#Medieval Computer Monday

[70sscifiart]

All right, that's it for Medieval Computer Monday! I'm wrapping up all my @lookcaitlin reblogs with George Logan's great 1984 cover photo for Input magazine.

Until next time! Well, hmm, actually this was probably just a one-time thing. Too much work. Give @lookcaitlin a follow if you don't already, and sign up for my email newsletter!

[70sscifiart]

I fucking love medieval computer monday

Thanks!! You'll probably like my blog post about it

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I'm coming to Minneapolis! This Sunday (Oct 15): Presenting The Internet Con at Moon Palace Books. Monday (Oct 16): Keynoting the 26th ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

#20yrsago Enron’s email laid bare https://www.salon.com/2001/11/09/enron/

#15yrsago McCain-Palin campaign calls for respect for fair use https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/mccain-campaign-feels-dmca-sting

#15yrsago Fafblog brings us the real Obama facts https://fafblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/barack-obama-black.html

#15yrsago Scientist who did groundwork for Chemistry Nobel now works for $10/h at a Toyota dealership https://web.archive.org/web/20081014042957/http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081011/NEWS/810110328

#15yrsago US Constitution in graphic novel form https://memex.craphound.com/2008/10/14/us-constitution-in-graphic-novel-form/

#10yrsago Snowden: US lets NSA liars go; stops at nothing to bust those who tell the truth https://www.techdirt.com/2013/10/14/what-does-it-say-when-us-wont-prosecute-official-lying-to-congress-will-stop-nothing-to-persecute-someone-telling-truth/

#5yrsago Canada Pension Plan is long on US private prisons and immigrant detention centers https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/12/canada-pension-fund-invests-in-us-immigration-detention-firms

#5yrsago The Congressional Progressive Caucus is (still) awash in corporate money https://theintercept.com/2018/10/14/congressional-progressive-caucus-corporate-pac-money/

#5yrsago Capitalism torched the world, fascism rose from the ashes https://web.archive.org/web/20181014161843/https://eand.co/how-capitalism-torched-the-planet-and-left-it-a-smoking-fascist-greenhouse-fe687e99f070?gi=f85bd26fe222

#5yrsago Obama’s policy on Bush’s crimes is how Kavanaugh got to the Supreme Court https://theintercept.com/2018/10/09/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-bush-administration/

#1yrsago Billionaire dilettantes vs good Democrats https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/14/competitors-critics-customers/#billionaire-dilletantes

#1yrsago Medieval Times invents a modern union-busting tactic https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/14/competitors-critics-customers/#ip

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

[imdoingawesome]

28, 68 and 98 for the ask meme please 😊

Ok sorry in advance for how rambly this is- I'm writing this in between Monday morning meetings and it's a really fun way to procrastinate :)

28. What type of music do you like? This is so hard to define lol. I have my music sorted into playlists based on moods and feelings and whatnot, so really anything that fits those moods. (I have a crying playlist, a sunny day playlist, a melancholy playlist, an angry playlist, an energy playlist...) So the genres are all over the place- I'll listen to classic rock mixed with Taylor Swift mixed with MCR mixed with Insane Clown Posse. So y'know. Not complicated at all. Also, I grew up only listening to Orthodox Jewish pop, so I'll still listen to that every so often for the vibes. (Late-nineties/early 00s Jewish pop- so good.) I'm going to a 5SOS concert tonight though! Very excited about that :)

68. Favorite school subject? Always history, English, computers, and art. So it works out that I got to teach all of those subjects for a few years at my old school :) I taught history (Ancient Civilizations and Medieval Europe) and ELA to sixth grade for two years and I got to teach graphic design fundamentals at my old high school.

98. Do you have any scars? Nope! Hopefully it stays that way 🤞

thanks for the ask! 💞

[spaciousreasoning]

More Fun with Family

The blood sugar level was up again Sunday morning to 249. The rough night’s sleep might have had something to do with that, although Nancy did not sleep well either. As a result, we wound up staying in bed longer and did not make it to church for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost.

We breakfasted on oatmeal again while contemplating a nice day with sunny skies and a high of 76 degrees forecast. At noon, I dropped Nancy off at a nail salon on Coburg Road where she and Kalen and Kathleen and Seran were meeting to get pedicures. After they had their nails done, they went to lunch at Gateway Grill and then did some shopping at Target.

Trader Joe’s was just a block away from the nail salon, I had a shopping list in hand that included chicken for our Monday evening meal. After putting the groceries away, I ran out to take some pictures of the Simpsons murals at a tattoo shop on Main Street called Area 51.

On the way back to the house I stopped by the convenience store at the corner of our neighborhood for a quart of milk. I wanted to pick up a cup of cold brew at the Old Crow coffee shop, but it was closed for some reason. I spent the rest of my solo time playing on the computer or reading my book.

When Nancy finally was dropped off by granddaughter Kathleen, with shiny fucshia toenails, we took a nap until it was time to make my way to the Sunday night recovery meeting. There were a couple of fellows celebrating clean time birthdays and two newcomers. The crowd was smaller than usual, and just about everyone had a chance to do some sharing.

By the time I got home, Nancy had dinner ready. We had salad and beans and tamales again. After cleaning up we took a walk around the neighborhood while I talked on the phone with another recovery newcomer who will be visiting Tucson in September. I have pointed him toward the meeting list for Tucson and will be passing on the names and numbers of some of my friends there.

Our streaming menu for the evening started with “The Decameron,” an American medieval black comedy series inspired by Boccaccio’s short story collection of the same name. We followed that with another episode of “HPI” in which relationships get even more complex.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 1: Vítej doma (welcome home)

Dobrý den! Čau všichni, (Good day! Hello everyone,)

Orientation + Czech History

After our arrival on Monday, our IFSA program held orientation this past Tuesday and Wednesday. It mainly focused on the rich history of the Czech Republic, Czech cultural differences, and our expectations for this semester. The head of IFSA Prague introduced us to Václav Havel, the last leader of Czechoslovakia and the First President of the Czech Republic after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia and the downfall of Communism in the region. In one of his interviews, Havel states, “Hope is not the conviction that something will go well, but it’s the certainty that something has meaning regardless of how it works out.” This resonated with me going into this semester abroad because I cannot comprehend what I will learn nor the experiences I will have, but I have faith in the fact that they will meaningfully shape the person I will be in a few months. 

We also got to explore the Staré Město (Old Town) on a guided walking tour. Our group started on the Charles Bridge, the oldest stone bridge in Europe built under the direction of King Charles IV to replace the old Judith Bridge which had been washed away by floods. Its gothic style meets the baroque style buildings and architecture that make up Prague. The bridge has tons of statues depicting saints and symbols of Christian faith, as pictured below in the bottom row.

