#20 Online courses you must check

[hightechinstituteindia]

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[mixingpumpkins]

Man, we really lost when we decided that the best way to feel safe or to try to prevent bad things from happening is to assume malicious intent from everyone and police every little fucking thing about existing.

Want to go shopping? You'll be treated like a thief. Security cameras, anti-theft sensors by the door, and a staff that may or may not follow you around isn't enough; we're also putting security tags on every single piece of $4 underwear in the bargain bin and keeping everything on the shelves under lock and key, so you can't even look at it without staff assistance/supervision. No, cameras and staff monitoring checkouts isn't enough. We also need someone else searching your bags and verifying your receipts at the door. (And god help you if a security sensor somewhere didn't get deactivated properly and the door alarm goes off.)

Are you a student taking an exam? We've already decided you're a cheater. Of course you are — all students cheat. So you get assigned, spaced out seats in the testing room, surrounded by cameras. Show us your photo ID at the door. Nothing goes in the room with you but your pencil. Leave your phone, wallet, water, and anything else in a locker outside. All your jewelry, too. No long sleeves. Let us check your hair/headbands/pockets/ears/religious garb in case you're smuggling something in. Need to leave for the restroom? No, you don't, or your exam is done. Emergency? You can choose between literally shitting yourself or failing your course and risking expulsion for cheating.

Online exam? Prepare to be subject to literal spyware. Your eyes better not waver a fraction out of the "acceptable" gaze window. Don't press any button you're not supposed to or mis-click anything; that's proof you're trying to cheat. Don't even think about shifting in your seat, even if your test is two hours long.

Do you work? It'd better be at top speed and no errors at all times. We have security cameras trained on you every moment, sensitive enough to read the text of any paper you handle. We're tracking exactly what you do and how fast. Did your metrics slip for even a second? Unacceptable, even if your rate is otherwise within our "acceptable" range, because we know you can work faster. Yawn? How dare you — we don't pay you to be tired. You're not working hard enough. You must not have enough to do — your requirements have now tripled and we've cut your pay as an incentive not to waste time again. Make a mistake? You must have done it on purpose. You must be trying to steal or sabotage. We'll be evaluating to see how quickly we can fire you and if we can press charges or sue you for damages.

Need to travel via plane? It doesn't matter if you're paying through the nose to do so; you're clearly a criminal who's only not committing a crime at this very moment because you're outnumbered by security officers. We need to question you excessively if you don't look exactly like your ID picture taken three years ago. Take off half your clothes and walk through our scanners that will basically show you without them. (Then prepare to be wanded, and possibly groped — maybe even by more than one person — and if we really feel like it, taken to another room to be stripped and questioned further.) You can't take some necessities with you. Your belongings will be x-rayed and pawed through and commented upon, and they're maybe even a reason to detain and question you further. Why does your purse have suspicious organic matter in it? No, that can't possibly be a bag of fruit snacks you bought from the kiosk 20 feet away; you're trying to hide explosives.

Need medication? You're lying. You're faking. You're just trying to get drugs. You're an addict. You're a dealer. No, you don't have a condition that really requires medication; if you just slept more/lost weight/did yoga/were a better person, you wouldn't have to feel like you need to use drugs. We don't care if your doctor says you need this medication — your insurance company says you don't. Oh, you can afford it anyway? At that price? You must be reselling. We need to investigate and put notes on your file.

Communicating via message? God forbid you take even a fraction of a second too long to respond. You must be trying to hide something. You're slacking off your work. You must be cheating on your partner. You must have a problem with the sender and are leaving them out of something. You left them on read; you're being a bitch. You edited a response or took too long to type something — you're actually being mean and manipulative by not just saying what was on your mind first. Company policy is we get to see everything on your devices. You shouldn't have a problem sharing your personal location/passwords/etc. with your partner if you're not up to no good.

Want to simply exist where a stranger might see you? That's suspicious. What are you doing out here? We don't recognize you. You must be stealing. You must be casing the houses or stores in this neighborhood. You must be looking for someone to rob/assault/harass/etc. You must be part of that rabble claiming they're protesting to cover up the nuisances and criminals they are. Why did you hold a door for me — are you trying to get behind me? Why have I seen you more than once while I'm shopping here — are you following me? Why did you smile at me — do you have a problem? Why are you walking down the street? Why are you sitting on a bench? Why are you visiting the library? Why are you eating alone at the cafe? You don't look like you belong here. You look like a creep. You need the police to come handle you. (If they use force, that just shows you were up to something and totally deserve it.)

Want to exist online? We need to know everything about you — your real name, address, email, age — to ensure you're not a criminal. But you're probably also lying. We need to spy on everything you do, too: every site you visit (and how long you spend there), every purchase you make, every message you send, every search you do. We will take everything you say in bad faith, so be careful about what you post. But it's also extremely suspicious if you don't post — who doesn't have an extensive social media presence these days? What are you trying to hide? You need to indicate that you think the right way. You aren't posting about this — you must not care; you must be a bad person. You deleted an old post — you must be trying to hide your awful views. You can't possibly just be removing things from your profile that no longer reflect who you are. You posted something that I don't like — I knew there was something off about you. It's not a leap to think you're also into worse things. You're probably a pervert. You're actually a criminal of the worst sort and this is an early warning sign for those of us who are smart enough to see it. We're only accusing you of these things NOW so you don't have an opportunity to do them.

Didn't you know? You need to be constantly watched and humiliated and inconvenienced and sometimes even attacked because that's the only thing standing in the way of bad things happening. If you find all this demeaning, there's something wrong with you. Only criminals would rather trade this for being less safe. You don't want us to go from thinking you're a criminal to knowing you're a criminal, do you?

...

Like, fuck. Aren't you tired of living like this???

Some of this stuff has been around for a long time, and it obviously isn't applied evenly across all demographics. But a lot of it has also gotten exponentially worse within the past few decades. Please don't ever accept any of this as normal or necessary or good, because it's not. I'm going insane watching people shrugging off the increasing infantilization and dehumanization of everyone just because this is all they can remember.

It doesn't have to be this way. Don't ever take this shit as a given — it wasn't that long ago that some of this would have been unthinkable. And the instant someone starts talking about doing things a certain way/supporting certain things because of "safety" or "security," be very careful about blindly agreeing with them. We lose very real, important things in pursuit of the nebulous concept of "safety."

[redflagshipwriter]

Hot Ghouls Chapter 12 part 1/2

Masterpost

Call me when you’re free!!!!!!

“Geeze,” Danny muttered. “Calm down, Jazz.” Still, he did what she said. He hefted up his backpack, waved goodbye to his shift relief, and dialed her up as he jogged down the library stairs.

“I’ve found two solutions!”

Danny winced at how cheerful his sister’s voice was. “Great!” He tried to match her enthusiasm, despite feeling like something that had been peeled off the sidewalk. He’d ended up working the morning shift on Saturday anyways. “Should I come over?”

“No.” Jazz sounded a little shifty. “I think it’s best if you don’t come over right now.”

“I’m not nuts!” her roommate was faintly audible, as was some kind of repetitive thwap. “We are getting this place fumigated and cleansed and exorcised-

Jazz must have power walked away from poor Tiffany. Her voice faded out. “Ahem.”

Danny pressed his lips together tightly and tried not to laugh. There was a brief space in the conversation where he probably should have said ‘I’m sorry that I made her think your place was haunted.’ But honestly? In a very literal sense, it had been haunted?

“Danny,” Jazz said, in her quiet scary voice, “shut up.”

He shut up even harder than he’d been shutting up before.

She continued in one of her determined tones that meant there was no point in arguing unless it was a hill he was willing to die on. “I am not going to stay in your place because it’s small and scary.”

‘You’re scarier,’ Danny thought mutinously. ‘You’re scarier than anything in my apartment.’

