guardians_song: A crop from FE7's Arcadia CG showing Nergal and two villagers chatting over scrolls. (scholarly)
2014-04-13 09:55 pm

Some very INTERESTING MedicalXpress links today!

Laboratory-grown vaginas implanted in patients
(Is it strange of me to automatically think 'This is going to be very helpful for trans women'? I know gender-reassignment surgery already works, but, as the article says, vaginal construction surgery as it stands now has a very high chance of complications. Apparently these vaginas are much closer to normal functioning, which is all to the good.)
Breakthrough therapy allows four paraplegic men to voluntarily move their legs
Scientists are attempting to 3D-print a human heart
Scientists unmask a piece in the puzzle of how the inheritance of traumas is mediated

Hope you find some of these relevant to your interests!
guardians_song: Icon depiction of the sporker Richard. (Default)
2014-04-13 09:23 pm

Snorlax should be treated as a Legendary Pokemon in Kanto Nuzlockes.

Seriously, it should. :P Doubly so in Gen 1, where Amnesia is completely overpowered.
guardians_song: Icon depiction of the sporker Richard. (Default)
2014-04-08 04:53 pm

I Have No Brain And I Must Think

Le prix pour une année complète est la somme des prix de chaque volume - Frais de port non compris - Se renseigner auprès de la SMF
What even is that? "The price for one complete year is the sum of the price[s] for each volume - ???? not comprised - ???? of the SMF"?

*looks up on Google Translate*

The price for a full year is the sum of the price of each volume - Shipping not included - inquire at the SMF


Oh, "Frais de port" was an idiom for SHIPPING. :D ...I really need to work on my French. :\ At least I got the (really easy) opening sentence.

Actually, this French math site is really useful. It has French AND English versions of abstracts, so I can brush up on my French math vocabulary while I muddle around. :D Yaaay, today won't be totally wasted! Even if my brain is.
guardians_song: Ken Sugimori's concept art of the Pokemon starters, with the main characters and rival beside them. (Pokemon)
2014-04-08 04:03 pm

Updated Silver Randomlocke for first time in a month.

Also updated Thieflocke. Might as well do my next session of Poisoned Haven, because I've caught some crud-bug and don't really have the brains to do much work. Currently hoping to pick up a paper I need off of some sleazy Russian site or other. Ugh. Next time I talk to my professor and he mentions a hard-copy of a paper, I'ma just usin' my cellphone camera and "copying it down".

Actually, never mind. It seems the sleazy Russian sites reserve their business for textbooks that actually cost money in the real world, as opposed to obscure papers that are only relevant to weirdos doing research in that area. *sigh* Ooh well. Off to find another paper that's relevant, because that one ain't doing it until I can borrow or beg a copy off the library.

Also: oh, yay, I'm out of screenshots for STOP! THIEF! Clearly the only option is to... make more! :D ...OTL

(I am doing all right. I'm just somewhat wasted from the congestion. Mercifully, this isn't one of my class days.)

Incidentally, since apparently I'm not always clear, I don't do much programming. However, I did do a simulator of a certain RNG Nuzlockes Emerald scenario in the last month or so. Not actually that interesting, but I did manage to unnerve the person "doing" the run. :D

Hope you're all doing well.

guardians_song: Icon depiction of the sporker Richard. (Default)
2014-04-06 11:43 pm

MedicalXpress Links.

So they've found a way to reverse (some form of) female infertility by switching off a junk-damaged-eggs gene.

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii don't know if this is really the best thing. Stinks of a "THIS IS GOING TO BITE US IN THE ASS LATER" stratagem. ...Wait and see, I guess.

Killing melanoma by cutting off its (glucose) food supply
Zombie cancer cells eat themselves to live
The origin of twins
Researchers use light-based technique to repair a mouse's damaged nerve

___

Anyway! Sorry to not be more active, but The Tumblr Monster eats one alive. :D;; I've also been busy with work and school. ...I'm improving, though.

Hope you're all doing well!

guardians_song: A Fire Dragon from Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. (Fire Dragon)
2014-04-06 04:12 pm

It Just Irks Me

“Psychopathy is probably the most pleasant-feeling of all the mental disorders,” says the journalist Jon Ronson, whose book, The Psychopath Test, explored the concept of psychopathy and the mental health industry in general. “All of the things that keep you good, morally good, are painful things: guilt, remorse, empathy.”
(source)

Well, no, actually. There's the joy of accomplishment, the self-esteem benefit of knowingly doing good, the happiness of causing improvement (of oneself, others, or the world)...

