#also that bbc thing had a date wrong in it

[avelera]

Oh GOD you, too, are an online lectures geek pls consider this your invitation to talk about favs--ones that stuck with you, current obsessions--the more the better! In trade, I'll tell you the two things I'm currently adoring: Yale's Open Course podcast on The Civil War to Reconstruction done by David Blight (man forgot more than ten other civil war historians know even if he mumbles *constantly*) and A History of Christianity by Diarmaid MacCulloch (so! worth the Prime BBC free trial <3)

Hiya! Don't mind if I do!

So 99% of the lectures I've watched lately are on the Great Courses Plus which was recently and stupidly renamed "Wondrium", which I find profoundly stupid because instead of just saying, "Hey, check out the Great Courses, yeah you can kinda guess what the streaming service offers," I have to instead explain what this nonsense term "Wondrium" means, ANYWAY, they've got lectures about basically everything.

Essentially, it's Netflix but for college lectures. YouTube has become so unreliable as far as what's actual information and what's completely made up or even racist conspiracy theory BS that I find it completely untrustworthy. Also, most documentaries are trying to prove something new, or offer a new angle on something, OR they're SO rudimentary and 101 that even for topics I know less about in history I tend to already know everything they're going to say.

So I pivoted to college lectures because 1) it's a whole series so like, dozens of hours I can just throw on in the background while doing something mindless and 2) I know it's going to be trustworthy, reliable, and provide me a baseline on a topic instead of some "new controversial spin" on it. Like, goddammit, sometimes I just want to better understand the history of Ancient Egypt, not your stupid theory about how they were secretly all space aliens or that we've got the carbon dating all wrong or whatever made up nonsense.

So, here's a list of some of my favorites!

Hannibal: The Military Genius Who Almost Conquered Rome - I consider myself about as near an expert as a non-academic can get on Rome and this lecture actually taught me some things, which is rare, so I recommend it as a fantastic deep dive!

How the Crusades Changed History is a pretty good short version that I recommend to anyone who enjoyed The Old Guard's Nicky and Joe BUT, for the best Crusades lecture, I'd recommend this History of the Crusades podcast. Sharyn Eastaugh is not just insanely informative, but her dry wit made me laugh out loud at least once an episode at the sheer hapless ineptitude of the Crusaders.

In the Wake of the Plague is a fantastic new lecture by Wondrium, the lecturer is amazing and it provides a lot of objective insights into how humans react to plagues that is VERY relevant to current events, BUT their lecture on **The Black Death in general is the one that got me obsessed with their lecture series. I watched it in the first week of Covid lockdown and let me tell you, having this super in-depth, objective look into how people behaved during the Black Death was incredibly valuable (and chilling) going into those years because it all played out with astonishing similarity. Also, anything by that lecturer, Dorsey Armstrong, is awesome. She's a Medievalist of the highest order. I also recommend her lecture on King Arthur.

**The Birth of the Modern Mind: The Intellectual History of the 17th and 18th Centuries - this one wins the award for "Lecture I thought most likely to bore me to tears that ended up being the single most fascinating I've heard in YEARS." Seriously, the way it explores the evolution of how we think in the modern era, through the philosophers who first conceived of these ideas, was jaw-droppingly fascinating. I also recommend it to writers of historical fiction and fantasy for a crash course, by proxy, of how to write people who think differently than you.

The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World - I once had beef with a post here on Tumblr that claimed that academic Classicists don't care about slaves or normal people during the Roman Empire, which is just profoundly absurd. I pointed out this lecture to them if they actually wanted to learn more about the subject instead of complaining that an art history professor may not have been prepped for a lecture about the lives of enslaved people in Ancient Rome. If that is a subject of interest, this lecture is great.

The Real History of Pirates - a must-listen for OFMD fans who want to get an introduction to historical pirates and the history of pirates in literature, which "Our Flag Means Death" owes as much if not more to than the historical figures.

**Turning Points in Middle Eastern History - One of the first lectures I listened to and still one of my enduring favorites. It's the first one I picked up for writing my Old Guard fic, Lights Out, when I wanted to write Joe from a more informed angle and I learned so much.

Understanding Japan: A Cultural History - One of my favorite lectures based on format, the lecturer picks a literary work or cultural concept as the entry point to explore the timeline of Japanese history. It's a fantastic way to give a wider and more holistic look at each era, pairing it with a cultural touchstone.

Shout-out to "The Mysterious Etruscans" because I just think they're neat. The lecturer is also very good and I highly recommend his lecture on ancient cities as well which taught me a lot that I didn't know.

Also a shout out to, "Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women before 1400" for its subject and the lecturer who is great and she also has a really fascinating talk about the history of Spain.

Ok, I THINK that's some of the top ones! ;D

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Fics With Titles That Start With O (4) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three

Objects in Mirror (ao3) - gaydreaming

Summary: When Dan is doing some last minute shopping at Herrods, he finds himself drawn to a pretty skirt, and he knows that he shouldn't... then again, why shouldn't he?

Ocean Eyes (ao3) - easybubbyy

Summary: Dan and Phil as they work together on their world tour announcement, reflecting on their long-term partnership on set. The two take turns admiring each other throughout the day, exchanging glances and quiet moments. Both are eager to get home and finally spend some intimate time together, showing each other just how much they mean to one another...

October 19, 1209 (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: Phil had almost made it into town and was starting to feel relief. He had met no trouble, no roving bands, nothing to pull him from his way, for the nearly 20 mile journey from his parent’s village to Manchester.

A fic about bravery and wants.

of a feather (ao3) - plinythehotter

Summary: A stranger shows up at the secluded Wuthering Heights during a snowstorm and learns that the house has a history: one that begins with Katherine Lester's younger son and his... childhood friend. That's what they're calling it.

Of all the Someones (ao3) - Scuddleduck

Summary: There's a dead body in the house. All Dan knows is that he needs to help cover it up.

“Of course I still love you, why would you even ask me that?” (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: Dan has had to make a lot of horrible phone calls while deciding to take a year out of law school. But now he has this final call, and it’s the scariest one.

A ficlet about news and encouragement.

of fated encounters and hand-made soulmates (ao3) - ShiwiSins (IetjeSiobhan)

Summary: He’s smiling at Phil, like this entire embarrassing scene is just the opening meet-cute of a low quality rom-com, and Dan dislikes him immediately.

Or: They keep running into the same guy. Phil thinks it's fate. Dan thinks he'd like to see him piss off.

off the record (ao3) - jailedmoonshine

Summary: dan isn't in the mood to film a video, so phil makes sure he's in the mood

oh, baby, seasons change (ao3) - antiadvil

Summary: anon prompt: dnp sharing a bed in 2010 x them sharing a bed now :3

there is bedsharing in this fic, but more of the fic is spent discussing dan's laundry than spent in bed

"oh great, now im a furry" (ao3) - cloej88

Summary: This is a fic about Dan getting off on his giant teddy bear… Yeah. But it’s also a fic about trust and connection and vulnerability!

On Top of the World (ao3) - dnpangels

Summary: Dan Howell is known at Cedar Creek High School for being the star quarterback and for having dated every girl in the junior year. Phil Lester is known for almost always getting the lead in the school play and being a straight-A student. Dan is popular in the stereotypical way, while Phil is popular within the groups that he chooses to be a part of. Another thing that almost everyone knows is that Dan and Phil are definitely not friends.

An AU in which Dan is the school's quarterback, and Phil is a theater kid.

On Tour Bus Beds (ao3) - katiecal1013

Summary: “Best buddies can share a bed!” - Phil Lester, 2024

one & only (ao3) - daliddl

Summary: Dan just finished his very last We‘re All Doomed show in London and a certain unexpected guest is waiting for him in the dressing room.

One and Only (ao3) - clcprint

Summary: dan meets a new phil and his phil gets jealous.

or

phil loses the idgaf war

one good day (ao3) - SylvesterLester

Summary: If Dean is being so nice, it makes him think that he’s doing a good job being host, which makes him feel good. And Jack is seemingly less nervous than when he got out of the car, so he’s doing good.

The only one who isn’t doing good is Dan, who sits back a bit with a smile that looks, well, wrong. He knows when Dan really smiles. This isn’t it.

