A mix of nerdy love for things, political musings, and rants.
278 posts
Latest Posts by madmodgirl - Page 8
To try later
In case I magically become more creative
Woke up at 2am and couldn’t fall back asleep so I made a tutorial on the Photoshop techniques I use most frequently. Starting with the sketch:
adjustment layers: specifically the hue/saturation slider in this case, allows you to color correct quickly
lasso tool: for sharp edges!
alpha lock: useful for painting within a pre-defined area (especially useful when painting characters)
x (hotkey) : toggle between foreground + background colors- let’s you easily blend between 2 colors
ctrl/cmd click : quickly change current active layer. Especially useful if you’re burdened with too many layers (or just very disorganized)
clipping mask: similar to alpha lock, but can add details without changing/ painting directly on the previous layer. I often use them to test out + apply gradients.
layer styles: I didn’t use any in this image, but the possibilities for layer styles endless, from simply adding a quick outline (useful for die cut demarcations when making stickers!) to creating more seemingly complex appearances. Here’s a gif of Nick Carver using layer styles (a combo of drop shadows + inner shadows) to quickly make the illusion of snow but with simple strokes.
ending on this:
5 Things: How Hurricanes Have Changed Puerto Rico’s Forests
In September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit Puerto Rico, knocking out critical infrastructure and ransacking the island’s forests. In April and May 2018, a team of our scientists took to the air to take three-dimensional images of Puerto Rico’s forests using Goddard’s Lidar, Hyperspectral, and Thermal Imager (G-LIHT), which uses light in the form of a pulsed laser. By comparing images of the same forests taken by the team before and after the storm, scientists will be able to use those data to study how hurricanes change these important ecosystems.
Here are five ways scientists say the hurricanes have changed Puerto Rico’s forests since making landfall eight months ago:
1. The Canopy Is Bare
One word defines the post-hurricane forest canopy in El Yunque National Forest: Open.
“The trees have been stripped clean,” said NASA Goddard Earth scientist and G-LiHT co-investigator Doug Morton. He was there a year ago, months before the hurricanes would ravage the area. When he returned to the forest in April 2018 to gather measurements of trees on the ground to complement the airborne campaign’s lidar work, he could now see from the mountainside downtown San Juan, which is 45-minutes away by car.
And no canopy means no shade. “Where once maybe a few flecks of sunlight reached the forest floor, now the ground is saturated in light,” Morton said, adding that such a change could have profound consequences for the overall forest ecosystem. For example, some tree seedlings that thrive on a cool forest floor may whither now that daytime temperatures are as much as 4 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than they were before the hurricane. Meanwhile, as we shall see, other plants and animals stand to benefit from such changes.
“Who are the winners and losers in this post-hurricane forest ecosystem, and how will that play out in the long run? Those are two of the key questions,” said Morton.
2. Palms Are on the Rise
One species that’s basking in all that sunlight is the Sierra Palm, said Maria Uriarte, a professor of ecology at Columbia University who has researched El Yunque National Forest for 15 years. “Before, the palms were squeezed in with the other trees in the canopy and fighting for sunlight, and now they’re up there mostly by themselves,” she said. “They’re fruiting like crazy right now.”
The secret to their survival: Biomechanics.
“The palm generally doesn’t break because it’s got a flexible stem—it’s got so much play,” Uriarte said. “For the most part, during a storm it sways back and forth and loses its fronds and has a bad hair day and then it’s back to normal.” By contrast, neighboring trees with very dense, strong wood, like the Tabonuco, were snapped in half or completely uprooted by the force of the hurricane winds.
“Palm trees are going to be a major component of the canopy of this forest for the next decade or so,” added Doug Morton. “They’ll help to facilitate recovery by providing some shade and protection as well as structure for both flora and fauna.”
3. Vines Are Creeping Opportunists
Rising noticeably from the post-Hurricane forest floor of El Yunque National Forest are woody vines called lianas. Rooted in the ground, their goal, Morton says, is to climb onto host trees and compete for sunlight at the top. That, combined with the fact that their weight tends to slow tree productivity potential, means they are literally a drag on the forest canopy. As lianas can wind their way around several trees, regions with more of these vines tend to have larger groupings of trees that get pulled down together.
“There’s some indication that vines may be more competitive in a warmer, drier, and more carbon dioxide-rich world,” Morton said. “That’s a hypothesis we’re interested in exploring.”
4. Endangered Parrot Populations Have Taken a Hit
The endangered Iguaca is the last living native parrot species of Puerto Rico. The island’s two Iguaca aviaries have reported a substantial number of deaths in the wild due to the hurricanes. In the forests of Río Abajo, in western central Puerto Rico, about 100 of the roughly 140 wild parrots survived; in El Yunque National Forest in the eastern part of the island, only three of the 53 to 56 wild parrots are known to have pulled through.
