#hs political science question answer

[doyeons]

hi! happy new year!! i just wanted to ask about how it was for you to enter your current graduate program, if you're comfortable sharing? (if not, please feel free to ignore this!)

i got my bachelor's a few years ago and went into what should've been the perfect job for my education, skillset, and (what i thought at the time was) my work setting preferences...but i hate it. i don't enjoy a single second of it. so, i want to go for a graduate degree and steer my career path in a more bearable direction with a salary that i can use to help my family out. the problem is that i have no idea what to do. i do not want to go any further in my current field.

not asking for advice necessarily, but i was hoping that hearing about your experience could help me make a game plan for myself... like, how did you decide on what to study? did you have to do any post-bac studies?

again, only if you're comfortable answering! thanks for reading <3

yeah of course i'm more than happy to share 🫶 i hope u find smth even slightly helpful for u ;;

okay uhh where to start omg.. it sadly wasnt rly quick trying to decide what i wanted to do instead and it took some searching around abt what other jobs are like and what they require, but i think a good starting point for me was determining what i DIDNT like abt the field i departed from. like i realized i didnt like the weird crunch culture or whatever the fuck it's called tht happens constantly in game design and i hated the multi hour meetings of everyone talking over each other and nothing getting done in the end and also realized tht i hate being at a desk at all and like. knew i wanted to avoid that if i could

i can't rmr exactly how i settled on what i'm doing now, but ik i googled around for diff jobs tht aren't at desks and tried to see if smth more desirable fit w/ my degree and what sounded intriguing to me. and uhh i basically had to start over w/ school 😭 ghksjdgh my first degree was quite literally a film degree where i took as few science classes as possible so switching to a stem field meant tht i had to do some catching up. so to answer ur other question, i'm currently doing post-bac studies to get core science classes underway!

i did try to see if it was possible to go straight for a grad program but after calling a few places and having to be like "yea i havent taken science since hs" they all politely suggested seeing if i could get some core classes done at other schools or smth skdjhgs

uhh but yeah tht's all i can think of about how it went 🫶 i hope this helped even a tiny bit and also i hope this goes smoothly for u <333 changing what ur doing can feel scary and stressful at times but u got this!! ^_^

[yogenderthakur]

HP All Exam One Liner Political Science GK

HP All Exam One Liner Political Science GK

भारतीय संविधान से संबंधित महत्वपूर्ण प्रश्न उतर 1. संविधान सभा की पहली बैठक कब हुई थी-9 दिसंबर1946 2. आंध्र प्रदेश राज्य का गठन किस वर्ष किया गया-1953 3. मतदाता दिवस कब मनाया जाता है-25 जनवरी संविधान सभा की प्रथम बैठक के अध्यक्ष कौन थे- सच्चिदानंद सिन्हा( अस्थाई अध्यक्ष) 3. भारत सरकार का लेखांकन का कार्य कौन करता है- महालेखाकार 4. कारगिल दिवस का गठन किस वर्ष हुआ-26 जुलाई 5. भारत सरकार का प्रथम…

[cheesecakeanon]

You totally didn’t ask for this detailed of an answer, but here I am offering you one anyway hahaha

For those of you who are in college or have graduated from college, how did you figure out what you wanted to major in?

I was fortunate enough to both be in a position to have some freedom in my major selection and to have parents who were pretty open about any/all ideas I had regarding college—the biggest expectation they had for me on that front was really just that I got a degree, and even then, I think if I had dropped out at some point, they would’ve been relatively on board with it provided I could give them a justifiable reason for doing so.

That said, I chose the programs I wanted to apply for based on things I could see myself doing for the rest of my life/for a decent portion of my life: HS History Education; Law/Political Science/Criminology; and Music Composition. The hard part came when I heard back from schools and had to choose which avenue to follow—majors in the performing arts usually require a boatload of credits, so if I wanted to double major in music + something else, there was a high likelihood it would take me more than four years to finish my degree. That wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but it was definitely a consideration that I felt I needed to keep in mind when trying to pick.

At the end of the day, I ended up choosing the second option among those three, my rationale being that it was the option that required the highest level of education to pursue, and that if I ever wanted to switch to either of the other options, it would be far easier to do so than it would be to suddenly up and decide to get a law degree. (Note: I now am working full time and going to law school in the evenings, and I may regret that decision, but we can talk about that can of worms later lol)

For those of you who are in college, or have graduated from college, and know what career they want to go into, how did you figure out what career you wanted to go into?

This answer sort of bleeds over from the last—I spent a lot of time in HS trying to figure out who I was and the legacy I wanted to leave in the communities that I’d been a part of. I’d always been overly involved in student organizations and extracurriculars, but my senior year, I really started trying to analyze the “what do you want to do?” question alongside the “what kind of legacy do you want to leave?” one, which is sort of how I ended up here.

When I was in middle school, I watched too much Criminal Minds and wanted to work for the BAU—I wanted to solve puzzles and catch the bad guys, if you will—so I did as much ‘research’ as a 12/13-year-old can claim to have done and announced to my parents that I’d be going to X school for Y programs and would then go work for that team by Z year. Somewhere in the preceding years to this ordeal, I’d been set on being a lawyer (at the time because ‘I liked arguing,’ which is a terrible reason to go to law school, kiddos, don’t do it) so the idea-based seed of practicing law had already been planted there.

When I was in high school, I found myself at this weird crossroad between learning about what lawyers can actually do to help people and change policy and in a completely different vein, wanting to create things that brought me and others joy. I’d given myself the freedom to write music and fiction (and fanfiction, let’s be honest) and discovered that I wasn’t half-bad at it, so when senior year came around, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to let go of the opportunity to keep doing so.

In my head, I’d basically told myself “it’s X career related to law or Y career related to music or Z career related to writing,” and I hadn’t let myself consider otherwise, but THEN!! Then I graduated college and was thrust into the working world—specifically, into a job that was definitely a good stepping stone to get from where I was to at least one of the potential career paths that I’d considered, but wasn’t creative at all—which was when I realized that none of those things needed to be distinct.

Obviously there’s something to be said here for time management and the fact that I’m on the younger end of adulthood—I don’t have the same responsibilities or obligations that someone with a mortgage or children would have—but in the middle of that first year of working, I came rather startlingly to the same conclusion I’d made when I was a senior in High School: I didn’t need a degree in music to make it. That sounds quick and pithy but the point was broader than that; if I wanted to eventually do something with the musical skills that I had, there were ways for me to keep honing them while I pursued the career path option(s) that absolutely, hands down, needed a professional degree. At some point in the future, when the law degree was there and I was actually qualified to do any/all of the things I mentioned earlier—that would be where the brilliant chaos of actually merging those things would kick in. In the meantime, I could write a novel, work full time during the day, go to law school at night, and release an album of original music all within a six month period of time (what can I say, July ‘20–Feb ‘21 was a wildly productive time for me) to see how that felt and if it could be sustainable.

Very long winded answers here, so…sorry about that, but the short version is the following: I thought I knew the career I wanted at 18 in a very binary, straight-laced sense, and it turns out I didn’t—or at least not entirely. I knew where I wanted to start, so I chose the majors that would qualify me for the career that was going to require the most educational/professional experience. Since graduating, I’ve been able to see that any/all of those careers can coexist, I just might have to create the career path on my own to make it happen.

I think this is exactly the kind of story I needed to hear. I think this story supports my plan really well. Thank you so much!