-

Set during BBC Big Weekend 2015

one more shot in Helsinki (ao3) - m_katiep

Summary: The tour has brought them to Helsinki. The night before the show Dan and Phil get to experience the hospitality of locals in the form of free shots. Phil gets tipsy and Dan gets jealous.

one night stand (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Dan meets a stranger in a bar during after one of his shows on the We're All Doomed tour.

One of Those Days (ao3) - cats_with_no_tails

Summary: Based on the anecdote from Dan’s birthday stream that Phil dropped his ice cream and cried, featuring Autistic Phil + Dan comforting him during a meltdown.

one of your girls (or your homies) (ao3) - ppp_pbabe

Summary: they fuck(tm). that's literally it.

One single thread of gold (tied me to you) (ao3) - Lesbianphan

Summary: Just a cute little fluffy one to celebrate the 15 years of Dan and Phil the best way I know how: through RPFing, of course!

one for sorrow, two for joy (ao3) - buskingalbatross

Summary: One for sorrow,

Two for joy,

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy,

Five for silver,

Six for gold,

Seven for a secret never to be told.

Seven tiny festive scenes on the Isle of Man.

One Week (ao3) - cosmic_angel_writes

Summary: Dan Howell is a rich, spoiled, brat who gets whatever he wants. He’s almost done with high school when he gets paired up with Phil Lester. A punk who is going nowhere in life. It takes one week for Phil to flip Dans life upside down.

One Yaps, One Disassociates (ao3) - philsmeatylegss

Summary: One yaps, one disassociates meme except it’s rpf

opinionated exotic birds (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: Dan and Phil's crew have a group chat. When you work for two of the weirdest little guys on the internet, you need to blow off steam once in a while.

[orange heart emoji] (ao3) - natigail

Summary: WE'RE ALL DOOMED finds its home on YouTube and Dan breaks the whole phandom with one single emoji. It's okay. If Phil can be earnest, then so can Dan.

Origins of the Phass Inflation Post (Dan and Phil in Greece) (ao3) - EverythingIsAsItWas

Summary: Dan and Phil rarely take vacations just for themselves, vacations in which they make no content, do not work, and simply enjoy each other's company. Going to Greece feels like the perfect opportunity for this, but Phil also thinks it's the perfect opportunity for a video... and Dan likes being a little shit.

Orpheus, Forgiven (ao3) - Celeste (artificialmac)

Summary: Sisyphus stops pushing the boulder. Orpheus doesn’t turn. Icarus doesn’t brush his fingertips against the surface of the sun. There is no story.

Or: Phil is Orpheus.

our lips must always be sealed (ao3) - uhmyeah

Summary: dan and phil have silly tour sex

our love keeps the things it finds (ao3) - dbg_708

Summary: The minutes they spent at the top of Manchester, when he first saw Dan in a train station, looking at him out of breath and sweaty in front of hundreds of people, giving him flowers when he was finally coming back home, and kissing him silly in their kitchen all reside in the same crook of his heart: unrelated to and away from his aches and pains.

Overwhelmed (ao3) - MorningStarshine

Summary: Dan gets overwhelmed during Interactive Introverts and relapses in the bathroom of their hotel. It's a good thing Phil Lester is there for him (with pizza and garlic bread for extra comfort).

[teenwolffan6]

Sterek should have been endgame and Scott needed to be less of a dick.

I wish the writers would stop using Derek as the punching bag. Like I get he was an angry asshole at the start but can you blame him after all that he went through? He should have had a character growth arc and given the chance to be a better alpha instead of making him give it up. I get the symbolism of giving up the power but he should have gotten it back. And we should have seen more of his full shift than what we got. Like the Hales were special because of the full shift and we only see it once? Also he should have gotten his family land back, like it's been in his family for years and he's lost enough he shouldn't have let the county take his land that was fucked up. Even if he never rebuilt, he could have tore the remains down and put up a marker or a tree or something to show they were there and what happened. But to let it become new housing was just fucked up.

I would have like to see Derek and Scott be co-alphas and lead the pack together. They could have had a batman and superman friendship with one of them being broody and the other being hopeful and optimistic.

Stiles should have had magic. I know Dylan O'Brien said he didn't want Stiles to have magic and just be human but come on, he would have been badass at it.

I was never a big fan of Stiles and Lydia because it felt like he was more in love with the image he had of her than of her. Yes he got to know the real Lydia and they fell in love but I still didn't really like it. He was too obsessed with her it felt like he just wore her down or something idk. I know that Dylan said in an interview that Stiles and Lydia would have dated for a while but then realized they were better of as friends, and this was years before the movie came out.

And OMG the movie what the shit was that!?!?!? For all that Scott said he would be the alpha and defend Beacon Hill he left the town for years and still left at the end of the movie. Derek, Peter, Malia, and Jordan are really the only supernaturals left to defend the town. The Hales are the ones protecting their territory. And did they really have to kill Derek in the way they did it. Like fire really? REALLY!?!? And in front of his sixteen year old son. Derek lost his family at sixteen to a fire and now his son Eli loses his dad to a fire at sixteen? Really!?!? Like I hated it, I hated that the whole movie felt like Scott was just reliving his high school glory days. I hate that's Scott got his happy ending at the expense of Derek's life. Derek was good, he was happy with his son, had a home, a good business, was respect in the community, had a good relationship with the remainder of his family and you kill him off? And then hint at the fact that Scott would be the one to 'adopt' Eli, a kid he barely knew, just so that he and Allison could play house and be a happy little family? BULLSHIT!!!!

I read somewhere that Jeff wanted the show to end with Scott and Allison together and Stiles and Lydia together and that their kids would all be best friends. But with Crystal Reed leaving in season 3 that changed things. The movie felt like his way of getting that ending he wanted but Dylan not returning changed things again. But at least Scott got Allison back, so yay? Don't get me wrong I loved Scott and Allison together but Scott was so obsessed with her to the point that he would throw anyone but his mom under the bus for her. And it got annoying very fast even worse was the fact that he didn't really learn anything from it he has just as obsessed with Kira (though maybe not to the same level). The whole bros before hoes thing was non existent for him. I get Scott was supposed to be like a King Arthur kind of figure, you know? Special, good leader, kind, and legendary but Scott was not it. Yea he had his moments where he was really good but he had so many where he wasn't and he never seemed to learn and grow. Like even the BBC Merlin Arthur who started out as a jerk became honorable, just, and a good leader, yea he too had his moments where he regressed but it was still better than Scott.

They should have fixed his relationship with Derek maybe then him taking Eli in would have made more sense. Like Scott hated Derek a lot ,more so than necessary. Yes Derek lied to get Scott to help him take down the alpha (Peter) but Scott acted like Derek was he one who bit him. Scott forgave so many others who had done far worse (deucalion?) But Derek was where he drew the line? Why because he bit three others who chose the bite? I get him being mad about the lies, I get him being mad about Derek's attitude while on the alpha power trip but come on sometimes Scott was just a dick. He was willing to look the other way when Victoria tried to kill him and was ok with keeping quiet about why Derek bit Victoria and let Allison hate derek and attack his pack because he didn't want to cause problems with Allison. No he sucks. We could have had an epic friendship between them but no we got something half-assed and I hate it.

And why the hell did they make Derek basically a True Alpha like two seconds before he died like what the FUCK!?!?!?

I just wished the would have given Scott some character development instead of just making him more powerful.

[cto10121]

Re-watching the New Moon movie and I have many Thoughts(tm), namely

Why is the cinematography is so warm toned compared to the first movie when New Moon is the most depressing book and truly the worst era of Bella’s young life: A Mystery in 2 Hours

At least Pattinson!Edward looks a little better than usual. They put him in these crisp suits. Very nice (Edit: Never mind, that awful Volturi bathrobe with the pasty-ass makeup was horrific yuck, yuck, yuck)

They just had to introduce Jacob this early on, didn’t they? And ofc Bella is much more emotive and gets all the witty dialogue with him (!!). In the books she is much more romantic and wittier with Edward as a whole. Jacob tended to bring out her immature side

“How come Jacob Black gets to give you a gift and I can’t?” “Because I have nothing to give back to you” Nice to know the screenwriter(s) still doesn’t understand the Bedward dynamic. And by nice I mean horrific

…What film version of R&J are they watching??? It’s not the ‘30s version and definitely not the ‘60s or ‘90s one. Is it the ‘70s BBC one? In the book it was the ‘60s version, which is the correct answer. Did they not get the rights? Also, also, why are the human characters much more affected by R&J than Bella and Edward????

