Ace those Gifs

ars longa, vita brevis

[prussianultramine]

| Varanasi - 2027

An upcoming movie, directed by S S Rajamouli, exploring the themes of time travel and global adventure.

The movie stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran in key roles.

The concept teaser released at the globe trotter event reveals very little about the plot, but fans are busy theorising with the details available.

This poster is my attempt to encapsulate the key details shown in the teaser and also experiment with my photo editing skills.

[nolaplantdaddy]

I love when people ask "how did you learn this skill?" I just started, there's no secret. that's it. a vast majority of the time the only thing holding you back is your trepidation to start.

[queeranarchism]

Never ever turn off your phone: rethinking security culture in the era of big data analysis.

Back in the 80′s if you were a pissed off anarchist that wanted to burn down a building, you probably checked your home for listening devices and made a plan. If you were the same kind of pissed off anarchist in the late 90′s, you  turned off your phone and encrypted your online traffic. In the 2020′s we’re gonna have to change our strategies once again. Intelligence gathering has adapted and so we must adapt too.

To get a head start at this, let’s look at how big data analysis is being used. To do this, we’ll need to talk about 3 things: metadata, patterns and networks. Those sound boring and complicated but I’m not a techy and I won’t bore you with tech language, I’ll keep it as easy as I can.

Metadata: In the context of online activity, ‘content’ means ‘the message you send’ and ‘metadata’ means ‘everything other than the content’. So, for example, if you send your friend a text about lunch, the content might be “Let’s go out for lunch” and the metadata might be “Message send at 01/04/2018 11.32 from phone [phone] to phone [phone] using Signal”.

This information is registered by your phone even if the app encrypts your actual message. Your metadata is very badly protected by technology and very badly protected by the law. No matter which country you are in, most of your metadata if freely available to intelligence agencies regardless of whether you are a suspect in anything.

Patterns: Whether you realize it or not, your metadata has a pattern. If you have a daily job you might have a very consistent pattern, if you do not your pattern might be more flexible but you have a pattern. If someone wanted to know the rhythm of your day, they could very easily do so because your pattern is in the metadata.

For example: Maybe you use the wifi at your favourite bar on most Sunday nights until about midnight, you wake up around 10 AM and check your Signal, you use your public transport card to get to class every Monday afternoon and you spend on average 1 hour on Tumblr twice a day. All this is part of your pattern.

Networks: You have online networks. Your facebook friends, the people in your phone adress book, the dropbox you share with coworkers, everyone who bought online tickets to the same punk band you attended, the people using the same wifi points as you. Take your networks, combine them with other people’s networks, and clusters reveal themselves. Your work community, your family, your activist scene, etc.

If you are in an anarchist community that will probably be abundantly clear from all your minor network connections like going to the same band and knowing the same people as other anarchists. Even if you never liked an anarchist facebook page or pressed ‘going’ on an anarchist facebook event, your network is hard to hide.

Now, let’s say you commit a crime,

the kind that would result in some serious research. Let’s say that on Sunday night 3 AM, you are your friends go out and burn down a nazi’s house. (Of course I would never advice any of you to do such a thing.) It’s obvious that anarchists did it but there are no other clues. You use traditional style security culture: you burn your notes, you are careful not to communicate about your plans near technology and you do not leave physical traces.

But because you commited the crime that night, your metadata will vary strongly from your usual rhythm: you stay at your usual bar until 2 AM to wait for your friends, you do not wake up at 10 AM in the morning so you do not check your Signal or Tumblr until 1 PM. You do not go to class. Your metadata pattern is very different from your usual pattern. The metadata patterns of your friends are different too. If one of you is clumsy, they might generate a super suspicious metadata signal like a phone being switched off at 2.30 AM and activated at 4AM. You wouldn’t be the first.

If I wanted to solve this crime using data analysis, what I would do is:

let a piece of software run a pattern analysis of the local anarchist scene to generate the 300 people most connected to the anarchist scene.

let a second piece of software analyse the metadata patterns of those 300 people over the last months and identify the biggest metadata variations around Sunday night as well as very suspicious metadata activity

Illiminate pattern variations with an obvious cause or an obvious alibi (people who are on vacation, people who are in the hospital, people who lost their job, etc).

