#I like doing my research but is it really worth the risk of bringing up my religious trauma?

[allastoredeer]

#as of right now im still not including the 9 Rings in my world building because they make no sense

Aww, that's too bad, but i get it. The 9 circles have a lot of fun story potential, but I can understand not wanting to try to incorporate something into your world building if it doesn't make sense to you. At the end of the day, you're the writer of these fics. So if something doesn't make sense to YOU, that's going to make it harder for you to convey it to your readers. Writing is hard, so you should do what you have to to make it less so while still being fun on your end.

But may I make a suggestion? How about you put a pin in this whole Circle thing and set it aside to mull over again later? I think I recall you mentioning that chapter three is going to go over Pentagram City world building stuff, so i can see why you might want to have some of this information hashed-out. But unless locations like Imp City are absolutely VITAL for this upcoming chapter, maybe put that off for later? Save that info for a future installment? Maybe all you need for everything to click into place is for another little lore tidbit to come your way, like with Andrealphus' palace?

I know I tend to get stuck on world building stuff too (ive tried my hand at DMing for my dnd group, believe me i know exactly how easy it is to get stuck on tiny world building details) The best thing to do when that happens to me is to step back for a bit and come back later with fresh eyes. Perhaps that'll help here too? If not, again, your the writer. Do what's right by you😁👍

The thing about world-building is that it is subject to change based on what fic I'm writing or what I need it to be. Even if I'm not including the 9 Circles in my base Hellaverse World Building, it's definitely something I'm keeping on the back-burner in case I do ever decide to incorporate it in a fic.

I'm not opposed to the 9 Circles being a thing, I just have a hard time making sense of it. There are a lot of ways to make it work, but so far, none of them work in a way that satisfies me. Fic 5 of Just Kiss Already will be the first deep-dive into the world-building I've concocted for the series, but most of that will be surrounding Cannibal Town and a specific punishment I came up for all the cannibals. It is Hell, afterall. It's meant to punish the wicked, and I like the idea that that comes with specific punishments for specific Sinners that's utilized in a way that punishes ALL Sinners.

I'm debating on whether I should make the world-building post for Cannibal Town now or wait until Fic 5 drops. It's one of my favorite headcanons because it explains how Hell kept the population under control until the Exterminations began (in somewhat recent years) and it gives me a lot of Alastor angst to work with, which is always a top my top priority.

[grimrester]

i am really so sorry to continue harping on about the watcher entertainment streaming service. but this kind of stuff (internet content as a business & marketing it as such) is truly my obsession, and i think i will implode if i don't talk about some of the takes i'm seeing.

i'd like to emphasize again i don't have strong feelings about watcher either way. i like ghost files, i watch mystery files sometimes, i watched worth it back in the buzzfeed days. i don't watch any of their shows religiously.

anyway, here's the main things i keep seeing crop up and my thoughts on each:

"watcher has 25 employees they have to pay, and employing people in this economy is good, so we should be banding together to pay them."

employing people is good if you currently have the capacity to pay them. i checked watcher's linkedin page, and many of their employees were hired within the last year or two. if they hired people they cannot pay with the business model they had before, something is seriously wrong with their internal bookkeeping/decision making. it means they either didn't know they couldn't pay these people long term, or they did know and were content with risking newly hired employees' livelihoods on a huge content pivot in the next year.

of note is that none of their employees' titles have anything to do with managing the finances of the company. they are the size of a small business but have no one aside from the figureheads of the company in charge of their finances.

this is the kind of company decision making that leads to downsizing and layoffs, which can be devastating. but you know what's worse than laying off a portion of your staff? laying off everyone because your business is going under.

"not everyone can afford the subscription, but those who can should pay it to support the watcher team."

no. $6/month for a couple hours of content (depending on what shows you actively watch and the natural fluctuation of their release schedule) is a fundamentally bad value. i can pay that much for a few movies on amazon. i can pay that much for dropout, if i want to support a smaller business instead.

and to be totally frank, even if people do sign up, i don't think they'd get enough to compete with the amount they get through patreon/sponsorships. and the fact that they didn't know how many of their subscribers would realistically sign up is a bad sign.

a pretty good conversion rate of free to paid subscribers of a service or content is 3% (usually accomplished through a free trial). given the very poor reception of the announcement, let's say about 1% of their 3 mil youtube subs pay for their service. that's 30k people paying for their new platform. that's $180k a month in their pocket.

(they currently only have 12k subs on patreon so we are being generous here.)

a sponsorship deal (based on my googling, i have less direct experience with this) is anywhere from $10-50 per 1000 views. they've gotten about 1 mil views on their last few videos. 3 mil subs is nothing to shake a stick at, but let's say they're on the lower end of the payscale at $25 per 1000 views. that's $25k a video, $100k a month if they release 1 video a week. their lowest patreon tier is 5 bucks, so even if all their subs are at that tier, that's another $60k, so $160k total. it's entirely likely they're bringing in much more than that when you factor in merch, adsence, etc.

did anyone on their team crunch numbers on how many people would need to sub to make the switch worth it? did anyone do market research on how many people they could convert to paid users? because if not, if they really didn't have a game plan for this, the subscription service was always doomed to fail.

"this was their only option to continue making the content they want to make, with the production value they want."

i watched their announcement video. a key point in that video is that they have done sponsored videos and that's what used to pay for their content, but they did not like the amount of creative control the sponsor had over the content.

look, i get that's no fun. we'd all love creatives to be able to make whatever they want. but when you are a small business with a team of employees relying on you, you have to think about making money, sometimes at the cost of creative liberties.

and they had so many other options to make money for the projects they want to make without jumping to a subscription platform.

they could have started actually promoting their patreon, and maybe done some restructuring of the tiers. why not a highly produced, special series just for patreon members? or a special high-budget episode of each series, while the main series is lower budget?

bite the bullet and continue taking sponsorship deals on some less-produced shows, while axing sponsorships from the ones the crew feels more passionate about.

schedule larger, blowout-production shows only when they can be afforded. this is what Notorious Amongus Guy streamer jerma does. he saves up for big productions like his baseball or dollhouse streams, so he can really get creative with them.

they had other options and they've tried very little, especially when you compare them to other content house business at similar scales. try guys and good mythical morning both put out significant content with significant staff, and have had to diversify their income streams with auxiliary products, shows with widely varied levels of production, etc. but it seems to be working for them. watcher has merch and that's about it, and seems to only want to increase the production quality of ALL their shows.

really, all this just boils down to a terrible business decision. it's hard to say if the watcher team is working with a consultant or anyone outside of their team, but they certainly don't have anyone internally who is experienced with running a business like this. to me, it seems very much like they got in a room together and did some extremely optimistic income ballparking with no research behind it.

and that might have been fine for three dudes running a channel alone, but if they're a business, they have to start making decisions like one.

[marknee]

bts fanfics i personally think shakespeare would lose his job over in the 1500’s.

chapter i. ✷ chapter ii.

KEYS ON SEVERITY OF SHAKESPEARE’S STATE:

( ✮ ) — poor sod is on the floor. perhaps it’s shock?

( ♬ ) — he’s jealous he didn’t write this himself. well, it sucks to suck, mate.

( ✎ ) — currently handing him a tissue. give him a second.

( ♛ ) — both him and i lost our jobs. her majesty is ruthless.

THE SHAKESPEARE SERIES.

WARNING: keep in mind, some of these authors are very strict on the rule that no minors should read their work if they’re underage, and i will honour that. but, at the end of the day, i am not your parent. so, there’s that. but heed my warning wisely. any smut or 18+ content is highlighted in bold.

NOTE: without further ado, this are the fanfics that i think would cause shakespeare to lose his job: the first of many essays. let’s bring the guy to his knees. metaphorically.