[alexandermanes]

ghost whisperer - rnm fic

hey so here’s the ghost malex au/human au fic  wrote but didn’t post on halloween week bc i was unmotivated

hope you like it :)

ao3

Chapter One - Ghosts

“First, you need a location”, declared the man, Tom, also known as MythCatcher on Youtube

Michael nodded then furiously scribbled down in his scrawny handwriting “Location”

“Then, you need to do research- Research is a very important part of paranormal investigation. You need to fact-check myths, learn about history of the place you’re looking for poltergeists”, he informs Michael via the small screen of his phone, “Learn about the deceased’s, their name, their story”

He stops the video to write “Research” on the notebook, underneath “Location”, obviously.

“After that: planning. What kind of gear are you planning on taking? Camera? Infrared night vision goggles? An Ouija board to facilitate communication? What kind of questions will you ask, with or without the board? What time are you going? What time are you going to visiting the haunting site? What are the alleged time of the apparition’s sighting?”

Those are too many points, Michael observes and writes “Planning” as a third bullet point in his “How to ghost hunt” list. Tom (MythCatcher) doesn’t appreciate the term “ghost hunter”, he thinks it’s demeaning since people don’t take ghosts seriously. The paranormal, though, that they fear and believe in. Idiot, he muttered as he pressed play on the video again. He does not care about Tom’s sensitivities.

Michael isn’t delusional, he knows most paranormal investigators are as genuine as his will to admit when Max’s right, which is non-existent. But, amongst the sea of “myth catchers”, Tom is the one that makes the most sensible points, despite the fact that he earns money by making Youtube videos in his 40s and advertises for “high-end ghost hunting gear��. Needless to say, he takes Tom’s points with a grain of salt.

         “Once you have a list of equipment to take with you and a scripted way to approach the site, the hows and when, then you’re ready for the next step: Communication”, Tom states, “Now, this is a crucial step. To communicate with the paranormal, you must be respectful”

Michael isn’t sure what constitutes as being respectful amongst investigators of the paranormal but invading their space, often the site where they died in, and demanding their participation in whatever nonsensical conversation they have planned doesn’t seem like very cordial behavior.

“No mocking, no inviting dangerous entities to that space, address them by name and be polite. Also you must be protected, always be straightforward about the kind of entity you allow to be in your vicinity. If there’s any funny business going on, send it away immediately. Bring your salt with you. ParanormalActivityStore has a ten percent discount if you use my code for a personalized-“, he is interrupted by Michael closing the app

“That’s enough dead brain cells for a single afternoon”, he reminds himself., after that he scribbles “Communication” as a final bullet point in his list.

Michael Sanders isn’t sure when his obsession with ghosts started, although he doesn’t appreciate his interest and curiosity being labeled and an obsession, thank you very much, despite what everyone else has voiced in the past; that’s why he keeps it to himself these days. No, in fact, he actually knows when this journey began, he can pinpoint it.

See, Michael is a man of rational thinking and little faith, a man of science and not religion which is why he believes in ghosts. Every night for a year he sees his mom, not in dreams, and with no previous history of mental illness, not in delusions. Every night religiously for a year his mom has visited him. When it started he believed himself to be dreaming but that wasn’t the case. She never says much, kneels by his bedside, cradles his face with one hand, caresses his cheek and smiles at him, teary-eyed and whispers. “Manes Residence”, those words haunt him but with a foreign intent. Though it’s a balm to his soul seeing his mother smile at him even when her eyes are so woeful, even proffering such ominous words.

It is a mystery to him as to why, ten years after her death, a brain aneurysm that took her unexpectedly from his arms, she began to visit him during the night and why she whispers those words. He has exhausted every method he’s ever heard of: Ouija boards, calling out to her, lucid dreaming, leaving candles and objects for her to communicate through, he even considered hiring a psychic but that somehow seemed too extreme. He tried praying and still prays at any given time during the day but that doesn’t seem to have been successful. At first he assumed he wasn’t doing it correctly, but then again, at the ripe age of eleven years old, in one of the foster homes he inhabited lived a family of religious fanatics, so he doubts he’s doing prayers incorrectly. Especially when hesitating or stuttering during prayers resulted in punishment. This situation is a big enigma to him and it pesters him on a daily basis. He needs answers. If this was any ordinary mystery he wouldn’t have bothered this much but he has bone-deep certainty that this, whatever it is, is very important.  So keeps trying to contact his mom. He tries unrelentingly.

-

Until one day. He makes his way to the Crashdown, Isobel and Max by his side. After a long day of school (he was thankful it was his senior year), they all decided they needed a well-deserved milkshake with a side portion of french-fries. As they entered the diner and the small bell rang overhead, they noticed an unusual amount of patrons for a Thursday afternoon. Oh, well, he thought. They sauntered towards the counter and waited in line, a single person in front of them, a truly serendipitous event. In the indistinct chatter he picks up two words: Manes Residence.

“Sorry?”, he says loudly, turning towards the person who emitted them

Rosa Ortecho asses him with an unimpressed, and frankly disgusted, expression and continues talking to Liz, disregarding him as if he were a vexing fly.

“So anyways. Lydia told me that now the house is haunted. Sargent Psycho took off with hs ten kids or whatever to nowhere land during the nightly hours. Not a soul saw them ever again”, she points out, “dude murdered his wife after she tried to leave him, buried her than grabbed his five sons and fucked off”

“It’s just a rumor, Rosa!”, Liz replied, laughing purely out of amusement and disbelief

“So this Manes House”, Michael chimed in, “where is it?”

“Michael, stop barging in in people’s conversation”, Max reprehended him, an honest to God blush creeping in

“I’m sorry”, Michael looked from Liz to Rosa, “He isn’t usually this rude”

Michael gave him an eye-roll that screamed Fuck off, Max. Rosa just mimicked him while Liz smiled, a bright and toothy smile.

“It used to be Master-Sargent’s Jesse Manes residence, he lived there with his wife and four sons. Then one day they disappeared off of the map and the house was put up for sale. No one ever saw them since, I think, the fourth of July fair last year”, she informed him, “The house was never sold, probably because of rumors that it is haunted. I can give you the address, me and Rosa used to be best friends with one of his kids, Alex”

“Yeah, right up until the moment the left and just like poof, never called or texted”, Rosa supplied

“He probably just didn’t find the time or-“, Liz tried to explain

“For a year, Liz?”, she replied with a very irritated tone, “Either he is ignoring us, completely forgot us or is dead”

Liz gave her a good-natured eye-roll and simply told her she was being dramatic.

“Can you give me an address?”, Michael asked suddenly feeling anxious

Liz acquiesced then ripped a sheet of paper from her notepad and wrote the address.

“You’re one weird little dude”, Rosa told him, though Michael completely disregarded her

He thanked Liz and almost forgot about the shake and fries, the original reason for his appearance at the Crashdown. As they waited, Max and Isobel engaged in conversation but Michael was far too distracted to hear any of their words, instead, his mind raced, making plans about when to visit the residence. Something akin to energy traveled through his veins, similar to electricity, his heart sped-up, he felt restless and suddenly very aware of his surroundings. The movement of brown paper bags being set on the counter snapped him out of his gaze. He immediately took one, knowing they order essentially the same dish, and strode to the door.

“Michael!”, Isobel called out, drawing heads to her, “where are you going?”

“Sorry. Forgot I had something to do at- um, the junkyard. Talk later”, he immediately turned his back on his friends and exited the diner.