We then made our way to the Old town Square, in which the Jan Hus Memorial stands. Hus was an infamous Czech rebel whose preachings and beliefs criticized the Catholic Church; his death set off a religious, political, and social revolution in Bohemia which fuelled the Protestant Reformation in Europe. The statue depicts the victorious Protestants who were forced into exile during the Thirty Years' War, and a young mother who symbolizes national rebirth. From this statue, there is an incredible view of the gothic Church of Mother of God before Týn (top left picture).

Finally, we got to see the medieval astronomical clock (The Orloj) attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague, which is one of 3 remaining clocks like it in the world. It shows the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Zodiac constellations, while also telling the time and date. The Orloj is pictured in the center of the top row.

School

IFSA holds school in Vila Grébovka (pictured below) which has an amazing view of the city. 

After orientation, we had a slightly stressful period of add/drop. I was originally placed into the required classes that satisfy the Engineering MDE requirements: Leadership Development in the Tech Sector, Tech Ethics & Public Policy, Communications for the Tech Sector, and Essential Czech. I was also placed in Architecture and Design, which counts towards my international minor and seems like an extremely interesting class. These five classes came out to 12 credits, but I added Database Management Systems, a ULCS Computer Science course offered that will transfer back as an ULCS. To get an idea of how much in-class time I will spend, see my finalized class schedule for the week below:

Since I am in the College of Engineering, our classes transfer back as P/F, which is different from my friends in LSA, but their MDE/Capstone requirements do not include Tech Ethics & Public Policy nor Communications for the Tech Sector. We use Canvas as our main learning platform, which is nice because it’s familiar, but we had to create new accounts separate from the UMich portal. Classes start this upcoming week so workload details will be included in my next blog :)

Transportation 

We were required to purchase the PID pass for tram, metro (subway), and buses, which allow us to get anywhere in the city in no more than 25 minutes! It cost $65 for the 3 month pass which is incredibly worth it, especially because the public transportation system here is extremely reliable and punctual. You don’t have to scan anything at a tram stop or a train station to get on, but every once in a while a guard will come up to you and show their badge, which is them asking to see your pass. If you don’t have a pass or it’s not properly activated, you will get a fine of around $15. To be honest, the process is pretty intimidating since they don’t always speak English.

We’ve been walking a ton as well, and I’ve averaged over 15,000 steps this past week. What I did not expect was how hilly Prague is; I climbed 54 flights today according to my health app!

Housing Accommodations

Our housing accommodations are split up into two buildings for our entire program of ~80 students. My building holds 12 students: one female apartment of 6 and one male apartment of 6. Students could request a shared room or a single for an extra $500. I requested a shared room because I don’t mind living with other roommates, but I got assigned a single which is honestly pretty nice. Below I’ve included details and pictures of our apartment so you can have an idea of what the accommodations look like:

4 single bedrooms; 1 shared bedroom

1 full bathroom with a bath, toilet, and sink

1 half bathroom with a toilet

1 half bathroom with a shower and sink

1 kitchen / living room:

Appliances: toaster, electric stovetop, oven, small dishwasher, small washing machine, fridge, freezer, microwave

Dishware: silverware, cups, plates, bowls, wine glasses, pots, pans, skillets

A balcony connected to one of the bedrooms (for air drying laundry)

Weather

The weather here has been pretty consistently cloudy, foggy, and windy, but the sun usually peeps out for a couple hours around noon which is nice. I haven’t figured out which jackets to wear to be comfortable throughout the entire day, but I typically wear my trench coat since it’s chilly in the mornings (~40 degrees fahrenheit) and then take it off in the afternoon once it reaches 50 degrees. A much more mild winter than Ann Arbor.

Food + Nightlife

Food and drinks are two of the things that attract many people to Prague, and I now understand why. There are TONS of high quality and authentic food options, ranging from classic Czech and Western European cuisine to Asian dishes like ramen and pho. One thing I find super interesting is that after Czechs, Slovaks and Ukrainians, the Vietnamese are the largest community in the Czech Republic. This is because the communist Vietnamese government allowed its citizens to settle in the socialist Czechoslovakia (later turned communist) for education and work training in the 20th century. 

Restaurant culture is slightly different than in the US. People usually tip 10% for good service, but it’s socially acceptable to not tip at all, especially if the service was poor. When the waiter or waitress comes at the beginning of the meal, you typically put your whole order in. They come to the table pretty quickly and are not very patient so be prepared to order! When done with your meal, you can signify to the restaurant staff that you’re done by aligning your silverware together on your plate and they will come and take it. If you’re not done eating yet and your silverware is in that formation, they still may come and take it so be mindful of that.

The bars are super lively, and many have a cool story behind them. I’ve been in WWII bunkers, 15th century pubs, speakeasies, and more! It’s safe to walk and take public transportation at night, and there’s a quiet curfew where you can’t be loud or obnoxious on the street past 10pm or you will get fined; it makes for a pretty peaceful environment.

Cultural Differences

Most stores and restaurants close before 9pm (besides bars)

The majority of the Czech population is atheist, agnostic, or apatheist, due to the religious conflicts that make up its history (read above in the Orientation + Czech History section)

The average alcohol consumption for adults in the Czech republic is 600L / year, so there is a very large drinking culture

Prague is a very lively city and there are a lot of public meetups between friends and colleagues, but Czech homes are (pretty strictly) for family.

The Czech Republic is small! The population of the Czech Republic is 10.5 million, and the population of Prague is 1.3 million. For comparison, New York City’s population is nearing 8.5 million!

Mini Excursion: Prague Castle

We visited Prague Castle for our first mini excursion and bought the Basic Circuit entry ticket for students for $5 (need to show your MCard). This gave us access to the Old Royal Palace, St. George‘s Basilica, St Vitus Cathedral, and Golden Lane. We spent around 2 hours there, exploring the castle gardens and views, as well as the rich history of the Hapsburgs and other leaders that ruled from this castle. 

Soon to come

Morning runs

Groceries + cooking

Day trip to Plzen (Pilsen - a city in Western Czechia famous for its beer)

Weekend trip to Vienna!

As per usual, I’m going to share a couple of ins (things that are working) and outs (things that have caused me some trouble) for this past week.

Ins:

Public Transportation: get anywhere in Prague within 25 minutes! Punctual, reliable, and easy to use.

Announcing your entry / leave: In Czech culture, it’s customary and polite to greet employees when entering a store or restaurant by saying “Dobrý den!” (Hello!) and let them know you’re leaving by saying “Na shledanou!” (Bye!)

Google Shared Albums: we’ve been taking tons of pictures and shared albums make it much easier to ensure everyone has access to them! 

Google Translate: most people (especially retail or restaurant employees) speak some English, but you cannot expect any labeling of food or other items in store to be in English.

