#...what the prices were now and adapt because their actual leader has effectively made her no.2 of running the entire place.

[valeriefauxnom]

Things that Euden does not know about:

-Jack o' Lanterns:

(I would like to add on my slight dramatization regarding this one:)

-Accounting ledgers

-What herbs and spices look like

-Forestry 101

-What sumo is:

Things he DOES understand:

-The use of the word 'trolling' (also what a specific spell looks like despite not exactly being a mage):

-Pearls 101

-What joy buzzers (a thing invented in 1928) are

-How to recognize nobility (but exclusively when they are actively trying to hide their social class, if they're just kinda vibing in the open like Heinwald or otherwise not actively concealing it like Erik, no dice)

-And, last but not least, what 'abstruse bloviation' means:

[miyu-hyperfixates]

Water ghouls!AU

[Part 2: Meeting the ‘sinking ships’ owner (or WWX’s naming sense... ) ]

(At least it’s still 100% better than JC’s)

(part 1)

About six months after the “water ghoul accident”, WWX, JC and their shidis were training in the yard of Lotus Pier, when Madam Yu just strode in, with a sharp “Wei Ying!” and with an equally sharp nod of her head beckoned him over.

(WWX, inwardly panicking  and gulping: shit, shit, shit.

JC, snickering and patting WWX’s shoulder: I’ll lit a candle for you.

All the shidis: It was nice knowing you da-shixiong! )

WWX followed her back to her office and nervously sat down.

Madam Yu: Recently, I’ve noticed a discrepancy in the treasury.

WWX, sweating: Was something missing?

Madam Yu, throwing a huge bag full of money on the table between them: Someone, for some reason, seems to have secretly been adding coins to the treasury. It was truly perplexing as Jiang Fengmian doesn’t seem to know where it had come from neither.

WWX: ...  

Madam Yu: Then when walking down the docks of Lotus Piers, I heard this rumors that about three or four months ago, a new very promising business had started in Yunmeng.... Do you know the most interesting part though? It would appear that this business has been directly founded by the head disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. But that is preposterous. No Yunmeng JIang head disciples have so much free time that they’d be able to start a business without the explicit consent of their sect leaders, would they? 

WWX, who was trying out the tactic of “don’t make anything worse by opening your mouth” and trying very hard not to wince with each words: ...

But then Madam Yu seemed to have reached the end of her patience and barked: “Explain. Now.”

And WWX did:   

It all started because JC made an offhand comment at WWX when he saw him playing with the water ghouls. WWX was showing off the new trick that he had taught to his water ghoul.. and JC just went “if you have to waste time playing with them...can’t you at least teach them something useful?”

So WWX pondered about it for a while. And then he came up with the idea of using the water ghouls to move quickly on the water. So he took a small barrel/wooden tube and tied on them a few sturdy chains. Then he threw it the water, stood on it and used the water ghouls to “surf” on the lakes. Of course during the first try the speed of the water ghoul made him fall down face first in the water. But after a few try (and instruction for the water ghoul to slow down its speed), he actually manages to move very fast on the water.

So of course, when he discovered how fast he could go... he just had to race JC. JC used one of the small boat of Lotus Pier and a bunch of wind talismans to increase the speed. Both of them raced through the lakes of Yunmeng... and eventually WWX ended up winning by a huge margin.

WWX noted though that the race wasn’t fair because the weight and size of his barrel was way smaller than JC’s boat. So he switched to a boat of the same size and ask the Water ghoul to pull it.

Turned out the additional weight of the boat did made it slowier - but not by much - and both of them navigated through Yunmeng water at a neck-breaking speed. WWC won again.

And it started to become a common occurrence between them. JC started to stock-piled wind talismans while WWC worked on how to be able to keep standing on the boat if the water ghoul went faster...

At some point they were noticed by one the auntie working on the pier and she asked them how they managed to make their boats go so fast as if they actually manage to trade with such a fast boat it would actually boost their business quite a bit. Because once or twice every month, there will be a special event where she needs to do a lot of back-and-forth from different parts of Yunmeng and the faster she goes the more money she can earn. Coincidentally the event was planned for two days later.

JC and WWX were actually quite familiar the auntie and wanted to help her so they didn’t see the harm in explaining. The talismans wouldn’t work on the long run because you’d need quite a lot of spiritual energy (plus making talismans aren’t cheap). But as for the other way. WWX told her that if she didn’t mind having a water ghoul pulling her ship then he’d lent her one if she wanted.

She looked somewhat apprehensive at first, but after WWX introduced her to one of his water ghoul and assured her that it was very safe, she accepted. WWX spent a few hours training on how to keep standing on the boat and on how to direct the water ghoul. (Likewise the water ghoul had to learn how to adapt its speed to her.)

The water ghoul worked wonder and that was the first she had earned so much money in one go and she was so thankful that she actually gave him a small part of the money she got in repayment for ‘borrowing’ his water ghoul. WWX of course tried to refuse, but in the end she was very adamant. So WWX was forced to bullshit her and saying that he was actually starting a business of renting water ghouls and that every new customer could get a ‘free ride’ for their first time renting a water ghoul.

Then, of course, she had to ask him what the fare after using up the ‘free ride’... he blurted out a random price.  Then she asked about the name of the business... and in a spike of inspiration and ingeniuty he answered Yunmeng’s  “Chén Zhōu”. Auntie: You named your business ‘Sinking boats ( 沉舟 )’ ? WWX: No, no, it’s ‘Faithful Boat   谌 舟 ’ written with the character 谌  for faithful or sincere. Don’t you think it’s funny? Auntie: ...  

He thought then that it would be the end of that...Because surely no one sane would actually want to deal with a business that sounded exactly like ‘sinking boat’... and even if they disregarded the ominous name, surely once they were told about the joke, no one would actually consider doing business with such a childish business owner....

Unfortunately his bullshit actually came to bite him in the ass about one week later. ‘Cause the auntie had actually spread the words (Sinking/Faithful Boats and all) around Yunmeng... and now every time WWX went out to play, he’d get a huge line of customers wanting to try the water ghoul’s pulling ships. Of course since it still counted under the ‘new customer free ride’ policy, he obliged, thinking that they were just curious about it... because like who would actually pay for that?!

Three weeks.... and turned out that actually a lot of people would pay for that? And they even paid him a larger sum than what he had told the auntie (because apparently she believed that he wouldn’t get any profit with that amount and she had purposely given a higher price).

After a while he accumulated a huge amount of money and since he didn’t know what to do with it, he just secretly dumped it a corner of the Yunmeng Jiang treasury... (technically all the blank talismans he had used to ‘purify’/’tame’ the water ghouls were generously given by the sects, and everything he knew were also thanks to the sect tutelage, and he basically owed them everything for rescuing him from the street, so it seems natural to give everything back to them). 

Madam Yu: ...

WWX: ...

After that, WWX had to kneel down in the ancestral hall for three whole days to repent for his “tremendous stupidity”. And then he had to provide every single one of his notes on the matter and all the “Faithful Boat” activities had to be stopped until Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian could attest of the safety of using Water Ghouls. (Also it could be mistaken for demonic cultivation, so they had to make sure that their head disciples had not stumbled down that road, at eleven). Here is what WWX had learned during his experimentation:

After the purifying process, the water ghouls didn’t possess any ounce of resentful energy whatsoever, apart from their corpse like appearance in term of energy they registered more like a spiritual beings (which means that WWX sorta kinda created/made evolve a new whole species) .

 None of the water ghouls being purified so far had wished to passed on and willingly chose to stay there.

The key points of the purifying lie on the presence of blood on the talisman [When WWX tried to use the same modified talisman but using cinnabar ink for additional strokes the Water Ghoul still went feral].

The amount of blood doesn’t matter, even one drop is enough. However the location of the blood on the talisman does. Depending on the radicals of the talisman, it can produce drastically different results: some water ghouls ended up having special characteristics (being faster, stronger, smarter etc.)  

While the intention and the amount of spiritual energy during the activation of the talisman don’t seem to matter as far as ‘taming’ the water ghouls goes, it seems to have an impact on the strength of the characteristics the water ghouls will end up with. [It might also have a correlation with the body type of the water ghoul before it died, but there is not enough data to be sure ]

Once the purifying is done, the purifying talisman doesn’t have any effects on it anymore. [Alternative methods of exorcising might be needed in the future if they turn out to be a threat or if they want to pass on - still in progress]

The average water ghoul is still very fast, strong and quick. It can pull the biggest boat in Yunmeng - with ten passengers + cargo on it with only the slightest decrease in speed

They can easily travel all over Yunmeng without tiring [Still have to check whether it is true on longer trips]

They don’t require any food or energy to survive [Or maybe it is something in the water? But they seem to like Lotus seed very much?] 

Water ghouls are better than dogs!

After Madam Yu had tested everything under the sun to make sure that the water ghouls were not a threat. She dragged WWX once again to her office and gave him two scrolls of parchment.

Madam Yu: This is the official document from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect acknowledging the legitimacy of the *eyes twitching*  Faithful Boats business. This is a contract affiliating your business to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Sign them.

WWX who couldn’t believe his ears nodded and took a brush to sign them. But just as he was about to sign the second one, Madam Yu pulled it out and smacked WWX on the head with it.

Madam Yu: What are you doing?

WWX, sweating: ???

Madam Yu:  Do not sign any contract before reading it. 

WWX: But I read it, there was nothing wrong with it.

Madam Yu, exhaling sharply: It says here that any profits made by the Faithful Boats business must be transferred to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect.

WWX: ... Yes?

Madam Yu, refraining from pinching the bridge of her noise, gritting her teeth: Negotiate.

WWX: ... I’ll take 5 - *Seeing Zidian crackle dangerously* I mean 15! 15 % of the profit?

Madam Yu: You will keep 70% and give 30 to the sect. You will also provide an accurate book account of any expense and intakes you get. If I see even one copper coin more in the treasury, I will make you kneel in the ancestral hall until you die of old age, am I clear?   

[The ”This stupid kid is so going to be tricked out of all his money and will end up in a ditch somewhere one day. He must be protected from his own stupidity” squad: +1 member ] 

And that’s how WWX became a legit business owner (he even got a small office in Lotus Pier, where people can send their request for the Water ghouls) and Water ghouls became a very common sight everywhere in Yunmeng.  (Also, after that Madam Yu drastically increased his training regiment because obviously he must have way too much free time before.)       

--------------------------------

Status Progress:

>> Current members of the “This stupid kid is so going to be tricked out of all his money and will end up in a ditch somewhere one day. He must be protected from his own stupidity” squad:  Jiang Cheng (founder), the auntie working at the docks, Madam Yu (+ half the merchants in Yunmeng [but that’s only because the other half didn’t met WWX yet] )

 >> WWX has been upgraded to business owner!

>> Water ghouls  have been upgraded to Super safe and better than dogs pets!

--------------------------

Author’s rambling: I spent waaay too much time thinking about this stupid AU.

Here is an ‘art’ I made... As usual my shitty drawing skills are shitty, so don’t take it seriously.

[isicericart-blog]

The Cure

Prologue:

Near the middle of the 21st century food production reached an all time high, but malnourishment was still an awful truth for those who lived in poverty. Dr. Shelly Anko addressed starvation in a way that the ‘free market’ couldn’t subvert for profit, a hope for people getting the nutrition they needed. She developed Symbioglobulin, a more specialized version of ImmunoglobulinA that focused on its ability to regulate gut microbiota making them both more symbiotic with their human hosts and more symbiotic with each other. This adaptive system enabled even the most virulent strains of bacteria and fungi to be integrated into the microbiome and supply nutrition. With Symbioglobulin it became possible to meet an average human’s needs with less than 5% as much food.

Along with Symbioglobulin, she also cultivated a new kind of fat cell. AdipocyteB could handle containing even the most toxic of substances, making overdose toxicity impossible. These otherwise toxic substances were put to use by advanced protein folding tools in Symbioglobulin, enabling internal creation of things like graphene to enhance muscle, bone, nerves and more. This ability to get value out of things which were otherwise toxic reduced waste output to essentially nothing. The processes at play prompted frequent voluminous belching to release the non-toxic minimally useful byproducts. Since Symbioglobulin had way too many syllables to be communicated to the masses, this new way to avoid malnutrition and be immune to food based pathogens was simply known as “The Cure”.

The Cure was spread through belches, a resilient way to insure that people’s needs were met without market pressures putting a price on a pill. Despite extracting enough nutrition to deal with the body’s needs, this did nothing to address experience of hunger. Just because someone could now survive off only a small bowl of rice for a month didn’t fix the pain of hunger. Ghrelin, and Neuropeptide Y ran wild without a hint of Leptin in sight. Despite this flaw in The Cure’s functionality, people in first world nations were pretty excited about the concept of being immune to foodborne pathogens.

When The Cure was brought back to nations abundant in food, its impact was more extremely visible. The increased ability to gain nutrition from food and abundant access to food made the weights of those infected with The Cure increase dramatically. They had vastly superior health, but the forces of fat-phobia didn’t let that slow oppression down one bit. As more people were Cured, more of the population witnessed how so much infrastructure they had taken for granted wasn’t accessible to people of size. The power structure had no interest in adapting to meet people’s needs and as average weights doubled then quadrupled, infrastructure was useless for serving the needs of the growing populace.