He scrambled for his keys inside his pocket, growing more frustrated by the second, until the skin-warm metal found his finger tips and at last, picked up his keys. He unlocked his baby blue beat-up truck and tossed his food on the passenger seat, subsequently starting the engine. He felt possessed, moving by this ominous force, an urgent feeling, but regardless of his feelings amongst other things, he was hell-bent on finding the Manes residence at that very instant.    

[afraidofchange]

fatalelity replied to your post “aleximedicus replied to your post “noiseofthunder replied to your...”

i feel like people like to do that to women / people they perceive as women bc i've been talked down like that before for advocating highschools teach people basic socioeconomics analytics skill bc i didn't and i did an undergrad in econ as well as a joint masters of econ and another discipline since i noticed a lot of the radicalized racists and xenophobes were mostly people who didn't go to post-sec and i felt that the education system in my country (canada) doesn't really privy critical thinking and implore people to think more critically politically or what rights they can exercise or what the 'economy' really mean. so like i concur with sociology or even like a watered down version of it being taught in highschool. those skills you learn in social sciences are so valuable that most who went to universities take for granted

I’m also Canadian and definitely concur that our elementary to high school education is not adequate in a LOT of areas, especially in history, politics, and social studies. Like, so much of it is only just the surface area, but it doesn’t teach the critical thinking skills needed to understand it at a broader level?

Like I realise university is where those skills really come into play but like, I was a TA for introduction to sociology for 3 out of my 4 semesters doing my Masters and so many of these fresh from high school kids found it really hard to write a short 300 word paper answering a question on a topic based on the course readings/lectures, and I think if they had a bit more training in critical thinking along those lines in HS, they would do better.

But yes, I also agree that women get talked down to - and also, speaking as a very visible butch lesbian, I found that I got a lot of flak from men in my classes that were 1, shocked that I spoke up when they tried to speak over me, and 2, that I was so visibly outspoken compared to a lot of women in my classes.

So seeing it online, I’m not really surprised now that you mention it.

[haruki-ya]

random dumb self indulgent Akira school hc’s cause they in my head but i just need a place to put them down

these are basically my ideas of what the kids are like in school set in the film verse !

so just jumpin right into it but Kaneda has ADHD which is why he’s usually really hyphy and physically restless (honestly i feel like this is just high key canon). He’s never been v strong in school not because he’s unintelligent, it’s just the one teacher to twenty + student ratio doesn’t work for his specific way of processing and retaining new info. He’s very hands on and would benefit from more one on one teaching, or like a specific trade even, but by the time he reaches middle school he’s just so over feeling stupid and worthless in class that he develops this charmingly air headed persona and becomes the class clown instead of putting effort into something that he knows he won’t understand. it’s not until Kai comes along and, bless his soul, has the patience to sit down with Kaneda and help him with the work he struggles with that Kaneda realizes he’s not dumb and his brain is capable of making connections like other ppl and all he needed was someone willing to answer his stupid questions and get him back on track when his mind wandered to something else aside from classwork. he likes science and thinks space is cool as fuck. when asked what he wants to pursue in the future as a career path, he says astronaut (often interchanged with yakuza boss. none of the teachers find that funny.)  

Kai is a lil scholar, born and raised. Is often referred to as the human encyclopedia lol. Has a very good memory and is capable of adapting to specific teaching methods or just reworking the info so that it is easily understandable for him. I hc his mom as being a uni teacher of Classic Literature and Rhetoric, maybe with some side classes on Journalism or Literary Interpretation. His mom encouraged his curiosity and literary prowess at a young age and it helped him all around in school. he doesn’t really have to try hard, he’s one of those ppl who manages to float by without putting too much effort into the work, but he secretly likes a challenge (which is something he definitely doesn’t get at the disciplinary school) and kind of takes Kaneda under his wing as a side project of sorts to both help his friend and challenge himself by teaching the previously unteachable. it works out wonderfully for the both of them in the end (except for Yama who gets jealous of all the times Kai and Kaneda spend together after class)

Speaking of Yama tho, he’s actually dumb as a rock lmao sorry pal I just call it like I see it. He’s definitely the stereotypical “dumb jock”, super athletic and physically fit but like…not the brightest. Which he’s fine with, as long as he knows the basics he figures he’s set! and he is cause his plan was to get by passing grades, graduate, and go work for his dad at the family construction company straight outta school. Kaneda and Yama have that dumbass solidarity and love to mess around during class, but where Kaneda tries to get his shit done after the bell rings, Yama would rather just have his younger sister do the hw for him in exchange for doing chores. that too works out wonderfully for the two of them (Yama’s younger sister wants to be a doctor and benefits from the challenge of “advanced” coursework :)

Tetsuo is kind of caught somewhere in the middle. Tetsuo is also by no means unintelligent, but he finds it hard to focus in class with all the other kids talking constantly (is usually easily overstimulated and has general audio processing issues as well. more a visual/hands on learner similar to kaneda) and doesn’t work well under pressure. He definitely struggles in school but is too prideful to ask for help or even let anyone know he struggles. He has that attitude of “if I have a problem, I’ll work through it myself” even if he ends up getting so frustrated with his homework it moves him to tears and then to throwing his homework out the window. That on top of his general disinterest in most of the subject matter, and tendency to jump on the offensive when teachers try and help him, doesn’t bode well for his education. Kai tries to help him at one point, but even after being friends for a year he’s still too stubborn to admit defeat (especially when this is something he can finally be better at than Kaneda and subsequently lord it over him -lol tetsuo u asshole-). When Kaori enters the picture tho, bless her soul too, Tetsuo begrudgingly accepts her help with the subjects he struggles most with (lit and science. he’s surprisingly good at math!)

Kaori a smartie pants! duh! I hc her as taking advanced classes, maybe one or two college level classes in hs as well, which is why she lives in a dorm with other girls.That’s a requirement for the school she attends. She’s a freshman in her school, but has been taking honors and ap classes as long as she’s been able. Kaori gets that cream of the crop education: smaller classes, engaged students, Socratic seminars, field trips, political, psych/soc, environmental classes. Specific courses, teaching tactics, and subject matter the boys don’t get exposed to in public school. I feel like she would be interested in some kind of community work, or like something that she feels is impactful to both the individual and society as a whole. Maybe like a nurse or social worker? Some kind of nurturing job and ok yeah i know that’s kinda stereotypical but Kaori as a character is so sweet and selfless and nurturing I just feel like it would fit her character. I could picture her actively planning out a future for herself based upon her education…but she a freshie and doesn’t know what exactly she wants to do. She enjoys helping Tetsuo with his work, so maybe she could be a teacher too.

Kei, finally, would definitely be enrolled in college classes early on. Maybe even an early hs graduate. She’s sharp as a tack and too likes to be challenged academically/intellectually . Found high school to be too easy for her and applied for the Japanese equivalent of a CHSPE (california high school proficiency exam which is basically after completing all required hs classes with the required amount of credits, an exam which verifies ur high school proficiency for early graduation). Definitely would be interested in Socio-economics, political science, humanitarian and psychology courses. Possibly environmental science or evolutionary science. I bet she met Ryu through some of her classes and thus prompted the beginning of a beautiful totally platonic rebellious friendship. Maybe a semester or two into her courses, the government upheaval begins and many of her fellow students start talking about their unhappiness with the state of society and the government. This prompts a shift in both the attitude of the students and the attitude of the revolutionaries Kei has recently joined thanks to Ryu. There’s an opportunity to get the youth involved in the fight against the corrupt government and a possible dawning fascist future. Kei drops out of college shortly after inspiring students to organize protests (like that in the opening scene of the film ayeee) as both a battering ram and a distraction from the rebel’s plan to infiltrate the esper’s compound and kidnap Akira (lol good luck y’all).

this once again has been an unprompted ted x by yours truly. thanks that’s all folks.