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( ♛ ) THE BODYGUARD — by @rmnamjoons

!! bodyguard!namjoon x reader | 62.9k !!

bodyguard au, romance, smut, fake dating, slight angst if you squint, lil bit of violence.

firstly, we’re starting off strong. i present to you, the mother of all namjoon fanfics. and she’s a bad bitch. tbh, i feel like this fic needs a moment of silence just to relish in her glory. soak it all up. it’s essential.

this fic genuinely had me gobsmacked at how incredibly written it is. it delves into every detail and no aspect of the story is left dry. you can tell the author put their everything into creating this world you just submerge into. and it shows.

the world building is amazing, the characters are so thought out, and it feels like you’re just on this adventure with them and discovering their story as it plots out.

also, the build up to the smut? out of this world. that’s one thing i love about this fic: it doesn’t feel rushed. everything is very spaced out and takes it’s sweet time, so when you get to the chocolately nut of the ferrero rocher, it’s like gold and well earned. and you can enjoy it.

honestly, it’s been months since i read this and i think about it every day. i did do some research (for my own peace of mind) and this fic is longer than the perks of being a wallflower. and is it better? yes. sorry not sorry.

this work of art deserves to be read and loved. and i rest my case, your honour.

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( ✎ ) UNTIL THE LAST STAR FALLS — by @minniepetals

!! underworld lords!bts x shield!reader | 44.4k !!

reincarnation!au, poly!au, gods!au, unrequited love, minor character death, car accidents.

quick question — for science — how does one happen to lose all their memories without any sustaining any internal or external injuries? because the things i would do to read this again for the first time. and i do not use those words lightly.

this was my first ever ‘longer’ written fic. and if i’m being honest, i never really liked to read them because i have the attention span of a goat. but this fic lures you in from the very start and time slips away like smoke. to say, it definitely left its mark on me.

it’s so brilliantly written and you feel connected to the characters both mind and soul. you want the best for them, you want to save them, you actually want to crawl into the pages (or screen) and fucking help them out. and that sold it to me, i think. just the sheer love for these characters.

i balled when i read the last few sentences. i didn’t want it to end. i think i finished it at three in the morning and sent a voice note of me crying to my friend. tmi? well, now on my christmas list is 7 hot boys in the underworld who would risk their everything for me. and i, them.

worth every single second. trust.

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( ♬ ) WARM THIS WINTER — by @jamaisjoons

!! seokjin x reader ft. ex-boyfriend jungkook | 51.6k !!

christmas!au, vacation!au, angst, fluff, smut (18+).

one thing about solaris, is she never misses. if i could, i think i’d recommend every fanfic she ever put out, but that’s too much effort for me when you could simply click her masterlist. so, i’ll wait here for you to do that. make sure you come back though.

love. sure, there are hundreds- perhaps, thousands of fics on this app about it. so what makes this one different? well, that’s just it. the sorrowful honesty of love. knowing when it’s over, and when it’s blooming in the midst.

i’ve never been in love, but frankly, this fic really spelt it out for me. the pain, the joy, the lingering memories after everything is said and done. it’s all there. and it really settles in your heart as you near the end.

this work pulled on every single heartstring of mine, stamped on them, and then proceeded to sew anew for the future to bring its own miseries. and i enjoyed it more than i can say (or type).

give this a read if you need just that bit of spark in your life. and that bit of sadness, too.

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( ✮ ) STRIKE A CHORD — by @snackhobi

!! yoongi x reader | 15.8k !!

smut (18+), pianist!yoongi.

i don’t know what it is about this fic, but i come back to it whenever it pops up in my mind during my day. i’ll immediately unlock my phone and open this app, knowing i’ll feel better when the last word is read. and i feel content.

the atmosphere in this fic, if i may, feels as though you’re trapped in a warm, safe bubble with hazed music in the distance and soft light spilling through the thin layer of the bubble— not too dark, but enough to make you feel drowsy and peaceful. perhaps that’s why i return to it so often. i like how it makes me feel.

yoongi as an artist is already enough to make a person swoon, but as a pianist? i need a lie down. a cold towel to the head. just the whole characterisation of him in this fic needs a whole separate essay in itself, but you’ll understand my point when you read it.

forever a comfort fic, i think. and forever a comfort person. double whammy. case closed.

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( ✎ ) THE END — by @jimlingss

!! seokjin x reader | 31k !!

fifty percent fluff, fifty percent angst, loosely inspired by to all the boys i’ve loved before.

i say this with my whole chest: i have never underestimated the amount of emotions you can experience during a fanfic, until i read the end— both literally and metaphorically. shock horror.

this fanfic takes you through the adventure of the reader learning of what her future would commence if she were to marry either one of the six members. best part? she’s led through this rollercoaster journey by the ghost of kim seokjin.

first impression to such an offer? sign me the fuck up. i mean, what more could you ask for? however my final impression went a bit more on the lines of what the fuck just happened. very different ends of the spectrum, if you ask me.

i decided to hand both shakespeare and i a tissue after this great piece of art was finished because not only was i sobbing, he was on the floor knowing his romance play of pericles could never live up to such an incredible story.

this fic was a rollercoaster i would be delighted to get onto for another ride.

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( ✎ ) A UNIVERSE TO YOU — by @readyplayerhobi

!! soulmate!hoseok x reader | 41k !!

fluff, angst, smut (18+), soulmates!au.

shakespeare once said (according to google), “it is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves,” and if this fic wasn’t a soulmate!au, i think i would’ve agreed in some sorts. but as it is, in fact, a soulmate!au, i’m obliged to disagree. it was destiny i read this fic, hand on heart.

i was not expecting this fic to hit me in the feels as hard as it did. as you can tell by the other works listed in this essay of recommendations, soulmate!au’s come up a lot. and with a lot of the same plots flying around on this app, it’s hard to make one stand out. but this author definitely has a gift.

everything was so richly created it made you feel full. of wonder, of love, and of want. it made you crave it for yourself. and that’s what i love about this fic. it just makes you feel… good. and with the unfortunates of life currently, it’s one to get your head stuck in for some temporary relief.

dream soulmate? he’s right here, people. just enjoy the story and all the feels that float around your body. go on.

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( ✮ ) BUNNY — by @btssmutgalore

!! jungkook x fem!reader | 46.5k !!

non-idol!au, camboy!jk, friends to lovers, smut, angst.

let’s start here: never judge a book by its cover. a quote by george eliot going all the way back to the 19th century, and one i would use to describe this series as a whole, and my first impressions towards it.

this series, although unfinished (i think), has exceeded my expectations of a good smut outlined by a good plot. the best of both worlds, if you might. i came out of this series deeply in awe of the writing and the clear imagery the author manages to create within your own mind.

additionally, bunny was the beginning for me in learning about the world of camboys and camgirls(?), but i was greatly surprised. often, people are unkind to the new and stick to what they’re accustomed to, afraid of what the unknown might bring — me, included.

but, i’m glad i took the risk because i received three great things in return: a beautiful fanfic, knowledge of something that was foreign to me, and an author whose work i admire and shall be returning to in the future.

perhaps what i’m getting at is this could be a lesson to all. take a risk of something unknown because who knows? maybe something great will come out of it, and you’ll learn something. i did.

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( ♬ ) SEOUL UNDERGROUND — by @hunniejimins (ao3)

!! namjoon x jungkook x f!reader | 300k !!

mafia!au, enemies to lovers, violence, slow burn, love triangles, mob boss!namjoon, smut, heavy angst.

it’s ironic really. i found this work by someone else’s recommendation, and now i’m passing on the favour and recommending it to you, dear reader. it’s funny how the world works.

this work is the perfect balance of fantasy and reality and i love it. you’re hit with the beauty and clouded haze of love before being smacked back into the world at the realisation the very person you’re in love with, is a mafia mob boss and his killer mate. a real fun-sponge, i tell ‘ya.

nevertheless, this book kept me up early morning and late evening reading. it keeps you hooked, wanting, and hungry for more.

it’s nothing less of a masterpiece.

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( ✎ ) CREAM AND SUGA — by @snackhobi

!! yoongi x barista f!reader | 14.8k !!

coffee shop!au, barista!au, fluff, nfsw (18+).

@snackhobi is mentioned twice on this list. though, can you blame me? it’s just a good thing shakespeare and this author don’t exist in the same century. it would be absolute carnage but nobody is ready for that conversation.

this author has a talent of portraying yoongi in the most irresistible way possible. i swear, i fall in love with him all over again reading. i wish you understood.

the whole misunderstanding section made me laugh because haven’t we all been there? the crushing pain and overwhelming guilt of having a crush on someone you can’t have. it’s all too real, seriously. been there, done that (unfortunately).

especially having the holidays just past, this is a perfect fic for a warm evening in, while the coldness of winter storms past outside. such a cute fic. love, love, love!

