#i have other critiques about the entire package of book 3 but

[regrettablemeasure]

i have not played other routes w intimate scenes but i will say F’s are so character-less i’m actually shocked and it doesnt SOUND like N and M’s are like that at all :( F’s route in general in book 3 is underwhelming to say the least. You can make a perky funny romance without the character lacking dimension (like i dont NEED the M or A or triangle angst), and I really thought by the third book in the series we’d get…something? but i fear it’s actually going backward, after playing through the first two books the 3rd is just F: Quips and Goofs Edition vs what i ASSUMED were setups in the first two (regarding their aversion to difficult emotions and abandonment issues) which get. Such scant mentions here they don’t feel relevant, especially because they neither impact F OR the detective.

All of the conflict, development, or cracks is starting to show with the other three vamps wrt their relationships and then poor F feels like an afterthought. right down to the romance scenes being so generic if you took their name out of it I wouldnt be able to tell you who it is. Even N can get into some shit w the detective in book 3 but F’s internal monologue and most scenes (save for the dinner with Verda) feels so half assed it’s disheartening. Idk if it’s just me, idk if I just happened to play it a way where it came across as such but I’m genuinely curious as to what other scant F-mancers out there think of them in this book. This is a critique of the writing, not my baby F themselves. In the romance route at least F is exactly the same as they were in book one, if not regressed. We got some backstory lore but thats not the same as character development.

[thatwritergirlsblog]

Choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing

This is a much-talked-about topic. So, rather than going the traditional pros-and-cons route, I’m going to give you some advice on which factors to consider when making your decision:

1. First thing’s first: what’s the difference?

Self-publishing a book means that you are putting it out there on your own - no publishing house and no literary agent. You will be in charge of every aspect - editing, proofreading, marketing, the book launch, cover design etc.

Traditional publishing means that your book has been purchased by a publishing house and that said house is responsible for getting your book out into the world. This process also usually entails being represented by a literary agent.

2. Factor: Your knowledge base

Few writers are writers only, which means that you might have a particular set of skills or a vast array of knowledge in an area that could assist you in one of these publishing routes.

Knowledge needed for self-publishing: some business knowledge, knowledge of the entire process needed to publish a book, knowledge of self-publishing platforms etc.

Knowledge needed for traditional publishing: knowledge about the publishing industry - about literary agents and publishing houses, about what to look out for in contracts, about querying and going on submission etc.

Keep in mind that this knowledge can be acquired. It doesn’t have to be something you already possess. But the type of studies/research you do will be determined by the route you choose to take.

So, if you majored in an area of business, if you worked for a publisher for years etc., you already have a good foundation for self-publishing.

If you’re like me and you’ve been researching the industry since you were 15 (and have a law student’s knowledge of contracts), your skills may assist you better in traditional publishing.

So, think about the type of knowledge you have/would be able to acquire.

Keep in mind: marketing knowledge is applicable and needed for both routes.

3. Factor: Budgetary concerns

We’re not all in the same financial situation. I know it’s not fun to talk about money, but it does play a significant role in publishing.

With traditional publishing, you will have to spend money on marketing. Furthermore, if you hire an editor/critique service in order to polish your manuscript before you query, that’ll cost you a few bucks too.

However, self-publishing requires a lot more money. You need to pay a cover designer, critique service, editor, proofreader, formatter etc.(there are often packages to this effect) And you will have to pay for marketing as well. If you use platforms like CreateSpace or IngramSpark, you don’t have to pay for the printing itself, since it’s print-on-demand.

This consideration isn’t about whether you have bags of money just waiting to be used. It’s about whether you have the financial and personal capacity to save the money you need (and whether you can budget well). Calculating how much you need to save each month in order to self-publish and sticking to that calculation will be necessary for the self-publishing route (unless you have quite a few dollars lying around).

So, if you are on a VERY tight budget (like me as a student) or know that you are absolutely horrible at sticking to your saving goals, consider trying the traditional publishing avenue.

HOWEVER, the income you receive from the published product must also be kept in mind. With traditional publishing, authors get a (relatively small) advance and then a small percentage of the sales as royalties (12% is generous where I’m from). Since the publisher paid for everything, they also get most of the profit. With self-publishing, you get the biggest percentage of the sales revenue (some of it will go to the printing and distributing platform). 

4: Factor: Your personality/preferences

Are you a very versatile person? Would you like spending your time on various different aspects of the publishing process? Do you need control of every aspect of your book baby’s release into the world? Are you good at managing projects? Can you be difficult to work with? Are you excited by the idea of paving your own way and ignoring industry stigmas? Are you great at sticking to self-imposed deadlines? Then you’re probably more suited to the world of self-publishing.