Aloud, he said something else. “Then where?” He did his best to communicate, dummy, via his tone. “I don’t think this is a coffee shop conversation.”

More importantly, he didn’t really have much coffee shop budget. Jazz didn’t have that much either. They were both on scholarships and part time jobs.

“Of course not,” Jazz said practically. “The main Gotham public library is a mid-point and you can rent out a room there for hour blocks. I’ll reserve it online on the way there. I’m halfway to the train station now. What’s your ETA- you just left campus, right?”

Danny looked down at his foot incredulously as he stepped off the final cement stair onto the sidewalk. How did she know that? He looked around dumbly for a know-it-all sister spy plane or something.

“I’ll get a media room from 3-4 pm, that gives you time to stop and get us drinks and snacks. I’ll pay you back, budget of 10 dollars. That sound okay?”

“Fine.” Danny sighed heavily. “Yeah, I can get to that area pretty fast.” He hung up and resigned himself to pushing through foot traffic. He was a lot closer than Jazz was at the moment. He put his head down and ignored the masses of humanity for a little more than 20 minutes of walking. The high lifted roof of the city's main library came into view over the surrounding buildings.

There was a grocery store pretty close by. Danny detoured there and got wrapped sandwiches, chips, and coffees. He hid them all in his backpack just in case the library had a no-food policy.

Then he checked his phone. Jazz had sent him a text telling him the floor and room number in the library. He also had seven missed calls from his parents. That initially freaked him out until he noticed that Dad had sent him a link to an update on the family blog with a string of ghost and wink emojis.

Yeah ok. It wasn't going to be important in the slightest. He ignored his parents.

He jogged the rest of the way to the library and then up the ramp. Danny slipped in the doors and enjoyed the rush of air conditioning. He nodded to the librarian visible from the door and then took the main stairs at an easy pace up to the fourth floor. The rented media room was a straight shot to the back. His sister was waiting to pounce when he opened the door.

“Get back, beast,” Danny said, alarmed. He held his backpack out like it would ward her away.

“Open it!” Jazz demanded.

Holy cow. Uh. He scrambled to unzip it and hold out the plastic shopping bag in offering.

“Gimme gimme, thank you,” Jazz sang and she snatched the snacks from his hands. Danny blew on his fingers pointedly as if her speed burnt his fingertips. She ignored him and unwrapped the ham and cheese at lightning speed.

Oof. Danny kept his fingers a little closer so they didn't get bitten off and side-eyed his big sister as she all but inhaled the sandwich. He popped open the chips bag and ate a couple, feeling a bit freaked out by how ravenous she was. He opened his mouth to comment and then thought better of it.

“Are those for both of us?” Jazz swallowed her sandwich and pointed at the chip bag.

Danny held his hands up and let her take it away. “Geeze,” he said, quietly. He took his own sandwich out from the bag that Jazz had abandoned and ate it at a more normal speed. By the time he'd finished Jazz was content with the chips. He cautiously reached out and fished the bag back towards him. A glance inside showed that she'd left about half.

“So!” Jazz clapped her hands like she had pretensions of being a preschool teacher.

“That body language making you friends at Arkham?” Danny jabbed. He popped a chip in his mouth and crunched down.

Jass casually flipped him off. “Yes, actually,” she said primly. “Dr. Quinn was very complimentary-”

“Before she broke out?” Danny said dryly around a mouthful of chips.

“-and I have formed meaningful clinical bonds with many other patients. But I digress.” She gave him a version of her smug face. She, as always, looked like that meme of the knife cat. “I have two solutions for you.”

[goldsbitch]

That one Bologna drive

part 2 to That one Christmas flight (strongly recommend reading that one first! made me so happy you guys liked this one, so let's continue!)

summary: They were suppose to not look for each other. So of course they didn't.

warnings: crushing hard, swear words I guess, typos probably

PS: y'all gonna hate me

Lando really wanted to keep his promise not to search for her online. He enjoyed the mystery and the option to keep this little encounter as a nice "why if". Until he didn't.

With the only information he had being her first name and the fact she was a student at Bologna university his private burner account was truly burning up. He must have seen every account of the current Bologna alumni. It was strange being on the other side of these pseudo stalker fan games. There were moments where he deactivated his account, to stop him from doomscrolling. And then there were nights when he did nothing but that.

He was fed up with the emptiness and shallow lifestyle that followed him. His friends were surprised, when he started to carry classical literature books with him. Since he hated those looks, decision to really keep all of this to himself had been made. It felt like a pose sometimes - he did not have to prove anything to anyone, he was fine as he was. But a strange feeling of wanting something more is hard to navigate when the life around you seems dead set in the current ways.

Weeks passed by with his eyes fixed on one moment in particular. The Imola Grand Prix. It felt like a cruel joke when he realized this circuit was a mere hour away from Bologna.

Lando was not sure if he was supposed to be proud or scared when finally found her account. At this point, it was hard to find a better expert on the social life of that university town. But it would be a massive lie, if he said he did not sprint up from his chair when he saw her in one of her friends insta story. Tagged.

He nearly DM'd her about 20 times. But, this was not the way it was supposed to feel. No. It seemed like a way better plan to ride up to Bologna and hang out at what seemed to be her favorite cafe / bar in the centre. If it was meant to be, he would run into her and it could all be called a second lucky accident.

He had an average start of the season. Maybe Imola would bring him luck one way or the other.

//

His plan was to ride up there the evening after his first practice - then the team debrief dragged until late hours. He hit the wall on the second day - his team made sure he went through all and every medical check up, no matter how much he protested. Then there was this and than that and suddenly he realized the only possible evening would be the Sunday one. He requested the latest flight him team would allow.

Finishing fourth felt like a joke, even though it was his best finish this season. Missing the podium by a mere second was a cruel of a metaphor.

Once he managed to run through all his duties, exhausted as truly was, he hit the road.

Within a half an hour, he was in what seemed her most favorite cafe, sitting on a bar stool, ordering a glass of white wine.

She was nowhere to be found. His heart jumped when her friends came in and sat outside, lighting their cigarettes. Lando waited. He had to laugh at himself, pathetic as he was right now. By his luck lately, she was probably in her bedroom sleeping, or worse - on a date with some Italian fuck boy. Going up to her friends and asking was absolutely not an option - he wanted to surprise her, not scare her and creep her out.

He left the bar after one hour for a stroll around. He walked around the lively square filled with young people sitting on the ground and having the time of their life, the one he saw hundreds of times on his screen. Who knew, maybe she'd be around somewhere. Jealousy swept over him, envying those who were fortunate enough to keep her company right now at this very moment. After one hour he was back for a second glass. But this time he heard his name being called loudly immediately as he stepped inside. All of his tired muscles tensed up in disbelief. And to continue with the theme of pure luck - it was an ordinary fan. The surprised guy with a Mercedes t-shirt insisted on a photo and signature. Lando smiled, signed and went back to his car.

He probably needed this closure.

//

Y/N was a person who prided herself on her principles. So when she and the mystery boy from that Christmas flight agreed upon not looking each other up, she kept herself away from doing so. Exam season and university life got in the way, providing a great distraction.

Only when she went on a date with what seemed to be a lovely French physics student, she allowed herself to think back to her encounter with Lando. That's when her internal facade fell apart. She spent the whole date imagining Lando would appear. He'd sit at a different table, right in her view, and then once her date would go on the toilet, they'd run away like little kids would do. They'd sit in a local park and laugh while sharing a bottle of wine. She knew he was somehow famous. He heart crushed at the thought that she was probably overshadowed by girls way prettier than her.

And then, on a random afternoon during a first study session the weather allowed her and her friends to spend outside, in one of the university gardens, one simple conversation she accidentaly overheard from the people sitting nearby, caused her to loose the last chance of keeping the meeting with Lando intact.

