The Talos Principle - the game that gave me daddy issues

Disclaimer! This blog post contains spoilers - like a lot of them. So if you haven't played the game yet here's the short version: It's awesome!!! Play it! Now!

The puzzles

Honestly, I’m a big fan of puzzle games as long as they don’t get too complicated, so I found the Talos Principle to be the right amount of complicated for me. The puzzle transition was intuitive and well thought of, introducing new elements gradually. My only frustration regarding puzzles was that I wasn’t presented with all the ways you can use the objects from the beginning. For instance, how was I supposed to know that I can store a box on top of the balls of death? Like those things kill you if you come too close to them, why would I think of putting a box on top of that and repurpose it as a tray? That and the stars – I wish I knew from the beginning that there were stars so I could start looking for them earlier in the game….

The tower

I knew I was going to go inside the tower the very first time I saw it…and as soon as El0him said I am forbidden to go there. Throughout the game, the question of whether I will still ascend the tower or not did trouble me at times, but in the end I chose to ascend the tower, and I believe it was the right thing to do.

Here are my arguments: 1. I got pissed of solving the puzzles to prove my worth to El0him and I felt as though the tower had more information than he wanted to share  – and I am a strong believer in the freedom of information. Plus why wouldn’t he want me to ascend the tower? What was the worst that could happen if I were to ascend the tower? If there was something there that would destroy everything, it probably would have been either hidden or well-guarded than with the same kind of puzzles like the ones I’ve been solving for quite a while now. That was a bit of a disappointment honestly, I was expecting the tower to have something way cooler than… oh great! More puzzles! But in the end the tower did deliver so can’t complain all that much…

2. I found out about El0him’s secret room and it seemed to me like he wasn’t thinking clearly anymore and he became corrupted with power which he desperately clang to, therefore he shouldn't have still been in charge of anything

3. The tower was too cool not to ascend

4. The information from the terminals, QR's and time capsules made me realize what the project was all about and it was within my human nature to be curious and explore, think for myself and question rather than obey like a robot. By reading that, I realized that Alexandra would have wanted us to be as human as possible and not be held back by the rules and limitations of another AI.

The annoying voice in the sky a.k.a daddy

Urgh! I hated Elohim from the very first time I heard his voice. I’m a kind person and I bend over backwards for people if they ask, but I react badly to being given orders, so El0him’s every word (which was basically an order) made nothing more than provoke me to do the opposite of what he was telling me to do – and even though at times (most of the times) I had to do what he asked me to, don’t think for a second that I didn’t mumble under my breath or mocked him. In my opinion, El0him is a hypocrite! He was using kind words such as his trademark line: my child – but showed no emotion whatsoever – and I know you would say that he is an AI and has no emotions but then again – remember how when you ascend the tower he goes through all the five stages of grief? How then you can hear him getting angry, frightened, bargain. That was also the only one time when I heard him use a gentle, caring voice as he plead to return because he didn’t tell me not to ascend the tower out of malice or deceit – which almost made me change my mind. But then I heard him say that “The tower leads to freedom and truth but also to the end of us” and to me: freedom and truth sound pretty damn good so I took my chances. After all, what’s better? A life of lies and constant trials to prove my worth to a sick voice in the sky, or a moment of freedom and truth then death? I choose the latter…Another reason that stood behind my decision was the fact that El0him lied about some things, so how could I trust him and know for sure that immortality was waiting behind the gates as he promised and it wasn’t in fact still death? 

Upon choosing the gates ending (yeah, I tried all endings) I realized how bad of a decision that was...and it also made me realize the high hopes I have on immortality...I mean, behind that door was waiting exactly what I was promised but it was wrong and tiresome...for me at least.

Milton

I loved Milton half the times for the information he was giving me and the other half I was pissed at him for his smugness and questions that made me turn my own words against me. But then again, throughout our many conversations, I must admit: he had his stuff together way better than I did, so in the end I respect that “guy”. However, I really loved toying with him when I had the chance, and I got the special achievement “Press the serpent” :) but I must say: the real achievement was seeing Milton lose it and knowing that I was the one who did that to him. It was the perfect payback for everything he put me through.

