#Enthousiast recommendation

[deadnamedblog]

REC

Hello all, if you don't know it yet, I'd like to bring to your attention :

Somewhere To Be Safe by OswaldThatEndswald

It is a Cora-san Lives AU of the Trafalgar Law novel. And it's better than the novel!

It's not finished yet, but it is well worth the read. It follows the novel's events with the difference that Cora lives and they stay in a house with him instead.

[pompoenwolkjes]

Been getting a lot of octopus videos on my recommended again and now I’m thinking of my marine biology au again….octopus researcher Jisung….sea slug enthousiast Jisung…

[the---hermit]

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

I have read this book at the speed of light and I have no idea how that happened. For some reason I expected to find this book harder to get into, and yet after the first 40-ish pages I couldn't put it down, and ended up reading it in three days and a half. This novel has been all over the internet for a while now, but only after speaking to some friends who were enthousiastic about it I decided to give it a try. I specifically bought it for my holiday, because I thought it would be the perfect time to dive into a long book. I can confirm that staying at the seaside is the best way for me to really get into a book like this, and after the great reading experience I had I am really excited for the other two books in the series.

This fantasy novel heavily inspired by China focuses on a main character of poor origins who hopes to escape her desitiny by getting into a military academia. The theme of war is of course predominant, and the more you get into the book the more it becomes central. I feel like the biggest strenght of the book was the world building, the heavy histoical inspiration works amazingly, and throughout the whole story it feels like a very realistic world. The fantasy element was a surprise to me, but it was really interesting and I cannot wait to see more of in the rest of the series. As I was saying war is central in the story, and it is not depicted as the very common epic fantasy battle between good and evil. It is war. It's brutal, violent and scary. All feelings surrounding it are complicated. It's not an easy to digest book in this sense, if you don't like reading very graphic violent scenes, it is not the book for you. But all of this makes the war you are reading about feel very real, and it's terrifying. Anger and rage are also central to the plot and they slowly become bigger and bigger as the story goes on. There have been only a couple of things I have not liked in this book. Firstly I found there were a couple of very predictable scenes (see more in the spoilery section below the cut). They were marginal elements, but still they brought me a bit out of the story and reminded me that yes I was in fact reading a book of fiction. Secondly and mainly I don't feel like I became attached to any of the characters at all. While reading the book I was into the story, but as I finsihed I have not really thought of any of the characters. I would have loved to know more of some, but I feel like just know them at a surfice level. I am a plot over characters person, but still after reading a 600+ pages I was not expecting this. A friend gave me a really interesting interpretation of why that choice might have been made, and it definitely gave me some perspective.

Overall I would really recommend this book. I would check the trigger warnings before, since as I said it's very graphic and heavy. With this being said I think it was a great addition to my fantasy collection, and I cannot wait to get the second novel.

Spoilery section regarding what I think felt very predictable in the book:

In general the first part of the book set in the academia felt a bit predictable overall, but especially the fact that at the end of the first year the main character and her rival get to be the ones to fight in the last big trial was so obvious. It was so predictable, I honestly don't know what the author could have done to avoid it, because I understand that scene was fundamental and necessary, but I didn't like how predictable it was. Also the fact the after the battle at the war capital the main character's best friend is among the survivors felt super predictable to me. I like the character but the way everything was set felt unsurprising, I was expecting her to find him and again that made it feel much more fiction-y to me. I don't know how to explain it, in a book that feels so brutal and real small elements like this bring me back into reality and remind me that it is in fact a fictional story.

[floralfractals]

I've always loved mathematics and I go to a sort of maths and natural science focused hight school. soon I'll have to pick what college I'd like to go to and mathematics is definitely one of the options.

not sure what I even want to know to be honest - is it worth it? should I do it? I'm thinking about programming and chemistry as well. I guess I just wanted to get some input from someone who doesn't know me irl and who reminded me how interesting maths can be (I do not understand your sickly son at all but I'd love to learn to understand af least some of the advances maths that you must have used for your thesis ahhhh!!)

again, not even sure what I'm asking here, just want some advice from a fellow math lover

Love this question! My top 3 picks for uni were also math, computer science and chemistry. Here's some stuff I've noticed based on my experiences with math and people who do cs/chem:

Computer science/programming is very practice-oriented. Although theoretical courses are offered, most students prefer to code monkey their way through their studies. With the right elecives, they don't always need to be smart, and they'll be able to get a job easily regardless of their understanding of theory.