“It was a huge blow,” said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Tom White, a parrot biologist stationed at the aviary in El Yunque, which took the brunt of Hurricane Maria’s Category 5 winds. Some of the parrots died from injuries received during the storm, while others likely died from increased predation from hawks because there were no longer canopies for them to hide in. The rest succumbed to starvation. The Iguaca subsists on flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves derived from more than 60 species—but for several months following the storm, the forest was completely defoliated.
Despite the setback, White said he’s optimistic that the Iguaca will rebound. In Río Abajo, the number of wild Iguaca are enough that they should rebound on their own; in El Yunque there are about 227 birds at the aviary—a strong number for continued breeding and eventual release into the forest once conditions improve enough. “One of their main fruit comes from the sierra palm, and they’re now flowering and starting to produce again,” White noted. “It’s probably going to take about another year for things to level out, but the forest is gritty.”
5. Lizards and Frogs: A Mixed Response
When Hurricane Maria stripped the leaves off of trees, changes in the forest microclimate instantly transformed the living conditions for lizards and frogs. Species have reacted differently to the event based on the conditions they are adapted to, said herpetologist Neftali Ríos-López, an associate professor at the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao Campus.
For example, some lizard species are naturally suited to the forest canopy, which is warmer and drier. “After the hurricane, those conditions, which were once exclusive to the canopy, have now been extended down to the forest floor,” Ríos-Lopez said. “As a result, these lizards start displacing and substituting animals that were adapted to the once cooler conditions on the forest floor.”
Likewise, among frog species the red-eyed coquí, with its resistance to temperature and humidity fluctuations and its ability to handle dehydration better than other coquí species, has benefited from the warmer, drier conditions in the forests after the storm. Traditionally a grassland species, they are expanding from the lowlands to the mid- and even high parts of the mountains, Ríos-Lopez said. “Physiologically, what was a disadvantage for that species when the whole island was forested now finds itself in a positive position.” Conversely, forest-acclimated coquí frog species have declined.
That said, as the forests recover, so will many of the species whose numbers have dwindled following the storms. “It will take many years, decades, I would guess,” Ríos-Lopez said.
Our scientists are working with partners from universities and government to use G-LiHT airborne data to inform ground research on forest and other ecosystems not only in Puerto Rico but also throughout the world. To follow their campaigns and keep up with the latest news, find them here: https://gliht.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
If there was a crime show about a woman who could solve crimes simply because she watched a lot of crime shows? That would be me.
“Now…what would Angela Lansbury or Sherlock Holmes do?”
The lord is fucking testing me
Tell me why it's the year 2018 and people are still using references to race and sexuality to insult people. Tell me why people still have to argue that they should be paid enough to live. Tell me why the United States is the only country with so many gun deaths in a year and yet people still think gun control is useless. Explain to me why in a time where other countries are being more environmentally concious the united states is opening more sites to dig for oil and allowing trophy hunting. Can anyone at all tell me why we're still trying to prove that the systems in place are unequal and harmful. Did we not already go through all of these same problems. Is it so difficult to learn from past mistakes and maltreatment and improve as people. I don't understand how people can be pro-life and pro-gun or be pro-life but "joke" about hoping protesters that disagree with them get killed. I don't care who disagrees with you if you say they should be run over or die you are trash. Do we so deeply lack empathy for other people that we're not only willing to watch them, suffer, but go as far as to advocate for the systems and people who make them suffer. I sincerely hope that people who post things like the pictures I have linked learn to be empathetic and never have the experience of being hated as they hate.
Gorgeous
Lupita Nyong’o behind the scenes of Black Panther (2018)
When the knockoff is better quality
So about 6 months ago I got a free real techniques sponge with my order online. I've absolutely loved it and it changed my makeup routine so when I went shopping I bought a 2 pack of real technique sponges from a department store. Turns out while the brushes I bought 6months ago are legit the free makeup sponge they gave me is not. And I like the knockoff so much better than the real thing. The knockoff was easy to wash and softer. The real brand sponges rip really easily and the texture does not compare at all. Now I just need to find out who made the knockoff I unintentionally bought and buy like 5 more.
I know someone who would look amazing in this. Hell I know a girl and a guy who would look absolutely fab in this.