“[Romeo] Killed his only love out of sheer stupidity” “Yeah” Oh no, no, no, no, movie, you are not going to make Bella, a close Romeo iteration, agree with Edward!!! Edward is meant to be 100% wrong by his take. Dumbass script!!!

Edward: “Eyes, look your last” 😐 Couldn’t Pattinson just inject a little bit more feeling into his line reading? Most of Edward’s objections were Romeo’s actions, not his suicide. These are the lines Edward can and should relate to.

The movie people garbing the Volturi in 18th century clothing when they are older than the Romans is just laughable

“Dating an older woman. Hot.” Okay, Emmett is 💯, no notes. Definitely erred on the side of frat boy, but you know what, it’s fun and ho boy do these movies lack it

Bella holding up her whole bloody finger in a coven of vampires 💀 Why, movie

Stewart!Bella’s chemistry with almost everyone else in the cast (that scene with Carlisle tending her wound!!!) but Pattinson!Edward confirms what I have known all along: Film and real life chemistry are very different and they shouldn’t be confused. The proof is in the celluloid.

I’m just going to call it: Stewart and Pattinson are modern subtle quirky actors playing what are essentially neo-Gothic star-crossed lover roles. They absolutely should never have been considered for these parts at all by a competent director. Absolutely not fitting at all

“You’re just not good for me.” Hmm, this is what Bella believes about herself, not Edward. I suppose Edward could have done it on purpose, but the fact that he was flabbergasted his lie worked indicates that he doesn’t. Movie just straight up portrays him as more manipulative than in the books, where he just lies baldly

Oh God the months-on-the-screen thing was terrible. This movie fails so much at portraying Bella’s depression, it hurts. It’s like visual SparkNotes

The Bella-writing-to-Alice device sucks. Not too badly, but still. We had her voiceover in the first movie without any problems but for this one, we need a justification? Also, it fuels the Bella/Alice fan dumb something awful

Really dislike the way they did Hallucination!Edward with the ghostly transparent effect. It’s corny and also…way to pass up a chance at some mystery and intrigue by just having Edward be there without any special effects (maybe keep the echoing voice). I guess they really didn’t want people confused and think he returned when he didn’t. But c’mon.

Movie Bella going off with the biker 🤮 Book Bella at her most insane would never. The only good thing about it is that it does lead to Bella having an interest in motorcycles. Efficient movie storytelling and all that.

“Bella, where the hell have you been, loca?” Wonder why this line became so meme-worthy. It’s by far not the worst (“spider monkey” is perhaps the most awful) and Lautner’s delivery was natural enough. Is it the random Spanish? It is random.

Bella is already smiling at her first scene with Jacob…this movie is just awful at selling her desolation. Meanwhile Jacob’s first thought was how awful Bella looked

The Quileute characters are well-cast and nicely played so far, and their banter is good. Emily especially is beautiful and her scar makeup was convincing. Great

Book: “He took off his shirt” Movie: He took off his ~~~~shirt 😍

Laurent’s arrival and his death should have been a much better and weightier scene than we got. God, the pacing is so bad in this movie. Jacob becomes a werewolf, Bella finds the meadow, Laurent suddenly arrives—all within a minute or so. Ugh

“As soon as you put the dog out.” Damn, why, movie? Book Alice did not begin the slurs until she was well and truly angry. But sure, let’s do some really obvious racebaiting 🙄

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jacob KNEW he was talking to Edward and not Carlisle????? Movie, wtf? And all to save up on some screen time…sigh

Bella: “I can let you go now.” What. The. Fuck. Movie????? Not only could she not let Edward go, Bella never wanted to let him go. That was and had never been her arc!!! She would have gone to Edward regardless of anything!!! I hate this, I hate this oh GOD

No, I’m not done, I need another bullet point for this BS. The whole reason why Twilight was picked up to be adapted in the first place was because Hollywood execs saw “Ooh Romeo and Juliet with vampires 🤑” written all over this one…only for the actual filmmakers to just say, “Actually her whole ~journey this movie is letting go of Edward uwu” Poor Meyer…she just had to grin and bear it until she became the producer, I suppose

*Bella and Edward having a whole-ass conversation and making out* *Felix and Demetri watching in the shadows*: “So…should we interru—” “Don’t you DARE” “Felix” 🤣 I’m sorry, but this whole “I lied I do love you” convo should have been in the bedroom scene proper; there are literal Volturi about!!! Also, also, no “Amazing. Carlisle is right”!!! No Romeo quote!!!! Fie, for shame

Dakota Fanning as Jane…Well, probably not perfection, but she is great as usual. The Volturi got done so dirty overall, though—they look and act like Vampire Diaries rejects.

THAT ELEVATOR SCENE, OH GOD. So much meme potential. Why does this series keep injecting humor and comedy where there shouldn’t be and just ditching the actual humor and comedy of the actual books?????

Again, these Volturi gives me discount Vampire Diaries. Also, that chamber is so damn small. Where is the mystique, the grandiosity?There should be a crowd of vampires around, it’s their dinnertime.

Michael Sheen is just too British for the la tua cantante, lol. He also says something else (“Forse le vostre l’uno per altro”??? The accent is just too thick). He’s way too handsy (movie, they’re regular vampires who are sharks!!) but overall I guess his creepy-genteel approach works. Again, the cringy script fucks him over, as it does everyone. The movie has him touch Edward only now and not immediately when he meets him. Oh, God.

Edward just stumbling forward to Jane’s demonstration on Bella 💀 Jane saying “Pain” and Edward just standing there instead of collapsing 💀 Stewart!Bella freaking out and begging them to stop…actually, no, there she did very well, I liked it

Edward and Felix fighting ewwww…and with that awful slow-mo. What’s with these movies and including non-canonical battle shit???? Also, Aro would not order Bella’s execution if simply because he wants to collect Edward/Alice and Bella once she turns (it’s obvious she is a shield).

Of course fucking Alice speaks up at the very last minute before Aro chomps on Bella!!! When she would have had a vision of this exact scenario!!! This movie I swear!!!

THEY ACTUALLY SHOW THE VISION OF VAMPIRE BELLA, OH GOD. AND WITH THE CORNY SLOW-MO. KILL ME

“Once Alice changes me, you can’t get rid of me.” Okay, Movie Bella is officially more interested in immortality than Edward, the exact opposite of her book counterpart. Dishonor on your cow, Rosenberg.

“Jake, I love you.” Aaaaaand it’s official, the movies are definitely Team Jacob. Fuck you, too, movie

[mariacallous]

Marianna Spring is the BBC’s first disinformation and social media correspondent, a post best described as prolonged recumbence on a bed of very sharp nails. She is also a plucky and dogged investigative reporter who has repeatedly dived into the cesspit of online hatred and misinformation with the aim of trying to understand, rather than merely ridicule or condemn it. For her pains, Spring has already received – and deserved – some professional awards. But she has also been the target of some of the most vicious targeted attacks that any journalist has had to face: of the 14,488 social media posts targeting staff that the BBC logged between January and June 2023, for example, 11,771 related to her. Any journalist who can endure such an onslaught and remain sane deserves respect.

Among the Trolls is her compelling account of what the dark underbelly of contemporary liberal democracies looks like now. Much of it involves conspiracy theories – those who believe them and those who profit from them. But Spring’s gaze widens into an exploration of the collateral damage such theories cause, not only to individual believers and their families but in the way they undermine the deliberative capacity of democracies. She looks at the way technology has created a world in which, as Jonathan Swift famously put it, “Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it” – but one in which even blatant falsehoods endure long past their sell-by date because the internet never forgets. And she recounts, in graphic and depressing detail, the unspeakable things that people do and say online. But she also makes some heroic attempts to contact the trolls behind the slurs, sometimes with really interesting results.