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( ♛ ) LOST AND FOUND — by @taleasnewastime

!! seokjin x reader | 21.2k !!

strangers to lovers, fluff, angst, sfw.

everyone says they have a fanfic that changed them, whether they’re being hyperbolic or brutally honest. and in my case, it’s a matter of both latter and former.

a couple months ago, i reached what i thought was rock bottom regarding my mental state and i took to my imagination to save me from the daily hell of my own mind. and this book was one i never really forgot about.

everything this author wrote within this fic was honest, heartfelt and very, very real. from the way you don’t just go up after going through something, but fall occasionally and sometimes feel as though you’re back at square one, to the way that there definitely is hope in the dark moments, and a light at the end of the tunnel. albeit a very faint one.

it comforted me in a way and reminded me of what i thought to be lost. fruitless, even. but sometimes, it’s books like these that open our eyes to things we’ve forgotten during times of turmoil: the simple goodness of life. and of people.

“if you’re going through hell, keep going.” winston churchill.

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( ✮ ) CANDYLAND — by @honeymoonjin

!! seokjin x reader ft. elf!jk | 13k !!

thriller, angst, fantasy, husband!jin, some cursing.

my mother is the biggest thriller fan. not that you needed to know that, but she is. and she’s not ashamed of it either. she’ll let you know if she’s reading a really good thriller in the moment. trust me, you’ll know.

me? not so much. i’m more of a sappy, hopeless romance, happy ending kind-of-sod — if you haven’t already guessed from this list. but there’s a reason this fic is on the list, too.

this fic genuinely kept me on the edge of my seat- uh, bed. the secrets of what darkness lingered behind the happy exterior of this adventure trip gripped my eyes to the screen, and lord, was it worth it.

throw a bit of husband!seokjin in there too? what more could you want! and written by @honeymoonjin? what a win.

let’s just say after this fic i added a few other thrillers to my basket. and happily reported to my mum i was a changed woman. okay, i’m exaggerating, but you get my point. it was incredible.

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( ✎ ) LILY LUCK — by @gguksgalaxy

!! yoongi x reader | 10.7k !!

soulmates!au, angst, fluff if u squint, very slight implicit sexual content, anxiety.

although this fic may be the shortest on the list, do not underestimate its power. it is still as mighty as the others— perhaps, even more so.

i think the main emotion i want to hone into concerning this fanfic is compassion. it sinks into your bones and surrounds your entire being like a unwanted hug. and you can’t even stop it.

the author does a good job of making you feel intense compassion for the reader — who so desperately wants to meet her soulmate. which makes the ending that much more satisfying.

this is for those who’re lonely, need a pick up, or those who’re hopeless romantics and believe in love belonging to fate, such as myself.

“expectation is the root of all heartache.” william shakespeare. talking of the devil, he would definitely cry over this fic. either of bubbling emotions, or the fact he didn’t write it himself. sucks really. for him, not for me.

© marknee, 2023. all rights reserved.

[pathologicalreid]

yesss vanilla!spencer truthers rise!

Honestly I don‘t ever see him in a strict d/s dynamic because first of all you need a lot, and I mean a LOT, of trust to healthily practice that in the bedroom and we all know how Spencers relationships went-

But I completely agree with you on the he mostly has vanilla sex, maybe sometimes (with a longterm partner) he taps into softdom or a bit more submissive (not as in tied down or whatever, maybe just on the receiving end of teasing and letting his partner take care of him) side, what would make him somewhat of a switch with a pref for being a softdom?

I‘ve also read your fic where he brings stuff home from his case (the choking ykyk) and I really liked your approach because you showed us how he did his research, how he instantly looked if the hand grabbing his arm is actually reader tapping, how he is focused on how it makes reader feel and less about the domination (I‘m so sorry if you didn’t want to convey that btw) and that made me feel comfortable!

i love u nsfw asks (response below the cut)

i think a softdom leaning switch is likely the best way to describe spencer.

i agree that spencer would never participate in a “strict” dom/sub relationship especially one that translates outside of the bedroom. in fact i think that would make him extremely uncomfortable. however, he does give me the vibe of “would try anything at least once” - which isn’t necessarily an unsafe way to practice bdsm, as long as you have consent, boundaries, and safety measures set in place (most commonly: a safe word)

so fun fact, part of the reason why i even wrote that choking fic is because i got so frustrated with seeing unsafe bdsm practices in fanfic. (the other part is bc i really want to fuck that nerd) spencer reid would do his research before hand, he would know RACK and SSC philosophies, and he would make sure his sub was comfortable. dom/sub is first and foremost a power dynamic and if a dom is doing something potentially dangerous to a sub (i.e. choking) then all of those things are necessary. i’m doing something similar with my fic that’s going up on friday. (it is KINKtober, after all)

but yes! having a dom/sub dynamic is not always strictly about one person dominating and one person submitting, it’s a very fluid system.

also, it’s been mentioned that people don’t know what RACK and SSC is, and those are Risk Aware Consensual Kink and Safe, Sane, and Consensual

i KNOW that it’s fanfic and people might be thinking “margot it’s not that deep” but if i can educate at least one person then i think it’s worth it. at the end of the day people can read whatever they enjoy, if you want to read a/b/o or med fet or sappy vanilla sex then go for it!

since we’re having the discussion, @mindfullycriminal just posted a list of things that sometimes appear in fanfic that don’t translate to sex in real life

[intersex-support]

i've recently been doing a lot of research into intersex conditions ((to be better knowledgable and supportive of a good friend who is intersex)) and i heard about turner syndrome. and the more research i do, the more i think i might have it ((particularly Mosaic form TS))? i have many of the most common symptoms ((very short stature ((4'9 at 15)), small lower jaw, shield chest, very mild lymphadema, low hairline down the back of the neck, very irregular periods ((i have about 3 or 4 periods a year, ever since starting my period)), high/arched palate, lots of moles, and probably some smaller stuff i forgot abt)) would it be worth it to bring it up to my doctor and get tested? expecially if i don't want to receive feminizing hrt. i don't have any other health issues really, so would that just be stealing testing and/or resources from those that really need it?

Hi anon.

usual disclaimer that we can't give medical advice or diagnose.

It makes sense why you would be curious about turners/mosaic TS after looking into the symptoms and seeing that they seem to line up with some of your experiences. And I think that Turner's is one of the intersex variations that it can be important that if you're suspecting you might have it, to actually try to seek a diagnosis if possible.

This is because there are a lot of other health issues that are associated with Turners that can develop at any time in your life, including heart problems, kidney problems, osteoporosis, scoliosis, and sometimes diabetes. Even if you have Turner's, that wouldn't automatically thing that you would also have these other issues, but it would mean that you would be at higher risk and that you might want to undergo different types of monitoring throughout your life. I don't want to scare you unnecessarily because I know plenty of people with Turner's who don't have other health complications, but it is a significant enough associated risk that I think it can really be worth trying to find out that information about yourself if you have other reasons that you're suspecting Turner's.

You wouldn't be stealing testing or resources away from other people--there isn't a shortage of testing in that way. The main obstacles to getting testing and care for intersex people is more due to discrimination and uneducated doctors, rather than a resource shortage. In terms of getting forced on estrogen, you always have the right to deny treatment that you don't want, and to explore alternative options if there's a reason you need some type of hormones for your bone health.

Of course, it is always, always up to you whether you want to try to seek a diagnosis or not, and you'll be the expert on whether this feels like the right thing to do at this point in your life or not. I just wanted to provide some reassurance that you wouldn't be overstepping, and share some of the reasons why Turner's is an intersex variation where a formal diagnosis might be more important.

Please feel free to reach out again if you have any other questions or need any support--this blog is here for you!

[kynimdraws]

Thoughts on the SV professors in the story? They seem so tragic but also really bad ;~;

HMMMMMM...

I really like them because of how tragic and unintentionally fucked up they are. Especially since you get insight into how they just had good intentions to build a "paradise" for those you care for (Arven) but ultimately fail because you lose yourself to the work and be blind to what the person you care for (ARVEN) ultimately wants and needs. Poor kid wanted his parents to be WITH HIM AND HELP HIM GO THROUGH HIS CHILDHOOD WITH LOVE....yet they lost themselves to work and then died for it more or less.