Books to consider
✨ April 2018 Book Haul ✨
Goodreads || Bookstagram || Twitter || Reviews
I think this would make a gorgeous tattoo
For eye looks to do later
Movie covers are the worst
no one wants the movie cover ever
some fucking resources for all ur writing fuckin needs
body language masterlist
a translator that doesn’t eat ass like google translate does
a reverse dictionary for when ur brain freezes
550 words to say instead of fuckin said
638 character traits for when ur brain freezes again
some more body language help
Yes because a pg-13 deadpool would have been lame AF. Part of the appeal of deadpool is his cursing and violence. It is true that R rated movies have a more limited audience but that's really the market it's best for in this case. Especially since under no condition should a 13 year old be watching deadpool. I would say the release day and the budget were the biggest sabotage efforts by FOX. Because most people don't want to see a "superhero" movie with tons of violence around valentine's day. Deadpool simply managed to be the exception to all of the rules the studio tried to use to kill it.
When I see folks didn’t like Deadpool, I’m like whatever. People like different things. I don’t even like Deadpool as a character but the movie was dope. Anyway, if you didn’t like it because it was short or it felt cheap and underdeveloped, that’s because it was. It was kinda set up to fail. They were given the greenlight the way an impatient parent says ‘fine you can have a dog but if it pisses on the rug, I’m gonna shoot it.’ They had less than a year to complete the movie and were given a budget of 58 million when the average superhero movie budget is between $150-250 million. AND Fox had the nerve to take money out of the budget so they had to write around the money. So Deadpool only having a few bullets? Budget. Forgetting his guns in the car so he can’t use them in the final fight? Budget. Only 2 low profile X-men around, one of which had never been seen before? Budget. And they still managed to make crazy amounts of money and break all kinds of records. I just feel like it’s worth knowing whether you like it or not because I ended up liking the movie a lot more after knowing what they were working against. Deadpool is like the indie movie of this superhero shit
Weird analogy
It's not a perfect analogy but I've started to think of mental illness like a breakout. At least for my anxiety this is what I've found to be true. It can be treated but never really cured and sometimes it flares up and you don't know why. Sometimes you can feel it lurking just under the surface of your skin before it flares.It varies in it's severity both within groups of people and in individuals. It can get better or worse as you get older and a treatment that worked for someone else or that worked for you in the past may not work for you presently. Sometimes you know what causes it and you try to stay away from that thing but sometimes it's sudden and painful and you don't know what to do about it. We try and conceal pimples and other types of breakout because while it's fairly common or normal even it's not nice to look at and it can make you self-concious. And in the same way we hide and cover up mental illness. Sometimes what you use to cover it up makes it look better for a while but long-term covering it up rather than treating it can make the problems worse. I hope that someday both breakouts and mental illnesses will be better understood and treated with more care and empathy.
I thought this was beautiful
T’challa’s lil eyebrow raise
Honestly what's wrong with people. If you're against a certain type of dog just don't own one. There's no reason to go out of your way to hurt the breed or inconvience owners. People who are purposefully cruel are lower than trash. I hope they are caught and sent to jail for animal cruelty.
WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY
Apparently people have been adopting dogs and either killing them themselves or dropping them to a kill shelter (and one even said they were flying them to poor Asian areas to be eaten) under the Twitter hashtag #pitbulldropoff
This is completely cruel and evil and word needs to get around about these demons so everyone knows what these demons are planning to do to dogs once they get ahold of them.
If you know someone or if you yourself is planning to give away a pitty by craigslist soon, DONT and wait for awhile!!!! They act like they’re going to adopt them and act all nice then they get rid of them, don’t be fooled!!
DM me for uncensored names!!!!!!!!
For a secretly located school a lot of bad guys sure managed to find hogwarts while buauxbatons stayed nice anf safe and hidden. I still prefer Ilvermorny though, safe with american pop culture and fast food.
british wizards be like, “omg hogwarts is the best wizarding school in the world” oh really? well beauxbatons didn’t have lord fucking voldemort on campus every other year
Ah look it's a perfect description of me
Imagine after a long day of infinity war angst you sit down and decide to watch a historical drama to take your mind off things. The story is going normally the main characters are presented and you notice one is Scarlett Johansson and then about 10 minutes in you realize her love interest in the movie is Benedict motherfucking Cumberbatch. How awkward is it to have a sex scene in a historical drama together and then 10 years later you're both avengers. They've both come very far I'd say.
I love this analysis of Shakespeare's work
Women have more power and agency in Shakespeare’s comedies than in his tragedies, and usually there are more of them with more speaking time, so I’m pretty sure what Shakespeare’s saying is “men ruin everything” because everyone fucking dies when men are in charge but when women are in charge you get married and live happily ever after
I read too many books at a time and then can't remember which things happened in which book.
“I waited too long to read the sequel, and now I can’t even remember the characters.”