"Yeah, Lando Norris. Way hotter than Leclerc, I must say."

"I still don't understand why you love formula 1."

"They just know how to sell the story."

Surely, they were not talking about Lando. "Sure, there must be thousands of well known people called Lando," Y/N replied to her own question.

She took this as a sign, gave up on her principles and went full ballistic on her research. Downforce, penalties, the teams history, qualifying, chequered flag.

Since she was so deep in, keeping her obsession to herself as she had no idea with whom she could possibly share this, she might as well ask her mom for tickets money. The idea that she knew that he was just an hour away and she would miss that was simply not on the table.

Formula 1 race in an event meant for groups of friends to share their passion. So sitting there on the stand alone felt a little bittersweet. She made sure to push down any thoughts about seeing him up close again, let alone talking to him. It was something that half of the people present would try to do. And risking having him look through her, or worse - not remembering her - was not something she wished to live through.

But she cheered for him, she really did. Anytime he passed around her stand she got up, she watched him on the screen during interviews and when it became clear, he would have his best result of the season so far here at Imola, she celebrated with all those around her. Feeling proud that he was doing good. There was an electrifying energy in the air which could not compare to the times she watched races in her room on her laptop. If he had been standing near to her, she knew he would say something to beat himself up for missing a podium. And if she was standing next to him, she would tell him that he is an idiot and should also celebrate.

He looked a bit off during the interviews. Probably the crash few days ago. Y/N stayed sitting there just a bit longer than an average fan would.

Probably to avoid traffic...

part 3

______________________________________________________

Tagged all those who like to suffer: @prudyhoo @anuksunamon @sagestack @esquerkaren @ushygushybaby @superlegend216

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Quickwood

CR 8

Neutral Huge Plant

Bestiary 2, pg. 228

These misleadingly-named carnivorous ambush predators stake their territory in forests filled with oak trees, which they resemble when in bloom and at rest. Not only does this offer them camouflage, but their unique Oaksight ability allows them to see and hear through any oak tree within 360ft of themselves so long as they know the tree is there--yes, amusingly enough, Oaksight doesn’t confer any special ability to DETECT oak trees, a Quickwood must find and identify them itself before it can cast its senses to them. Their +11 to Knowledge (Nature) checks makes this a non-issue, and also allows them to identify the presence of any delectable creatures that may be living near their chosen hunting grounds.

Strangely wise and intelligence for Plants, Quickwood utilize their network of spies to keep tabs on their territory, patiently waiting for easy prey. While perfectly able to live off mundane wildlife, Quickwood prize the flesh of humans and elves above all others because they’re a carnivore on Golarion, so of course they do. Such prey requires a careful approach, much more careful than snaring wolves, rabbits, and deer, so the Quickwood become incredibly patient when such a meal approaches, especially since--like I alluded to in the first sentence--they have only a 10ft movespeed, so fleeing prey is difficult to keep up with. Able to speak both Common and Sylvan, the brutish tree may call out for aid to lure in the soft-hearted, but with no ranks in Bluff it’s much more likely to wait until victims come closer on their own, carefully tracking them from tree to tree with its Oaksight. And “closer” to a Quickwood is much, much further than you’d probably ever think.

Amusingly for a Huge creature, a Quickwood only occupies a 5ft space, but its trunk is flexible enough to give it a 15ft reach with its bite (2d6+9 damage). That’s not the ‘far reach’ part, though, the ‘far reach’ is its preposterously lengthy Roots, which have a reach of 60ft. Able to cause three* of its Roots to erupt from the soil anywhere within its reach as part of a Full-Attack, each one deals 1d6+4 damage (though it can augment any of them with Power Attack) but more importantly immediately attempts to Pull any creature they damage 10ft closer to the Quickwood. If all three roots strike the same target that’s 30ft of forced movement right into the Quickwood’s personal space, and if a creature is pulled within range of its bite? It gets to bite them as a FREE ACTION with a +4 to the attack roll! That doesn’t override the bite they get from their normal Full-Attack, either, so a Quickwood that pulls someone into its bite zone gets to chomp onto them twice!

*the Roots ability in the actual book says it can attack with six roots, but the creature’s actual statblock--as well as every online resource--states it can only use three. In addition, each online descriptor of Roots replaces ‘six’ with ‘three.’ Just something interesting to point out! If you wanted to considerably up the challenge, doubling the number of roots it can lash with would certainly do it.

Not only is a Quickwood spooky when on the offense (especially if it’s attacking from an area you can’t see via its Oaksight), but its defenses are startling in more ways than one. While immunity to Electricity is no oddity among Plants, immunity to Fire is certain to catch players hoping to easily clear out this old growth off-guard. Even more than that, it has Spell Resistance 19 and the unique ability to absorb any magic that fails to pierce its SR, holding the magical charge within its body until it needs it. Rather than healing itself or replicating spell effects, though, it can eject the spell energy as a standard action to create an aura of supernatural terror around it. The aura’s radius is 10ft times the level of the spell it absorbed and it lasts for only 1 round, but anyone who starts their turn in the aura must make a DC 20 Will save or be panicked for a whole minute, effectively useless in combat and forced to flee at top speed from the Quickwood, unable to bring themselves to fight back even as it snares them in its roots and pulls them back round after round.

Though it has no remarkable defenses against a madman with an axe willingly diving into its melee to chop it to bits, the potency of its Fear Aura is typically deterrent enough, scattering the party and letting it pick on whatever members made their save. A DM wishing to add some wicked challenge to this fight (I mean, more wicked than it attacking from an unseen location) can have it START the battle with a store of magic from a previous unfortunate meal. This is a powerful opener, especially since its SR lowers to only 14 while it stores its magic and it can only hold onto one charge at a time, prompting it to loose the fear as soon as it feels like it’s in danger. Like when the party’s caster reveals they have Cold or Acid magic, so it needs its SR as high as possible... or, y’know, when the Hasted Barbarian charges in.

You can read more about them here.

[aquilathefighter]

Fluffbruary 14: Teach & Fruit

Check out all of my @fluffbruary ficlets on AO3 here!

Fandom: The Sandman (2022)

Relationship: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

“—and so, we see the arrival of Yersinia pestis—the Black Plague—crop up in England around 1348.”

Hob is smacking a projector screen with a meter stick when Dream appears in the back of the lecture hall. There’s a map on screen, marking the coming and going of the disease throughout Europe. It’s not the most romantic subject matter for Valentine’s Day, but Dream doesn’t care. He could listen to his lover talk about anything with rapt attention. The way Hob tells stories, especially those that he experienced, is intoxicating for Dream. He feeds off the energy Hob brings to his students, the fire and passion with which he teaches. Even talking about the grotesque, Hob glows with excitement.

Hob turns from his assault on the map to look out at his students. His eyes track over them, noticing who is online shopping and who is engaged with the subject matter. When he spots Dream, he breaks out into a grin.

“What’s so funny, Dr. G?” a student in the front row asks. Dream reaches for her subconscious. Sarah Williams. Her daydreams during this class are filled with images of his lover kissing her, touching her, telling her soft and sweet things that only Dream should have the luxury of hearing. He bites back a possessive growl when he notices Hob’s eyes are still locked on him as he opens his mouth.

“Looks like we have a very special guest that I just noticed!” With a flourish, he points Dream out. “My husband must’ve snuck in to embarrass me on Valentine’s.” The students all turn around to stare at him. Dream fights the urge to vanish himself as the students’ minds start to wander, making the connection between their professor and him, and what they must do in their private time.

“Now, now, I know he’s pretty,” he winks and Dream flushes, “but we do have to learn about the plague for the next 20 minutes. So, if I could get your focus back up here—”

Hob continues his lecture, diving into the intricacies of medieval ports and shipping, wandering through a tangent about what people in the Middle Ages thought about hygiene. It’s music to Dream’s ears as he relaxes into his seat and watches his husband at work. Somehow, the students are much more engaged, asking questions which Hob answers excitedly, jumping about the classroom and whacking the screen more than once.