The thing I found lacking in chemistry is the level of how much we know. I read an organic chem book once for fun, and there were some passages like "we don't really know this, and we don't really care" or "this follows from physics, but we won't explain it to you". That frustrated me a lot, and I've heard that happens more often in chem.

Mathematics often has the opposite problem for both of these: it is extremely theory-oriented, allowing you to get deeper understandings of everything, but on the other hand giving you less of an edge on practical skills or the job market.

In the end, you'll be able to find electives in any of the three studies if you search hard enough. I'm studying mathematics, but worked as a system administrator for a year and I do some physics science communication as a volunteer. So don't worry about losing the other two cool things if you make your choice!

Personally, I do recommend mathematics. Especially if you're that enthousiastic about learning stuff, I think you should definitely go for it :].

[guitar-prgress]

Day 20 of trying to guitar... i guess

I am now capable of playing crazy train in normal speed without buzzing sounds as i have been practicing it on the side for a while. I am still getting better at scales and will hopefully be consistent with 100 bpm by the day after tomorrow. (Extra info that nobody gives a shi about. I am excited as f for the new psychedelic prn crumpets album i honestly think it will be their breakout to mainstream album) (december i will be watching my first live by a band called jazz subbath (they do black subbath jazz covers) i really like that band and would recommend their songs to any jazz enthousiasts.)

[koocycle]

mini navigation, about me.

lira, koocycle. adult, twenty-two. she they. eu interior design student southeast asian, black

navigation. main masterlist latest, over wine: screw up talk to me, let’s start conversation! fic recommendations soon to be added

more fun facts!

interior design grad year ‘24. fingers crossed!

contemporary rnb enthousiast. sza. vic monét. kehlani. flo. jhene fucking aiko.

awful perfectionist. yes, i get stressed like hell.

daydreaming over dogs larger than my entire size, cute little apartments i could own if i made more than the minumin wage & hip hugging mini dresses that scream ms. new booty

og tv shows! ugly betty. devious maids. most likely rewatching all eight seasons of desperate housewives as we speak. (i lost count).

[pompadourpink]

Saluuuut maman, je vais aller en France en septembre et je suis très excitée ! J’y vais pour travailler comme assistante du prof à une école et je vais habiter avec une famille d’accueil pendant toute une année ! Je voudrais te dire que tes conseils sur ce blog m’ont aidé énormément pendant que j’apprenais le français, donc merci bcp ~

[bestiarium]

Hi! Do you have any book suggestions for Chinese mythology?

I recently bought "Chinese fairy tales and legends" by Frederick H. Martens, which was recommended to me. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to read it yet so I can't vouch for it, but a lot of reviews claim that the translation is a bit clunky and that the stories are edited to be more 'eurocentric' and to 'appeal to western audiences' which is a downside. It does not cite actual old sources, instead the stories were collected by Richard Wilhelm (who lived in China for over 2 decades) in the early 20th century. But it was recommended to me by several people who were very enthousiastic about it, so there's a good chance you might enjoy it!

Personally I can recommend "The cult of the fox: power, gender and popular religion in late Imperial and modern China" by Xiaofei Kang. This work gives an extremely detailed and well-researched overview and history of Chinese fox spirits, which play a very large role in Chinese folktales and beliefs. However, it contains very little information about other myths or creatures.

Sadly, I don't have any other books on Chinese myths (they are surprisingly hard to find) but there is a blog about Chinese mythical creatures on chinabeastsandlegends.com. This website does not cite any sources so I don't think it's very trustworthy, but it has a lot of creatures and they are beautifully illustrated!