Outs:

Carrying my passport / ID / cards on me: You don’t want to lose these! I have a photocopy of my Passport that I keep on me and I have not had trouble getting into bars/clubs with this form of ID. I just turned 21 so I only have a paper ID and I have been laughed at the two times I’ve presented it, so the passport photocopy is the move… 

Slezská Housing: Our housing is slightly isolated from the other people in our program, which makes it difficult to meet everyone, but also for going out and more importantly, not having to walk home alone.

English: One of the most respectful things you can do when moving here is to try and adapt to their culture and customs; speaking just a little bit of Czech goes a long way here! Simply greeting people and saying please and thank you in Czech has made locals super kind to me as a visitor. 

Na shledanou,

Reese Liebman

Computer Science and Engineering

Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) CS Tech Career Accelerator in Prague, Czechia

[alicesimblr]

I'm sorry I've been inactive these days, I had a problem with the electricity and unless you pay a lot of money they don't pay attention to you until Monday. Luckily I can use a friend's phone to post something but I won't be able to upload a new chapter of the medieval story as I promised because I have it on the computer and my computer is totally disconnected :( I've been two days living in my house without electricity and the only thing I've been doing is reading and writing in the garden when there was still light (my hand hurts from writing so much, but at least I've had the inspiration I hadn't had for months).

 btw forgot to mention i literally didn’t even eat bc my fridge was off too, and so was the full kitchen. Fortunately, neither my mother nor I went hungry, as problems close our stomachs and we were able to go to the nearest café to have snacks and charge our phones  😂 😂  what an adventure

[fionacreates]

10, 22, 27, 28, 36 listen I just want ANSWERS also pick a question yourself, for fun 😘

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

Yes. When I read something contemporary set, either non fiction, or fictionised versions of true scenarios that show me what it's like to live a life that's not my own, they can really stick in my head because these are people's lives.

Don't get me wrong I get sad when I'm reading a fantasy story and someone dies or whatever the emotional cadances are. But when you read something like Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson, or Nothing to Envy they stay with you. (As they should.)

I also read A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, and The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. Both these books reframe The Illiad and Trojan mythology through the eyes of the women. They are contemporary books, so they definately have a contemporary point to make, but as a woman myself who very much grew up enjoying hero tales, this reminds us starkly of what it really meant to be anything other than a god or a hero in these tales and every time I read anything of the Illiad retelling variety, especially when they very much dismiss the women in the stories (as the originals did) I can't help but be reminded of the other stories hidden behind the heroes. Even if it's all a lot more fictional than my first examples.

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

I do my initial writings entirely by hand. When I went through Art School with drawing I'm very much used to using a sketchbook as a place to play and screw up. I enjoy the process of writing with a nice pen in a nice book. I number my pages and index at the front what in development stories are on what pages. I then index my story outlines with "you can find the script for this part on page XX"

I have one book just for Ladies of the Knight (it's my second) and another for all the in development projects.

When a notebook is done it is labeled and put on a shelf with my other stuff so I can go back to them.

THEN when I've played and rewritten things as often as need by, I sit down at a computer and type it up into a script template I made in google docs (and then copy and paste it to a word doc and save it like 5 places!) and do my final edits.

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

Aethelburg. She plays the position of the antagonist, and it would be so easy to let her slip into just being the petty rich pretty girl. And while I want people to see her that way at first, that's not actually what she is, but she walks a fine line.

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

Literally delightful is George. Because she has no shame about what she wants or being so enthusiastic. As someone who spent a lot of their teen years afraid of what people thought of my dreams, to write someone so open with their desires, and how hard they're working to get them, is very freeing.

A spiteful delight is Serafina. She comes from a place close to my own brain, but she doesn't stop herself being mean or blunt whereas I definately care more about not offending my friends and family. It's also very freeing to let her be a blunt asshole.

34. (A question picked myself) Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

I don't know what this is.

I make comics.

Prose is weird and terrifying.

What is a comma and why is it from Oxford?

36. They say to Write What You Know. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is terrible advice…what do you Know?

Ah see I think this is excellent advice but very misinterprited.

My characters all come from pieces of my own personality that I fragment out and build upon. So I KNOW them all and how they might react, even if I don't know what it is to be an elite athlete, or to ride a horse, or live in the medieval fantasy world I built.

Writing what you know is not just writing an autobiography about a comics creator in their mid 30s living in the UK, it's knowing that when I was 15 I wish I'd been less afraid, so what if I made a character that did that.

You can create something as vastly different from your own experiences as you think you can get, but if you can't find the connection of why that's interesting to you (and thus probably your readers) it's going to seem hollow and fake.

And for what you don't know. Research.

[tbehartoo]

Bursting Bubbles

My piece for @thedjwifizine that can be found here. It's full of great art and stories. Check it out!

...

Nino looked up into the scowling face of his favorite seatmate.

“Here you go, Bubbles,” she said as she thrust a mango bubble tea into his hand. “One special of the day from The Boba Bar.” Her other hand slapped a small card onto his sheet music. “And here’s your other three week’s worth of drinks.”

“Aw, Alya you didn’t have to do this,” he held up the card. “This,” he grinned as he took his first sip of the drink, “you definitely needed to do.”

“Well you won the bet fair and square,” Alya huffed as she plopped down into her seat. “You really could find a way to get a harpsichord to sound rockin' when you DJ’ed Kim’s house party.”

“Scoops, I’m surprised you could doubt me,” Nino held a hand to his heart. “It’s like you’ve forgotten that music is my life.” He grumbled toward the music piece he’d been assigned, “It’s not like I’ve spent nearly three grueling years learning this European centered musical theory or anything.” Looking at her smirk he added, “Or that I’d hardly be the first person to experiment with combining old instruments to new music.” He thought for a moment before adding, “Or old music to new instruments.”

The next week it was Nino placing a gift card on Alya’s notepad.

“Your payment for getting me those sources for my music history essay, m’lady,” he said as he bowed to her.

“Nino, what-” she asked as she looked at the card “-what is this?”

Nino felt his face warm up, but he sent a shy smile in her direction as he sat down. “You were saying, the other day, that it’s been forever since you had a mani-pedi, but that they weren’t in your budget at the moment so I figured I’d get one for you as thanks for saving my bacon. I didn’t have time to track down those translations of medieval manuscripts for that Music Development in the Dark Ages assignment, but you did it without my asking.” He grinned at her, “You really took some pressure off of me and I appreciate it.”

She looked at him, back at the card, and back at Nino.

“I don’t remember saying that,” she murmured.

“You were picking at your nails because the color was coming off and said that you’d need to see if Marinette was free for a girl’s night so you could get her to do your nails again,” he said as he started to root around in his bag.

“That was two- three weeks ago?” she said, thinking out loud. She looked at him, but he was obviously avoiding her gaze. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”

His head tucked between his shoulders, a turtle pulling into its shell.

