#Business German Podcast

[masteryourgerman]

Bond Uni Robina QLD

I renamed this Uni James Bond University. The Bond University, located in Robina on the Gold Coast, Queensland, has a rather young history since its establishment A. History of Bond University Founding: Bond University was founded on May 15, 1989, making it Australia’s first private, not-for-profit university B. Vision: The vision was to offer an exclusive educational experience of the…

[peblogger]

Backyard

What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year? Too many, to mention them here, to be true blue. Three new Lessons learnt per day times 7 days means 21 lessons per week times 52. Starting to learn that some common phrases are completely wrong: One is you can‘t teach an old dog any lesson. As a dog lover since I can think id est read and write, I thought an old man of 75…

[dreamdolldeveloper]

back to basics

mostly free resources to help you learn the basics that i've gathered for myself so far that i think are cool

everyday

gcfglobal - about the internet, online safety and for kids, life skills like applying for jobs, career planning, resume writing, online learning, today's skills like 3d printing, photoshop, smartphone basics, microsoft office apps, and mac friendly. they have core skills like reading, math, science, language learning - some topics are sparse so hopefully they keep adding things on. great site to start off on learning.

handsonbanking - learn about finances. after highschool, credit, banking, investing, money management, debt, goal setting, loans, cars, small businesses, military, insurance, retirement, etc.

bbc - learning for all ages. primary to adult. arts, history, science, math, reading, english, french, all the way to functional and vocational skills for adults as well, great site!

education.ket - workplace essential skills

general education

mathsgenie - GCSE revision, grade 1-9, math stages 1-14, provides more resources! completely free.

khan academy - pre-k to college, life skills, test prep (sats, mcat, etc), get ready courses, AP, partner courses like NASA, etc. so much more!

aleks - k-12 + higher ed learning program. adapts to each student.

biology4kids - learn biology

cosmos4kids - learn astronomy basics

chem4kids - learn chemistry

physics4kids - learn physics

numbernut - math basics (arithmetic, fractions and decimals, roots and exponents, prealgebra)

education.ket - primary to adult. includes highschool equivalent test prep, the core skills. they have a free resource library and they sell workbooks. they have one on work-life essentials (high demand career sectors + soft skills)

youtube channels

the organic chemistry tutor

khanacademy

crashcourse

tabletclassmath

2minmaths

kevinmathscience

professor leonard

greenemath

mathantics

3blue1brown

literacy

readworks - reading comprehension, build background knowledge, grow your vocabulary, strengthen strategic reading

chompchomp - grammar knowledge

tutors

not the "free resource" part of this post but sometimes we forget we can be tutored especially as an adult. just because we don't have formal education does not mean we can't get 1:1 teaching! please do you research and don't be afraid to try out different tutors. and remember you're not dumb just because someone's teaching style doesn't match up with your learning style.

cambridge coaching - medical school, mba and business, law school, graduate, college academics, high school and college process, middle school and high school admissions

preply - language tutoring. affordable!

revolutionprep - math, science, english, history, computer science (ap, html/css, java, python c++), foreign languages (german, korean, french, italian, spanish, japanese, chinese, esl)

varsity tutors - k-5 subjects, ap, test prep, languages, math, science & engineering, coding, homeschool, college essays, essay editing, etc

chegg - biology, business, engineering/computer science, math, homework help, textbook support, rent and buying books

learn to be - k-12 subjects

for languages

lingq - app. created by steve kaufmann, a polygot (fluent in 20+ languages) an amazing language learning platform that compiles content in 20+ languages like podcasts, graded readers, story times, vlogs, radio, books, the feature to put in your own books! immersion, comprehensible input.

flexiclasses - option to study abroad, resources to learn, mandarin, cantonese, japanese, vietnamese, korean, italian, russian, taiwanese hokkien, shanghainese.

fluentin3months - bootcamp, consultation available, languages: spanish, french, korean, german, chinese, japanese, russian, italian.

fluenz - spanish immersion both online and in person - intensive.

pimsleur - not tutoring** online learning using apps and their method. up to 50 languages, free trial available.

incase time has passed since i last posted this, check on the original post (not the reblogs) to see if i updated link or added new resources. i think i want to add laguage resources at some point too but until then, happy learning!!

[mashyimaro]

@thatkevinsmith : Long before any other pop culture figure “broke the internet” (@)theshando singlehandedly shattered it in the early 90’s. This is an incredible accomplishment considering the internet as we know it didn’t even exist yet. I (and the rest of the known universe) used to watch “the girl from #heathers” every week on (@)beverlyhills90210. I usually did so while jockeying the register at (@)quickstopgroceries - so it was ironic that the film I’d eventually make there would lead to #shannendoherty. (@)malcolm.ingram is most responsible for Shannen being in #mallrats. When I told him my next flick was essentially “Clerks in a Mall”, Malcolm insisted “Then you gotta cast Doherty! She’s an American icon!” That she was, and so much more. Shannen was a true talent and she became a good friend, but lest anyone forget, she was the only reason Mallrats got green-lit in 1995. That’s because Shannen was one of the most famous people on the planet - and the fact that she picked Mallrats as her first follow-up to 90210 made that movie happen. I cherish the memories of Shannen walking her German Shepherd around the (@)edenprairiecenter every morning, or whenever she’d gossip and giggle between takes. At the junket for Rats, we established a ritual we kept up for years, where she wrote “dick” over my half of our (@)filmthreat cover while I wrote “bitch” over her pic. But while Shannen was no shrinking violet and she gave as good as she got (particularly to the paparazzi), she was never anything but sweet to me. I told her back in December when I was on her podcast that I felt like the girl I used to watch on TV at Quick Stop was there to welcome me when I got into show business. Fuck… She’s died way too soon. I already miss you, Do-Do. Thank you for going to the Mall with me - and for thirty years of friendship. My Canadian pal was right: you are (and always will be) an American icon.

