#MOST PODCAST OF ALL TIME??? MAYBE!!!

[davey-in-a-minivan]

listened to the entirety of the pasithea powder in three days and i don’t think i’m EVER gonna recover from this one

[rigelmejo]

Something that always annoys me is the idea only 1 language learning method works. Which is not true. While it may be possible that, for a particular individual, only a few out of many study methods may work well enough for That Individual to make progress and stay motivated... that doesn't mean all the other study methods won't work for anyone else out there, or that those few methods will work for every other given person.

Obviously if you've been studying a while, then you already figured out what kinds of things work for you and don't. If you're a beginner, just wading into studying?

I would suggest you simply look for study methods that: 1. Teach you new things regularly, 2. Review and practice things you've learned, 3. Include studying things you need for your particular goals (for example if your goal is to read X book then the study materials at some point should involve reading practice and some words the book contains, if your goal is to talk about Y then the study materials should include some information about pronunciation and words you'll need to be able to say).

As you can imagine, a TON of study materials will meet these requirements. And you can study a given skill in a LOT of ways.

(Reading is my focus lol so just for reading, a beginner might: do vocabulary study with lists or conversations with native speakers or watching shows and looking words up or listening to dialogues with a transcript like in a textbook or graded readers or a picture book with word labels in the target language or a video game with labelled objects in target language, all of those things as long as your vocabulary is improving or reading practice is happening would help you make progress). So to improve reading skill as a beginner: you could study with a textbook, a podcast with transcript, a classroom or tutor with words written down in target language (like TPRS), a video game, a TV show and a translate app on your phone, a friend you talk with (who either writes words down or you look up words you hear with a translate app), a friend you text with, srs flashcards like anki (provided there's text) etc. As long as there's new words, and/or you're practicing reading, the study method may work. If it works will come down to if you can stay motivated doing it regularly, and make sure you regularly learn some new things and review/practice things you've already studied.

So consider those things when you see people selling a study method as a product (especially when it's costing you money). Consider if it teaches you NEW things, and are those new things related to your goals, and how MUCH new stuff will it teach you before you finish it? Consider if it provides review or practice, or if you can use it's materials to review on your own making up your own method, or if you'll need to do separate review/practice.

So examples:

LingQ. Can it teach you many new words? Yes, thousands, since you can import any texts you want when you get done with their provided material (I have no idea how much their beginner material covers though in terms of words... I would hope 1000-3000 words but that can be researched). Is your goal reading? It's suited to reading, so you will practice and review often with it. Cost? I think it was $12 a month when I last had it, and the price may have increased. Is it worth it? Depends on a learner's needs. I found it was wasting my money, so I chose to use free tools like Pleco and Readibu apps - since those apps are suited for Chinese learners and have better translations, Pleco has better paid graded reader material if I was going to spend money, and both Pleco and Readibu let me import texts so I can learn thousands of new words just like LingQ but free. Now that I'm not a beginner, I often use Microsoft Edge to read chinese... since I can still click-translate words easily (all my web browsers have that tool free), and Edge's TTS voice is helpful for pronunciation and sounds quite good. I read webnovels online so Edge works well. But it's translations aren't as good as Pleco or Readibu, so if I still needed translations more I would use them. So... is LingQ a good study method? Its certainly a study method marketed to buy. Well... the method is suited to improving reading skill, at least. It costs money, which is a negative, but it does offer a lot. However: everything it does regarding reading can be done free with other apps or sites or web browsers on their own. So if paying money motivates you to read... sure. LingQ does have a few word tracking features a learner may find worth the money, keeping in mind the actual read-to-learn method can be done free without lingq. (Also... while LingQ is a valid option for improving reading, if the learners goal is speaking then it would be important to think of what study activities the learner will do OUTSIDE of LingQ to improve speaking... because I've seen how LingQ is marketed as "how to learn a language" but it's only focused on some skills. It has vocabulary and grammar in some sense, since you'll read a lot and encounter new words and structures. But it doesnt have speaking or writing practice at least last time I was on it. Those activities would need to be worked on, on your own).

