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    1. A thread for horrible puns

      By clicking this link and reading this topic, you find yourself under a grave and terrible thread. The only way to defend yourself here is to lower yourself to punitive measures, and engage in...

      By clicking this link and reading this topic, you find yourself under a grave and terrible thread. The only way to defend yourself here is to lower yourself to punitive measures, and engage in wordplay in mass corruption. All is fair in pun and warfare, but do remember your actions are your pwn, and that there are no winners here. Only broken arts, and shattered themes.

      (Just make puns.)

      15 votes
    2. password, the typing game, has been updated

      Play it now. Alternatively, visit the repo. password has been updated to v1.1: the game now starts after you press [Space] you gain points for victories (score is not saved between reloads) UI is...

      Play it now.

      Alternatively, visit the repo.

      password has been updated to v1.1:

      • the game now starts after you press [Space]
      • you gain points for victories (score is not saved between reloads)
      • UI is a little nicer

      v1.2 planned features:

      • adjustable difficulty, via either or both of password length and time per round
      • zen mode: longer rounds, no score tracking, calmer UI
      • persistent personal high score you can compete against

      I almost feel like this is not worth an update, but people have been curious and supportive of the game.

      You can see all planned features in the issues section. Suggestions on gameplay and visuals are welcome.

      EDIT: updated hosted version to not reset score on loss (only resets when you start over).

      13 votes
    3. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      9 votes
    4. Tom's Anti-Zen

      1. My Friend, the Moon When Tom was younger, he went to buy fresh bread every evening with his mother, Alice. They always walked and the bakery was far from home, so it was not uncommon for the...

      1. My Friend, the Moon

      When Tom was younger, he went to buy fresh bread every evening with his mother, Alice. They always walked and the bakery was far from home, so it was not uncommon for the Moon to come out along the way. "Hello, Mister Moon! Do you wanna come with us?", he liked to say. When they arrived at the bakery, he looked to his mother, excited, and said "Look ma! The Moon came with us!", and did the same when they got home.

      2. Fiction

      "Did you know that The Hulk was a detective once?", says Alice. Tom is 4. He puts his hand in the forehead in a gesture of superb irritation. "No, mom, this is make-believe!".

      3. Cookie Conundrum

      According to Tom, a mysterious group of sinister chipmunks was eating the cookies in the jar. When Alice asked for proof, Tom replied that a secret group of chipmunks got rid of all the evidence.

      4. Ice Cream Dilemma

      "So, mom, you have two options" — said Tom, seriously. "There are only two ice-cream flavors: chocolate and vanilla. Any choice is fine by me".

      5. Tom and the Rats

      Tom's house used to be infested with large disgusting rats. One day, he shouted: "Rats are the worse! No wonder we call them rats!

      6. Dream Logic

      Tom dreamed that his forehead could fly without him, leaving a hole in his head. When he woke up in the morning, there was a deer on the porch eating a hot-dog.

      4 votes
    5. password: a game about key presses and reaction time

      A simple web game I made to combat depression. To play, go here. Warning: the game starts as soon as you enter the page. To view source, visit the GitHub repo. How to play: Press the keys you see...

      A simple web game I made to combat depression.

      To play, go here. Warning: the game starts as soon as you enter the page.

      To view source, visit the GitHub repo.

      How to play:

      • Press the keys you see before yourself. The key turns green if it's been "solved".

      • Once all keys are "solved", you start a new round automatically.

      • If the timer runs out before all keys are "solved", the game is over. Press [Space] to start over.

      • There's no score. Play whenever and for as long as you like. Quit whenever you've had enough.

      25 votes
    6. Drop 2 Guitar Voicings

      This is mostly a test to see how well this will show up, but I'm experimenting with some text-based (I guess UTF-8) chord diagrams. If anyone plays guitar and/or has some feedback, feel free to...

      This is mostly a test to see how well this will show up, but I'm experimenting with some text-based (I guess UTF-8) chord diagrams. If anyone plays guitar and/or has some feedback, feel free to chime in.

      These are drop 2 chord voicings on the top 4 strings of a standard-tuned guitar. Arranged vertically, with each shape representing each chord piece. The gaps are for clarity, but each line ought to be successive and the patterns repeat themselves.

      Edit: Well, it seems some of the symbols aren't rendered at a fixed-width. Though, they are in the font in my editor. Hm. I guess that's what I get for using symbols for an unintended purpose.

      EditEdit: Oh, I see. Firefox is using three different fonts to render the symbols. SF Mono is my default monospace font, and it only renders the symbol. It falls back to Courier New for and Segoe UI Symbol for the rest. Interesting.

      ▢ = Root
      △ = Major 3rd
      ▽ = Minor 3rd
      ○ = Perfect 5th
      ◎ = Diminished 5th
      ◊ = Major 7th
      ◇ = Minor 7th
      ◈ = Diminished 7th
      
      Major 7 
      Drop 2 Voicings
      Top 4
      
      EADGBe
      ------
      
      ||||○▢
      ||◊△||
      
      ||▢|||
      ||||||
      |||○◊△
      
      ||||▢|
      ||△|||
      |||||○
      |||◊||
      
      ||○▢△|
      ||||||
      |||||◊
      
      ------
      
      ||||○▢
      ||◊△||
      
      etc...
      
