The Continuing Adventures of Medi-Bat

97blackbird

Thank you all for your support. I’m feeling a bit flabbergasted that my most recent post of Medi, (and my best so far, IMO) is also the one that has gained the most downvotes. I guess I’m out of the ‘absolute novice and maybe very young’ category and am now open for harsh critiquing…?
BigBuggyBastage
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Wallet After Summer Sale -
Not a Llama - Happy April Fools Day!

Go fsck yourself
@97blackbird
Don’t take downvotes personally, or even as an indicator of whether your art is ‘good’ or not. Sometimes even the timing of when you upload an image (weekday or weekend, daytime or late at night, holidays, etc.) can have a HUGE effect upon how the voting goes.
Additionally, there are some groups of users who do nothing but downvote, because they can’t be arsed to figure out how tag-blocking (filtering) works – that or they’re the type that enjoys spreading their self-loathing and misery to others. I’ve no way of gathering hard evidence of this, but I believe there to be at least a couple of bots out there that downvote images whenever one appears on the site with a tag they don’t like. How sad a human would one have to be, to write something like that? But if I’ve learned anything in the past two years, it’s that there are more miserable, uneducated, foolish, self-assured assholes out there than anyone truly knows.
That said, art is purely subjective. All you can do is keep practicing, improving, and trying new things, and hope that people like the results. :)
Castellan Fyor
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -

For the Emperor!
@BigBuggyBastage
Heh, yeah… that reminds me of all the garbage I posed a few years ago. I, admittedly, haven’t interacted with this community in a while, but I think after the G5 movie, I’ll get back into it. My skills have improved since the last time I drew. But back to the point, the stuff I posted got BLASTED with downvotes
97blackbird

Ugh! day 21 prompt is “Fuzzy”.
I think the only thing worse than not having an idea for a prompt is having an idea, but it’s too complex or beyond my abilities to bring into being.
97blackbird

Update: Doctors visit today. I’m meeting his expectations for healing, but he still wants me mostly off the leg. (25% pressure this week, increase by 25% each week thereafter)
I’ll likely not be on for the rest of this week. I plan to keep working on what I have.
97blackbird

Okay, back at my parents’s house(They have the great internet) and so I’m back to learning some digital art. I did do some art everyday during Artober (Inktober) but obviously didn’t finish something everyday.
PPL here seemed to like the floof idea, so I’ll revisit that one.
Starting to use leg, I’m hoping to start swimming somewhere soon. I really don’t want any physical therapy if I can recondition my ankle myself.
Cheers! And I hope to post something tonight, we’ll see.
BigBuggyBastage
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Wallet After Summer Sale -
Not a Llama - Happy April Fools Day!

Go fsck yourself
@97blackbird
All sounds good! 😀
I’m with you on the ‘learning’ front. Well, RE-learning in my case, getting reacquainted with SolidWorks to do some solid modeling, so I can 3D-print some custom electronics enclosures. Luckily, with my engineering background, and the fact I used to be VERY proficient with this, Pro/E [Creo], AutoCAD, etc., I should be able to pick it up again quickly. I’m honestly a little jealous, since you’re learning something totally new, and relies on your creativity.
Also yes, we do tend to love ze bat-floof. :3
I really don’t want any physical therapy if I can recondition my ankle myself.
[bro-fist] I seriously hope you’re successful. PT is so damn costly, painful, and BORING! LoL
97blackbird

Finally watched all of the Gen 5 movie. I’ll give it a thumbs up.
Pros - Paid due respect to Gen 4
- Characters were likeable
- world was more contemporary, but didn’t eliminate magic.
Cons - Most humor was age specific, nothing really for adults to enjoy.
- Earth ponies didn’t have any magic???
- Story was a bit flat, needed better protagonist-v-antagonist conflict
97blackbird

Heh, Ya haven’t had enough of Blackbird the Film critic?
Alright, roll tape.
While watching, I looked at the time twice, I think I rolled my eyes once. But, I distinctly remembered thinking “I wish there was more time to explore this or that.” Despite the lack of more adult level humor, it was fun, and the lack of any other perspective besides the Earth ponies left some air of mystery. Although, I think the level of xenophobia shown by every Tribe/Race is too high as there is literally NO CONTACT between the unicorn/earth/pegasi.
IMO the Wendigos or some new source of destruction would have been a good addition, and each tribe blames the Wendigo’s destruction to another Pony Race. (ie Earth blames Unicorn, Unicorn blame pegasi, Pegasi blame everypony because they’re above them all :-p ) In general, people are suspicious only when under stress or struggling for survival. So the movie suffers some for that. Yes, the evil corporation profiting on fear was presented, but did every tribe have their own version? That wasn’t shown.
Finally, I think the biggest letdown is the lack of a true antagonist. IMO Sprout should have been Sheriff from the beginning. Trailblazer a deputy who is ‘in touch’ with Sunny and the population as a whole. Sprout’s character arc was a nice ‘power corrupts’ lesson, but it failed in having a true redemption moment.
So, I rate it a “B minus” which is better than I felt after the MLP Movie, which I told friends was, “so disappointingly average in every respect. I really wanted to love the film, but I was continually let down softly”.
BigBuggyBastage
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Wallet After Summer Sale -
Not a Llama - Happy April Fools Day!