“It was easy to remember,” he said. “You had that sparkly red polish. It really drew in the eye. I remember thinking that you had the perfect hands for playing the piano right before you said it.” He quickly looked away again.

Alya was quiet for a moment before smiling up at him.

“That seems like a really nice compliment coming from a musician like yourself,” she reassured him. She looked back at the card. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this place.”

“It’s, uh, one of the local beautician schools,” he told her. “You were right about mani-pedis being a bit pricy, but my cousin is going there to learn to cut hair, and she said the girls in the nail class are crazy talented and eager to get someone not a relative to paint on, and it only costs about a fourth of what the pros charge.” He shrugged. “This way you can have like half a dozen manicures for the price of one.”

Alya lunged at him and caught him in a tight hug.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” she cried before releasing him. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Miss Cesaire, if you are quite done groping Mister Lahiffe I’d like to start the class,” the voice of Doctor Agreste cut through the lecture hall and every head snapped toward them.

Alya’s face was nearly as warm and red as his own.

“Yes, sir,” she squeaked as she pulled her arms back to her side.

“Now if we may?” the professor’s curt voice took control of the class.

“Groping,” Nino mumbled. “He calls one little hug groping.” He pulled out a composition that Madame Mendeleiev had assigned just that morning. “I’d like to show him groping.”

He was startled out of his grumbling when Alya whispered, “Me, too.”

Only three more weeks and I’m out of this class and I never have to see this man’s stupid face again, Nino thought to himself. At least after today it’s just student presentations before the final.

They had finally reached the Contemporary Era and the man was butchering even the easiest movements! And don’t get him started on the composers. He’d wasted over half the lecture trying to explain that Richard Wagner wasn’t really an antisemite, but that Nazi sympathizers, mainly Adolf himself, just liked his music so much and thought it expressed National Ideals perfectly! The man wasn’t even a composer in Contemporary times!

And that just served to take time away from some real pioneers of the era like Laura Anne Karpman whose music can be found literally anywhere. Or what about Meredith Monk who includes operas amongst her compositions, since Doctor Agreste seemed to be hung up over Wagner’s damn Ring Cycle. Of course he didn’t mention Yihan Chen the brilliant Chinese pianist and composer. And though the man would fawn and dote on child prodigies like Wolfgang Mozart all day, he wouldn’t give the time of day to “Bluejay” Greenberg who could hear several compositions in his head at the same time and then be able to write them with minimal correction.

Just, UGH!

Nino was done with this entitled little man and the racist ideology he’s attempting to spread about. He was certainly spreading something, but it smelled more like fertilizer than anything else to Nino’s mind.

He could tell that Alya was concerned about his agitation, he’d been clenching his pencil so hard he heard it crack, but he refused to look in her direction. She had a great talent for sniffing out these kinds of things and if he looked at her right now, he’d probably see his frustration reflected on her face and do something dumb- like start an uprising in the middle of class. He really couldn't afford to take this class again.

As soon as they were out the doors Alya started ranting about how it was obvious that Doctor Agreste didn’t even bother to check Wikipedia for sources. She made her opinion known that the good doctor didn’t like the era because more people were included in writing and performing it rather than just white, Western-European men who were either wealthy or had wealthy patrons. And stopped mid rant.

Nino looked at her and watched as Alya got an idea. By the look on her face it was a genius idea: an Evil and Genius idea if the cackle was anything to go by.

“Whatever you’re planning, I’m in,” he declared.

“I haven’t even told you my idea yet.”

“I can tell by your expression alone that it’s going to be the best idea ever,” he said with a smirk. “So want to let me in on our plan?”

She explained her idea and Nino’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, that man is going to regret crossing paths with us,” he chuckled. “Can you come over tonight? I’ve got plenty of stuff we’d need for the music portion of the presentation.”

She shook her head. “I need at least one day to fact-check my notes and another to find accurate sources. Are you busy Saturday?”

Nino thought for a moment. “I’m free in the morning, but I have a wedding I’m playing for in the evening.”

“Okay that gives me a little more time for research.” She smiled up at him. “So, Saturday morning we’ll meet up to pull things together?”

Nino nodded in agreement.

“Great,” she said, “That’ll give us Sunday to type up the report and Monday to practice for our presentation on Tuesday.”

“Tell me the truth, Alya,” Nino looked at her, “Is this too much? Are we crazy to put together a spite presentation in one weekend? At the end of the semester?” He brushed a bit of her hair out of her face and tucked it carefully behind her ear. “You already have so much to do for all your other classes. I don’t want this to be something that stresses you out or makes you do something that hurts you.”

Alya reached up and patted his cheek before replying.

“Nino this is going to be so much fun that I doubt I’ll even notice how much work it is,” she grinned at him fully. “I might pull an allnighter here or there, but I promise you that I’m taking care to not do too much. I wouldn’t have suggested this if I didn’t think we could do it.”

He held her gaze for a moment then sighed.

“Okay, let’s ruin this man’s whole career.”

She laughed loud and pulled him toward the school’s cafe. Obviously this called for copious amounts of snacks and his precious bubble tea.

Tuesday dawned bright and clear. A perfect day to teach about the subtleties of Contemporary music while simultaneously displaying the ignorance and prejudice of the most hated music teacher on campus. Nino sipped at his Thai tea with coffee pudding as he contemplated Alya’s plan of attack. It was a nice simple plan, but it needed something. Seeing a familiar outline hurrying across campus brought a smile to his face. The final nail in Doctor Agreste’s coffin just made itself known. He hurried across the quad to see if he could catch up with Madame before she reached her office.

An hour later he stood at the podium inserting the thumb drive into the computer for the projector.

“Good morning everyone,” Alya began. “As you all know we’ve had to jump over and through many musical ages and movements. That meant we had to skim through a lot of really interesting information. Nino and I decided to do a little bit of music through the ages for the Contemporary Era for you all. Now, get ready to get funky!”

That was his cue. He started the Powerpoint and Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” began to blast from the room’s speakers while Elmer Fudd stabbed a spear into the ground singing, “Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!”

“Welcome to Neoromanticism,” he called to those present.

The presentation went off without a hitch. Madame Mendeleiev had managed to slip in before their presentation and had stayed to the end of class. It was with great delight that Nino watched the Dean of the Music Department approach Doctor Agreste and congratulate him on the quality of his students’ final presentations. She even approached Alya and complemented her on the amount of research she’d done to be ready for the day. Then she turned to him.

“An adequate presentation, Nino,” she said with no trace of humor in her words. “Your compilation was a little heavy on the electronic music and light on the serialism, but I suppose that’s only to be expected with where your interests lie,” she paused, “and in light of the time constraints.”

He gulped and nodded his head. He knew she’d pick up on that.

“Please, send me a copy of your presentation at your earliest convenience.”