      
      
      
      Dominant 7
      Drop 2 Voicings
      Top 4
      
      EADGBe
      ------
      
      ||◇|○▢
      |||△||
      
      ||▢|||
      ||||◇|
      |||○|△
      
      ||||▢|
      ||△|||
      |||◇|○
      ||||||
      
      ||○▢△|
      |||||◇
      ||||||
      
      ------
      
      ||◇|○▢
      |||△||
      
      etc...
      
      
      
      
      Minor 7
      Drop 2 Voicings
      Top 4
      
      EADGBe
      ------
      
      ||◇▽○▢
      ||||||
      
      ||▢|||
      ||||◇▽
      |||○||
      
      ||▽|▢|
      ||||||
      |||◇|○
      
      ||||▽|
      ||○▢||
      |||||◇
      ||||||
      
      ------
      
      ||◇▽○▢
      ||||||
      
      etc...
      
      
      
      
      Half-diminished 7
      Drop 2 Voicings
      Top 4
      
      EADGBe
      ------
      
      ||||◎|
      ||◇▽|▢
      ||||||
      
      ||▢|||
      |||◎◇▽
      ||||||
      
      ||▽|▢|
      |||||◎
      |||◇||
      
      ||◎|▽|
      |||▢||
      |||||◇
      
      ------
      
      ||||◎|
      ||◇△|▢
      ||||||
      
      etc...
      
      7 votes
    7. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      8 votes
    8. Fiction writers introduction thread!

      1. Definition By fiction, I mean: literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people. (Google) 2. Introduce Yourself! I understand we...

      1. Definition

      By fiction, I mean:

      literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people. (Google)

      2. Introduce Yourself!

      I understand we have at least one professional writer in the house (I cannot remember your username, sorry!), and several aspirant writers.

      Every once in awhile, I get the urge to suggest some collaborative threads exercises, but it's hard to gauge interest without a better notion of how many fiction writers we have.

      With that in mind, I make this call for introductions!

      Please try to include:

      • Have you ever made money writing fiction?[1]
      • First writing language(s): Examples: English, Portuguese, German, etc
      • Other writing languages(s): same as above. English is implied.
      • Formats* : Examples: Short story, Romance, Play, Screenplay, etc
      • Genres*: Examples: horror, science-fiction, fantasy, etc.
      • Main themes*: Examples: relationships, violence, artificial intelligence, etc.
      • Link to Writing Sample(s) on Tildes or Ghostbin (either as text or markdown)
      • What do you expect to achieve with your writing (anything, either subjective or objective)?[2]
      • Apart from ~creative, where do you go for feedback?
      • Are you looking for collaborations of any kind? Yes or No.

      Footnotes

      [1] The purpose of this question is not to assess the quality of your writing, but rather the position writing occupies in your life. Is this something you do in your free time, or does it have a central role among your other activities? I do not pretend to know how and why everyone writes, this is just a starter. Feel free to share as much as you want.

      [2] For example: self-expression, philosophical investigation, external appreciation (nothing wrong with that), financial rewards, political or societal change, any combination of those.

      * In order of importance

      8 votes
    9. And They Wished to Never Wake Up

      — Are we dreaming? — She asked. — I don't know, my dear. I really don’t know. — He answered. — It feels real. — Yeah, it does. — Look how old we are! Isn't that crazy? — Not really. — He says...

      — Are we dreaming? — She asked.

      — I don't know, my dear. I really don’t know. — He answered.

      — It feels real.

      — Yeah, it does.

      — Look how old we are! Isn't that crazy?

      — Not really. — He says while putting his arm on her shoulder. She calms down for a moment.

      — Yeah, but I thought... Well, I thought something, but everyone probably thinks the same. It’s silly.

      — What did you think?

      — I thought we’d be different. Old, sure, but perky, wise, matured from adventure. Something noble like that. But no. We’re the same, but older. — She shakes her flaccid arms and looks both marveled and terrified by the loose skin wiggling back and forth.

      He adjusts his glasses.

      — Sometimes, when I remain silent to appear profound, I’m surprised by the indigence of my thoughts. I may look like Aristotle himself while I try to remember what I ate for lunch. It’s hard to make inwards the theater we make for others.

      — But, after all, when have you become so old?

      — To tell you the truth, I don’t even know how we got here.

      — It’s weird: despite the complete darkness, we can see everything clearly. And there’s no place to rest my legs.

      — Sit here on the ground. Beside me. Put your head on my lap. — He gently caresses her head, trying to ignore his surprise with her white hairs.

      — I’d be nothing without you. But I’m ashamed to say that I don’t remember your name.

      — I might be offended, but I don’t remember yours either. — He smiles.

      — Are we close to wake up? This old body is getting on my nerves.

      — Of course, my love. This is a dream, but no more than everything else. Time is a nightmare from which we never wake up, and old age is punishment for those that refuse to die.

      — Don’t talk nonsense. This will go away in a minute. We’ll wake up young and beautiful, as always. As I remember you, and as you remember me. Everything will be fine. — She says that with forced certainty as if trying to convince herself.

      — You’re right. The nightmare will end soon, and we’ll be back to our bodies.