[lostcauses-noregrets]

if Levi activated his Ackerman powers in the underground, then what was all that in no regrets when Levi looked like he was seeing god or some shit after Erwin gave him that speech? Like he already activated the Ackerman powers?

I’m glad you brought this up Anon, because we had a long discussion about this when we recorded the @youhearbiggirls podcast the other night.  The podcast will be out just as soon as @momtaku has finished editing it, so look out for that. 

Frustratingly, there has been endless confusion about the relationship between the Akermans extraordinary powers and their devotion to their chosen person, the so-called Ackerbond.  The Ackermans power stems from their clan’s unique ability to harness the power of the Titans in human form. This is the “by-product of Titan science” business that Zeke mentions in chapter 93. This power typically activates when their survival instincts are triggered but it seems that not all Ackermans have their power awaken. It’s not clear whether Kuchel and Mikasa’s father had Ackerpowers for example.  The Ackerbond is related to the Ackermans superpowers but is something quite different. Isayama explains this in the Answers book which was published in 2016, the same week as chapter 84, Midnight Sun, and goes a long way to explaining the Ackermans relationships to their significant other. 

—In the battle to overthrow the monarchy, in the relationship between Erwin and Levi too, subtle changes begin to appear! Isayama With the heroes of American comics, conflicts dealing with the situation “with great power, comes great responsibility” have been depicted. In Levi’s case, if he had no power, he would probably have been an ordinary person with no responsibilities but, as a consequence of having power, that he became a person excessively burdened with responsibility. Kenny talked about “everyone… was a slave to something…”, when he put the question to Levi “what is yours!?”, Levi himself too perceived it. That he himself too was a slave in regard to his own strength. The sense of duty that “I must become a hero”. …the same thing can be said of Mikasa too but…, for the Ackerman family, in the service of their master, there are many people who are able to manifest their power to its maximum. —Eh!? (surprise) About that, isn’t this information that hasn’t been talked about in the original story!! Certainly for Mikasa it’s Eren, for Kenny it’s Uri that is the lord/master-like existence… Isayama In Levi’s case, it’s Erwin. As the existence who surpasses him, he has acknowledged Erwin or how should I put it. That is the Ackerman lineage or rather, the instinctive part probably.

[Translation by @tsuki-no-ura]

This is the relationship that Eren mischaracterises as Ackermans being a slave to their instincts, which Zeke debunks in chapter 130.  Ackermans are free to choose who to follow and whether to devote their power to them. 

Part of the Ackerpower / Ackerbond confusion seems to arise from the fact that Mikasa’s Ackerpowers awaken at the exact moment she meets her liege, so the two things happen simultaneously.  This isn’t the case for Kenny and Levi, who have already come into their power long before they meet Uri and Erwin. Some fans are also unaware of the existence of the Answers book, or doubt its veracity, which is weird because it comes directly from Isayama and is an official Kodansha publication.  Admittedly, Answers has never been published in English, though it has been published in German, and it’s widely available in translation.  @fuku-shuu, @ningen-suki and @yusenki all translated Answers when it was first published and @tsuki-no-ura has translated parts of it more recently and written several commentaries on the text.  

In Levi’s case, most fans assumed that his Ackerpowers had awakened before he met Erwin, as this would explain his skill with the 3DMG and his extraordinary fighting ability, we just didn’t know when.  Bad Boy confirms this.  The reason that Levi decides to follow Erwin is because he realises that he is fighting for a higher purpose; something that Levi himself doesn’t fully understand. Basically Erwin gives Levi a cause to fight for, enabling him to “manifest his power to the maximum”.  This is the revelation that we see at the end of the ACWNR manga, and which is made explicit in the visual novel, but is sadly missing from the anime.  

What a man—Levi thought to himself.  When he'd gotten caught in the underground, he'd felt humiliated. He had thought that Erwin was brimming with an air of superiority as he looked down at his catch—but now, Levi knew that he'd been mistaken. That kind of quarrel about superiority or inferiority had never concerned Erwin even in the slightest. He was, after all, fighting a more important war against the titans—no, perhaps, it was against something even bigger than that. Fixing his sight on that something, he'd carried on fighting, trying his hardest to defeat it. Levi thought—he'd been obsessed only with his pride, limiting his horizons only to that, and had then lost important friends as a result—with his current self, he definitely had no chance at winning against this man. If that's the case— "All right… It looks like you have something that I lack. Until I know what that 'something' is, I'll go with you." Having made his choice, Levi stood up. And then, catching up to Erwin, he began to trod through the heavy rain that obscured everything before them— Towards the hope surely left somewhere in this broken world, he began to walk.

[ACWNR visual novel, White Flower Translations.]