The AI prof adds more perspective on this too a little. They are arguably the same as the og with the memories, but came to a different conclusion: instead of wanting to bring in Paradox Pokemon to Paldea at whatever cost (ecological damage be damned), they saw Paldea as a region to keep safe and so wished for the og prof's vision of paradise to end. It is also possible the AI prof witnessed the og prof's death in the Research Station no.4 accident and felt that such risks for a paradise was not worth keeping up.Not to mention that PARADISE PROTECTION PROTOCOL, which the AI prof were not even aware the og prof added into the time machine to ENSURE the thing kept running is so FUCKED UP!!!! How did you fall that far????

The entire situation is so damn tragic and makes you sympathize with the profs....but god it is NOT good for anyone involved and child protective services (including me) will be after their very dead asses for this. AI profs get a pass because they realized the huge fuck-up that their creator caused and tried to help. Reading fics about "AI prof survives and stays with Arven" aus just...has destroyed my ass LOL

Now GAMEFREAK/TPCI/Nintendo...DO NOT PULL A USUM!Lusamine on this shit!!! DO NOT MAKE THEM REDEEMABLE THEY ARE MORE FUN LIKE THIS OK

[catboybiologist]

heyo, sorry if this is a bit of an uncomfortable question, but I've been thinking about it for a while. I'm really curious to know the opinion of a biologist with more experience (especially a queer one hehe)

have you ever faced any pressure like, "who even cares about your research on these weird bugs?" (a bit of a generalization on entomology, though it also kind of applies to my general interest in pursuing zoology) or "you do know you won't be making much money, right?", as well as questions like, "why don't you go in medicine? a career as a doctor is more promising, researchers barely get paid anyway"

and if you did, how did you deal with it? i guess my impostor syndrome never fails to catch up to me ahah, but it would be good to know if there's someone like this as well

Sorry I took so long to get to this! There's no way to answer this briefly, I think.

Yes, all the time. It's the curse of anyone in basic science research. Luckily, for me, I don't think that pressure has come from anyone who actually matters. Academic influences, and even my parents are very supportive of my career path (my parents maybe not so much supportive as much as "pressuring", but that's a different story). From more distant family, online, family friends, and random people I meet everywhere? All the fucking time, and its very tiring.

There's two very different issues at hand in your ask, though. The financial aspect, and the level of respect and understanding people have for basic science in the first place.

As for the financial aspect… I'm sorry. The reality is that yeah, you're not gonna make much money. But you have to ask yourself whether that's a priority for you. You'll definetly make enough money to live on, but it won't be a glamorous amount. You genuinely have to love what you do, and that can be a bit rough. But there's nothing wrong with that. There's a lot of pressure to choose the highest paying careers, even when its past the point of increasing your means. Its okay not to care. But yeah, unfortunately, no one's getting rich in field work :/

For the other aspect… that is a huge disconnect between the general public and science, and one that I think manifests in a lot of ways beyond even what you're saying. The value of basic science research is twofold. The reason most people who are passionate about the subject get into research is for its own sake- the world is cool! To me, inquiry and curiosity are one of the most beautiful things about being human, and is worth it for the simple sake of expanding our range of knowledge as a society. It's like asking who cares about some dumb painting while looking at the Mona Lisa. But, to be blunt… some people just don't see that. Which brings us to the other aspect: unseen utility. Basic science research saves the world. And that's not really an exaggeration. The example I've given so many people recently is COVID vaccines. mRNA molecules being able to cause immune reactions was a "who cares" research problem a couple decades ago… and look at us now. Oftentimes its not so one-to-one, though. For ecology, the bulk quantity of ecology research contributes to our understanding that ultimately guides how we care for the world. While its sometimes difficult to see how "those weird bugs" contribute to public policy and understanding, but "those weird bugs" alongside "those weird plants" alongside "those weird fungi" alongside "those weird rats" and whatever else, together, contribute to the net understanding of what areas need to be protected, what ecosystems are at risk, what ecosystems threaten human existence if they collapse, and how best to protect all of those. Research matters.

I'm picking nits, but neither sounds like imposter syndrome to me. In fact, I think it's kinda the opposite. I think you'll fit in just fine with entomologists, or other scientists in zoology, ecology, evolutionary bio, or whereever. A lot of them have gone through exactly the same thing that you are, from their early career interactions with friends and family to their later career interactions with the public and outreach. So in a way, I think that's your solution as well. If you take the first leap into your field, either declaring a major, becoming involved in a particular research lab, volunteering, or whatever else, you're going to start surrounding yourself with people who have undergone the same external pressures that you're facing right now. They'll intrinsically understand the value of the type of research you wanna do, and they'll also understand that not everyone sees it that way.

But getting to that level is hard. It requires persistence. But you'll get there <3

[idontplaytrack]

tw: vent

once again feeling like i just wanna give up bc i’m just constantly stuck— mentally, physically. i’m just never really happy anymore. i’m expected to pay for my siblings’ meals when i take them out, and can’t ask for it back because they’re younger than me and they don’t work. i was nearly at $200 in savings and somehow, without spending more than $30 on myself for the last week, I’m down to $95 in my savings. i’ve been scrimping and saving so i can take time off of work and ‘reality’ to go to hawaii for a few days but now im just so much further away from my savings goal that i just feel like it’s not worth it anymore. yes, i know i can just go to a neighbouring country but there’s nothing i wanna do there, the same stores are everywhere in this region and it’s like what’s the point? it’s a personal preference but a place i’ve been wanting to visit but never had the guts to even think about, to plan, to research to make sure i keep in mind that i respect the people, nature and wildlife. to make sure i stay within my budget, knowing where to go, where to eat, what to do, what i want to buy so i only buy those items and not extra things. i know life isn’t fair but why the hell does birth order have to decide what one has to do for family? when the more ‘grown’ adults in the family have nothing but terrible, terrible things to say about the choices i want to make? what i wear, what i eat, where i work, where i want to travel to, what i want to study, where i want to study, why i want to study? why I am always thinking about being anywhere but home??? i get that i owe my parents years and years worth of money and then some for bringing me up, but little things, ‘casual remarks’ stick with me and just ruin me day by day. i can barely remember the good.

i’m in a way fortunate to still live in this apartment with my family so i don’t have to worry about rent. but i pay for my own expenses at work, transportation and my phone bill. i also pay for whatever the hell kind of knick knacks, snacks, meals and even toys when we go out. because i know she doesn’t like to be home and being the target of my parents’ yelling, it sucks for them to talk shit about you right to your face, calling you burdens, telling you their lives stopped because of you. i didn’t choose to be here, i didn’t choose for us to be low-income if you yourselves don’t want to do anything but spew out your so-called ‘creative ideas for new job ventures and asking me to help you. you’re so vague, help with what? how do i help? what do you want me to do? why do i have to give up on my part time job to risk a new career with you that you’re starting from scratch with no clients/customers yet? why is the burden just on me like this even though it isn’t explicitly said? i’m not a bad person, but they’re making me out to be a horrible human being that disrespects family and elders even though i’m treated as less than just because ‘they’re my parents and know me best because they raised me?’ you have no idea how much of myself i had to hide in my 20 years of existence. i don’t even know who i am anymore, what i believe in, what i want in my life for myself.

[artisticbones]

Stupid Shit You Shouldn’t Do

Disclaimer: This isn’t to be down on anyone this is all based on personal experience and research. Eating disorders are difficult and complex things to deal with, believe me I know. I just want people to be safe and to know what to look for and things to maybe avoid. Or at the very least things that could happen as a result of some of the things I mention here. You are all beautiful, stay safe.

1. Binging then trying to fast the next day. Trust me, that shit usually does not go well. I personally often end up in a binge-restrict cycle and purge more doing this. Ideally you should slowly lower your cal intake again day by day. This of course depends on how much you binged, if it was what most people consider a normal amount, then this applies. If you binge-binged (over 3000 cals) then start at a high restrict number (800 to 1000) and if you wanna go lower from there, you then slowly lower day by day. 