Do indepth research into the ones that remain.

Which is how, out of a massive amount of people that I couldn’t possible all listen to at the same time, I could quickly identify a few to monitor closely. This is how I could find and catch you.

So, now what?

If traditional security culture doesn’t protect us as well as it used to, how do we adapt? Well, I don’t have all the answers but for a start, I’d say: know your network + know your pattern.

In the case of the example above: leave the bar at midnight, return home and put your phone on your bedside table. Check the apps you check before going to bed and set your alarm to 10AM. Return to the bar without your phone. Wake up at 10AM and check your Signal. Drag yourself to class or ask a comrade to make the trip with your travel card and do not use technology in your home while the comrade is taking your travel card to class. Stick to your pattern. Never ever turn off your phone.

You might also be able to manipulate your network but that seems much harder to do. Not having a smartphone and dropping out of all social activity online is  a big commitment. Knowing your data pattern and making sure your data pattern doesn’t look out of the ordinary? Much less commitment.

Some of the old rules will still apply: don’t talk about a crime around devices with microphones, don’t brag after a succesful action, etc. Other rules, like ‘turn off your phone when planning an illegal act’ need to change because their metada looks too out of the ordinary. No one switches off their phone anymore. We look suspicious as fuck when we do.

This is just one idea on how we could update our security culture. There are probably other people with other, better ideas about updating our security culture. If we start the conversation, we may get somewhere.

Finally: we need to keep adapting.

As technology changes, more information is becoming available, including data we have very little control over. Smart-tv’s and ads in public spaces that listen to every word we say and the tone of our voice when we say it are examples. Data analysis projects are currently using license plate reading software on security footage to map the travel patterns of cars. A lot suggests they may soon be ready to do the same with face recognition, at which point the presence of our face in public space becomes part of our metadata. More information means more accurate data analysis. Our metadata may soon be too vast annd too complex to completely map and mirror. Which means we will need to adapt our counter measures if you want to hide something.

How do we keep it all under the radar? I don’t know. But let’s try to figure this shit out. These are some first thoughts about what security culture should look like in the age of modern big data analysis and I’d be very happy for any insights from comrades that have some thoughts on this.

Also: feel free to distribute and rework these words without credit.

[snowylynxx]

personally the lattice method of multiplication is the reason i hate math

[snowylynxx]

youre telling me that i can make some boxes with lines through them

solve the multiplication equation for each pair of individual digits and arrange them in the boxes just so

AND THEN ADD UP ALL THE NUMBERS IN EACH COLUMN AND GET THE RIGHT ANSWER????

[snowylynxx]

this post taught me that not everyone learned the lattice method in elementary school

[alexisjohnson824]

[wall-maria-around-ba-sing-se]

In grade school we learned the normal way to do multiplication one day and then the lattice way the next, except I was sick the day we learned the normal way and they never went back and reviewed it and neither did I and so to this day I only know how to use the lattice method

[audre-falrose]

[ruffboi-mags]

....What the ever loving fuck, this is really cool???? I have NEVER heard of this???

[unicorncryptid]

I swear the jump from the first to the second image is basically that "draw the owl" meme.

[ruffboi-mags]

Yeah it took me a while to figure it out, but I DID! So for me and you and everyone else going “wait wtf just happened????” I present a more step by step breakdown!

So you start with a grid with as many squares as needed to write one number across the top and one number down the side. And draw these diagonal lines through them. Yes you should extend them out the side.

THEN you basically multiply the numbers that match with each square, put the tens digit in the top triangle and the ones digit in the bottom triangle. Like so:

so once you’ve done that, you start adding up the numbers in the DIAGONAL column/row thingies from the bottom right up to the top left, like so:

You only want one digit (tho I assume if the very top/last row somehow gets 2 digits that’s ok, but ONLY in that position) and you’ll carry over to the next column, like if you were adding normally.

Then you start at the top left and just take all the numbers going down and around and put them together!

It does take up a lot more space and has a few more steps than the more traditional long multiplication, I think, but for people who struggle with that I think this would be a handy tool!