Do you want to focus on writing (and marketing) and not really the other stuff? Are you okay with relinquishing some control? Do you work well with others? Does prestige matter to you? Does the idea of managing a big project alone give you the jitters? Then your personality might work better for traditional publishing.

Please don’t think that this is set in stone. I’m not trying to place anyone in a box. This is just another factor you can take into account when making your decision.

5. A decision doesn’t bind you for life

You can be a hybrid author. If you’ve decided to pursue traditional publishing, you can always switch to self-publishing later once you’ve made a name for yourself. If you’ve already self-published one (or a few) books, nothing prevents you from querying agents for a different project and going the traditional route. (In fact, having self-published books might count in your favour.)

So, it is an important decision, but it isn’t set in stone.

I hope that this is helpful. If you have any questions, head over to my asks. And if you want to request a writing advice post, don’t be shy.

Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment with the route you’re thinking of taking. Follow me for similar content.

[seldnei]

Taking stock of the writing in 2019

Okay, so what did I accomplish in 2019?

NOT AS MUCH AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED.

The house move, the office move, and various and sundry kid/life/work crises conspired to de-center my writing much more than I liked, and I just couldn’t quite get my shit together.  I’d kind of … forget that I was submitting things.  I have an agent to follow up with (not exciting, she just says to follow up on your query if you don’t hear back in X time) and I entirely forgot to do that until, like, yesterday.  I just haven’t managed to submit one of my stories—I didn’t trunk it, I just forgot I needed to do it.

But I did do some things, and I’m aware of the issue now, so.

The Novel:

I put together the query package and started sending it around to agents.  No dice so far.

I did PitMad!  And didn’t die!  Which was really my only goal!  

I’m kind of debating a query letter review on Reedsy, but they also have a free class on writing queries, so my plan is to do the class and then decide if I want to send out a few more queries or get the review.

Short Stories

I finished the haunted house story after a bazillion in-process drafts.  It has three voices in it, and I think I did really well distinguishing them from each other.  My MIL said she thought it was “very sad,” which just goes to show that what I think of as a happy ending is … maybe not?

Finished Teachouts On a Train, which was a lot of fun to write, and I think it’s pretty funny, too.  It’s long, though, so that limits its possible venues.  One place I could send it requires anonymized submissions, but as they’ve published me before and the editor and I are Twitter mutuals, I’m kind of wondering if it would actually be anonymous?  I mean, not that this will stop me from sending it, but.

I wrote a not!The Tempest/not!Mosquito Coast/not!Island of Dr Moreau weird mashup thing that’s been rattling around in my head for about forever.  I slapped an ending on it so that I could call it a draft before the end of the year, and it needs a deep rewrite, but … drafted!

I wrote a weird piece of … well, it’s too long for flash, I think?  But it’s very short.  It’s a “Carolyn Forche is not going to like what you did with her poetic style” thing.  Anyway, I sent that to @lookninjas for FUCKIT because, well, that’s pretty much how it came out.

Sold “The Idaho Ghost Job,” which came out in August, and it got some love, which was awesome because that story (as I think I blogged) has gotten the most “you made it to the last round!” rejections of anything I have ever written.  I knew there was an audience for that story, by god.

Miscellany

I wrote 8 poems, one of which is good.  (9 poems if you count turning an abstract algebra problem into a poem?)

Started a Teachout story from Gwen’s POV (the Teachouts are pretty much a tight 3rd person Corwyn POV), which is interesting because Gwen is not particularly introspective, and her answer to everything is “hit it until it does what I want.”

Messed around with the indentured servant demons.

Started a thing called “Incremental Apocalypse” that I kind of think may end up cannibalized for parts.

Got an idea for something in that universe (the hedge witch and her dead husband) that would cannibalize a fantasy story I started, like, eight years ago?  We’ll see what happens there.

Scattered blog posts.

Critique for the evil twin, and an encouragement read-along of his cyborg book.

Finished one of the Cat Rambo classes!

I gained a number of Twitter mutual who are writers … I have heard of? … who, like, retweeted my PitMad pitch and said they liked my stuff?  What the fuck?

Goals for 2020

God, just get. My. Shit. Together.

I have a calendar on my phone, in my writing notebook, and in my planner where I’ve blocked out weekends for agent hunting, story submissions, and all the stuff I lost track of last year.

Get with the husband for backup on writing time in the evenings.  I’m doing pretty well with that, but I need someone else helping me enforce the space.

Query that agent, you goofball!

Track what I do each day so I don’t feel like I suuuck.

Revise the mashup story.

Do more freewriting!  

Work on the hedge witch and her dead husband story.