2. Not bringing something with sugar with you when going out. Especially if you restrict a lot and are also a low restricter. Passing out in public is not hot, it’s not cute, you don’t look like a helpless petty dainty flower, you get hosptialized and then forced into inpatient! While I’m grateful to have avoided that outcome myself, I know recovery takes time and 99.9 percent of us (including me) are not ready for that. Doesn’t help that inpatient ED places can often cause more ham then good. So please, bring a piece of candy, small bag of candies or even a sugar pill works! Just something that can raise your sugars if you have that feeling like you might faint

3. Purging via puking and I only say this due to the plenty of health complications it can cause and I mean really bad. Yes of course all forms of purging and all EDs are unhealthy, but the thing is you run at a risk of giving yourself cancer, rotting your teeth and even chest pain! I know I fucked my body up a bit purging because if I purge too much I will have fucking chest pain. It is legit not worth it, if you need to, try excerising, this method tends to be safer in most aspects.

[hello-nichya-here]

Why is the topic of curing disabilities/mental illnesses so controversial?

Simple: the conversation often excludes the very people that would suposedly benefit from said cures, and whenever we point out some pretty serious flaws in most people's ideas of how a "cure" for these conditions would work, we get yelled at and called ungrateful and/or stupid.

For exemple, plenty of organizations (like Autism Speaks) are always going on and on about how everyone needs to work together to find a cure for autism. Unfortunately, they do that while:

1 - Ignoring that pretty much any serious research into autism shows that it CAN'T be "cured" since it would need to AT THE VERY LEAST completely alter a person's nervous system (not just the brain, but every single nerve too), and that is sort of fucking impossible.

2 - Ignoring that autism is a genetic condition, and likely comes from anomalies in multiple cromossomes. Instead, they focus on stupid shit like soy milk, or vaccines, or something the mother did while pregnant supposedly causing it - things that have been proven false decades ago. Not only does that result in a HUGE waste of money, it often spreads misinformation about the condition (and does some serious damage, like a ton of diseases that had been previously erraticated coming back because of the anti-vax movement).

3 - Ignoring that plenty of autistic people DON'T WANT A FUCKING CURE. If you offered me a miracle cure for my anxiety, I'd take it, because this illness brought me literally nothing good ever. If you offered me a cure for my autism, I'd instantly reject it. Now, if I could get rid of just a few traits (like the sensory issues and meltdowns), I would accept it, but only if I was sure it would be JUST these traits that bring me difficulties, not stuff like hyperfocus or not liking it when people I don't know get too touchy with me.

4 - Trying to "cure" autistic people things like ABA "therapy", that was literally invented by the same guy who created gay conversion therapy and said that autistic people are not human, andwas proven time and time again to give patients PTSD + to not actually "cure" them, just make them mask their traits as much as possible, which led to many patients getting depressed and suicidal.

Now, you might be thinking "Okay, a cure for autism is a lost, pointless cause, but what about other stuff, like a blind person getting surgery so they will be able to see?"

That might sound much easier to do, but it can often be just as complicated. For some people, it would be just a few quick surgeries and then it's done, they can see for the rest of their life.

But say someone is blind because an accident that really damaged their eyes, to the point that, sure, maybe the surgery would be a complete, life-long success - or only help for a few years, then they'd be blind again, assuming it worked at all. And in some other cases, the possibility of complete, lasting success is just out question.

Is it that hard to imagine that some people would not want to risk the disappointment of it not working at all , or only working at first, then they'd end up blind again, forcing them go to the entire process of getting used to it once more after it was supposedly already over?

On that same kind of situation, there's also stuff like people getting MANY super complicated, super expensive surgeries that they'd take a long time to recover from and could have mixed results, like say someone who had a serious spinal injury - sometimes they'll be able to walk by themselves, other times they'll need a cane, and other times they'll need a wheelchair.

That kind of stuff can be a brutal process that would be very stressful, and once again, super expensive, and one could easily decide it's just not worth it, and just stick to being on a wheelchair all the time.

Since I mentioned money, that is unfortunately a factor many people ignore in pretty much anything related to medicine - if it is so expensive that basically nobody can afford it, then it might as well not exist.

There's also the problem of people spending all their time focusing on trying to find some miracle cure, and completely neglecting to do basic stuff that would assure disabled people would have a good life regardless. I lost count of how many "inclusive and accepting" schools I've seen (including the one I went to for most of school-life) or even HUGE hospitals that don't bother to have a fucking ramp or doors whide enough that would allow someone in a wheelchair to enter the room. Couldn't at least some of the budget from governments and charities go to that?

And to end the money talk, there's also the fact that some disabled/mentally ill people DO have money. So much money in fact, that they can just deal with life with barely any struggles, since there's a ton of people and resources they can turn to. Not that hard to imagine why they aren't spending every second of every day dreaming of a way to be cured.

And on that same vein, there's also situations like people who were born blind or deaf and plenty of them don't really want to be "cured" because... well, they might know other people's lives are different from theirs because of their disability, but they never really experienced the world in any other way, so what someone else could see as a tragedy or at the very least a really radical change in their own life is just some mundane shit to them. And even people who became disabled later in life can sort of go through the same if they are used to it and don't really see a point in trying to fix something that, if they're lucky enough to have proper support, isn't really a problem to them anymore.

Basically this topic could be way less of a mess, and more importantly way less condescending/ableist, if the goal was on helping each individual in whatever way would work best of them, instead of just lumping all the disabled and mentally ill into the same "tragic" group that can ONLY ever be "helped" by becoming "normal" so the rest of the world doesn't have to deal with the fact that some people are different and *gasp* that doesn't have to be the end of the fucking world.

[vazelbeak]

Thoughts on season 2 episode 4

Okay this episode I feel has a lot worth nothing so im taking notes and transferring them into a post. Apologies if this posts messy this episode had a lot to touch upon.

Worldbuilding

-First lets touch upon world building. This episode presented things that were really inconsistent. Was Andre there go facilitate the divorce? He didn't have paperwork or anything and he didn't know about Striker. If that was why he was there was it some plot to trick Stolas into going somewhere she could kill him. Stolas doesn't appear to go many places or have a job what's stopping Striker from sneaking into his castle? I think this needed more research and set up. Does Stolas have too much security around his castle?

Maybe have Stella mention "apologies brother, I couldn't tell you about Stiker and risk Stolas catching onto my plan by you anticipating him showing up. It takes a lot to get him to go somewhere outside his castle without Blitz or Octavia."

- There is also Andre implies Goetia live forever if not incredibly long by saying "eternity". I think this somewhat contradicts Stolas's need to have an heir when its implied Stolas's family has a habit of dying young last I recalled. Wouldn't there be more urgency for them because the whole point of a precautionary heir was incase Stolas died? Eternity could apply to everyone else, but did they forget the whole point was Stolas might not live as long as everyone else? Or is it that Stolas is now in the clear and doesn't have to worry once Octavia hits 18?

-If goetia live so long what do you mean none have ever behaved this way before? Certainly someone has to. On top of that you would think then that Andre would have an arranged marriage to right?

-If Stolas dies and everything goes to Octaiva, but Stolas hates Stella so much he wouldn't willingly give her anything I would think logically the solution is if Octaiva is under 18 (or maybe 15 because people can get jobs at 16) and Stolas is dead that Stella would have that control until Octavia hits 18 years of age A Series of Unfortunate Events style. So does Stella want Stolas's power or just straight up hate him and want him miserable? Whats the point here? Her plan to get this should've been over the moment they divorced.

-If hellbies shots are things hellhounds need every year on the surface it would make sense it takes so long to book an appointment. However if hellhounds are lower class and seen as so not valuable presumably wouldnt many be too poor to afford one or have people who dont care to book appointments for their hellhounds making it somewhat easier to book one? On top of that if so many hell hounds need and get appointments wouldn't the doctors be more prepared to handle Loona being afraid she far from the strongest if her build tells us anything? In veterinarian clinics if your pets are too scared to have their teeth cleaned, claws trimmed, or bathed, its common practice to sedate them to minimize injury to the doctors and pets. Is it because sloth is the only place with this type of doctors office? Why? (Personally id say maybe make it Hellfever to sound like hayfever? But thats personal taste)

-Why did they try to inject Loona in the neck and then go for the butt? Its common in injecting dogs to my knowledge you do it in the scruff, but if injecting Loona in the butt is fine it brings to question why they tried to go for the neck when it seemed initially that area would've been more reasonable to begin with when she was first pinned.

-Why do hellhounds need a cone for a shot?