      — ... This conversation tired me. Good night, my love. — She pushes her head against his thigh.

      — Good night, my angel.

      And they wished to never wake up.

      9 votes
    10. The Horde

      Every day I wake up thinking that The Horde is not there anymore. The dreams are good but few, and only make everything worse. I usually dream about The Horde. During sleep, my breathing is...

      Every day I wake up thinking that The Horde is not there anymore. The dreams are good but few, and only make everything worse. I usually dream about The Horde. During sleep, my breathing is improved and more relaxed. I dream of a calendar without symbols.

      When there's an inspiration, so I write. Delete everything afterward. A professional told me that's is a compulsion. The compulsion for the perfect word removes me from language itself. The enjoyment comes from excising something from myself, which makes me feel a bit closer to perfection.

      Every once in awhile I forget The Horde is there. The writing becomes looser, I sip my coffee and take the lunch out of the freezer. The Horde is still there. The whistle makes my blood run cold.

      I forgot when The Horde arrived, but since then my days are covered of night and dust. To me, The Horde has no color, they're covered in filth and dark cloth. They get a bit closer by dawn. But The Horde never comes.

      They seem to enjoy tormenting me. Twice a crow's carcass hit my window. At least we were communicating. I had to open the window to clean the blood. The Horde did nothing. There's courtesy between me and The Horde. I never complain of their tiny advances, they never impale me alive and eat my viscera.

      The worst consequence of The Horde was to remove my visitors. I had friends and a girlfriend, before The Horde. They came here regularly. On the other hand, there's something cozy about being surrounded by The Horde. I'm never alone.

      I talked to them on a few occasions but never got an answer. I invited them to lunch and asked what they like The Walking Dead (seems like a relevant question for The Horde). Because, you see, The Horde may be savage, but they did not cut my internet. I keep telling everyone about The Horde, but no one believes me. They think I'm some internet phenomenon, an internal joke from a group they don't know about. They don't believe The Horde can come for them too, knocking on their armor of bronze and recycled aluminum.

      Sometimes The Horde's shrieks seem to gain shape and order as if they obeyed a hidden commander. But this doesn't last, and they soon resume their lurid racket.

      I don't know for how long I've lived with The Horde, nor for how long they'll stay. I'm afraid of waking up someday to find them gone. Because, in a certain way, I learned to love The Horde. I feel safe in their post-apocalyptic embrace.

      This morning they got closer than normal. I can see it better now. They all have the same face, they're both one and The Horde. Their mouths are frozen in a permanent smile, salivating like rabid animals. One more step. They look like neanderthals. The Horde approaches slowly, with steady paces, and arrive with the furor of the sound of metal and drums. The house is hit by numerous rocks — the roof is about to give in. My crumbled body will soon become an ensign for their future marches. Or maybe become mush after being punctured by one thousand spears.

      I'm only sure that this is going to end soon. Their petite steps, the threats, crows in the window. Everything is ending — finally, everything is ending. I'll never be again and so will The Horde. Nevermore.

      3 votes
    11. Behind the Teeth

      always seem happy and dandy and talk of love and romance a riven smile on the face to hide thoughts of pain for her, everything has a verse a waltz at each step a flimsy variety of beauty that...

      always seem happy and dandy
      and talk of love and romance
      a riven smile on the face
      to hide thoughts of pain

      for her, everything has a verse
      a waltz at each step
      a flimsy variety of beauty
      that melts after rehearse

      huge hipster glasses
      coffee without any taste
      a window facing concrete
      is now hummingbirds enlaced

      and when she sings all her love
      I am always in disbelief
      cause when someone shouts too much
      I sense a hooded grief

      2 votes
    12. Infatuation Mishap

      You were smart and pretty and praised every word I said Responded to my commands like a very well-trained basset You gave me food, shelter, affection in bed, you did as I pleased and such strong...

      You were smart and pretty
      and praised every word I said

      Responded to my commands
      like a very well-trained basset

      You gave me food, shelter, affection
      in bed, you did as I pleased
      and such strong devotion
      was hard for me to receive

      Cause how could I trust someone
      who clearly and truly loves me?

      6 votes
    13. Love Mania

      In this grass where we sit, I saw many full moons lit Kissed them shivering in the wind, felt like solution, formed decision, ultimate end But the frenzy always fades, pretty mirage in the haze...

      In this grass where we sit,
      I saw many full moons lit

      Kissed them shivering in the wind,
      felt like solution, formed decision, ultimate end

      But the frenzy always fades,
      pretty mirage in the haze

      Silly me...

      I just met you yesterday
      And once again tremble my veins

      4 votes
    14. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      12 votes
    15. Swim only when the wave comes

      When I was young, I went into the ocean with my older cousin. He lived near the beach, while I merely knew how to swim. We went to the deep to catch some higher waves using our bodies (in Bahia we...

      When I was young, I went into the ocean with my older cousin. He lived near the beach, while I merely knew how to swim.

      We went to the deep to catch some higher waves using our bodies (in Bahia we call this "pegar jacaré", or "catch the alligator").

      When we got there, the wind stopped and the stream started pulling us away from the land. After a while, I was very scared and started swimming with all my strength in the opposite direction. But my efforts were much weaker than the stream, so I remained in the same position.