[the-alexsandria-studies]

what do you plan on doing with your degree? how did you decide on your two majors? are you a double major? what year are you in? how are you today

hi! okay a lot at once but i will try to answer as well as i can lol. i am going to change up the order a little to better answer them. 

i am great today! i had an awful awful migraine last night and went to bed really early because of it but i woke up feeling so so much better. i am now at work and ready to get some shit done today bc i have three important tasks i need to complete before tomorrow rolls around and then i can just index the rest of the time unless my boss wants me to run to the courthouse to get some deeds or tax ids. 

i am basically a junior in college! so i basically did my first two years of college while i was in high school bc i took the opportunity to do college courses while i was in high school. starting when i was a junior in high school, i was a full time high school and college student! i started the classes the summer between my freshman and sophomore year and i loved doing those courses during my summer months. i graduated in may 2017 from hs and then went straight to college in the fall at a university, but then dropped out in march for financial reasons. during my uni time, i was working on classes that were going towards my major, which was english at the time but then i switched to education in the spring so i took a semester and a half of courses that really dont go to my majors now lol. 

BUT i am going back to school in january at the local community college to finish out my two classes i need to be a junior in college and i will graduate with my assoicate’s degree from that institution, and then immediately transfer to another one to finish off my bachelor’s. 

so whenever i go in march or april to pick my classes for my next uni, i will then declare that i am a double major. rn they only have me in the college of education but i will also be in the college of social sciences or whatever it is for psychology. i am specifically studying a branch of psychology that is basically child psychology but it is called “parent training” so it is more in depth to the social qualiities of a child’s psychology and upbringing. i am guessing it will be a major that will have me research a lot into the whole nature vs nurture argument, which i am very well-versed in lol. 

now, i actually chose my majors quite recently. as i mentioned before, i used to be an english major. i would have been probably for the rest of my education if i hadnt taken this one class at my last university. it was a senior-level english course that i weaseled my way into because it also had a volunteer work credit that i needed to graduate and i wanted to get it out of the way immediately. well, i fell in love with this course. it featured a lot of reading and poetry-writing, but it was mainly about education. the professor was an education professor who had been studying his field for years and years and so he had us read a lot of books about education and different learning styles and methods and diversity education and things like that. the volunteering aspect was us going to a local high school and having an art program after school where the students could write, draw, or whatever and express themselves creatively. 

reading these books about education and all the problems that are in our current system really interested me. i never expected to be so interested in it and suddenly, i was asking him for more reading material. i was reading everything i could get my hands on when it came to education and i talked to love about it constantly and he told me one night during one of our skype sessions “honestly, maybe you should go into it. you have always enjoyed tutoring and teaching and you tell me all the time how excited you are to go to the high school and talk to the students. i really think that this is your passion.” that was when i realized that it really was. i had always loved teaching and had always been so amazed by the differences in people’s minds. growing up, i was thought of as stupid when i was three until seven bc i couldnt speak. i couldnt understand language at all and only knew sign language. it just wouldnt click for me but i loved reading and writing and listening to people talk to understand new ideas. once i could speak, i wowed my teachers with how motivated i was to learn and participate in class. people are shocked now to hear that i ever had speech difficulties bc i talk so quickly and fluidly and never stutter but it was a long time coming for me. 

bc of that, i have always been very interested in how other people’s minds work. i love to hear about their ideas, even if i dont agree with them. i love to see their logic and their way of speaking and thinking and doing and learning. it is all so fascinating to me. 

so a few months ago, i decided i wanted to be an education major. i want to teach in the public schools for a while, specifically elementary students. i love seeing their enthusiasm and want to pique their interest in learning even more. i want them to understand that they actually do love learning and they just hate the way school is organized. it isnt organized or ran according to how they could think or feel. and that is my second idea. i want to change the way that we teach students. standardized testing? out the window. doesnt help kids learn and just teaches children that they are punished no matter what they do. it also punishes teachers for no reason. rigid class structure? out the window. doesnt work for a single student. it just makes adults feel like they are in charge. art programs? back in every single school. every child needs an outlet and the best way to allow for healthy mind development is through artistic expression. even the jocks may enjoy painting and reading and writing and drawing. everyone has something that they are good at and usually it is something more abstract than students are allowed to explore in a typical public school. 

the psych major comes in handy too to back me up. i want to be able to do research in child psychology the entirety of my career so that when i go into politics, i can show them my research. i want to publish it for all to see. i want to look into standardized testing, lack of art programs, high intensity sports at young ages, and learning styles. i am so excited bc for my uni for the fall, i have applied to the honors program so i will be able to do solo research at my discretion. that will be amazing and i will use that opportunity as much as i can. 

as you can see, i am too passionate to create a very coherent reply to your ask. but thank you for the ask!!! i love it so much. i love sharing my ideas with all of you and seeing what you think about it. if you have any more questions about it, send them my way! also, talk to me about education!!!! i can talk all day on it!!!! 

[kiyelle]

i love you 😭😭😭 your answer to my ask made MY DAY

Also weird question, but does France have country-wide testing? Like rn, American high schoolers (AKA ME ITS SO BAD) have to do “state testing” where they literally are placement exams for university entrance??? ITS SO CONFUSING

i love you moreee !! AND OMG GOOD LUCK WITH THE TESTING <3

and urm so we have the Baccalauréat which you take at the end of high school :( it’s done over a couple of weeks, on the 11th and 12th may i’ll be doing my ‘spécialités’ which are two subjects i chose in my second yr of hs, i take maths (4h exam) and phys-chem (3h 30 exam) and then on the 15th june i have a philosophy exam (4h) which is done by everyone no matter your spécialités and then some time later in june i have a speaking exam then i’ll be free for summerrrr !!!

some seniors also take part in ‘concours’ which are like entrance exams if you want to get into engineering or political science schools, i’m going into médecine so i didn’t need to do any

[thebigdog14]

3,6,10,14,23 :)

Oh gosh! I didn’t even think I’d get any of these! Thank you @wayverlyhaught

3. What color are your eyes?

Brown

6. Describe your personality in 3 words or less

Reserved, Nerdy, Awkward

10. How would you describe your style?

Very casual and laid back. Being autistic, I am very sensitive to many textures. Fancy clothes or “girl” clothes (granted clothes really don’t have gender) bother me with certain textures. Often times they are too low cut and I have major body issues so I can’t wear those unless I’m in the mood. I typically wear a loose fitting Tshirt, sweats in the cold months, and basketball shorts in the warmer months. I weae a hat nearly every day. I wear a beanie in the winter months (I just got a new one that hs a hole in the back for my ponytail) and a Baseball cap in the summer months. My hair gets super frizzy since it is so curly and I hate bobby pins. I cannot stand the smell of hair spray. I HAVE to wear Sneakers because they give the most foot support as I have plantars faciitis and hip issues. The clothes I wear need to be soft and only certain textures or else it becomes overstimulation. If I’m going out to a bar I will wear something a little nicer such as jeans and a tighter top. At my first Pride, when I went to the bars with my friend, I wore tight jean shorts & a loose lowish cut tank top since I felt much more comfortable there knowing there wouldn’t be a tom of creepy guys there or folks who would judge me for my weight. Sorry for the long winded explanation. I dress casually and comfortably.