You can do that kind of cost/benefit contemplating with any study method material you see being sold. Amother example: there's a beginner Mandarin course called Mandarin Blueprint. It teaches like 800 words. Thats all. It may be worthwhile for a beginner... who still needs to learn 800 common words. But if you already know a few hundred words, the benefit of the course is less, you'll need to find a new material to teach you more new stuff soon. And the price was like a few hundred for the course... which for me personally was too much to spend, when I had already learned 800 hanzi from a book that cost me 12 dollars and 2000 words from a free user made memrise deck. The course claimed to get a person speaking, competent, but anyone not a beginner would say speaking basically with 800 words is nowhere near the level of working in Chinese or just doing a lot of daily life stuff, or reading/listening to media. (Although for the motivated beginner if you're learning 800 words on your own like I was, its definitely close to the point of jumping to learn more words and start reading kids and teenager books, and watching easier shows if you're willing to look new words up). So to me... Mandarin Blueprint felt like overselling some basic beginner materials. (Again when I know several other things that teach beginner stuff either more in depth so HSK test prep classes, and college courses, or that teach beginner stuff to the same depth as Mandarin Blueprint but free).

Some study materials aren't going to act like they teach everything. I've seen chinese courses just for learning to speak tones better and general pronunciation - probably worthwhile if your goal is to improve speaking and a teacher could help improve the issues your having. But a learner needs to be aware for that course that they'll need to study vocabulary on their own, its JUST a pronunciation improvement course.

[merrilark]

when you have no spoons to really hang out with anyone, but not hanging out with anyone means you have to hang out with yourself and... that is sometimes worse 😔

[cha1cedony]

I love that Discord has the ability to be so cozy and close-knit, but I hate that it’s so blocked off from the rest of the internet. And you can’t lurk; you HAVE to be active (or at least active enough to get in in the first place). Ahem anyway. you should invite me to your Discord servers.

🌀 Oooooo you want to invite me to your extremely niche DnDads Discord servers so bad ooooooooooooooooooooo 🌀

…or send me an anonymous ask about my favorite uhhhhhhh? mustelid or something. Ask me for good Lieder on a specific theme.. I’ve been listening to them all day. Maybe this shouldn’t be on my fandom blog???? It has been derailed ANYWAY idk I’m just feeling antsy and rambly hi 😁 How are you HAHA

[frontlinebicepsoftheninth]

in light of a second migration to this site i just need to speak my truth which is that harrow is a redditor gideon is a twitter user and ianthe is a tumblrina hope this helps

[dahldahlbills]

starting to realize podcast writing might be so difficult for me bc I don’t like episodic writing.. I miss my big storylines and slowly building up to something

[exoscreamsoda]

if only i was a fly on the supermegaplex wall

now that a day has passed and they still havent said ANYTHING (except matt’s tone deaf concert tweet), i’m imagining the most insane and chaotic fallout. i hope they rip each other to shreds. theyre literally making the situation worse the longer they wait to say anything but maybe they deserve it. they should go ahead and halt their plans to move into a new and improved supermegaplex because 95% of the patreon is ready to cancel, even patrons who only commented jokes under every post are writing their essays. i feel more disgusted as time goes on and no amount of corporate style tweets will fix this.

[mastersoftheair]

an interview with darragh cowley (portraying lt. glenn graham), who talks for some time (starting at 34:54) about the his experience working on MotA, including his audition ("the biggest audition of my life"), the boot camp, and his experience working with the other guys. interesting points include:

-the boot camp lasted two weeks, but it was during the height of covid19, "so they couldn't facilitate quite as a in-depth camp", so it was more like spending two weeks in a classroom ("the whole two weeks, we were those boys"). they practiced drills, marching, and exercising, "but we didn't have to camp or sort of, you know, be horrified or traumatized, if you will, like they did on "saving private ryan". no, you know, we weren't sleep deprived or we weren't, you know, made to survive on rations at all! it was relatively cushty."