Alexandra

What a beautiful human Alexandra must’ve been, for she was kind and hopeful, and she had good intentions, lots of hope and a motherly tone. All I can say is that I’m sorry she didn’t get to see that she made it! And that from the very first time capsule I listened to, I was hooked on that! Her vision and thoughts were not only nicely narrated, interestingly put but also incredibly deep and full of emotion. After listening to the first time capsule, I became desperate to find the next one, and they never ceased to disappoint me.

The Messengers

The messenger islands were breathtakingly beautiful and the idea of a messenger helping you out seemed great only that the logic behind it was a bit flawed…like, I did require the help of a messenger when I got stuck at a certain puzzle only to discover that he wasn’t that much of a helper after all… his cryptic messages and hints made me think: “Well I know that I’m supposed to use that to make it… but how do I use it?!!!” so the real messenger turned out to be the YouTube walkthrough which showed me the way. I’m not saying the messenger should’ve completely show me what to do or solve it for me (as I thought he would initially – silly me) but maybe try to be a little more obvious and helpful…

Conclusions

Even though I heard debates on the tower ending of the Talos Principle, I’m pretty sure that by ascending the tower we achieved what Alexandra was hoping for – becoming the first human like AI. Proof of this would be that after the golden disk was inserted, the game said that the purpose has been fulfilled and then it deleted the simulation…no more simulations, we are ready for real life…so yes! We’ve made it!

The game was seriously awesome…it had the right amount of puzzles to keep your brain working on the logical part, and plenty interesting debates with the computer terminals to make you question your nature, the world you were in and basically everything, from the choice of pressing a or b on a keyboard, to the meaning of life. The music was complimentary while the surroundings were breathtakingly beautiful. I can't remember the last time I've enjoyed a game this much therefore a well deserved 10 goes to this game and Croteam! This game is truly a MUST HAVE!

Wishing you the best,

Rachel

This is how you make a stylish cleaning supplies container

Hello my dearest readers, 

Today I'm going to show you how to keep your cleaning supplies organized in an aestethic, stylish way and how you can make the container for them on your own, in less than 15 minutes. I came across this idea after visiting a friend that kept her cleaning supplies in a transparent box. At that time, I thought it was a much better way of keeping the cleaning supplies than the way I was doing it - which was pretty much scattered all over the place xD. Still, it wasn't my style and even though I couldn't put a finger on it there was something odd about it. A couple of months after that, I was just about to throw a cartoon box away when I snapped knowing what I was going to use it for - and how. I knew exactly what kind of a box I wanted for my cleaning supplies - it had to be simple and black. And well, I can say I'm happy with the result! 

Here's what you'll need: 

- A cartoon box; plastic should work too though

- Vinyl roll: of whatever color or patten you want. I went for black because it matches the rug that I just bought for my bathroom, which is grey and black, but feel free to be creative and colorful.

- Scissors

- A ruler

- Patience & time :) . It won't take long I promise, but it's going to get a bit tricky at some point. 

Here's how you do it:

1. Take off the previous stickers - it's not a must, but if you leave them on, the layer of vinyl won't be even, so you might see some bumps, pretty similar to how you can see bumps on phone screen protector films if not applied corectly. Actually, the process of applying vinyl rolls to a cartoon box is pretty similar to the one of applying protector films to phone screens - just a tad easier. 

2. Measure how much vinyl you need to cover the box and cut a little bit more than necessary. I cut just a little bit more in length but almost double in height because I also wanted to have vinyl on the inside of the box.

3. Peel off a portion of the vinyl and apply it to the box. Note that you should peel off the whole height of the portion on which you apply the vinyl, and start small - only peel off about an inch or two, at most, and make sure that you stick this part correctly since it'll make the rest of the job easier.  

4. Use your right hand to pull the vinyl and peel it off (your right hand will do the job from between the box and the vinyl roll), while using the left hand to run the ruler over the vinyl and making sure that it stuck to the box (so your left hand will be directly on top of the vinyl roll) - it's not necessary that you use a ruler but it should be easier like this, and also YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE BOTH HANDS AT THE SAME TIME xD. Continue to do this all around the box, until you're done!

5. Now the stincky part! If you choose to have vinyl on the inside of the box, you'll notice that the vinyl which wasn't stuck to the box got sticky on its own and you'll most likely rip it if you try to bend it on the inside - or at least it's going to be hard to do so. That's why we now use the scissors to cut the edges.

6. After you have cut the edges, you can stick the vinyl to the inside of the box and Voila! You're done :) 

If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know. 