      Then my cousin told me: "@mrbig, stop swimming otherwise you'll get tired and drown. Wait for the wave to come. Only swim when it arrives."

      And so I did. Minutes later came the wave. I swam. And then another, and another after that. Little by little, by saving our energies and acting at the right times, we arrived at the shore.

      And that is the story.

      18 votes
    16. Let's write some Tom Swifties!

      If you're not familiar with them, a "Tom Swifty" is a punny sentence that involves a quote by a person named Tom which is the setup for landing a pun in the description of the quote's delivery...

      If you're not familiar with them, a "Tom Swifty" is a punny sentence that involves a quote by a person named Tom which is the setup for landing a pun in the description of the quote's delivery (often but not necessarily a single adverb).

      For example:

      "This water is freezing," Tom said icily.

      "I'm going to hit this piñata as hard as I can!" said Tom, bashfully.

      "Nevermore," Tom said ravenously.

      "I like tart fruits," said Tom with aplomb.

      Really good Tom Swifties are often not immediately obvious, have a fantastic setup, or are simply really clever (mine are alright, though it's certainly possible to do far better).

      You can get a more full picture and better examples from Wikipedia, but I encourage you to tread lightly there and in searches because it's way more fun to think of them and share them in threads like these than it is to pull up lists of them online. Just reading previously written ones kind of spoils the fun, IMO.

      Anyway, let's see what great Tom Swities we can write!

      17 votes
    17. Tips on singing in chest mix (belting)?

      Hello everyone! I wasn't sure where to post this, so into ~misc it goes. I'm currently looking into auditioning for a professional musical theatre production. Now, being a baritone (E2-C5) would...

      Hello everyone! I wasn't sure where to post this, so into ~misc it goes.

      I'm currently looking into auditioning for a professional musical theatre production. Now, being a baritone (E2-C5) would kind of put me at a disadvantage as most musical theatre roles are for tenors, but I found a musical soliciting online auditions for baritones. Usually with musical theatre, they don't really care about your voice type; they care more about your vocal range. "If you can sing it, you're more likely to get the role."

      Anyways, my passagio (or vocal break) is around E4 and the audition (and therefore the musical) is requiring me to sing a G#4. I know that I'd be able to sing it because a) my range can do it and b) I've belted probably incorrectly an A4. I've never really had to use my chest mix range before, so would anyone have any tips?

      7 votes
    18. Accordion Synthesizer Project

      I've been posting about this in various topics but now that it's on Github, I thought maybe it's time to give it a topic of its own. From the README: My goal is to eventually replicate the...

      I've been posting about this in various topics but now that it's on Github, I thought maybe it's time to give it a topic of its own. From the README:

      My goal is to eventually replicate the keyboard and sound of the bass side of an accordion in an electronic device that accordion players will find easy to adapt to. So far I've built three prototypes:

      • Prototype 1 was trying out a Teensy 4 with an audio shield on a breadboard, with 4 bass buttons.
      • For prototype 2, I put the buttons on two double-decker circuit boards (9 bass buttons). Here's the Video. You can see the remains of prototype 1 in the background.
      • For prototype 3, I built a real case out of wood and laser-cut acrylic panels, to make a desktop device that's more easily portable. This one uses a Teensy 3.6. Here's the Video. I designed it in Onshape and you can look at the CAD model online.
      12 votes
    19. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      10 votes
    20. The Quest for Imperfection, or In Search of Wabi-Sabi

      So, my background is in software, mostly but not exclusively web development. I used to do both front and back end stuff, as well as sysadmin things. I worked with graphic designers a lot, some...

      So, my background is in software, mostly but not exclusively web development. I used to do both front and back end stuff, as well as sysadmin things. I worked with graphic designers a lot, some amazingly skilled people from whom I learned the importance of getting things exactly right, visually. Exactly right. Every pixel has to be perfect, every aspect of a design thought through carefully and then polished to perfection. I'm eternally grateful for the things I learned from those people. Programming and systems admin adds a different dimension to the art of "Doing Stuff Right", that of every case being accounted for and every exception or problem caught before it happens. Beauty takes many forms, both in terms of visual design and in software too.

      This focus on detail, on perfection, has carried over into my current work in the physical realm. Making stuff that is machine-perfect isn't so hard. Especially when using machines (although I don't have as many machines as I'd like). Near-perfect radiused curves or dead-square edges are do-able by hand, and ultra-high mirror finishes leave exactly nowhere to hide on the finishing front. A single tiny scratch will show up on a mirrored ring like a beacon, a slightly mis-soldered joint will be visible from metres away. That's fine, and I'm getting much better at it. I like that I don't consider something finished until it's as perfect as I can make it.

      What I find hard, perhaps ironically, is wonkiness. Imperfection. It's partly due to my background via commercial design, partly due to my experience in programming - and I'm sure it's partly due to me just being rather uptight about getting things "right" (I don't see this as being too terrible a character flaw, if I'm honest..) I'm not saying everything I make is perfect, not at all - but it's what I aim for a lot of the time - everything smooth and square and tidy and "right."

