skbl17

Working on character sheets for my OCs. Hard to decide how much information is too much information.

I need to catch up on Tamers...another thing to do to wait out the MLP hiatus!

Both, but I lean "night owl". I have a tendency to wake up late and stay up very late over holiday breaks (I consider 3 AM to be "early",) but I don't have much of a problem waking up early and go to bed early. I prefer the former, though.

8:58 AM Canterlot time, Canterlot Castle's Legislative Wing. "The preparations for your speech are almost complete, Your Excellency." "Very good." The day was finally here. Prince Blueblood was mere minutes away from giving what would undoubtedly remember as the speech that saved Equestria. Today is the first step on his road to becoming a true national hero. For the Prince himself, he had to expend effort to keep his almost childlike, gleeful demeanor from showing. A few steps behind him, Blueblood's scribe also waited for the marble doors to open, but her mood was far different from those of her boss. She was not looking forward to his speech; the fact that she had failed in her plan only frightened her further. A few days earlier; 8:34 PM Canterlot time, PBE's Capital Bureau. A shame she didn't think her plan through. The scribe couldn't pass Blueblood's letter on to Princess Twilight. In the aftermath of the Applelanta attacks and the upcoming speech, security was so tight in Canterlot that all visitors needed at least ten layers of identification and had to pass rigorous background checks, making it downright hard if not impossible to even see any of the Princesses. Even her position as an aide to a member of the royal family didn't help in this environment of heightened security. However, she was desperate, so she decided that she had to get the warning out another way: broadcast media. The scribe knew that the country's public broadcaster, PBE, maintained a large bureau in the heart of Canterlot, not far from the castle. If there was any way to quickly get a warning out, it would be through the country's "most trusted and renowned" media source. "Sorry miss, but we don't broadcast unsubstantiated rumors, even those regarding the Princesses." Unfortunately, the very Editorial Standards and Guidelines that allow PBE to be such a trusted broadcaster in the first place was now getting in the way. "But they aren't unsubstantiated! I work in the Prince's estate! Plus, they aren't rumors; he told me what he was going to do." The editor-in-charge wasn't buying it. If anything, he was irritated. "I understand, but this is still unsubstantiated. Even if we assume for a second that what you're saying is 100% true, who's to say that the Prince won't just deny these allegations? If he denies the claim, then we would've just broadcast an unsubstantiated rumor. Also, you're saying that you're the only one he trusts with this information, yet you're trying to claim anonymity. It won't be hard for him to piece two and two together. If his plan is as 'grand' as you claim it is, who's to say that he won't attempt retribution against you or your family?" "What? That's ludicrous!" The editor-in-charge could only look at her with a deadpan face. "You're talking about the stallion who attempted to have Fillydelphia razed because they didn't serve the right caviar at a restaurant he was visiting. The sky's the limit when it comes to Blueblood and retribution." "I'm prepared to face any consequences. But as a public broadcaster, shouldn't you broadcast in the public interest? This is very much in the public interest!" "Yes, we do. That's why we have a set of guidelines, to ensure that our news product is in the public interest. The public loves a high-quality news product. Unsubstantiated rumors do not count as 'high-quality' under our guidelines." Frustrated, the scribe turned to leave. Before she opened the office door to leave, she uttered 'good night' before leaving. She didn't even stick around to hear the editor-in-charge's response, though she did recall an important phrase the editor-in-charge threw out during their argument, one that only frightened her further. 'The sky's the limit when it comes to Blueblood and retribution.'

331,147. , thanks, but I've actually been around CTAM for a while now.

Pepsi is blasphemy around these parts! Only heathens from the Yankee North worship the false god that is Pepsi. Bow before the Church of the Holy Coca-Cola in Atlanta, and pray before the almighty John Pemberton, blessed be his name, his prophet Asa Candler, and the current leader of the Church, Muhtar Kent! But in all seriousness, I prefer Coca-Cola over Pepsi and Dr. Pepper.

Oh, well then I can say I've been to the border but never entered the deep web.

Three hundred thirty thousand, nine hundred and fifteen. 330,915

Occasionally (just 4chan's /a/ board). I watch an anime franchise in which there's no regular discussion outside of LiveJournal and 4chan's /a/ board. I try not to get involved in the more...infamous...acts and boards on 4chan.

Hey everypony! Since mid 2013, all of my OC vectors have been designed in Inkscape and its Ponyscape derivative. However, I also own Adobe Photoshop CS6, and I've been considering learning how to draw ponies in Photoshop, be it digitally (tablet) or using a sketch pad and a camera or scanner. So my question to those who have worked in Photoshop before: what's the best way for a total Photoshop noob to approach drawing ponies in Photoshop? What Photoshop tools are essential for creating high-quality digital artwork? Are there any similarities between Photoshop and Inkscape? For beginners, is it better to use the tablet or just sketch things out first? Thanks!

Oh god, I've had loads of obsessions in the past: anime, school buses, trains, model cities, television graphics... As of recently, I've developed a bit of an obsession with the "southern cone" countries of South America, especially Uruguay. Why, I don't fully know.

I've basically adopted "skbl17" as my online identity across every internet platform I use (with the exception of Twitter...for now): this site, TVNewsTalk.net, YouTube, Reddit, City-Data, Minecraft... In general, if it's a site, and "skbl17" is an active user, there's a 99% chance it's me.