Of course the alternative answer to all this is that reacting like you've seen god is a perfectly natural reaction to Erwin giving you a motivational speech 😂

Hope this answers your question Anon, I’ve answered loads of other asks about the Ackermans over the years, which you can find in my Ackermans and Ackerbond tags, and I also have an Ackermans Master Post, which includes every canon reference to the Ackerman clan, their power and their relationship to their masters. Actually, now I come to think about it, I'm going to have to update that master post to include the new information from Bad Boy!

[duchessofostergotlands]

Leonor is putting an impressive number of engagements before getting in the navy. In a way I wish more European royals would feel the pressure the Spanish do, because it’s embarrassing to see a teenager work more than actual monarchs and constistently giving more relevant speeches than middle aged people. It’s actually good for these privileged people to know their position is not set in stone.

I was going to go into depth about why you shouldn't compare families etc but let's just fact check this first. The only family that has an official, public record of engagements is the Brits (one of the many many reasons you don't compare wildly different situations) so the best you can do with other royal families is use their website. As far as I can tell from Casa Real Leonor has done 9 engagements this year. You state that she's doing "more than actual monarchs" and I'd love to know which monarchs have done less than 9 engagements since January because I can't think of any. Harald did more than that in June alone and he's 87 and just had a pacemaker implanted lol.

I also find the statement that she is "constistently giving more relevant speeches than middle aged people" to be odd. Relevant means appropriate. We're not the intended audience for the vast majority of speeches so unless unless it's egregious - like talking exclusively about Botswana during a visit to Hungary - how can we judge what's more or less relevant? We can say if we liked the speeches or not, sure. You could say if it's relevant to you and your life (for example I don't enjoy military related speeches because I'm not a fan of the military so it isn't relevant to me personally). But I'm not a German politician or a business person from Japan, how would I know what's relevant to them if they're the kind of intended audience, which they generally are for older royals compared to the young royals whose speeches tend to be aimed at the general public through events like National Days or birthdays? What exact passages in Leonor's speeches make them more relevant than those given by older people?

None of this is in any way a criticism of Leonor. I'm not Spanish but as an outsider she seems like a kind, intelligent, confident, mature young woman and a credit to her parents. Again, as an outsider, I'd say she's doing an excellent job. But it's totally unfair to use her to put down people in vastly different circumstances using inaccurate information and criticisms neither you nor I are actually qualified to make. The next generation are coming into their own and we have the chance to make sure they become leaders who are recognised for their own strengths and criticised for their own failings.

Of course royals need to know that their position is determined by us, the people. But if I've learned anything from our WW2 and abdication episodes of the podcast it's that the most successful royals are those who are motivated by a recognition that their job is an honour and they have a responsibility to the public, not those who are scared of losing their ponies.

[marimayscarlett]

If not for the bands message, I would 100% believe he was quitting either Rammstein or both the band and music. In fact, I think last year he was going to. No doubt about it. But the support and love stopped him. Made him rethink things. There are still people, a lot of people, who want to see and hear him. Like a Phoenix from the ashes - that's what I think the end of the poem implies

I also think he lost a lot of people. In music industry and personal life. People turned their backs on him long before any verdict was issued, and that made him lose hope. It would make anyone lose hope.

But truth prevails. And those who were genuinely loyal - stayed. And for those people alone, it is worth continuing... and I don't mean just music.

Hi 👋🏻

If Rammstein's thank you-message from two days ago hadn't been posted, I would be even more worried than I already am.

Nevertheless, I try to hold onto the fact that it is hardly likely that the band would publicly announce their continuation for all fans to see, and then their lead singer would announce his departure two days later.

Yet Till had to endure incredibly much last year. He was pilloried and prejudged from all sides, while at the same time, no one gave him the opportunity or allowed him to actively defend himself. His professional environment (the band, other Rammstein employees), as well as his private environment with family (there were even articles about Nele and his mother in the German press) and friends were dragged into it, then there was vandalism and death threats against him.

That one becomes hopeless and thinks about quitting (not only in a professional sense...) is not surprising. The poem reads very personally, as if he is not necessarily (only) referring to his musical career. If you approach the matter interpretively, you can also think that he has lost a lot privately (maybe friends who turned on him, other people in his life became frosty and distant...) and had to endure a lot. However he meant his poem, it seems to be an emotional/sad vent for the emotions and grief he still actively carries and now, with the tour over, perhaps feels more than during the busy and consuming tour life.

I think it is good that he makes it clear how close it hit him - a witch hunt was carried out against him to an incredible extent. Having to endure that leaves marks that do not fade quickly. Till is not a saint and has his quirks, but he certainly did not deserve this.

He is an artist, so he naturally expresses himself in a lyrical and cryptic way. We must be patient and wait to see if and what comes next. I really hope that he has found hope and confidence again. The matter is far from over; proceedings against a podcast are ongoing, and his lawyers have filed a lawsuit against Der Spiegel. That means it will accompany him for a while, whether he wants it to or not. I hope he has a network of loyal people around him who are good for him, and that he at least somewhat finds inner peace... and strength to carry on.