All in all, this is a compelling guided tour of a dystopian underworld that most sensible people would prefer to ignore. It also suggests why such wilful blindness would be terminally unwise. If we needed a case study in the dangers that online-fuelled conspiracy theories can pose to society, then Covid-19 would be hard to beat. It was, Spring writes, “a gateway to more sinister conspiracies”: a third of respondents to a research survey said that the pandemic had made them more suspicious of official explanations of terrorist attacks. The number of avoidable deaths resulting from misinformation and anti-vaccination campaigning, for example, is uncountable, but it’s significant. Misinformation costs lives. And even today we are having to cope with outbreaks of diseases such as measles that were until recently avoidable.

The temptation du jour is to conclude that many of the ills of the modern world can be ascribed to social media. HL Mencken long ago nailed that misconception. “For every complex problem,” he wrote, “there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.” Close reading of Spring’s conversations with believers in conspiracy theories and trolls gives a hint of what underpins their behaviour and convictions. Many of them felt threatened or insecure because of what had happened to them in life. They felt undervalued or unappreciated by their peers, patronised by those in power and baffled by the inexplicable things that were happening in wider society.

What’s striking about Spring’s approach is her empathic capacity to try to understand what the legal scholar Cass Sunstein disdainfully called the “crippled epistemology” of conspiracy theorists. Given the abuse to which she has been subjected, this is remarkable. But, although Spring doesn’t spell this out, it also provides a clue to why liberal democracies are being undermined by conspiracy theories. The people she has been talking to are often living proof of what it’s like trying to get by in a society increasingly shaped by an economic ideology in which inequality is a feature, not a bug: it’s what neoliberalism is designed to do. The terrifying levels of social exclusion in modern “prosperous” democracies bear testimony to that. And the widespread popularity of conspiracy theories is a symptom of it.

What this means is that we need to acknowledge that networked technology is not the cause of our current ills. It’s a necessary factor but not a sufficient explanation for the mess democracies are in. And tackling it requires a frank admission that our politics are probably the main driving force of public disaffection. Which is the last thing that politicians fixated on the next election are likely to concede.

So our current reflex reactions to the problem – incredulity or disdain – won’t work. If people’s sense of identity is tied up with their beliefs, then they’re unlikely to be persuaded that most vaccines are not dangerous. Just as (Mencken again) it’s impossible to get someone to understand a proposition if his or her wealth depends on not understanding it. Many conspiracy theories are “self-sealing” – ie, impervious to facts. If there is a single cheery thought to emerge from this fine piece of journalism it is that, sometimes, empathy works. Instead of browbeating a supposedly deluded believer with facts, why not try understanding how they came to believe the things they do? Which is what Marianna Spring has tried to do. And it needn’t be futile. The pity is that, as they say in Silicon Valley, empathy doesn’t scale.

[the-irrelevant-trumpeter]

now that i've started thinking that the tptgw "upcoming events" page can be inaccurate, i have now opened my eyes to the fact that the ppgw one also can be too. because like...

given that ppgw is set at christmas, and given that from what we know about the sheer number of productions cornley have listed that they've previously done, it doesn't feel right that their next show wouldn't be until may. plus, even though the ppgw tour doesn't have a date listed, i'd assume this is in chronological order, and it's weird that the backstage tour of ppgw (at christmas) wouldn't be until after may. idk it could be, but i'd assume the set wouldn't be there anymore? anyway so now i'm thinking that, once again, they published the wrong "upcoming", and this is actually stuff that happened during the same year ppgw was (the staged version, which btw, i consider to be a different thing to the bbc version. obviously this is just my headcanon, but people are free to adopt it if they want). now, the stuff listed above here HAS to be 2015 (because that's the year that the 7th of may is a thursday, the 8th is a friday, and the 9th is a sunday. i checked). therefore, that means that the staged ppgw would be christmas 2015, which honestly works better than it being in 2014 for a few other events (but that's not important rn). anyway it's been a productive day of me reconsidering everything i thought i had figured out about cornley.

[24worldnewsnet]

Getty ImagesAndrew BensonF1 Correspondent30 minutes ago28 CommentsBritish Grand PrixVenue: Silverstone Dates: 4-6 July Race start: 15:00 BST on SundayCoverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and appLewis Hamilton sees the first six months of his time at Ferrari through two different prisms."Everything generally outside of the racetrack is going amazing," he says, "I couldn't be happier in that respect. And I'm working as hard as I can to make sure that's reflected also in my results. I want to be at the front, obviously."At the front - with one exception - he has not been. Hamilton has not had the start to his Ferrari career he would have wanted.His move caused a sensation when it was announced, in February last year, and it dominated the news cycle in the lead-up to this season.But the reality of Hamilton at Ferrari has so far not lived up to the hype.The Briton is sixth in the championship, one place and 28 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who has out-qualified him 9-4, at an average advantage of 0.151 seconds.Hamilton won the sprint race in China, from pole position. But his highest qualifying position for a grand prix was fourth in Monaco and Austria - with Leclerc second on the grid both times. His best grand prix race result is fourth.For both team and driver, this is not good enough.'It looks a lot worse outside than it probably is on the inside'Hamilton went to Ferrari convinced they could take him to an eighth world title, although not necessarily in his debut season.Ferrari started the year confident of battling for both titles, having run McLaren close for the constructors' championship last season.Both have fallen short of the level expected of them, as we reach the halfway point of the season - this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.The Ferrari is, on average qualifying pace, the slowest car of the top four teams - at 0.393secs a lap slower behind the pace-setting McLaren.And Hamilton has rarely been the fastest driver in it - he is further behind Leclerc on pace then he was George Russell in what was a disappointing final season at Mercedes in 2024.So what is going wrong?Hamilton, 40, has made much of the fact that he is still adapting to his new team, and that this was always going to take time.He has pointed repeatedly to the fact that Ferrari operate differently as a team than he is used to, and run their car in a very different way; and that the car itself feels very different from a Mercedes."I think it looks a lot worse outside than it probably is on the inside," Hamilton says. "It's my first half of the year in a new team."It's interesting to see how different teams work and operate. How they set the car up is completely different."And I'm having discussions with engineers to change things… There's a certain way they like to work and it's: 'Hold on a second – that doesn't actually make sense. Like, this is what I've done for the last 17, 18 years here (in F1), and it's worked in a lot of them.'"So, getting those things to consistently work with the team and making sure you're working in a constructive way to make changes."I'm constantly battling the engineers, asking them questions. Because they set things up and are like: 'This is how we always do it' and I'm like: 'What about this?'"So we work on trying things and, bit by bit, we are making progress. We're improving our qualifying from Monaco onwards, which is positive."Signs of an upward trend but Vasseur 'increasingly defensive'From Hamilton's point of view, there are signs of an upward trend. Leaving aside his sprint pole in China, in the first seven races he qualified in the top five only once, also in Shanghai. Starting with Monaco, he has been fourth twice and fifth twice.Likewise, his gap to Leclerc is coming down. In the first five races of the season, it was 0.227secs; in the subsequent six it's 0.087secs.Hamilton says: "The positive is that we are making improv

[bisluthq]

guys now like idk if I’m stupid but can someone explain to me like I’m 12 why Newsom is doing all the socials tactics that didn’t work for Kamala? Like have lefties learned absolutely fuck all from these last… at this point like 10 years? Are you guys just gonna make cute TikTok videos (and I know he’s doing other stuff too like well done I saw that in a TikTok also) while like democracy is dismantled? Clearly pandering to the yas queen demographic has not worked and also Governor this video comes off legit racist? First I have to teach Sabrina carpenter feminism now I have to teach the governor of California common fucking sense ffs.

also like guys what’s happening with the deportations is legit bad. Super not cool. Also not the fucking human rights crisis some lefties are making of it because like yes lol these people should’ve stayed at home yk like maybe they weren’t doing better there but the problem is as Newsom says in this somewhat marginally less racist by virtue of the white guy meme they chose TikTok like fuck around find out. Like ya that’s sorta a risk for going places illegally like you… might get kicked out.