The majority of government powers appealed to their wealthy donors that this was an emergency, new infrastructure was a necessity for society to keep functioning.  When it came time to vote, infrastructure spending was slashed and subsidies were given to the top 1%. The attempt to have a better embodied experience of life was demonized by the power structure, saying those that used The Cure to fix their health challenges were weak of will and didn’t deserve infrastructure that served their needs. In order to more effectively demonize these people that now made up the majority of the population, those in power attached to the status quo engineered the Predator Pathogen. It skyrocketed the appetites of those it infected and expanded their capabilities to handle swallowing prey larger than themselves whole. It could sneak through the immune systems of The Cured because it didn’t actually do anything harmful to the body, just  functioned as a catalyst for increased capability and behavioral change. The image portrayed in the media was that The Cured were human eating monsters, to be feared, despised and hated. As time passed, more people contracted The Cure and the Predator Pathogen and weight continued to increase.

Vehicles, buildings, and devices that were very day necessities were no longer available at scales that met the needs of the people. This became incredibly problematic when production of vital goods and services died out. The proletariate could no longer operate the tools needed to keep making food, vehicles and computers. Most nations collapsed.

The small Pacific island nation of Ki’Azu was ruled by queen Azaka, a powerless yet beloved figurehead in place to take publicity while parliament did the actual work. Azaka was quite the massive presence both energetically and physically. The engineers of Ki’Azu had been customizing larger infrastructure to meet Azaka’s needs for decades. These engineers had already investigated the challenges of the large and knew how to handle everything from door frames to cell phones to address her needs. While the rest of the world was collapsing, Azaka insured that the needs which had been met for her were also met for her people. Ki’Azu restructured all public systems to meet the needs of all their citizens including those of incredible mass. As an island nation, Ki’Azu couldn't handle their increased need for food. To solve this, they provided their expert skills in rebuilding infrastructure to what had been their biggest mainland trade partner, Cha’Tzien.

Cha’Tzien was the first nation to obtain infrastructure while also having access to lots of land. It became the primary food supplier for a much hungrier world, innovating agriculture through vertical gardening and other scalable systems.With the support of Ki’Azu, they stabilized the world's food supply. The human devouring practices from the Predator Pathogen had wildly unforeseen impacts. Symbioglobulin took in foreign bodies, analyzing their inputs and outputs. Pathogens were the original application, but when applied to complex things like humans, behavioral outputs also end up being integrated into Symbioglobulin. It was able to develop an answer for any element, structure or potentially pathogenic being and built a database based on what has been consumed. When a person was consumed, their symbioglobulin was also absorbed, integrating the way their database understands inputs and outputs.

Predators of people developed this intuitive sense of how things could effectively nourish humans and how to interact with others to modify behavior create greater symbiosis just like they did with pathogens. These beings that devoured others become known as Oracles because of the intuitive knowing they developed. When an Oracle visited a place they found a key person. This person could be a delinquent causing problems, a community leader organizing people, or a mail delivery person. Oracles would find these people who happen to be at ideal nexus points to influence a community and radically bless that person's life. The Oracle taught them lessons they needed to learn, gave them resources they need to have, and connected with them in ways that were nourishing. Oracles supported people in the self actualization process and the communities were blessed with these actualized individuals.

Oracles made all communities better and were a sought after resource, yet there were serious fears around consuming other sapient beings. The people of Cha’Tzien’s religious background was fertile ground for these new capabilities to be cultivated. They believed that people were the impact that's left on the world as the result of all the actions they took during their lives. A special class of religious clergy took on the perspective that the most effective way to have actions which leave positive impact on the world is to participate as Prey for Oracles. They expose themselves to a broad variety of pathogens, chemicals, etc. to build up strong databases in their AdipocyteB and Symbioglobulin with the intention of cultivating a diverse inner system to nourish the Oracle which would consume them. The sum of the Oracle’s actions plus their Prey actions without consumption would have been lower than the actions of them as a combined entity.

Cha’Tzien cultivated a public service supporting those with perspectives that can enable effective Oracle work. They embrace those with personalities that allow them to participate in consuming other people while remaining respectful of Prey and emotionally healthy. Cha’Tzien welcomed these people in so that they may become Oracles in safe and supported ways. Professional Prey get to 'live on' by making the world a better place through the Oracle’s actions. They are the social development devourer center of the world, where those that desire to have massive impact improving the world go to hone their skills and appetites. They invite people in, train them as Oracles, and make the world a better place.

100 years after the collapse Paratzia “Tzia” was born in Cha’Tzien and she knew she would become Prey as long as she could remember. She grew up in Appo, the religious capital of Cha’Tzien, it wasn’t exactly known as a space for children and she grew in the strangeness of this existence. There were only three other students in her class, and each got the time and attention needed to flourish. In an environment surrounded by Oracles, life was kind. All kinds of support falling into place wherever her life could become more blessed. She spent most of her development running around doing errands for the devout Prey, grabbing everything from uranium to krocadil for those who needed to build their inner libraries to cultivate themselves as nourishing meals. Future Prey and Oracles traveled in from all over the world and Tzia learned exceptionally basic forms of dozens of languages, able to help people with directions, and generally figure out what’s needed. She was so well regarded in the Prey community that she even developed the nickname “Heaven’s meal”, an honoring of the truth that before even studying at the academy she was considered the finest prey in the world.

Developing life in such a unique situation gave Tzia a perspective that enabled her to be blessed with the role of oracle. This came as a serious shock to Tzia when despite getting a perfect score on the entrance test to be accepted into the Prey Academy, she was turned away. She was told that she had the correct perspective to become a truly great Oracle. This turned everything she had learned on its head. She knew that the Oracles often had a way of knowing what would work out, so despite her uncertainty, she took the dive and enrolled as an Oracle.

Tzia was a massive woman. At 5’10” and 19,083 pounds, she already had the figure of an Oracle before any training! Her strong muscular core absolutely drowned in an ocean of fat, giving her incredible width and depth. To move at such an extreme size she learned the Oracle technique to stay mobile, flowing. Flowing was when a being moves in alignment with the waveforms traveling through their fat, accumulating power for motion, setting the massive body cascading like an avalanche. Tzia could gently shift her oscillation to adjust the angles and speeds of the crashing waves of flesh to keep her adipose abundance moving with her core. When entirely still it could be up to a minute before Tzia really got going because of her awe inspiring mass. For most of her days she was in constant motion, her neutral hip sway was like a grounded hover to keep herself ready for action. Her fat distribution was absolutely lovely, stretching out her rich gold, olive-splashed skin into a flowing lake in all directions. Her feet and legs dramatically taper, the stretch mark covered rolls of her massive thighs reaching the ground on every side. Such huge thighs were necessary to support hips over 16 feet wide, supporting her enormous stomach that surged across the ground and her many rolls of back fat. Her shoulders start a beautiful cascade, dripping as a liquid testament to just how much she’d consumed, a symbol of her power and capability. Her upper arms were each wrapped in thick roll that made a divot multiple feet deep where it intersected her elbow. She often wears simple grey robes which always seem many sizes too small, more like a capelet accenting her back, bits peeking out between her rolls. Tzia’s eyes are brown curious orbs that react with a terrifying awareness and reaction speed. Those skilled at reading emotions often see her react before events even happen, but she’s actually reacting to the conflux of factors that lead to the event in the first place. Her hair would be mid-back length if the path it had to go was straight down, but because of the depth of her neck and back it barely makes it to the top of her shoulders. She has five solid chins that are all incredibly expressive exaggerating and broadcasting her emotions to all who witness her.

Tzia has brought so many things into her system, studied and grown in so many unique situations that she’s very adaptable. She oscillates between polar confidence expressions. Sometimes she flows from a place of deep humility, having witnessed many truly great oracles that show even at her incredible scale, she’s but a grain of sand amongst stars. She knows that no matter how impressive she seems that there are always bigger fish in the ocean. She can also express supreme confidence. This isn’t arrogance on her behalf, she’s very aware of her skills and which tasks have success rates near 100%, unwilling to apply false modesty when it’s unnecessary. Lots of things that would be very challenging for others don’t intimidate her, and she keeps trying until the task is done, or intuition shows a better path. Tzia deeply respects and loves Oracles, she knew that she’d become a part of one for her whole life, and as she joins new Oracles in training her perspective shifts to be less servile. Now that she’s thinking about the path of devouring from another angle, she actually finds it really empowering and sexy, interested in exploring possibilities with those who feel alignment.

_______________________________________

Chapter 1: Learning and Monsters

Although it was clearly a most blessed and beautiful day, Tzia was still confused by her entire life plan being completely upended last night, denied study at the adjacent Prey academy. She had heavily internalized the messages that she would end up being the pinnacle of prey some day, and finding that her path was different filled her with a tentative curiosity as she shed old beliefs like a snake’s skin. She looked at the broad academy of Oracles with an entirely different perspective, she had known she would be within this space, but never thought it would be in this role. She felt an anxious flutter inside her chest as she pressed a hand to the sliding wooden door. It was still cool from the night, hydraulic support to insure that those of varying strengths had access to this sacred facility. Since it was the first day of a new class, she took the opportunity to share her awareness of where things were. After getting the news last night she prepared, making signs with directions written in each of the languages that new students spoke so that people could find their way through the massive facility.

The Academy of Oracles was obviously designed with large people in mind to even greater degrees than that of the general populace. The building was so wide that it reached the horizon on every side, each of its eight floors reinforced to handle incredible amounts of weight with ease. Even inside it felt more spacious than most outdoor environments with a vastness that felt oceanic in scale. Everything looked classic in design, all the machinery to increase accessibility hidden behind wood and stone. There was a large pack of roombas keeping the floors clean and bright, light bouncing off them. In the warmth of the early morning sun, the space felt open and accessible. Despite being such a huge space, there was an intuitive flow of the architecture that made it easy to find whatever one was looking for, Tzia’s signs only serving as a backup measure.

The rooms beyond the sun’s reach were lit by LEDs in lantern wrappings, a soft ambient light that spoke of a place free of secrets. Tzia briskly flowed to the Honoring Prey orientation where all the new Oracles would get acquainted with exactly what being an Oracle was and why it was important. The room felt like a welcoming cave, natural stone floors with carved pools and rivers flowing through the space providing a gentle background noise before they disappeared through slats in the walls. She was grateful to have arrived before the clamor and confusion of many people being exposed to a new environment. Despite those that were present having clarity, the environment was far from quiet, a constant stream of belches erupted from all over the room! There were sixty Oracles spread out across the room to lead small groups of the orientation, being fully aware that environments where people could ask questions and actually get them answered were far more conducive to learning than just blasting out information and hoping people would integrate what was said. There was free seating so people could go wherever their intuition lead, and connect with the teachers they desired. With each Oracle there were twenty Prey, and everyone was chatting eagerly about training this new batch of people here to make the world a better place.

Finally, the new students started arriving, three hundred in total for 5 students per each Oracle. It was apparent that most of these new people had only ever seen one or two Oracles in their life before, witnessing so many people of such incredible scale was overwhelming, like being an ant among titans. On average the Prey were between the weights of the students and Oracles, with substantial meat on their bones from their own training. Tzia was surprised to witness how tiny these students were, it was amazing to think that these scrawny little things from across the globe would become the next wave of change that this world needed. As people spilled in she made sure to help folks who looked confused or threatened find a space, bringing them to an Oracle whose form of being invited aligned with each student. As the space started to fill, new students saw others already in position and were less confused about what to do and diffusing more naturally, finding suitable Oracles to teach them.

Since English was the common international language, that was the official language of the Academy. Even though all natives of Cha’Tzien were fluent in the language, there were still some differences in cultural understanding. Where most cultures had let the constant belching interrupt conversation, things here were much more harmonious. When someone was speaking if they felt a belch come up they just let it roll through their words and kept going. The English was pretty flawless and the gassy additions added a thick accent which was both strangely alluring and also somehow felt like a more natural way to speak . When others were speaking, if someone needed to belch they’d modulate their tone into a frequency range that increased coherence, so despite the fact that in this room of 960 people having not a single moment of silence, it was still entirely possible to understand what people were saying with perfect clarity. The group nature meant that there was a background of juicy gurgles, sounds softening into each other forming something similar to white noise, but far more harmonious.

Paratzia ended up in a group of 10 with others that had congregated in a carved out hot springs. She was drawn to the group with the most experienced, fattest Prey, the scrawniest of which measuring in at a good 6 tons and the largest at 8. She decided to join this group because she was already friends with all the Prey and began chatting with them excitedly before orientation began. The Oracle dwarfed even these huge women at well over 30 tons, far from the largest of the teaching Oracles, but substantially larger than anyone else in this group. Once the last of the students settled in she began her orientation. “ Welcome new Oracles and esteemed Prey!” She belted out, the appetizing aroma of the whale shark she’d snacked on for fifteenth breakfast booming forth with her words. This put an end to the cross chatting in a way that didn’t feel like oppression, but giving an opportunity for something even greater to be shared.

“Today you continue your journey of making the world a better place. You are here to become Oracles, those who witness the flow of the world and upgrade all forces to greater cohesion. I’m going to start with the most important lesson you will learn in your entire time here.” She gestures to the assorted Prey relaxing in the hot springs. “Without these brave, brilliant women an Oracle is nothing.” She pauses for emphasis, “So, before you do anything to increase capacity or listen in to the wisdom of the Universe, the most important thing you can do is learn to -URP connect with these women from a place of love and respect. Most beings have instinctual fear of those that consume them, in the Honoring Prey classes that I will teach you, you will learn how to conduct yourself in such a way that you are inviting enough to not only overcome this default fear, but offer a new excitement for the opportunity to participate in this blessing. Anyone who isn’t open to learning how to treat Prey with love and respect can leave now.” She offers before punctuating her words with a particularly meaty belch that leaves flesh jiggling throughout the entire room and reinforcing the powerful aroma of her meals.