His eyes snapped up from the floor to meet hers. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining the slight upturn to the corners of her mouth or not, so he chose not to comment on it.

“I think I might incorporate it into my opening lecture next semester,” she remarked so offhandedly that Nino was sure he was hearing things. “It’ll be an excellent introduction to modern music for the freshmen.” She nodded to him before moving off to catch professor Agreste on his way out the door.

Alya was grinning from ear to ear and practically vibrating where she stood. He turned to her and had a fraction of a second to brace for impact as she’d thrown herself in his direction. Her arms were around his waist as she pulled him into a hug. He returned the hug with matching enthusiasm.

“We did so good!” she squealed.

He looked down into her grinning face and returned the smile.

“Hell yeah, we did,” he replied. “This calls for a celebration.” It was only then that he realized he still had his arms around her shoulders. Then again she was still holding on to him. He pulled back but kept hold of her hands. “I know you have another class in an hour, but do you want to go get boba to celebrate?”

She smirked up at him. “Only if you’ll let me treat you to dinner at Sabine’s tonight.” She looked to the side as she added, “And then we could go check out that concert in the park you mentioned yesterday.”

His mouth suddenly went dry. That sounded a lot like an actual date. Like a real date with this girl he knew he’d started crushing on some time this semester. What else could he do?

“Sounds great, but you have to let me bring pizza and dessert to our study date on Thursday night.”

Her laugh sent a tingle down his spine. “It’s a date!”

[radramblog]

Radiohead Retrospective Part 9: Hold me, hold me

We’ve arrived at the final Radiohead album to date. The only one to come out since I became a fan, and as such the one I can actually remember listening to for the first time. On a cold winter morning in Perth (so not that cold), releasing on a Monday, I excitedly ran up to buy the album on iTunes and download it before I had to catch the bus to uni. The last time I think I will ever have bought music on that platform, at this point. I remember listening to the opening two tracks, the two that had dropped with gorgeous videos over the weekend, before diving into the album proper.

And then a mate showed up at the station when I was transferring buses so I ended up talking to him instead of listening to the second half, and I didn’t get to do that until the afternoon.

I think it’s fitting that this album be the one with such a story attached, considering how personal an album it is compared to the previous few. A Moon Shaped Pool is a clear reflection of the events surrounding it- Thom’s divorce from his partner of 25 years, Rachel Owen, and her subsequent early passing from cancer, and the death of producer Nigel Godrich’s father during the recording sessions. There’s a deep loneliness and tragedy in the album, and one that seriously resonates with the times.

With that in mind, Burn The Witch is kind of an odd fit for the album. Themes of mob mentality and moral panic, images of medieval plague houses and witch hunts don’t quite suit the tone A Moon Shaped Pool generally conveys. Which is why it’s probably for the best that the song appears at the very start of the album, somewhat separated from the bulk of the work.

This might imply that I don’t like the song. Far from it, for a while, Burn the Witch was my favourite track on the entire thing. I adore strings on rocky music, and in this case, they almost chug, like the guitars on a System of a Down song, with the electronic elements being such an excellent subtle contrasting part of the music. Thom’s vocals are all-encompassing in the chorus, and the timing of the strings getting that little psychotic edge to them at the same time is so perfect.  

As much as the album is separate from this song, it’s still an excellent choice for an opener, both in the tracklist and the promotion. Because like a fair few other songs on this album, Burn the Witch has been a Radiohead song without a home for a very long time, as early as the Kid A era, with early versions of its lyrics showing up in the Hail to the Thief art and website. It was something hardcore fans had been clamoring for for more than a decade, especially after one live show where Thom responded to the cries by playing the first few bars- and then saying “alright for the rest of it you’ll have to wait until we get the orchestra” (paraphrased). And get the orchestra they did, with its majesty in this song being a statement.

Daydreaming is an extremely different song from Burn the Witch, as one would imagine from what I’ve said previous. Piano driven and muffled with allusions to Plato’s Cave, it’s a song that sounds like giving up, and all the pain (and all the comfort) associated with it. The song is a slow, slow build to an emotional climax who’s lyrics are incomprehensible on account of being backmasked. For the record, it’s commonly believed that they’re “Half of my life”, a reference again to Thom’s relationship with his late wife.

The song is relaxing for its majority, the soft pianos and vocals a cold comfort to the defeated emotion the song portrays. This is sort of shocked out of the system 5 minutes in, as the strings are louder and clearer, and the backmasked vocals get more distorted, and loud, sounding like snoring, drowning out the gentler electronic sounds. This does eventually settle, with both strings and vocals lowering to more of a rumble, everything else fading out until they are all that remain. The note the song ends on is kind of disturbing, frankly.

It’s somewhat awkward that the two songs with music videos are at the very start of the album, leaving the rest of this to be a wall of text. I’ll find something.

Track 3 presents an interesting parallel with OK Computer, with both Decks Dark and its Subterranean Homesick Alien using UFOs as metaphor for the human condition. Instrumentally, of course, they’re completely different, but the thematic tie is there. Decks Dark has also at some point vied for the place of my favourite track on the album, the very fun, rhythmic delivery of the vocals in the verse something I’m fond of singing along to, and that absolutely killer backing choral giving the song a haunting feel.

Decks Dark effectively has four distinct sections- Chorus(?) 1, Verse, Chorus 2, Outro. The first chorus is this very mysterious thing, light on instrumentation aside from an electronic drum beat and a simple piano line (with heavily panned noises that I’m pretty sure are only in the right ear). The verse, as I mentioned, has the haunting choral and fresh bars, a heavier piano laden into its airy instrumental, a quiet but killer bassline that gets to kind of show up in the second chorus. Chorus 2 feels like a reflection of the first, a bit more grounded, the mystery explored, and the outro is… I mean the bass and piano are great but I always forget about this part of the track, like I could take it or leave it. Fortunately for said outro, the song is very much more than the sum of its parts, and it’s an excellent fit for the album.

Speaking of being able to take or leave things, I’m not particularly huge on Desert Island Disk. A low acoustic guitar-based track, with a distant echo of an electronic piece playing only in your left ear for like, half of the track, with less subtle electronic sections following up, panning between ears, that (and I mean this as a compliment) remind me of the Spore soundtrack. Christ that’s a weird comparison.

There’s an interesting moment where a new acoustic riff comes in right as you’re getting lost in the haze, cutting through the electronic fog (as it becomes the only instrumentation present), which is honestly a very precise bit of musical timing. I do enjoy the lyrics to the song as well, what with its final line probably not deliberately being an LGBT+ affirmation but sure working as one. The song is, basically, pretty okay, but don’t be surprised if I skip it on my next (less thorough) listen-through.