Now lets talk characters!

Moxxie

-Blitzø mentions they used to kill other demons and prior i mentioned with S2E3 it would potentially make sense if Moxxie had a problem killing other demons and not humans due to his mom and knowing humans die and go to hell so its not killing in his eyes, but he had no problem killing people in wrath. If they wanted it consistent they shouldve made a joke that Moxxie forgot about the guy he had the gas pump wrapped around the neck of and drove away unknowingly killing him, no explosion or have it a bit delayed so Moxxie doesnt connect the two and have him mention "Huh i feel like I'm forgetting something."

-Why are demons thinking Moxxie stole their hat? Or that hats are their thing? I think this would be funnier if they weren't wearing a hat and presumed Moxxie stole it somehow.

Blitzø

-Speaking of Blitzø I don't find him as funny as they want him to be. Him being mean to a kid would be funnier if the kid seemed intentionally a jerk and not played as a kid who doesn't know better and parrots what his mom is saying. Because of that it seems like any anger directed towards the kid should be towards the mom.

"Reeeeeally cant say that word anymore." You were cool with it until very recently Viv so this just sounds like trying to backpedal when people have been discussing your history of ablesim. It also looks bad that you were fine with him saying that but censoring him calling someone a cunt.

-Why is Stolas being able to be hurt new to Blitzø? This feels like it belonged sooner as episode 2 than Seeing Stars where Blitzø didnt care on part because of the terms they were last on and assumed Stolas was capable of helping himself only to be wrong. On top of that in Seeing Stars they introduced Stolas having limited abilities without his book so it feels like having Seeing Stars first would mean Blitzø should already have been introduced to the concept Stolas is not invincible.

Stolas

-Stolas seems painfully oblivious in this episode. Why didn't he recognize himself as in danger earlier? Striker had angelic rope and tried to shoot him. Wouldn't that indicate he's in danger before Blitzo couldn't arrive? Why didn't he try using his ability to turn people to stone before being captured? If he was scared I could see that maybe he didn't think of it in the moment but even then it doesn't make a lot if sense.

-if breaking Stolas's leg isn't that bad bc Blitzo's been rougher then i think the "harder" joke used by Moxxie would've fit better for Stolas to use than anything. Make it a joke akin to Klaus in umbrella academy where he's stabbed and starts moaning and itd ruining Strikers attempts to torture him so he has a painful drawn out death.

-Why does it matter if Blitzo doesnt say anything when Stolas told him he could visit? It feels like theyre bouncing back and fourth between whether S1E7 had any significance. Stolas was hitting on him in Seeing Stars are we sure this is supposed to come before that?

Striker

- This is the second time we've seen Striker and the disconnect between what he says and what the team says about him is massive. If Strikers talk of hating what the goetia took away from him was all talk to convince Blitzo to turn on Stolas, I didn't follow the logic but might be able to run with it if kept consistent. The fact Striker talks about it to Stolas too doesn't make sense unless true. If they wanted him to be a bigot and embody toxic masculinity it would make more sense if he hated Stolas for divorcing Stella because "that's not how you treat a lady".

-On top of that Stolas pointing out he works for Stella is pointing out their own inconsistencies in my eyes because it highlights that Striker is contradicting his presented motives. If for example it was for money Stolas saying this would insinuate Striker is a hypocrite for being swayed by money to work for a goetia. This would explain it by implying Stolas is trying to make Striker turn on Stella by implying he should go after someone who only cares for money. Im not sure if I'm making sense but they're not presenting a train if thought here.

- Why would he even care about Octavia when he wasn't paid to kill her.

Stella and Andre

- Adding incest feels like a cheap attempt to make Stella more cartoonishly evil to backpedal on Stolas being bad for cheating. It doesn't feel like a planned idea or as though it has significance beyond "ew Andre is attracted to her! Look how bad they are!" And Andre has no other real significance in the episode.

Overall lacks research, the plot doesn't feel like it progresses naturally. I don't see why Loona getting a shot needed its own separate plot outside of to justify Blitzø not being there and it feels like following Blitzø getting her vaccinated just lacked any substance beyond Vivs need to cut away from anything sincere to comedy.

If they wanted Loona to get vaccinated I feel like the better plot to give some significance to it would be Loona not wanting a Hellbies shot but after seeing how much she's hurting Blitzø to avoid it (to a point he gives up) she realizes she needs to try to do it for him because he did go through the effort to book this appointment and look out for her and when she does she either realizes its not that bad or at least has the sense to be remorseful for how she treated him.

I think I touched base with most things. If Viv wants to brag that her episodes were the most liked and throw the rest of her team under the bus she can have fun with that, however to me it looks like she's thrown out her own established character and world building details again and its disappointing.

[galactic-pirates]

Liveblog of Ahsoka episode 4. I didn’t have the spoons to watch yesterday which is why I am a day late.

Usual drill. Here there be spoilers. Also much autistic flapping because [redacted] but oh man!!!!! So so so happy to see it :) :) :)

“Can I count on you?” - I am offended on Sabine’s behalf. I mean I get what Ahsoka is asking. Can Sabine put aside her desire to save Ezra and do what is necessary for the ‘greater good’? And Ahsoka should know better than to ask because the answer is obvious - it depends. Sabine would never risk it if people would be hurt immediately, but future harm that they could still prevent later? Maybe. Ahsoka asking that question is just pointless and yes offensive. It’s not like Sabine doesn’t understand sacrifice - she knows how to fight a war. Ahsoka should have shown faith in Sabine. It’s what Kanan would have done. He always knew that Sabine would make the right choice because it was her choice.

Yay Sabine’s blasters have returned. I was afraid she hadn’t packed them.

“Sometimes we have to do what’s right regardless of our personal feelings” … really? Tell me Ahsoka doesn’t know Sabine at all without telling me. Ugh. What a thing to say to someone that was exiled and branded a traitor to her people, who lost her family, when she realised what the Empire would do with her research. Sabine willingly sacrificed everything in the hope of saving lives, and then joined the Rebellion and kept on fighting. She had no idea that she would ever be able to return home, or that her family would ever know the truth. Yes it worked out in terms of them knowing but she didn’t know that at the time. Sabine’s response of “you really believe that” was odd because to me it can’t be taken at face value. Sabine knows the pain of sacrifice far too deeply. Maybe it was a test like really saying “are you kidding is that what you think of me?” as same Sabine, roll those eyes.

I want to google behind the scenes because that neck means Hyung isn’t a dude in a suit unless there is some green screen erasing going on?

Yay blasters and armour and Mandalorian tricks like that rope pull. This is what I like to see :) :)

“Stay together you always did better that way” - foreshadowing you are not subtle. Clearly they are going to split up and everything will go wrong because of it. But my sniggering about the ‘bad breakup’ vibes is continuing. It’s the little things that bring me joy.

Gasps Jacen! Chopper, Hera and I CAN SEE THE GHOST!!!!! Cue much hand flapping, stimming overload. Beloved Ghost ship I am so excited. “You can’t leave without authorisation” “watch me” - peak Hera!!! Oh I love it I love it I love it. I am so happy and oh for fucks sake. The Lego model I knew it was wrong with the blue engines from Rebels but then Ahsoka’s ship was blue and I thought maybe in this show it had been upgraded. Nope still yellow /sigh. That makes two obvious inaccuracies (Jacen’s hairpiece colour is the other). Lego you are better than this I am disappointed.

Phoenix leader!!!!! Ahhhh I am screaming. I am screaming and flapping. That was so cool!!!! Ok that was the scene that makes this whole show worth it. I am indescribably happy to see the Ghost and Hera was awesome, and hey it was the Rebel pilot from the Mandalorian cool cool. My smile is so wide right now my face hurts.

I wonder why Ahsoka only ignited the one blade to fight the Inquisitor guy, Marrock I think his name is. Aaaand they split up. I mean Sabine ran off pursuing Shin and Ahsoka stayed put. I guess she didn’t want Marrock chasing her, better to fight him face to face than an enemy at the back. Yikes her helmet just flew off when she hit the tree. That doesn’t seem like a very good helmet design… and she is back to the lightsaber. Did she drop her blasters? Not that they were doing much good I guess as they can be reflected. At least for this battle she is wearing her armour so shouldn’t be stabbed like before. Oooh he does know it spins, so why didn’t he fly with it?