Here’s a screenshot of the more traditional style to compare:

I hope this helps! I had to figure it out on my own bc I was never taught this either. :)

[heroineimages]

Huh. I'll be damned. Reblogging so I'll hopefully remember how to do it.

[bigandlong]

If you see this on your dashboard, reblog this, NO MATTER WHAT and all your dreams and wishes will come true.

[jae-felidae]

Oh hey! Haven’t seen this in forever! Didn’t reblog it when it came across me before, not gonna skip it this time, I need some good vibes.

[bookishdiplodocus]

Reblog the writers’ fortune cookie for luck!

[redeadepression]

Guys I reblogged this and then wrote an 8000 word story I didn’t even have a solid plan for. Reblog this shit.

[nialbu]

I am a skeptic, and do not believe in the power of fortune cookies.

[vaspider]

Then dont be a wet blanket.

[whateversebastian]

REBLOG IF YOU ARE A WRITER ON TUMBLR

IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT KIND OF WRITER YOU ARE YOU CAN BE WRITING: POEMS, FANFICS, IDK NORMAL FICS, NOVELS, SHORT STORIES, IDK ANYTHING!! JUST REBLOG!!!

[armengoldira]

[flashfictionfridayofficial]

✨FFF 267 Masterlist

Thank you for all your wonderful entries last week! We loved reading all of them ^^ (If we missed your entry, please let us know)

Consider checking out your fellow writers’ pieces, give out those likes and reblogs. The new prompt will be up at 12pm CET <3

When Words Aren't Enough by @lisbeth-kk

Violet Melody Ann by @renee-writer

Gifted Violets by @rudbeckiasunflower

A Love That Would Not Be Permitted The Light Of The Sun by @nopoodles

viola sororia by @lizardperson

Violets for the one I adore by @lucigoo

Unconventional Gifting by @ruvastuon

the path i've always walked by @sparrow-orion-writes

Promises Made And Kept by @baubeautyandthegeek

Blood red, Lavender's Blue by @cherrybombfangirlwrites

A Symbol of Devotion by @polizwrites

A posey by @darkhorse-javert

Rememberance by @hd-literature

flowers smell sweet until they wither by @uraniumwriting

Violet, Violet by @commander-krios

Red+Blue by @more-better-words

Belated Birthdays by @odysseywritings

Jamil - Girl Problems by @leaderpinhead

A Gift of Violets by @chocomd

Gifted Violets by @landofspaceandrainbows

Gifted Violets by @theglitchywriterboi

Home Coming by @i-am-basil-boi

Gifted Violets by @betweenthetimeandsound

Brightening Up The Place by @zorilleerrant

thousand in a box by @chasingbluebirds

just know that if you hide, it doesn't go away by @ineedaplacetostay

A crown befitting a queen by @e-lisard

Gifted Violets by @prussianultramine

Lest Rainbows Be Unset by @jack-of-crowns

[prussianultramine]

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Gifted Violets

"Attention passengers this is the final boarding call for Flight number GT765 to Athens. Please proceed to Gate.."

As the announcement chimed across Incheon Airport, he cut through the surging crowd heading straight toward the VIP line.

The ground crew gave him a wide smile after looking through his passport and boarding pass.

"Welcome Mr Choi Do il, you can proceed straight to the upper deck"

"Thank you"

The events of the past few months rushed through his mind as he made himself comfortable for the 15 hour journey.

Each time death called him, he was ready to accept it. But each time he came back battered and ready to face new challenges.

He didn't mind being caught up in this vicious circle. But an uneasiness crept in engulfing those close to him.

Hwa young. Mom. Da-Choi jae hee. (He still couldn't accept him as his father). and

Oh In Joo.

As soon as he closed his eyes, it was filled with nightmarish scenes of Oh In Joo surrounded by those gifted violets. The stems from the father tree grew into those beautifully manicured hands with red nails beckoning her with its tantalizing smell. And Oh In Joo, in her sleep-like state, walked towards it lured by the false promises it held.

He promised himself to not care. But he couldn't help put in a word to his trusted aide to keep an eye on her.

In case she needed him again. But he hoped she didn't.