A novel by me
Are you ever in the middle of a movie and you think "good lord this is the cheesiest shit I've ever watched". I feel like I need to watch the news or something to get the ridiculousness of this movie out of my head. Has the writer of this movie actually experienced life because at this point in the movie I'm just not sure.
Apartment hacks masterpost
Kitchen
How to clean up kitchen (particularly the sink, burnt pots and small aplliances)
How to take care of kitchen stuff so that it lives longer
10 commandments of a clutter-free kitchen
Organizing kitchen mini masterpost
5 things to do in the kitchen before you go to bed
What is soapy bowl and why it’s awesome
How to organize your fridge (also here, here and here)
Thins you should know about your fridge
Adding more storage space in a tiny kitchen
Cleaning
Lots of cleaning tutorials and tips. And some more
How to clean up pantry
How to make your house look cleaner than it really is
How to wash pillows
Cleaning the bathroom
How to clean the nastiest places (and get rid of bad smells, etc.)
Floor-to-celling guide to spring cleaning
Recaulking your bathtub
Cleaning grout
How to dispose of toxic waste
Cleaning the medicine cabinet
How to make chores more fun
You mustn’t skip these chores, but you can delay these if you’re busy
Easily forgotten things that you should clean/replace
Why you need a catch-up day
Small cleaning tasks to do in under 15 minutes (also here)
Looking for a flat/moving
First apartment checklist
Where too look during an apartment hunt (and some more tips)
Negotiate these things with your landlord
What to do first in a new place
What do clean before moving out
How not to get crazy during moving flats
How to downgrade to a smaller place
Organisation, storage
10 habits for better home organisation
How to store off-season items
10 storage ideas for small spaces (more here)
Storage secret weapons
How to organise your closet
Things to do before twice-yearly closet switchout
How to store and maintain your sweaters
Decluttering
Why it feels great
How to get rid of clutter
How to declutter (not only a flat)
What needs to be thrown away from your flat
How to let go of the things you no longer need
Things you own too many of; you can throw away these too
Decuttering the bathroom
Decluterring masterpost
Decorating
Projects for every room in your home/flat
Add style to your home
DIY decorating ideas
How to use negative space
4 common decorating mistakes and how to avoid them
Questions to ask yourself before buying something new
How to choose furniture that’ll be easier to clean
Season-specific tips
Things to do before the cold season
Household hacks for winter
Preparing for Christmas
Green thumb 101
How to take care of succulents
Never kill a plant again
Living alone / Sharing a flat
How not to be lonely when living alone
12 things you can only do when home alone
What you learn by living alone
Things you learn while sharing a flat
What to pack when leaving for a dorm
How to seamlessly share a kitchen (or a flat in general)
Safety issues to discuss with flatmates
Benefits of living with strangers
And also how to turn a house into a home
I am concerned about the romeo and juliet comparison since I have a deep undying hatred for romeo and juliet but I want to give this book a chance anyways.
Soooo excited about #lifel1k3 by @misterkristoff I’ll be starting it soon! Is this on your TBR yet? ⚜️⚜️⚜️ SUMMARY From the coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Illuminae Files comes the first book in a new series that’s part Romeo and Juliet, part Terminator, and all adrenaline.
On an island junkyard beneath a sky that glows with radiation, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap. Seventeen-year-old Eve isn’t looking for trouble–she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she spent months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, she’s on the local gangster’s wanted list, and the only thing keeping her grandpa alive is the money she just lost to the bookies. Worst of all, she’s discovered she can somehow destroy machines with the power of her mind, and a bunch of puritanical fanatics are building a coffin her size because of it. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it. The problem is, Eve has had a worse day–one that lingers in her nightmares and the cybernetic implant where her memories used to be. Her discovery of a handsome android named Ezekiel–called a “Lifelike” because they resemble humans–will bring her world crashing down and make her question whether her entire life is a lie. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic sidekick Cricket in tow, Eve will trek across deserts of glass, battle unkillable bots, and infiltrate towering megacities to save the ones she loves…and learn the truth about the bloody secrets of her past. ⚜️⚜️⚜️ #bookmail #bookstagram #flatlaystyle #jaykristoff #coverlove #anticipatedreads #igreads #bookish
I think aiming for policy change and for the government to fine or otherwise punish companies that do bad things is generally the most effective way of getting companies to change.
The Met Gala
I have such mixed feelings about the met gala theme this year. I feel like all the same people who were saying "my culture is not your prom dress" are A-ok with celebrities using religious culture in a way that goes against it's beliefs. There are some like Zendaya's that seemed to really celebrate and make beautiful catholic religion. But I feel like making religious wear promiscuous is crossing some type of line. I'm not very religious so personally it doesn't bother me, but I do think more concern should be shown about respecting the religion. Just food for thought.