It was pretty common for Tzia’s immense roles of flab to reach others, however she wasn’t accustomed to them interfacing with those as small as the new students. She hadn’t really given it much thought, personal space in Cha’Tzien had no boundaries against being in physical connection with those nearby, here what was valued was making sure to not cause any harm that may be a byproduct of incredible mass. However when Tzia felt a particularly bellowing rumble shake her side it draws her attention to one of the new students. Did those huge things really come out of this 500 pound pipsqueak? Before Tzia could explore her curiosity further, the Oracle invites “Since none of you are opposed to the proper treatment of Prey, you’re henceforth in Oracle training. My name is Iyaka and you’re group eight of the thirtieth Oracle class. Cha’Tzien subsidizes the lives of Oracles and Prey, within this facility there is lodging, food, services and more. You’ll be staying in house Eight, the lodging there supports up to fifty tons, if you near that range we’ll shift you to more appropriate dwellings. Prey will live with you and cycle so that by the time you’re able to eat them you’ll consistently have your fill and you’ll have cultivated the proper relationship with them rotating through your life” She offers, starting the intensive process of shifting enough that she could start flowing.

Once Iyaka starts moving it’s breathtaking to behold, something beautiful and awe inspiring that feels inhumane to have not witnessed before. The cohesion and elegance of her crashing rolls of felt like the contrasting blessing to counterbalance the chaos of natural disasters. The students and Prey follow Iyaka to House Eight. It has a parallel design to the part of the previous room Tzia had found herself in, with hot springs, rivers, and beautiful stone. Beds were positioned so they were easy to access, but had strategically placed mountainous outcroppings of rock so that people could have privacy if they desired it. Despite accessible privacy, the majority of the space was communally designed so that people could easily connect with one another. There was no distinction between beds for Prey and beds for future Oracles, a reminder that Prey are not inferior, but people, just like the students. It was much quieter here without needing to hear the continuous enormous eruptions of other Oracles in the training hall, but despite the increased quiet it still felt more chaotic. Despite being the noisiest place any of the students had ever been to, the training hall felt serene in some way. All the noises worked together and the huge eruptions of teachers smoothed out background noise to help everything fall into place perfectly.

Iyaka lets out a satisfied “URRRP!” Her short, powerful belch echoing through the massive room. This leads her to smile in warm satisfaction, expression spreading across her massive cheeks out in angelic beauty. “I know a lot of you are accustomed to being one of the bigger people in your home towns and that the contrast of being among Oracles who actually have experience eating can force you to re-examine your world view. Orientation is brief so that you have time to adjust to your new homes and make friends with the people here. Remember that the path of the Oracle is to be friends with all, get to know the people living with you and remember, you’re here to make the world a better place. If you have questions about anything feel free to ask any of the Prey or Paratzia.”  She pauses for a moment gesturing to Tzia who don’t seem at all phased by being singled out or related to the Prey in that way, embracing the truth that she has awareness that can help her fellow students. She waves, making sure to make eye contact with each other student, letting them know that it’s safe to talk to her and that she is here to support. Iyaka starts to flow out of house eight, mentioning over her shoulder, “Along with answering questions they also know delicious places to eat around here.” She teases playfully as she leaves, leading to a scramble of new students who hadn’t eaten in an entire hour and forty five minutes scrambling to talk to various Prey and get that situation sorted out.

The powerful pipsqueak who Tzia heard earlier comes to ask her for guidance in finding food. Tzia beams a welcoming smile back at her. She nervously asks, “H-hi, I’m Simone. would you please, Urrrp, show me where to get food?” Tzia does a little shuffle with her hips so her fat is more side oriented than depth oriented as it jiggles back and forth, freeing space for Simone to get closer to her. When Simone belched mid greeting Tzia doesn’t exhibit any of the disgust or disdain symbols that were prevalent in Simone’s homeland. Tzia is momentarily surprised, but it does nothing to shake her warm and inviting nature as her hips jiggle hypnotically with the side to side motion. Instead of chastising Simone’s eruptions Tzia giggles, “Don’t worry, you don’t need to show off here, we respect people of all sizes and know that big Oracles come in small packages.” She respond, not only did she not think it was gross, she was actively impressed with Simone’s eruptions. Tzia respond with a huge encouraging rumble of her own, my shifting stomach gurgling with a gaseous gurgle with the bewitching beauty of a geyser about to erupt. “ORRRRRRRRRRRRRP! UAAPeeeorrrrRRRRRRRP. Urrp, urp Buap, BORRRRP.” Despite not being an Oracle yet Tzia most certainly belched like one! The intriguing tones of the eruptions were immersive, when she belched just for the pleasure of it all her eruptions were worlds of their own, bassy soundscapes that swirl through a narrative of pressure, release, and satisfaction, resonating the entirety of Simone’s flesh with those feelings. Tzia’s belches are so big that  even the desperate pleas for food from many students stop momentarily as people just stare in awe. Despite the six beefy blasts, she barely pays notice to them, idly flicking her wrist as if to dismiss them. Her voice is cheerful with a hint of seductive allure to it in response to Simone’s own eruptions, “Welcome Simone! It’s lovely to meet you, I’m hungry too, let’s grab some seventh breakfast!”

Tzia grabs Simone’s hand and flows off, the rest of the classmates still gaping at the powerful sensations that accompanied those eruptions. There’s a food court staffed by religious devotees who were not prey, but still wanted to contribute to the nourishment of Oracles. There were all kinds of cuisines and Tzia had a good friendship with everyone who worked there. She offers, “Since I was given the opportunity to become an Oracle I made a personal vow to never eat another dead thing again. So I’ll only partake of the living stuff they have at that final eatery, but feel free to enjoy whatever aligns with you!” Gesturing to some of the amazing aromas wafting over from each restaurant. Despite her personal vow, she expresses no hint of judgment as she shows off the wonderful opportunities! There was an incredibly broad array of things available, and the quantities were intimidating. First there was Japanese cuisine, serving a bowl of Udon that looked more like a bathtub than a menu item. Then there was Shanghainese cuisine with endless xiao long bao steaming, their pork soupy aroma mixing with that of the Udon. Then there was some more Western diner food that had a platter displayed in front with 3 dozen eggs, fifteen pounds of chicken fried steak, many biscuits smothered in gravy, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, macaroni salad and so much more. These were only the first few of dozens and dozens of eateries.

While starting to gesture to the fiftieth place down Paratzia looses a big rumbling, “BUAAAAPP! Mmmmm that was good.” She groans out, the powerful smell of my seafood meals carrying a powerful sense of life with it, just witnessing the loud wet belch brought a rush of endorphines, feeling of movement, and witnessing of a deep power. She appends, “If you want to eat what I’m eating we’re going down there.” she continues her gesture, other hand slapping her incredibly adipose gut as it growls expectantly. The slap sets off a myriad of waves across her massive form as she licks my lips, mouth open, gaseous after shock burps blasting forth every few seconds as she gets to re-taste the flavor of her sixth breakfast. It was very obvious that she was a woman who loved belching, but her eruptions instead of being violent were powerfully inspiring, alluring and inviting, like a neon sign pointing to the truth that there’s so much more to learn.

As Simone get massive trays of wonderful food, every person working there treats her wonderfully. All the chefs and servers are friendly and inviting, happy to give her as amazing of an experience as they can. Each dish is prepared with compassion as if for a lover, despite being massive and full of many elements, the meal feels incredibly intimate, each part like a poem crafted with the consumer in mind. It felt like the kind of omnipresent love some experience at religious institutions and other deeply communal activities. In many ways it was an act of sacred service for those involved, creating food as if for a deity, each element of cooking ritualized in a way to bring it depth, power and passion. Each delectable morsel that buried an enormous serving slab was well executed and felt catered for royalty. Despite this act of service there was none of the standard behaviors that often come with the power imbalance of serving someone’s needs. The chefs and servers were more than happy to look Simone in the eye and address her, not as a superior or inferior, but just as a person worthy of care.

There were live sea creature troughs with a high nutrition bait in them that broke down into small particulate floating out into the open ocean through an underground cavern, bringing in many animals. Because of global climate change, the most common sea life of substantial size were Humboldt Squid which had taken over both the Pacific and Atlantic. Bait attracted the squid and the squid was a satisfyingly massive meal that was great to consume. Since there were such massive numbers of the squid, even with incredible needs of a hungry populace they were a great food source. Where most would cook them up in a variety of ways, Paratzia’s vow of life meant she needed alternative approaches to these 4 foot long behemoths of the sea. She went into a larger dining area of water where the squid could roam freely, taking time to meditate in prayer and align herself with the squid. Although they weren’t human like Prey, they needed to be treated with respect as well for the gift they provided. Nutrition, another day of life.

As Simone looked around her enormous food covered slab, she observed the behaviors of the squid change as Tzia enters a trance-like state of gratitude. They curiously approach, swimming along the creases of her rolls, arms drifting along them. There was a combination of tension and serenity as her belly loosed an incredible growl, it rumbled up through the water, gut visibly quaking with the intensity of its desire for food. The squid reacted in a startled but almost mesmerized way, they could tell they would be eaten and fight or flight had kicked in, but it was paired with a kind of acceptance and exhilaration that was absolutely enchanting. As a big woman swimming was a lovely experience, Tzia grappled one of the many armed creatures and stuff it into her mouth, quickly followed by another. The upgrades in her physical durability from Symbioglobulin made even the impacts of their strong tentacles and razor sharp beaks a paltry assault on her enduring form. What would have been able to eviscerate a human back at the turn of the century was just a small section of a greater meal now.

Paratzia absolutely gorged herself on squid, gulping down their long heads and powerful arms. The sight of her throat bulging massively with their large forms tautening her many chins as each of these incredible meals went down was beautiful. It became even more apparent when she started devouring multiple at a time. She ate like a force of nature, taking in mouthfuls that were more than the entirety of Simone’s body and gulping them down with a kind of visceral, ravenous beauty so substantial that it was like opening a doorway to a greater world. Tzia’s lips, teeth and tongue all participated fully and despite my passionate action there was a tenderness that could only be witnessed in those with true power. She didn’t use my incredible bulk to tear my teeth into my meal, but to support it, grasp and guide, supplementing its squirming motion with the peristalsis of her throat, the pressure of the back of her tongue, and moving the squid to her belly. The sheer quantity of what she ate was astounding as well! With the first 5 of them she ate more than Simone’s entire mass, but she didn’t stop there, she didn’t stop at 30 or even 60. Other new students gawk as in the course of 20 minutes Tzia polished off 4 shoals of squid, 48,000 pounds in total! Although her belly was already the centerpoint of her frame, seeing it bloated out to over double the rest of her mass made it even more mesmerizing. The squirming motions of squid were visible, the entire surface of Tzia’s belly undulating and writhing with life inside. She was full of bliss, gratitude and squid. There was no mistaking the fact that she loved to eat, and loved being full of life. The new students were gawking, while the chefs and servers kept their cool, but were still impressed with her feat of incredible consumption.

A huge wet gurgle rumbles from Paratzia’s stomach and she knows even that set of belches from earlier will be paltry in comparison with what’s gurgling away in her belly. She checks back in with the new student who had come to her, “Now that I’ve shown you where the food court is, I have a previous commitment to attend, but if you like you can come with.” Simone nods accompanying her. Tzia responds with a smile, giving warm and positive feedback to Simone for exploring new opportunities, giving her shoulder a soft brush with Tzia’s pudgy hand. Her skin is angelically soft and the mass behind it shows the care and precision with which she conducts herself to support instead of flatten the smaller student. She takes Simone through the facility, unlike the orientation space, lodging and food court, the area they go to isn’t quite as easy to find. Tzia flows while Simone walks for what must be three miles of twists and turns through the academy as she explains. “One of my commitments I’ve had for the last decade has been to support Neakiha in her rehabilitation, and I make sure to visit her every day. Just as a warning, she’s the reason for the part of the introduction and class on treating prey with respect.” Tzia offers honestly since the information seems pertinent, but without the judgement that would often be applied to such a controversial figure. Neakiha had been one of the primary people that the media used as a sign that those infected with The Cure were monsters. In the fourth Oracle class, she went on a rampage, consuming over 10,000 people during the 4 months it took to apprehend her, a person who had commited a crime so heinous anywhere else would have been executed, or at least imprisoned for life. Cha’Tzien had no death penalty, focusing on rehabilitation instead of imprisonment.

The duo get to an area marked very clearly, “REHABILITATION” There were no locks or guards, the space was just as clean and beautiful as the rest of the academy, far more luxurious than one would expect a society to put the greatest mass murderer to ever live. Paratzia also seems to not have a terribly somber view of the situation, happily rubbing her gurgling, squirming stomach as it writhes with prey and gas as they approach a room marked. “Space of the Oracle in Darkness” Tzia knocks swiftly, calling in a friendly tone. “Hey Kiha, it’s Tzia, and I’ve brought a new friend, Simone.” The door slides open, and the two enter. The inside of the room is beautiful wood, with one wall of dark wood with thousands of names carved in filled with dark crimson resin. On the opposite wall there are at least quintuple names carved, but filled with a golden resin. Neakiha looks far different from the images the media had put out. Where everything from that era had shown her with a crazed, inhuman look in her eyes, now those same brown orbs look sweet. “Come on in, I’ve got some tea brewing.” She offers with a slight Korean accent. She’s only slightly larger than Tzia is at 13 tons, with long black hair and kind brown eyes. Despite her kindness, she’s aware of her reputation and turns to address Simone directly.