Like I’ve seen and heard multiple stories of people not getting their South African visas renewed or approved. I’m talking white people from first world countries like I personally know two specific white Americans and I saw a fb story of a third who have been deported and banned for life. None of them did anything that wrong lol like they made mistakes/the one worked here/misread the visa date on the 90 day visa free thing and bam fucking caught and deported and banned. The one story on exit like bro was planning to go home and they were like “fucking ILLEGAL” and still arrested him. Anyway. Sad. As governor Newsom says tho like fuck around find out.

and just for other people like South Africa has huge immigration from all over Africa and a lot of like xenophobia/intolerance to other nationalities. Which is bad. But the law is the law and whether you’re white American and misread it and caught or Malawian and working as a gardener to provide for your whole family back home like you get caught and that’s that.

the real problem in California is the racial profiling this is now leading to and that IS SUPER FUCKED UP because yes rando people born in the US or who’ve obtained green cards are terrified to go outside. That is legit SUPER FUCKED UP. But how is this absolute fucking twat gonna fix that with cute TikToks? And he’s like “ya I’ve thought about if I’m arrested” sir when did u think about it like when your 22 year old overpaid intern was showing you Taylor TikToks? Bestie? Are we for real?

also on the flip side there’s this rando dem dude running against Cuomo for mayor of New York and he’s so cute lol and so nice in debate clips but his socials are so bad lol. So bad. We need in between this guy with the very hard to believe free bus agenda and Newsom posting you need to calm down. There has to be a middle wherein we can all meet. Surely.

this has been 4 am thoughts on the Democratic Party in the us by me Nat as informed by TikTok and Twitter and bbc but earlier in the day now it had just been TikTok and Twitter there we go now we know.

[musicblogwales]

Thematically, upcoming EP ‘We’ve Been Here’ delves into the tension between right and wrong, the power of hindsight, and the ongoing struggle for self-growth. Co-produced with Harry Edwards (Beyoncé, Travis Scott), it pushes L E M F R E C K’s signature fusion of alternative R&B and rap to new creative heights, solidifying his place as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging artists.

L E M F R E C K shares, "The whole project is about how I struggle to learn my lesson. I have always thought that if a certain situation happens again, I would make sure I made the right decisions. Yet here I am again doing the same things that eventually lead to stress”.

So far, L E M F R E C K has released excerpts from ‘We’ve Been Here’ in the form of singles ‘Stay Calm’, ‘Fine’, ‘Slip Away’, and ‘Come Outside En’, which have seen support from BBC Radio 1, BBC 1 Xtra, BBC 6 Music, DIY, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, Dummy & more. L E M F R E C K also recently appeared on BBC 6 Music’s Roundtable panel alongside Lucy Rose and Georgie Rogers.

‘We’ve Been Here’ is the first new release from L E M F R E C K following Blood, Sweat & Fears (2023) which won last year’s Welsh Music Prize. The album saw widespread support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio Wales, Rinse FM, Clash, Viper, Dummy, Notion, WhyNow, The Line Of Best Fit & more. It then culminated in his producing and presenting of acclaimed BAFTA nominated BBC Documentary ‘Black Music Wales’, a celebration of the incredible talent and legacy from his home region past and present.

L E M F R E C K comments on last year's Welsh Music Prize win, “Winning the WMP is far bigger than my musical journey, the messages I’ve received from people who make music not necessarily associated with Wales who are now inspired and motivated is more than I could ask for. I’m simply just a representation of the importance of diversity in art.”

To date, L E M F R E C K’s unique blend of introspective lyrics and elegant, grime-infused beats have also earned him a place on BBC Introducing’s Ones to Watch in 2021 before being named BBC Radio Wales’s Introducing Artist of the Year in 2023. Additionally, off the back of a North American tour that included SXSW and M for Montreal he has had an incredible live performance journey - selling out The Social in London and Paradise Gardens in Cardiff, alongside performing at The Great Escape and Horizons Gorwelion festivals. More recently, L E M F R E C K has also been announced as a recipient of the PPL Momentum Fund.

Beyond simply flexing his lyrical muscle, L E M F R E C K’s an ardent supporter of reformulating what it means to be a Black, British rapper. Expect more new music soon.

LIVE

28 May - Lower Third, London (UK)

4-8 Jun - Primavera Sound, Barcelona (ES)

10-13 Jul - Love Trails, Swansea (UK)

28 Jun - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff (UK)

[fezwearingjellybananas]

5. What’s something you learned while researching a fic? 17. What is something you recently felt proud of in your writing? 31. What fic meant the most to you to write? (and why?)

5.

So many things! The Milk and Sugar 'verse, my unintentionally very long Snowest series (also featuring Hartmon, Thallen, and Wallinda) ended up with sources in the end notes of the chapters for all the cool science I kept finding. I read so many things about time travel for that (and watched a Horizon documentary on the BBC- at the end they asked all the scientists when they would go if they had one chance to time travel and there were some well thought out answers but clearly the best was the one who instantly answered "to see dinosaurs because dinosaurs are cool"). I might not understand all the physics but I did learn about Causality which just means an event cannot have a affect which precedes it, and breaking it causes paradoxes, so having it in the back of my head as a firm rule does help when writing anything featuring time travel as the problem that needs to be solved.

There's also been some times where researching for fic has accidentally been relevant in real life- I skimming the NHS page on morphine the other day for Pieces of a Puzzle and found out you're not supposed to have it with an underactive thyroid, which I have, so hopefully that won't be useful but it's probably good to know.

17.

Finishing the Snowest fics for Femslash Feb! There was supposed to be three, ended up being six, and it didn't exactly stick to the original plan, but I did manage to finish all of them in February which I did doubt I would be able to

31.

There are a few that could fit, but Just Friends I wrote when I was leaning to aro being the right word but I figured out I wasn't straight a while before I knew aro and ace were options, so at first I was waiting for something to happen that didn't, I tried some words that didn't fit, I found out ace was an option right as ace discourse was starting, and I'd been sort of going along with no word so thinking oh that one fits, it's not just me was a good feeling, but also I was doubting myself a lot thinking I might be wrong again, so I did some projecting (the feelings, the only event in that that is pulled from my life is the mentioned Barry gets assumed he's dating his friend while at a bar), and writing it out and the comment on it from kitkatt0430 firmly settled it in my head that choosing it as an adjective was the right decision.

Thank you!

[Asks]

[cleverhottubmiracle]