Go fsck yourself
@97blackbird
Hey, I like reading your review too, even though I’ve yet to see the film in question. :)
TBH, I never saw the G4 movie, and I don’t think I’m missing out on much by not seeing it. However, I do want to see this G5 movie at some point. I’d been hoping to make it a sort of ‘family thing’ over the holidays, but remembering we’re still in a pandemic, that has little chance of happening.
Speaking of, I got my booster dose midday Thursday. Both my first & second shots were Pfizer — it was literally made in West Michigan, and ya gotta go with the home team ;) — but this one was a Moderna. There’s data that suggests a better immune response by mixing initial and booster types (between Pfizer & Moderna), and the Moderna booster is just a half dose, so as to minimize side-effects, or so the thinking goes. It’s only today that I even have the energy to type this out. I’ve had chills & body aches, mostly the latter, but luckily Tylenol was enough to help break them enough to let me sleep. It was interesting to wake up completely drenched in sweat around 4 in the morning, but it feels like after that, it’s been slowly getting easier. Even with Adderall on-board, I swear I could fall asleep if I laid down more than 10 minutes. :p
BigBuggyBastage
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Wallet After Summer Sale -
Not a Llama - Happy April Fools Day!

Go fsck yourself
Sit Rep: still feeling like ass, a week and a day after my booster. I also had food poisoning Sunday evening, so that really sapped my energy. Thank Celestia’s sweet asscheeks for Pepto Bismol.
The local hillbillies were burning leaves and yard waste like mad, so I’ve also been having trouble breathing; it’s been a constant low-level asthma attack, with post-nasal drip. I’ve been high on hydroxyzine & bronchodilators all flippin’ week.
I could use some cuddles from Medi-Bat…and if she could pick my prescriptions from CVS on her way over, that’d be nice.
97blackbird

@BigBuggyBastage
It didn’t take much to stir her into action, BigBug realized. He had just sniffled. A tiny sniffle; one that was done more out of boredom than need. But that was enough. The grey medibat leapt up in a flurry of leathery wings and returned with a fresh tissue in her hoofs like she was being pursued by a tiny ghost. She dropped the tissue on his face.
“Are you okay?” She squeaked, hovering at the ready.
BigBug raised a hand to sweep the tissue off his nose, and with a pinch to squeeze out any nasal drip and to satisfy the medibat’s sensibilities. A sniffle required a tissue, and the tissue had to be used to put the fluffy flyer at ease.
“Yes, Medi, thank you. I’m fine.”
Fine! Did he really just say fine? He had just finished a delicious hot bowl of moderately spicy soup. He was wrapped in an impossibly soft blanket that she had brought, and even tucked him in! Medications were given on a tight schedule, with a hot apple cider that was the perfect temperature for drinking. And not just medications, but also cool packs! Rotated out with fresh ones before they lost their cool! He was fed, warm, aches were cooled, and sniffles were snuffed. This was by far the most comfortable discomfort he had experienced.
“No, scratch that. I’m not fine,” BigBug corrected himself.
Medi’s cheery smile was replaced with a concerned frown. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re not snuggling with me anymore.”
Medi smiled and shot down to push her furry body into his neck and against his chin, her version of a hug. “Feel better, BigBug!” She squeaked.
He smiled and relaxed, cupping Medi’s body with a hand. “I do, Medi. I already do!”
97blackbird

hookay…
Doc Appt. this Monday.
Talked w/ Physical Therapist Bro-in-law over Thanksgiving, received treatment plan, now doing the stretches and icing to try to be good-enough for Doc.
Then I’ll be going back to work.
I didn’t get nearly the amount of Digital art done that I had wanted. Blame the leg. Edema is an uncomfortable hag. Especially when you want to sit at a desk and do creative stuff. Gotta elevate the leg above the heart to reduce the swelling. Or do compression, and that HURTS! Especially as pain relievers don’t touch pressure pain. So elevation was the default.
I have done some acrylic traditional painting, but nothing of Medi. Time will tell if there is any Digital Art in my future.
I read somewhere that the Famers Almanac is predicting a cold winter. I have half a cord of wood for my stove. How are y’all fixed for heat?
BigBuggyBastage
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Wallet After Summer Sale -
Not a Llama - Happy April Fools Day!

Go fsck yourself
Oh man, that kind of pain sucks so bad. Sounds like you’re healing up okay, but from experience, legs do tend to take a little longer. Just be thankful you’re not diabetic. ;)
I’ve been paying attention to the long-range forecasts, mostly from the NWS/NOAA, but also a local meteorologist who seems to know this part of the world better than anyone, and that’s saying something when you’re next to an inland sea like Lake Michigan. They all say there are ‘indications’ of a La Nina winter, which means wetter and milder winter here in the Midwest. For West Michigan, it usually means more sloppy, wet snow, which sucks, IMO. Ya can’t make a snow fort out of it, because it’s more like slush than anything, and everything is just WET for months on end. Personally, I’d love it if it were always cold, like sub-zero, year round! ⛄
As far as heat, it’s a central furnace with natural gas, at both the apartment and at my parents’ place. I keep my thermostat around 66 °F, and block off the HVAC outlet in my room at the ‘rents, especially during winter. What can I say? I like it quite cool when I sleep, wrapped up in a thick blanket of course, and I have a high metabolism to keep me warm when I’m awake. 😁 That said, I do have my limits as far as being cold, but if ya live in Michigan, you learn to dress for the weather at a very early age, whether you’re indoors or out.
That reminds me: I haven’t been skiing in many years. Hmm….
I sometimes wish we could’ve had a wood-burning stove, and I always considered it a treat to go to my grandma’s during winter because she would burn coal in her old-as-dirt potbelly stove, back when I was a little kid, but my allergies and asthma make it impossible to even be around such things now.
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