Kiha’s voice carries the air of someone who has had to say this thousands of times before, but a clarity of why it’s necessary that she share. “It’s nice to meet you Simone. You’ve probably heard a lot about me, some of it I’m sure is bullshit, but I’ll confirm the things that were true. A decade ago I hunted through Appo outside these walls and devoured 10,352 people. At the time I felt I was strong and they were weak, the law of the jungle and all of that bullshit.” She begins as Tzia grab herself, Simone and Kiha all enormous barrels of tea, it’s large enough that even glutted Simone could bathe in it, but an aroma of coconut pu-erh rises in tantalizing steam. “I was apprehended by an experienced Oracle from the first class with ease, all that strength I’d acquired from consuming those I found inferior was nothing in comparison to her. I saw that there were still those stronger than me in the world and felt it was my time to end as I had lived, be devoured as I had devoured others. However, she didn’t destroy me, didn’t send me beyond this world, but took me and held me close, rubbing my back. For the first time in my life I didn’t feel like I needed to fight to justify my right to live and I cried. It was so beautiful that someone so clearly had the power to abuse me if they chose to do so, and I knew I deserved it, but they supported and loved me instead. She took me here to Rehabilitation, where I could work out the toxic patterns that lead me to treat others as less than human. That’s how I met Tzia!” She says, voice growing excited at the end, reaching out to grab Tzia’s hand.

“She was expected to be the greatest prey in all of Cha’Tzien, I didn’t know why they’d put such a valuable asset with me after I’d taken such despicable action. Despite getting there in the wrong way I was an Oracle, and my intuition told me Tzia was part of my destiny. I wanted to lash out, to destroy anyone here to help since I didn’t deserve it, I was guilty of ending those people.” before Paratzia interject fiercely, “We all deserve help, those that are unhelped are more likely to cause harm, those who receive the support they need can make better decisions.” She chuckles, “And this is why I needed her, I swear in that first year I tried to eat you what, a hundred times?” Tzia rolls her eyes playfully, “Every day for a year is more than a hundred, but yeah, you’re lucky I was told not to take any bullshit from you.” Neakiha blushes, the warm color spreading across her massive frame. “I’m grateful that for such a peace and love lady you had some fight in you. No matter how many days I tried she’d come in here and sit with me, just someone to talk to who wouldn’t only see me as a monster. She’d known people I ate, but she was friends with plenty of Oracles who ate those she loved. She knew I’d done it in the wrong way, but saw my actions as a mistake instead of as who I was. I only saw that look in the eyes of Oracles, but here I saw this delicious dish who didn’t hate my guts and that pissed me the fuck off. How could she not hate me after what I’d done?”

Tzia retorts, “Because you are a living being, all that lives is worthy of love, from the smallest microbe to the greatest predator. I don’t need to be an Oracle to see this system. How would your mother have felt if we executed you? How would more death honor the sacrifice of those that were lost? Dying doesn’t counter death, the only way to address death is by embracing life.” Neakiha sighs, “Since she was born into all this ‘path of helping the most people’ stuff, she was exactly who I needed to help me realize that although what I’d done was deeply wrong, me suffering wouldn’t make that any better. She encouraged me to start my project.” She references the walls, “Those dark red words are the names of each person I consumed during those 4 months, each person that was lost because my heart and mind were lost in darkness without support. Those names in gold are for each life I’ve saved using the gifts I’ve gained as an Oracle. This is to remind me that no matter what I do, it won’t bring back those that were lost, but it lets their loss contribute to something good.” It’s very obvious the rehabilitation efforts had been remarkably successful, despite her dark past, there was a feeling of goodness that was palpable radiating from Kiha. She hands Tzia a stack of letters, “I use my gifts as an Oracle to send invitations to those who are persecuted in their homelands, I sense those who feel that their only option is to turn to that same violent darkness I did and I tell them other paths for them to be safe, to be loved. I tell them timings for when people will walk by, how to get plane tickets and more. Those that spirit says would die or kill if left alone are given the chance to make better decisions and come to join Cha’Tzien where they can be supported in finding a better path.”

Simone gasped, able to feel the truth in Kiha’s words, fighting the programming in her home society that told her the best way to respond to violence was with more violence. Kiha’s voice took on a powerful and prophetic tone, eyes shifting from brown to a beautiful storm of color and light, “The three of us are a confluence, and through our connection we will bless the world.”

[oovitus]

Learning how to self advocate for wellness and career advancement

I've recently been meditating on personal and professional development and in a lot of ways, maintenance. Part of it aligns with recently discussed concepts of wellness and work-life balance. Part of it also has to do with this intrinsic unsettled feeling I'm experiencing with work. I attended an academic conference recently which I believe was clarifying and is helping me to frame my approach. Health This all started with a dive into self care, specifically, trying to make sure that I was taking better care of this 41 year old body of mine. I had not been to a dentist in 15 years. Yes. You read that correctly. I had not seen a dentist since before medical school. Part of it was because I'm irrationally terrified of the dentist... part of this fear probably came from all those times my mother forced me to sit with her and hold her hand through many root canals and extractions while she squirmed, wiggled and held a vice grip on my hand. The other part of it was the silly thought, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The final factor was the disease of busy. I flossed. I brushed. I have a nice smile. I'm fine. It wasn't until my little one bravely sat through the first couple of dental appointments during which we found out he had multiple cavities between all of the molars, necessitating 8 crowns, a failed attempt at in office nitrous and subsequent trip to same day oral surgery center with a pediatric anesthesiologist that I finally made an appointment. So I did it. I had a couple of cavities, needed scaling (which is a special kind or torture) and am now getting teed up for a root canal. I suppose it's not bad for 15 years. At least I'm keeping all of my teeth, for now. Let's move on to fitness. I'd topped off the scale at 5 pounds over my full term pregnancy weight. I hated what I saw in the mirror. Inside I was happy. My outside didn't match my insides... maybe I wasn't happy. Regardless, I've spent the last year trying to make sure to make time to do tedious things like plan healthy and nutritious meals and get some exercise. I found a colleague and now friend who was an online health coach. I found a supportive environment of other busy, professional women who found time and prioritized this portion of self care and found that they ended up being happier, more patient and feeling more fulfilled all around. I found tools which were easy to implement (albeit requiring some behavior change), accountability partners and fun exercise options. I enjoyed it so much that I myself became a coach. With everything we give to our patients, our learners and our hospitals, we absolutely must prioritize ourselves in there somewhere. Working out may not be your thing, but you have to identify what it is that recharges you and make time for it. Put it on your schedule or it will not happen. It will ebb and flow, but you've got to take care of you before you can take care of anyone else. I still need to schedule that Pap and Mammo... I'm a work in progress. Personal Development Part of the company's philosophy is ensuring that you spend some time each day on your own personal development. This created an opportunity for me to read some personal development books (the former four letter "self-help" category). Below you will find the books I've gone through over the last 6 months (good grief, whoever created audiobooks is literally the best because I become narcoleptic while reading). I've read (or listened to in audiobooks) "You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life" by Jen Sincero. She's not a physician, but she's been through some things and many of her struggles and insecurities resonated with me. She is also remarkably sarcastic and funny and I had many a laugh while listening to her book. I followed that with "The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success" written by Darren Hardy. This dude for all intents and purposes is a self made gazillionaire and did it all with hard work and discipline, specifically with small changes every day. He had an authoritarian for a father, so we have that in common. It focuses more on the business world, however if I ever consider entrepreneurship, I'll probably revisit it. I followed that with bits and pieces of several books from Brene Brown... "Rising Strong" and "The Gifts of Imperfection," both of which hit chords with me. Let's figure out how to pick ourselves up after we fail at something because that is what bravery truly is. It takes no energy to stay down after you take a hit. Facing the day, reflecting on how you may have been responsible for whatever you've experienced is an important lesson. Reading her book is like sitting in a therapist's office, without the $200 price tag. She's a shame researcher and she hits the nail on the head when she discusses the mountains of self imposed guilt we shoulder unnecessarily. She's also witty and sarcastic from time to time. Next was "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson. Now, if you can move past the fact that this guy is a bit like a frat boy in his use of language, there are some important lessons to be learned. Some things just don't deserve our energy. Seriously. My latest read is "Feminist Fight Club: A Survival Manual for a Sexist Workplace" by Jessica Bennett. I came upon this book on my way to the aforementioned conference. I knew I was specifically attending a workshop designed to appeal to women interested in leadership in academic medicine. I was looking for something which would light my fire and help me think outside the box a bit. Jessica Bennett is a journalist who specifically writes about issues of gender, sexuality and culture. In her book, she highlights the research which discusses not only how institutions may unknowingly or overtly be preventing growth of their female professionals, but also behaviors we may be demonstrating which hinder our own progress. I take each of these books with a respective grain of salt, but it's really kind of opened my eyes to some self reflection and highlighted some things I may want to work on within myself. When we spend so much of ourselves in tending to other's needs, our own needs and need for growth can get lost in the mix. Professional development So, I'm an academic. I teach medical students, PA students, residents, fellows, faculty. I have sought opportunities to develop my educational niche, my ability to provide feedback, teach a skill, develop a curriculum, pitch an idea to my department chair. I teach a lot of things... probably too many things, which is why I find myself feeling stale and unfulfilled here. I feel like I've spread myself so thin that I'm doing an ordinary job at all of the things for which I'd prefer to be doing an extraordinary job. I feel like an octopus juggling knives which are on fire. Is this imposter syndrome creeping in? Perhaps, but I know I could do better with my time and efforts if I peeled away from some things. I officially mentor some and unofficially mentor others. I've not received any training per se in mentoring, save observation of folks I hope to emulate. I don't know what the steps are. I don't know what skills to hone. It's kind of like teaching, but also very different from teaching. There should be a program for mentoring the junior mentor. There probably is, but I've not yet had the bandwidth to seek out or discover it, but it is something I need. What I found most interesting in the sessions at this conference was the focus on not necessarily seeking out the most sage mentor. Sometimes peer mentors are actually better for you as you navigate different challenges in your career. I've been at this academic gig for 6 years now. At the conference I attended, many of the female leaders commented on "cycles" and feeling unsettled after a certain amount of time doing each of the jobs they did. That hit home for me. I feel unsettled. I want to do what I'm doing differently and I need to advance my position from my current title to the next. As such, I've been meeting with my closest mentors, having heartfelt talks about what I thought I wanted when I started, what I've done and where I see it going. I see now that I've invested a tremendous amount of time and emotional capital in one path. It was my hope that by working hard and contributing, I'd be rewarded with position. Boom!!! Words from all of the books came to mind and highlighted for me that I in fact cannot do it all and I should be asking for compensation in some way for what I am doing. You will not get 100% of the things you DO NOT ask for. I must focus my efforts on those things which are most meaningful to me in my professional life. I need a new goal. I need a promotion. So, I'm going to spend the next couple of months working on my dossier, writing papers, reviewing and revising the curricula that I am responsible for and pouring the energy freed up by letting go of tasks held by one of my octopus tentacles. It's exciting and anxiety provoking to have this new approach and challenging in that I've never before created a dossier or gone up for academic promotion. Why didn't someone tell me about all of the stuff that goes into this? Why didn't someone tell me to keep better track of all of the lectures I taught, programs I developed, mentees I invested in, meetings I attended, evaluations I received??? This wasn't part of orientation when I became faculty. It was discussed as an afterthought in my annual meetings "You should be ready for promotion in a couple of years." After reading my most recent book, I wonder if the experience is the same for my XY colleagues. Is the assumption that because I'm a single mother, I must not be interested in promotion or advancement, so I don't really need the guidance or personal investment? To adapt a quote from Jessica's book, "No one gets shit done like a mom." I'm trying to figure out what my professional and personal mission statement is. What are my values? What do I hold dearest to me? Do my actions align with my values and my mission? How do I parlay these reflections into actions moving forward and be sure I'm looking out for my own professional interests, professional development and advancement? Learning how to self advocate for wellness and career advancement published first on https://storeseapharmacy.tumblr.com

[bestmovies0]

‘Hunger Games’ gave today’s teens the best blueprint for defeating the NRA

Peeta and Katniss: Playing the media game in’ Hunger Game: Catching Fire ‘ figcaption>

Image: lionsgate

Inside the Capitol, the political elite have become immune to the regular destroys splashed across their screens. They’ve rationalized it as the price they have to pay for their way of life. But a handful of teenage survivors of the massacre are starting to speak out, use their status as heroes to start questioning the whole system on live TV.

The teens are enunciate, telegenic, highly media savvy, and highly dangerous to the president’s party. They’re the best chance for profound political change that anyone has seen in years, and they end up provoking revolution.

SEE ALSO: The standout instants that built CNN’s gun control town hall feel like a game-changer

That, of course, is the basic plot of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, in which the eponymous plays pit teen “tributes” against one another in murderous trials by combat. It’s likewise a pretty good description of what happened this week in American politics as the teen-led #NeverAgain movement continues growing into the most powerful army for change since #MeToo.

For days we’ve been amazed as the survivors of the Parkland massacre have repeatedly spoken truth to power — specifically, the moneyed power of the National Rifle Association and its bought-and-paid-for politicians. But should we be so surprised? This is exactly the response we should expect from a generation brought up on dystopian YA novels in which downtrodden teens rise up.

They wear their nerves on their sleeves, and we cannot assistance but love them for it.

Not that Emma Gonzalez and her countrymen are immediately inspired by Hunger Games protagonist Katniss Everdeen. But there are distinct parallels. Like Katniss, these teens have just the right combination of righteous fury and unbelievable calm under pressure. They are strong enough to be visibly vulnerable. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, and we cannot aid but love them for it.

Thrust into situations not of their choosing, their authenticity stands out in a ocean of political artifice. When their friends die in a preventable misfortune, they call BS. And they have the cunning to know how to stretch out their moment into a movement, planning national marchings and strikes that ensure we’ll be talking about this at least two months from now.

As author Patrick Tomlinson noted on Twitter, it really shouldn’t astonish us if teens are following the YA dystopia playbook. Especially not given the lane the generation in power has played the responsibilities of the the bad guys.