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 19 May 1933, Germany's Nazi government abolished collective bargaining – the principal of workers together negotiating with employers over pay and conditions. Instead, conditions were to be regulated by labour "trustees", appointed by Hitler. The following year the system was refined to designate owners of individual enterprises as local "fuehrers", with complete control of workplaces and ability to "make decisions for employees and labourers in all matters concerning the enterprise". In 1935, the Nazis introduced compulsory labour service for 18-25-year-olds, militarily conscripting young workers into employment. Workers were banned from changing jobs without permission, and maximum working hours were increased from 60 to 72 hours per week while workplace illnesses rocketed. It was just one of many ways the Nazi regime benefited big business, and helped keep workers' wages low, with the US government stating that "It was by such bait that the great German industrialists were induced to support the Nazi cause". Some working class young people rejected Nazism and instead formed gangs called Edelweiss Pirates. Learn about them in our podcast episode 72: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/72-edelweiss-pirates-swing-kids/ Pictured: Youth labour conscripts in Nazi Germany https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=628506649322554&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

[randomfoggytiger]

Fail Better Premium: David's Thoughts (Part VI, 1/2)

Creating a breadcrumb trail with David Duchovny's personal growth.

"Just some thoughts after the Stephen Dubner podcast-- which felt way more comfortable than the others, I feel. Um, settling into the job of interviewer rather than interviewee; but that's not for me to decide.

"I missed a couple of areas that I wanted to get into with Stephen. Um. One was, uh-- and I don't know why I'm coming back to a German word again, schadenfreude. I don't know about the pronunciation; but you know, the delight in other people's distress. Which the Germans have a word for. And we know it here, in English speaking wherever-we-are. It's bandied about quite a bit.

"...What I wanted to ask him [Stephen] was-- his stance is always releasing the shame around it [businesses failing], releasing inhibition around it; and, um, therefore increasing innovation, increasing risk taking. Which he feels is good for business, good for life-- one would think: if you're not terrified of failure, then he can take risks; and, y'know, be creative. But I wanted to ask what role schadenfreude has to do with popularity of such discussions: not just the releasing of shame, but actually the displaying of abject failure; and how we like to look at that as we rubberneck at car accidents.... There's something in our nature, unfortunately, that takes a modicum of delight-- maybe more than a modicum of delight-- at other people's failures.

"Um, and I wonder if that's part of the appeal of this podcast-- I, I don't think so. Um, y'know, I guess I'm as guilty as anyone sometimes of... of, of taking pleasure in somebody's else's distress or failure. I, I don't feel like that's a primary impulse of mine; and I wouldn't want to contribute to it, in any major kind of way. But I think.... I was raised in a kind of a mindset of, of uh, scarcity; and I think many of us were and are-- and not just a scarcity of resources, for those of us that didn't grow up with a lot of money. But scarcity of love, in a way. There's not enough, not enough love out there to go around. Not just material, but love as well. And in a world of scarcity, in a worldview of scarcity, then... it's possible to think of other peoples' success as making it harder for you to succeed. And that's another thing I want to investigate in this podcast: does someone else's success contribute to my failure? Contribute to my feeling like a failure? Y'know? Because it is all-- as Stephen does-- it's reframing the narrative of success and failure. Reframing the definitions of success and narrative.

"So those are things I want to get out in the open. As well as this-- I woke up this morning with this idea, like: is failure... does it feel contagious to people? Um, when I got divorced, I found there were some married couples that didn't want to hang around with a divorced guy. Um... not namin' names; but, y'know, there's a certain kind of contagious quality to... mm... deeply, uh, painful experiences that people go through. That people don't want to confront-- that, in themselves. So, maybe they don't go out of their way to avoid people that have experienced what they are afraid of experiencing, or that they dread experiencing; but I think it's a thing. The contagiousness of failure, or the superstitious contagion of failure. Something to talk about at some point-- I don't know with who. Obviously with just myself. Yeesh."

(Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV: 1/3, Part IV: 2/3, Part IV: 3/3, Part V: 1/3, Part V: 2/3, Part V: 3/3)

[c-schroed]

Podcasts I Adore - Re: Dracula or This Year, Our Friend Jonathan Has a Podcast!

"I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty. (Memorandum: Get recipe for Mina.)"

I wanted to join "Dracula Daily" ever since I heard of it. To me, this is a stroke of genius; it's just the perfect approach to this book. I mean, not only is Bram Stoker's horror classic an epistolary novel with precise dates given for every journal entry or letter written by one of its protagonists, it also spans quite an ideal amount of time, i.e. roughly half a year. Long enogh to give it a feeling of something interesting and important slowly unraveling, short enough to not feel like too much of a commitment.

So yeah, I really wanted to join "Dracula Daily". Especially because I wanted to read the novel in English for years already (so far I've only read its German translation, because that's my native language). But, alas, I do not find the time so easily to add a book to my to do list, so I ended up not joining this lovely book club last year, fearing I'd miss out on most of the entries sooner or later.

Enter "Regarding Dracula". Right after seeing it for the very first time I knew this will be perfect for me. I already have a habit of listening to audio drama on my daily commute, and preferably in the form of fictional podcasts. So quite literally, @re-dracula had me at hello.

And gosh, they did not disappoint. Although I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed to find out that the format is more that of a classical audio drama, with voice actors speaking every line of their respective character. Originally, I was hoping for a more podcast-like approach, meaning that each actor speaks all of the text of a journal entry or letter, period. As if Jonathan would make a podcast instead of notes in his journal. I simply like it when audio fiction uses the possibilities of podcasts, and "Dracula" felt like something that could profit from this way of storytelling, too. So yes, I admit it: I was a bit disappointed. But not for long.

