Scatterbrained and friendly optimist. Always happy to give my (unasked for) opinion :)

Pardon my rambling and broken English, I know I often sound like an alien trying to impersonate a human being.

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 30th, 2023

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  • I really love Jack Vance’s world building. His Gaean Reach setting gives an endless variety of cultures, customs and beliefs. And the Dying Earth novels formed the basis for magic system of DnD.

    But the real treasure is in how he can let these worlds come alive with his descriptions. Often he would spend a whole paragraph describing something that will never be part of the story but manages to perfectly set the tone of the local atmosphere.

    I grew with these books (thanks to my dad’s impressive personal SF library) and they’ve always managed to spark my imagination like no other book.




  • Trollivier

    @[email protected]


    That’s an interesting topic, because I had my idea from a dream I had last night. Not the most original image, but it was fun to try and reproduce something from a dream.

    I recently travelled to Europe, and I’m a big tall guy and was really uncomfortable for 8 hours of travel. And last night, I dreamt that I was in a slightly futuristic plane, that was much wider than regular planes. It had 12 or 16 seats in width, with enough room to be comfortable. The top half of the plane was made of glass and we could see outside.

    The plane could take off from an inclined platform, most like Princess Vespa’s ship in Spaceballs :)

    Here’s what I was able to do. The only difference with my dream is there should be many more seats per row.

    Prompt : The inside of a very wide airplane. It doesn’t look very futuristic, just slightly better than today’s planes. The top half of the plane is made of glass, and we can see the a clear sky through it. It’s very sunny inside. The floor is covered with blue carpet. The seats are individual, all aligned, about a dozen per row, and they are white and blue. The plane is full of travelers. People have screens they can use for leisure.


  • Itrytoblenderrender

    @[email protected]


    I prefer mass transit, but with style :-).

    Made with comfyui. The workflow is embedded in this picture (Catbox)

    Prompt

    In the heart of a sprawling, verdant jungle, a colossal Tyrannosaurus rex strides gracefully through the dense foliage. This isn’t an ordinary dinosaur; its massive form serves as the foundation for an elaborate medieval city built upon its back. The T-Rex’s scales shimmer with deep greens and earthy browns, blending seamlessly with the surrounding jungle and providing a natural camouflage for the city it carries.

    The city itself is a marvel of ancient engineering and artistry. Stone and timber structures rise along the dinosaur’s spine, meticulously crafted to fit the contours of its body. At the highest point, near the T-Rex’s shoulders, stands a grand castle with soaring towers and fluttering pennants bearing the city’s crest. The castle’s stone walls are adorned with intricate carvings depicting heroic tales and legendary creatures.

    Winding down the creature’s back, a network of cobblestone streets and wooden bridges connects various districts of the city. Elegant archways and balconies overlook the jungle canopy, offering breathtaking views of the endless sea of green. Houses with thatched roofs and colorful stained-glass windows cluster together, their chimneys puffing gentle wisps of smoke that blend with the mist of the jungle.

    Suspended gardens hang from the sides of the city, overflowing with exotic plants and vibrant flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Water from a crystal-clear spring near the T-Rex’s neck cascades down in a series of waterfalls, ingeniously harnessed to power water mills and fountains throughout the city.

    The inhabitants, dressed in medieval attire, bustle about the streets. Merchants display an array of goods in the bustling marketplace—spices, textiles, and handcrafted wares—while musicians play lutes and flutes, filling the air with melodic tunes. Knights clad in gleaming armor patrol the ramparts, ever vigilant, while scholars and artisans engage in animated discussions in open courtyards.

    Lanterns hang from ornate iron posts, their golden glow beginning to flicker as dusk approaches. The T-Rex’s gentle movements are accommodated by the city’s flexible design; suspension bridges sway slightly with each step, and buildings are reinforced to withstand the motion. Vines and mosses from the jungle have been artfully incorporated into the architecture, symbolizing a harmonious coexistence with nature.

    Below, the jungle teems with life. Ancient trees with sprawling roots and thick canopies are home to a multitude of creatures—exotic birds with iridescent feathers, chattering monkeys swinging from vines, and elusive big cats prowling the shadows. The air is rich with the scents of damp earth and fragrant blossoms, and the sounds of wildlife create a symphony that underscores the city’s own lively hum.

    Above, the sky transitions into a tapestry of warm oranges and purples as the sun sets, casting a magical glow over the entire scene. The medieval city on the back of the gigantic Tyrannosaurus rex stands as a testament to ingenuity and adaptation, a thriving haven where civilization and the primal world are intertwined in breathtaking detail.










  • The Netherlands is generally quite friendly towards (English speaking) immigrants and expats. Almost everyone speaks English and no one really bats an eye at a non-Dutch resident in most of the major western cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, etc.)
    Housing is terrible though, prices are high and it’ll be hard to find something nice. One advantage for you (or any US resident), is that you’re exempt from the inburgering exam. Which means that you won’t have to learn the language and won’t be tested on your integration in Dutch society.

    My partner is from abroad and they’ve experienced living here as quite pleasant. They weren’t exempt from the exam though (different non-EU nationality), which was a bit of a nuisance. But in general, reception was positive. They’ve been living here for over 16 years now.
    But like most of Europe, we’ve got a far-right government right now, so there’s a lot of anti-immigration talk going round. Of course it’s only aimed at what they think are the “wrong” (Middle-Eastern and African) kind of people, so I doubt Americans would ever have to deal with it.