[b-lessings]

10 lessons I learned from the first 10 days of Ramadan 🌙

(personal, subjective, and in no particular order)

1) It's a constant work and it doesn't get easier. This is the first thing that came into my mind. As a matter of fact, the daily routine of this month is no joke, whichever deeds you try to perform and incorporate in your deen from the 5 obligatory prayers, to the sunnah, to the nawafil, to the azkar, to the Qur'an recitation, to the daily x number of istighfar you promised yourself you'd achieve, it is a lot of work, especially if you have a family to take care of, a job or school to go to, or more critically, if your mental health is not at its best condition. Every day (or night), you get out of bed and you're back at square one, you have all this list of tasks to do, and it gets a lot some times, and you do feel exhausted (but if you are among the lucky ones, then it is the good kind of exhausted), and it's not like your prayers are gonna perform themselves, you have to ger up, you have to act. That's why you need to constantly remind yourself why you are doing this in the first place. What is the point of fasting and waking up in the middle of the night to pray and spending hours throughout the day just remembering Allah swt and reading his book, etc. You have to remind yourself of the ultimate purpose of this month, that we are sacrificing the worldly pleasures for the sake of Allah swt, to gain Taqwa, to be in a state of constante awareness and consciousness of Allah's presence, to get closer to Allah swt the most gracious the most merciful, and that if we don't actually put on some work and effort, we won't get to where we want to go, we won't achieve any of that. It is good to keep things in perspective. Be aware of what you are doing, where you are now, where do you wanna go and what it takes to get you there. If it's constant work and effort, then be it.

2) You can't achieve anything by yourself, your intentions are not enough, you need Allah's support. In fact, for the first couple of days I was so confused, I had to ask my sisters " If the devils are all locked away, why do I feel like I can't focus? " And I was constantly asking myself, if I have already prepared, downloaded the calendars and planners, put up a big board on my bedroom wall, etc., Why do I feel like my Iman is getting low?, AstaghfiruAllah. Aren't we supposed to feel on cloud nine? In a state of pure bliss? And then I came across a khutbah where the Sheikh may Allah swt bless him answered my question. He explained that even though Shaytan is locked away, he has already programmed us, for 11 months (he even made a joke that Shaytan deserves a month off because he has been working too hard for the rest of the year). Anyways, what I realized is even your will and your plans and your excitement about Ramadan and your promises to do so and so deeds is not enough if you don't ask Allah swt for support, for sabr, for guidance, for help, for strength to be able to fulfill those ibadat and carry out the plans you have made for this month. You need to constantly ask Allah swt because who else is our refuge? Who else is our source of strength and patience ? Who else will keep us steadfast on the straight path? And who else is gonna help us against the traps of Shaytan? No matter how willing or excited or determined you are to perform your prayers, finish reading the Qur'an, etc, you still need Allah swt to bless your deeds, every step of the way. Without Him, nothing can be achieved. So in your sujood, ask Him that He give you enough strength to finish that prayer in full Khushoo' and concentration, and after that prayer, ask him for sabr and strength to manage to perform the next one and the one after. Tell Him that you seek refuge in Him from the traps of Shaytan, from laziness and lethargy, from the disoriented heart and the distracted mind. Show Him that you are vulnerable and that even though you are trying to do this for Him, you actually can't do it without Him. SubhanAllah.

3) Forgive yourself when you fall short.

{يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ}

{God intends for you ease and does not want hardship for you}

Allah swt literally said this in Surat Al Baqara (The Cow) when he prescribed Fasting upon us and introduced us to the holy month of Ramadan. Soz read it again. As simple as that, I am not gonna develop this idea further.

4) No matter how much you prepared before Ramadan came, you aren't prepared enough. Well, are you familiar with the saying that Ramadan is like a marathon and you have to prepare for it way before? That's actually true. And guess what? No matter how much you think you are prepared, there are still gonna be some moments when you'd still feel out of breath, where you wish you'd have prepared more. May Allah swt make us reach the end of this month smoothly and seamlessly. May Allah swt bless us and accept our deeds from beginning to end.

5) Our deeds don't get accepted because they're good enough, they get accepted because Allah is merciful. I heard this in a youtube khutba just last night and it resonated with me. Put this in your mind, learn it by heart, print it out on your forehead if necessary! No matter how perfect you think your deeds are, they won't get accepted because you're an amazing slave of Allah swt and you win at worship and ibadah. Don't get too confident, beware of arrogance, control your ego. Stay humble and know your place. The only reason why your deeds would be accepted is because Allah swt will have mercy on you, not because you are so good that your deeds would qualify you for forgiveness and acceptance. So pray that Allah swt accepts our deeds and pray that he encompasses us with His mercy.