After hearing just a few sentences of Karim Kronfli as Dracula, I immediately understood the decision to breathe life into each character this way. I mean, I love Ben Galpin's work as Jonathan, but Dracula really, really profits from Kronfli's nonchalant but still breathtakingly powerful and confident take on this charakter.

And Mr. Kromfli is not the only one who makes a redefiningly marvellous job here. So far, all the voice actors go far out of their way to make me fall in love with each and every one of them: Ben Galpin's Jonathan is heartbreakingly relatable, Isabel Adomakoh Young's Mina is capable and charming beyond measure, and Beth Eyre's Lucy is just gorgeous. Yes. I'm in love.

In addition to all that talent of its cast, "Re: Dracula" also has a neat and absolutely on point score and sound design. And, just like the basic idea of "Dracula Daily", it really gives you a feeling of how time passes between the journal entries and letters. Haven't heard anything of Jonathen for a while? One does start to worry a bit. Lucy answering to Mina just two days after the Mina's letter? Wow, that was quick, I guess (not sure how quickly the postal service worked back then, though). Even if one has read "Dracula" again and again, I am sure this form of presentation can grant new insights!

So, if you, like me, are a more eager listener than reader, or if you happen to like close-to-perfection audio drama, then please give this a shot! I bet you, like me, will soon be finding yourself eagerly, yearningly awaiting the next bit of news from your good friend Jonathan, who hopefully soon returns from that terrible business trip of his. 9 out of 10 points.

[masteryourgerman]

Angst essen Seele auf …

More here soon … Linked

[peblogger]

Music Is The Language

What is your favorite genre of music? Blues followed by County | honest and pure … And Music from Heart & Soul. Bob Dylan started with Hank Williams and US Blues reflects the Soul of US Country Folks. Music Is The Language Linked Music Daniel Levitin’s book, “This Is Your Brain on Music,” explores the intricate relationship between music and the brain. Levitin, a cognitive neuroscientist,…

[schvmacher47]

Rumour Has It (Pedri x artist! protagonist)

part 2!

view part 1 here!

my requests are open

summary: Being dragged along to the studio of Sira's favourite artist, Pedri never thought he would find himself falling in love with this place or even the owner... He quickly found himself looking forward to hearing about the process of the commission his friend placed, dropping by after practice to pick up Ferran's commission and place his own, just to get another reason to see Ana again...

face claim: artbylavra on instagram

ferrantorres started following ana_hernandez

pedri started following ana_hernandez

A few weeks have passed since Ferran has placed his commission...

»Dios mío, I missed you so much!« said Ana and embraced her friend with a wide grin on her lips. It’s been a bit more than a week since her encounter with the two football players, when Ana found herself at the airport, picking up her bestfriend. »It's definitely been too long!«

»If I remember correctly it was you who refused to come to Spain because of your busy exam season.« Ana grinned amused. »It's what it takes to become a doctor I guess.« Ella shrugged, grabbing her suitcase and backpack so they could head for the exit of the airport.

Ella and Ana met when they were still in highschool, 10th grade when they took part in an exchange programme organised by the German school in Barcelona. The DSB, short for 'Deutsche Schule Barcelona, has been partnering with a school in Dortmund for decades and thus made exchanges possible.

Ana still remembers how she arrived in Dortmund, it was January, grey overcast. It was a cold and rainy day when she and the other Spanish students of the German school arrived at the airport where they were picked up by their host families. Ana had been in contact with Ella before, texting so that they could get to know each other beforehand. They hit off, being on the same wavelength immediately. The month Ana spent in Germany was arguably one of the best months she ever had. Ella's family soon became her second family, her parents taking care of her as if she was their own daughter.

Spending the afternoons after school in random cafés, taking the train to Bochum to go shopping in the 'Ruhrpark' or going partying at the weekends. The highlight, despite not being into football, was definitely watching the 'Ruhrpott Derby' Borussia Dortmund against Schalke in the Signal Iduna Park Ana still remembers how Ella couldn’t believe how Ana wasn’t into football.

»If I were you and living in the city of one of the best football clubs in the world, the club Messi plays for, I would be the biggest fan on earth.« – »You already are the biggest football fan on earth, just look at your wardrobe. You have literally more jerseys of Barça than I’ll ever have. You quite literally own the fanshops of both Barça and Dortmund. If you ask me, you’ve got us both covered. I don’t need to be a fan anymore.« – »I’ll still turn you into a football fan.« – »Good luck with that, it might take you a few years.«

A few months later, after the summer holidays, the German students finally came over to Barcelona. Ella immediately fell in love with the city and all the hidden spots Ana showed her during her stay. They would often spend the afternoons exploring the secluded tiny alleys of Barcelona's old town, meeting up with friends or spending the endless hot summer nights at the beach. Ana knew how much of a football fan Ella was, being confronted with her football obsession everyday when she was in Dortmund, the city where arguably everyone was a fan and living for football. Therefore she wanted to return the favour, her family somehow managing to get tickets for the most prestigious match of the league. The Classico.

In these two months that the two of them spent together, they became best friends. The contact never broke off, they messaged each other daily or sent each other long voice messages that soon became a kind of podcast and took turns in visiting each other in the respective country during the holidays. After they graduated from high school, Ella came to Spain for a few months, first spending some time in Barcelona before finally pursuing their road trip plans until Ella had to go back to Germany to start her medical studies.