      Japan has the idea of wabi-sabi, the concept of beauty in imperfection. It's a very hard concept to translate into words, yet strangely it's very obvious when you see it. "wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."

      So I'm trying to be more wonky. This is the kind of thing I mean. (more, another example)

      These were formed by hand from modelling clay, then cast in pure silver. At first glance I'm not 100% happy with some of the textures and tool marks on the surface, nor with the not-mirror-smooth interior, but making myself uncomfortable is part of the point of this. Without stepping outside where I'm comfortable, how will I ever progress?

      But then, it turns out that the more I see it, the more I touch it's soft organic curves and see how the light reflects and scatters off it's slightly orange-peel-like surface, the more I like it. It's human, relaxing: it has a gentle, quiet serenity. Being made of pure silver rather than the harder sterling silver, it will pick up it's own textures and marks with wear, making each piece as unique as the person wearing it. Sometimes that isn't desirable in a piece of jewellery, sometimes it is. There's enough metal in these rings to not risk their structural integrity in wear (a standard wire-style ring in pure silver will bend and break very easily), so why not let it do it's own thing?

      "if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi."]

      It looks a bit lumpy and perhaps a bit sharp and pointy in bits but it's polished to feel soft and gentle. It's comfortable to wear, it's everything that machine-perfect is not - not that machine-perfect is bad, but there's more ways to beauty than perfect accuracy.

      Another aspect to wonkiness that I'm trying to explore is that of lack of control. Making things the outcome of which is determined by factors other than me. With the clay-to-silver ring it's my fingers forming the clay, me (consciously or otherwise) guiding the shape. So I tried to find a way to take some of that control away.

      Obviously just throwing a load of precious metal into a vice or a crucible or whatever isn't going to work, so I tried to set up a system where I could allow randomness to be present, but still having someone attractive come out the other side. With some heavy copper wire wrapped at intervals in fine silver wire, I let the blowtorch do the work, let the silver flow where it would. Obviously I still have some control over the output - I can choose where to apply heat or where not to, but it's a start at least.

      With this technique, I made some bangles, seeing as I have a new bangle-mandrel (hey, I still need some machined help, right?). Here's how they came out

      Again, like the rings before - the result is soft, unique, unpredictable. No two bangles are identical and never can be even if I wanted them to be, yet they all share common features. Just like nature, like trees or waves, clouds or even people.

      I've noticed that I keep using the word soft. Metal isn't soft. Even polished metal isn't soft. It's solid, hard stuff. Why, then, do I keep going back to that word? It's because of the feeling these pieces evoke - machines are hard, people are soft. Emotionally, hard things are bad things, but soft things are nice. Nobody ever said "I can't wait to curl up in my lovely hard bed", and that's the kind of softness I think of when I look at these things. It's embracable, it's comfortable, it's like people or nature, not machines.

      Have I found wabi-sabi? Do I even understand it to be able to know if I have? I don't know. I do know I've made some beautiful things using techniques and styles I haven't used before, and I've learned some things along the way, and for now at least, I think that's enough to be going on with.

      Yeah, I guess this was a bit of a pretentious post. But I make jewellery. Some people even call it art (not me, but I am flattered and mildly confused when people say that about my work). I can be pretentious occasionally, surely?

      14 votes
    21. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      10 votes
    22. Yolk (4 pages)

      This screenplay is based on a short story I published on Tildes some time ago. If you prefer, you can download the PDF here. YOLK by mrbig Until told otherwise: BLACK AND WHITE. SLOW MOTION. SLOW...

      This screenplay is based on a short story I published on Tildes some time ago. If you prefer, you can download the PDF here.

                          YOLK
                           by
                         mrbig
      
      Until told otherwise:
      
      BLACK AND WHITE.
      SLOW MOTION.
      SLOW AND BEAUTIFUL OPERA MUSIC
      
      INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
      
      KITCHEN
      
      HAND grabs the egg carton on the fridge. JAMES is 30, thin
      and shirtless. Smells the eggs one by one. Stops. Smiles.
      
      Water gushes from the faucet, foaming abundantly as it goes
      down the drain.
      
      BEDROOM
      
      On the wall behind the bed, a painting of two lovers with
      their heads individually wrapped in sheets. They kiss, but
      they're mouths do not touch. ALICE, 30, dark hair, black silk
      nightdress, sleeps. SOUND OF SOMETHING BEING FRIED. She wakes
      up.
      
      KITCHEN
      
      James breaks the eggshell, getting his hand dirty. Licks his
      fingers. Behind him, Alice is watching. Gently throws the egg
      in the frying pan.
      
      THE EGG SIZZLING
      
      James sprinkles salt and pepper. Manipulates the frying pan
      with skill, throws the egg up in the air and catches it in a
      precise and continuous movement. Extinguish the fire and look
      back to see
      
      COLOR. NORMAL SPEED. OPERA MUSIC STOPS.
      
      Alice with the eyes fixed on the stove.
      
                          ALICE
                Look.
      
      Points at the egg.
      
                          JAMES
                What?
      
                          ALICE
                Can't you see?
      
                          JAMES
                Has it gone bad?
      
      She takes a deep breath.
      