6) Don't compare to others, don't get intimidated by others, we are not on the same journey. Walk your own rocky path. I can't stress this enough. I know a lot of brothers and sisters Mashaa'Allah, Allahuma barik, are overachievers, or they might just be out of our league. And sometimes, through social media, we see what they share (in their attempt to motivate us and share some tips and good deeds, spread the knowledge, May Allah swt bless them, accept their deeds and reward them), so we get intimidated. Sometimes it feels like what we are doing is not good enough because it doesn't even compare to what X or Y are doing. And we feel a bit scared that we are not good enough of slaves for Allah swt or that Allah swt wouldn't be pleased with us like He swt would be pleased with them, and we can even feel unworthy and get discouraged ( beware it's a shaytan trap). It is simple though, your path to Allah swt is very personal. What a brother or a sister does only get to inspire you not discourage you or intimidate you. When you see someone sharing something good or beneficial, make duaa for them and make duaa for yourself then leave it at that. Competition is taking over every aspect of our worldly life, we shouldn't let it mess with this sacred part as well. And remember, we are not all on the same journey to Allah swt. It is okay if you can't recite the Qur'an in such a beautiful way or if you can't pray 10 rakaas of Taraweeh, it is okay if you can't read in Arabic or if you don't learn any hadith by heart. Allah swt is patient enough and considerate enough. Scratch that, He swt is the most patient, the most considerate, the most gracious, the most generous, and He appreciates your effort. What matters for Him is your sincerity and the purity of your intentions.

7) The less food you take, the more energy you will have. FACTS. I mean, imagine the struggle of having to pray Ishaa and Taraweeh on a full stomach where every time you get down for sujood you feel like your soup is coming up :/ Allahu almusta'aan. This month is not about feasting. It is literally about giving up pleasures (food being one of them) to focus on Allah. So, Focus on what's important and set your priorities straight.

8) Don't overdue it. Beware of the ghost of Burnout. So yeah, like I already said earlier, it is a lot of work and it requires preparation and constant effort. The aim is to be at our best shape of health and Iman on the last 10 nights because they are the most sacred, the most important, the most blessed. You might wanna consider starting small with your deeds and building up slowly. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little." [Al Bukhari]

9) Personalize your ibadat / plans. In other words, do what's best for you and what's beneficial for you. Define your weaknesses and the areas in which you want to improve. Don't just do this or that deed because everyone else is doing them. Do not follow blindly. What is good for you might not be the thing recommended or done by the others. And what you need on your faith journey is not what X or Y needs. You will be judged on your own deeds, your own journey. Have a purpose and a reason for what you are doing and why you are doing that. Also, the more you feel like your plan or your routine is personal, the more you can relate to it and connect with it, the more sincere you will be, the more excited and enthousiastic you will be, and the easier it will be for you to perform your ibadat in Shaa Allah.

10) Too much information can be poisonous. If ,like me, you got into a habit of watching lectures and videos of speakers this Ramadan, then breaking news: it might get confusing. I don't want you to feel lost and confused. Allahima barik the resources are countless and limitless. But also, you have to beware whom you listen to. There are different sects, different perspectives, different rulings on certain things. So, try not take things blindly. Take them with a pinch of salt and always try to do a background check. And eventually, when it gets too much, always choose what's best for your heart, because we are created with an innate sense of "right" , our fitrah is sane, Alhamdulillah. So, try to be critical. Allah swt even recommends that.

I hope this post can be beneficial. Tell me which part you related to the most, and if you have any extra tips, please share. May Allah swt accept our deeds and grant us forgiveness, amen. 🤍

[easyhaaretipps]

10 DIY-ideeën voor landschapsarchitectuur die er duur uitzien, maar u duizenden besparen

U hoeft niet veel uit te geven om een significante impact te hebben op de esthetiek van uw huis buitenshuis. Kleine, goedkope veranderingen kunnen de aantrekkingskracht vergroten, en een paar slimme keuzes voor landschapsarchitectuur kunnen zelfs de prijs van uw huis verhogen als het tijd is om te verkopen.

We hebben contact opgenomen met de in Ohio gevestigde makelaar Kristina Morales om meer te weten te komen over de invloed van buitenbeplanting op de waarde van onroerend goed. We spraken ook met Blythe Yost, mede-oprichter en hoofdlandschapsarchitect bij online landschapsontwerpbedrijf Tilly, voor tips om het meeste waar voor je geld te krijgen met verschillende doe-het-zelf-landschapsprojecten.