»You know, I still can't understand why you're putting yourself through all that unnecessary stress for becoming a doctor..« said Ana when they reached her car. »Sometimes I question my decision as well, but« – »There's no buts, your decision is indeed questionable!« – »I have some great news though!« – »You're quitting?!« Ella rolled her eyes as she fastened the seatbelt and Ana started the engine. »No of course not you idiot, why would I quit after I've spent all of my school years working so hard to get good enough of a degree to study anything medicine related.« – »Could still have been possible, if I were you, I wouldn't like to be burnt out by the end of my twenties.« Ana grinned and drove off the airport parking lot. »If you'd let me finish for once, then you'd know that you have the next four to five months to spend time with me..« – »Wait, I think I got lost in translation. What did you just say? Or more like why?« – »Ever heard of 'Erasmus'« – »Yeah.« – »I got accepted and..« – »No way! And you're just telling me now??« Ana shook her head, a grin still finding its way on her lips. »Felt like it'd be a nice surprise... I have all the paperwork with me, I just need to drop them off this week and sign some papers for my flat and then I can start moving.« – »I still can't believe how you didn't tell me. Especially since you normally cannot shut up about anything.« Ana playfully rolled her eyes and nudged Ella’s shoulder when they came to a halt at a red traffic light.

➵ ➵ ➵

»How’s the boyfriend doing?« asked Ella, while she settled in her friend’s apartment, taking in the beautiful view of the colourful houses and roofs. It was obvious that Ana was an artist, even her apartment looked like a little art studio. Paintings were hung on walls, or were standing against walls. Sketches scattered across the dining table, pencils spread out on a piece of paper. The hallway was crammed with packages of new paint and canvases, waiting to be taken to the studio. »Ugh, don’t ask, he’s a pain in the ass.« Ana mumbled, remembering their latest argument about the most unnecessary thing ever. »The usual, men are in general annoying.« Ella sighed, spreading her limbs out on the sofa. »But what would I do to have a hot Spanish boyfriend as well. Felipe and you are literally perfect, just look at you both.« – »I mean, you technically have the next 5 months to try. Yet you’re also the one who says she doesn’t have the time to commit to a relationship.« Ana grinned amusedly. »Studip medical studies!« – »My words, yet you never want to hear them.« Ana propped herself next to Ella on the sofa. »Oh shut it, not everyone can be as talented as you and make that much money during their studies.« – »I know, it sucks to not be me.« she grinned, putting her hair in a low ponytail.

»Just shut it, or I’m going to ruin your day by telling you what I’ve planned for us this evening!« »Oh good god. I can see where this is going.« Ana buried her face in one of the pillows on her sofa, she already suspected what was about to happen to her. »Don’t be like that, it’s not even as bad as you always say it is. And besides, I need to make good use of my time here. And you’ll just have to go along with it today.« Ana pressed herself deeper into the pillow and mumbled something unintelligible. »You’re lucky I like you so much…« – »I know, and I’m going to take full advantage of that today.« Ella grinned contentedly as Ana lifted her head and propped herself up on her forearms.

Ella had already found what she was looking for and was now waving two blue and red cards in the air. A wide grin spread across her lips as she watched her friend's reaction. Ana stared at her with an indefinable look, her eyes alternating between Ella's grin and the blue and red cards. Something in her gaze changed, and Ella knew that Ana would like to snatch the cards out of her hand and destroy them.

Over the years, Ella still hadn't managed to convince Ana of her passion for football. Even though she was so committed to it and even offered to explain everything to her. But Ana more or less refused every time. The games she was forced to watch because Ella dragged her to the stadium almost every time she was in Barcelona, or because her sister insisted that Ana watched the group games in Seville, had stressed her out so much that she didn't even feel the urge to get involved with football one more time. But Ella didn't give up, hoping that Barcelona, who were slowly returning to their old form and were convincing with their new young stars, could enchant Ana and finally convince her of the beauty of football.

»I hate you.« – »You love me.« Ana gave up and buried her face in the pillow again. »I should’ve known better and gotten prepared as soon as you said you were going to visit me during your semester break. It was so predictable that this was going to happen.« – »What do you expect me to do? Come to Barcelona without seeing them play for the first time since they’ve been taken over by Xavi and are getting great again?« Ella took another pillow and threw it at Ana, who just just groaned in despair. »I expected you to spend time with me, not to drag me somewhere to watch 22 men kick a ball for 90 minutes. I would much rather go out and have a fancy dinner somewhere.« – »We can still do that some other day.« Ana huffed, pushing herself up again. She couldn't wrap her head around how someone could be that obsessed with football. Ana also wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Barcelona has been underperforming for the past couple of seasons, having to deal with Ella’s outbursts after every important match they lost. Such as the 5 Classicos they lost in a row. Yet Ana knew that she had to accept her fate and do her friend the favour of joining her to watch that football match.