                          ALICE
                I noticed the way you broke the
                shell, but I needed to confirm. Can
                you see how the yolk is soft yet
                whole, with a small cut in the
                lower portion slowly leaking a
                yellow thread at a regular pace?
      
                          JAMES
                Yes...
      
                          ALICE
                Don’t you get it?
      
                          JAMES
                No.
      
                          ALICE
                When the yolk leaks like that, it
                can only mean two things.
      
      She hesitates.
      
                          ALICE
                You’re either going to murder me...
      
                          JAMES
                What you’re talking about?
      
                          ALICE
                Or you’ll get a Ph.D. in Physics.
      
                          JAMES
                You’re kidding, right?
      
                          ALICE
                Nope.
      
      HIS EYES
      
      HER EYES
      
                          ALICE
                The egg doesn't lie.
      
      He sits by the table.
      
                          JAMES
                I could just choke you.
      
      She sits near him, smiling. Leads James' hands to her own
      neck, and make him hold it.
      
                          JAMES
                That's easier.
      
      He caress Alice's neck.
      
                          JAMES
                I never thought about that before,
                but maybe, precisely because I love
                you, precisely because I want you,
                maybe I should exterminate you.
      
      Retracts his hands.
      
                          JAMES
                Or maybe I don't love you enough.
      
                          ALICE
                The egg...
      
                          JAMES
                I know, it doesn't lie. Then why
                are you still here?
      
                          ALICE
                Makes no difference.
      
      He stands up and looks at the egg on the stove. Cleans his
      throat.
      
                          JAMES
                Honey?
      
                          ALICE
                Yeah, babe.
      
      He opens a drawer and pauses for a second. Closes.
      
                          JAMES
                I’m terrible at physics.
      
      James holds a butcher's knife with a confused expression on
      his face.
      
      OPERA MUSIC RETURNS
      
      THE END
      
      6 votes
    23. "The Fae in the Bottle" by the Reverend William Holland (as constructed by GPT-2 Simple, additionally finetuned by the works of the Brothers Grimm)

      Special thanks to Max Woolf and Project Gutenburg for resources, and the Brothers Grimm for such inspiring material. The Fae in a Bottle By Reverend William Howland "Dear brother, thou seest the...

      Special thanks to Max Woolf and Project Gutenburg for resources, and the Brothers Grimm for such inspiring material.


      The Fae in a Bottle

      By Reverend William Howland

      "Dear brother, thou seest the water
      crystallizing, go and show it to the merchant. I will make him a
      little bottle of water of the same kind; put it in a corner, and
      not open it too quickly, until the reflection shall let him see it."

      The merchant, who was standing behind the glass, said, "If that is
      the case, I do not see why the name of the fountain should be
      changed." "Why not?" asked the merchant. "Because my name is
      Dummling." "Dummling, what is that?" "Is a rare and wonderful
      name; I do not know how it is to have it." "If you do not see why
      the name of the fountain should be changed," said the merchant, "I
      will pay you three thalers." "There! now I see what is in my head;
      I will pay you thaler, but you must wait until I come back."

      Then he disappeared behind the glass. The poor man was forced to go back
      on his begging; he had no more money but the three thalers which the
      merchant had given him. He had long ago left the village, and wandered far
      off, and when he came back, his brother had forgotten him, and thought,
      "Why should I travel farther? I have not seen my brother." Then he came to
      the town where his brother was again living. "Dear brother," said the
      brother, "how are you? How are you getting on?" "Oh," said the brother,
      "not well."

      "Then just come and eat thy bread."

      "That would be very good," said the brother, and went away.

      He walked a long time, and came to a great forest. Then he said to his brother,
      "Go and bring me with you to-morrow morning." "Nay," said the brother, "I
      can't go. I have heard so many lies and stolen things from my brother,
      and they have not served me very well, I see very well that they will
      do me no harm." Then he went to the gallows, and told them that there
      was a poor shivering, peering there from the window. "If you let me in,"
      said the brother, "I will do you a favour. In grey hairs you can see
      a piece of a horse's heart." So he went into the forest, and saw there
      how a greyhound which was his neighbour, was dead. Then he was sad,
      and made himself known to the brother. "Dear brother," said he,
      "how are you getting on? What hast thou been saying there about
      a piece of horse's heart?" "Ah," said the brother, "how can I say that
      on the gallows, when I have not a drop of blood on me!" Then he gave him
      the greyhound's heart, and had it put in his own. The brother felt for a
      while in his pocket, and then he said, "I have a small bottle of wine,
      and if thou art inclined to drink, thou shalt find the courage
      to hold thy tongue." "To what use is the bottle put," said the
      brother, "but to some end I should like to have a sip?" "To win the
      Rosen Cup," said the brother with great joy. "To me that is enough,"
      said the hare. "To thee alone, it is the most valuable thing that
      the world possesses," said the brother. "To me, it is my most valuable
      thing." "To me, it is my most valuable possession," said the hare. Then
      he turned himself around and went to the gallows. "To-day it was
      announced that the very gallows were to be, and to-morrow they were
      to be," said the brother. "I do not know to which I should place myself,"
      he replied, "but, to-morrow it will be to-morrow, and to-morrow
      I will go." Then he was led to the gallows, and was once more there
      in the place where he had formerly been. He again said to the greyhound,
      "I wish you were still standing there." "To-day it was announced that the
      very gallows were to be, and to-morrow they were to be." "I do not know to which I
      should place myself," said the hare. "To-morrow it will be to-morrow, and
      to-morrow I will go." Then he turned himself round and went to the gallows,
      and was once more there in the place where he had formerly been.