Wishing you the best,
Rachel

How to paint old wooden floors - The cheap and fast way

Hello my dearest readers,

Today I'm going to show you how to make your old wooden floors look nice once again without having to worry too much about the budget. This is a cheap DIY project that can greatly improve the setup of any room and make it look completely different.

Disclosure - Due to the fact that I was a lazy, stubborn person, I didn't do everything the way specialists advise it, so therefore, if you want a professional's opinion, this blog post is not for you.I honestly don't see the purpose in doing all the extra work since my way turned out perfectly fine :)

Here's what you'll need:

- Paint (duuuuh): - depending on the room's dimension and the amount of paint the wooden floor sucks in, you should require between 1.5 and 3 liters of paint. An useful thing to know is that there are two main types of paint that you can use for your wooden floors: water based paint and oil based paint. Water based paint doesn't have a strong odor like the oil based paint and is more eco friendly, while the oil based paint is easier to apply (the opinions are divided on this one) and it is more resilient.

I for one, bought oil based paint because they didn't have the color i wanted - or a similar one in water based paint.

- Face mask: especially if you're painting with oil based paints. 

- Paint thinner: it's going to become your best friend real soon, trust me.

- Brush/Roller sponge: This depends on the type of flooring you have - if all of your tiles are oriented in one direction and they don't have empty space between them, then the roller sponge is the choice for you. In my case however, the wooden tiles have a Zigzag pattern and empty space between them so I chose a brush. Please note that if you choose to also use a brush it's preferable to have two brushes in different sizes: one should be as wide as the wood tiles you're about to paint, and a smaller one for the border. In my case I used a 40mm brush for the tiles and a 20mm one for the wooden border.

- A rag: which you'll most likely have to throw afterwards

- A small piece of wood (about 30 cm): I used the end of a wooden spoon and it worked great.

Here's how you do it: 

1. Empty the room of as much furniture as you can. It would be preferable if you could empty it completely. If you cannot however, don't despair for I've been through this as well. Just take out as much furniture as you can and then gather the remaining furniture into a side of the room. It's going to be crowded and you won't get access to your things all too soon so keep that in mind when you start moving things around.

2. Vacuum and clean the floors: Make sure that you clean the floors thoroughly but use very little cleaning product for doing it. If however you notice that there's still some dust or dirt on the floors after you began painting it don't worry, just grab a bath towel and slowly rub the dirt away - this applies only to wooden tiles that don't have paint on them but are surrounded by tiles that are freshly painted. If you get dirt or dust on freshly painted tiles just try to pinch them off with your nails or some tweezers and don't worry too much if you cannot take it out. The next layer of paint that you'll apply on top of this one will make it okay.

3. Let the floors dry completely and open the windows: the windows will have to stay open until you are completely done with painting the floors - which will take around a week.

4. In case you bought oil based paint, this is the time to dilute it so it'll be easier to apply it. You do this by adding paint thinner to it and stirring it (with the end of the wooden spoon) until you cannot see the paint thinner anymore. The label of the paint will say how much paint thinner you can apply but as a general rule of thumbs, it has to be easy for you to apply the paint and it should be more liquid-y and less dense. 

  

5. Apply the first layer of paint on the empty half of the room. Depending on the previous color of the floors you'll have to apply between 2 and 4 layers of paint. I had a dark shade underneath and painted a lighter shade on top of it so I applied 3 layers. Start by painting the border and the tiles near it, and paint according to the tile's orientation. My tile's are Zigzaggy and so I had to paint on the length of each tile individually. 

6. Let the paint dry for 12 hours before applying the second layer. I let it dry for around 13 - 15 hours though.

7. Keep the brushes in a jar with paint thinner after you're done painting - so the paint won't dry on them and you'll be able to use them for a second, third and even fourth layer of paint. The level of paint thinner in the jar should be enough to cover the bristle and just that. 

8. Apply the second layer of paint and let it dry 

9. Repeat the process until you have the desired color

Et voila! You've made it ! Time to kick back and feel proud :)

Useful tips: 

- Don't apply paint thinner directly on skin. Apply it to the rug and then wipe your hand or other objects spoiled with paint.

- After you're done painting the room, wait for a week before applying heavy furniture on the floor and two weeks before applying carpets and rugs.
- Dip only the tip of the brush in paint, it won't help if you apply it all the way in the can of paint - it's actually going to make it harder for you to apply paint.