That’s how Ana ended up in the Camp Nou hours later. She sank deeper into the soft material of her coat keeping an eye on Ella who was, despite not being there for the first time, seemingly amazed by the astonishing atmosphere. »They better not play like shit, or else this was the last time I'll accompany you.« Ana grumbled and crossed her arms in front of her upper body. Ella just shook her head, knowing damn well that the chances of them playing yet another shitty match were pretty high. »It’s not even that bad..« – »Oh really, must have all been a dream then when you complained about their shitty form for hours over voice messages.« – »Things can change, you know. With the new generation coming through, my hopes are getting up again. They’ve brought up some young talents from ‘La Masia’. It’s looking very promising, the younger players are fun to watch.« Ella gushed, pulling Ana up from her seat as the first notes of the anthem sounded from the speakers. »I actually know about that.« – »Woah, how? – »I have my ways..« Ana smirked, listening to over 80 thousand people sing the anthem.

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ana_hernandez via story

replies!

pedri

I thought you weren't a fan and only watching when it's the Euros or World Cup?

ana_hernandez Don't get your hopes up too high, I was dragged, or more like forced, along by a friend

pedri

You should feel honoured that she picked you to come a long to see the best club in the world play in the most beautiful stadium ever!

ana_hernandez I'm her only friend in Barcelona... You think really highly of yourself, is it a common trait when being a professional football player?

pedri

It's common knowledge that the Camp Nou is the most beautiful stadium in the world... Did you enjoy it?

ana_hernandez I think so... Well I actually expected you to play like shit after Ella, my friend, told me about how shitty Barcelona has been the past couple of seasons

pedri

Thanks😦

ana_hernandez Jokes aside, I wouldn't have thought that players as young as you and that friend of yours could be so gallant on the pitch... I'm impressed

pedri

Glad to hear that! Are you planning to see another match?

ana_hernandez Ella already told me she's going to drag me to another one...

pedri

Make sure to wear my jersey then

ana_hernandez In your dreams Ella has tried to make me wear jerseys a million times, has never worked out, will never work out

pedri

Challenge accepted.

Are you by any chance in the studio tomorrow?

ana_hernandez I am, but not until late in the afternoon.. Why?

pedri

Just wondering...

[madsmilfelsen]

Hello! I'm really curious, what books/authors would you recommend to someone who's new to writing horror?

Hi! Here is what I have on hand (minus my loaned out copies of my favorite book ever Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones and Never Whistle At Night: an indigenous anthology of dark fiction which made me cry on an airplane and made the person next to me very uncomfortable, like she was just trying to build a cart at banana republic, apologies to seat 17B)

God’s Cruel Joke Lit Mag because I’m in them and will be in issue 4, too :) published either mid-January or February 2024– @labyrinthphanlivingafacade is in issue 3 with a great short story that I won’t spoil ***right now the magazines are available to purchase in physical copies but I was told all issues will be free to download as pdfs pretty soon!

Severance by Ling Ma (body horror but not in the way you think, the real horror is repetition and loneliness)

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (body horror)

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis (adjacent the horror genre but a hell of a read)

ANYTHING BY STEPHAN GRAHAM JONES ANYTHING

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirely Jackson (I read this for the first time last spring boy howdy, I also included The Lottery for its suspense)

Dean Koontz because my husband suggested it for the list— this was just the first title I grabbed, I think he said Patrician Crowell too but I was busy looking for Mongrels

A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans (I didn’t finish this because depression set in shortly after I started but the first chapter plays with second pov which I really liked, I’m determined to read it this year)

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (I really enjoyed HBO’s adaptation)

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey (likely the only zombie stories that made me weep uncontrollably)

Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein (non-fiction: explores modern young women navigating sexuality and because I have a thing for loss of autonomy— it’s been a few years since I read it but there is discussion of sexual assault, but I appreciate the expanse of her research and even included a conversation with someone who is asexual)

Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James (got a chill just typing this out— the audio book is exquisite)

You’ll notice some nonfiction because, as a historian undergrad, nothing scares me more than man. The battles of Leningrad and Stalingrad are particularly stomach churning. America’s Reconstruction Era is full of acted out malice and under taught in my opinion.

An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

The 900 Days, The Siege of Leningrad by Harrison E. Salisbury

Enemy at the Gates by William Craig

(On the other side of WW2 I have a book of the experiences of German solider’s left over from a paper I wrote on the inadequacy of Nazi uniforms and how it expedited their failure in Russia, Frontsoldaten by Stephen G. Fritz)

Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr (one of my favorite authors, try finding “How Reconstruction Still Shapes American Racism” Time Magazine, April 2, 2019, I used it as a source for a paper on the history of voting rights)

Bloodstoppers and Bearwalkers— folk tales of Canadians, Lumberjacks & Indians by Richard M. Dorson (published around 1952 but content collected from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the 40’s)

Raven Tells Stories: An Anthology of Alaskan Native Writing (I’m Alutiiq and the museum on Kodiak has a lot of stories recorded under Alutiiq Museum Podcast— my kids and I listen on Spotify)

I think the genre of horror is really mastering tension and playing on peoples fears which is why I included old school folk stories (An Underground Education had a great write up on the Grimm Brothers and the original fairy tales from around the world such as the Chinese and Egyptian Cinderella, as well as several different sections of funny tales, torture techniques, absolute weirdos etc etc) in this vein of thought The Uses of Enchanment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim could prove to be useful

If you’re writing a character with Bad Parents— Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents and Toxic Parents (it has a longer subtitle but I don’t see my copy anywhere) might be able to help you shape character traits

I reached out to @littleredwritingcat who has a mind plentiful in sources who recommended