-"i made a bit of a scene at the boot camp on the last day. i'd organized, uh, some beers for the military advisors and i'd [done] a little speech at the end for all the men, because we, you know, we did the whole thing in uniform–in costume, in character. the whole two weeks, you know, we were those boys…particularly by the end a bit, like, they were really encouraging us to live in our roles. so i made a bit of a scene, and made a big speech, presenting to captain dye, which will possibly be the best thing i've ever done in my life… and i think the director of the first four episodes (cary fukunaga), i think he liked that, and i think he picked me out for that".

-says he was of many other actors who were "basically told to improvise for a lot" and were initially given three weeks to film, but weren't necessarily told when those three weeks would start: "and then it would extend". cowley, tho, ended up on the job for nine months ("which was from start to finish"), finishing twelve days before the rest

-recounts how he was "really involved with all the boys" and made it a point to go out and meet everyone else during boot camp bc, despite being nervous, he wanted to be the friendly face for others that he would've wanted himself

-he'd "find out what squadron [each new boy was] in, and find their squadron, and introduce, you know, each lad to five, six, seven of the lads in their squadron"

-such actions earned him the reputation as the guy who "knew everyone's names"

-was quite candid throughout about how nervous he was about doing his portrayal justice, as well as his inner struggles as a working actor

[happi-tree]

happi!!! tell me about this hermie kid of yours 👀👀👀

Lemon. Lemon Drop, you beautiful, beautiful mind reader, you *kisses you on the forehead*

In all honesty MORE of these could've been circled but like. yeah he is quite literally the little guy of all time!!! MY freak of the week. *pats him on the head* this bad boy can fit SO many batman supervillains in him 💚💚💚

[cetoddle-archive]

idk idk i don’t think i can do this

[soleilapproves]

Boxer!Sukuna annoying you while you pamper him.

Masterlist

If the world knew what Sukuna was up to now, he’d be eaten alive. Emasculated and ridiculed by thousands of his fans that consisted of teenage boys, martial artists and “alpha” podcast bros.

Here he was, sitting in your pink room, wrapped in a fluffy Hello Kitty blanket as you did his skincare. The best sight of all was him (reluctantly) wearing a bunny ear headband to keep his unruly hair out of his face.

“How much more?” the boxer groaned as you poured a hydrating toner in your palm. “This is literally the first product, you giant baby. I’m so glad I noticed your huge pores. I feel I’ve scrubbed off a whole layer of your face with the amount of dead skin that came off after that mask.”

He rolled his eyes. “Beggars can’t be choosers. I gotta fight all the time and most of my sparring mates don’t really wash their hands before punching me in the face, ya know?”

“Well, I wish they did,” you say as you massage a vitamin serum in his face. “It’s cold and slimy. I don’t like it.”

“Shut up and let me do my job.”

“I deserve compensation.”

“Pizza’s on the way.”

“Monetary compensation sounds better.”

“I’m already using my expensive ass skincare on you. You’ve sucked me dry of my money.” He chuckled after you said that. You knew what was coming after this. “Sukuna, don’t you dare-“

“Maybe you could suck me dry instead.” He wiggled his eyebrows. You couldn’t believe that the dumbass you’re dating is one of the most feared men in the ring.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, “you’re so lucky we’re past the first three months of our relationship or I would’ve ghosted you after tonight.”

“Hey!”

[itsalwaysdark]

caught myself being nostalgic for that damn podcast again. we need to kill connor !