“Alright, so make sure you read the next section I’ve assigned on the course website! We’ll be going into more of the consequences of the Black Death next time and I want to hear your takes on it. Have a great rest of your day. Go eat some chocolates!” Hob chuckles as Dream descends the stairs toward Hob, gift in hand. “I believe I’m about to have my fair share of them. Bye!”

“Hello, Hob.”

“Hi, love. Warn a guy before you disrupt his class next time, eh?” He wraps his arms around Dream’s waist, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“I enjoy hearing you tell a story. It is… romantic for me.” He shifts the box out of the way of Hob’s body, dropping his arm down to his side.

“Of course! The plague’s the most romantic thing in the world.” Hob rolls his eyes. “You insane creature.”

Dream presses their foreheads together for a moment, then looks Hob in the eye.

“I believe a gift is to be given on this day?”

Hob releases Dream from his grasp and looks at him eagerly. Dream smiles, the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly. He hands the box over to Hob, who tears through the bow.

“Chocolate-covered strawberries! Dream, you didn’t have to get me these!”

“It is of no consequence.” Dream says, his eyes sparkling at Hob’s delight.

Hob immediately picks the fruit up, lips wrapping around it as he takes a bite. It brings images of what else Dream has planned for their night to his mind, which he is all the more eager to get to as Hob moans in delight.

“Oh, Dream, it’s delicious! Thank you, dove.” He plants a chocolatey kiss on Dream’s lips.

“I obtained them from the dreams of a French chocolatier.” He moves to whisper in Hob’s ear, his cool breath making Hob shiver. “I have more gifts for you. If you will accompany me to our home.” He steps back and examines his husband. Hob’s pupils are blown, and he has begun to pant.

“Yes,” Hob blurts. “Let’s go. Now.” He sets the box of strawberries down and stuffs his course materials and laptop in his bag, then throws the satchel over his shoulder and grabs Dream’s hand. Hob power-walks toward the door, dragging Dream behind him. There are a few spots that Dream can transport them away without being seen, but the middle of a lecture hall that has student stragglers around certainly isn’t one of them.

If Dream shuts down a few dreams students have about them that night, Hob doesn’t need to know.

[sufiiiiiiii]

Following is a post i came across on facebook and i thought i should share it here please read it...

TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE, SEXUAL GROOMING

It has been a strange couple of days. A professor from an esteemed University in Calcutta was called out for sexual abuse and within 72 hours, another professor died by suicide. It is like just when the discourse of power being dangerous, and blind reverence toxic was taking the centerstage, it was hijacked by a sea of obits, outlining all the ways a man has changed the lives of countless students.

I must put this out as a disclaimer that I was not taught by him neither was I a student at xx. I’d like to believe he was every bit as good a teacher as so many people are professing. I was in xxxx University though and xxxx did teach me. So did a lot of professors who are still part of the present Xxxxxx University English department faculty. To say that the last couple of days have been triggering would be to put it too mildly. It has been a nightmare that has punctured my work, disrupted my sleep and peace of mind. Because, suddenly, what me and my friends would talk about in close quarters are out in the open.

I belong to the 2011-2014 batch of xxxx University. I also did my MA in English from there. Back when I studied, there was a professor who was every bit as cool and student-friendly we read about in book and watch in awe in movies. He would chat with us after class hours, have lunch and endless cups of cha with us, drop all filters and share stories of his personal life with us. He was a friend.

Over the course of my time at xxxxxx my friend and I became close to this professor. We would chat all the time, spend every weekend at his house. To us, he represented what we did not find in our parents and peers. He was liberal, eloquent, and possessed a morality which he himself had defined. He flamboyantly told us how he could - and had - sleep with any woman he wanted to. And we, in our early 20s, took it as a trademark of charm. For three years, he was one of the closest friends I had on campus. No topic was off-limits.

We remained friends till much later. I completed my post graduation from xxxx and relocated to Delhi. Later, in 2016 he met me in Delhi. At xxx, specifically. I was alone with him in a room and following a heartfelt conversation, he forcibly kissed me. At 24 then, my only defence was, “I have to leave.”

By then our association had run too deep. I knew he was ‘this’ person…”wicked, charming, flirtatious”. I convinced myself that he was just being himself and pushed it at the back of my head. He pretended it never happened, so did I.

Two years later, my friend and I recollected our time in college. We spoke about everything that had happened to us while we both changed cities. This was close on the heels of the #MeToo movement. By now we had a vocabulary for abuse, some recognition. We realised the professor had actually spent years grooming us, a terminology Indian educational sites neither talk about nor are familiar with. If you check online, the definition reads: “when someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them.” This is precisely what he had done.

I understand that whatever happened with me did when I was technically no longer his student. And, for argument’s sake, I was an adult. But abuse hits in retrospect and age is hardly a signifier of age. Imagine, an older, more powerful man slowly alienating you from others in your class, spending years convincing you that you are special enough to be his friend. That this lifestyle is conventional, rational. It is not. It took me many more years to admit to myself and the courage of someone else speaking up to write all this. I expect to achieve nothing out of this. I just want to sleep better knowing that I did my bit in sharing my experience and that those who are in the universities will be less naive than me and my friend was. Also, let me assure you he has done worse both on and off campus. But that is not my story to tell.

[financeattips]

Millennials Money Tips for Personal Finance

It is very difficult for millennials to manage their own finances today as the world of competition requiring one to workout harder has changed in a matter of months. From student loan debt to increasing living costs, this generation has faced financial struggles that are all its own. Nevertheless, there are strategies out there that can work for the millennial in search of sustainable financial security or even just a better bottom line. Below are a few of the basic personal finance tips for millennials.

1. Set Clear Financial Goals

The first step in any financial plan is establishing specific and attainable goals. Whether it's to buy a home, pay off your student loans, or save for retirement — knowing what you're working towards will keep you more engaged and inspired. Divide your goals into short-term (one to two years), medium-term (three to five years) and long-(five or more). This approach helps you to prioritize and use your resources accordingly.

2. Create and Stick to a Budget

The Facet of Financial Management: Budgeting Track your income and expenses: The very first step is to track how much you are earning, after that what things consume your bills? Budgeting tools; you may use an app to categorize what you spend on and where they can be reduced. If possible, adhere to the 50/30/20 rule — apportion half of your funds towards needs and twenty percent for saving or repaying debt.

3. Build an Emergency Fund                                                                         

It is only a rainy day fund to act as an emergency safety net in case life decides not to follow your plan. The hopefully three to six months of absolute must-have sequestered in a separate, liquid account. It can help you with the cost of surprising expenses–whether they be medical bills or it lets you maintain your financial schedule, rather than having a huge hole in it due to car repairs.

4. Manage Debt Wisely

For many millennials, student loan debt can be a large financial weight. Start your payoff journey with high-interest debt — credit card balances are a solid place to begin. Refinance or consolidate student loans at a lower interest rate. Establish and Maintain a HISTORY of consistent on-time payments to improve your credit score, reducing overall debt.

5. Invest for the Future

If you want to create wealth then investment is the most important thing for it. If your employer offers a matching 401(k) plan, that is what you should start with. Demand more investment options like IRAs, Stocks and Mutual Funds. Simply Diversify A toasted way to diversification! The point is that, your money should earning with compounding.

6. Enhance Financial Literacy

One can be really good at making informed decision which is backed by financial literacy. Use online sources, books and courses to learn more about personal finance. Understanding concepts such as interest rates, inflation and investment options can help you make more informed financial decisions.

