinois gun owners authority to carry their weapons in public places.
Read the article: The Chicago Sun Times
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
© 2016 National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. This may be reproduced. This may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. 11250 Waples Mill Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030 1-800-392-8683(VOTE)

domain: law


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Just in case you were wondering, yep, we now have Rachel Schmidhofer's piece!!!!
Rachel is a master of using paint to create light- imbuing ordinary objects with neon nostalgia.
Check out her site!
On a different note below she shaved away literally half the dollar with Bleach!
Rachel Schmidhofer, "Half Dollar" Bleach on Dollar Note


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IN collaboration w/Current Space’s “Evil Eyes, Curses, and Floating Computers” show (featuring artists Jackie Milad and Tom Boram) we present a unique duration improvisation, live video installation and Twitch stream.
Come to Current Space next Thursday April 13th or log in to our Twitch for what will no doubt be a very strange journey across the Rube Goldberg machine of long-form group improvisation. Like the impossible yet somehow possible 1987 film “The Way Things Go,” Tom Boram (synth, harpsichord), Shelly Purdy (mallets), Will Yager (bass) and John Dierker (reeds) go all-in for the long game.
For 3 hours these 4 will dig deep for new “music,” klangfarbe, outer space landscapes, lonely train whistles and lonelier wolf howls, sundry exhaust fan and wood-chipper sounds, etc from 7:30pm to 10:30pm!
The bar at Current will be wide open. Come out to this FREE event, have a drink, sit out in the courtyard for a bit……OR stay home and watch/listen while you sit chained to your solder bench finishing your latest voltage-controlled kim-chi fermenter or LISTEN as you drive into the night searching for love and poetry.
Extra thanks to Current Space and Jackie Milad for this excellent opportunity to explore improvised music!


Zack Snyder’s 2013 tribute to Ayn Rand, Man of Steel, has just had its neck figuratively snapped at the box office, according to a report from Forbes. With $669.7 million dollars made globally so far, Doctor Strange has now surpassed Man of Steel’s $668 million take. For comparison, Doctor Strange is, at best, a b-list character in the Marvel stable of intellectual properties, while Superman is one of DC’s top two most recognizable characters, along with Batman.
Fans of Zack Snyder’s grim and gritty blue boy scout still have something to rejoice about, however. Man of Steel’s domestic box office take still beats Doctor Strange, $291 million to $231.9 million. So Americans prefer Man of Steel over Doctor Strange, at least. Then again, Americans also preferred Donald Trump for president (unless you count that pesky popular vote), so there’s no accounting for taste.
Now, if you’ll excuse, we’re going to hide behind a large rock and watch the comments of this article from afar.
- X-Men: Bland Design – A Familiar Foe Returns in Astonishing X-Men #8 - February 23, 2018
- Justice League Shocker: Zack Snyder Likes Anti-Whedon Post on Social Media - February 23, 2018
- Gene Ha’s Mae Comes to Lion Forge with New Series - February 23, 2018
- Report: Chevy Chase Involved in Road Rage Altercation - February 23, 2018
- Bam Bam Bigelow, Kid Rock Rumored as Last 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Inductees - February 23, 2018