The Gathering Dark: an anthology of folk horror (I will be picking this one up asap)

Toll by Cherie Priest (southern gothic)

Anything by Jennifer MacMahon

The Elementals by Michael McDowell

[ireallyamabear]

just crawled out of the reddit comments on an article about a UK quiz show having its first female winner since 26 years and ... contrary to the mysogynistic comments about "are women just dont think logical???" i can answer you why this happens!!!!

it's the casting

it's the casting it's the casting it's the casting it's the casting it's the casting

it's the casting

it's the casting

it's the casting it's the FUCKING CASTING

do people think this is a kind of jury duty process where after a certain amount of episodes a perfect statistical slice of the population will have played that quizshow and thus all winner can be viewed as a perfect representation of some kind of intelligence dispersment in all people???* (*iq is a racist lie, anyway)

NO

it's an entertainment show with a casting department that chooses people on the entertainment factor they will bring to the show and the narratives they want to display! (well, you have a first self-selection hurdle of who applies to be on these shows anyway). These casting departments aren't fair! they're not putting the people who will probably win on there!

there are 13 winners of the german version of Who Wants to be A millionaire, 3 of which are women, and the shows plays men and women equally. Is that because women are just stoooopid? No, dude. It's because they choose candidates that are good on TV and have a story they can frame. I bet i could win a lot on the show, but they dont want a single early (*ahem ahem*) thirties female candidate whose answer to "what would you do with the money" is "put it in savings". At least 3 or 4 of those male winners are that exact demographic, though, just. More manly than me.

Cool if you put on a mix of candidates, but a diverse cast doesn't mean you put people with a chance of winning your particular game on your show equally.

I don't really follow it closely anymore, but Survivor has (had?) the exact same problem, iirc they kept on casting these "Mom" archetypes and everybody knew they couldnt win - because the winning conditions of the game were clashing with this kind of persona. this should be it's own post, or I can dig up some very good podcasts about that if anyone's interested.

Anyway. ALL THESE THINGS ARE SHOWS THAT ARE BUSINESSES.

[ghost-kitty-cat]

I am back, I have risen from my grave... hehe did you really think you could escape me... well too bad... now get over here, It's time for Detective Headcanons! (Aka Marlowe's listener if you don't know for some reason...)

First Headcanon, (more to do with my mental image of Detective but...) I imagine they have sorta tan skin (I think tan is the right word..) either that or I imagine them being a poc (I believe that's the correct term for person of color.. side note I also imagine Dearest/Jacob's listener as being a person of color (again sorry if that ain't the right term...)

Second Headcanon, I like to imagine Detective's dad was a Detective too and they learned a lot of their stuff from him... and when he passed away, his office became their office and so did his old German shepherd... (side note: i imagine Detective's dad was the type of person who used files and filing cabinets in his office also I imagine whenever he needed to think something over, he would go out to bar and drink a few shots... he could really handle his liquor... it took a lot to actually get that man drunk...)

Third Headcanon, (sorta also a Dearest Headcanon... but..) I like to imagine they know each other and for a good bit... (I like to imagine they used to hang a lot but Dearest got busy with the whole Jacob situation (which they haven't told Detective about...) and Detective has gotten busy with the whole essence eater/Marlowe situation...)

Fourth Headcanon, so ya know how I said Detective's dad could handle his liquor quite well?... well Detective is the same way... I mean they can literally chug a whole bottle of alcohol and not get drunk/sick... (totally freaked Marlowe out a bit when/if they ever get together..)

Fifth Headcanon, (if I remember correctly (causes it been a bit since I watched the Marlowe videos..) I think Detective has mind reading powers soo...) I like to imagine that they haven't quite mastered how to turn off their powers so because they constantly hear thoughts, they've became quite sensitive to certain noises... and if things get loud for them, they just shut down... (kinda similar to how Rival/Dove gets when they have visions...)

Sixth Headcanon, I like to imagine Detective is the type who watches those Detective/crime shows & podcasts (when they have free time) just to like point out everything they got wrong...

Seventh Headcanon, Detective can not... ...I repeat...CAN NOT... be trusted with their own thoughts (am I going to explain why?... Nope! I'll leave that up to your own imagination...)

Eighth Headcanon, I like to imagine Detective is colorblind... (same with Dearest since they both can't see how much of a RED Flag certain people are... also Red is totally one of their favorite colors hehe...)

Ninth Headcanon, (slightly connected to one of my Marlowe's headcanons... but..) I like to imagine when/if they get together... they totally cuddle and when they're cuddling, Detective will curl up in Marlowe's hoodie/jacket with him (since I imagine Marlowe wears oversized hoodies/jackets...)

Tenth Headcanon, I like to imagine Detective's mom was like either half Spanish or half Mexican and uh when she got angry... she would used a shoe as a weapon... (like the lady from the movie Coco if you've seen that movie... never underestimate a mother especially a mother with a shoe... she even scared Detective's dad a few times...)

Bonus Headcanon, I like to imagine that the German shepherd that was owned by Detective's dad and now is owned by Detective.. is a girl and she is called "Macy" (I think I spelled that right...) Macy is a good German shepherd who is kinda old now so she doesn't have much energy but she's still quite energetic.. also she's spoiled (like she has a bunch of stuff at Detective's place and Macy even has her own little bed in Detective's office...)