7. Plan for Retirement

Architecting retirement: It is never too early to plan for retirement. Save a minimum of 15% of your income toward retirement. Make use of Roth IRAs and traditional IRA tax-advantaged accounts. You may want to talk with a financial advisor who can help you put together your own retirement plan based on what you hope for in retirement and how much risk you are willing to take.

8. Protect Your Assets

But while it may not be the sexiest asset class around, insurance is integral to any complete financial plan. Make sure of health, auto and and home insurance coverage. Good idea: If you have dependents, consider life insurance. Disability insurance provides you income in the event of an illness or injury.

9. Check Your Credit Score

Great credit can unlock lower-interest rates and financial possibilities. Review your credit report on a regular basis for inaccuracies and work towards building up the score. By paying your bills on time, keeping credit card balances low and only opening new accounts when you need them (and therefore improved scores so long as other key factors don't weigh in ).

10. Seek Professional Advice

If you are unsure of where to begin or need help, then speak with a financial advisor. They can give you advice and even consult with you to build a financial plan as well. Also look for a good pedigree — Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

With these personal finance tips, a millennial can move forward in the financial journey feeling more secure for their future. Earning money is only part of the process… its mastering discipline, consistency and continuous learning that leads to long-term financial success.

[consequencesofargentdawn]

With all due respect, and regardless of 'warning' (about what btw?) we just have no choice but to reply to what is, at best case, a major misunderstanding and ignorance of situation. You choose whether to publish it or not, but we must explain things and make our position clear.  "multiple independent reports" - how do you know it's not same person spamming accounts and fakes? Just takes a hour to make maybe 50 or 100 of them. If it's 3 people doing this - multiply by 3. How do you know it's not PCU drones that were ordered to suddenly start doing this at same time? Some of them may have old tumblr pages which look legit or active WoW accounts, after all, PCU drone is a WoW player too.

"You also insulted one of our editors, claiming they were "PCU scum" for putting your main invitation "bot" or however you use to automate your invitations on ignore." - none of our officers are aware of any situation like. While we indeed to send automated guild invites, that's just to speed up finding people we need (and we indeed find those who thank us for invite, such as victims of PCU or friends of somebody who PCU bullied out of WoW), however we always respect people's right to refuse, and it would make zero sense for any purpose to get toxic and try to offend them. Don't you think (can you?)? Also - Izanaxis is a horde character, while the guild is alliance. It is cross-faction, yes, however FastGuildInvite addon does not work if you run it on character of opposite faction. You could have checked it easily, big fail. Unless you think Izanaxis would just run to random people and spam /ginvite ? Cool, but even then - if somebody refuses - what is the point of getting toxic about it? The fake evidence you are spammed with tries to portray as like some crazy fanatics, when in fact we are reasonable people (in light of recent events I would say more reasonable than you).

"CoAD is not your personal army, nor are we your hammer to swing at others" - it is not, where did we say it is? "Anyone claiming to be CoAD in game is not CoAD" - none of us (of officers) ever claimed of being CoAD, where did you pull that from? All we did was trying to advertise your website in good faith, because we wanted more of actual WoW players know of it existence and even use it as their daily news source. We included it in guild info labeled as 'General news site', similar in some TRPs. Sometimes when people asked what is PCU we directed them to your site to read. That's it, we never claimed to be part of it, being editor of it or working together with it. But don't worry about that, after you backstabbed us like a rat for no reason (still not sure if on purpose or played by PCU like stupid kid) and then proceeded to, basically, harass and slander us with more lies, we won't mention you anywhere ever again. I should also mention that we actively sent you valuable evidence between 2019 and 2022, in good faith (not from this account, also I won't tell which evidence exactly but it did a big impact on the outcome of PCU situation). Of course proving anything like that would be too hard, but from now on expect interesting evidence avoiding you and being brought up by somebody else, somewhere else.

It's also very funny how you marked Hand of Conquest as 'inactive', while them having events with 15-20 online nearly every evening, most are also fully honor geared (which proves they play game actively on their HoC characters). Do your editors even play the game, or just read some guild statistics from outdated third-party site? At this point you are outright lying to your readers. Makes the whole list not trustworthy enough to even bother checking others. The whole 'PCU is dead' mantra is a big and very suspicious lie.

To sum up.

After careful consideration our council came to conclusion that COAD changed into something that can't be trusted anymore, became careless or, possibly, got corrupted by PCU (there could be agreement like 'as long as Perroy is out of WoW we will keep informing people that PCU is dead to keep situation calm'? who knows, after all you think of yourselves as those sneaky benevolent puppeteers who can decide what is better for realm and enforce it with lies if it achieves the goal). Therefore we part ways for now.

The only potential way to make it work is if you thoroughly examine each of your editors, especially new ones, investigate the whole situation with 'PCU dead' narrative, maybe start playing actual game? or at least make some bot that monitors in-game activity of guilds (via Who). Then make necessary adjustments and reach out to us. Haha, just kidding, of course you'll do nothing of that. Therefore it will be our last post, feel free to smear us with more lies if you want, those who are smart will see through them and also what kind of blog COAD has became. Have fun fading into obscurity in your little 'PCU is dead' bubble.

[manasastuff-blog]

UPSC National Defence Academy NDA and Naval Academy NA Examination 2024 Apply Online for 400 Post

 Union Public Service Commission UPSC has released the National Defence Academy NDA (Male / Female), Naval Academy NA Only for Male, NDA & NA First Examination 2024. Those Candidate Are Interested to UPSC NDA & NA 2024 Exam Can Apply Online from 20/12/2023 to 09/01/2024. Read the notification for recruitment eligibility, post information, selection procedure, age limit, pay scale and all other information.

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

UPSC National Defence Academy NDA & NA First Examination 2024

UPSC NDA Exam Notice No. 03/2022-NDA-I :  Short Details of Notification

WWW.SARKARIRESULT.COM

Important Dates

Application Begin : 20/12/2023

Last Date for Apply Online : 09/01/2024 Upto 06:00 PM Only

Pay Exam Fee Last Date : 09/01/2024

Modify / Edit Form : 10-16 January 2024

NDA I Exam Date : 21/04/2024

Admit Card Released : Before Exam

Application Fee

General / OBC : 100/-

SC / ST : 0/- (Nil)

All Category Female : 0/-

Pay the Examination Fee Through Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card or Pay the Exam Fee Through Cash E Challan Fee Mode Submit the Exam Fee at State Bank of India SBI Any Branches in India.

UPSC NDA I Notification 2024: Age Limit as on Details

Age Between: 02/07/2005 to 01/07/2008

Age Relaxation Extra as per NDA I Exam 2024 Rules.

UPSC NDA & NDA I Recruitment 2024 : Vacancy Details Total : 400 Post

Post Name

Wing Name

Total Post

UPSC NDA & NDA Eligibility 2024

National Defence Academy NDA (Male / Female)

Army

208

10+2 Intermediate Exam in Any Recognized Board

Navy

42

10+2 Intermediate Class 12 Exam Passed / Appearing in Any Recognized Board with Physics & Mathematics as a Subject.

Airforce

120

Naval Academy NA Only for Male

10+2 Cadet Entry

30

How to Fill UPSC NDA I Exam 2024 Online Form

UPSC has made One Time Registration OTR mandatory for all its recruitments, thus OTR is necessary in this recruitment National Defense Academy 2024 also, those who have not done OTR yet should do their OTR, without it the application will not be accepted.

Union Public Service Commission UPSC Are Released the Notification for NDA I Exam 2024 for the 400+ Approx Vacancies in Army, Navy, Airforce Recruitment 2024 Candidate Can Apply Between 20/12/2023 to 09/01/2024

Candidate Read the Notification Before Apply the Recruitment Application Form in UPSC NDA Online Form 2024.

Kindly Check and Collect the All Document - Eligibility, ID Proof, Address Details, Basic Details.