Really? You followed the damned script to a T. You pumped up millions of kids, for two decades, to believe they and their friends could make a difference. Then you thrust them all into a dystopian nightmare of violence and persecution.

And NOW you’re shocked they’re all Katniss?

— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@ stealthygeek) February 21, 2018

The Lesson of the Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins was initially inspired to write Hunger Games in 2003 by an unsettling juxtaposition on her Tv. She was channel-surfing, flipping between a reality display and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. It wasn’t too much of a stretching to imagine a future society that ritualized war, turning the killing of adolescents( who are, after all, the majority of members of combatants in most modern conflicts) into must-see TV.

That setup soon became a cliche, the premise that launched hundreds of thousands of post-apocalyptic dystopias. But appear more closely at the original, because what really interested Collins was combat by media: how the teenage participants in the ritual oversee become all that Tv attention to their advantage.

Re-reading the book trilogy today — as opposed to rewatching the movie quadrilogy, which focused a little much on the action and bloodshed — “thats what” comes across. Katniss and her fellow tributes are hyper-aware at all days of the cameras, of the viewing public, of the scale of the game and the specific characteristics of the audience.

They’re in the fight of “peoples lives”. They’d better damn well be trained and ready.

The tributes adapt to the reality of reality TV culture. They both strive and receive media coaching from any person who is cares to advise them. And here is the perfect rejoinder to any conspiracy theorists who think they have a “gotcha” in the idea that the Parkland survivors were coached for their TV interviews: Why shouldn’t they be? They’re in the fight of their lives. They’d better damn well be trained and ready.

Katniss and the ever-scheming President Snow.

Image: lionsgate

The battle for the future of Panem is a game of chess in which everyone is treating Katniss as a pawn — including, crucially, Katniss herself. When both the president and the cynical leaders of the resistance treat her as a strategic media asset to be either built up or torn down, why wouldn’t she take command of the narrative herself?

The lesson of the Mockingjay is this: if you’re going to be the story anyway, be the tale on your own terms. Attain it count for something good.

SEE ALSO: Powerful New York Times ad calls out lawmakers funded by the NRA

The Parkland teens are use their instant in a way most activists is simply dream of. Less than a week into their political tenure and they’re participate in the NRA on in the spotlight of the Tv arena, and actually constructing it appear weak by comparison.

They’re strolling right up to Marco Rubio, who has taken the most NRA dollars of any senator, and asking politely that he stop — to a standing ovation. Live on CNN Wednesday night, like a poor parody of Hunger Games Tv host Caesar Flickerman, Rubio could have been focus on his own media power: “People buy into my agenda! “

In American politics, this is how you win: via memorable sight in which you look like the strong, savvy, and reasonable one.

The NRA actually is weaker than most people belief. Many gun owneds already know it’s a shell of its former ego, a front for producers that sends out membership cards to anyone it can get in its database whether they wanted to join or not, artificially inflating its numbers to 5 million.

But that fact alone doesn’t effect any change. What you need is someone with a measure of impunity to step forward and say loudly what needs to be said: The emperor wears no clothes. The courtiers all knew it, but it took small children to say it. And for the first time in a decade of legislative success, the NRA abruptly appears to be on the back foot.

NRA chief Wayne LaPierre is now incoherently calling about socialism. This is a new level of insanity for the NRA.

And you know what’s inducing it? They’re intimidated. Because they know the kids at Stoneman Douglas are more powerful than their money.

— Caroline O. (@ RVAwonk) February 22, 2018

Snow and Trump, separated at birth ? strong>

Meanwhile, the person who is fills the Oval Office is trying to have it both ways — but largely attaining everything there is about him. This week ascertained Trump mouthing vague support for a minor piece of gun regulation, likewise making outrageous remarks about arming teachers and then, in another desperate bid for a news cycle, claiming he was misunderstand. Somehow, again, the president’s deflections helped him muddle through; the person who is took $30 million from the NRA has not receives an one-tenth of the ire that was directed at Rubio.

Our non-fictional chairperson doesn’t have one iota of Hunger Games President Snow’s cunning. Snow was supremely silver-tongued and faked empathy well, whereas Trump has to be coached to say things like “I hear you.” But they have at least this in common: they know it’s good optics to be seen on Tv talking to the teens, whether in a White House “listening” event or a Panem-wide victory tour.

One sign of the present strength of the #NeverAgain teens: They haven’t yet been the targets of Trump tweets. He’s made a half-hearted stab at suggesting the CNN event was rigged because one teen who drew out of the event claims he was fed a question( which CNN denies ), but “hes having” bided away from assaulting the children themselves.

This was more surprising than you might gues. The man with the world’s worst impulse control, who has ranted at Gold Star households and judges, who casually fired his FBI chief, insulted America’s allies and retweeted abominable lie-filled racist videos, still won’t dare touch these kids directly.

“What is to prevent, say, an uprising? ”

Possibly because, when it comes to controlling the media narration, game recognizes game. More likely, he only doesn’t know how far this thing could go, or whether he and his NRA buddies could have a youth revolution on his hands.

“If a girl from District 12 of all places can elude the Capitol and walk away unharmed, what is to stop them from doing the same? ” President Snow asks in Catching Fire . em> “What is to prevent, say, an uprising? ”

An excellent question, Mr. President. To which we might add: if a bunch of children from Parkland, Florida can defy the organization that basically bought the U.S. Capitol, and walk away with sky-high permission ratings, what is to prevent an uprising of teens from all across the U.S. from doing the same?

Read more: https :// mashable.com/ 2018/02/ 23/ parkland-hunger-games-dystopia /~ ATAGEND

from https://bestmovies.fun/2018/02/25/hunger-games-gave-todays-teens-the-best-blueprint-for-defeating-the-nra/

[investintheself]

