Save For Later - Blog Posts

wikipedia no longer being anywhere near the top of search results when looking up anything feels eviscerating

>First, we’ve discovered that about a quarter of all the internet connection in or out of the house were ad related. In a few hours, that’s about 10,000 out of 40,000 processed.

>We also discovered that every link on Twitter was blocked. This was solved by whitelisting the https://t.co domain.

>Once out browsing the Web, everything is loading pretty much instantly. It turns out most of that Page Loading malarkey we’ve been accustomed to is related to sites running auctions to sell Ad space to show you before the page loads. All gone now.

>We then found that the Samsung TV (which I really like) is very fond of yapping all about itself to Samsung HQ. All stopped now. No sign of any breakages in its function, so I’m happy enough with that.

>The primary source of distress came from the habitual Lemmings player in the house, who found they could no longer watch ads to build up their in-app gold. A workaround is being considered for this.

>The next ambition is to advance the Ad blocking so that it seamlessly removed YouTube Ads. This is the subject of ongoing research, and tinkering continues. All in all, a very successful experiment.

>Certainly this exceeds my equivalent childhood project of disassembling and assembling our rotary dial telephone. A project whose only utility was finding out how to make the phone ring when nobody was calling.

>Update: All4 on the telly appears not to have any ads any more. Goodbye Arnold Clarke!

>Lemmings problem now solved.

>Can confirm, after small tests, that RTÉ Player ads are now gone and the player on the phone is now just delivering swift, ad free streams at first click.

>Some queries along the lines of “Are you not stealing the internet?” Firstly, this is my network, so I may set it up as I please (or, you know, my son can do it and I can give him a stupid thumbs up in response). But there is a wider question, based on the ads=internet model.

>I’m afraid I passed the You Wouldn’t Download A Car point back when I first installed ad-blocking plug-ins on a browser. But consider my chatty TV. Individual consumer choice is not the method of addressing pervasive commercial surveillance.

>Should I feel morally obliged not to mute the TV when the ads come on? No, this is a standing tension- a clash of interests. But I think my interest in my family not being under intrusive or covert surveillance at home is superior to the ad company’s wish to profile them.

>Aside: 24 hours of Pi Hole stats suggests that Samsung TVs are very chatty. 14,170 chats a day.

>YouTube blocking seems difficult, as the ads usually come from the same domain as the videos. Haven’t tried it, but all of the content can also be delivered from a no-cookies version of the YouTube domain, which doesn’t have the ads. I have asked my son to poke at that idea.

Ohh, so I was looking at my storage and found these! I originally shared them on twitter before yeeting the platform. Anyway, feel free to use! Art memes for your oc :D

the suffering never ends

90% of my oc creation falls into either of what I call the four A's: angels, androids, amalgams, and aliens. Man something about an identity tied to a concept you can only mimic yet never fully understand

Aebes! - Open Furry Species

Hey! I figure it's about time to make a species guide for Aebes (what Bramby is)! This might be a bit disjointed and rambly, but it should all make sense (hopefully)!

Also, @mrmrsdarklordjrthethird specifically requested this, so here you go! I hope this helps! ^^

What Is An Aebe?

An Aebe (pronounced ay-bee) is some kind of alien species. They come in two variants: bees and moths.

Bee variants have sharp, fluffy-looking tails that are actually quite thorny and hold a toxin. The severity of this toxin varies from mostly harmless to lethal. They have thin antennae that occasionally have small amounts of fuzz, as well as four small, dragonfly-esque wings sprouting from their back.

Moth variants don't have tails but have much, much more fur. Some choose to style their fur to resemble a bee variant's tail, but most don't care to. They have thick, fluffy antennae, and two large butterfly wings. They are, on average, slightly larger than bee variants.

Bees tend to live in more warm, tropical areas, better suited for their sweeter diet. Their fur excretes a water-resistant oil, much like a duck's. Moths stick to cold, snowy areas, their thick fur coats keeping most of the snow away from their skin. They have better night vision than bee variants, although bees can see farther than moths.

Both variants have orbs floating above their head. These orbs can change shape with emotion. Common shapes to see are hearts, exclamation points, question marks, and crosses, although the exact range varies wildly from person to person. An orb has the consistency of jelly, and acts differently depending on the individual. Some orbs orbit around the Aebe's head, some bob up and down, and some remain more or less motionless.

Although uncommon, it is not unusual to see a hybrid of the two variants.

[ID: A bee variant Aebe and a moth variant Aebe standing side by side, facing each other. The bee variant is messily colored a faint yellow, and the moth variant is similarly colored with a greyish-blue. End ID]

Aebe Culture

Aebes have a wide variety of cultural practices. Many bees like to hold competitions, racing across land and through water to see who's faster. Prizes last about a week and typically consist of extra fruit, bragging rights, and a shiny medallion.

Moths focus more on togetherness, banding together as groups for large feasts. They also commonly work in pairs or trios, styling and dying each other's fur into intricate designs.

Aebes names depend on what variant they are. Moths tend to name each other based on deceased relatives or friends, while bees' names are related to the environment or colors. Some common names include:

Aether - Bee

Somni - Moth

Lapis - Bee

Nickle - Moth

Bases and Extra Stuff

That's pretty much all I have for Aebes! I have some free-to-use (the only rule is credit me somewhere if you do use them) bases here, a moth variant and a bee variant! This is a completely open species, no need to credit me or anything! I don't believe in closed species.

Either variant can technically be any color, but bee variants are usually more brightly colored! Moth variants have smaller pops of color.

They do usually wear clothes, but design your character however you want! The refs are empty so you can focus on coloring and add clothes and patterns later, as well as not having to use a preset outfit! On a similar note, add more limbs! More eyes! Make them more buggy! Go wild!

With everything said and done, I hope you love these little guys as much as I do! Happy creating!