Author: Silvercat

Puzzle-verse character art

Just some head shots for model sheets.

I did these quite a while ago (oh god, 2013, really?!) and never got around to posting them, but since I’m typing up things for Camp Nanowrimo and so am in that folder, I saw it. And I never finished the art for the unposted third vignette. And I still need to finish the longer piece…

So yeah. It’s under the read more.

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The Captain’s Bed

I’ve wanted a captain’s bed ((also known as storage beds, chest beds, or cabin beds)) for a while now, but never bothered because I had a perfectly good futon and no money. New ones go for hundreds to over a thousand and the ones I found cool take up a lot of space.

22_935_xx_captains_bed_twin_with_drawers_cabi
So cool. Look at all that storage!

I had never thought about it, but my parents’ bed is a captains bed – my dad had built it and they had moved it with them from Ohio to California and through three house’s there. (It comes apart into three pieces, so that helps).

Once I moved back in with my parents, I was using their futon which has free floating drawers underneath. But the cats loved to sleep in the drawers and I was afraid to let my rats run around in my room because I wouldn’t be able to get to them behind the bed. Mom was also getting frustrated with the cats always sleeping in the drawers where we couldn’t find them, so finally she said she’d buy me a new bed at Ikea.

contemporary
Space to shove stuff you never need to see! Bookcase!

I started looking for Ikea Hacks to make a storage bed, then figured, if I’m looking, let’s take a look at Craigslist. Which is where I lucked out!

I don’t have a pic of the ad, sorry. The pictures were awful. It was shoved into a corner, with two much stuff so you couldn’t really see much. But it was a captain’s bed, for 80 bucks, that could go from a full-size to a queen, ((I have no plans of ever having anything but a full-size bed, but, y’know, features!)) so why not go take a look? So me and my dad went off in his truck.

It was beat up, but made of real wood and the guy accepted my offer of 60 bucks. Score!

I figured I’d fix it and repaint it and be good. Yeah…

When I started taking a look, it turned into a bigger project than I figured. Some of the drawer fronts were beat to hell. The hinges were all either busted or frozen. Worse than that though, was the body of it, which seems to be made of the cheapest, splintery-ist, knottiest pine plywood the builder could find, held together with staples, half of which missed their mark. And I didn’t want my dad to help, because he’d take over and end up doing all of it.

wpid-wp-1423453527650.jpeg
The two pieces of the body of the bed. Already did some sanding on the one.

Quality manufacturing!
Quality manufacturing!

I removed all the hardware and decided I would try it without any handles so it’d be lower profile. So I started filling holes. And sanding. And patching. And sanding. And patching. And sanding.

Two weekends in, I’m still sanding. (Part of this is getting started late in the days and taking breaks, but still).

Did I mention the quality craftsmanship? Because look at this:

wpid-wp-1423453733831.jpeg
Yeah, that’s a place the wood split from one of the staples.

And a ton of the staples on the body stick out a half inch from the wood (as seen in the two pictures above). Which means anything put in the center space – which closes with a door (sorry about no real before pics) – would snag. So I cut those off with wire cutters, then used my rotary tool to smooth them, then covered them with wood filler.

Better no? I also filled in big knot holes, cracks, and all the places the even longer staples split the wood.
Better no? I also filled in big knot holes, cracks, and all the places the even longer staples split the wood.

But mostly I’ve been working on the drawers and doors. I have most of them done now. There’s three drawers left to do, all of which have been puttied and sanded to some extent, and then the two body pieces.

wpid-wp-1423453946230.jpeg
Making progress!

But look at this poor wood!

wpid-wp-1423453988551.jpeg
Sorry about the crappy picture. I was really tired and in pain by the time I was taking pics. This is the worst of the drawers.

wpid-wp-1423454031269.jpeg
Doors!

I’ve still got plenty to do (finish sanding, prime, paint, put hardware back, figure out how I’m handling the mattress surface), and Mom wants me done by Saturday so she can have her garage back, but as long as my bosses don’t expect me to work five days this week, like last week, I should be able to get it done!


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Update on features in Ie

Figured out what interesting features I’m going to have in Ie. ((I was already including pivot construction, measure words, and verb serialization, but that falls under copying Cantonese)) There’s going to be a complex pronoun system that I’m about ready to make a chart for, suppletive forms (not sure where exactly), and possibly going to make it fusional in some of the particles or somewhere if I can find a place? So yay, you can no longer say ‘yet another isolating analytic lang based heavily on Chinese.’ If I get around to doing a conscript for it (which I probably will, because I always do) it’s going to be featural.