August 17, but I'm a college student, not a grade schooler.

When I hear the term "unlocking", I usually think of three things: - Unlocking your phone for use on international and domestic GSM networks. This usually entails removing a carrier-installed "SIM lock", which locks your phone to the network of that carrier. While there have been "unlocking services" in the past that would remove the SIM lock for a fee, it has since been mandated by the FCC that carriers have procedures in place to allow customers to unlock their phones for use on other networks. Procedures will vary by carrier. On Verizon Wireless (the carrier I currently use,) all phones are sold unlocked as of 2013, so I do not need to unlock my phones. I can use my phone on any GSM network in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America, but I'll only get 3G speeds because the 4G LTE bands Verizon uses do not match up with those of AT&T, T-Mobile, and other LTE operators around the globe. - "Rooting" your phone, which allows you to access system files and load custom ROMs. I do this for every phone I own, no exceptions. The tricky part is in unlocking the bootloader; more and more manufacturers and carriers have started locking bootloaders to prevent hackers and developers from digging too deep and modifying most of the phone's software. - "Jailbreaking" an iOS device, which has been subject to its own legal gray area (the Library of Congress technically defines jailbreaking as illegal, but I don't see people being prosecuted for that). Jailbreaking is essentially the iOS version of "rooting", and it also allows access to app stores filled with alternative apps. When I owned an iPod Touch, I would jailbreak my phone every time a new version of iOS came out (and the requisite hacks were available, of course).

11:00 PM Canterlot time, Thursday. Radio transmission from 101.7 FM out of Canterlot, right at the end of its "Thursday Night Metal Power Hour" and the subsequent commercial block. ...It's the best medicine you can buy to deal with the cutie pox, get POXI-CLEAN today! Available over-the-counter at most pharmacies. (The prerecorded commercial loop ends, and a female's voice hits the airwaves.) Good evening, it's 61 degrees here in Canterlot, and here is the latest news. Security has been dramatically tightened across the capital in anticipation of tomorrow morning's tripartite session. Random roadblocks have been set up by the Royal Guard and Capital Police, and passengers arriving by rail are subject to random screening. The advanced security precautions come in advance of Prince Blueblood's address to the princesses, the Crown Council, and the magistrates of the Royal Court on a topic that his aides repeatedly referred to as "one of grave importance to the realm's security". No further information was given. The address will be closed off to the public, but will be televised by PBE on its Radio F2 and Government TV channels. In national news, police believe that they are closing in on a lead in its investigations into both the deadly Applelanta train derailment on Monday and the subsequent power outage. The city's police chief explains: "Thanks to the efforts of our fellow officers, we are closing in on a lead in the investigation into Monday's incidents. Also, we got a tip from TPL on the cause behind the power failure that same day. Our top priority is the train derailment, but we hope to come to a conclusion on these incidents within the next two weeks." * Audible groaning can be heard before the tape cuts out. * The crash has claimed 174 victims, while area hospitals continue to treat 42 victims. Regular service has since resumed on most subway lines, but advanced security precautions have been taken. Tropicala Power & Light, the incumbent power company for much of the area, says that electric service has been restored to 99% of its customers. Applelanta police are also investigating a bombing outside the City Lights Hotel that led to a few fatalities. At the moment, there is no confirmed connection between that bombing and Monday's incidents. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. Last night, parts of the Canterlotian suburb of Horndon were locked down by police after a report of a bomb was received from behind City Hall. The police did not find a bomb, but security has since been tightened in downtown Horndon. Tomorrow, Meteo Equestria does not plan any rain showers for the Canterlot area. Expect highs in the mid 70s. More of your favorite tunes are coming up after the break. (Another prerecorded commercial loop starts.) --- 8:41 AM Manehattan time, Friday morning. He had set his alarm to go off at 9, but Compass Meridian couldn't help but wake up early. It was a big day after all; the Wonderbolts were coming to town today! If everything was "normal" in Applelanta, he would have been in class by now. But in the aftermath of Monday's tragedies and the subsequent power outage, classes were cancelled for the week at his university. The city's spirits were down, so it was hoped that the Wonderbolts show would help improve city morale. While Compass was eating breakfast, he decided to turn on his small television set to see what was going on. By now, most television services were back to normal, and regular programming had resumed. On the other hoof, there was more concerning news. The talking heads on the TV channels were discussing a report that the "Equestrians for a Return to Normalcy" - ERN - group was claiming that there would be "Tartarus to pay" unless the Equestria Forward program was dismantled and Princess Twilight abdicated. Not that we'd know, he thought. Indeed, residents were free to move about, businesses were open, and events were being held as scheduled, but police were absolutely everywhere. In fact, maybe this was why more and more businesses were opening up, there was a sense of security. Twenty minutes later, Compass turned off the television before grabbing a little pouch that he then tied to his neck. Because of the heightened security, full saddlebags probably wouldn't be allowed to be brought into TPL Metro Arena. "Let's see, ID...some bits for concessions...subway card...glasses...watch...that's everything!" Before heading out the door, he looked back one last time to ensure he didn't forget anything. Feeling that he had everything he needed, he stepped outside and closed the door.