Do the Journaling class I signed up for, do the query letter class, and maybe the Idea to Finished Project class.

[jdiep95]

Mariah Carey: Top 10 Most Iconic Songs

To celebrate the holiday season, which has really become the season of Mariah Carey this year, and “#All I Want For Christmas Is You” finally becoming a #1 single, I am sharing with you my “Top” lists of MC songs every Monday and Tuesday up until the 25th. For example, we’re going to start things off with the Top 10 Most Iconic Mariah Carey songs; on Tuesday, we’ll look at remixes. All songs mentioned these lists can be found on streaming services (e.g. Spotify and Apple Music). That means deep, deep cuts like “Slipping Away” off the B-side of the “Always Be My Baby” single, and “Help Me Make It (Through the Night)”, Mariah’s cover of a country song, which aren’t available, aren’t included. Unfortunately, that also means the entire Glitter soundtrack will not be mentioned as it is not yet available for streaming. #JusticeForGlitter #Loverboy2020 Let's make Loverboy MC's 20th #1 in 2020!!

To explore the most iconic MC songs, we have to look at streaming numbers (based on Spotify data, accurate as of Dec. 2019), MV views (based on YouTube data, accurate as of Dec. 2019), appearances on concert set lists, but also it’s prevalence outside of the Mariah fan base. “Butterfly” is an iconic ballad within the fan base, but pales compared to another empowering song like “Hero”, which non-MC fans most likely know even if they hate Mariah.

Is the list TL;DR? No worries. I compiled each list into a respective playlist, starting from No. 10 and ending at No. 1, so you get to listen to the Most Iconic MC songs while on the go.

https://open.spotify.com/user/jdiep95/playlist/1T0OU0p1cjR82LV1XX7f7j?si=AT9_aL0kSgmxySvIasZjsw

10. “My All” Butterfly

No. of streams: 37 182 150

MV views: 142M

“My All” makes its way into almost all of MC’s concert set lists since its release in 1997, appearing most recently in Mariah’s Caution World Tour. In this way, it gathers a lot more exposure than some of her other #1’s, such as “Dreamlover” or “Honey”. Despite its relatively low number of streams compared to other songs on this list, the number of views for the main music video is actually placed sixth on this list, and for good reason. The MV for “My All” is arguably the most artistic of MC’s catalogue, if not at least the steamiest. The video is in black-and-white, and features Mariah Carey floating on water with cutscenes of some hot model. The song appeals to a more specific audience, mainly adults, but the incorporation of Latin guitars will evoke a certain headiness seen only in a handful of Mariah songs.

9. “Vision of Love” Mariah Carey

No. of streams: 25 938 743

MV views: 25M + 2.6M*

*Includes a live version from the Daydream World Tour released on Mariah Carey’s official Vevo channel

This may be confusing; overall, “Vision of Love” received the least views and least streams of any of the songs listed here. Why is it not last on the list? Unlike “My All”, this song is one for the entire family. Don’t believe me? Many popular artists of the 2000s cited this song as their inspiration, including the great Beyoncé. Besides the complex runs, which becomes more complex in the live version, “Vision of Love” is a peer into Mariah’s vocal range, from her lows (E♭3) to a signature whistle note (C7), and a blend of genres, including pop, R&B and gospel. Even if it spawned a generation of over-singing vocalists, this was MC’s debut, a tour de force that inspired a new generation of singers. And thanks to its prevalence in Mariah’s concert set lists, it could very well even be inspiring this new generation.

8. “Fantasy” Daydream

No. of streams: 85 048 626 + 24 904 151*

MV views: 58M + 11M*

*Includes the “Bad Boy Fantasy Remix” featuring O.D.B.

“Fantasy” is a bop, and arguably the song that pushed Mariah to super stardom. Despite being nominated in six categories and controversially winning nothing on the night of the 38th Grammy Awards, Daydream cemented MC’s status in the music industry. “Fantasy” was the album’s leading track, and it became the first ever single by a female artist to debut #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It stayed there eight consecutive weeks. If the pop version isn’t iconic enough, with the music video featuring Mariah riding on a roller coaster, the remix with O.D.B. is arguably just as famous, if not more so. The “Bad Boy Fantasy Remix” introduced the featured rapper formula into mainstream music, a formula that’s practically standard in the industry nowadays.