Kindly Ready Scan Document Related to Recruitment Form - Photo, Sign, ID Proof, Etc.

Before Submit the Application Form Must Check the Preview and All Column Carefully.

If Candidate Required to Paying the Application Fee Must Submit. If You have Not the Required Application Fees Your Form is Not Completed.

Take A Print Out of Final Submitted Form.

NDA CRASH COURSE ( 6 MONTHS ) NDA ADVANCE COURSE (1 YEAR)

At Manasa Defence Academy, we take pride in providing the best training in India for those who are interested in pursuing a career in defense. Whether you aspire to join the prestigious National Defense Academy (NDA) or wish to advance your skills through our NDA Crash Course or NDA Advance Course, we have got you covered. In this article, we will delve into the details of these courses, highlighting their duration, curriculum, and the invaluable training you can expect to receive.

NDA Crash Course (6 months)

 Academy is designed to prepare candidates for the rigorous selection process of the National Defense Academy within a span of six months. During this short but intensive period, we ensure that you receive comprehensive training to enhance your chances of clearing the NDA entrance examination.

Duration and Curriculum

The NDA Crash Course is carefully crafted to cover all the important subjects and topics required for the NDA entrance examination. Over the course of six months, you will undergo an extensive curriculum that includes:

Mathematics: We provide in-depth coaching in mathematics, covering topics such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and statistics. Our experienced faculty will guide you through complex problem-solving techniques and ensure you have a strong foundation in this subject.

General Ability: This section tests your English language proficiency, general knowledge, and logical reasoning. We offer comprehensive study materials and conduct regular mock tests to help you improve your command over vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking.

Physical Training: Physical fitness is a crucial aspect of defense training. Our NDA Crash Course includes regular physical training sessions to improve your stamina, strength, and overall fitness levels. You will partake in activities such as running, obstacle courses, and team sports to develop the necessary physical endurance required for a career in the defense forces.

Intensive Coaching and Guidance

At Manasa Defence Academy, we believe in offering personalized attention to each candidate. Our experienced faculty members are dedicated and passionate about helping you achieve your goals. Through small batch sizes, we ensure that every student receives individualized coaching, allowing for better interaction and focused learning.

Our faculty members have prior experience in defense services and possess comprehensive knowledge of the NDA examination pattern. They provide valuable insights, tips, and tricks to tackle the examination effectively. Additionally, weekly doubt-clearing sessions and regular progress evaluations are conducted to track your performance and address any areas that require improvement.

NDA Advance Course (1 year)

For those seeking a more thorough and comprehensive preparation for the NDA entrance examination, Manasa Defence Academy offers the NDA Advance Course spanning one year. This course provides an in-depth understanding of the subjects and ample time for practice to ensure a higher success rate.

Duration and Curriculum

The NDA Advance Course is designed to cover the entire NDA syllabus in great detail. The duration of one year allows for an extensive focus on each subject, ensuring a comprehensive understanding. The curriculum includes:

Mathematics: Similar to the NDA Crash Course, mathematics is a vital component of the NDA Advance Course. Our expert faculty members provide extensive coaching in mathematics, enabling you to solve complex problems with ease and accuracy.

General Ability: The general ability section in the NDA entrance examination requires a broad understanding of English, general knowledge, and logical reasoning. Our Advance Course offers an intensive study of these subjects, along with regular practice sessions and mock tests to enhance your performance.

SSB Interview Preparation: Clearing the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview is an essential step towards joining the defense forces. Our NDA Advance Course includes personalized guidance and intensive training to help you excel in the SSB interview. Mock interviews, group discussions, and personality development sessions are conducted to enhance your overall performance and confidence.

Exclusive Study Material and Resources

As part of the NDA Advance Course, you will receive exclusive study materials, including comprehensive notes, practice papers, and reference books. These resources are carefully curated to cover the entire NDA syllabus and are regularly updated to align with the latest examination pattern and trends.

Our library facilities also provide access to a wide range of books, magazines, and journals related to defense studies. This allows you to broaden your knowledge base and stay updated with current affairs, military history, and global security issues.

Conclusion

If you have a burning desire to serve your country and embark on a fulfilling career in defense, the NDA Crash Course (6 months) and NDA Advance Course (1 year) at Manasa Defence Academy are perfect choices for you. With our dedicated faculty, comprehensive curriculum, and personalized attention, we strive to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in the NDA entrance examination. Don’t miss the chance to turn your aspirations into reality – join Manasa Defence Academy and kickstart your journey towards a rewarding career in defense.

[sekritjay]

Doing the pre-nervous breakdown reply system because I want others to opine as well. When did xkit break btw?

@mystery-moose - I am absolutely no expert but I can tell you that I looked seriously for a while at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia! Having lived in that city for about six months I found it thoroughly pleasant, and it’s a few hundred thousand people total so it’s not quite as big a culture shock if you’re going from a more rural or less dense area. Decent food too.

Halifax looks like a very relaxed city but I checked out the Dalhousie website and I don't qualify for any of their course offerings. Like, none of them - perils of doing pol-sci I guess. The closest would be management but I don't have a maths A-level. It's also not clear what their policies are towards mature international students. Thanks for the suggestion though man! There are are other universities in and around Halifax that do offer polsci courses so I'll take a look at those. I'm really curious as to what the programme courses would imply about what you studied though Moose

@tarysande - A few things to keep in mind: Canada’s going through a housing shortage crisis and this has hit university students particularly hard. So, you have to think about housing EARLY. Vancouver and Toronto are unfuckingbelievably expensive. That said, they’re the major centers of media in this country. Canadian university programs are pretty much always four years. Montreal is cool and does have an English university (McGill), but the city is very bilingual.

You might also want to look into schools that offer specific training related to media studies. My husband teaches at BCIT—I know they do quite a lot of media stuff and, as a school, they’re MUCH more job-focused than universities typically are. Douglas College is another one. Pro: this class of school is much more likely to do shorter programs (1-3 year certificates).

Also, if I remember correctly, deadlines for applications are like … now until February, depending on the school, so you’d need to start submitting asap

Vancouver/Toronto I'd be surprised if they weren't expensive but I'll be honest I have the country mouse's terror of moving to a large city so I'd like to avoid that if I can. I do drive though so that might make things easier. Maybe

My first instinct is to find out if my university credits are transferrable and which places in Canada will accept them. That'll dictate what I eventually choose to do but I do know that if I get a study permit it also includes the right to work up to 20 hours a week, mitigating the costs somewhat. There must be employers who will happily take on a guy with 10 years catering management right?

If the worst happens and I have to do a brand new three year course that'll be painful but... well, it would mean that more options would open to me. I might find something I didn't know I would enjoy doing. God, I've not been a student for ten years though and I'm afraid of crashing out again. Even just talking about it here online is kinda nauseating

[mbabtechadmissionexpert]

Comprehensive Guide to XIM University Bhubaneswar: MBA Fees, Hostel Facilities, Admission Process, and Required Documents

Discover everything you need to know about pursuing an MBA at XIM University Bhubaneswar. This guide covers the XIMB Bhubaneswar MBA fees, hostel facilities, the admission process, and essential documents required. Whether you're exploring your options or ready to apply, this detailed overview will help you make informed decisions about your future.

XIM University Bhubaneswar is a renowned institution offering a range of programs, including its prestigious MBA course. If you are considering pursuing an MBA here, it's essential to understand the key aspects, including the XIMB Bhubaneswar MBA fees, hostel facilities, the admission process, and the documents required.

XIMB Bhubaneswar MBA Fees

The fee structure for the MBA program at XIM University Bhubaneswar is designed to reflect the quality of education and facilities provided. As of the latest update, the total fees for the MBA program is approximately ₹20 lakhs for the entire course. This amount includes tuition fees, library fees, and other academic expenses. The fees are subject to change, so it is advisable to check the university’s official website or contact the admissions office for the most current information.