14. If you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?

Lake Dillon Area, Colorado. Either Breckenridge or Frisco. I love the mountains. The views are absolutely breathtaking. The area is very dog friendly. I prefer colder weather. I grew up going to summer camp about half an hour from Vail Valley, a popular ski area, but I will never be able to afford that. I loved the weather there. It’s also less prone tornadoes, something that freaks me out a lot. I’d also settle for Durango, Colorado, but since it is on the opposite side of the mountains, it gets A LOT more snow and can be a little dangerous. Plus I like the political climate there.

23. Describe your dream date

Oh gosh I’ve neve thought about this. Like at all. I’ve only dated like 2 guys. One in high school (long distance thing & it sucked). We met at summer camp However, we met up again in St. Louis. My dad surprisingly covered 2 hotel rooms, one for each of us. But that didn’t stop things from happening lol (we didn’t get too far). There were 2 dates that we went on that I really enjoyed. We went to the science museum. I don’t remember it too much but I remember learning a bunch and I enjoyed that. Then we went to the top of the St. Louis Arch and kissed at the top (I know very cliche) but it was one of the most romantic things to ever happen to me. Then the last guy I dated in college we would play a lot of video games together (I always beat him at Smash Bros). I remember I enjoyed that. We also went to a Chicago Bears game, which was so much fun.

I know this is kinda rambly and not the question but I’m trying to establish a background based on the fact that I don’t have a very good frame of reference to answer this question. Based on my past experiences, there are a few things in mind that I could consider “a dream date.”

I’d be open to something where we go learn something. Intelligence is very attractive to me. I want someone who is open to learning new things. Museums are a good option.

I’d also enjoy doing some of the cheesy romantic stuff, mostly because I haven’t experienced it yet. As cliche as it sounds, I want that experience of just being in a romantic moment, whether it’s kissing at a famous monument or having a picnic in the park. Just something that makes me feel loved.

I’m also down for something chill such as playing video games. You really get to know someone when you see how they handle losing. It’s also low pressure and fun. You don’t have to dress up. It can be casual and comfortable (and eventually lead to different things 😉😉😉).

Sporting events are fun because I can enjoy being excited about something with someone and we can share that joy together. If it’s something we both like, we can talk about it and really dive into it.

I wish I had better ideas, but having only had 2 relationships. I don’t have a ton of ideas. I have yet to go on a date or be in a relationship with a woman. I’m excited for that possibility some day but also a little nervous. How is it going to be different? Is there some date ideas that I can do with women & not with men? I’m not sure but I’m excited to explore that.

Thank you again for the ask! Didn’t think I’d get one!

[upside-nwod]

The Dance

Available on AO3 here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10989147/chapters/24474267

Mike's stomach was in knots at the scene before him. Even in the dim light, she stood out in the crowd, her arms wrapped around his neck.

He felt bile beginning to rise in his constricting throat. Hands twisted into fists, he glowered at the couple, eyes hidden under his mop of dark hair.

The final chorus of whatever slow song played echoed through the speakers, but the only thing Mike could hear was the ringing in his ears as he watched the couple before him sway in the middle of the dance floor.

He had avoided El all night, trying his damnedest not to steal glances at her. When their friends found her on the dance floor, Mike had conveniently found his way to the restroom. If a slow song was announced, he would walk off the dance floor, excusing himself for refreshments.

By ten, the dance was winding down and the gang had left for Dustin’s house already for post-dance pizza and video games. Of course, Mike was invited, but something held him back and anchored his feet to the gym floor. However, he wouldn’t admit that it was she who had the hold on him.

Mike had witnessed her arrival first hand. The recently cleaned corvette pulled into a front row parking spot outside the high school. She rose elegantly out of the passenger seat, gently taking her date’s hand to assist.

Mike and Will had been joking around with one another while they waited for Dustin, Lucas, and Max when Mike’s breath caught in his throat. She was heaven sent and chocolate colored curls. Her baby blue dress was simple, yet beautiful, just like her. It hugged her slim figure perfectly and stood out starkly against the poof and pompoms of everyone else. The minimal makeup she chose, because she didn’t need any, was accentuated only back dark eyeshadow and glitter.

“Mike, are you okay?” Will had asked, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Mike shrugged him off. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” he responded sullenly.

Will, still the smallest of the group, looked up at the tall boy with concern. Mike was still the same skinny dungeon master he had been in their youth, but had the most significant growth spurt of all. It was strange to see the tall and lanky boy without the telekinetic girl at his side. Will could see the fire behind his friend’s coal-colored eyes when he looked at El’s date. He also noticed how Mike’s freckled jaw was set and Will knew better than to push the subject.

The Wheeler boy watched as El interacted with a gaggle of loud girls who ran up to greet her. They all complimented her like they were meeting her for the first time, as if they hadn’t teased her the day before in science class for answering a question no one else knew the answer to. El complimented them back, of course, knowing that it was polite, but Mike saw right through her facade as she dipped into the school. He thought he could sense she was miserable, but maybe that was his jealousy talking.

Back in the present, Mike pushed the thought of her away and took another sip of his punch. Who cares who she’s with? As long as she’s happy that should be enough, shouldn’t it?

Mike shook the thought from his head before his heart constricted even more. Guilt had been eating at him for months, gnawing away at his insides like a parasite before he finally spoke up. One evening, after a particularly fierce nightmare he couldn’t remember, he came to the conclusion that he was selfish. Selfish for taking away experiences that El should have come to on her own…

But at the same time, he desperately wished he could be the one holding onto her hips in this moment. Swaying in tune to the music with her. But he knew, deep down, that he was lying to himself when he claimed it was better this way.

We can still be friends. We are all still friends. It’s just be a little different. Like we can’t hold each other’s hands during movies anymore, or share tokens at the arcade. But we can still have D&D campaigns and maybe sleepovers won’t be so awkwa—

Mike froze, his face drained of color. In an instant, his blood had turned cold and he began to shake.

The scene unfolded in slow motion and seemed to last an eternity, but was actually over in the blink of an eye. El pulling slightly away from the tall boy for a moment and pausing before reaching up to grace his lips with hers. They stood there holding one another in perfect stillness locked in center of the dance floor, a single spotlight shone upon them.

Mike thought his heart had shattered months ago when he made the painful decision to separate. He figured the worst was over, but he was desperately mistaken. Hs breathing quickened and his vision became blurry from either the tears threatening to fall or his severe lack of oxygen. He crushed the cup of punch in his hand and stalked out of the gym.

The hallway outside the gym was bright and littered with students ready to leave the dance. He should’ve followed suit, Hell, he should’ve left with his friends, but instead he made his way to the bathroom.

Mike stood in front of the mirror for what seemed like years muttering obscenities to himself. Cursing his stupidity, cursing this dance, cursing the other guy she was with. Why couldn’t he just get over her? He was the one that made the choice!

He tried to rationalize with himself. Sometimes, he questioned his decision. But seeing what happened on the dance floor, he knew, why he did it. It was so she could have moments like this. It was selfish of him to keep her all to himself. She didn’t even know the possibilities that were out there. He couldn’t keep her tied down simply because of what they went through when they were kids.

Let her be happy.

Mike wiped the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes and tried to catch his breath. The water now pouring from the faucet gave him something to focus on. Washing his hands and face always made him feel better. As he splashed the cold water on his cheeks and rubbed it into his eyes, he heard the restroom door open.

Without paying attention to the other boy, Mike dried his hands off with a paper towel and followed suit with his face. When he pulled the paper from his face he realized who the intruder was.