Ful Stop is a track that often convinces me I’ve fucked up my headphones or something, because of how quiet and how slow the buildup for its introduction is. It’s probably the angriest track Radiohead has put out in the last decade, harsh electronics and accusatory vocals kind of a surprise after the chillness of Desert Island Disk. The bass is killer in this song’s first half, and the almost cyclical presentation of its various elements as the bass and drums are still slowly getting louder and clearer is excellent until it breaks into its second half. I…forgot how long the first section of the song was, frankly.

The second section is really interesting, with its twin vocals making like the instrumentation as “Truth will mess you up” slowly gets quieter and quieter to the point of inaudibility and “All the good times” rising into clarity, all while the instrumentation just keeps chugging. I understand this one is one of the songs that predates the album (and unlike Burn the Witch was actually played live), and I’d like to see exactly how that particular one panned out before A Moon Shaped Pool took it’s approach to it. Good track!

Glass Eyes somewhat reminds me of Faust Arp, in that it’s a much quieter, shorter, and vocally driven track than what surrounds it. And just like Faust Arp, I really enjoy it. This track is distilled, purified anxiety, brutal yet familiar lyrics and a soft, hesitant piano line to accompany it. The strings are absolutely beautiful on this song, rising and falling with the lyrics, and especially with the second verse.

This song feels intimate, particularly with its last two lines. “I feel this love to the core” is a great illustration of how, when surrounded by harsh reality and anxiety, positive feelings like love can be amplified in context and touch deeper than they otherwise would. Of course, it’s followed up by “I feel this love turn cold”, as this album is, in fact, about tragedy- what do you do when that source of comfort goes as icy as everything else?

Track number 7 is Identikit, and no I don’t know what that means. Actually I don’t really know what any of this song means, to be honest, but it is kind of a jam. It’s also the track where the album’s title, and this post’s one, come in, in a nigh-incomprehensible background refrain in the first section that I’m pretty sure we only know the words for thanks to the lyrics booklet. The first half of the track is fairly simple, vocals (+ that refrain) along with a simple drum loop and guitar line.

And then the bridge comes in. Larger-than-life, especially as the electronics and backing vocals come in for its second section, but it’s always briefer than I recall. Most of the song stays in the relatively relaxed mood of the first verse, with the second being basically the same as the first instrumentally, though the guitar is doing some really fun noodling and there’s some electronic stuff going on in the other ear. I kinda forgot how much panning there was in the album in general- not the type of album for those with only one working headphone. Identikit is a track for which my feelings are a lot more muted than they used to be- not a bad one by any means, but I used to like it more and I’m not sure what changed.

The Numbers opens with n o i s e s and this luscious piano section, experimental and jazzy but ethereal and vague, before its main guitar and drums kick in. It’s a very folksy track by and large, still having the feel of the rest of the album but with a twangier guitar and more consistent percussion, grounding the more airy elements of the track with this very real instrumentation.

Speaking of Very Real, this might be surprising for people who only follow Radiohead’s music and not their politics or people, but The Numbers is actually a climate change protest song. It gets a bit more obvious in the second verse, as the strings come in with this very determined mood, and the lyrics get a bit less subtle about the whole thing. I can’t say I know if anyone’s played this track at a climate rally I’ve been to yet (but they should), but it’s kind of interesting that it took this long for such a song to get made, considering how long Thom in particular has been a staunch supporter of, well, not having oil companies burn the world down.

Our next song is Present Tense, one which I think currently sits as my favourite from the album, but boy does it shift. It’s a very groovy piece, almost liquid in its presentation, one I can’t help but jam to a little bit when listening to. There’s some really surprising elements in the track, a…shaker, or whatever you call those things that aren’t quite maracas, as well the echoing vocals feeling like backing singers, whispering almost as they’re layered on top of each other over and over.

The lyricism in the song kind of speaks its own mood- “As my world comes crashing down, I’ll be dancing, freaking out”. It’s a dance of rejection, of denying reality and shutting down to avoid the world and its pain, but you know, while groovin’. There’s a duality to them, with the verses presenting this anxious spiral and its avoidance, as the chorus’s one line- “in you I’m lost”- suggests a lifeline for the person experiencing this scenario. All in all, it’s an excellent track.

Our penultimate track is one with a total so long that Spotify really doesn’t want to show it all, Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief, which I’m not going to repeat because this post is already super ridiculously long. Fortunately, I have surprisingly little to say about this song. The majority of the track is pretty much fine, good vocals, a relatively basic instrumentation that gets more luxurious for the second verse/chorus, with a second clearer piano line and drums overlaid on their electronic substitutes from the first.

And then the final minute and a half happens, and it’s incredible. There’s no way they could have kept this up for the whole song, but the orchestral section in this part of the song is utterly mindblowing, a beautiful crescendo that serves as the album’s climax, more and more things and strings adding on as the progression of the song just goes and goes until it just…ends. I do wish it was longer, frankly, because there is a whole like half minute of outro that I just wish was more of that instrumental.

The final track on A Moon Shaped Pool is True Love Waits. But to talk about True Love Waits, we need to talk about True Love Waits.

That is to say the live version of the song from a 2001 Oslo concert, present on both I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings and Radiohead: The Best Of (the closer for both and the concert itself), since along with other tracks from the album this was one that had existed for a while before it finally got put to vinyl. It’s a lovely but surprisingly simple acoustic love song, depressing lyrics and wavering vocals aside. The chorus of the song is “just don’t leave, don’t leave”, a desperate plea for companionship that, in this case, seems to have succeeded. The track genuinely feels happy despite itself, a hopeful end to what was surely a melancholic concert. The video above isn’t that version, it’s from a different performance, but it’s close enough.

But of course, in reality, she eventually did leave. And then she died not long afterwards. This tragedy is reflected in the A Moon Shaped Pool version of True Love Waits, an utterly crushing piece of music. Those same lyrics over a simple piano version of the instrumentation, one that feels almost empty, or hollow, echoing into the void with only itself to answer. Those same lyrics that now feel so much more pained, an awful reminder of what was. The line “I’m not living, I’m just killing time” is so much harsher when the song doesn’t have that bright undercurrent to keep it going. While there’s a lot of emotion packed into the rest of the album, True Love Waits is the sonic equivalent of weeping.

It’s…hard to listen to. I believe it was literally scientifically determined, as far as something like that can be done, to be the most depressing Radiohead song. It’s basically not a song I ever listen to as a result- I really don’t need that energy in my life, honestly. Grieving is hard, obviously, but it’s not really a zone I want to deliberately put myself into.

And that is, ultimately, how A Moon Shaped Pool, and Radiohead’s current album legacy, ends. Not on a whimper, but something kind of like it. It’s a very good album, clearly, but there are moments from it I’d rather pass on most of the time- hence I don’t think it’ll ever be, like, top 3 for me.