Als u veel wilt besparen op landschapsarchitectuur, is doe-het-zelf de juiste keuze. Morales zegt dat dingen zelf doen de meest kosteneffectieve manier is om een saai landschap op te fleuren. We hebben deze lijst met 10 doe-het-zelf-landschapsideeën voor minder dan $ 1.000 samengesteld om uw voor- of achtertuin te verfraaien.

Eenvoudige tuinbedden met eenvoudig te installeren randen

"Veel kopers zullen langs het huis rijden voordat ze een afspraak maken om het interieur van het huis te bekijken", zegt Morales. "Een goed aangelegd huis maakt kopers enthousiast om het huis te zien en geeft kopers het vertrouwen dat als het huis aan de buitenkant goed wordt onderhouden, ze hetzelfde aan de binnenkant kunnen verwachten."

Randafwerking is een eenvoudige, goedkope manier om inhoud en orde toe te voegen aan een anders kaal landschap in de voortuin. Hoewel randproducten een schone, gepolijste uitstraling kunnen geven, zegt Yost dat je niet per se speciale materialen nodig hebt om het werk te doen. Het gebruik van mulch naast grasvelden om een schone, gevoerde rand te creëren kan de perfecte oplossing zijn als u een beperkt budget heeft.

Maak paden

Al vroeg in haar carrière leerde Morales dat landschapsarchitectuur een aanzienlijk investeringsrendement oplevert op het gebied van 5% tot 15%. Tegenwoordig zegt ze dat ze zich aan de 10%-regel houdt en klanten vertelt om indien mogelijk 10% van de waarde van hun huis in landschapsarchitectuur te investeren.

Paden zijn een uitstekende plek om uit te geven. Of het nu in de voor- of achtertuin is, het toevoegen van stenen of het maken van doe-het-zelf-paden met behulp van mulch en randen helpt de toon te zetten voor potentiële kopers.

Als je kiest voor stapstenen, raadt Yost aan om de grootste maat te kopen die je kunt vinden, omdat grotere stenen minder snel van hun plaats zullen raken. "Stapstenen moeten op verdichte grond worden gelegd, geëgaliseerd en rond de randen worden verpakt om te voorkomen dat ze bewegen of wiebelen", voegt ze eraan toe.

Gebruik grote plantenbakken

Morales says that trees and bushes appeal to buyers, but it's essential to be cautious when planting them to avoid blocking natural light. If in doubt, try incorporating large planters to jazz up your home's front stoop or porch. These impermanent fixtures add visual interest without all the upkeep. 

When choosing planters, Yost recommends picking ones made of frost-resistant material so you can leave them outside year-round. "Also, be sure there are adequate drainage holes, and the planters are set so that water can actually run freely out of the holes," she says.

What goes inside is entirely up to you, but it's important to consider climate and necessary maintenance. Consider filling large vase-like planters with branches and adding string lights or changing things up for each season. 

Voeg een vogelbad toe

Hoewel het huis de voor de hand liggende achtergrond is voor prachtige landschapsarchitectuur, creëert het toevoegen van een vogelbad een secundair brandpunt en kan een eenvoudige wilde bloementuin in een verfijnde ruimte veranderen.

Bij het toevoegen van een vogelbad zegt Yost dat "plaatsing de sleutel is voor zowel esthetische waarde als vulling." Je wilt je vogelbad niet zo ver van huis neerzetten dat het vullen en schoonmaken een vervelende klus wordt.

Installeer een vuurplaats

"Hoewel de voorkant voor de hand ligt, is de achterkant belangrijk, omdat kopers hier het grootste deel van hun tijd zullen doorbrengen", zegt Morales. Een slecht aangelegde achtertuin is misschien wel het laatste wat een koper ziet en beïnvloedt zijn algehele indruk van een huis.

Yost legt uit dat plaatsing ook belangrijk is bij het plaatsen van een vuurplaats. Je zult het minder snel gebruiken als het ver van je huis is, maar te dichtbij, en het wordt een potentieel gevaar. Ze raadt ook aan na te denken over hoe je het wilt gebruiken. Wil je een rustieke plek creëren om met het gezin te genieten van geroosterde marshmallows? Of wordt het een feestlocatie?

En vergeet niet te kijken naar de lokale regelgeving met betrekking tot vuurelementen, zegt Yost.