      "To-day it was announced that the very gall

      (E/N: The story stops here abruptly, as the author ran out available memory. I wouldn't like to enforce my interpretation of the story upon it, so I'm leaving it as written.)

      6 votes
    24. Coming up with a good personal domain name

      This is something I've been struggling with for a couple of months now. I want to make a website. I have the design I want to implement. I have a few things I want to post there. I have what seems...

      This is something I've been struggling with for a couple of months now.

      I want to make a website. I have the design I want to implement. I have a few things I want to post there. I have what seems to be a reliable hosting platform ready for use.

      What I don't have is the URL.

      It's a conceptually-difficult problem, because I want this URL to be permanent. I don't want it to be my name, because I don't want this thing I make to be about me. It's about what I do. This what I do is what needs the name, and I have nothing.

      A few people around the Internet know me as ThatFanficGuy, but using that creates false expectations, because my writing is mostly original. A few people around the Internet know me as FirebrandCoding or simply Firebrand – it's my GitHub handle, among other things – but it's an old name that I'd like to transcend.

      Essentially – and I hate myself for saying this – I need a brand name. I need a banner to unite the wide collection of all the things I do under a recognizable symbol. I write, worldbuild, code, design, blog, make games, photograph, potentially make music and even record podcasts... All of this needs encapsulation, and I've been racking my brain for a good name to no avail since November.

      A great example of such a name would be Magic & Wires. The website is currently empty. It used to be a game dev company, led by Firestream, who made Destiny RPG (now defunct) and Titan Conquest. If you scroll down on the main page of both games, it says "Made of magic and wires", which is such a cool way to use your name. I'm not one for murder, but I'd kill to have a name so cool.

      Has anyone experienced something similar? How have you dealt with it? Is there some sort of theory behind picking a good name for your project?

      25 votes
    25. I made my first knife

      A while ago I mentioned I was going to attempt making a knife for the first time. Well, I did. Apologies in advance for there not being many photos of the process - steel is really messy to work...

      A while ago I mentioned I was going to attempt making a knife for the first time. Well, I did.

      Apologies in advance for there not being many photos of the process - steel is really messy to work with so I mostly kept my phone safely out of the way. I'll try to get more pictures next time, although there are plenty of videos and picture tutorials around if people are super interested in the process. I shall endeavour to describe what I did in text, however.

      I started out with a bar of 01 tool steel (wiki) which I cut into a rough knife blank. This I then hit with a ball hammer a load of times to get some texture. Then I used a belt grinder to put a bevel on the edge side, although only enough to thin the knife down to roughly the right shape, not actually sharp. Once that and a few other minor shaping tasks were done, it was time to heat treat it.

      Heat treating changes the structure of the metal to make it harder. Hard steel will hold an edge longer, but it does make it much more difficult to work, hence doing most of the shaping before heat treating. To harden steel you need to heat it to a particular temperature, which depends on the exact alloy being used but 'bright orange' is close enough. Fun fact - when steel gets to it's 'critical' temperature, it stops being magnetic, so that's another way you can test it. The steel is then quenched, this one in oil, which makes it hard.

      Hardened steel is very brittle so it's usually tempered after hardening. For 01 steel that means putting it in an oven at 160-200C for a couple of hours. You lose some hardness but you gain back some toughness and flexibility.

      After tempering, cleaning, polishing, polishing and so much polishing. Steel is so dirty and difficult to work with compared to the silver, gold and copper I'm more used to. But eventually, and after glueing and bolting a sycamore wood handle on, then giving it a final sharpen on my wetstone, I had a knife.

      It is a Japanese-style Nakiri knife. Usually used for cutting vegetables, it's really nice to use. Lightweight and agile, the balance is nice and it's comfortable in my hand. It's not perfect and there are a few things I'd do differently but I can see myself using this on a daily basis. More pictures

      I have already laid out and started shaping my next knife, which will be a slightly more complicated bunka knife

      Any questions, please just ask and I'll do my best to answer.

      20 votes
    26. Androcles and the Lion

      In a time of ancient legends, Androcles was a runaway slave. He took shelter in a cave where a wounded Lion lived. By removing a thorn from his paw Androcles cured the beast; The Lion was very...

      In a time of ancient legends, Androcles was a runaway slave.

      He took shelter in a cave where a wounded Lion lived.

      By removing a thorn from his paw Androcles cured the beast; The Lion was very pleased.

      And then The Lion ate Androcles because he was a fucking lion.

      5 votes
    27. Untitled poem

      Ask not for whom the cradle weeps; it weeps for you. O sly kitten, O accursèd cat, cry, cry for the weft and the warp of the world; cry, cry for the sin and the sorrow and suffering; cry, cry on...
      Ask not for whom the cradle weeps; it weeps for you.
      