STOP GLAMORIZING PSYCHOPATHY AND UNDERCUTTING VIRTUE.

The fear of punishment alone won't make you good. All it will make you is neutral. Goodness actually takes work and motivation. A lump of stone has committed no evil. It has committed no good either.

PEOPLE DON'T JUST DO GOOD AND AVOID EVIL BECAUSE OF "PAINFUL THINGS'. WHAT THE FUCK.

guardians_song: Ken Sugimori's concept art of the Pokemon starters, with the main characters and rival beside them. (Pokemon)
2014-03-28 10:43 pm

Incidentally, my Pokemon Green Nuzlocke would like to invite you to a very glitchy update.

Take a look at it here.

Put it this way. Have you ever wanted to see the screen DISINTEGRATE? Or, rather, the sprites on the screen slowly turn into incoherent scrambled bits frame-by-frame? And then the text? And then the text BOX? And then every semblance of structure in the display itself?

And it's all because the bootleg ROM can't handle getting off a bicycle.


cOME pLAy WIth US
guardians_song: Icon depiction of the sporker Richard. (Default)
2014-03-23 09:20 pm

Huh.

I had no idea Weezing had such a high BST. I mean, it's actually a reasonable Pokemon if you don't completely botch its use like the in-game trainers do. I never realized it could learn freaking THUNDERBOLT.

I didn't know Houndoom's Sp. Atk was that high, either.

This isn't going to be related to anything for a while - I just wanted to note that because I was actually looking at the stats. Huh.
guardians_song: GIF flashing up Japanese characters Shi, Kata, Ga, Na, I, then "It cannot be helped" in English (it cannot be helped)
2014-03-17 10:20 pm

Hm.

So, because this particular episode of the monthly headache started early (noon rather than mid-afternoon), I'm actually awake to feel it drop off. So I have a more objective idea of its after-effects.

And it turns out that it isn't so much the exhaustion from the eyeache itself that causes me to feel wasted afterwards, it's a general feeling across the brain of emotional flattening and mental tiredness. I COULD work and/or go back on the internet if I so wished, I just really don't feel like it.

Presumably this continues into the next day.

Hm. Well, it's good to know that it's a mental thing rather than physical exhaustion from the eyeache itself, because the latter was hard to believe.

Anyway, I'll be back to normal by tomorrow afternoon or so. I only posted at first because normally I'm on Tumblr or the Nuzlocke Forums... probably more frequently than I should be, and so my absence needed mild explanation. After that, it was a matter of wanting to note down the feeling of general flattening for my own reference.

Sorry to not have interacted on anyone's posts as a result. If I see any interesting ones, I'll try to make up for it tomorrow.

And now to collapse face-first into my pillow. Byeeee... *clunk*
guardians_song: Ninian from Fire Emblem, knocked down and getting up (not doing so well)
2014-03-17 07:12 pm

OW. Fucking monrhly [headache]

For those interested in the details, it happens exactly one day a month, worsens in the evening, and often tires me out unusually early. And then I feel like crud warmed over for the morning after, but I'm fine after that. I honestly don't know if the tiredness is part of the [headache] or just that I have a low pain/frustration tolerance and get tired out by the stress of having it.

It's not even a headache so much as a stabbing pain around the back of my left eye. I am certain it's not a PHYSICAL issue because it only occurs ONE DAY a month, it doesn't affect vision at all, and the pain level varies depends upon light levels and such. And one-sided severe eyestrain would be awfully strange. (In context, I USED to have much better vision in my right eye than my left, but now I'm nearsighted to the same degree in both.)

I SUSPECT it's a mild, mild, mild migraine due to the eye-watering and nose-clogging side effects, plus the unilateral nature of the headache. And the monthly occurrence points towards a hormonal trigger.
(Also, if I can convince the nerves to stop being in pain for a short time, the sensation in that area is... weird. I don't know how to describe it. Like... it FEELS like I'm holding my left eye open wider than normal, even though, when I check it in the mirror or a quick selfie, my left eyelid is in fact slightly drooping.

This strange sensation is common to every instance of the monthly headache, and is in fact a precursor to the actual pain. I don't get it. If I have to physically pinpoint what's going on, I suppose it's that, when I raise my eyebrow with emphasis on the part to the side of the face, it's usually hooked up to the eyelid - you know, you raise your eyebrow and your eye gets wider? But on the left side, during these headaches, it's detached. If I want to widen the left eye, I have to use the muscles more towards the middle of the face. And, before you ask, the muscle that would ORDINARILY be involved in raising the eyelid when raising the eyebrow... is one of the ones that's hurting, yes. So it reeks of a neurological glitch fueled by a hormonal surge/drop rather than any intramuscular cause.