[prussianultramine]

| Vedang Raina as Reggie Mantle

The Archies (2023)

[prussianultramine]

[inahiddenplace]

I love kids they’re all like.. “when i grow up i’m gonna be an astronaut and a chef and a doctor and an olympic swimmer” like that self confidence! That drive! That optimism! Where does it go

[alexundefined]

It gets destroyed by adults not believing in you and telling you to pick a realistic career. And by society creating all these obstacles to the point that you’re too tired to try.

[thechargrey]

But they’re not really unrealistic, SOMEBODY is going to be an olympic swimmer and it might as well be you.

[thechargrey]

Actually I want to talk about this a little more than I did, because olympic swimming is incredible and works perfectly to talk about attaining goals.

I used to be a varsity swimmer, and I was damn good, but I was forced into it by my parents and completely lost my love for it and therein my drive. But in high school I was swimming against such talented swimmers like Olympic Swimmer Missy Franklin. I’ve met her, and the main difference between her and me was that I was strong but had no passion, but she was strong BECAUSE she had passion. 

And I could have been good, really good, maybe even Olympic good. I even have the predisposition for it, been swimming since I was 2 years old, have a mom who was almost an olympic swimmer. Missy didn’t have either of those things, she just wanted it, loved it, had been doing it for a long time, and decided she was going to kick ass at it.

Right, that’s great and all, but I completely missed my opportunity to be an olympic swimmer, yeah? and can never achieve those dreams I had as a kid? No, not even though. There was this whole thought that female athletes peak when they’re 17 years old and lose their skills quickly after that, and male athletes peak around 19. But then Olympic Swimmer Dara Torres shows up. She was an olympic swimmer when she was 17, 21 and 25. Pretty normal age for retirement. She had a few kids. She kicked butt at being a mom. 

And then at 33 years old she decides she’s bored or something gets back in shape and kicks so much ass at the trials that she lands herself on the Olympic Team ONCE AGAIN. And then 8 years later, she decides, heck I’m 41 now, no one has ever made the olympic swim team as old as I am, I want to get in shape yet again and teach these children how sports work.

And she still has the record for oldest US Olympic Swimmer, not even any men have beat out that record.

So basically what I’m saying is you could be an olympic swimmer, you really could be. And there are obviously a lot of things stopping you and trying to get in your way: your brain, society, too much chocolate cake for example. But if you really dedicate yourself to it and love it with all of your heart you could, you really could.

And lets say olympic swimming isn’t your jam? That’s cool too. There isn’t a single skill in this world that you can’t learn if you absolutely love it and want to. Any skill you want is going to take time. There are countless famous people who started learning a skill after 20, 30, 40, or even 50. Not a single person has even been president under age 35 (most likely because you’re not allowed to be, but there’s a reason for that). Whatever you want to do you’re probably going to be bad at first, and I’m talking really shitty.

Van Gogh got started in his 20′s and was thought to have no artistic talent at first and was forced to sit in the back of classrooms where the worst artists in the class sat. So yeah you’ll probably be bad, like really bad and everyone including you will think you’re bad. If you stick with it though, if you’re willing to work for years and years, if you keep loving it after all the pain it’s given you, 

then you might just paint Starry Night.

[ooksaidthelibrarian]

#looks like there’s still time for me to learn how to draw … YES. As someone who started drawing at 35 and who always was like: ‘eh, I can’t draw a stick figure to save my life, but I would love to be able to’ this is near and dear to my heart. If you want to draw, start drawing. Keep drawing. Be shit at drawing at first. Keep it up, doodle things on scraps but also draw stuff you don’t think you can draw. Challenge yourself, you will be surprised what you can do. It will be frustrating at times, but it will also be awesome. It is SO much a matter of practice and dedication, not talent.

[arialerendeair]

This applies for writing, too.  

Don’t ever think for a second that it doesn’t!  Want to start writing?  Then write!  You will get better the more you write, the more often, and you will improve, all of the time, as long as you dedicate yourself.  

[lauraannegilman]

The worst lie we tell ourselves is “it’s too late.”