Permanente zitplaatsen toevoegen

Morales raadt aan om harde en softscaping-elementen op te nemen bij het plannen van uw doe-het-zelf-landschapsproject. Hardscaping omvat zaken als straatstenen en stenen, terwijl softscaping componenten omvat zoals bloemen, planten en groen. "Zelfs met een klein budget zal het opnemen van zelfs een tot twee elementen van zowel hardscaping als softscaping waarde toevoegen aan het huis", zegt ze.

Naast straatstenen of stenen, is een andere manier om hardscaping op te nemen zonder de bank te breken, het installeren van permanente zitplaatsen zoals stenen of stalen banken.

Plant onderhoudsarme struiken en bloemen

Je hebt tuinbedden gemaakt door randen toe te voegen. Super goed! De volgende stap is het kiezen van de juiste planten om die bedden te vullen. Yost raadt aan om te kiezen voor planten die in jouw omgeving voorkomen, omdat ze in het specifieke klimaat gedijen. Sommige ideeën zijn onder meer knock-outrozen, die een gemakkelijke manier zijn om kleur aan uw landschap toe te voegen, en inheemse siergrassen, die gemakkelijk te onderhouden zijn en er geweldig uitzien. Overweeg om Audubon's Native Plant Database te bekijken voor ideeën over planten die u in uw landschapsproject kunt opnemen.

Morales stelt voor om opties te gebruiken die een strakke uitstraling geven bij het kiezen van planten om de aantrekkingskracht van het exterieur te maximaliseren. "Geloof het of niet, het eenvoudigste is om ervoor te zorgen dat uw gras wordt gemaaid en gekanteld. Een goed verzorgd gazon is belangrijk om de eerste indruk te verbeteren", voegt ze eraan toe.

Verberg uw AC-unit

Het toevoegen van airconditioning aan uw huis kan de waarde ervan verhogen, maar een externe compressoreenheid kan een doorn in het oog zijn. Door het te bedekken, kunt u uw tuin verfraaien en een schone, opgeruimde look creëren. Om AC-units te verbergen, raadt Yost struiken aan, en zorg ervoor dat je ze niet te dicht bij de unit plant, zodat de luchtstroom wordt belemmerd. "Denk aan het gebruik van een groenblijvende plant, aangezien compressoren het hele jaar door zichtbaar zijn. Sommige soorten die u kunt overwegen zijn laurier, buxus, hulst en taxus", zegt ze.

Yost voegt eraan toe dat een probleem dat ze vaak ziet met AC-units mulchverontreiniging is. "Zorg ervoor dat de mulch goed van de basis wordt weggetrokken en niet in een van de ventilatieopeningen kan komen."

Als je liever niets rond je unit plant, overweeg dan om een van deze schermen toe te voegen om het te verbergen.

Interesse wekken met een fontein

Een waterornament voegt zowel visueel als auditief belang toe, en wie houdt er niet van het geluid van zacht stromend water?

Elementen zoals een vogelbad, fontein en vaste zitplaatsen zorgen voor een geweldige finishing touch. Denk er bij het kiezen van een fontein aan of er toegang is tot een stopcontact. Houd er rekening mee dat verdamping snel kan plaatsvinden op warme, zonnige dagen. Een grotere fontein is misschien duurder, maar je hoeft hem minder vaak bij te vullen.

Yost raadt ook aan om je fontein op een plek te plaatsen waar je hem vanuit verschillende uitkijkpunten kunt zien voor maximaal plezier. Ze voegt eraan toe dat schaal ook belangrijk is. Een extra grote fontein in een compacte ruimte kan snel overweldigen.

[thesquidkid]

I just finished reading the physics of star wars, the science behind a galaxy far, far away by Patrick Jonhson, and as both a science nerd and a star wars fan, I enjoyed it so much!

