If you’re looking for a good way to spend the rest of your week, Archive.org have unearthed a gigantic collection of cassettes from the mid-eighties into the mid-nineties. According to their notes, the collection was saved from the archives of noise-arch.net and donated by former CKLN-FM radio host Myke Dyer in August of 2009. Due to the size and obscurity, the collection hasn’t been properly notated but is said to include cassettes ranging from “tape experimentation, industrial, avant-garde, indie, rock, DIY, subvertainment and auto-hypnotic materials”. Head to Archive now to download the free collection.
I know that some of you will lose your minds over this.
Note: for consistency, practicality, and simplicity all prices are listed in USD.
masknerd has a comprehensive data set on hundreds of masks he’s tested according to his own criteria and methodology (pinned tweet). find his recommendations on his youtube channel. many of the following are on his list as well!
DISPOSABLE MASKS
3M Aura and Vflex: one of the most commonly recommended brands of N95. Where to buy?
- US: see here - Canada: see here - Multiple sizes per model. These suppliers are good for bulk ordering. If you aren’t sure if something will fit you, check out the sample kits in the next recommendation - Price point: varies from $1-1.3 USD per mask depending on supplier
- KN95s that come in small, medium, large, or XS (kids) - Offers sample kits so you can test out what your size is - Comes in a few different colours. shoutout to the lavender - Earloop only - Price point: $69.75 USD for a 50-pack (~1.4 USD per mask)
- N95 certified, but actually has 99% filtration - Both earloop and head strap versions (warning that the head strap seems to fit considerably smaller) - Regular and small adult sizes offered, also a kid’s size - Price point: $33.99 for a 30-pack (~1.1 USD per mask)
- N95s, KN95s, and KF94s - Head straps, normal earloops, or adjustable earloops depending on model - Kids/petite size available for certain KN95 models - Wide range of colours (excluding N95s) - Price point: varies per model, from $0.79 USD to $2.09 USD per mask - Also sells Covid tests, over the counter medication, and medical supplies
Masklab (US):
- This is an indulgent option for if you want to go out and look good, while still staying safe. These are masks that are part of your outfit - FFP2 certified, equivalent to KF94s - Standard size and slim fit series - Many beautiful patterns - Price point: $24.44 USD for a 5-pack ($4.88 per mask) for the patterned KF ones, ~$3.4 USD for the plain KF ones, ~$3.3 USD for the slim fit series, including patterns.
- Reusable elastomeric mask (with replaceable filters) that meets KN95 standards - Two adult sizes (low/medium nose ridge and medium/high nose ridge) and a kid’s size - Adjustable straps - Price point: $122 USD. 50-pack replacement filters: $81.46 (filters to be changed after 20-40 hours of use, depending on filter type)
A humble P100 elastomeric respirator from your local Home Depot or similar store! Magnitudes cheaper than the Flo mask (both the respirator itself and the filters)–however, I can’t offer estimates for how often filters should be replaced. May not look pretty, but the most economical option for the highest degree of filtration if you aren’t self-conscious.
General advice:
N95 or higher are the most reliable. They normally come with head straps, which offer better protection by making a tighter seal around your face.
But fit and comfort are the most important! Find a mask that fits your face and leaves the least amount of gap possible. KN95s are often more comfortable and breathable–find what’s right for you.
You can wear different masks for different situations depending on risk level!
white women are always like “more strong kickass female leads!” and when i say i want to see a black female love interest who is allowed to be girly and fall in love they give me weird looks and say that i’m supporting gender stereotypes and heteronormativity but what a lot of white women don’t get is that black women we’ve had hundreds of years of having our femininity ripped from us, of being deemed unworthy of male (especially non-black male) attention. black women in media are never allowed to be the “cute” ones or the love interest, we’ve always been the “strong kickass street smart woman” trope that white women want so badly. so basically if a black girl says she wants to see another black girl fulfill the role of “love interest” there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that and it isn’t a hindrance to feminism
I am in the process of writing a murder mystery, and one of the main characters is a black woman. She is a member of the aristocracy who serves as the love interest for the protagonist (a Hispanic woman). However, because this is a tragedy, this character ends up mistakenly killing another innocent character after being manipulated by the true villain. Would it be better to shift this storyline to a different character? I don’t know if it upholds harmful stereotypes. Thanks for an amazing blog!
Black characters should be allowed flaws and to make mistakes, just like any other human. If you write this thoughtfully, it could turn out just fine.
The tragic aspects of this reminds me of Othello, actually (Black character and play by Shakespeare). A flawed, dynamic character who makes a grave mistake and experiences a range of emotions and remorse.
As always, it helps to have more than one character of the identities you write. In this case, Black, a woman, LGBTQIA+, etc.
Please see these two asks. I think they’re pretty applicable.
unfortunately, discord continues to be the Worst Messaging Company Of All Time with its updates, and this time, its one that is not only a privacy violation, not only enabled by default, but ROLLED OUT SILENTLY, MEANING YOU MUST KNOW IT EXISTS TO TURN IT OFF.
i am talking about “clips”, an exciting new feature /s that allows people to record you in voice chat without your knowledge or consent! Wow!
fortunately, you can turn this off, but its kinda shitty how they didnt tell you this existed at all, yeah?
settings > clips> the button should be clicked to turn it off
ALT
ALT
(note that it should be ON by default, you will have to click the button to turn it off)
thanks, discord, for Telling Us This Violating Setting Exists In An Update And Making Sure It Is Off By Default. /s.
reblogs are appreciated to spread the word.
Doesn’t show in the iOS app currently. And when you join VC with someone who has it turned on it sends a pop up to let you know.
But also, and far more importantly, please bear in mind that anyone at anytime could be recording the VC with other apps/equipment. Use good judgement as always on the internet.
I think at some point in time we need to sit down and start explaining to artist who want to make a career out of art that there are FAR more options than just “living off of commissions” and “posting my art online and praying I get paid for it”.
There’s also far more options than joining a specific, difficult to get into industry.
I don’t know where this idea that the only way to make a living off of your art online is to simply do commission work, become a social media star, or join an industry comes from. I’ve fallen into this pitfall before as well, but I don’t understand how it came to be.
I broke out of this mindset, though after I started helping a working artist. She had been an artist for over 40 years and started at a young age, and her main source of income? Doing local craft and garden shows. She had owned a gallery, done gallery work, done charity work, and now mainly works in using upcycled materials to create all sorts of products.
I used to think that my only options as an artist were to become popular enough that people would commission me or just give me money via patreon, but that’s not the case. You can sell at craft fairs and conventions, you can provide a specific service, you can create assets and asset packs people can pay for, and you can create all sorts of physical or digital products to sell… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
If you are constantly turning art into a numbers game to see how you can make enough money by posting the right™ stuff online at the right time, you’re only going to make yourself miserable.
The best way to make a living off your art has NOTHING to do with popularity, getting lots of engagement online, or besting an algorithm, it’s all networking. It’s all about finding the right people who want what you make. If all you focus on is your follower count and post engagement, you’re just going to end up hating art.
“Having fun doesn’t pay the bills”, who told you that? Why did you believe them?
I’m seeing people reblog the original post without the addition and I think yall should reblog this version instead
Also I made a mistake, the artist I work for has been working for over 50 years, not 40.
ALT
ALT
ALT
ALT