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Conlang happiness – Ie

Been working on a conlang that’s supposed to be a naming language for some of my comic characters (specifically Delia Troy Burton). I have an Hawaiian grammar from the 70s which I’m using as a model, because it’s the only grammar I have for an analytic language.

It’s called Ie.

At some point, I’ll probably upload my grammar like I did for Nyjichun. I’m currently doing it in HTML instead of in a TiddlyWiki. That may change or I may just make it more than one page at some point. I dunno.

Anyway, the point of this post was to share some words! It’s tonal and differentiates between aspirated and non-aspirated words, but for simplicity’s sake (and to keep from having to post the phonology) I’ll just give the romanticized form. The only note I’ll make is that /c/ is pronounced like /ch/ in English). No, I can’t pronounce most of it. See if you can pick out which words are compounds from other words! (Hint: not all the meanings are given here).

tuep zug – Adam’s apple
pov – bridge of nose
pi – cheek, cheekbone
puk – chin, jawbone
piod puk – chin (underneath)
tyiik – ear
dyuu tyiik – earlobe
kyiv – eye
tiu kyiv – eyebrow, eyelash
pyio – face
tiu – hair
tuep – neck, throat
zug – nose
xuu – tooth
tyii1g – arm, hand
bo – back
kie cuu1 biui – backbone, spine
cye tyiig – elbow
eb tyiig – finger
tŭe7t zĕ4n – heel
o1 – hip
cye zen – knee
zen – leg, foot
ang uom – navel
ang tyiig – palm
ii biui – rib
vo – shoulder
gyud biui – shoulder bone
xo ebtyiig – thumb
eb zen – toe
tuet – wrist


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Nice try, dude

Nice try, dude

Him: Hi dear.. I am (Unique name). Moved back to California recently. Looking for the company of a charming lady. I believe in life long friendships and like to keep it drama free. Hit me up if you are interested in dining out, drives, discovering exciting places & new restaurants, movies, outdoors… (Phone number!) (email)
Sparkling moments & good times guaranteed! And by the way keep up that magnificent smile of yours! Ciao…

Me: Not a dear – I don’t have antlers. Not a lady. And I suspect you send the same message to everyone.

Him: Not ‘everyone’. But yes a few whom I like after going through their profile. And I was expecting this reply from your side ; ) You are indeed are very learned & apt at reading & understanding people.
Him: I joined okc very recently.
Him: We may be seeking different things in our friends/partners. Right now my primal needs are kind of controlling my mind but I enjoy an interesting intelligent & scintillating conversation the most.

Me: Pfff. Keep fishing.

Him: Actually more intrigued in Batman right now
Him: But anyways thanks


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People are not magnets

More OKCupid. We had some ridiculously low percentage in common.

Him: I would love to take you to see some movies and have fun at the beach if you are interested? People describe me as being romantic, poetic, charming loving, caring, direct persistent, sweet, passionate, fun, and easy going. For fun I like to go dancing, movies, play basketball, the beach, play cards, bowling, play pool, kissing, massages, and board games. So what do you say?

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All the facepalms

Another short one (BDSM tw).

Him: hello! i am (name) from (European country). i am an online slave. do you want to use me ? :)
Me: Did you not read my profile? (That’s a rhetorical question. I know the answer is no.)
Him: sorry. i read it after i wrote you
Me: Try reading BEFORE.
Him: yes, mam


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Short and sad

I’m cleaning out my OKCupid convos. Here’s a short one…

Him: interesting profile
Me: Boring message
Him: wow.. i did not mean to send u such a boring message. and u know what, i actually like ur profile.
Me: I like people who use proper spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
Him: u gat issues
Me: What happened to I’m interesting?
Him: We’ll, since I’m not using proper grammar to comminicate with you.


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Scifi Magazines & Sites

Lightspeed Magazine – “In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales. No subject is off-limits, and we encourage our writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope.”

Tor.com – “Science Fiction. Fantasy. The universe.” Stories, columns, reviews, link round-ups, etc.

io9 – “a daily publication that covers science, culture, and the world of tomorrow.”

Apex Magazine – “an online prose and poetry magazine of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mash-ups of all three. Works full of marrow and passion, stories that are twisted, strange, and beautiful. Creations where secret places and dreams are put on display.”


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Omegle: I don’t understand nutrition, but I know what cream is!