[boodlesandtonicplz-deactivated2]

[flashfictionfridayofficial]

✨ Quarterly Masterlist of Antique Prompts ✨

It’s time for extra flash fiction! We cherish these beautiful works you have written and shared with us over the past months. Please check out these amazing flash fiction pieces and show them some love! <3

If you have written an old prompt outside of its deadline and are missing from this list, please let us know and we’ll add you!

The next masterlist will come October 1st!

Caroline's Nightmare by @betweenthetimeandsound

The Truth She Has Yet To See by @baubeautyandthegeek

An Act Of Piracy by @tamiveldura

Blind spot by @mtnikolle

Watching the birds by @baubeautyandthegeek

Watching Birds by @lucigoo

In conversation by @nicholsroy

Backs Turned, Victory by @reblog-house

Open your eyes by @incandescent-creativity

Death without Slumber by @reblog-house

Spill the tea by @justnerdy15

Spilling Tea by @alexthefly

You Don’t Like Me But I’m Your Friend by @endlesstwanted

A little catching up by @reblog-house

Justice served piping hot by @darkhorse-javert

Exhibition by @tasam1075

Beyond This Horizon by @minervas-hand

In the heart by @minervas-hand

Questions Do Not Speak As Loud As The Heart by @drelizabethgreene

Muted colors by @prussianultramine

The sun gazing back by @reblog-house

Moonrise by @starlightfireflies

Cupid by @vamp-ress

A second Chance (Too Bad Your A Corpse) by @reblog-house

Colluding by @a-forbidden-detective

[prussianultramine]

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Muted Colors

The suit and tie get up was necessary if one needed access to SHIELD's facility on important occasions. Sam tried to ignore the itching by covering it with a non commital scratch near his collar.

He stared at the shield displayed in the middle of the podium, the blue, red and silver, a stark contrast to the dull surrounding.

His stone cold face did a good job of hiding his internal conflict. Rhodey looked at him grimly from the podium as he took Cap's shield out of the glass case and handed it to the eagerly waiting blonde man.

John Walker grinned and said a few words of gratitude and responsibility as he pulled the straps across his arm. His dramatic salute earned a few claps making him grin wider.

Rhodey reluctantly shook the new captain America's hand and walked over to Sam.

"I still standby Steve's judgement. I would've been happy if that shield were in your hands"

"Like I said before, it was an honour. An honour I'm not sure if I deserve" Sam huffed out, absently fiddling with his cuffs.

"What do you think of this guy?" Rhodey asked him

"I think he looks almost like Steve" Sam answered

"Although I'm not sure if Steve would wear a suit with so many muted colors"

"Is that all? " Rhodey scoffed

"What do you want me to say Rhodes?"

"You don't have to always keep it in Sam" Rhodey placed his hand on his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze

"I know" Sam sighed

Rhodey gave him a smile before getting up and joining the director.

Sam stared across at the now empty podium with the empty glasscase. He then stared at John jostling with his team mates. He hated that new suit.

[bedbugbiting]

My face is having uncontrollable spasms. Great. It hurts really, really, really bad.

I think part of why I have trouble explaining pain to the doctor is when they ask about the pain scale I always think “Well, if someone threw me down a flight of stairs right now or punched me a few times, it would definitely hurt a lot more” so I end up saying a low number. I was reading an article that said that “10” is the most commonly reported number and that is baffling to me. When I woke up from surgery with an 8" incision in my body and I could hardly even speak, I was in the most horrific pain of my life but I said “6” because I thought “Well, if you hit me in the stomach, it would be worse.”

[bomberqueen17]

I searched and searched for the post this graphic was from, and the OP deactivated, but I kept the graphic, because my BFF does the same thing, uses her imagination to come up with the worst pain she can imagine and pegs her “10″ there, and so is like, well, I’m conscious, so this must be a 5, and then the doctors don’t take her seriously. (And she then does things like driving herself to the hospital while in the process of giving birth. Probably should have called an ambulance for that one!)

So I found this and sent it to her. Because this is what they want to know: how badly is this pain affecting you? Not on a scale of “nothing” to “how I’d imagine it’d feel if bears were eating my still-living guts while I was on fire”. 