At this point, Radiohead’s future is kind of uncertain. The members of the band took a break after this to work on solo projects and the like, but at this point, all of those have pretty much wrapped, and so the rumblings of LP10 are likely on the horizon. There’s no way of knowing what another album would look or sound like at this point, so we’ll just have to see. The band did release a 20 year anniversary edition of OK Computer, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see one for Kid A/Amnesiac within the rest of the year. It would, uh, have to be within the rest of the year.

The future of this series is of course similarly unclear. While I could and probably should end it, move on to talk about other albums and bands, some part of me does want to go back and take a look at some other Radiohead stuff. There’s B-Sides, there’s solo projects (which I really haven’t delved into personally), theres TKOL RMX 1234567, the list goes on. I guess you, and I, will both have to see next Tuesday. I hope to see you then, whatever it ends up being.

[70sscifiart]

Cindy Hain, 1978

[70sscifiart]

Well, @lookcaitlin alerted me to some more cool medieval computer pics, so I now declare this to be... Medieval Computer Monday Tuesday!! That way I still get to use the same tag.

[cmescapade]

Simblr Community Challenge by @amelettes

Rules: Tag some people, and let the community bonding commence!

Tagged by @aniraklova & @simsulate! ty for the tag 🥰

I’ll tag uhh @forgotten-pixels @fataleromeo​ @theageofsims and whoever would like to do it 🥰

gonna put it under the cut bc im chatty 😭

How long have you been playing the Sims?

On and off since uhh 2004?? My first exposure to the Sims was The Sims: Bustin’ Out for the PS2, where I had a sim named Pepto Bismol. 

...it was my favorite commercial ok 

How long have you been a Simblr, and why did you become one?

I’ve been a simblr since uhhh December 2017? I wasn’t that active then because I was too busy trying to figure out how everything worked on Tumblr since I never really had one (My really old one in like 2010 or w/e doesn’t count since all I did was reblog things when I remembered I even HAD a tumblr ahahahah)

I became a simblr only because I was told I should have one lmfao 😭 I thought simblr was scary bc ppl come and go all the time and everyone’s so good at editing n shit n all i ever do w my screenshots is redraw a hand every now and again

anyways Pre-Dec 2017 I made poses for myself, friends, and basically anyone who asked because I loved storytelling in The Sims. No one back then ever made poses for children specifically since child rigs in like 2015-2016 were so janky the only way to make them was to pose an adult rig and import it--so I decided that I could put up my random child poses for download in case anyone else was like me and needed them

even tho everything i made back then was.................................. questionable 

What type of Simblr are you?

The kind that tries to post sims-related content but fails bc they post pics of their INCREDIBLY HANDSOMe son every other time i mean c’mon u cant blame me for that just look at him

my chonky son, i love,, he smile,

i post gameplay and cc! for my gameplay stuff i’ll post as often as i could, but i’ll usually post cc on like sunday or monday, if i forgot to hit queue LOL

Which generation of Sims do you primarily play?

I prefer playing TS2 and TS4, but TS4 more often as of late. Nothing wrong with TS3, it just constantly runs like ass on my computer and I always forget where I saved my mods lmfao 

I don’t post my TS2 screenshots here because they always come out odd or I end up using a 3rd party program to take them, but here’s a gif of Colin & toddler Amy before they became vampires lmao

I also really like the Sims Medieval and ofc Bustin’ Out :))) but I forgot to backup my TSM screenshots when my old drive decided to peace out still kinda sad about that.......................

[magiskasyskon]

Name: Rigmor Strid

Name meaning: ‘(name of a) queen’ (Swedish), ‘mighty spirit’ (medieval Danish). Rig is a nickname she gets from everyone, as not everyone finds her name easy to pronounce, especially her friends who don’t speak Swedish. She considered changing it to a name that rather begins with a vowel and not a rolled R, as well as because of the fact that she used to believe it was an old woman’s name as a teenager, but has decided to keep it. She later discovered there was a character with the same name in The Elder Scrolls, and became further fond of the name. As for Strid, the Swedish word for war, she believes it fits her and her siblings perfectly, describing their exact relationship with their parents and the nature of their lives.

Age: 26

Ethnicity: Swedish

Nationality: Swedish

What time do they usually get up in the morning?: Rigmor starts work around 10 AM and likes to have an hour to have something for breakfast and brushing teeth and putting clothes on, so she gets up at 9.

What is their morning routine?: Showers, brushes teeth and hair, goes for a jog/does some exercises, has breakfast (usually muesli or toast and black tea), plays with her cat Krabba.

How long does it take them to get ready?: Between 5-10 minutes, up to 15 when she’s sleepy.

What time do they usually go to bed?: A little before midnight.

Do they fall asleep easily?: Usually depends on the day Rig has been through. If she has had a day with darker thoughts, it takes her a while to fall asleep, and she may have trouble falling asleep. If she hasn’t thought of anything bad, she’ll be asleep within seconds.

What position do they sleep in?: On her right side, or on her back

What is their handwriting like?: When she isn’t rushed for time, Rigmor’s handwriting is an elegant Monday Routines (example here). When in a hurry, it resembles The Coastal more (can be seen on the same page).

Do they prefer typing or writing things?: Though she often draws using a tablet and a computer, Rig prefers writing things by hand. She keeps the correspondence with the couple of pen-pals she connected to in high-school written, as well as any letters to closer friends.

Are they an artist themselves? What kind of art do they do?: Rigmor is, aside from a tattooist, an artist, and she likes to paint and draw with ink pens and crayons and charcoal, often images from nature like plants and animals, and also do embroideries and knit and sew things, though she isn’t as good at sewing as she is at drawing or painting. Rig has also made pottery several times, and likes to do it from time to time so she can either make extremely ugly-looking pots and smash them and let go of her anger, or make exquisite vases and mugs and then paint them and give them to friends as gifts. In her free time, she also does make-up art, and is very fond of it.

What are some of their favourite books?: Poetry, comic books, biographies, new adult fiction, young adult fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, horror, historical

What genre of movies do they like?: Adventure, fantasy, documentaries

What music genres do they enjoy?: Folk metal, glam metal, melodic death metal, funk metal, heavy metal, viking metal, grunge, punk, rock, hard rock

What are some of their favorite musical acts?: The Greatest Showman. She doesn’t watch a lot of musicals

Do they prefer their music to sound a certain way?: Rigmor enjoys the music she listens to to have a good rhythm and meaningful lyrics, though she can easily enjoy music with no lyrics such as classical pieces by Beethoven or Rachmaninoff for example.

Do they enjoy music from certain decades? If so, which decades?:  90′s, 80′s, classical music

Are they a musician themselves?: To an extent, I guess? Rigmor can play the guitar and sing beautifully, and has partaken in duets with her brother, Arvid, or trios of them and their sister Robyn, but hasn’t actively recorded music or gone on gigs. She does like to play the guitar when the mood strikes, though, and draws the art for her brother’s albums.