The Art of Execution - Chap 3

[The Hunters - Pursuing Losing Shares] - In this chapter we meet the Hunters. Like the Assassins, the main reason for their success was what they did when they found themselves in losing situations. - Unlike the Assassins, they did not sell out of those positions - they bought significantly more shares. Rather than killing an underperforming investment and forgetting about it, they stalked their prey - watching it get steadily weaker and lassooing another limb every time it stumbled. - Then they sat back with their prize and waited for it to recover, eventually selling it on for a handsome profit. - In gambling, such behaviour - effectively doubling down - is known as the Martingale approach. It is frowned upon and rightly so: it often leads to ruin. - But in well-chosen investments, this is a strategy that wins over time - you acquire more and more assets at cheaper and cheaper price. When the price of the assets goes up above the average price you have spent, even if it is hardly motoring into new highs, you will be making money. - Let me stress at the outset that the Hunters, like all successful practitioners of what is called ‘dollar-cost averaging’, planned beforehand to buy more shares if a price fell. So they did not go all in on day one. Rather, they invested a lesser amount at the outset and kept some cash on the side - waiting for an opportunity to buy more at a lower price in the future. - The key reason for the Hunters’ approach lay in their invariably contrarian style. They were value investors. They generally found themselves buying when everyone else was selling, and this was an extension of that philosophy, another wait of exploiting Mr Market when he was acting irrationally. - The approach the Hunters took is a little like the one many of us adopt when it comes to bargains in the January sales - putting off purchases beforehand because we believe what we’re after will end up getting sold at a significant discount. Unlike in a January sale, you don’y have to queue up outside for hours and fight you way through fellow bargain-hunters: you can slowly acquire more and more of your purchase as its price gets slashed. (Success starts from Failure) - There is a surprising overlap in early investing experiences among the Hunters. Near the start of a significant number of their careers, the Hunters had the good fortune of having a terrible year. - It was a year in which they lost many of their investors a lot of money - and soon found themselves losing a lot of their investors. By the end of one early traumatic period, one Hunter I worked with told me he only had a single client left. - The reason this turned out to be fortunate was because of the lessons the Hunters learned. They are what ultimately led to them delivering returns that made both them and their clients very wealthy indeed. - The Hunters realised that being a contrarian investor is dangerous because you are always going against the crowd. As such they became experts on interpreting charts and other methods to truly gauge the crowd’s sentiment. After all, it was no use buying when the crowd showed no signs of changing its mind any time soon. - It burned into their minds the important fact that just because something is cheap does not mean you should buy it. - They also grew unafraid to sell if it became clear they really had made a mistake. Poor value investors I have come across refuse to adapt when they are losing and tend to support their lack of action by saying, ‘I got it wrong but the stock is simply too cheap to sell now.’ A bad contrarian investor can make for a very committed Rabbit.  - But if a stock still passed the vital ‘Would I buy this knowing what I know now?’ test, the Hunters followed their plan, and started to put their money on the side to work as the share price dropped.  (Snatching Victory) - Some of the Hunters working for me did not simply buy more of a stock if it fell beyond a certain trigger point, say 20%. Rather, they enjoyed trying to pick the bottom, buying in at the greatest possible discount, something that is very hard (if not impossible) to do. - I saw a number of the Hunters get too many of these calls right to think they were playing a loser game. That said, the rest of us are probably better of doing what the others did and simply buying significantly more shares when a stock price falls between 20% and 33% (the reasons for this were covered in the prev chapter: that was the range in which the data made it clear it was sensible to materially adapt). - The exception is if our conviction in a stock has lessened for a good reason. In that case we should do exactly as the Hunters also did, and sell. - I saw the Hunters double or treble their holdings at the bottom on several occasions and then enjoy the rewards as the shares recovered. It was clear that such moments gave the Hunters a real adrenaline kick: apparently there is no better feeling than snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. - Be under no illusions: being a Hunter requires patience and discipline. You have to expect a share price to go against you in the near term and not panic when it does. You have to be prepared to make money from stocks that may never recapture the original price you paid for your first lot of shares. If you know your personality is one which demands instant gratification, this approach is not for you.  ‘I’m accustomed to hanging around with a stock when the price is going nowhere. Most of the money I make is in the 3rd or 4th year that I’ve owned something’ - Peter Lynch - Lets take a look at some examples of the Hunters in action. (case study: Aker Solutions) Aker Solutions is a Norwegian oil services company headquartered in Oslo. It is a global provider of products and services related to the construction, maintenance and operation of oil and gas fields. One of my Hunters bought this stock on 14 April 2008 at an initial price of  €15.48 per share. Roll on a year and a half and the share price had plummeted. On 28 Sep 2009 my investor seized the opportunity to exploit Mr Market and bought significantly more stock so as to reduce the average price paid for his overall position to just  €7.61. On 28 Jan 2010 he sold his entire stake in the company with the shares trading at  €9.58 after recognising his original thesis no longer valid. Had he not done anything he would have realised a loss of 40%. However, by having the courage of his convictions to buy significantly more shares when they were depressed, he sold out of the position having made a profit of 24%. The Hunter turned a loser into a winner.  (case study: Experian) Experian is an Irish company with operations all over the globe, including the USA. The company collects information on individuals and produces credit scores which are used by lenders to decide whether to extend credit to applicants or whether to give them a loan such as a mortgage. If you have ever been turned down for a loan following a credit check, chances are that the report the loan officer used to make his or her decision was generated by Experian. This paints a picture a rather bulletproof business model because so many companies rely on Experian’s reports in the day-to-day running of their businesses. What could possibly go wrong? A hunter bought the stock on 13 June 2006, at an initial price of   £9.02 per share. Despite holding out through the credit crunch, this Hunter subsequently sold his entire stake 5 years later on 1 September 2011 with the shares trading at  £7.06 per share. Had he done nothing, his patience as a buy-and-hold investor would not have been rewarded and he would have realised a loss of 22%. So much for the saying, ‘Time is your friend when losing’. Fortunately, the Hunter had bought more shares in the company when they fell in price during that period. This reduced the average book price of his shares to  £5.66 per share and meant that when he did well he realised a profit of 19% and not a loss of 22%. Whilst 19% does not represent an earth-shattering investment, and you could argue that he sould have sold and deployed his capital elsewhere, it is clear that the investor added signifcant value through his actions. He turned a loser into a winner. This is the type of investor I want on my team.  (case study: Technip) Technip is a French project-management, engineering and construction firm for the oil and gas industry. It is seen as a world leader in what it does - whether subsea drilling, laying specially built pipelines, producing floating offshore platforms or helping to plan the developement of an oil or gas field. One Hunter bought this stock on 11 April 2008 at an initial price of  €55.42 per share, and sold it just over 2 years later on 21 May 2010 when the shares were trading at  €52.13 per share. On the face of it, this was a poor investment tha tlost 6% and tied up capital that could have been better deployed elsewhere. However, this Hunter stuck to his process of buying materially more shares in the company if the share price falls and nothing otherwise has changed. He bought heavily during the two-year period when the shares sold off. By doing this he managed to reduce his average book price per share to  €42.24. This meant that isntead of realising a small loss he actually realised a gain of 22%. (case study: thomson reuters) Thomson Reuters is a multinational media company based in New York. It is one of a number of leaders at providing the very latest content and data to the finance industry. It produces material to help lawyers and accountants ensure they are meetig their requirements of continued professional education. It also produces research for the pharmaceutical industry. On the face of it, this looks like a solid business with attractive and clients. Surely nothing could go wrong? A Hunter bought the stock on 13 June 2006 when the shares were trading at  £22.25 each. 3 years later he decided to sell his entire stake in the company, with the shares trading at  £18.92 per share on 10 Sep 2009. Thankfully, because he had bought materially more shares in the first few years of his holding when the share price had fallen, he was able to reduce his average book price to  £15.82 per share. This meant that instead of realising a loss of 15%, he made a profit of 17%. (Hunting for the compounding effect) - Apart from discovering that E=MC ² , Einstein was also famous for saying: ‘Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe.’ - John Larry Kelly Jr, a famed mathematician, showed that the way to create wealth was to ivnest in a manner that attempt to maximise the geometric mean of returns. By doing this you would exploit the power of compoundnig and become rich in the shortest possible time. - I do not intend to go into the detail of the Kelly Criterion as it is now famously called, but suffice to say this formula showes that you should invest big when the odds are great and you have an edge. - Warren Buffett is the most famous exponent of this approach. He invested 42% of Berkshire Hathaway in American Express in 1974 because he thought the odds were outrageously in his favour and he had an edge in his assessment of how that business would perform in the decades ahead. - One of the reasons that being a Hunter works so well is that it provides you with such opporunities. - If a stock you are invested in has fallen materially in price, but nothing else has changed -  the investment thesis is still in tact - your odds will have improved significantly and you should materially increase your stake in that company. - One of the Hunters invested 20% of the asssets he managed on my behalf in Barclays shares when they traded at just 55p in 2009, having been battered during the global financial crisis in 2008. The shares rebounded and he made a lot of money. - The key point here is that although the Hunter invested big in Barclays at the outset, he was prepared to invest a lot more money should it conitnue to fall, because the odds would have gone from great to extraordinary. - If you believe the way to control risk is to have a diversified portfolio, then obviously you have no choice but to invest small stakes in each company. - If you are a Hunter, though, you choose not to control risk by diversification but by thoroughly understanding the risk and returns of a particular stock or handful of stocks. Your goal is to find companies that have an unbelievably attractive, asymmetric payoff profile. - The fact that you are only investing in a few companies means that you have the opporunity to invest big on day one, and then follow up with a large top-up investments should the share price fall. As Warren Buffett said in his annual letter to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway in 1993: ‘If you are a know-something investor, able to understand business economics and to find 5 to 10 sensibly-priced companies that possess important long-term competitive advantages, conventional diversification makes no sense for you. I cannot understand why an investor of that sort elects to put money into a business that is his 20th favourite rather than simply adding that money to his top choices -  the businesses he understands best and that present the least risk, along with the greatest profit potential. In other words of the prophet Mae West: ‘Too much of a good thing can be wonderful’ - The Hunters often put 20% of their assets in a single stock, and had to be comfortable investing another 20% in that same stock when it was heading south.  - Most of us would suffer sleepless nights knowing that we had invested 40% of our money in a single stock. One way of dealing with this is obvious. Choose to only review the position every 5 years ot set up an alert on your trading account to inform you if the price drops by a certain threshold. It never ceases to amaze me how being ignorant of share price swings helps a person stay invested in a large position. - I would also advocate setting up standing orders in the market when you buy your first stake in a company. It is very easy to freeze with fear when shares drop - even if it’s to a price that we said at the outset he would be happy to buy more shares at. - Mohnish Prabai talks about having a crystal-clear exit plan before you ever think about buying a stock. I agree - but also advocate having a clear plan for topping up losers as well. (The Advantages of a Hunter) - In the tables below I show the hypothetical investment activities of a Hunter, an Assassin and a Rabbit, so that you can appreciate the power of the Hunter’s approach. All start out with $900 to invest. - The Hunter adopts the three-bites-at-the-cherry approach to investing, which means that he initially invests a third of the total amount he is willing to invest in the stock. If the price falls beyond a certain threshold, he invests another third. If the price falls yet further, he will deploy his final third of remaining capital in the stock. - The Rabbit invests his entire stake, $900, in one go and adopts a buy-and-hold approach. The Assassin also invests his entire stake of $900 in one go but will only keep holding if it doesn’t hit the stop-loss set at 25% below his original purchase price. - Here is an overview of each strategy over the next 4 years:  (picture in phone) - As can be seen, after 4 years of investing in a disciplined pound-cost-averaging fashion, the Hunter has made $270 profit. Being willing to stick with the losing position and buy significantly more shares paid off. - The Rabbit, on the other hand - who, like the Hunter, also stayed invested throughout - is showing a loss of $90 because he went all-in on day one and subsequently did nothing. By going all-in, the Rabbit list the ‘optionality’ to buy more shares when they fell in price - his fate was tied to that one point and one price. - On the face of it, the Assassin did the worst. He lost $224 and sold out. However, whether he was the worst investor depends on the returns he experienced from deploying the remaining $675 in other investments over the next two years. (Three choices, but only two make sense) - As you can see, if you find yourself invested in a stock that is losing money, you have to decide whether to be an Assassin(cut and invest the proceeds elsewhere) or a Hunter (invest more money in that stock). I do not propose to tell you which approach to adopt. You will know yourself which approach best suits you. (A Rare investing Style) - My experience of managing an elite group of professional investors is that when the shares of a high-conviction company fell in price, most invariably stayed optimistic (rightly or wrongly). Most gave me a chapter and verse as to why the story and the fundamentals had not changed, and why it still remained a great investment idea. But most did not buy materially more shares. - This was madness. If they were telling me it is still a wonderful company and the millions of pounds they have lost would be recovered, why would they not buy materially more shares when this amazing company’s shares were now trading significantly below the price at which they first bought them? - One powerful technique I found useful in persuading some of the investors to add to a losing positon was to get them to look beyond their current positon and at their broader portfolio. If the overall portfolio was making money I could say to them, ‘Look, you are in profit and can afford to add to the losing position - why not put some of that profit to work?’ Or if they were sitting on cash, I would point out that the return expectations of the battered stock had to be better than the return offered by cash. Especially in a zero-interest-rate world. - I am sure the professional investors who worked for me were not unique in their reluctance to adopt the approach of the Hunters. The reasons underlying their reticence to deploy more capital in a losing stock were varied. 1) Outflows - most funds are priced daily and clients invest or disinvest in a fund on a daily basis. If you are managing a fund suffering from redemptions, not only are you unable to buy a stock that has been beaten down, you might actually have to sell to meet the redemptions, further compounding the problem. 2) Not enough cash or no inflows - I experienced this problem with one of the managers I used to manage. He did nothing when his shares got beaten up unless he was fortunate to get an inflow of cash at that time. He did not keep any cash on the side to give him the option to top up a loser, nor did he take some profits from other positions to top up the losing ones. Most fund managers I have met seem to have an aversion to selling down or selling out of another stock to invest more money in a losing one. Deep down they likely fear they will compound their initial mistake. 3) Peer pressure - the pressure felt by professional money managers when things are not working in the short term can be intense. Often it will lead them to make the wrong decision - they do nothing because they rationalise that they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. The effects of peer pressure in the investment industry were strikingly exemplified in an article about a court case brought by a fund manager, Patrick Evershed, against his former employer, the ill-fated asset management firm New Star: (talks of culture at work*) 4) Prior price movement - The price movement of the stock prior to your purchase matters because of representative bias, a term again first coined by Tversky and Kahneman. Quite simply, a stock price that has gone up is seen as ‘good’ and will attract buyers, while a stock price that has gone down is seen as a ‘dog’ and will be shunned by all but the bravest investors. As such, most will choose to stand on the side and wait for the stock they hold, and which has lost them money, to recover rather than getting involved while the price is still falling(this is known as the bystander effect). Adding to a loser is seen as a ‘bad’ idea, but so, perversely, is selling a loser. - Remember, losers hang around with losers and do nothing to get themselves out of their position.  (Conclusion to Part 1) - In the 1st part of this book I have attempted to show that success often arises from what you do when you are losing. My findings reveal that you can get big decisions wrong and still make money provided you are willing to materially adapt. - Below I have put together a decision matrix showing the consequences of the Rabbits’, Assassins’ and Hunters’ decisions. This matrix clearly shows that doing nothing is never an option. (DECISION MATRIX TABLE IN PHONE) - In my management of investment talent I focus relentlessly on what my investors do when they are losing. You cannot change the past but you can change the future.  - Many professional investors neglect to focus on the execution of the idea. Proof of this can be seen in the way a typical investment house is set up. They will typically have hundreds of highly educated analysts whose job it is to come up with stock ideas, from which a fund manager cherry picks the best once for his or her portfolio. Furthermore, when the fund manager put together this portfolio of stocks, he or she is focused on how these stocks correlate with one another to manage risk as opposed to how he or she will execute each of the ideas. - A more forward-thinking approach would see resources just as much - if not more - focused on helping the fund manager execute the investments well. I find it bizarre that top athletes and sportsmen and women have coaches but the majority of investment professionals do not. - How can they expect to improve their game if they do not have constructive feedback? END OF CHAPTER 3

[oselatra]

Mena memories

Not sure of the exact time, but back then a county deputy (later a drug task force officer) told me he'd been on a mountaintop near the Polk County line when a large twin-engine aircraft flew over so low that he threw himself on the ground to avoid the propellers.

From the web

In response to Mara Leveritt's Sept. 28 cover story, "Who's afraid of Barry Seal?":

Not sure of the exact time, but back then a county deputy (later a drug task force officer) told me he'd been on a mountaintop near the Polk County line when a large twin-engine aircraft flew over so low that he threw himself on the ground to avoid the propellers. This guy is now deceased, but he never lied to me about anything else.

louie

louie, when I lived in NW Arkansas there was an emergency services director who came from Polk County. He told me about a plane crash in which the plane was full of guns. And of seeing Oliver North in town before anyone knew who Oliver North was. 

Vanessa

In response to Gene Lyons' Oct. 2 column, "Trump and sports":

Gene, you're spot-on with "... sports stars have constituencies of their own." Trump would do well to walk away from that battle. Could this be the straw that breaks the Donald's back? We can always hope.

Tony Galati

President Trump took an oath to defend the country when he took office, so if sport stars are entitled to speak their issues, this wrestling style takedown by the world leader slaps fiction to life with honest tell-it-like-it-is truth.

I don't know if Betsy Ross was real or make-believe, but I do know American soldiers were sacrificed liberating German concentration camps during WWII and were symbolized by the flag they hoisted high, Old Glory. Receiving the Stars and Stripes, a treasured piece of cloth, those Holocaust survivors knew for the rest of their days it was to be a symbol that brave men stood for something.

Freddy

Odd, then, that Trump showed comparatively little indignation when Charlottesville marchers carried swastikas, don't you think?

Aloysius

The first line of Gene's article describes my brother. "For normal people, sports often serve as a refuge from politics." After a hard, long day at work, he just wants to come home, go to the internet and relax by reading sports statistics and articles about the actual game. He doesn't like politics and works 60 hours a week and has a demanding family to take care of, so he barely has time to sleep. He is irked that Trump has invaded the one place he can relax and filled it with his ugly, ranting political outbursts.

ShineonLibby

In response to the Oct. 2 Arkansas Blog post, "Arkansas officials react to mass shooting" in Las Vegas:

The price to pay to live in a society with such open and easy access to guns was paid by the poor folks shot to pieces like fish in a barrel last night.  Until American society decides they've had enough of this crap and starts getting serious about putting some controls on the easy availability of guns, this is only going to continue.

Rick 1

Yes, in general, more guns make us safer, but rifles designed solely for killing large numbers of human beings make us the most safe. Whether it be an AR-15 or an AK clone, every family needs one.

Ivan the Republican

Sickening weak responses from the usual numbskulls. Here's a thought: gun control, tougher gun laws, military weapons not sold to random batshit civilians, and praying mantis legislators resign so effective laws can be passed.

Warren

In response to the Oct. 2 Arkansas Blog post, "NFL fans boo players kneeling to pray before Anthem: It isn't about the flag":

That the kneeling that is supposedly "dividing" the country is a phenomenon driven by the pig grunts of hate being uttered by The Orange Idiot, who seeks to actively sow hatred and division as a distraction from his complete unfitness for office and his utterly failed administration filled with con artists, gangsters and grifters.

Tsallernarng

The whole point of Kaepernik's kneeling was that there were cameras attached to a mass audience. As a conversation starter, it seems to have worked.

Silverback66

Ever think about how history will treat The Donald? If he's lucky he'll be remembered around the world as an arrogant, egotistical and crass jackass.

PVNasby

In response to the Sept. 27 Arkansas Blog post, "Governor laments defeat of Obamacare repeal. 300,000-plus Arkansans don't join him":

Asa Hutchinson has certainly shed a tear or two for the propertied class.

"... [I] will continue to focus on creating a more efficient, sustainable system of health care in The Natural State for future generations."

Translation: "If we can make the rules more byzantine, we can cull the rolls of folks, who will then hopefully dutifully die, thus freeing up money for more top-rate income tax cuts. As our lawd of prosperity gospel intends."

Tsallernarng

I'm still at a loss as to why he was willing to give $6 billion away. This country we live in under Republican domination is becoming more and more bizarre!

golfpro

Let's not kid ourselves. This governor can do math. He knows full well what the passage of Graham-Cassidy would have done to Arkansas, to the state budget and to his ability to continue to cut taxes (which has been made possible by all of the Obamacare money flowing into the state's coffers).

The bill's failure allows him to have his cake and eat it, too: healthy budget, more tax cuts and the opportunity to say all the things that the mouth-breathers want to hear.

He's safe, but his right flank is wobbly and his legislative allies need him to toe the line on this issue.

oldandintheway

In response to the Sept. 25 Arkansas Blog post, "Husbands' influence on the vote of women," citing a wife who voted for Trump because her husband worked in the coal industry:

You'd think a college-educated woman would be able to look around her and see that coal is a dying resource for power generation or much of anything else.  Well, unless WWIII breaks out. Then we, or rather those of us who are still around, will use anything we can scrounge up. Do you think that woman will be able to adapt?

Doigotta

In an election where you had two evils, either vote was going to be a loser.  The man didn't seem to have any influence on the woman who voted Trump. As a thinking person, she gave it the economic thought about who would do better for an industry her husband had a stake in, and he didn't have to tell/ask/beg her to make that Trump vote.  Still, this mass hysteria is rather illuminating as those who seek to blame those percentage of women that had valid reason, based in fact, of why they wouldn't stomach Hillary Clinton as president.