[fearcicada]

I'm so fucking. Dumb I was agonizing over making sure my Elias bouchard cat design had the proper coat color that both fit his personality while also allowing him to have his proper eye color while matching the breed standard before remembering. That eye color matching the body is literally the most non-issue fucking thing. I forgot

[poppyberry]

Everybody NEEDS to listen to the new Wild Life retrospective on Imp and Skizz's podcast. They got Grian called in and they give so many cool insights into the series (and honestly say so many things I think people need to hear)

Highlights for me:

Grian designed each wild card to be weaponized and wanted everyone to take advantage of them. He goes over each individually and all the thought he put into them and all the work the backend team put into their execution. He's rightfully really proud of them. Him gushing about Trivia Bot and how excited he was to show his friends the "coolest snail ever" is particularly sweet.

Skizz says discovering each wild card was a LOT of fun. He says something like "I can't believe as an adult I get to have so much fun." Impulse is really impressed with the execution of each, citing stuff like making it rain when the time one activated and the passive mobs spawning in before being replaced, and how the little details like that built excitement and tension.

Grian says how he understands that some viewers maybe just want more seasons of the essentially the same series, ie six seasons of just Third Life, but it's more important to him that the Lifers get to experience something new and fresh. He also doesn't like comparing each series, preferring to consider each one as its own thing.

Impulse can't wait to do another Life series, Skizz is equally excited but tries to hold discussion about it back since he doesn't want anyone pressuring Grian, who is palpably burned out. Like, you can hear how tired this man is. Grian says there will probably be more series since everyone is still enjoying it, but he's not trying to outdo himself and not to expect him to keep escalating.

Skizz always tries to do something new each season yet feels like he always falls back into the same habits and dynamics, but not this time: he feels like he got to explore a new dynamic with the Spanners and had a blast doing it. He and Grian gush about how much fun they had with their "big brother trying to keep his little brothers alive" routine.

They have a grand time making fun of Impulse and his "Sweats". Impulse is unabashedly still hungry to win a series.

Impulse didn't want to kill zombie Skizz, because of the five minute cooldown, but Skizz makes clear that he was really happy with being a zombie, even if there was a lot of doing nothing in between summons. He says it means a lot to him that he got to help with the burden of facilitating the series, even just a little bit.

Grian gives good insight into his personal life strategy: he does some things to deliberately test his relationship with other players. Standing in the Danger Zone was a trust exercise, testing Jimmy and Scar. Jimmy and Scar failed.

Despite Scar failing the trust exercise, Grian heard the disappointment in Scar's voice about the Snail Bot thing and immediately caved, but he's really happy that it led them to in-canon reconciling and becoming strong allies again.

Grian's favorite moment was making Jimmy pay for the failed trust exercise by blowing up the bunker, particularly pleased with his one liner of "it was always gonna be like this". He says Wild Life as a whole has been the most enjoyable series for him, even though he didn't get to have as much fun as the other players due to knowing all the wild cards.

All three of them gush over the scene of everybody failing to kill Joel as he teleports around, laughing about how it was straight out of a movie or an anime. Impulse feels like Joel took his superpower to a new level, but Grian reminds him the he didn't have an army chasing him around trying to kill him. They're all super impressed with how the finale turned out.

Some of the powers were assigned (Cleo, BigB, BDubs, Scar, Lizzie), some were random (Impulse, Martyn). Some were based on players' names, others on their personal narratives, but coming up with ~16 different powers without including any that would just be exploited for cheap instakills was really difficult, which is why there were so many espionage ones. Hilariously, Grian was hoping Scar would accidentally kill Jimmy by punching him off a cliff because of their ritual of trying punching in the earlier episodes. He also gave Scar that power because he knew Scar wouldn't feel bad about killing people with it.

Grian chose to give himself the mimic so he could show people how their powers worked if he needed to, and so that it wasn't given to somebody else who'd have to spend the whole session figuring out the mechanics of 15 separate superpowers and potentially dying because of it. And because he thinks its the coolest one and he wanted it (lol)

All around there's tons of fun details and stuff in this episode of the podcast and absolutely everybody should listen to it all the way through.

[mysoulspiralbound]

secret 4th thing drawn on the same layer

Because of that last anon here’s my jarthur moodboard

[sweet-as-kiwis]

International business is officially the Podcast Class