2025
Fire Staff
We, the Guild of Prometheus and I, led a class this past Sunday showing people how to build accumulator based flame effects. The students had a choice of building a small, stationary poofer or a fire staff. This was the first time we as a group taught a class. Individually, we've all been playing with fire in one form or another for many years. Overall the class was a success but it was a bit painful in some parts. Still, a fun day was had by all and everyone went home with their newly built, dangerous fire art.
PathFinder
I'm a bit obsessed right now with Matthew Sui's pathfinder tool. Discovering relations between words is kind of cool. It feels a bit like 7 degrees of separation but for words.
Adjectives
Adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order:
opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun
So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that word order in the slightest you'll sound like a maniac. It's an odd thing that every English speaker uses that list, but almost none of us could write it out. And as size comes before colour, green great dragons can't exist.
-- Mark Forsyth, quote from The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase
Five recipes for an exciting life (in my opinion)
- Spending enough time creating things with your hands (baking, drawing, scrapbooking, doodling, crocheting, journaling and so on)
- Keeping track of things like pretty skies, milestones, happy memories, appointments you're looking forward to
- Listening to music that genuinely makes you feel happy and energetic
- Making a habit of reaching out to people in a way that's comfortable to you (i send my dad songs he might like, my friend sends me monthly life updates)
- Being kind to all your five senses → like investing in a scented candle or essential oil dispenser or body mist, having a soft blanket or socks (or a soft animal to pet), listening to birdsong or the rain, looking at the sky more often, and having your favorite foods enough times