To articulate, I suppose THAT annoys me as badly as the actual pain, and doubly so when that area IS in pain. It just doesn't FEEL right, and it continues to monopolize some mental attention all through the duration of the irritating thing. Probably what tires me out, in the long-term...)

Anyway, I'm just complaining about it because it annoys me. Sympathies unneeded. Just trying to explain, in part, why I might be absent from my normal internet-addiction tonight. *grumbles and slouches off to do something productive while some mercifully small part of my neurology is malfunctioning on me*
guardians_song: Part of Fire Emblem 7's Chapter 19xx CG, colored (Nergal and children)
2014-03-17 07:17 am

So how are you all?

I'm doing pretty well. Sorry if I haven't been active much, but Tumblr has been eating my brain. And only my mortal soul, fortunately - I have a couple of these buggers for safety reasons. ;) *points to immortal soul stashed away in a corner and quickly throws a tarp over it again*

Anyway, I have a reasonable amount on my plate. Research project, another research project (which I need to finish up), an in-class talk I need to give by the end of the semester...

On the fandom side, I've essentially abandoned my other Nuzlocke runs while constantly updating STOP! THIEF! I... just haven't had the energy for everything else. Ditto for sporkings and other projects. Mostly, on the creative side, I've been trying to unscrew my own head. (Which is going really well, actually! I'm feeling so much better than I have for a long time. It's just rough going while it's going on, and I'm too busy trying to adjust to it to really have the brains to do anything working out from it. :D;;)

Anyway, when things are more together, I should be more active. Hope you're all doing well!
guardians_song: A slightly edited posterized version of King Zephiel from Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. (Amused)
2014-03-16 02:28 pm

Amusing fantasy idea:

Dragons don't have that horde just for shits and giggles.

It's to pay off any knights who might come wandering around.

'All right, then, I know what the king's promised you, but I'm SURE you'll take a discount in light of the quite-likely possibility that I would reduce you to a smoldering pile of cooked meat inside your half-melted armor if we DID battle... come on, my good fellow, let's settle down to haggling...'
guardians_song: Icon depiction of the sporker Richard. (Default)
2014-03-13 03:31 pm

I don't know if anyone on the f-list (other than Lliira) is on painkillers, but if you are...

...this may be an important post.

Signal boosting because I have very strong feelings on doctors prescribing chemicals that can direly fuck you up.
guardians_song: A sprite edit of Nils from Fire Emblem, looking shocked: CHRISTMAS EDITION (Nils)
2014-03-10 07:01 pm

Did this really need to be STUDIED?

Smokers' brains biased against negative images of smoking

What's next? "Liberals' brains biased against negative depictions of liberalism"? "Conservatives' brains biased against negative depictions of conservatism"? "Gourmets' brains biased against negative images of food"? "Athletes' brains biased against negative images of sports"?

I like neurology and studies on how the brain behaves, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I have to wonder if some neurologists have ever interacted with human beings. People don't like to be told that pleasurable activities are bad for them, even if said activities are highly harmful? WHAT A SHOCK!

...Seriously, I expect to see "Study finds that bears frequently defecate in the woods" in the headlines any idea now. I would not put it past some Captain Obvious researchers to actually investigate that.
guardians_song: A Fire Dragon from Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. (Fury)
2014-03-09 05:35 pm

Thank you, Livejournal, for making your image-uploading more clunky and painful than EVER before.

I may get what I deserve for using you primarily as my image-hosting service these days, but good gad.

Here's a tip, numbskulls - make the site actually enjoyable to use, rather than constantly adding on crappy glitz that does nothing useful and may even impede service.

I mean, you'd think that wouldn't be hard, right? Right?

*groan* It's still usable, at least. I suppose I should be grateful for that.
guardians_song: Ken Sugimori's concept art of the Pokemon starters, with the main characters and rival beside them. (Pokemon)
2014-03-04 01:16 am

So I panicked and closed a ton of tabs because I thought Firefox was memory-leaking due to Tumblr...

...and it turns out that the HTML formatting for the spork had privately gone bonkers, leading to what should have looked like THIS:

<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">Jerry: Glargh. MORE sappy Aesops?</span>

instead looking like THIS:
<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">Jerry: Glargh. MORE sappy Aesops?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>

I wish I was joking.

So the ridiculous formatting chewed up an unholy amount of memory, and the "memory leak" fixed itself once I edited the formatting to no longer look like it had been vomited forth by a chatbot having a seizure.