This year, I made an intentional decision not to renew my membership in any sort of brand ambassadorship programs. I’ve been a member of a handful Big Brand Clubs (let’s call them BBCs) over the years. Some came with fun opportunities and behind the scenes looks. Some came with free product, sometimes hefty discounts, and they all came with contracts. Some, more intimidating than others. Things I had to keep in mind, like:You have to share X amount of posts on this platform You have to use “specific phrase” when talking about this product You cannot make mention of any other XYZ brands if they make items in the same category we do You have to post by this date We get rights to everything on your account ever You commit to showing up to Big Event even though we won’t tell you when it is for months to come Your mood should be This, That, and/or the Other Thing Make sure you #BBC and @BBC and say “BBC”I have never applied for BBCs of brands that I didn’t already use constantly. I figured that continuing to make content about my naturally preferred items would’ve been easy. Nope. All it did was make me hyper-aware of everything I was creating. Was I doing enough? Was I doing it right? This doesn’t sound like something I’d naturally say. What if it doesn’t perform? Am I going to get in trouble? Am I wearing the wrong pants? Can I not tag this video about shoes because the shirt I’m wearing (that I draw 0 attention to) is made by a competitor? Am I a disappointment?The brain noise got way too loud, and I found myself hardly able to create anything. My posting on social media (and this blog) took a nosedive, because I was constantly worrying that I was going to say or do something I wasn’t supposed to do.I’ve also discovered that I’m the type of person who immediately gets the ick when you tell me to do the exact thing I was planning on doing on my own. Now, I don’t want to do it. I want to do things because of my own free will, not because someone else told me to… even if they’re the same thing.Ambassador Programs ≠ Affiliate ProgramsI thoroughly enjoyed writing 5 Faves & a Dud because lululemon wasn’t paying me to say anything specific. I remain part of their Creator Network, which is an affiliate link-based model. I have the opportunity to share links to pieces I like, when and because I want to. I don’t receive product that I’m expected to post about. I’m not in slack channels, or sitting on zoom calls with creative briefs and deadlines for specific campaigns. My content creation is at will. I am free to post as much or as little works for my ever-fluctuating bandwidth and creativity.With these formalized agreements I’d entered into, it was like they now had my number. My content was under scrutiny. I had to measure up. It felt like work… because it WAS work, that I was essentially doing for free stuff, instead of an actual check.On occasion, I’ll see full-time creators post things like “ambassadorship programs are nothing but free labor,” and… they’re right.These big brands are recognizing creators with aspirational goals to grow their platform, and perhaps one day make the jump from the cubicle to content creation full time. Granted, that’s not everyone’s MO. There are also extroverted humans who are really just out there to make connections and make new friends for a good time. (I am one of those weird introverts who you think is an extrovert but in reality is really good at hiding in a cave and only comes out for a little bit once I’m feeling nice and ready.) I DIGRESS. The recognition by a big brand is exciting for a small creator. It fuels that fire, and the freshly minted members of the BBC excitedly hustle for the clicks. They’re happily generating impressions for the brand. As a small-scale creator, it feels GOOD to be tapped as part of a BBC. It is incredibly gratifying to be noticed by the cool kids in the cafeteria, when for so long, you’ve felt invisible.But as the year wears on, the novelty wears off, and some of them may pause and ask themselves… what am I even doing?Blind Faith and Limited Bandwidth It’s fun to feel chosen by one’s favorite brand as an official representative, but content creation has taken a back burner for me in the last few years, for a variety of factors, which I’ve addressed before. (Read: What Happened to my lululemon Content?). As 2023 drew to a close, I thought that hitching my wagon to one specific brand for so many years was the entire problem, but, a year later I can see that was only part of it. I started this blog 10 years ago (holy shit I’m old), because I was bored by the other brand-centric content that was out there at the time. All obsessed, all the time. While our main source of fun/doom scrolling has gone from blogs, to Instagram, to TikTok & YouTube, and wherever the hell is next… the message has remained the same. Everyone’s always obsessed with everything. Blind obsession with one brand, and that they can do no wrong. I personally cannot bring myself to trust creators who are obsessed with every single item a brand puts out. It’s lacking in authenticity.What about Dudley Do Wrong?Let’s be honest. All of our favorite brands are prone to producing more than a few duds along the way. I mean, that’s the entire premise this blog was established on. Taking notes and fostering discussions about the good, the bad, and the designs that were a CHOICE.Choosing one piece per week to absolutely dog on has been my long-running strategy to prove my authenticity to my audience. When I say I like something, it’s because I actually do. I am not afraid to go on record saying things like:Grandma called, she’s getting pretty mad that lululemon keeps stealing all the upholstery from her house and turning it into clothing. She’s not going to have any drapes left on the windows by the time August rolls around. — 5 Faves & a Dud – 6/26/18 EditionSome of the product that I was asked to promote as a member of BBCs didn’t always work for me. Maybe the pants didn’t fit right, or the entire outfit wasn’t my style. The shoes were too squishy and made my leg hurt. Some pieces, I genuinely loved. They were the first grabs from every wash cycle. The vast majority of mileage run was in a handful of shoe models. I happily yammered about that stuff. Other items, I would never have purchased for myself.I cannot feign enthusiasm for EVERYTHING. I felt that it was expected of me, even if I didn’t love the product in question. If I didn’t have anything good to say, I was afraid to say anything at all. Yet, I was expected to say something, using specific language, on a specific medium, by a specific date. I felt trapped.So yeah. I decided that this year… no signing on any dotted lines. I like creating content because I get to say what I want, when I want. I got the thrill of being in the cool kids club for a little bit, but at the end of the year, I’ve come to the realization that my content and I are better off in free agency. (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src=" fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[norajworld]

This year, I made an intentional decision not to renew my membership in any sort of brand ambassadorship programs. I’ve been a member of a handful Big Brand Clubs (let’s call them BBCs) over the years. Some came with fun opportunities and behind the scenes looks. Some came with free product, sometimes hefty discounts, and they all came with contracts. Some, more intimidating than others. Things I had to keep in mind, like:You have to share X amount of posts on this platform You have to use “specific phrase” when talking about this product You cannot make mention of any other XYZ brands if they make items in the same category we do You have to post by this date We get rights to everything on your account ever You commit to showing up to Big Event even though we won’t tell you when it is for months to come Your mood should be This, That, and/or the Other Thing Make sure you #BBC and @BBC and say “BBC”I have never applied for BBCs of brands that I didn’t already use constantly. I figured that continuing to make content about my naturally preferred items would’ve been easy. Nope. All it did was make me hyper-aware of everything I was creating. Was I doing enough? Was I doing it right? This doesn’t sound like something I’d naturally say. What if it doesn’t perform? Am I going to get in trouble? Am I wearing the wrong pants? Can I not tag this video about shoes because the shirt I’m wearing (that I draw 0 attention to) is made by a competitor? Am I a disappointment?The brain noise got way too loud, and I found myself hardly able to create anything. My posting on social media (and this blog) took a nosedive, because I was constantly worrying that I was going to say or do something I wasn’t supposed to do.I’ve also discovered that I’m the type of person who immediately gets the ick when you tell me to do the exact thing I was planning on doing on my own. Now, I don’t want to do it. I want to do things because of my own free will, not because someone else told me to… even if they’re the same thing.Ambassador Programs ≠ Affiliate ProgramsI thoroughly enjoyed writing 5 Faves & a Dud because lululemon wasn’t paying me to say anything specific. I remain part of their Creator Network, which is an affiliate link-based model. I have the opportunity to share links to pieces I like, when and because I want to. I don’t receive product that I’m expected to post about. I’m not in slack channels, or sitting on zoom calls with creative briefs and deadlines for specific campaigns. My content creation is at will. I am free to post as much or as little works for my ever-fluctuating bandwidth and creativity.With these formalized agreements I’d entered into, it was like they now had my number. My content was under scrutiny. I had to measure up. It felt like work… because it WAS work, that I was essentially doing for free stuff, instead of an actual check.On occasion, I’ll see full-time creators post things like “ambassadorship programs are nothing but free labor,” and… they’re right.These big brands are recognizing creators with aspirational goals to grow their platform, and perhaps one day make the jump from the cubicle to content creation full time. Granted, that’s not everyone’s MO. There are also extroverted humans who are really just out there to make connections and make new friends for a good time. (I am one of those weird introverts who you think is an extrovert but in reality is really good at hiding in a cave and only comes out for a little bit once I’m feeling nice and ready.) I DIGRESS. The recognition by a big brand is exciting for a small creator. It fuels that fire, and the freshly minted members of the BBC excitedly hustle for the clicks. They’re happily generating impressions for the brand. As a small-scale creator, it feels GOOD to be tapped as part of a BBC. It is incredibly gratifying to be noticed by the cool kids in the cafeteria, when for so long, you’ve felt invisible.But as the year wears on, the novelty wears off, and some of them may pause and ask themselves… what am I even doing?Blind Faith and Limited Bandwidth It’s fun to feel chosen by one’s favorite brand as an official representative, but content creation has taken a back burner for me in the last few years, for a variety of factors, which I’ve addressed before. (Read: What Happened to my lululemon Content?). As 2023 drew to a close, I thought that hitching my wagon to one specific brand for so many years was the entire problem, but, a year later I can see that was only part of it. I started this blog 10 years ago (holy shit I’m old), because I was bored by the other brand-centric content that was out there at the time. All obsessed, all the time. While our main source of fun/doom scrolling has gone from blogs, to Instagram, to TikTok & YouTube, and wherever the hell is next… the message has remained the same. Everyone’s always obsessed with everything. Blind obsession with one brand, and that they can do no wrong. I personally cannot bring myself to trust creators who are obsessed with every single item a brand puts out. It’s lacking in authenticity.What about Dudley Do Wrong?Let’s be honest. All of our favorite brands are prone to producing more than a few duds along the way. I mean, that’s the entire premise this blog was established on. Taking notes and fostering discussions about the good, the bad, and the designs that were a CHOICE.Choosing one piece per week to absolutely dog on has been my long-running strategy to prove my authenticity to my audience. When I say I like something, it’s because I actually do. I am not afraid to go on record saying things like:Grandma called, she’s getting pretty mad that lululemon keeps stealing all the upholstery from her house and turning it into clothing. She’s not going to have any drapes left on the windows by the time August rolls around. — 5 Faves & a Dud – 6/26/18 EditionSome of the product that I was asked to promote as a member of BBCs didn’t always work for me. Maybe the pants didn’t fit right, or the entire outfit wasn’t my style. The shoes were too squishy and made my leg hurt. Some pieces, I genuinely loved. They were the first grabs from every wash cycle. The vast majority of mileage run was in a handful of shoe models. I happily yammered about that stuff. Other items, I would never have purchased for myself.I cannot feign enthusiasm for EVERYTHING. I felt that it was expected of me, even if I didn’t love the product in question. If I didn’t have anything good to say, I was afraid to say anything at all. Yet, I was expected to say something, using specific language, on a specific medium, by a specific date. I felt trapped.So yeah. I decided that this year… no signing on any dotted lines. I like creating content because I get to say what I want, when I want. I got the thrill of being in the cool kids club for a little bit, but at the end of the year, I’ve come to the realization that my content and I are better off in free agency. (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src=" fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[chilimili212]