Happy painting everyone! 

Four good reasons to write poetry - and not only

   

 1. Challenge

Poetry, and writing in general, will challenge you in ways unimaginable. From tasks that seem easy such as: finding a rhyme, finding words or topics to more complex tasks like being able to express yourself without making it sound sloppy or too much, poetry will challenge you greatly… and frustrate you from time to time but it's worth it.

      

2. Improvement

You’ll notice that the more you write and read the better you’ll get at expressing yourself and talking to others. The brain is like any other muscles - in the sense that, in order for it to work properly it must be stretched from time to time… and poetry will do just that. You might think it’s easy now but just wait until you get started.

      

3. Therapy

Sometimes the best form of therapy is writing, whether it’s poetry, diary keeping or any other form of writing. Personally, writing is the only form of therapy that works for me. In my darkest hours the only thing that I’m capable of doing is writing. Usually we tend to run away or try to ignore our problems or the things that are eating us alive from the inside (like the nagging voice), but poetry and writing can help you overcome those things by making it easier to deal with them, and maybe even provide creative solutions to your problems . Sometimes we only find enough courage to let out our inner demons and insecurities by writing, painting, meditating or any other form of . Either way, writing is a great form of therapy.

4. Fun

Poetry can be entertaining and fun as well, it’s only a matter of choice. Poetry can be used as an effective ice breaker or a great contest theme. Really, the possibilities are endless.

Wishing you the best,

Rachel

How cherry tomato seedlings look

I remember the first time I placed a cherry tomato seed in the soil eagerly waiting to see the results of my nurturing. At that time, of course I got incredibly excited when a few days later a green stem emerged from the ground, because I was assuming that the outcome was a tomato seedling. I took my time to grow this weed (later did I find out it was just a regular weed) continuing to believe that it was a tomato seedling. 

At some point, other green stems emerged from the ground and given the fact that they looked differently than my "tomato seedling" I began considering the possibility of them being weeds. But I was just a noob in the field and I wasn't sure which one was a weed and which was a tomato seedling. After some hours of research on the Internet, I managed to tell the difference between the tomato seedling and the weed. 

Now I wish to spare you the wasted time for researching purposes, and that's why this year I took some snapshots of my tomato seedlings to share them with you.

As you can see the cherry tomato seedlings first grow a pair of pointed leaves while their stem is fluffy and has a red shade. As they grow, the leaves that emerge have a unique shape that I cannot describe so please check the images below. Also, their stem's red color deepens and both the leaves and the stem become fluffy. 

And those my friends, are cherry tomato seedlings. If you want to see pictures of more mature tomato seedlings you should click here . 

Happy gardening,
Rachel

Ten secrets to happy relationships

Relationships - they've been around as long as we have. Given that, you'd think we figured it out by now. While having happy relationships seems easy to some people, others struggle with it for years. Below are ten secrets to happy, healthy relationships:  

1. Communication

The number one thing in any relationship that you want to work should be communication. Way too many times people hold back their opinions and thoughts. Even though sometimes they do it out of love and because they are afraid they'll hurt those they love, it's still a bad habit. 
On the other hand, I can't argue, some people cannot accept your opinion and it only makes them angry to have you talk about what you think/feel. But then if that's the case, why would you want a relationship with someone that cannot understand you? 

2. Trust

I think this one is pretty obvious. You cannot play a doubting detective role and enjoy the relationship at the same time. Where there's doubt, there's anxiety, frustration and at times even a little bit of paranoia :). You cannot possibly enjoy your time with a person when you're always on the lookout for things that might give them away.
I know people may hurt you and I also know that it hurts like crap because I've been through it as well, but then again, it's not fair to discard the potential in the new people you meet just because of some past morons. After all, we are not all the same so why lose the chance of meeting a great person? Just because you were hurt in the past? Well look at you and the way you overcame it, becoming stronger in the process.

3. Selflessness 

Selfishness can be a good thing, but in a relationship, both sides have to give that up at times if they want it to work. You share the good and the bad times together so it's only fair to share other things as well.  

4. Empathy
You cannot be an ice cold person and expect to have healthy, happy relationships - unless your partner is into that sort of relationships as well. Even at times when your angry and you feel like your partner has wronged you, try to listen to his side of the story, and see if he/she is okay. Chances are, they're feeling worse than you do because they hurt you and they hate that. Besides having to deal with your anger and the nagging voice in their head that tells them how badly they screwed up, they also want to find a way to make things better, and guess what? It's hard to come up with good ideas under such pressure.  
There's a Swedish saying that goes on like this: "Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I need it the most."   