Just a warning in case you experience a sudden browser slowdown while editing a rich text post that uses a lot of colors. Check the HTML tab - it may save you a lot of time and hassle.

guardians_song: A sprite edit of Nils from Fire Emblem, looking shocked: CHRISTMAS EDITION (Nils)
2014-03-04 01:16 am

Now Sporking: Family Matters, Part 3/[???]

"Wait, yer tellin' me y' decided, outta nowhere, t' restart th' spork NOW?" the sandy-haired adolescent complains, abruptly dumped into the sporking room.

Yep.

"We did get over a month off," his magenta-haired companion points out, dusting herself off as she rises from the floor.

"Too bad! Look at th' Little Miss Mary sporkers! Now there's a spork that ain't EVER goin' t' be finished!"

Are you seriously comparing Cori Falls, even at her worst, to Little Miss Mary?

He pauses, biting his lip, and then shakes his head. "Aw no. No, no, no, no, no." He raises his hands in a defensive gesture. "You ain't gonna make me spork ANYTHIN' resemblin' THAT fic."

Good. Now that we're clear...

ONE FOR THE MONEY!
TWO FOR THE SHOW!
THREE TO GET READY!
AND HERE! WE! GO!

ExpandShort this time, due to bizarre formatting errors and Mozilla memory leaks. )
guardians_song: Part of Fire Emblem 7's Chapter 19xx CG, colored (Nergal and children)
2014-02-27 04:15 pm

Eh.

Was feeling moody earlier, but felt better after playing the Pokemon: Team Rocket Edition hack up to the end of the first Gym.
ExpandBlathering. )
Anyway, I've also had the chance to play further in Etrian Odyssey Untold.

ExpandI don't THINK there are any spoilers here except for the names of party members and the second Stratum's boss... )

I'm working, too, but have been gaming more to stave off feelings of hormonal angst. (Which are reasonably light so far, mind. It's just that, as I get better-adjusted, the angst is more of the uncertain and lonely kind than the enraged, depressive kind... so even though the intensity's decreased (praise the heavens, hallelujah), the unfamiliarity is strange to handle. I'm adjusting, though! Will probably be accustomed to it by the time the next hormone-swing cycle rolls around.)

Hope you're all doing well!
guardians_song: A crop from FE7's Arcadia CG showing Nergal and two villagers chatting over scrolls. (analytical)
2014-02-21 02:24 am

I s'pose part of why I close myself off to stimulus is that I'm afraid of being disappointed by LACK

...of stimulus.

So I deaden myself because... I'm resigned to the world already being deadened, and so I choose not to disappoint myself.

It's also because I just couldn't take negative stimulus when I was younger. I'm getting more of an actual tolerance as I get older, as opposed to just blocking it out or having my emotions shut down, so I no longer need the coping mechanisms to the same extent... but I do need to remember they're there in order to switch them off.

(Also, now that I actually know the difference between true tolerance for pain and a faked "tolerance"? I am doubly convinced that "taking things in stride" is:
A) a learned skill;
B) a skill taking a surprising amount of time and directed effort to learn;
C) a skill that cannot be learned while one is in acute pain;
D) a skill that must derive from one's inner values and one's personal goals, motivations, and efforts;
E) not something one can spontaneously acquire just because a sanctimonious authority figure is lecturing one about it while one is sobbing one's guts out.
Not that I would know anything about E, now would I?
I'm sorry if I've gotten annoyingly petty about certain issues recently, and I know I have [on Tumblr, at least], but my self-righteousness increases as my amount of spine increases. Sorry, still not sure how to moderate that, guardians_song.exe is still in the debugging process.

To TL;DR the reason behind this proportionate increase in self-righteousness, I believe certain kinds of ignorance are malicious. Viewed objectively, I cannot forgive unrepentant, proud malice. And the more spine I get, the less I make excuses for myself and others.

I can be less tetchy about it, but I think that probably won't happen until I get through the first round of venting - at which point my discomfort with outright redundancy and going around in circles will take over. That may take a while. Sorry for being pissy in the meantime, guys. D:)

Anyway - yippee, it's a magical world out there, Hobbes, let's go exploring. Just need to figure out the correct way in which to phrase it.

And to figure out how I'll get my brain to shut off at night so I don't start up my computer because I can't sleep for hours on end after midnight. :P D| Well, that's how life goes...

(No, it's not electronic lighting. I have the occasional so-tired-but-can't-sleep fit even in the absence of electronics. Probable bad brain wiring. Just have to learn to circumvent it.)