Ok dust is not the usual response to being sliced almost in half… night sister. I have seen that in the Jedi game. Was Marrock already undead?

Oh and they aren’t as far apart as I thought but now they really are splitting up. “I’ve got this” - Shin says Sabine will regret that and I suspect she will sadly as much as I would like her to have the win.

Haha oh it’s the classic cape drop before battle. I love the callback. And she is only igniting the one blade again. Is her other one damaged? I don’t recall seeing that but I don’t get why she wouldn’t use it otherwise.

The panning shot of Sabine’s abandoned helmet gives me shivers. I am really feeling a foreshadowing vibe of her death and I hate it. Do not want. Sabine must live.

“You have no power” - that is the line that gave me such hope in the trailer. It seems to be true I think so at least there’s no real retcon to Kanan not realising Sabine had the force. But all this padawan stuff anyway just ugh why (but I ranted enough about that last week).

Haha yes!! Oh I adore Sabine using a Mando trick and blasting her. That is Sabine’s power and I love that. She is enough as herself.

It’s interesting that Baylan knew Anakin became Vader as not many ever knew that. I read the Thrawn books and Vader himself denied it even almost to himself sometimes. I wonder how he found out.

Did Sabine forget to pick up her helmet? Beskar is rare you know. I love that Ahsoka thought Shin had killed Sabine and just threw her into a wall. The clear relief when she then realised she was alive, this is what we like to see.

“Ezra Bridger is the only family you have left” erm no. Important yes, part of the family yes, but not the only family. There is Hera, and Zeb, and Jacen at minimum. Auntie Sabine - it’s canon.

“Your family died on Mandalore because your master didn’t trust you”… ok we’re going to have to come back to that. There’s clearly more information needed.

I can almost see Sabine’s thoughts. They need the power of the bad guys ship to get there. She can always take out the bad guys later. It’s the kind of bargain they made a couple of times on Rebels. Shin choking Sabine is very dark side even if the ‘fallen Jedi’ do seem to waver as to how dark they are. Baylan seems to have some code.

Hera! The Ghost!!! Ooooh pretty ship in clouds. You know if it took that long to destroy the orb with a lightsaber a blaster bolt wouldn’t have done shit anyway. OMG that was scary when the hyperspace jump exploded but the Ghost was fine, same can’t be said about all the X-Wings sadly :( and Jacen has a bad feeling. Jedi vibes? Or just common sense because the situation would make anyone go uh-oh.

How did Absoka fall into the world between worlds? Oh yikes that is super creepy. It looks like they tried to deage him and his face looks weird.

So in conclusion I am worried about Sabine’s helmet. Also if it requires a ton of power to make the jump then no regular ship (aka the Ghost or Ahsoka’s ship) can follow. I had thought when Hera was racing to the evil ring that she would get caught in their hyperspace bubble and go along for the ride but nope.

So I guess in order for Ahsoka to catch up on the adventure she will use the world between worlds, and leap through into a moment. I am confused as to how she just fell into it though. I mean I have headcanoned that as it’s basically the force which connects all things across time and space made manifest, that means it is essentially everywhere all the time. There doesn’t have to be a specific doorway (like the Lothal Jedi temple) but maybe points were set up for some reason, otherwise entrance is as the force wills it? Like the force needs a champion and boom. Plus Ahsoka has a really close connection having been revived by the daughter, and saved through the world between worlds before.

Hmm ok! This was a good episode. Very exciting. Mostly I am screaming about the Ghost!!!! But Sabine had blasters again. I liked seeing her fight full Mando with helmet. I hope Hyung retrieves her helmet and she gets it back.

Next Wednesday is very far away.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 4: Guess the Chocolate Croissants weren't for me

The weather is clearing up this week! Hit the beach a few times and ran outside, I’m really starting to feel like a local. Deidra and I have made good progress on our motor. We have hit all our performance marks and have kept it within our design constraints. Honestly as I’ve found with a lot of the research work I’ve done there’s a good amount of down time during the day. I’d say about 80% of our time is waiting for simulations to run, so while technically our work is being done there's not much we can do. So Deidra and I have taken to binging Netflix shows (all other platforms don’t work in Spain for some reason). We started off with this show called Muster dogs, transitioned to my favorite trash tv show Perfect Match, and she’s currently putting me on Sex and the City. I’m having a lot of fun at work and I’m really starting to enjoy the company of the people here.

Next on the list is my almost sudden encounter with lady death. Started the morning off like any other. It was my off day from running in the morning and I had been eyeing down the chocolate croissants at the breakfast buffet for a few days now. For context, I am deathly allergic to hazelnuts so I just hadn’t gotten around to asking them if I could eat them yet. Finally got around to it on Tuesday. In Spanish, so there was no confusion, I asked one of the lunch ladies if the croissants had any nuts. She said no and neither do the butter croissants, which I had been eating consistently everyday. Awesome I thought, I love chocolate croissants but can very rarely eat them. If it were up to my mom I’d be staying away from chocolate entirely but although I’m THE biggest Vanilla guy, I like to indulge every now and then. I cheerfully bring back my plate to the table and sarcastically say “she told me they had no nuts, lets see if she lied”. Safe to say I will not be making a joke like that ever again. I took one bite and immediately realized that it was not just chocolate. “What’s that I said” surprised, “Nocilla” my friend said. Nocilla as in hazelnut spread, as in basically nutella, as in the only thing I am deathly allergic to. I felt a bit of panic, my heart sunk. I had already swallowed my bite and just waited to see if I was going to have a reaction. To my surprise I wasn’t really feeling anything. I couldn’t tell if I was having a false alarm, placebo reaction or if I really was having an allergic reaction. There have been instances where I’ve thought I was reacting but really was just in my head about it. But this time I was 100% sure I ate hazelnuts. I quickly collected myself and thought, well I have my epipen (it's expired but still effective), if I feel like I can’t breathe I’ll use it. 

We deliberated for a couple minutes on what we should do. I wasn’t sure what was going on. We decided to walk to the nearest hospital just in case and if I got worse to use the epipen. So we started walking, halfway up this hill we realized we didn’t even know if this hospital was open. I told Diego to check if it was and it definitely wasn’t. How convenient. This was probably when I was the most scared, but I was surrounded by my friends, we had the safety of my epipen still to be used, and we now had a new plan. We will take the bus to the hospital we know is open, half an hour away by bus, and if at any point I get worse we would use the epipen and call for an ambulance.

It’s a funny thing, I felt surprisingly calm on that bus ride. By this point, if I was going to go into anaphylaxis I would have already and it felt nice knowing I have great people here with me. We made it to the ER without the need for my epipen. I got a shot on my ass which made it sore for the rest of the day. All worth it for the peace of mind of knowing I was completely safe now. 

I’d say my risk setting has been reset a bit. But all in all, I learned I’m surprisingly calm in stressful situations, I have wonderful people surrounding me, and that maybe just maybe I should avoid chocolate.

The rest of the week was much calmer. Took a nap on the beach on Wednesday as the sun finally came out. Went to the club with my buddies on Thursday night. The nightlife is a little crazy, pregaming doesn’t start till at least 10 and we made it to the club at 1 am to leave at 6 am. Safe to say waking up for work at 9:30am was a struggle, but I somehow made it on time. Also, the Euros started yesterday so I’ve been going to the local bars to watch soccer with all the Spain fans and I also explored more of the city on a long run. I’ll put some pics of the week below. 

Mateo Jimenez

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering in San Sebastian, Spain

[mingot-studios]

Re; DOOM!: Blendinians, Sonar, & Critters (script)

(the doors of the lab open, and Zim enters)

Zim: Caroline?

(Zim walks in further, then stops)

Zim: [yelling] Caroline!

(Zim Walks up behind Caroline)

Zim: [shouting] CAROLINE!! WHAT are you DOING!?!

(Caroline whips her head around from Fibi to look at Zim)

Caroline: SHHHH! Be nice! You’re ruining my concentration. (turning back to the restrained Fibi) Now hold still, will ya!?

Zim: Ugh! I can’t believe this! You’re not working the top-secret and super deadly ketchup gas!

Caroline: You know, you really gotta start thinking about the bigger picture.

Zim: [sputters] -What!? That’s exactly what you said about your tickborg nanobot-repellent floor wax!