This year, I made an intentional decision not to renew my membership in any sort of brand ambassadorship programs. I’ve been a member of a handful Big Brand Clubs (let’s call them BBCs) over the years. Some came with fun opportunities and behind the scenes looks. Some came with free product, sometimes hefty discounts, and they all came with contracts. Some, more intimidating than others. Things I had to keep in mind, like:You have to share X amount of posts on this platform You have to use “specific phrase” when talking about this product You cannot make mention of any other XYZ brands if they make items in the same category we do You have to post by this date We get rights to everything on your account ever You commit to showing up to Big Event even though we won’t tell you when it is for months to come Your mood should be This, That, and/or the Other Thing Make sure you #BBC and @BBC and say “BBC”I have never applied for BBCs of brands that I didn’t already use constantly. I figured that continuing to make content about my naturally preferred items would’ve been easy. Nope. All it did was make me hyper-aware of everything I was creating. Was I doing enough? Was I doing it right? This doesn’t sound like something I’d naturally say. What if it doesn’t perform? Am I going to get in trouble? Am I wearing the wrong pants? Can I not tag this video about shoes because the shirt I’m wearing (that I draw 0 attention to) is made by a competitor? Am I a disappointment?The brain noise got way too loud, and I found myself hardly able to create anything. My posting on social media (and this blog) took a nosedive, because I was constantly worrying that I was going to say or do something I wasn’t supposed to do.I’ve also discovered that I’m the type of person who immediately gets the ick when you tell me to do the exact thing I was planning on doing on my own. Now, I don’t want to do it. I want to do things because of my own free will, not because someone else told me to… even if they’re the same thing.Ambassador Programs ≠ Affiliate ProgramsI thoroughly enjoyed writing 5 Faves & a Dud because lululemon wasn’t paying me to say anything specific. I remain part of their Creator Network, which is an affiliate link-based model. I have the opportunity to share links to pieces I like, when and because I want to. I don’t receive product that I’m expected to post about. I’m not in slack channels, or sitting on zoom calls with creative briefs and deadlines for specific campaigns. My content creation is at will. I am free to post as much or as little works for my ever-fluctuating bandwidth and creativity.With these formalized agreements I’d entered into, it was like they now had my number. My content was under scrutiny. I had to measure up. It felt like work… because it WAS work, that I was essentially doing for free stuff, instead of an actual check.On occasion, I’ll see full-time creators post things like “ambassadorship programs are nothing but free labor,” and… they’re right.These big brands are recognizing creators with aspirational goals to grow their platform, and perhaps one day make the jump from the cubicle to content creation full time. Granted, that’s not everyone’s MO. There are also extroverted humans who are really just out there to make connections and make new friends for a good time. (I am one of those weird introverts who you think is an extrovert but in reality is really good at hiding in a cave and only comes out for a little bit once I’m feeling nice and ready.) I DIGRESS. The recognition by a big brand is exciting for a small creator. It fuels that fire, and the freshly minted members of the BBC excitedly hustle for the clicks. They’re happily generating impressions for the brand. As a small-scale creator, it feels GOOD to be tapped as part of a BBC. It is incredibly gratifying to be noticed by the cool kids in the cafeteria, when for so long, you’ve felt invisible.But as the year wears on, the novelty wears off, and some of them may pause and ask themselves… what am I even doing?Blind Faith and Limited Bandwidth It’s fun to feel chosen by one’s favorite brand as an official representative, but content creation has taken a back burner for me in the last few years, for a variety of factors, which I’ve addressed before. (Read: What Happened to my lululemon Content?). As 2023 drew to a close, I thought that hitching my wagon to one specific brand for so many years was the entire problem, but, a year later I can see that was only part of it. I started this blog 10 years ago (holy shit I’m old), because I was bored by the other brand-centric content that was out there at the time. All obsessed, all the time. While our main source of fun/doom scrolling has gone from blogs, to Instagram, to TikTok & YouTube, and wherever the hell is next… the message has remained the same. Everyone’s always obsessed with everything. Blind obsession with one brand, and that they can do no wrong. I personally cannot bring myself to trust creators who are obsessed with every single item a brand puts out. It’s lacking in authenticity.What about Dudley Do Wrong?Let’s be honest. All of our favorite brands are prone to producing more than a few duds along the way. I mean, that’s the entire premise this blog was established on. Taking notes and fostering discussions about the good, the bad, and the designs that were a CHOICE.Choosing one piece per week to absolutely dog on has been my long-running strategy to prove my authenticity to my audience. When I say I like something, it’s because I actually do. I am not afraid to go on record saying things like:Grandma called, she’s getting pretty mad that lululemon keeps stealing all the upholstery from her house and turning it into clothing. She’s not going to have any drapes left on the windows by the time August rolls around. — 5 Faves & a Dud – 6/26/18 EditionSome of the product that I was asked to promote as a member of BBCs didn’t always work for me. Maybe the pants didn’t fit right, or the entire outfit wasn’t my style. The shoes were too squishy and made my leg hurt. Some pieces, I genuinely loved. They were the first grabs from every wash cycle. The vast majority of mileage run was in a handful of shoe models. I happily yammered about that stuff. Other items, I would never have purchased for myself.I cannot feign enthusiasm for EVERYTHING. I felt that it was expected of me, even if I didn’t love the product in question. If I didn’t have anything good to say, I was afraid to say anything at all. Yet, I was expected to say something, using specific language, on a specific medium, by a specific date. I felt trapped.So yeah. I decided that this year… no signing on any dotted lines. I like creating content because I get to say what I want, when I want. I got the thrill of being in the cool kids club for a little bit, but at the end of the year, I’ve come to the realization that my content and I are better off in free agency. (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src=" fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[alianoralacanta]

Section 2: Systems take time

A title challenge puts a lot of pressure on a team, as Mattia correctly identified in his June 2022 interview with the BBC. Title challenges are apt to expose every weakness a team has, and severely test their ability to work with and round them, as well as to fix critical issues on the hoof. It is a lot easier to do that if the team entering that state is as strong as possible before veering into the storm. If a team has miscommunication issues, bad reactions to problems, upgrades that were expected to work and don't, anything like this, it's easier to fix the underlying system faults when pressure is relatively low. Then, when the title attack is underway, it is simpler to fix any recurrences (which in any case would be hoped to be minor issues). This is why Mattia Binotto was aiming for a planned World Championship attack. At the time Mattia made the plan in 2019, the regulations now due for 2026 were going to occur in 2024. I don't recall Mattia saying he was going to make the ready date later due to COVID, even after the regulations were pushed out to 2026 for that reason. He certainly didn't say the team was planning to be ready earlier! I don't think Mattia was planning for new hires - he'd already hired a good team. What he was planning to do was to further coalesce the team and make sure repeated faults had a reliable fix in place to stop them from happening. Example possible systematic fixes for the 3 example faults in the previous paragraph (NB: I am not suggesting any of these was necessarily a, let alone the, correct solution for the specific manifestation Ferrari showed): Miscommunication issues: Develop a standard vocabulary, syntax and structure of communicating common topics, with standard infromation items, practise it a lot, create and practise rules for having more complex conversations Bad reactions to problems: Give staff an immediate response mechanism to the sorts of problems that need immediate reaction (that makes sense for those problems). Practise it. For everything else, develop a procedure for analysing why types of problems happen, train staff to use it, expand it as new types of problems arise Upgrades being disappointing: Check the correlation between track and team systems. Iterate improvements to those correlations. Keep iterating. These things have a few things in common, but one of them is that they take time. There's a limit to how fast they can be done. An early title challenge would have required compromise. One can argue (and I'm sure Charles Leclerc would have argued) that F1 is a constant compromise. However, it is for the team leader to decide what compromises will help and which will harm the team - both for the short and long term. Hopefully my answer will put Mattia Binotto in a slightly better light than he was in for the original essay. He was wrong but not clueless. He did, at least, identify a valid problem in the first place. If you'd like to know more about systems in the broader sense: A great textbook resource for learning more about systems is Advanced Game Design by Michael Sellars. Yes, lots of the examples are computer games, but the theory about systems is generally applicable and the level of detail is incredible. For something more accessible but also helpful, you can try the free MOOC course sequence "Systems Modelling", "Systems Diagramming" and "Systems Thinking and Practise" at OpenLearn. A brief treatment of the topic can also be found at "System Thinking Basics" at Coursera.