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DIORAMA - FRÜHLINGS / SOMMER GELÄNDE
DIORAMA - STÄDTE / GEBÄUDE / RUINEN
DIORAMA - WINTER GELÄNDE
DIORAMA - WÜSTEN GELÄNDE
DIORAMA - BEFESTIGUNGEN
DIORAMA - SCHLACHTFELDER
MODELLE - HÄUSER / GEBÄUDE
LANDSCHAFT - PRODUKTE
King And Country
Crimea Campaign 1854-1856
Pike & Musket
Remember the Alamo
The Real West
Lawrence of Arabia
-Americans - Battle of the Bulge
-Americans Battle of Pacific
-British Market Garden
-British RAF - Royal Air Force
-British The 8th Army
-German - Afrika Corps
-German - Battle of the Bulge
German - Cossacks
-German - Krigsmarine
German - Luftwaffe
-German - The Third Reich
-German - Wehrmacht / Waffen SS
The Red Army
DIE KÖNIGLICHE LEIBGARDE
British Officer w/ Sten Gun
British Tank Riders Set
The British Comet Tank
This cruiser tank was a better designed and much improved armoured vehicle than its predecessor, the Cromwell. Mounting a new 77mm High Velocity main gun in a lower profile turret it was hugely effective against all German armour. Following its battlefield success in the last months of the war the Comet saw extensive service post war in Korea and Germany and remained with the British Army until the late 1950’s. It also led directly to the development of the ‘Centurion’ tank, Britain’s finest and most successful tank of the post 1945 period. Our new K&C model is in the markings of a tank belonging to The Fife & Forfar Yeomanry (44 Brigade) of the 11th British Armoured Division. Two small crew figures are included.
D.DAY COMMANDERS PLANNING GROUP
Major-General Percy Hobart
A fine "personality" figure of one of the "forgotten heroes" of D. Day. Percy Hobart devised and designed many of the specialized armoured vehicles that made the D. Day landings so successful. Here he is dressed in a classic British “duffel coat” and wearing a tank corps black beret. He also commanded the 79th. Armoured Division.
Major "Mad Jack" Churchill
Jack Churchill (1906-1996) was no relation to the more famous Winston but shared the same spirit and thirst for danger and excitement. Originally commissioned into the British Army in 1926 he left the Army 10 years later before rejoining at the outbreak of war in 1939. After the Fall of France in 1940 he joined the newly-formed “Commandos” and rose, by 1942 to be second-in-command of No.3 Commando...A brave and energetic officer he was also a certified military eccentric...playing the bagpipes...using a bow and arrow in combat...and carrying a basket hilted Scottish broadsword into battle!!! He finished the war as a Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded 2 x Distinguished Service Orders. He finally retired from the army in 1959. Here we show him carrying his “Tommy Gun” in one hand...and his famous Scottish Broadsword in the other. - See more at: http://www.kingandcountry.com/major-jack-churchill-p-9311.html#sthash.JSjtismY.dpuf
Sergeant of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
"A Quick Knee to the Groin"
Advancing Tommy Gunner
Bren Gun Carrier
This particular Universal Carrier also has a Vickers Machine Gun mounted on top to add some extra firepower. The vehicle includes a driver.
Knife in one hand this Commando is about to take care of the third unfortunate guard…
Crouching Officer w/ Pistol
Crouching Sergeant w/’Tommy’ Gun
Another senior NCO in a typical Commando pose…’Tommy’ gun at the ready.
Dead and gone
Firing "Tommy" Gun
In the early days of the Commandos, the Thompson sub machine gun was one of the main weapons of choice…This NCO takes careful aim with his.
This Commando is just about to throw his “Mills” bomb at the enemy.
Kneeling Firing Sten-gun
Kneeling with Rifle
Knelling Firing Rifle
Knife To The Neck
Another knifing technique is the stab to the side of the neck…Extremely painful but the victim will bleed to death in seconds…a bit messy though!
Lance Coporal Bren Gunner
M3A3 “Stuart” Light Tank
Named after the famous Confederate Cavalry leader our little “Stuart” is in the markings of the 5th Royal Tank Regiment and belongs to the 22nd Armoured Brigade of the famous British 7th. Armoured Division (The Desert Rats). Apart from its small 37mm main gun it is equipped with 2 x .30 caliber machine guns and a half-body tank commander.
Carrying the large British back-pack field radio most operators also carried a side arm…In this case a Browing 9mm Automatic.
Binos in one hand, .455 Webley Service revolver in the other this officer leads his men into the attack.
Standing Firing Rife
Stengun with Silencer
Taking Out The Guard
This great fighting double…is a little one-sided…the poor German guard never knew what hit him! A Commando dagger thrust in the side of the back was reckoned to be so painful you couldn’t even scream!!!
"On The Enemy Coast"
"Paddling Into Battle"
"Dingo Armoured Car" Normandy Version
Morris C8 Field Artillery Tractor & Limber
Commonly known as the “Quad” this was the British and Empire’s primary vehicle to haul the 25 pounder gun howitzer and its limber. Originally designed in the late 1930’s as war with Germany approached the Morris C8 Quad came into operational service with the Royal Artillery in October 1939…It stayed in production throughout the war until 1945. During the war (and for many years afterwards) they saw action wherever and whenever British and Empire Forces were engaged. Our K&C model sports typical “Mickey Mouse” camouflage and comes complete with a seated R.A. driver and the artillery limber for the ammunition. - See more at: http://www.kingandcountry.com/morris-field-artillery-tractor-limber-p-7790.html#sthash.XJHl39Uh.dpuf
Officer with Map Case
"Where exactly are we?" Battlefields are busy and confusing places and in the "fog of war" it's very easy to get lost... This officer is double checking his position.
A radio operator should, whenever possible, stay closeby his officer.
Rifle At Trail
Sergeant w/ Sten Gun
The Daimler MK. II Armoured Car
This was one of the most successful British military designs of WW2. Conceived in parallel development to the Daimler “Dingo”Scout Car this heavier armoured car mounted a 2 pdr. Quick Firing cannon alongside a coaxial Besa 7.92 machine gun in the turret. Occasionally a Bren Gun might also be added atop the turret for anti- aircraft defense. After the success of our “Desert” version K&C decided to produce a second one for Northwest Europe. Produced in typical British olive drab this new version is in the markings of 44 Brigade belonging to XXX Corps which fought all the way from Normandy through France, into Holland and finally all the way up to Northern Germany by war’s end. Our K&C model comes with an NCO vehicle commander belonging to the famous 11TH Hussars.
Valentine MK III Tank
Capitaine de Fregate Philippe Kieffer
Corporal w/ Rifle & Bayonet
Free French Commandos Grenadier
Free French Commandos Set #1
Rifle at Trail
British / Gurkha Attacking with Kukri
British / Gurkha firing Bren Gun
British / Gurkha Killing Japanese
British / Gurkha Kneeling Firing Rifle
British / Gurkha Lying Prone firing Rifle
British / Gurkha Officer firing Tommy Gun
British / Gurkha Standing Firing Rifle
Fire & Advance
Anzahl von Waren 70
ausschließlich der Mehrwertsteuer zeigen


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The bridge represents the triumph of humanity over the forces of nature – a truce between gravity and commerce, negotiated by engineers and enforced with countless tons of beams and trusses. From afar, the bridge appears static, frozen in monumental grandeur from construction to eternity.
But make no mistake, the bridge lives – expanding, contracting, heaving, and swaying in response to shifting loads, winds, and temperature. It is an animate creature, incapable of complete quietude. To me, a bridge scene evokes the classical tableau vivant, its cast of suspended human actors, chests slowly undulating with breath, replaced by taut cables and angular steel.
Bridge Tableaux is an ongoing series of photographic bridge studies.


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Autumn seems even prettier in your blog!you just make me wanna jump inside your pictures, take a walk and relax in there! :)
Thank you, but I have to give some of the credit to the nature in Upstate New York ..I have honestly been photographing one of the most beautiful autumns I have ever seen. It's soooo nice here! And welcome home, it looks like you have had an amazing trip also!