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before (and probably linked to it) that I sometimes go on Omegle and find really really really terrible conversation partners. And then I share it with friends because it helps my process it. This is one of those.

(tw: so much fat hatred, ableist slurs specifically the r-word, food, medical stuff, sexism)

You’re now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like socal.

Stranger: hi
Stranger: m

You: Hey
You: What’s up?

Stranger: nothing much
Stranger: how about u?

You: Just having some Oreos

Stranger: the stroke cookie
Stranger: xD

You: the what?

Stranger: the cookie that gives people stroke

You: I’m not getting the reference

Stranger: oh i guess you don’t know then
Stranger: like some years ago
Stranger: people who ate too much oreos got stroke
Stranger: since that whtie creme in the middle is so fattening *(I can find no cites for this)*

You: You don’t know what causes a stroke, do you?

Stranger: oreos do

You: It’s caused by a blood clot in the brain, not by cholesterol *(Looking it up, that’s not the only thing that can cause a stroke)*

Stranger: fattening isn’t cholesterol
Stranger: lol
Stranger: its the sugar in that cream *(wut? Yes, sugar can cause fat, because it’s excess calories, but that doesn’t make sense)*
Stranger: lol
Stranger: ooo BUSTED for trying to act smart
Stranger: lol

You: And they have no cholesterol
You: and only 7g of fat

Stranger: sugar in itself has no cholestrol *(Well, no shit. Only animal fat has cholesterol)*

You: and only 13g of sugar

Stranger: sugar eaten with other food is how people get cholestrol *(uh… sort of? http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20100420/high-sugar-diet-linked-lower-good-cholesterol)*

Stranger: 7g of fat…. and yet 13g of sugar *(I don’t even know where to start with this. Does he think that we need everything in the same amounts?)*
Stranger: lol
Stranger: DAMN
Stranger: STROKE
Stranger: put that cookie down fattie
Stranger: DOWN

You: 21g of carbs (which includes the sugar) is 7% of your dv

Stranger: Put that cookie down and type with 2 hands *(Pretty sure I was already typing faster than him)*
Stranger: yeah and diet coke has 0 calories too right? *(I think that’s the point of diet drinks???)*
Stranger: xD
Stranger: lol

You: I don’t drink soda

Stranger: you better not
Stranger: now put the cookie down

You: Dude, you don’t make sense
You: Or understand science
You: I weigh about 135 pounds *(Okay, I don’t actually know what I weigh. I don’t weigh myself often, but I vary between 135 – 146)*

Stranger: umm you are just reading the nutrition lable on the back of a oreo cookie
Stranger: and u want to talk about science?
Stranger: LOL
Stranger: #1 science has nothing to do with ingredients…. it’s more cooking *(And there’s no science is cooking? And food companies aren’t constantly using science to develop new products – either for taste or nutrition?)*

You: You said the cream is so fattening it causd strokes, but then said it was the sugar
You: So make up your mind

Stranger: #2 Taking too much sugar makes you a diabtes patient ( STROKE ) *(Diabetes is a risk factor of strokes, but so are lots of things)*

You: Strokes are not related to diabetes *(Okay, I was wrong)*

Stranger: #3 you telling me all u want about don’t really say much on the internet
Stranger: lol
Stranger: LOL

You: And eating sugar doesn’t cause diabetes

Stranger: yes it does you retard *(Cite?)*

You: Nope
You: It’s caused by your body not producing the right amount of insulin

Stranger: do you even know how to make cream?

You: You beat unpasterized milk

Stranger: i mean seriously have u ever even baked a cake before? *(Not sure how those two relate. Cake doesn’t require cream.)*

You: Duh
You: Yup

Stranger: lol
Stranger: it’s milk, egg, sugar *(He thinks that’s how you make cream.)*

You: Of course the cream in Oreos isn’t actually creme

Stranger: err rdurr drrr
Stranger: you can drink unpasterized milk retard
Stranger: or else you’ll just be drinking a bucket full of bacterria
Stranger: you can’t~

You: So?

Stranger: LOL
Stranger: haha

You: Who said anything about drinking it

Stranger: clearly you have never baked a cake before

You: Yeah I have

Stranger: making cream out of unpasterized milk
Stranger: that was GRAND

You: I was thinking butter

Stranger: you sir made my day

You: Cream is seperated out of the milk

Stranger: 2 THUMBS UP
Stranger: lol seperated hahahhaha

You: I’m not a dairy farmer

Stranger: where are you coming up with this stuff *(I dunno, the definition of cream?)*
Stranger: lol

You: I don’t need to know this stuff
You: I go buy food in the store

Stranger: right so somehow cream just gets sweetened out of no reason *(Cream is not sweetened, except for the natural lactose)*

You: What?