Ahhh I want to kiss your brain. Thank you for that absolutely BRILLIANT analysis, I love your essays :) You are brilliant!

I hesitated in sending this ask because you've explained so much so well already, but you mentioned you're open to clarification 🫣 I hope you don't mind, I was wondering about this part, this especially caught my attention...

Mattia Binotto in 2022 had a problem. His plan was progressing faster than he’d anticipated. Ferrari was supposed to mount its title challenge in 2024, not 2022.

Mattia had not put all the systems in place to support the title bid that he had intended. Instead, he chose to stick to his plan. Keep building systems and manage down expectations.

There were times when it felt like he was favouring Carlos Sainz because his driving was closer to the plan. However, Charles Leclerc appeared to be convinced, from the beginning, that a title fight was on due to Ferrari’s performance level.

Forgive me this might very well be a stupid question but what do you mean by systems that he hadn't placed yet to support the title bid? I read up about the 2022 season around last year since I wasn't actually there to witness it (I became a fan mid-2023), clearly there is a lot more to the picture than I anticipated!

What other systems are there? Was he planning for new recruits to the team, or something different...?

Thank you once again! :)

Warning! Long post alert! (This time it is only a 2-parter) I am so happy that you enjoyed my essay :D The question is a sensible one. Section 1: Defining a system (eventually)

By "Mattia had not put all the systems in place to support the title bid", I meant that the organisation as a whole had still not coalesced into something that consistently gave the same, helpful response when encountering difficulties. The part of this we see most often expressed is in race strategies. When everything goes to plan, Ferrari could and still can execute a race strategy absolutely fine. However, it just takes one unplanned change to break the system. (This may also be why strategy fails happened to Charles Leclerc more often than Carlos Sainz in 2022, for Charles is the one most likely to have discovered something outside the pre-calculated strategic parameters - usually that discovery was good, sometimes it was bad, but the Ferrari strategic team seemed to be just as bad at handling it either way). This specific pattern is often a sign that the right people are in place, with a valid "Plan A" system, but don't yet have systems behind them to adapt. (This is also why Charles Leclerc defended Xavi Marcos Padros so much despite Xavi being linked with many of these errors. There is more detail in Section 9: China 2004 of the original essay about Charles accepting more fractious interaction as problem-solving than might be expected, and in addition both Charles and Xavi probably agreed there were systematic issues behind at least some of the problems we saw). Departments we see less may or may not have had the same problem, though it's realistic to believe they did. Mattia Binotto called Ferrari a "young" team in 2019 because many of its staff had not worked the positions they were in before and were still getting used to the processes and people in those new positions. So, what is a "system" in these contexts? It is how the actions taken within the team fit together to get particular things done. It considers: - the individual components involved - the goal(s) to which they are employed - the nature of the links - and the conditions that make these change When we are told that people have been hired into a team, that is part of the system, but only part. A person is (for the purpose we're considering) the smallest complete component of a system, but different parts of what someone thinks, says and does will interact with different systems in different ways. It is also necessary for a F1 team to do, at minimum, the following for these people: - teach them enough about their new team to let them buy themselves the time needed to do everything else in this list - help them work with their new colleagues - give them a worthwhile and useful task to aim towards - link that goal with the other goals needed to eventually win the title - plan everything out so that things happen in a sequence that makes sense to everyone. This may require putting in/removing intermediate steps, swapping round goals, exchanging less useful goals for better ones, figuring out the carrying capacity (amount of goals can be done simultaneously) of the team and its departments, deciding what counts as "good enough" and having some idea what needs to change if a given goal is at "good enough" rather than "ideal" - or indeed is missed. - making sure all the resources that are needed are in the right place at the right time. - monitoring the situation surrounding the team, its departments and people - knowing when and how to intervene in internal issues - protecting the team from negative external influences where possible - mitigating against harm done by issues from which protection could not be provided. It is not just F1 that is like this. Pretty much every large enterprise is the same way. There is an upper limit as to how many resources people can marshal effectively without this sort of planning, and even small companies often benefit from proportionate planning. I've emphasised "plan everything out" because I this is the part where Mattia Binotto's plan came unstuck.

[eternal-trip]

North Korea

Officially “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” will go down in history as one of the cruelest, most inhumane, and paradoxically-named regimes of all time, without a doubt.  I can’t wait until the Songun crumbles and the citizens can regain control of their lives again (and maybe, even further in the future, they will unite with South Korea ((after healing from the Cold War, which will take a lot of time and effort))).  I hope it comes soon though because those people need help so bad...I just read the “Inside North Korea” from BBC and it’s so harrowing to hear people live like that every day, and that their government doesn’t care one bit about them.  Hhhhhhhhhh why cant we all just get along bro

[monzabee]

nonesense (social media au) - dr3

masterlist

Summary: The one where you and Daniel fall in love with a song, so you must share it with the whole internet.

Pairing: daniel ricciardo x actress!reader (model used: camila morrone )

Warnings: sexual innuendos, cursing?, daniel being a sweetheart, Sabrina carpenter's bbc lounge outro for nonsense (simply iconic), time-line doesn't match I know the incident happened earlier in the year but please ignore this thank you!!

Request: this was actually a message request sent to me, but since they want to remain anonymous i won't be tagging them!

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

yourusername

Liked by danielricciardo, ellefanning and 135,002 others

yourusername: had a date night with a certain mr ricciardo and he insisted i post the pictures he took afterwards.

ynoscarserawhen: come home, the kids miss you

thiccdannyricc: this is a yn stan account first, and a daniel Stan account second

view all 1,879 comments

danielricciardo: how quickly can you take your clothes off pop quiz

yourusername: i bet your house is where my other sock is and you still haven't thrown away your own socks in the hamper

danielricciardo: damn, sabrina why you had to do me wrong like that

daniel3.jpg

Liked by lando.jpg, yourusername and 217,202 others

daniel3.jpg: Smileys

lando.jpg: what is wrong with yn's hair

georgerussel63: great heavens

yourusername: this is why i support red bull

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yourusername just posted a story!

yourusername

Liked by isabellalombardini, danielricciardo and 42,255 others

yourusername: Day one in London talking all things Camila Dunne and (as @nytimes calls it) "the sharp edges of a love triangle." #daisyjonesandthesix Photos by @isabellalombardini

danielricciardo: i'm so fucking proud of you

danielricciardo: i will pick up my socks i promise

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lorenzaizzo: Linda!!

danielricciardo

Liked by yourusername, maxverstappen1 and 739,932 others

danielricciardo: slam dump featuring the missus. also, note to self that bbc means different things in different countries and sabrina cannot be trusted.

yourusername: proud of you for coming to that conclusion

sabrinacarpenter: sorry mom and dad

landonorris: wait, what?

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sabrinarchives: wait until they here they hear about the drama

yourusername: @danielricciardo BABE WAKE UP, THERE'S DRAMA

danielricciardo: wait, there's more??