I hate reposting stuff, but I’ll never find that post again and OP is deactivated, so, here’s a repost. I can delete this later, i just wanted to get it to you and I can’t embed images in a chat or an ask. 

[derryderrydown]

This is possibly why it took several weeks to diagnose my fractured spine.

[petralemaitre]

Pain Scale transcription:

10 - I am in bed and I can’t move due to my pain. I need someone to take me to the emergency room because of my pain.

9 - My pain is all that I can think about. I can barely move or talk because of my pain.

8 - My pain is so severe that it is difficult to think of anything else. Talking and listening are difficult.

7 - I am in pain all the time. It keeps me from doing most activities.

6 - I think about my pain all of the time. I give up many activities because of my pain.

5 - I think about my pain most of the time. I cannot do some of the activities I need to do each day because of the pain.

4 - I am constantly aware of my pain but can continue most activities.

3 - My pain bothers me but I can ignore it most of the time.

2 - I have a low level of pain. I am aware of my pain only when I pay attention to it.

1 - My pain is hardly noticeable.

0 - I have no pain.

[airagorncharda]

It’s also really important to get this kind of scale to people who have chronic pain, because chronic pain drastically lowers your perception of how “bad” any kind of pain actually is, and yet something like this pain scale is extremely user friendly. 

For example, if someone asked me how much pain I’m in at any given time, I’d say hardly any, and yet I’m apparently at a chronic 2.5, and it only goes up from there depending on the day. 

There’s also a similarly useful “Fatigue Scale”

[jedijenkins]

I haven’t been below a 5 on this scale for 4 years 

[nerdgasrnz]

Here’s the fatigue scale

[sunny-day-sky]

Fatigue scale image desc:

10: can barely move; can’t talk

9: can barely move; can talk

8: can move, but can’t do much more than watch TV

7: can watch TV and play a game on my phone simultaneously

6: can do work on my computer lying in bed

5: can get around the house, but definitely couldn’t go out

4: can run a light errand

3: can get in my 10,000 steps, making my fitbit happy

2: can do three or more activities in a single day

1: going clubbing!

[eruvadhril]

See also the Mental Health Pain Scale by Graceful Patient:

Mental Health Pain Scale transcription:

MILD

1 - Everything is a-okay! There is absolutely nothing wrong. You’re probably cuddling a fluffy kitten right now. Enjoy!

2 - You’re a bit frustrated or disappointed, but you’re easily distracted and cheered up with a little effort.

3 - Things are bothering you, but you’re coping. You might be overtired or hungry. The emotional equivalent of a headache.

MODERATE

4 - Today is a bad day (or a few bad days). You still have the skills to get through it, but be gentle with yourself. Use self-care strategies.

5 - Your mental health is starting to impact on your everyday life. Easy things are becoming difficult. You should talk to your doctor.

6 - You can’t do things the way you usually do them due to your mental health. Impulsive and compulsive thoughts may be hard to cope with.

SEVERE

7 - You’re avoiding things that make you more distressed, but that will make it worse. You should definitely seek help. This is serious.

8 - You can’t hide your struggles any more. You may have issues sleeping, eating, having fun, socialising, and work/study. Your mental health is affecting almost all parts of your life.

9 - You’re at a critical point. You aren’t functioning any more. You need urgent help. You may be a risk to yourself or others if left untreated.

10 - The worst mental and emotional distress possible. You can no longer care for yourself. You can’t imagine things getting any worse. Contact a crisis line immediately.

[kingspadedying]

These are so important! SO SO IMPORTANT SHARE THIS AND SAVE IT TO SHOW YOUR DOCTORS!

[mrswhozeewhatsis]

This is the first time I’ve seen the fatigue scale, and HOLY MOLY that’s a revelation!!! These should be on all hospital and doctor office walls.

[thesaltofcarthage]

I’ve never seen the mental health one! or the fatigue one! I printed out the pain one and gave it to my GP. 

[rimonoroni]

pssssst hey. hey. free and expansive database of folk and fairy tales. you can thank me later

[pheita]

@cljordan-imperium maybe this is of interest for you?

[waitinforthebus-deactivated2020]

c[]xxx[]:::::::::::::::>

this is the sword of good fortune, may it aid you in your travels.