So, I've been plotting my #MerMay novel ( #Unfathomed ), and I thought I'd do a bit of a game out of parts of the world building.
For every like (or boost, I'm not picky), I'll describe a facet of the world, the characters, the plot ... all without spoilers!
While you can look at my site for my links, I want to promote two in particular:
Ko-fi: If you want to support me, I have a single membership tier at this point ($3/month) for various bonuses such as higher resolution art and shout-outs, and the chance to shape my membership.
You can also just donate as one-off, if you want to support me: https://ko-fi.com/antoniusm
Redbubble: most of my art is available as print-on-demand: https://Melindrea.redbubble.com
#intro While I know I've written one before, it was a long time ago, so here goes a new one!
I'm an autistic creative soul who loves programming, painting, crocheting and digital art.
I live with chronic pain (fibro + hypermobility), and last I was really active on mastodon was 2019 or so (first joined 2017)
The other day I saw a poll asking “what made you stay at mastodon”. Choices were like “my friends are here”, “dunno, I just stayed”, or some specific good aspects of this place. That was rather ironic as my reason which is also most Chinese users’ reason, is not listed. To this English speaking world, it’s beyond imagination for many that people tooting in Mandarin would most likely call themselves “cyber refugee”. Because we had nowhere to go. Because everywhere was censored and we had to flee.
Okay! Final choices for my plant based hero!
Her human name is Zahra Hart, and she has an alternate form that looks like an anthropomorphic flower with petals, leaves, thorns and vines for clothes, with a reddish face, green bodice, and dark reddish-purple (near-black) cape, hood and overskirt, and visible underskirt in similar colours but with lots of texture.
In her floral form, is she ...
The idea that "small web" means personal websites and nothing else is starting to bother me. Leave room for #communities. Forums with two dozen members. Wikis with half a dozen contributors.
eye contact, low cleavage
Haven't been doing a lot of art lately, due to various reasons, but I did manage to do a fairly quick edit. Original photo is https://unsplash.com/photos/6PROVhY2Yq4 and I cropped it, changed some colours around, added lipstick and gave her green eyes that should hopefully look decent =) #MastoArt #PhotoManipulation #PhotoAffinity #MelindreaMakes
Okay! Final choices for my plant based hero!
Her human name is Zahra Hart, and she has an alternate form that looks like an anthropomorphic flower with petals, leaves, thorns and vines for clothes, with a reddish face, green bodice, and dark reddish-purple (near-black) cape, hood and overskirt, and visible underskirt in similar colours but with lots of texture.
In her floral form, is she ...
trying to follow this instruction:
talk about the things you love, even if you think nobody cares.
people won't ask for it at least at first, but some of them will care
and it's attractive to see someone talk about the things they love.
let go of the notion that it's worthless if you don't get a minimum number of listeners, reactions, replies.
practice caring publicly about the things you care about.
I think this is a good reminder for me. I never liked being shy anyway
Web developers: take a moment to turn off javascript on your websites. If it can't be used at all--especially if the user is confronted with a blank screen--without js support, fix it. It's a bad website. #xp
PSA: I'm going to be spamming this link a LOT because a lot of motherfuckers need to see this... https://jer.wtf/myob #xp #myob #MindYourOwnBusiness
I've narrowed it down to a few names, so let's see what people like? 'cause this is now very fun.
She will in her plant form have an outfit that looks like a fancy dress with a hooded cape.
It appears that I will need to have three sets and then pick a "final three" tomorrow.
I have come to the conclusion that one of my least favourite things is how people talk about "the algorithm" as if it has a mind of it's own.
Not just the birdsite and ytube stuff, but generally where people use machine learning (or even just code that does X based on Y!), and it's all being called "the algorithm".
child death, but positive news? still a very heavy topic but it's a good development
THEY FIGURED OUT SIDS
My husband is a pharmacist and pointed out that this also impacts the ability of doctors to safely anesthetize some patients, because sometimes they need to use a paralytic and if they can test for this enzyme they can have a much better chance of predicting how well their patient will recover
but also
HOLY SHIT??
I hope this brings some small measure of peace to parents blaming themself for the loss of an infant to SIDS. Because it wasn't that the mattress was wrong or there was a blanket nearby or whatever whatever because blankets don't fuck up obscure baby brain enzymes
it's a fucking enzyme thing
And I read this research was at least partially crowdfunded too, so we can maybe add another tally to the Seizing The Means Of Research Production victory column.
https://www.biospace.com/article/researchers-answer-how-and-why-infants-die-from-sids/
Hivemind of #mastodon #superheroes...
Ideas for naming a Poison ivy-esque character with a flower theme (orchids in particular) and a separate form that's more Swamp Thing in appearance
@melindrea I'm a zoologist in my other life and I put some research into marine mammal genitalia (not so easy, unfortunately there isn't so much data). Apparently, whale vaginas are pretty complex and enable the whale girl to decide whether or not she wants a sex partner to "score".
If you want that element, giving mermaids a labyrinth of a vagina with twists and folds and dead ends could be one way to do it.
Here are some pictures:
https://baleinesendirect.org/en/discover/life-of-whales/physiology/reproductive-system/
(CW deer skull painting, no gore tho)
The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. https://ko-fi.com/i/IQ5Q0CJX9T #MastoArt #BrynnDraws #Art
Programming polyglot with a soft spot for Python, PHP, Linux and automation. Also, I write Viking & Folklore fiction.
Co-sinner: @knaveofswords