Caroline: Now look, that stuff tested just fine on the chipmunks.

Zim: IT BURNED HOLES THROUGH ALL OF MY MACHINERY!!

Caroline: Well, you can’t make big breakthroughs without taking risks.

Zim: RISKS? RISKS!?! (Zim pokes Fibi between the eyes as he speaks) That’s a blendinian, you idiot! They’re a rarity all across the galaxy and worth a fortune! And here you are, trying to stick sonar in it’s head!

Caroline: but do you ever stop to think why I’m STICKING SONAR IN IT’S HEAD!?!

Caroline: Think of all those long nights, us pulling critters out of traps…

Zim: And finding them takes ages. WHAT’S THAT GOT TO DO WITH-

Caroline: Will you JUST SHUT UP!? Yeesh. Look. You and I spend like, what? 20 hours each week catching critters? That’s 20 hours we could be spending working more effective heat rays, chemical weapons, poisons, shrinking pills, soft drinks that turn people into marsupials, Look here. (Caroline pulls down a screen)

Caroline: We have traps everywhere, right? And when animals get caught in them, the traps send out a sonar beacon, right? Then, we have to drop whatever we’re doing, go out, pick ‘em up, bring ‘em back, (as she speaks the screen changes to depict the tedious process she describes) But with my sonar-enhanced blendinian, it finds the traps, it brings the critters to us! He-he. (The screen then depicts the sonar enhanced Fibi retrieving the critters and bringing them back to the base) More critters, more research, more experiments, (folds up screen) It’s flawless!

Zim: Caroline, I apologize. You are a genius!

[thepravinshah]

10 Questions to Ask Before You Start a Startup

You're considering starting a startup. Congratulations! It is an exciting time, full of potential and possibility. Before you jump, you should ask yourself a few questions. These questions will help you decide if starting your own startup is right for you, and set you up to succeed if it is.

1. Which problem are you trying to solve?

Each successful startup solves an issue, often one its founders have personally experienced. Which problem do you want to solve with your startup's solution? Is this a large enough problem for people to pay for a solution. Is it something you are passionate about solving? These questions will help you decide if your startup is a good fit for success.

2. Who are your target markets?

Who do you solve the problem for? Startups that attempt to appeal to everyone end up not appealing to anyone. By narrowing your focus, you can better understand your market and find the best way to reach them. Once you have identified your target market, you should research their pain points and needs so that you can create a solution that addresses them.

3. How can you make money?

Although it may seem obvious, many startups fail to answer this question early on. From the beginning, you need to know how your business will generate income. Without this, you run the risk of running out before your business can get off the ground. There are many business models that startups can use to make money. Which one is best for you?

4. What makes you different?

Your startup must offer something different to make it stand out from the rest of your competitors in order to succeed. What is your startup unique that others don't have? It could be a new product or service, or a better way to do things. Once you have identified the unique qualities of your startup, it is time to figure out how to communicate this to potential customers.

5. Who are your team members?

Great ideas can only get you so far. A strong team is crucial for turning a great idea into a profitable business venture. Are you able to bring together the right combination of skills and experiences in your team to help your startup succeed? How can you add to your team's skill set so everyone is working towards the same goal. It takes effort and time to build a team, but it is worth it when everyone works together towards the same goal.

6. What amount of money do you really need?

It is essential to determine how much money your startup needs to get off the ground. You don't want to run short before you have a chance at getting started, or worse, before you can turn a profit. Start by making realistic financial projections about your business to determine how much money is needed. Next, consider ways to reduce costs in order to stretch your budget even further. Lastly, you should consider whether it makes sense to invest in investors at this stage of your business.

7. How do I know if my success is guaranteed?

Defining what success looks like for your startup is essential--otherwise, how will you know if you're on track (or if you even need to continue down this path)? You can monitor your progress and adjust as necessary by setting clear milestones and goals from the beginning. Keep in mind, however, that success is not the same for every company. Don't compare yourself to others in your space or industry. Focus on your success and only you.

Conclusion:

It's an exciting venture full of potential and possibility. But it is not something you should take lightly. Before launching a business venture, there are many important things startups must consider. These 10 questions will help you determine if a startup is right to you and give you the best chance of success. . . Good luck!

questions to ask a startup

Pravin Shah

[localwebslingers]

The book being moved to the archives wasn't a surprise to Peter. Off the shelf and in a record that was actively kept track of. Probably a safety precation that someone somewhere would have said was paranoid because who would possibly read that and try something similar? Not with those kinds of results. As one of those paranoid people himself now, Peter was a little relieved it was there and agreed, it wasn't worth the effort for Harry to try and break in and get a look at the contents. He was still plenty willing to bring his own copy by to let Harry have a look that way.

Getting to see the serum itself though...

He was queit another moment before deciding he'd taking the plunge this far, he may as well keep treading the water, "The serum itself isn't really around anymore, Conners was making it and had it kept to himself. He had this make shift lab down in the sewers he'd set up to work on it more and eventually the means to try and spread the serum to the rest of the city. It's gone now, I don't think Oscorp has record of it either, pretty sure he took it with him...like my dad took his own research." Peter tapped his thumb against the counter a few times, picking his words, "They were partners in the lab, worked together at Oscorp for the cross species genetics research program. My dad figured out the formula to balance out the genetics so they could be introduced to each other and made the spiders they had."

A wary smile of his own was given to Harry, "And when I found the formula he'd made hidden away, I gave it to Conners. I thought it would help, he said my dad had figured it out but took all his research one day and wiped everything from the system. And he wanted to do things to help people with it and I thought..." he thought it was going to be a good thing to do. That he was helping Conners with something important, something valuable, "Conners was the one to decide to use the serum on himself, but I'm the one who gave him the equation so that it was even an option. I even helped him develop the first batch of it."

Peter was quiet a moment and kept his eyes on Harry, "...I don't have any of the serum that you can look at. But...I can give you the equation I gave to Conners, and I can tell you what changes we did to make the serum viable and come together here. If you mean it, that you want to see it." because he respected Harry as a scientist and as a friend, but also because if there was anyone else alive that Peter would trust to see that equation and information and know exactly what it meant. Exactly how dangerous it could be given to the wrong person, or even used in the wrong way, the real risk it brought, it would be Harry.

\\ @inhcritance \\

He nodded, in confirmation. He'd used the Lizard Serum as a base, because it had been the most promising base he'd had on hand, in such a limited timeline. And then, he listened. Because he'd looked up Connors, looking for papers and what little information he could get, just in case there could be something useful, something practical. And he'd found out about the book, yes, and some of what had happened.

Certainly not enough, compared to one who had lived it closely, and faced the man at his lowest point. That alone was priceless information, for all that Harry hadn't expected Peter to have neither access to what remained nor a copy of the serum itself. And he didn't bother to try hiding the way his eyebrows rose in sharp, clear interest. Because that was an opportunity he hadn't seen coming.

"ESU has a copy of the book." He said, in the end. "But it's not in the shelves, it's on-request only. I did look it up, but breaking into the ESU archives seemed disproportionate, and too risky for too little reward." He admitted, with an easy shrug. "But I suppose trying to turn the city into lizards will do that to a man's reputation." He added. "Yet as far as I know, in my universe, he simply became a giant lizard, and rampaged through the city. I was not working for Oscorp at that point, and I haven't asked Connors himself." He admitted. "The man deserved better from me... and by the point I started working on the serum I'm using, I had full access to Oscorp's research, including the most classified bits. Connors' research, with all the reports he had on it, was my best bet, within a very short timeline, and the one least likely to backfire in a way that endangered everyone."

As far as he'd known, of course, and he leaned back against the edge of the table, gaze steady on Peter.

"I'd like to see it." He told him. "Even if it's unstable. Especially if it's unstable." He added. "Sometimes knowing what not to do, what to avoid, is as useful or more than knowing a path forward, in these matters."

And he didn't dare hold on to much hope, because even if it helped it might not help enough, not really... but every step closer to something stable was a step closer to a future where he could live, where he could stop fighting. Where he didn't have to spend days in isolation and then spend days hunting down someone who might be a friend in disguise.

Where he didn't have to wonder, every time he took out the vial, if this was the time he'd made a mistake and someone else would pay for it.

@localwebslingers