honestly I recommend everyone to read it, it's very clear when it comes to science stuff, everything is pretty well explained (obviously you might need a little star wars knowledge to understand what he's talking about)

this is a short list of my favourite parts, because I really need to talk about this amazing book

relative aging of characters. this part is all about the age difference between Luke and Leia, and the twin paradox and whether or not the movies make sense when they tell us that Luke is 20 while Leia is 18

podracers. it's nice to read about the possibilities of one day having podracers (and similar ways of transportation) on earth

hyperspace. it's funny that most of my favourite parts are related to relativity, considering I failed that subject in my first year. but I find it so fascinating to explore what hyperspace could be, the science behind having a fourth dimension, and describing it as a wormhole

blasters and lightsabers. big fan of the debate of "are blasters plasma or light?", and an even bigger fan of the way Patrick answered that question

seismic charges. there. is. no. sound. in. space. (okay that's not true, there is, but like not in the way seen in star wars) yet in attack of the clones, we see an explosion caused by sound (the best part of that chapter is Patrick both trying to explain why it isn't possible, but also giving reasons as to why it could be possible in the star wars universe)

the force. all of the part on the force is really cool, as it delves into quite a number of ethical questions that I find interesting to discuss. and he also explains how the force could be the fifth fundamental force (in star wars universe)

robotics. this entire chapter is also possibly on of my favourites because it really explains how close we could be to some of the things we see on screen (closer than I would've thought), yet so far on others

I could go on and on about this book, so I'll stop now. but I cannot emphasize enough how amazing and fascinating and interesting it is. really, if you love star wars (or if you're just a science enthousiast), you totally should check it out

[msfbgraves]

This seems to be the most comprehensive report out there right now. WARNING! The video is at the end, though I don’t necessarily recommend people watching it if the idea upsets them.

Because not gonna lie, this upsets me quite a lot. Ezra was (were?) seemingly rather drunk, and I do believe the fans were not letting them be. But grabbing someone by the throat, who was obviously not gearing up for a ‘real’ fight, and who was quite probably physically weaker, is a really bad move, even when play fighting.

There’s a saying in Dutch: children and drunkards speak the truth, and when this is their instinctual reaction towards harassment, that is worrying. That’s out of line.

Ezra’s work, whether live on stage, in the press and on film, means a lot to me. But I do not think that being “pushy” as a fan is something I, or anyone else, is entitled to being because of it. Cons, and meet and greets, are a place for interaction - at least an actor consenting to that is on the job, and protected. Any other interaction, as with anyone, has to be with mutual, enthousiastic consent. A fan has as little right to force an interaction as Miller would have forcing an interaction with a fan, or anyone else for that matter. Still it does not excuse what they did.

If someone of Miller’s likely physical strength grabbed me by the throat, I would be terrified, even if it were Miller themself, whose work and persona I really appreciate. Yes, fans should have let them be, and not record them without permission. But Miller should have under no circumstances resorted to that move. Staged, not staged, sober, drunk, famous, infamous or not famous.

I’m still thankful for their work. I still ship Gradence. I’m still eager to see more of Ezra. But I can’t approve of this, however much they have a right to privacy in public. They should not have made this move, even in jest, even with prior mutual consent, in public. Because even with consent, you still need the consent of the onlookers, too, and that wasn’t given. Even if it had been given by everyone at the bar - and the report seems to contradict this -the video should not have been made public.

I repeat. If this turns out to be clearly staged, with the consent of all invoIved, I still don’t approve of this video. It sends a really bad message, a physically stronger individual grabbing a woman by the throat. Even when staged, it would be an extremely bad choice of blocking. It’s sad that this is out there, whatever the intent of those making the video. It should not be out there. It should exist as evidence, if needed, and otherwise, it serves no positive purpose.

The reason I’m commenting on this is just to say that I really don’t approve, and I’m not ready to give tacit consent to this existing.

But I still love Gradence, and I think Ezra Miller an inspiring artist. But… that video shouldn’t exist, and they should not have grabbed her like that.

[theoppositeofadults]

J’ai reçu 2 lettres de recommendation pour un master et dans une, je suis décrite comme consciencieuse, enthousiaste, polie et travailleuse et dans l’autre je suis décrite comme - entre autre - excellente académiquement, responsable, populaire parmi mes camarades, organisée et motivée

c’est quand même extrêmement sexy tout ça 

[thatfrenchacademic]

October Studyblr Community Challenge - Day 1

Prompt :  Introduce yourself and tell us what you study!

I’m Audrey, on the younger side of my 20s, PhD student! 

I study/research law and political science, with a healthy dose of history. I focus on International Relations and International Jurisdictions, which I WILL talk about for hours given the chance. 

(Also an art and languages enthousiast, always looking out for music recommendations. Tell me language trivia, weird fact about art history, and what you have been listening to this week. No context needed. It makes my day).