Stranger: next you’ll tell me diet coke is good for u
Stranger: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Stranger: FATTY LET GO OF THE COOKIE

You: So where do you think cream comes from?

Stranger: it’s for your own good
Stranger: milk,egg, sugar
Stranger: learn 2 read

You: There’s no eggs in cream
You: or sugar

Stranger: …… wow r u that dense?
Stranger: so you milk liquid is going to formed into a cream by what?

You: I know what the definition of words are

Stranger: so you think~

You: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream

Stranger: LOL WIKIPEDIA FTW *(Because an encyclopedia with cites isn’t good enough? FFS, this isn’t even a technical thing where a peer-edited encyclopedia would be inaccurate)*

You: Cream comes out of the cow

Stranger: OMG LOLLLLLLLLLLLL
Stranger: hahahahahhahaha

You: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cream

Stranger: you are so stupid aren’t u?

You: One of us is, pretty sure it’s not me

Stranger: go google “how to make whip cream”
Stranger: clearly you don’t understand the meaning of cream

You: You add sugar to cream and beat the hell out of it
You: Since I just looked it up, yeah I do

Stranger: you add sugar to CREAM to make CREAM? *(Usually whipped cream is sweetened, yes)*
Stranger: LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Stranger: hHAHHAHAHAHAHAH
HAH
Stranger: I CAN’T STOP
Stranger: AH
Stranger: THIS IS TOO FUNNY
Stranger: LOL

You: cream: “the fatty part of milk, which rises to the surface when the liquid is allowed to stand unless homogenized. ”

Stranger: hey fatty

You: Dude, I’m 135 lbs

Stranger: just let go of the cookie
Stranger: it’s really for ur own good
Stranger: being 5′ and 135 isn’t necessary the ideal weight fatty *(This is where I point out the weight and health are not linked – No, I’m not the healthiest. Lots of people heavier than me are healthier, because they eat better and get exercise. Go look up Healthy at Every Size for more information)*
Stranger: so stop telling me ur 135 bull shit
Stranger: lol

You: I’m 5’5″

Stranger: oh wait…. r u a girl?

You: I don’t see how my gender matters

Stranger: well i think that’s why u r so sensitive

You: Or it could be that you’re stupid

Stranger: when i told u to put the cookie down
Stranger: and you are being like this emo biatch *(I haven’t even been emotional. Mostly baffled by his stupidity)*
Stranger: first saying understand science
Stranger: then telling me you don’t have to know all that shit *(Strangely enough, **no**, I don’t need to know everything about everything. I am more than willing to admit when I’m wrong, because I realize I don’t know everything)*

You: Right, because *I’m* the one insulting people

Stranger: but but
Stranger: it was too funny *(And that’s a reason to call someone a retard? When they’re actually correct, and providing cites to prove it?)*
Stranger: I am sorry

You: Yeah, totally believe you

Stranger: no i really am

You: Uh-huh, sure

Stranger: one thing i really don’t like doing is hurting girl’s feelings *(Oh, I see! Now that you think you’re insulting someone you could have sex with, your **whole** tune changes!)*

You: Now go look up what cream is
You: I’m not a girl

Stranger: oh
Stranger: then damn u fatty
Stranger: why u so stupid

You: How old are you?

Stranger: 25

You: I’m 32

Stranger: then how come u r so stupid?
Stranger: oh wait sorry

You: I’m not the one that doesn’t know where cream comes from

Stranger: i forgot different regions have different education *(What?)*

You: Or thinks that sugar causes diabetes

Stranger: seriously just go youtube/google how to make whip cream *(It came up when I looked up cream… And it’s what I thought)*
Stranger: clearly you have no understanding the difference between the cream from a cow and the cream that’s inside that oreo
Stranger: like u r so dense
Stranger: it’s making me laugh so hard

You: The cream in an Oreo isn’t whipped cream

Stranger: and i can’t stop laughing
Stranger: no it isn’t

You: Or really in any way a milk product

Stranger: it some artifical shit
Stranger: that we don’t know what it’s made from
Stranger: like that sweet and low shit

You: Or if you look at the ingredient list you know exactly what it’s made from *(It doesn’t divide the cookie and creme lists, but I think it’s mostly oil, corn syrup, and sugar)*

Stranger: people THINK it’s sugar
Stranger: but it ain’t sugar bro
Stranger: just telling u heads up

You: I rarely use sweeteners, but if I do I use real sugar

Stranger: oh yes OREO the manufacturer themselves is going to tell u exactly what they put in right? *(wut?)*

You: Yes, because they’re required to by the FDA

Stranger: plz don’t tell me you think equal is real sugar
Stranger: LOL

You: I use the package labelled SUGAR

Stranger: no FDA is just bunch of bull shit
Stranger: that passed cows that were full diseases in what was it? 2009?