      
      O sly kitten, O accursèd cat, cry,
      cry for the weft and the warp of the world; cry,
      cry for the sin and the sorrow and suffering; cry,
      cry on the bloodshed, but more on the tears; cry,
      cry for divisions, and ill-wrought connections; cry,
      cry for the laughter, so far out of reach; cry.
      And in crying find solace; peace——rhythm——be still.
      
                                                     cry 
      and cry——cry for the widows and widowers, woven together forever,
      by weeping and painless heart-let.
         But your pain is not theirs.
         For, though burdened with truth, you will never be cut 
         by the serrated and blunted edge of polite fiction.
         Enough!
      
      
      When the cat's in the cradle, the mice will play,
      And I hope that they fly far——far-far away.
      But the tears of the kitten forever abide,
      and someday they'll catch you.
                     will you take it in stride?
      
      11 votes
    28. Create a Logline

      Per @mrbig: What is a logline?: a brief summary (25 to 40 words) of a story for film, television or book that states the central conflict and an emotional "hook", with the purpose of stimulating...

      Per @mrbig:

      What is a logline?: a brief summary (25 to 40 words) of a story for film, television or book that states the central conflict and an emotional "hook", with the purpose of stimulating interest (Wikipedia).

      A logline is evaluated not exactly for what a story is (since it does not contain a complete story), but for what it can be. Suggestions usually seek to maximize the dramatic potential of the idea.

      Create a Logline, and you can chose to reply to others with your interpretation of how their stories would go.

      9 votes
    29. Endless Night (feature-film, logline)

      What is a logline?: a brief summary (25 to 40 words) of a story for film, television or book that states the central conflict and an emotional "hook", with the purpose of stimulating interest...

      What is a logline?: a brief summary (25 to 40 words) of a story for film, television or book that states the central conflict and an emotional "hook", with the purpose of stimulating interest (Wikipedia).

      A logline is evaluated not exactly for what a story is (since it does not contain a complete story), but for what it can be. Suggestions usually seek to maximize the dramatic potential of the idea.

      Title: Endless Night (feature-film, drama).

      Logline (27 words): Death has until dawn to ensure his very survival by splitting a couple whose determination in preserving their toxic relationship threatens to shred the fabric of time.

      4 votes
    30. Fooling around on the winter beach - photography

      I make no promises for quality, I'm really just pushing what can be done with a Pixel 3XL cell phone camera, access to Adobe Lightroom, and a surprisingly gorgeous foggy day. This ties into the...

      I make no promises for quality, I'm really just pushing what can be done with a Pixel 3XL cell phone camera, access to Adobe Lightroom, and a surprisingly gorgeous foggy day. This ties into the "No-Money Fun Ideas" thread.

      These images have been lightly edited towards what my eyes saw - most camera sensors would have trouble with color accuracy under the conditions these shots were taken.

      Winter 2020

      Please feel free to criticize and inform me on what I could do better.

      These photographs are published for your enjoyment under the Creative Commons Share-Alike license.

      20 votes
    31. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      9 votes
    32. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      13 votes
    33. What are the factors behind your motivation?

      What drives you to create or do something new? Even seemingly straightforward motivations can have a pretty complex interaction of history and emotion behind the scenes. What are the rates at...

      What drives you to create or do something new? Even seemingly straightforward motivations can have a pretty complex interaction of history and emotion behind the scenes.
      What are the rates at which your motivation waxes and wanes? Does it come and go in a matter of days, weeks, or months? Or does it stay fairly consistent?
      What steps would you take with the factors in an effort to increase your motivation?

      13 votes
    34. What creative projects have you been working on?

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      7 votes
    35. Morning Commute

      Illuminated signs Cut through the dark like harsh words Calling out like noisy merchants Vainly reflecting on empty streets

      11 votes
    36. The Egg

      Her eyes are fixed on the cooker. — Look. Points at the egg. — What? — Can’t you see? — Has it gone bad? She takes a deep breath. — I noticed the way you broke the shell, but I needed to confirm....

      Her eyes are fixed on the cooker.

      — Look.

      Points at the egg.

      — What?

      — Can’t you see?

      — Has it gone bad?

      She takes a deep breath.

      — I noticed the way you broke the shell, but I needed to confirm. Can you see how the yolk is soft yet whole, with a small cut in the lower portion slowly leaking a yellow thread at a regular pace?

      — Yes...

      — Don’t you get it?

      — No.

      — When the yolk leaks like that, it can only mean two things.

      She hesitates.

      — You’re either going to murder me...

      — What you’re talking about?

      — Or you’ll get a Ph.D. in Physics in 2035.

      — You’re kidding, right?

      — Nope.

      — You saw all that? On a fucking egg?

      — I knew you wouldn’t understand...

      — You were right.

      A second goes by. He cleans his throat, kinda embarrassed.

      — Honey?

      — Yeah, babe.

      — I’m terrible at physics.

      He holds a knife with a confused expression on his face.

      13 votes
    37. F*** me

      1:45 A M Two divided Lonely bed, lonely couch Emotional drainage leaks Seeps into sub floors Foul and sickly Sticky and putrid Fuck me

      13 votes
    38. Blue house

      Blue house Foundation exposed Brown threadbare carpet White counters fadded dull Wallpaper curled and yellow Still it's theirs Contentment abounds

      9 votes