The blonde stranger finished his business and went to wash his hands in the sink right next to Mike, who froze in place. Luckily for Mike, the boy didn’t seem to recognize the mop of black hair that was normally seen with his date.

“Hey, man. You alright?” Blondie asked innocently.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine,” Mike stammered without moving an inch. “Just hot.”

The guy nodded and left.

Mike let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding and gripped the sink tight.

“If it was meant to be, it will be,” Karen Wheeler had once told her heartbroken son after asking why he and El weren’t spending time alone together anymore. Her son had promptly burst into tears right at the kitchen table. She rubbed his back as he sobbed into her blouse and whispered these words into his ear before kissing his shaggy dark hair.

“Bullshit!” Mike screamed as the memory swam in his mind. His choked voice echoed back at him in the empty bathroom as if mocking him. In a fit of rage he stomped out of the bathroom.

Mike Wheeler stormed the halls with no particular destination in mind, but stopped dead in his tracks as he stumbled upon it, not even consciously realizing where he ended up.

El’s locker.

Mike glared at it and punched the locker three times with a heavy fist. It made a tiny dent right in the center and he laid his forehead against the cool metal. When he gathered his composure and pulled his hand up to his face, it was shaking and already beginning to swell, but he didn’t care.

Defeated, Mike sighed, slumped down against the wall, and pulled his knees to his chest. His heavy breathing hitched and he felt a hard lump beginning to form in his throat. He pressed his palms hard into his eyes in an attempt to hold back tears, but the effort was futile. They flowed in salty streams down his hot cheeks regardless.

He knew he shouldn’t be hurting this much over the thought of El being with someone else. After all, it was his idea to break up.

You were suffocating her, Mike. She needs to meet other people and not be stuck in 1984. What happened was best for everyone.

Mike couldn’t exactly pinpoint the moment he decided he was selfish. The only hypothesis he had was that his nightmare had acted as a catalyst. For weeks, it was a back-and-forth battle between Mike’s self-loathing feeling of selfishness and guilt versus him wondering if he was just telling himself lies because he was scared. But what was there to be scared of with El by his side? He loved—

His stomach lurched again at the unfinished thought.

The thing that really pushed him to make his decision was the thought of their first kiss all the way back to that night in 1984. Though the supposed innocence of their first kiss made him smile, it also made his stomach churn because he realized El had only been out in the real world for six days and he stole that moment from her. Hell, when they met, he didn’t even know what a friend was.

He told himself he did the right thing. With shaking, sweaty hands he explained to her in the most painless possible way that it would be better for her. Through tear-brimmed eyes, she nodded, but remained silent.

In that moment, Mike began to panic.

I didn’t ask her if she understood.

His fingers were suddenly gnarled in his hair.

How could she know what she wanted if she didn’t know anything else?

He began rocking back and forth.

What if… what if she didn’t want anyone else? But she didn't know how to say it.

His breathing came in hitched, stifled sobs as he truly began to second guess his decision.

Did I even ask her how she felt?

Suddenly, Mike Wheeler felt very, very sick. The nausea he felt earlier was nothing compared to the pathetic, dry retching he was feeling right now.

The doors to the gymnasium creaked open once again jarring Mike back to the present. There was a burst of loud music that was muffled again as the doors slammed shut. It was her.

El and her date walked with their backs toward Mike, El’s arm’s wrapped around the stranger’s bicep. She was giggling at something he said.

The knots in Mike’s stomach grew and he reflexively slammed his head back against the lockers. Anything to ease the pain or put out the fire blazing in his chest. Thankfully, the music was just loud enough that no one seemed to notice his self-harm. Mike choked down the creeping feeling of sick in his throat before glancing down the hall one more time.

He watched them go. He watched her go.

For just a moment, her head turned back to him and their eyes locked. And in that moment, it was as if he were twelve again and they were in the cafeteria and all he wanted to do was kiss her. God, he wanted to kiss her and hold her and tell her he was sorry.

Despite shrinking into himself, he kept his red eyes on her. The way she looked at him… through him. Her eyes bore holes into his heart that only she could patch up. Her brow was furrowed the same way it did whenever she saw him with a new cut or bruise from Troy. As if she were longing to comfort him. To kiss his freckles and tell him she understands, but she didn’t understand. She didn’t understand why Michael Wheeler, her first friend, her confidant, her protector, decided that them being apart would do more good than them being together.

Her soft lips parted slightly for a moment as if she were going to say something. Call out to him, maybe. Mike’s heart raced as he saw her expression change and sat up a little, almost poised to crawl toward her. When a single tear rolled down her cheek and glimmered in the light, he felt his stomach drop to his toes. Then, she looked glumly to the floor and continued out the high school’s double doors and into the night.

Goodbye, Mike.

[pinoyscientists]

Meet Andrian Gajigan: 

1) What do you do?

I’m a marine scientist (in training) with background in chemistry and molecular biology. I’m interested in studying different marine organisms in different scales, from microbes to corals. I am fascinated with their basic biology, how they evolve, and how they become successful living in the (sometimes) harsh ocean environment. 

2) Where do you work?

My office and lab is the sea, preferably, but I do work in an office and lab at the Marine Science Institute at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

3) Tell us about the photos!

[Top:] My photo after 30 days of doing science at sea. Imagine my excitement of seeing land after a long time! We did an oceanographic cruise in the Atlantic Ocean from Bremerhaven, Germany to Cape Town, South Africa.

[Bottom:] I’m a proud member of #TitosofManila. Here are my adorable nieces and nephew (and my sister and mother in the background). Sometimes, I tutor them math and science. Most of the time, it’s difficult to teach these kids, well, also kids in general. They are one of the reasons why I study science, in the hope of contributing to building a more resilient environment for them and the future generation.

4) Tell us about your academic career path so far. 

Elementary: Kaunlaran Elementary School and Tomas Morato Elementary School

HS: Don A. Roces Sr. Science-Technology High School

BS: University of the Philippines Manila (BS Biochemistry)

MS: University of the Philippines Diliman (MS Marine Science)

PhD: [soon]

5) Anything else you’d like to share?

First, for Filipinos, tell everyone you meet that we are at the world’s center of marine biodiversity. Ibig sabihin tayo ang may pinakamaraming uri ng lamang dagat. Karamihan sa mga lamang dagat ay dito mo lamang makikita sa Pilipinas. Say it every day... until you realize how blessed we are. So the next time you will go to the beach, you will be mindful not only of your trash and but also of others.

Second, give your graduate student friend, relative or even a random science person a hug. Scientific pursuit is not easy. Every day we encounter setback- - failed experiments, rejected papers, rejected scholarship/research funding and many others. This is how expanding knowledge looks like, a bunch of failures. But we do what we do because we love it. We cannot imagine doing something else. Let me quote one of my scientific heroes, Craig Venter, "Science should be the most fun job on the planet. You get to ask questions about the world around you and go out and seek the answers. Not to have fun doing that is crazy.”

Third, for fellow scientists out there, I know you heard this many times, just to reiterate, it is important that we become political and we communicate our science. One simple argument is that the money we use for our research comes from the taxes so it’s a moral imperative to share our findings to the Filipino people. In addition, I believe if we were able to teach the scientific thought process to layman, we can better fight misinformation and ignorance in this post-truth era.

Lastly, thanks to PinoyScientist blog for all the efforts!

To everyone reading you can visit my blog at andriangajigan.wordpress.com. If you have questions, comments or just want to chat, send me an email.