You: So why don’t you go grow your own food and live off the grid

Stranger: where it killed nearly 200 people with the madcow disease? *(Cite?)*
Stranger: right that FDA huh?
Stranger: my parents grow their own veggies *(Not really the same thing as not relying on food manufacturers…)*

You: There were 4 cases in the US
You: and 176 cases in Britain

Stranger: sadly it’s really expensive to get hold of a real sugar cane
Stranger: hence they make all that rare shit
Stranger: lol @ 4 cases

You: You can make sugar from other things

Stranger: yeah like 4 cases a day / state
Stranger: LOL

You: like potatoes *(Okay, possibly not. But they do have carbs in them…)*

Stranger: r u like stupid?
Stranger: i am seriously asking u this now

You: https://web.archive.org/web/20120721234746/http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/vcjdworld.htm *(Cite on the 4 cases of mad cow disease)*

Stranger: sugar from a potatoe *(Okay, I’m not a food scientist!)*
Stranger: when you want real sugar
Stranger: which can only come out of a sugar cane
Stranger: harvested in Hawaii
Stranger: or other really humid areas
Stranger: yeah……. seriously

You: What about sugar beets? *(Also, sorghum, date palm, and sugar maple – cite: http://www.food-info.net/uk/products/sugar/sources.htm )*

Stranger: i understand now why my parents told me to stay in school when i wanted to drop out

You: And how many degrees do you have?

Stranger: so this is what becomes of a man who’s 32 and didn’t learn jack shit

You: I know how to research stuff and provide cites

Stranger: just undergrad and master is computer programming

You: Which you have yet to do for any of your claims
You: Oh that explains it

Stranger: oh so just you googling and typing in cream *(When you have world of information at your fingertips, it’s okay to use it. And I went straight to wikipedia and the dictionary.)*

You: All computer grads are assholes

Stranger: is “research”?
Stranger: LOL
Stranger: HAHHAHAHAHAHHAA
Stranger: way to go mr

You: So where’s your cite on how many people in the US got mod cow disease?
You: ~mad

Stranger: you don’t even know the difference between the cream of a cow and the cream inside of a oreo

You: One is made of milk, one is not

Stranger: please don’t go around telling people that ok? *(No idea what he’s referring to)*

You: Duuuuuuuhhhhh

Stranger: HAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Stranger: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
Stranger: LOL
Stranger: this guy
Stranger: ok now seriously

You: I’m not a guy

Stranger: how old r u?

You: 32

Stranger: you for reals?

You: Yup

Stranger: you not like 18 who just got out of high school
Stranger: who’s high on meth?

You: I’m 32. I graduated high school in 2000. I have my own apartment where I live with my pet rats who I spoil rotten. I don’t smoke or do drugs.

Stranger: damn
Stranger: i mean i don’t know what to say
Stranger: like….. umm…
You: You could try shutting up

Stranger: put the cookie down firsT?

You: That’s all you’ve got?
You: You’re pathetic
You: Ta

You have disconnected.


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Cocktail of the Night mini – Campton Cure Martini

Wanted a drink, yet again.

Off CocktailBuilder.com

1 oz of Absolut Citron Vodka (or citrus-infused vodka)
1 oz of Cointreaux (or orange liqueur)
3 squeeze of Lime Juice (how much is a squeeze?!!)
Cranberry Juice (I hate it when they don’t give amounts)
Blend ingredients and serve on the rocks.
Other sources gave it as
1 oz of Absolut Citron Vodka (or citrus-infused vodka)
1/2 oz of Cointreaux
3 squeeze of Lime Juice
Splash of Cranberry Juice
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
So I went with the second one, substituting orangecello with Cointreau. I think I put in to much lime because it was seriously tart (really, how much is a squeeze?) So I added more orangecello. Would definitely try this one again.

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