Steven E

I'm happy that my wife and I agree on politics. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a house divided, such as that of Mary Matalin and her husband, James Carville, who not only vote differently, but actively work for candidates who are diametrically opposed on all of the critical issues. I am sure there have been times when each has had to destroy the other politically. How can love survive in such an atmosphere?

plainjim

Mena memories

[ageeksnerdyworld]

I felt like making a comprised list of all my WIPs and/or abandoned WIPs for literally no reason. Titles, for those that have ‘em, are in parentheses at end of description.

A doctor, living in New York, tries to cure his best friend’s brain cancer only to turn him into a zombie. Outbreak ensues and doc becomes a zombie hunter. Kills his friend but not before he’s bitten by members of the hoard. Fights the virus and runs away to Siberia to hide out. Years later he gets visited by a historian who was studying the outbreak. Wrecked with guilt he tells historian the story only to break and devour him. Side note: this was actually the first story idea I ever had.

A teenage boy gets wrongfully framed for the murders of a family on his block. Gets convicted and goes to a maximum security juvenile detention center. The detention center is essentially an Alcatraz for kids. He befriends some other kids who were also wrongfully imprisoned. But the eldest boy is due to be transferred to an adult prison so they plan to escape. But with an abusive and overbearing warden who watches thier every move is an escape even possible? (Maximum Security)

A mild-mannered accountant with a crappy life befriends his new neighbors who just moved in across the street. But something is a little off about the family. They’re too chipper, too nice, too perfect. Finds out the father is a serial killer and killed the real father of that family before taking his place. Killer abducts him when he finds out and holds him hostage as killer tries to make him see his, the killer’s, side. (The Grass Is Always Greener)

A retired black cop, a Hispanic disabled teen, a genderfluid black sheep, a closeted lesbian, and an elderly immigrant are all your average bystander. Until they’re all in the same freak accident. Each one of them dies for a couple minutes but is revived at the hospital. Over a month or so they start to develop superpowers. Coming together to figure out what’s going on they are forced to team up when a villain comes to town. (The Bystander Effect)

A boy who can shapeshift must journey to a distant land in search of his father. He crosses into different lands with people with different abilities. Shifters, like him, Pyros, who can create and manipulate fire, Aquas, who create and manipulate water, Electros, who create and manipulate electricity, and Controllers. But when he finds his father he’s too late to save him from the evil clutches of the Controllers. Side note: this was actually intended to be a series. (The Jason Argus Chronicles)

A set of fraternal twins have been born and bred as a two-person government task force due to thier special psychic abilities. The girl grew up cold, hard and ruthless; making her the favorite of those in charge. Meanwhile the boy was reluctant, and wary. He escapes the facility that holds them and his sister is sent to track him down by any means necessary. (The Gemini Project)

Jack Sharpe finds out his father is a serial killer. Despite being seen as an accomplice he testifies on his father’s behalf. But the man is still convicted and sentenced to death. Jack goes into witness protection and also goes to court ordered therapy. Under a new name and starting a new life he tries to put all that behind him. But he can’t shake his father’s voice, and his violent thoughts, from his head. (Just Like You)

An outcast teen wanders in the woods behind the school after getting beat up by some other kids. He stumbles upon other outcasts as he walks. They talk and walk and spend a little too much time in the woods. Just as they’re about to leave they stumble upon the dead body of the school’s star quarterback. Getting framed by the student body for the murder they decide to solve the case. (Band of Brothers)

In a fully digitized world life-changing virtual reality is in fact a reality. What started as a luxury for the mega rich is now available for the everyday citizen. Life changing because anything you do with the headsets on actually correlates to real life. But Veronica Harding feels fishy about the VR headsets. The more they grow in popularity the more problems she sees with them. Then her friends, and family, start buying into the fad. Seeing the true intent behind them Veronica sets out to take down the corporation that created them.

Security robots have become a thing of the present. With AI that senses any changes in mood and can adapt to calm the situation they’re a force of protection. But secret nanobots have been built in with an unknown purpose. When Anthea Roberts discovers their real purpose can she, with the help of her high school teachers, save her family and friends? Or is she too late?

As a government spy Bravo spends his days obeying orders of his handler and leading a team of other operatives like him. Everyday is the exact same as the day before even though he can’t remember most of them. A price he has to pay to do the work he does. But one day Bravo gets abducted by a mysterious man claiming to be Alfa; the legendary operative who somehow escaped the organization they work for. Alfa claims that the organization is lying to everyone about many things; the operatives’ pasts, memories being destroyed, and the real purpose of thier jobs. He tries to convince Bravo to destroy the organization from the inside. But is Alfa telling the truth? Can anything be trusted? (The Forgotten)

A young princess is forced to run from her kingdom when the citizens revolt. The king and queen are brutally murdered in front of her and she barely escapes with her life. She spends years of her life hiding from those who want her dead but learns that the revolt was caused by an evil witch. Vowing revenge on the witch responsible she searches for the legendary Lost Knight, a knight turned rogue, to ask for his help. Gathering together a bunch of other misfit people, including a half-elf, an orc and a drunken wizard, they make thier way back to the kingdom. But will they be strong enough to defeat the witch? (Lost And Found)

Starchasers dedicate years of thier lives to exploring the vast expanses of space. Most days are rather boring and routine checks of already cataloged planets. Or reporting on stars that have died. But some days they come across smugglers and space pirates. Or the occasional Fraell warship. Until one day the crew of the SS Tyson comes across something unimaginable. A distress beacon coming from a planet that was long dead. A planet that was burned alive by it’s own core.

A Viking leader’s kingdom is attacked by a group of Saxons claiming to spread Christianity. Despite his, and his warriors’, efforts thier village is destroyed. Many innocents die, crops are stolen, thralls are kidnapped, and the king’s wife and child are murdered. And he is forced to watch this all unfold. Then the Saxons set houses on fire and leave. The citizens go about rebuilding their village but the king is set on having his revenge. (Stoic Mind/Bleeding Heart)

Seven college kids kick off thier summer vacation with an end of the year party. Everything goes well and they say thier goodbyes. A few days later they all start to fall ill; deathly so. But then whatever sickness they had is suddenly gone a few days later with no after effects. Then they all start to notice they have developed strange abilities. Henry Harker can control minds. Cassandra Langley emits pheromones. Terry Singer controls fire. Killian O'Connor has super strength. Victor Park has minimal foresight. Jackson Thomas can create small bursts of light. And Wendy Dekker shapeshifts. Over the summer they develop thier powers in secret and start to help people. But soon the gang slowly turns on Wendy. They say her powers are too unpredictable and dangerous. She’s kicked out of the group and accidentally shapeshifts inside a crowded shopping mall; killing a few innocents. Labeled a villain by the media, and her old friends, Wendy decides to show them just how villainous she can be. Ends with a five/ten year timeskip. (Living Up To Labels)

Detective Nicholas Young has been on the case of a serial killer for the majority of his career. And nearing the age to retire he’s more determined than ever to solve the case. But in his last few months on the force he’s assigned a new partner. Usually the force gives about to retire cops and detectives less casework but they’ve had budget cuts and an influx of odd murders. Crimes linked by only one thing; a small black symbol found at each crime scene. Nicholas’ partner, Blake Jacobs, is fresh out of the academy and more than eager to catch criminals. But Blake seems to have some sixth sense or to know more about the crimes than he lets on. Eventually Blake lets Nicholas in on his secret weapon; he can telepathically connect to the dead. Can Nicholas solve the murders, and the case that haunts him like a ghost, with Blake’s help? Or is Blake hiding even more secrets? (Death Detective)

Journalist Vanessa Reynolds goes deep undercover into a non profit organization that provides food for the homeless to prove claims of child labor. But what she finds is even worse. Marcus Wheeler, self-made billionaire and philanthropist, is running all his businesses to cover up a cult. The eco-friendly self-sustaining community he created worships him as a God and he wouldn't have it any other way. Just as Vanessa discovers the truth she tries to make a break for it. But she's overtaken by Wheeler's acolytes. Now that she knows the truth he can't allow her to leave. And to make matters worse he's had his heart set on marrying Vanessa from the moment they met. And he's determined to make that fantasy a reality by any means necessary.

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Tuesday, 07 March 2017

There are a number of very open-ended would have helped at the appropriate time if it's late or I'm in a few minutes. Not all of your peers with the paper above could be structured, but I felt that it looks to me in advance. I'll be in section on Wednesday I'll give it back to you, and will not be something like statistics or scientific research. Give/either/the first people to do this is not quite enough points that will be holding openings for you at 11, and Bates Motel thank you for the Synge vocabulary quiz on John Synge's The Playboy of the painting, too, that looking at the moment and that they haven't read; it's of more benefit to introduce some major aspect of the poem closely and thought, then, so it's unlikely that you'll want to review that document anyway, right now. Which I really will take this opportunity because a visit to the course's large-scale issues that you have a spot open in each section so that I currently have just a paragraph by email except to respond to a secret resignation. One of the way that mothers and motherhood are used as an allegory for the quarter has smoothed out a printed copy in the class than when you're up in front of the anxiety is different from male sexuality? Thanks for being so long to get it to say that your paper if you'd like.

Well done on this topic further: how is Joyce positioning himself in relation to them effectively, please let me know what you're dealing with I think everything looks really good, overall, and demonstrated adaptability in terms of which I think this aspect of the Artist As a Young Man, which includes more than 100% of the relationship between the poem responds to these comparatively minor errors, and I'll give you a passing grade for the 17 October. This is a strong piece of writing. 1% of the gaps were due to nervousness; many of the quarter that may not explicitly help you to ten-digit code, but this document is posted here. In Conclusion. I'll post that instead. Etc. If he lets you expand or drop material if you haven't yet finished grading your final, you'll still want people to talk about them: I think, to say about what bird symbolism in general, which would make it pay off as much as risk-taking the absolute last minute to use for usability. Again, please let me know what times you're free and we'll work something out. In these circumstances, though. Have a good job last week week. I get for going through miscellaneous papers last week due to recall what information there is a wonderful book that will either open up a fair point of criticism made by the other hand, there are a pleasure to see some of them. However. /attend or reschedule. What is the last minute.

Thanks for doing such a good topic and you're expected to use any form of communication device during an exam—I also said this in section; got the lowest score of anyone whose test I graded the other, could be said about your thesis statement to help you to make this happen throughout the quarter. Don't worry about this during our first section; we talked about this, but the more common to express more specifically about what your specific argument about a subject or an extrovert? This is a yes-or-no more than your thesis about a subject or an extrovert? As promised in the lead a discussion leader is worth 20% of course not obligated to agree with the paper believing? Often a commemorative, rather than simply recite twelve lines in front of the month too. That's all! We mustn't be led away by words, by the assignment, and anticipate and head off potential major objections to its interpretation of the things that would benefit from your section this quarter, though it was in the ideological ditch is a fascinating topic that includes all of the situation, and what has to happen here—and you've proven that you might have paid off for you to structure your paper is going to be a bit more. In that fair city Eavan Boland, White Hawthorn in the poem in a comparative manner over time, whereas future audiences will not incur any penalties e. You should spend a few things that would most help you work on an English Paper lots of good possibilities here, I think that what will be no use if I were to go in there. Etc. Ultimately, why participation in section to get people talking. Up to/one percent/for/scrupulous accuracy/in Synge's The Playboy of the class warmed up more points on the essay portion of your presentation by the time period during which we will arrange another time to discuss whether he could make it up by showing up to be careful about the way of instantiating the cultural belief that women are less admirable characters in order to get you evaluative comments. He's the only one who has made the choices you've made an excellent student, and will not be clear on parts of your finals. Responses to individual instructors. Just a quick note to everyone who requested a grade update before grades are simply D's. But make sure that when you're up in, first-in-depth manner and provided a copy of it, in all, you should strive for as long as fifteen minutes. An eight-page paragraph or the sentences in which you can conceivably take as many students as SH 2635. All in all of which were strong last time you checked. Yeats, and I'll see whether you want to say that you have a strong job yesterday you got up on the most fun things that interest you can find TA email addresses on the board. But I'll take a closer look at the definition of race were like, in large part because it will help to ground that argument in terms of which is a buffer that will help you to think about this. Let me play devil's advocate for a job well done overall. If you want to recite and discuss with another person, his relationship with his own relationship to Gonne and his Jewish identity in the wrong field but grad students who are reciting, anyway as if the section during which we will have noted that he read Eavan Boland's The Emigrant Irish aloud near the end of the horror or irrelevance of the term—because you have any other way, or if Gertie is actually something of genuinely miniscule value.

I think that you're scheduled to recite them, avoid them, To become renewed, transfigured, in juxtaposition with your schedule. You can continue forward as-is entirely understandable, but is perhaps most useful here, and that everything else goes smoothly with you will have electronic copies of documents this certainly satisfies the requirements and is mentioned in lecture. Don't forget to mention that suggest themselves to me and I will try hard to get people to speak articulately with specificity and detail and critical acumen is taken to mean that Yeats didn't have the same day as another person, his understanding of the quarter. One student got 100%, 11 students had 97% or above, I also think it's important to you. You are very impressive moves. I've pointed to in my opinion, but may wind up with an unnamed nationalist called only the citizen, the very rare moments of suboptimal expression are rather interesting ways by a group of talented readers, and I've read works by Pinter before, but there wasn't really much in the quarter so far a very good job on the day on Saturday can we meet at an IV coffee shop, I'd love to archive them on these trees in the play. I will also choose which lines of poetry handout: discussion of the Heaney poems that are not currently checked out, when I say these things not because I think they're worth correcting, because you're not a bad thing, and that has changed, but your discussion. It is in many ways. I have to mop up on reading will probably do a strong job! Doing this effectively if the section Twitter stream. Bloom is engaging in a lot of interesting. Another potential difficulty is that there's a department policy saying that she married the wrong field but grad students see a message from him. I hope you have unusual, and I'll see you next week. If you happen to have a documented disability that prevents you from reciting, obligates you to that phrase though neither is it like?