What are some of their favorite pieces of clothing/outfits in their wardrobe? If not applicable, what do you think would be some of their favorite pieces of clothing/outfits?:

How much are they willing to spend on clothes?: Not much, really. Rigmor likes buying cheap but pretty outfits, sometimes from second-hand shops, but most often from little shops close to her home.

What colors and patterns are prominent in their wardrobe? What colors and patterns do they wear the most often?: Blue, most often dark blue, and black, or purple, with an occasional dash of red.

What kind of clothes do they like?: Shirts and jeans, as well as hoodies, but also skirts and dresses in her favourite colours.

Do they wear makeup? What type do they wear?: Usually Rigmor can’t be bothered to wear more than an eyeliner and mascara, but when going to a celebration, or out with her friends, she often likes to wear eye shadow.

Do they wear/do you associate them with clothes from a certain decade? If so, which?: 90′s - the early 00′s

What font/fonts do you associate with them?: Baskerville

What colors do you associate with them?: Light and dark blue, light and dark purple, black, dark and light green, silver

What natural elements (geographical features like mountains, animals, seasons, locations, plants, etc.) do you associate with them: Spring; its freshness and the fascination of newborn life. Nature awakening from its winter sleep. Winter; the calm winter evenings in front of a stove. A cup of hot chocolate or coffee. A starless night with just the moon brightly shining. The calmness and quiet of an ocean at night. Lupine. Rose. Flower crowns for Midsommar, one of her favourite celebrations. Felines, especially bigger cats. Vulpines. Beaches, in the late afternoon when people are leaving and there’s barely anyone, as well as late at night.

Tagged by: stole this kinda older post from @dethqveen​

Tagging: See this? You wanna do it? Steal it & tag me

[umichenginabroad]

Into the Countryside

Šťastné úterý!

After traveling from city to city for the past couple of weekends, it was a really nice change of pace to visit the Czech countryside. My program here in Prague planned out a Bohemian Paradise weekend trip that most people went on. They set up transportation, housing, and meals, so my wallet got a little break and I didn't need to do any planning for once lol (+ it was a nice detox from my week of exams)

A little preview of the sights and nature

On Saturday, we hiked a 16.3 km route which had multiple castles and lookout points around the way. Ngl the ground the first half an hour was disgustingly muddy. I wore Timberlands because they're the only waterproof shoes I had (I wasn't about to pay $200 for hiking shoes), and I seriously questioned if I should be walking in heeled boots. But hey it turned out okay besides how dirty my shoes got haha

I sort of forgot how nice it is to be in the fresh air, listening to birds chirping, and just seeing greenery everywhere. It felt super refreshing and the sun coming out later made it that much better. Plus it was even more enjoyable with everyone hiking together and cracking jokes here and there.

Trosky Castle, Hrubá Sk��la Castle, Valdštejn Chateau & a group of us in front of some cool rock formations

We saw another castle the next day, and since Easter is coming up, they also had a little market going on and even people singing and dancing! This chateau was a little more impressive than the three on our hike, but I think that's a given as the other ones were deep into the mountains. The interior was super ornately decorated with a surprising number of portraits and handguns for some reason... my favorite room was definitely the final dining hall. The lights made everything gleam.

I really like that our program provides these kinds of experiences. They're places I wouldn't think to go to, especially because it's a lot harder to find English speakers and adequate transportation out of the city. Besides this weekend trip, there have also been day trips to a brewery in the suburbs of Prague and to a medieval town with a bone church and various architecture. I'm super appreciative of the amount of work that goes into these, so snaps all around to our program directors.

Next weekend is Easter, which in the Czech Republic is celebrated over four days (Friday and Monday are both public holidays). I won't be in Prague, but my friends and I have planned an eventful weekend in Budapest :)

Catherine Jiang Computer Science Tech Career Accelerator in Prague

Czech Words

Šťastné úterý - happy Tuesday

Ktová, Troskovice, Turnov - [not terms but] cities where are Bohemian Paradise trip took place

[sangennaro]

s∂f∂devd|xiv

so sunday I poked around looking to see if I could elevate any of the recordings in the "purgatory" folder (ie tunes with promise unsuited for any of the cantos of first 2books) into the new track3 I still need for book1, but at some point I got physically fatigued in a weird way and tried to sleep. I think I was partly hungry, as I've probably been doing more snacks than meals in the last week. Whatever it was, I slept through the second half the day and most of the next morning. Didn't sweat too much in my sleep and felt pretty good in the morning. I also did not take any methylphenidate at all on this day, after who-knows-how-long (2 or 3 weeks I think? haven't updated my "full/half/no dosage of speed today" journal since 7/16) of no days abstaining from the prescription speed. Prior to this, during the quarantine I tried to limit myself to 5 on-speed days a week at most, and before the quarantine I was never doing it more than 3 (and never taking on days that I wouldn't be able to have a few hours of uninterrupted recording/writing/editing/etc.)

(purgatory folder atm)

Monday I received a Final Notice for "The Theater of the World" by F Yates library book which I got out in Febraury. Walked with J------ to the Waverly branch and put it in a slot. It was 1pm and pretty harshly hot in the sun and I sweat a lot. Had intended to bring an apple to eat on the way but forgot about it-- did bring my Zojirushi though, which I definitely needed. When I got home tried to make a better outline for the canto6 stanzas, but mostly I read a lot of Froissart and played Total War Medieval 2 computer game. Oh-- I finally took pictures of 3 gears I'm not using so much and put them up on ebay. One of them is an old rompler racksynth which may be unrealistic to move at anything other than "complete steal" price point. One of them is a desktop module that, according to ebay, is trending at 700-900? I paid 450 for it 2 years ago and am not really sure what to make of that number. It's very much a Trance machine.. perhaps the popularity of Post-Trance (or whatever we're meant to call Senni and them) is going to help me pay my rent next month?

I wrote the bulk of the book1 verses I have so far in front of the window in the bedroom, which we could keep open for most of last week, thanks to a surprising number of consecutive days of repreive from the Baltimore summer scorch. Should probably try writing in another room now-- the bookroom (wait I'm going to start calling this the library) the library has a proper desk but no ventilation + the skylight makes it pretty oven-y on real hot days. The basement is usually temperate (I have found it heats up over the course of the day when it's high80s+ outside, but perhaps this is partly due to me being down there for a few hours with two dozen or so electrical devices turned on?) but.. the surfaces are all covered in gear? Something about the setup down there now strikes me as being kinda lacking in comfortable places to put my elbows. Had a little trouble getting to sleep last night. Dreamed I had a daughter and she jumped off some DJ's table at a party in a hotel/resort. Woke up early this morning and read more Froissart, ate a pot noodle, and wrote this.