[bramblescrossing]

Hi, I've been following you for quite awhile now and am super inspired by you! I'll be majoring in English once I start college this fall and have been seriously thinking about becoming a high school teacher, but I'm a bit wary. However, I see how much you seem to love it and was wondering if you could possibly find the time to tell me what you like/dislike and kinda what inspired you? Please feel no pressure, I hate to cause you any inconvenience.

ACH! I am so so so so so so sorry I wanted to wait till I was on my computer to reply to this and then totally spaced >n

There are SO many things that I love about teaching. So. Story time.

I was a suppper quiet, introverted, book smart (because I worked my butt off) little thing growing up. I never had lots of friends, maybe one or two at a time, and would get crazy social anxiety about even answering a question out loud in class.

My senior year of high school I took an AP Envi Sci class which I ADOREDDD (side note: I’ve been teaching it this year and HATE teaching it hahha) and it convinced me to pursue Civil/Environmental Engineering. And so I did! I ended up getting a full ride to SMU and studied Civil Engineering, did a few internships, loved the content, but hated the work. Despite being such an introvert, I found myself really disliking being behind a desk all day. But, still I was set on being a real world engineer.

Spring before my senior year, I was interviewing for a full time internship, one that I was more than qualified for (I had a 3.98 GPA and glowing recommendations and resume) and for some reason I didn’t get the job. I was CRUSHED. I had never encountered something that I couldn’t achieve through hard work alone. And so I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do. My sister suggested I look into museum work (she had done some and really liked it). And so I applied for a job at the Perot Museum where I would be the assistant-director of their H.S. summer interns. I was terrified. I always loved working with little kids, but the thought of judgmental teenagers terrified me. Fast-forward and I got the job, LOVED every terrifying second of it, and decided right then and there that I really was supposed to be a teacher. So I took some classes (one called Building Creative Confidence which was totally badass), ended up giving a TEDx talk, and then even spoke at my engineering school graduation in front of 3000+ people. Little old introverted and terrified me,

Fast-forward again, I’ve been teaching for 3 years, and even though this has been the HARDEST year of my life (teaching and preparing 3 different HS science subjects), I still have never been more joyful to go to work. Yes, it is hard. Yes, there are ridiculous politics and such that come with the school environment, but watching your students grow academically and as actual people is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced. Even on my worst days.

(>w

[studentofrhetoric-blog]

Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

--- "Seizing on an Iranian missile test, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and new U.S. President Donald Trump are nearing common ground on a tougher U.S. policy towards Tehran ahead of their first face-to-face talks at the White House. But people familiar with the Trump administration's thinking say that its evolving strategy is likely to be aimed not at "dismantling" Iran's July 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers - as presidential candidate Trump sometimes advocated - but tightening its enforcement and pressuring the Islamic Republic into renegotiating key provisions."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-usa-iran-idUSKBN15M0I3

--- The Iranian President expresses the idea that the nuclear deal between Iran and other world powers can be used as "a stepping stone to defuse tension in the region".

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-trump-rouhani-idUSKBN15M0H7

--- "A media watchdog group filed suit on Tuesday to force U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency to release records detailing his communications with energy companies ahead of a Senate vote to confirm his nomination. The lawsuit was filed in Oklahoma court by the Center for Media and Democracy and accuses Scott Pruitt, who is Oklahoma's attorney general as well as Trump's nominee to become the top U.S. environmental regulator, of violating the state's Open Records Act by failing to release those emails to the public."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-pruitt-lawsuit-idUSKBN15M1KE

Additional source (local): http://newsok.com/article/5537244

--- "U.S. President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Labor Department admitted to employing an undocumented immigrant as a house cleaner, the kind of revelation that derailed Cabinet nominees in previous administrations. Andrew Puzder, chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants Inc, is one of several Trump nominees who face strong opposition from Senate Democrats and progressive groups. In a statement late on Monday, Puzder said he and his wife had employed a housekeeper for a few years without being aware that she was not legally permitted to work in the United States."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-pudzer-idUSKBN15M1CP

Additional source: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-labor-nominee-puzder-hired-undocumented-immigrant/515865/

--- "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday dismissed the U.S. decision to put Iran "on notice" over its missile tests and called President Donald Trump the "real face" of American corruption. In his first speech since Trump's inauguration, Iran's supreme leader called Iranians to take part in demonstrations on Friday, the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, to show they were not frightened of American "threats.""

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-iran-khamenei-idUSKBN15M0SY

Additional source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38899881

Additional source (cultural implications): http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2017/0207/As-Iran-s-Khamenei-and-Trump-spar-sports-and-academic-ties-feel-blowback

--- "The U.S. House of Representatives' Republican leader said on Tuesday that legislation to replace former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law will be completed this year, trying to assuage concerns that the party is retreating from its campaign promise to dismantle Obamacare. "We are going to be done legislating with respect to healthcare and Obamacare this year," House Speaker Paul Ryan told a news briefing. "The question is how long does it take to implement the full replacement of Obamacare," he said, indicating that that could take longer."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obamacare-ryan-idUSKBN15M1SL?il=0

Additional source: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/obamacare-repeal-timing-paul-ryan-234731

--- "Two GOP senators are proposing a cut on legal immigration to the United States, an idea backed by President Trump during his campaign for the White House. Republicans Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.) and David Perdue (Ga.) introduced legislation Tuesday that they said would effectively halve the number of green cards issued each year from 1 million to roughly 500,000. "

Source: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/318284-gop-senators-scale-back-legal-immigration-to-the-us

Additional source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-senate-idUSKBN15M1VB

--- "In his first appearance before Congress since being sworn in, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly offered both a defense of the Trump travel ban and an apology for the way it was implemented. Testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, Secretary Kelly said that the ban – which temporarily prevents nationals of seven majority-Muslim countries from traveling to the US and bars refugees from settling – was a “travel pause” designed to prevent “thousands” of ISIS fighters from reaching the United States. He also took the blame for the implementation of the bill, which created uncertainty and led to lawful residents being denied entry."

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2017/0207/HS-secretary-Kelly-goes-before-Congress-takes-blame-for-travel-ban

Additional source: https://www.apnews.com/b7e432777f7144d9a368dec6f213831c/DHS-chief:-Travel,-immigration-ban-should-have-been-delayed

--- "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will grant the final easement needed to finish the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, according to a court filing Tuesday. The line had been delayed for several months after protests from Native American tribes and climate activists. The $3.8 billion line, which is being built by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP.N), needed a final permit to tunnel under Lake Oahe, a reservoir that is part of the Missouri River."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-north-dakota-pipeline-idUSKBN15M2DU

Additional source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-dakota-access-oil-pipeline-20170207-story.html

--- "Thirty-three states have passed criminal justice reform in an attempt to reduce prison populations and save money. But although voters in Oklahoma approved ballot initiatives enacting reforms in November, some lawmakers have filed bills to repeal the reforms."