For more information contact: 

807, 8th Floor, Wave Silver Tower, Sec-18 Noida, UP-201301

+91 97738 49977

infocollegedunias@gmail.com

Hostel Facilities

XIM University Bhubaneswar offers modern hostel facilities to ensure a comfortable living environment for its students. The hostels are equipped with essential amenities such as Wi-Fi, study rooms, recreational areas, and round-the-clock security. Both single and shared accommodation options are available. The hostel fees are additional to the tuition fees and typically range from ₹1.5 lakhs to ₹2 lakhs per annum, depending on the type of room and facilities provided.

Admission Process

The admission process for the MBA program at XIM University Bhubaneswar involves several steps:

Application Form: Prospective students must fill out the online application form available on the university’s website. Ensure you complete all sections accurately and submit the required application fee.

Entrance Exam: Candidates are required to have a valid score from national-level management entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, GMAT, or GRE. The university may also conduct its own entrance test, depending on the program.

Group Discussion and Personal Interview: Shortlisted candidates are invited for a Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) round. This stage assesses your communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall suitability for the program.

Final Selection: The final selection is based on a combination of entrance exam scores, GD-PI performance, academic record, and work experience. The university will notify selected candidates through an offer letter.

Documents Required

When applying for the MBA program, ensure you have the following documents ready:

Application Form: Completed online or offline application form.

Entrance Exam Score: Valid scorecard of CAT, XAT, GMAT, or GRE.

Academic Transcripts: Mark sheets and certificates from previous academic institutions.

Proof of Graduation: Degree certificate from your undergraduate course.

Identity Proof: A government-issued ID such as Aadhar Card, Passport, or Driver’s License.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae: Updated CV highlighting your academic and professional achievements.

Photographs: Recent passport-sized photographs.

Recommendation Letters: Letters of recommendation from academic or professional references.

For more information contact: 

807, 8th Floor, Wave Silver Tower, Sec-18 Noida, UP-201301

+91 97738 49977

infocollegedunias@gmail.com

By understanding these aspects, you can make an informed decision about pursuing an MBA at XIM University Bhubaneswar. Ensure you meet all deadlines and requirements to facilitate a smooth admission process. For further details, visit the university’s official website or contact the admissions office directly.

[sapphirelords]

Solo Event

Solo events are timed tasks that individual players must complete in order to gain rewards.

Completing Solo Events is not difficult because not only are the tasks easier than Hell Events, but the allotted time is also 2 hours and 55 minutes— 2 hours more than what is given for Hell Events!

Consequently, because of the same reasons above, ranking in Solo Events is harder than ranking in Hell Events—

Because with easier tasks and longer allotted time, more players are also participating in the event— both actively and passively; it is safe to assume that everyone who is online at a particular time is participating in the Solo Event.

Of course, as with Hell Events, Solo Events is also a staple of guild events such as the Guild Fest where completing these events also results in higher points for the guild as a whole.

It is just important to take note that Solo Events take much longer.

Hence, players should always check the time limit when picking Solo Events in the Guild Fest; you never know if you have enough time to complete the Solo! (and don't even think of picking the rank in solo tasks because that is... an uphill battle. If you do end up picking those by accident, I hope that you have a lot of gems, speedups, and rss saved up!)

2024

2024-06-05 | 2024-06-06 | 2024-06-08 | 2024-06-09 | 2024-06-12 | 2024-06-14 | 2024-06-15 | 2024-06-16 | 2024-06-17 | 2024-06-22 | 2024-06-23 | 2024-07-04 | 2024-07-13 | 2024-07-14 | 2024-07-20 | 2024-07-21 | 2024-07-23 | 2024-07-28 | 2024-08-02 | 2024-08-04 | 2024-08-07 | 2024-08-11 | 2024-08-13 | 2024-08-14 | 2024-08-19 | 2024-09-03

PS. Go back to the main Lords Mobile post here.

[goldsbitch]

That one missed lecture

part 3 to That one Christmas flight

summary: After a missed moment, both parties are trying to contemplate what to do next.

warnings: crushing hard, cheesy af, swear words I guess, typos probably, slow burn let's just admit that

"A what?"

Surely she must have misheard Teresa. Yes. Lando has been on Y/N's mind so much these past few days that she has officially lost it.

"Sorry, not what. Who?"

"I dunno, apparently this like formula racer or something. I don't really understand it - so like we were at Al Bricco right, as usual. And there was this guy who seemed to be super into that sport and he totally freaked out. Like, the racer guy just went in and immediately left, kind of embarrassing. He like proper asked for a photo and shit. And after the racer guy left, this dude was so high off that he paid for everyone's drinks at the bar. Was nice! Shame you had the thing you had, or whatever."

Yes. Or whatever. Y/N made up some excuse for last evening, so mundane even she forgot what it was.

It was Monday afternoon after the Imola weekend. The philosophy lesson was about to start in few minutes. Y/N cursed Teresa for keeping this one tiny detail about yesterday. For fuck's sake, they'd already had two classes together today! Plenty of opportunity to mention this. Nobody famous ever came to Bologna. Y/N would expect Teresa to make it a bigger deal. But then again, usually it would not be a big deal for neither of you.

"Yeah, shame I didn't order a bottle instead of a glass," Teresa proclaimed.

"Did you see him? The racer guy?"

"Yeah. He looked like a guy, honestly nothing special about him."

"Do you know like his name or the team?"

"No, the fuck would I know that. You're focusing on the wrong thing - you missed a fun night with free drinks."

Y/N felt like her mind just got the DRS.

There were 20 drivers on the grid - the chances were low. Y/N overcame her initial shock and tried to focus on the lecture that was about to start.

For some reason Hegel's Lord-bondsman dialectic was not able to win in the battle for Y/N's attention today. Since Teresa was of little help, Y/N turned to social media. Surely, this fan must have shared his photo online. And then, once she finally discovers the photo of Ocon or Tsunoda, she will be abel to return back to her actual real problems instead of her schoolgirl crush.

They say if you need to find the "corpus delicti" these days, ask a woman to scan social media. Source more powerful than FBI.

Y/N had to excuse herself after staring at a photo of Lando's fake smile while standing in her favorite bar. Pacing around was required right now. After all, show us a problem that can't be fixed by maniacally walking around the block seven hundred times.

In her favorite bar. Lando was in her bar. In a bar, where she would have been, hadn't it been for her actually trying to track down Lando. Out of all the places on this gigantic planet. In. Her. Favorite. Bar. Must have been some random game of destiny. Y/N was getting real mad at destiny. She cursed the stupid Christmas tradition, she cursed ever getting herself involved with formula 1.

She cursed herself for missing him. In both meanings of the word.

//

Lando forgot when exactly had his burner account turned completely Bologna centered. But it was impossible to escape that city. So he decided to leave that account be for a while.

His fitness trainer must have been happy with him. Lando burned his the tension and confused mix of feelings in his session like his life depended on it. He went on to stream in his free time to check in on his friends, who seemed a bit confused on where his head had been lately. In the course of few days, life got back on track. Y/N slowly leaving his mind and he parting with it peacefully. Yet every was covered under a gray cloud of nothingness.

It was a simulator day for him. He was supposed be testing new configurations. Lando was never really good at simulators, it completely lacked the realness of it, so he had to push himself to stay professional and be a proper teammate.

"I'm just not sure about this breaking set up," he commented quietly, perhaps even more to himself than others after missing another turn. His engineer however picked up on it and started to get into super detailed explanation on why they wanted him to use this configuration and did not fail to mention how great it job it did for Oscar this morning. Lando simply nodded and did not bother to engage in eye contact. He was in no mood for this debate and kept staring at the screen. Just let it all flow by him. This engineer had been on the team for quite some time, so he did not hesitate to try and cheer him up.