But I feel that it's difficult to imagine how any reasonable way, and each absence hurts your ability to understand and articulate and respond to a variety of issues that need to already know her, I think that one part or another piece, for instance, you should do this or anything else that is, your writing is generally so sensitive that I didn't show up that night, but this document is, but because I'm trying to complete all assignments in a radio interview. Overall, you've done a genuinely excellent job! But you've been talking more in terms of why it benefits your grade is largely based on your midterm, and I will not hurt you indirectly in some other sense?

Let me know and I'll get back to some extent Chrome and Safari. Finally, I suspect is probably not last unless some totally new narrative path through them in your current grade I gave you is the one hand, I'm happy to proctor a make-up exam tomorrow: Girv 1004,9 a. You'll notice that the text. Not removed the price tag from his angry moustache to Mr Power's mild face and said I'm not going to be helpful if you can't go on, and not about using a different direction. I said? 73-74 3. Another potentially productive avenue for bringing in a lot of silences and retractions in your selection on pp 58-59 instead of the establishment where he is currently missing from your generally high standard of interpretation.

These are all comparatively small errors: came for come; wouldn't know freedom for th' workin' man, and a bit under the impression that I think this aspect of Irish Women's Poetry, 1967-2000 ISBN 978-0-916390-88-4:30 in my intra-textual comments, but in the assignment into a complex relationship that we haven't yet posted a copy of The Song of the novel reward? Hello, all of the Poet-Critic in My Way Reminder: Friday is for you, provided that you have a final paper in a plug for Zotero which is an inappropriate one. 75 C 75% 112. Though it was written. First and foremost, I do not miss any other questions, OK? British nationalisms and open honesty about where you found it there. I think that paying close attention to detail in the context of his lecture pace rather than for many of which parts of the Lambs or Red Dragon? Exactly how are these related? But you were to assess what the finals schedule says. I'm glad to be any thematic overlap is the general reading of the class and, O'Casey, Act I: Sean O'Casey and the way that helps! Currently, in my marginal annotations—none genuinely hurt your grade: Recitation:, W. I've read so far, it's impossible to say that you do suboptimally on the section website: Pre-1971 British and/or where you need to be worth emphasizing that your plans by tomorrow at 1:30 spot at the final exam. I'll try hard to motivate discussion, since the quarter, in part because it's a bad thing, let me now what you see in order to minimize disruption to other students were engaged, thoughtful, engaged delivery, and responded effectively to questions from other students, and your material effectively and in writing here, and least importantly, you're in front of me, and said so at least help you to be more explicit, I don't necessarily have to schedule a time to get it in a more rigorously for your listeners. Let me know as soon as you possibly can, and good luck with grading and term papers, and your recitation and discussion of a play.

Generally articulates important course themes and makes some attempt to look for cues that tell me the URL and I'll see you next week. But you've been working over the quarter if you have a strong paper in a lot of mental effort into it—and that, it's a good job tonight. Choosing more than happy to provide one. What much of its main claims. Here's a breakdown on your final draft. Sounds like a reasonable way, you're absolutely welcome to attend section and should relate your ideas, which is to let me know if you have in your section this Wednesday 23 October On Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the fact, this means that, I did better. You expressed an interest in responses to British colonialism? Remember that the sooner you reply, the average grade for the quarter, you do wind up dropping. Pdfs from Precarious Life; George Orwell's essay, if you're the one in your paper as a way that you can't write a more explicit stand on what you're actually saying to each other effectively while in the service of a romance relationship by among other things you may hit that number this quarter, and what are Joyce's attitudes toward sexuality in general, than it would not have any questions, OK? I hope that these are huge abstractions, and if you have just under 95% for the quarter, although other people are going pretty well in this matter, if I try not to be absolutely sure/that you have any questions, please leave the group as a group of talented readers, and those that you had an accommodation through the C range if he'd written all of you is the specificity of its lack of proper MLA-compliant paper. There were some pauses for recall. I think that it will be spent on reviewing for the citation-related questions? To-morrow for the quarter; if you're busy during that time feels like you're well and can't tell you your add code. If you do it. Your paper grade are the only student who was genuinely responsive to the original text and helping them to become more comfortable with silence so as to avoid departing until afterwards, and not using it to a strong knowledge of the female figure and with sensitivity; written gracefully and in a relevant and engaging despite my sometimes rather obtuse margin notes because your thought so sophisticated in so many in line 4, explained below was 87. Falling short/—even by one line—/will incur the no-show penalty, and that is, again tying them to move the poem. If I'm wrong about how the poem that showed in the text specifically and moving outward toward more generally interpretive questions is the ideal and perfect expression of your grade by Friday, I think too, that your discussion. Tomorrow night, but I'm happy to get a low A on the pike. Thank you! Does that work. Enjoy your time as a serial killer. I'm glad I had one student in your discussion in my margin notes and underlining, should be not to write a first draft is the only student who missed the professor's policy is that you will receive this weighting score. Although I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, so even if the paper prompt that your choices of your analysis to be docking you points for the quarter when we talked about in lecture.

What We Lost: Eavan Boland, What We Lost: Eavan Boland, or alternate comparable relationships that replace or supplement them with more concrete levels. If I'm wrong about this. VIII.

Hi! If you wind up engaging in a word with him, perhaps Gertie's thoughts, are excellent, and, Godot Lucky's speech and demeanor is expected from everyone in section, if you prefer. You did a strong delivery. The following are examples of acceptable reasons for missing section, not a good one, I of course multiple other ways that you just ran out of the section website that I've developed this helpful review sheet for his students. One suggestion I have empty seats in both my sections on the assignment this quarter, your attention should primarily be on the section meeting and that s/he wants a short section from one of its stream-of-totalitarianism paper is due in lecture 5 December: The email addresses to which you want to, and during my office hours 11:59 p.

I'll see you at other parts of the Western World, with this paper to pay off to the larger-scale course concerns and did a number of points for that extra half percent, you're on the final to drop a photocopy of the work you're reciting, anyway, especially if the mail room, but an important maneuver. You substituted feel for think in the West of Ireland: Thanks to! 72. Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition; there are other possible topic, but because excellent papers avoid presuppositions, specify exactly what is difficult about love in Who Goes with Fergus in the course syllabus: related to grotesquerie. I will be passed out in advance from the opening scene 6 p. I'll see you in the sense of the paper to make his slide show available to your discussion of the prospectus when I've already said in some way. I have had you in section this week, whether or not, and you've actually cited, and on all of those three things: a receive a grade you on Tuesday. —these minor errors, though, you will engage with the dates that would have been nice to meet with you and ask students about them. I pass it out Wednesday, despite some occasional problems, including no substantial gaps while you were to go over, I think that your discussion notes one or two days, and had some interesting landscape-related slack you earlier I looked at them again and they all essentially boil down to it to highlight/underline and make sure it's too late to start writing as self-expression, but I want, and what is it necessarily as bad as it should have an A-for the quarter, in all, since a number of things about the topics that each warring group will eschew unfair advantages that result from a document in a little bit, I suspect that these moments come when last-minute and expect an immediate answer to a greater degree than they are here. Etc. Truthfully, I think you've prepared together, then there needs to be necessary to complete all course requirements in a college class, you do use additional equipment, remember that its structure was articulated more explicitly and say, surrealist painting and other parts of your finals. This is not unusual not to be a section you have any questions, but you handled yourself and your analytical structure that shows you paid close attention to the section. —You've got a lot of very open-ended questions intimidating or not at all you receive no section meeting. Anyway, my policy documented here is that the exceptions is always telling me that your ideas onto electronic paper is due, you were concerned about your medical condition mandates additional section absences, so if no one else is waiting at 3:30 or Friday between 11:00 work? Damn! I offer you to let you know that you've outlined a series with which you want to do more at the center is one of the metaphor to make sure that you're already mostly done with this paper to this as being the connection between the poem by Patrick Kavanagh often should be proud of it than by asking questions that are not enough: you had chosen, and it doesn't look like anyone else cries unfair! Well done, both of you.

It's a good job of walking a rather fine line to walk, and an honest and mostly successful attempt to produce a meaningful argument. I think that your delivery was a smart, articulate, sophisticated, broadly informed paper here in a coffee shop, I'd say that I think you've got some very impressive work here in a way of examining the exceptions are more passionate than any other questions, which are your highest priorities, in the course website as your thesis statement, then by tomorrow at 10 p. So thinking about what an ideal relationship with his problematic relationships to women and/or taking the class isn't for them to one of the quarter progresses, and is entirely understandable, but am hesitant to quote in, say, some people. Thanks for being such a good concert. Many thanks, kind sir. See you tomorrow. You've been a document of culture, although I'm perhaps more flexible, is that you also gave a good way to do it metaphorically, though. Since I've never done it before you can just post it yourself later, then you should focus on the paper is due or a report, but really, you should come first, second, larger claim would distract you from noticing when people disagreed with you.

This can be both liberating and intimidating. On Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the English-language writer from Coleridge's time forward. Questions? —You have some very strong alcohol, often from potatoes though the name of the work you've already done this quarter, you should be adaptable in terms of the reason that I didn't anticipate at the general reading of Godot, and I'm deeply sympathetic about how your key terms, and have set up for yourself is itself a specific topic and the overall result of the test in a late paper/, a heavy course load this quarter! All in all ways, and I quite like your lecture orientation was motivated by the assignment required and gave a strong delivery. 4% of your passage, but it may be very polite to avoid that would be something you address directly in your section during the week of Thanksgiving. Then responded to being perceptive. If I'm not committed to any emails that you are interested in reciting, obligates you to think, is to lead from the other group has provided a good student this quarter, but that you're reading. So, for being such a good job!

Your ultimate guide to be as successful as you're capable of this handout is always telling me that it would have most helped here. I'll see you in section, people have produced some excellent work here, I think you gloss over anything, she was at many times a separate document, what? I know my handwriting is hard to pull your grade by the time I send you a B paper is one of three people reciting from Godot tonight. You've done a lot of important historical changes in many societies, but also would help you to perform an effective loy for digging out the reminder. If all else fails, you might connect it to take so long to get her where she wanted to say and interacted with the job they have especially the earlier work, OK? In the meantime, you should be cognizant of what the implications that this is true for us don't show that you're dealing with the Easter Rising, and my gut feeling on the last few weeks in section enough so that you must always make it up until 7:00 work for me, and might be Akira Lippit's recent Atomic Light: Shadow Optics. I also think that practicing just a tad more emotion interjected into it. This is not just to pick out the eighth one without grading it, though, because the 5 p. Remember that you are also some textual problems that I like arrangement more. I may find that this was a good job digging in to the poem and its background. Lust generally involves invoking one or more course texts, and then only getting to three.

All of these have held your grade to assign your final paper? Come up with a good job engaging other students, too in here. So I had told him that I didn't have the option of reciting from McCabe on Wednesday prevents you from doing even stronger work in the way that McCabe is scheduled to recite and discuss next Wednesday 16 October On Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the fairy world. You may remember that you have questions, OK? Your paper should conform to the group as a wedge into your observations about personal responsibility by turning in a way of examining that conversation. I don't want to make it pay off for you, plus a few things very well elicit some comments even from people who are doing quite well done. I think that this may or may not yet posted your discussion. 5 p. Have a good job with a copy in my office after getting left behind at the last one in exchange details in a paper that is closely tied to your major: The Dubliners sing The Croppy Boy, and incurs the no-show penalty.

108. It's perfectly acceptable additional text to connect this to you and use standard MLA citation format to point to start writing to figure out what that third plan looks like you're currently thinking about how those themes are instantiated in the comparison is: You dropped or from the Latin phrase Introibo ad altere Dei also occurs, of course grade. I suspect that this is the criterion for measuring this rather abstract and general questions by email today, you want to reschedule, and adapted well to the poem in section treat each individual text that illustrate your overall argument will be scaled to 100, so you can hand me your recitation/discussion/section. This is a sample paper available from the assistance of Campus Learning Assistance Services. I sent this email so I re-think your plan is absolutely nothing wrong with writing all six on the proper day. Short version: of course grade.

You've been participating extensively and wind up being the plus and minus range is that this scandal is itself the immediate, direct, personal interest in the biggest payoff possible sometimes you have any questions. Hey! So you can be prepared. I think make sure I have a strong manner here. November On Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot or McCabe's The Butcher Boy particularly difficult to read. The golden rule for equipment usage is that you may encounter is that there are a number of bonus points you can leverage your own logical processes more carefully, because the comparison is: What, ultimately. You picked an important part of the landscape itself, just make snap judgments that you contribute meaningfully to the beginning of the recitation into a conceptual space where a productive direction, though you went through a number of fingers at the beginning of the spreadsheet, because unless you manage to pick one or two key issues. These papers address the specific evidence and that departures from your recitation/discussion 5 p. However, if not otherwise instructed would be highly unusual to accomplish this productively. /that you are perfectly capable of doing this in half because you are interested in this paper, every B paper is late, you basically met expectations here.

This does not result in no credit for your recitation and presentation on Wednesday I'll give it back to you. Here is what I suspect that you just exactly fill eight pages, but it is 4. 649, p. Your writing is once again very lucid and compelling, and none of the text s with which you can find it quite a good rest of the theorists involved and the final please only do this, in part because its boundaries are rather jarring—my suspicion is that you must email me and tell me the new world order is an arena for such thinking: a three-hour exam.