Source: http://www.npr.org/2017/02/07/513904322/oklahoma-lawmakers-file-bills-to-repeal-criminal-justice-reforms

--- "WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee voted on Tuesday to eliminate an independent election commission charged with helping states improve their voting systems as President Donald Trump erroneously claims widespread voter fraud cost him the popular vote. The party-line vote came less than two days after Trump vowed to set up a White House commission helmed by Vice President Mike Pence to pursue his accusations of election fraud."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/a3a9c6d3cec145379dd2a9eb3288b6ba/As-Trump-fears-fraud,-GOP-eliminates-election-commission

Additional source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/house-panel-votes-to-eliminate-election-assistance-commission/article/2614171

--- "WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-controlled House voted Tuesday to overturn Obama-era rules on the environment and education as GOP lawmakers seek to reverse years of what they see as excessive government regulation during the past eight years of a Democratic president. The House voted, 234-186, to repeal a rule that requires federal land managers to consider climate change and other long-term effects of proposed development on public lands. The rule also requires the federal Bureau of Land Management to use the best available science in making decisions about the 245 million acres of public lands it oversees, mostly in the West. Lawmakers also voted, 234-190, to repeal a separate measure aimed at helping states identify failing schools and come up with plans to improve them. The rule provides a framework for states to develop their own accountability plans under a bipartisan education law signed by President Barack Obama in 2015."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/8100d0ce45ea4a8cb769f88df438899c/House-votes-to-block-Obama-rules-on-public-lands,-education

Additional source (this is only about the environmental rule): http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/318372-house-passes-bill-to-block-obama-land-planning-rule

Additional source (both, although I believe it's source was the AP source I linked above): http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/house-gop-targets-obama-environment-rules-45326272

--- "WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday he has "serious, serious concerns" about President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee after their meeting, complaining that the federal judge "avoided answers like the plague." Schumer, who met with Judge Neil Gorsuch Tuesday, stopped short of saying he would oppose the nomination...Schumer is under pressure from many in his party to oppose the nomination. But other Democrats may support it. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday that she was impressed with Gorsuch after her own meeting with him Monday. Feinstein said Gorsuch "is a very caring person and he's obviously legally very smart." She has not yet said whether she will support him, though. She stressed that it's a lifetime appointment and Gorsuch is only 49."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/8ce5ac0b5bec48d5b4b2ef05c5d5c8bc/Schumer-says-he-has-'serious-concerns'-about-Gorsuch

Additional source: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/chuck-schumer-neil-gorsuch-234761

Additional source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dianne-feinstein-says-of-neil-gorsuch-that-shes-impressed/

--- "WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's dark view of violent crime in America rests largely on a bogus claim: that the murder rate is higher than it's been in nearly half a century. Actually, the murder rate is down sharply in that time, despite a recent spike. On Tuesday, he told a meeting of sheriffs: "The murder rate in our country is the highest it's been in 47 years, right? Did you know that? Forty-seven years. I used to use that — I'd say that in a speech and everybody was surprised because the press doesn't tell it like it is." He circled back to add: "The murder rate is the highest it's been in, I guess, from 45 to 47 years."" (Fact check continues in the article)

Source: https://www.apnews.com/f97c60f658a648328d7711cfd58888d2/AP-FACT-CHECK:-Trump-botches-murder-rate

Additional source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2017/02/07/trump-makes-false-statement-about-u-s-murder-rate-to-sheriffs-group/?utm_term=.90badfc606d0

--- "AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A case involving political "dark money" and the founder of an organization tied to President Donald Trump's accusations of voter fraud could lead to a crush of anonymous cash infiltrating elections in the country's second-largest state, a Democratic lawyer warned the Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday. The nine Republican justices on Texas' highest civil court heard arguments involving the legality of the state's ban on corporate contributions, disclosure requirements for political action committees and the question of when a politically active nonprofit should have to disclose its donors like a traditional PAC. Some believe that the case ultimately could wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court and potentially reshape campaign finance regulations nationwide."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/be5b9ea60cae4289ba636944a882f6d2/Citizens-United-lawyer-targets-Texas-campaign-finance-laws

Additional source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/citizens-united-lawyer-targets-texas-campaign-finance-laws-45315857

--- "SYDNEY (Reuters) - There would be no winner from conflict between China and the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned on Tuesday, seeking to dampen tension between the two nations that flared after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump."

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-united-states-cannot-afford-conflict-chinese-foreign-minister-2017-2

Additional source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/07/steve-bannon-china-plays-down-predictions-of-war-with-us-wang-yi

--- President Trump spoke to leaders in both Spain and Turkey by phone.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-turkey-idUSKBN15N02J

Additional source (this also includes updates on other stories):  https://www.apnews.com/331632d4847644e1bf1dcbc27e0d3dc1/The-Latest:-Chaffetz-says-he-and-Trump-didn't-talk-oversight

Highlights from the above source:

--- "The Spanish prime minister has told U.S. President Donald Trump that Spain is in the best position to be the new U.S. administration's partner in Europe."

--- "The White House says President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed their "shared commitment to combatting terrorism in all its forms." The White House says Trump reiterated U.S. support to Turkey "as a strategic partner and NATO ally" in a phone call Tuesday with Erdogan. Trump also welcomed Turkey's role in countering the Islamic State group."

--- "The chairman of the House Oversight Committee met with President Donald Trump at the White House but says the two men did not discuss oversight."

--- "The White House says Joyce Meyer, a longtime aide to Wisconsin congressman Ryan, will serve as deputy assistant to the president and House deputy director of legislative affairs. The team will also include Paul Teller, a former Cruz chief of staff who will serve as special assistant to the president and House special assistant."

--- "President Donald Trump has told a Texas sheriff they could "destroy" the career of a state lawmaker trying to reform asset forfeiture laws that critics say police abuse as a funding source."

Additional source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-police-idUSKBN15M2BU

--- "Mexico's presidential spokesman says that the president's office did not record a call with U.S. President Donald Trump last month and foreign troops would never be allowed to operate in Mexico."

--- "The White House is asserting that President Donald Trump "respects the judicial branch" despite his tough talk over the pushback against his immigration ban."

--- "A White House spokesman says President Donald Trump will host Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Mar-a-Lago this weekend."

The court decision over the travel ban continues:

"SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON President Donald Trump's order temporarily banning U.S. entry to people from seven Muslim-majority countries came under intense scrutiny on Tuesday from a federal appeals court that questioned whether the ban unfairly targeted people over their religion. During a more than hour-long oral argument, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals pressed a government lawyer whether the Trump administration's national security argument was backed by evidence that people from the seven countries posed a danger. Judge Richard Clifton, a George W. Bush appointee, posed equally tough questions for an attorney representing Minnesota and Washington states, which are challenging the ban. Clifton asked if a Seattle judge's suspension of Trump's policy was "overbroad." The 9th Circuit said at the end of the session it would issue a ruling as soon as possible. Earlier on Tuesday, the court said it would likely rule this week but would not issue a same-day ruling. The matter will ultimately likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-idUSKBN15L0GC

--- "Senate Republicans voted on Tuesday night to silence Elizabeth Warren for reading out a letter from the widow of Martin Luther King during a debate over Senator Jeff Sessions’ nomination for attorney general, eliciting furious response from Democrats. Speaking on the Senate floor, Warren quoted from 30-year-old correspondence from Coretta Scott King relating to Sessions’ failed judicial nomination in the 1980s. It was part of a barnstorming speech by the Massachusetts Senator against Sessions’ suitability for the post and attacking his record on civil rights."

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/08/elizabeth-warren-mitch-mcconnell-silence-senate-debate-jeff-sessions-nomination

Additional source (regarding Democrat opposition to Trump's nominees): http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/betsy-devos-democrats-defeat-234753

--- "The United States needs to brush up on its history about the South China Sea, as World War Two-related agreements mandated that all Chinese territories taken by Japan had to be returned to China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Australia. China has been upset by previous comments from the new U.S. administration about the disputed waterway. In his Senate confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said China should not be allowed access to islands it has built there. The White House also vowed to defend "international territories" in the strategic waterway. However, last week U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis suggested that diplomacy should be the priority in the South China Sea."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-china-usa-idUSKBN15N04N