"Come on, man. You can't just sit there. The car won't start if you don't go for it, you know?" he said as a joke. When Lando did not respond, he began to second guess his judgement. "Or we could just take a break, what ever suits you."

Lando took a deep breath. "No, you're right. I can't just sit here and do nothing." He turned to his engineer with a different more energetic look. "When I crash, we just start again next time, am I right?"

"That's my boy!"

//

Y/N woke up the next morning to suspiciously large amount of notifications on her Instagram account. Someone liked every single one of her pictures and few of those where she was tagged and commented on one of her selfies "nice". Curious to what this was about, she went and checked the profile out. The only thing present on it was a black and white photo with some random numbers and letters. Ok, so nothing. Just some random weirdo or a drunken joke of one the uni friends. Because for a single moment she allowed her intrusive thoughts in - and expected Lando's account to be the one liking it.

Contemplating breaking the rule and reaching out to him was the only thing occupying her yesterday's evening. But what good would that do, his account probably being run by some PR people who would dismiss it as just another fangirl trying her chances. She thought a photo might be more helpful, but it was just the same thing all over again. No, she missed her chance and it was time to start moving on.

Her usual morning brain fog breaking espresso at a coffee bar in the centre did it's job well. A lot of paragraphs she was due to write were waiting on her. Only one lecture in the afternoon. A nice calm day to spend in one of the libraries. She loved Bologna. Great food and ever-present history has cured many crushes through out the ages.

"also nice" -another notification from the same account. Y/N contemplated blocking it, but it just seemed rude, so she just silenced her phone.

When took her phone out to listen to some music on the way to her lecture, she had three more comment.

"very nice" -appeared under a photo from one of her dinner parties with the local students.

"why no smile?" -it was a selfie, so what?

"thought you were the smart one, but starting to doubt that" - written under a random photo of Bologna's stunning libraries. So what, she enjoyed aesthetics too.

The one comment questioning her brain capacity stuck in head whole the way to her lecture. What the fuck was that about. Why was anyone spending their time so uselessly. The only thing on that profile was picture with some JL043 mash of letters. She had more important things to do.

A loud ding of her comments notification interrupted the lecture in the middle of it. She gave an apologetic look to her already grumpy professor.

"check my followers"

She sighed. That's it, she'll have a look and then block this asshole out.

Her heart sank when she saw that the only account this one was following was the Japan Airlines. JL043. The Christmas flight.

Y/N has already left one lecture because of Lando this week, so she was not about to it for the second time. But she might have as well done that, seeing she would not have been able to repeat a single point from this lecture.

//

Lando was not a patient man. Especially not after he has decided on something. And he decided on contacting Y/N. With the newfound fire in his veins, another burner account was created - can't let her see he was following every single one of her friends, bit weird. Well, once you've started you might as well finish it. Lando was happy that he did not posses any serial killer tendencies.

He was also a cheeky boy, not about to make it easy for anyone. Had to be fun.

So he liked all her pictures and put few comments. When she did not respond immediately in the morning, he continued. And again, and again. In the later afternoon, Y/N's account followed his and smile on Lando's face followed after that.

A message appeared shortly after.

"Hey you..."

part 4

_________________________________________

Tagged all those who like to suffer: @prudyhoo @anuksunamon @sagestack @esquerkaren @ushygushybaby @ilove-tswizzle @thehufflepuffavenger1  @superlegend216

[bradyoil]

Respect The Process 530 Lars Timmermann

Commercial director Lars Timmermann is a true master of his craft, blending technical prowess with a boundless creative spirit. From meticulously crafted stop-motion miniatures to collaborating with skilled puppeteers, Lars' work is a testament to the power of practical effects and handcrafted elements. I was struck by his unwavering commitment to respecting the entire filmmaking team, fostering a collaborative environment that brings out the best in everyone involved. Lars' insights into the cultural differences between European and American advertising also challenged preconceptions and highlighted the value of diverse perspectives. If you're a fan of innovative, visually stunning commercials, this chat with Lars is a must-listen, sure to inspire with its glimpse into the mind of a true filmmaking visionary.

Visit his site to see his commericals, great BTS and more. Thanks Lars!

FILMMAKER RETREAT JOSHUA TREE 2024 - LAST 3 SPOTS - SIGN UP NOW

Our 3rd annual Filmmaker Retreat Joshua Tree is Thursday, September 26th – Sunday, September 29th, 2024. I always use the word "transformational" in describing the past two years - because our tribe of like-minded filmmakers express that the retreat truly changed their lives. Both professionally and personally. Reserve your spot before the end of the year to take advantage of that last minute 2024 write-off. Limit 20 Filmmakers.

FLOW

Use the link plus code JB20 when you try https://www.magicmind.com/jordanbrady chug it daily after your coffee. If you follow me on Instagram you know my geniune endorsment of this mighty mind power juice.

Check out my Masterclass or Commercial Directing Shadow online courses. (Note this link to the Shadow course is the one I mention in the show.) All my courses come with a free 1:1 mentorship call with yours truly. Taking the Shadow course is the only way to win a chance to shadow me on a real shoot! DM for details.

How To Pitch Ad Agencies and Director’s Treatments Unmasked are now bundled together with a free filmmaker consultation call, just like my other courses. Serious about making spots? The Commercial Director Mega Bundle for serious one-on-one mentoring and career growth.

Here's the Lbb Director's Playbook article sharing my pitch secrets. And my follow up that came out this week, How To Write Winning Treatments. 

4+ NEW BEHIND-THE-SCENES

I've uploaded more raw behind-the-scenes, with dailies, agency interaction, directing top talent and collaborating with my crew, all at Commercial Directing Masterclass. And you'll wanna check out the new courses, like Behind The Beard and Winning Director Treatments.

Thanks to our editor Jake Brady We could not do the show without him and love this guy behind words. Need your pod spruced up? Check out his Podcast Wax.

Thanks,

Jordan

This episode is just about 94 minutes.

My cult classic mockumentary, “Dill Scallion” is online so I’m giving 100% of the money to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. I’ve decided to donate the LIFETIME earnings every December, so the donation will grow and grow. Thank you.

Respect The Process podcast is brought to you by Commercial Directing FIlm School and True Gentleman Industries, Inc. in partnership with Brady Oil Entertainment, Inc.

Check out this episode!

[henakia7]

Getting A Mortgage Loan Originator License

This post will briefly explain the process of getting a Mortgage Loan Originator License in the USA, regardless of the state that you might choose to practice in.

Click here to learn more about getting a Mortgage Loan Originator License.

Ensure that you are at least 18 years old and a citizen of the USA.

Complete the pre-licensing MLO course, a mandatory requirement fixed by the National Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) to be eligible to appear for the SAFE licensing exam. The MLO course is of 22 hours duration of which 20 hours is the national section and 2 hours is the state-specific section.

Before selecting a course, visit the NMLS website to check the providers approved by the body. Only these courses count towards fulfilling eligibility norms for the SAFE (Secure and Fair Environment) licensing test. You can choose either a classroom setting or an online course. Check out the NMLS-approved online course provider RealEstateU. Their coursework is of the highest quality while being among the most affordable in this niche.

Submit your fingerprints for verification of any past criminal records. Any negative report will render you ineligible for a Mortgage Loan Originator License.

Schedule a date for the SAFE test on the portal of the NMLS. On the fixed date, appear for this licensing exam and pass it. You must score at least 75% to crack the test and retake it after 30 days if you fail on the first try.

Now apply online for a Mortgage Loan Originator License on the NMLS website after paying the required fees.

Now find a broker to sponsor you. Once done inform NMLS about it.

NMLS will now verify your employment status and issue an active Mortgage Loan Originator License.