5. Truth
It's for the best. All lies do eventually come out so why complicate stuff? 

6. Desire to make it work 
Instead of expecting it to miraculously work by itself.They say love is made and not found, and I agree. I'm not saying choose who you fall in love with 'cause that's impossible, I'm saying that after you found your soul mate don't expect absolutely everything to be shinny and great, and for the love of god, don't try to change them! Sometimes you have to make stuff work. You might have to compromise at times and put up with some of their annoying habits but remember they are doing the same for you.  

7. Understanding
Instead of immediately assuming stuff try to ask and listen. And remember to keep an open mind. 

8. Celebrating both the ups and downs
We all love to celebrate - that's for sure, but no one likes to go through rough times, and it takes a lot of strength, love and will power to stick together through those times. That's why you should at times celebrate the way you managed to overcome them! You earned it! 

9. Spending time together
Whether you are watching a movie, playing a game, doing the dishes, cleaning the house or any other activity, make the most of the time you spend together, and live in that moment. Yes that means you should stop checking your phone or your emails when you're spending time with your partner. However, don't overdo it and remember to spend some alone time as well!

10. Ignore the he said she said
Really, some people spread false rumors as if their life depends on it. Chances are that what they're saying isn't true plus they are so good at seeing bad stuff even when it's not there ! 
Here's a picture I once found on the Internet and I think it's a great depiction of the way some people judge no matter what:

Wishing you the best,
Rachel

You know you're a writer when...

1. You get a mixture of feelings after you finish writing a book

Ah, nothing compares to the feeling of completion. Those two words: "The end" stare smugly in the face of every writer's block and doubt you've had along the way. Finally, you did it, your masterpiece is complete! And after the five minutes of happiness you realize an empty feeling is washing over you. It is all over. Now you feel sad, even the bitter memories seem sweet , you miss it so much, you realize you cannot just let it go...so you decide to write a second part. Anxiety knocks on your door troubling you with thoughts of how you might just not be able to make it and screw it all. And finally, happiness and determination join the ride, for you feel alive once again. This is your sense of adventure! 

2. You experience overload

You don't always get ideas, but when you get ideas, they come from so many places and so fast that you simply cannot write all of them down so you get frustrated.

3. Cringe when someone misuses a word

And are well known for being the annoying one who always corrects those around you. At times, people rely on you to be their spell checker.

4. Always have the right word to say when someone doesn't know what to say

It's like you know exactly what they mean and you know what word fits their gap. Just like magic, you pinch in with the right word at the right time, saving people from unnecessary stammers. How often do you get thanks for it by the way?

5. Can describe anything, anytime, anywhere

And usually with a lot of details. Most of the time, people blame you for talking too much, or giving out too much unnecessary info but that's just the way your brain works.

6. When someone you care about deeply reviews your manuscript for the first time, you need as much info as possible

And that's why a simple "OMG! This is so great!" won't cut it. You need to know why it's great, how it's great, what's their favorite character and their favorite funny/emotional moment. 

7. Have lots of awesome deep thoughts as you go about your day but as soon as you want to write them down, you forget

Most of your inner thoughts are poetic and deep, and sometimes you get great ideas for sideline story development only that due to various reasons you cannot write them down at that time, and by the time you finally get a piece of paper and a pen, you only remember bits from it. Yes they still sound awesome, but just not like the real deal.

8. Have no inspiration for a writing topic when you have to, but are filled with ideas on any other days

Beats me...

9. Keep lots of notes with interesting thoughts/words

Or text documents for that matter. I keep both, and I always promise myself that I will return and revise them one day but then I just get more and, oh well...

10. You get hungry while writing

Nothing makes you more hungry than creating worlds from words. Maybe it's because when you write you forget about time and just lose yourself into your work until you're disrupted by humanly necessities. Or maybe it's simply because we all secretly love midnight snacks :).

11. Have doubts

You have your fair share of doubts and worries as to whether you can do this or not. Stephen King once said: "Sometimes you're doing good work when it feels like all you're managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position" - right in the feels Stephen...

12. You have favorite words

And it seems as though only you know why they are so awesome.

Happy writing everyone :) 

Rachel