7. “Always Be My Baby” Daydream

No. of streams: 148 422 869

MV views: 162M

Yet, the numbers for "Fantasy" cannot compete with this song. A reason for this is perhaps a lack of airplay; “Fantasy” is danceable but there’s no hook.“Always Be My Baby” was the third single off the Daydream album. After breaking records with “Fantasy”, by debuting at #1, and “One Sweet Day”, for logging 16 weeks at #1, “Always Be My Baby” debuted at #2 and logged only 2 weeks at #1; however, the stats show how age has affected the song’s popularity with the MV views for “Always Be My Baby” doubling those of “Fantasy”. “Fantasy” takes more of a backseat in Mariah’s concert set lists. “One Sweet Day” almost faded into obscurity before it made a resurgence this decade when songs like “Despacito” and “Old Town Road” rivalled its chart records; it’s also made a reappearance on set lists. All of this is to illustrate that “Always Be My Baby” has always been a staple, a favourite amongst fans and the general listeners. The song has many great Mariah moments, but what really latches on and sets the ground for “Always Be My Baby” to play on is the opening “Doo doo doo”. This song does what “Fantasy” didn’t do, and that’s creating a feeling. The song and the music video is a perfect pairing. You listen to the song, and you are reminded of sitting by a firepit, reminiscing about a significant first love that’s no longer, the exact imagery that’s been replicated by the MV; this is probably why it has so many views.

6. “Touch My Body” E=MC²

No. of streams: 64 797 196

MV views: 185M

“Touch My Body” is Mariah’s second-most recent #1 single of her 19 chart-toppers, and the leading single to the 2008 album E=MC². Although its release was in the middle of February, the song really transports you to an eternal summer. The song received its fair share of critiques, including more than a couple that said “Touch My Body” lacks Mariah’s 5-octave range; nonetheless, if MC’s previous album, The Emancipation of Mimi, was MC’s comeback, this single solidified her status as 'the diva' with a new decade of listeners. It’ll be wrong to think, however, that Mariah wasn’t in on all the fun as well, and this is why the MV has its views. The music video is a fantasy sequence of Mariah flirting with Jack McBrayer in a mansion. After her comeback, this was Mariah’s way of going back to doing something that defied the critic’s expectations. With The Emancipation of Mimi, she proved that she still got it — the range, the ability to write hits, the star power; "Touch My Body” brings back the Mariah we have come to love in the past decade — the extravagance, the luxury, the seeming aloofness. For a moment, “Touch My Body” captures MC having fun, and the simple structure of this song reflects that.

5. “Obsessed” Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

No. of streams: 82 625 131

MV views: 127M + 15M*

*Includes the remix featuring Gucci Mane

“Obsessed” gained new life this year, ten years after its initial release in 2009, with the #Obsessed challenge on TikTok. Teens were creating choreography for this song, and simultaneously propelling Mariah to becoming Queen of Memes, one of MC’s many titles. The opening to “Obsessed” breathes new life into a line borrowed from one of Mariah’s favourite movies, Mean Girls, “Why are you so obsessed with me?” This line, along with “I don’t know her”, has its place in meme culture. Besides its relevance to a new generation, its iconicity can also be contributed to the fact that it's a high profile diss track that attacks Eminem’s harassment, but it’s pop, not rap. Its conception introduced a new generation of pop artists to using their tracks as a way to call-out others. “Obsessed” resurfaces perennially when Eminem decides that his almost-two-decade old alleged fling with MC somehow deserves another mention. Maybe she’s the best thing to have happened to Eminem? Lyrically, “Obsessed” is one of Mariah’s sharpest, with her directly calling out Eminem’s desire to make something out of nothing; see: “you hatin' hard/Ain’t goin' feed you, I'm a let you starve/Graspin’ for air, and I'm ventilation/You out of breath, hope you ain't waitin’.”

4. “We Belong Together” The Emancipation of Mimi

No. of streams: 210 251 706

MV views: 399M

“We Belong Together” is Mariah’s comeback track. Regardless of whether she knew this song would make it big when she was writing it, this song would live on in the history books as the song that told skeptics that Mariah ain’t going anywhere. “We Belong Together” is very stripped down — it’s Mariah singing on top of a piano and a beat, then Mariah singing on top of herself in the chorus. For a song about unrequited love, which Mariah usually packages as being more upbeat than it should be (see: “Always Be My Baby” or “All I Want For Christmas Is You”), “We Belong Together” is incredibly visceral. It’s a sad song and it shows, and somehow Mariah communicates the frustration and swirling of emotions so well that you might even tear up by the end when she holds that fifteen-second note. The other unique thing about this song is that she sings the lyrics as if it’s a rap, very reminiscent of her earlier hip-hop inspired tracks like “Breakdown” ft. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, an overlooked fan favourite. Try singing it without ever practising, and you’ll find that MC placed words in a very specific rhythm. This song also introduced the ‘Mariah-ballad structure’, a formula that she continues to follow for many of her ballads: It consists of an absent bridge with a belted last chorus that takes its place. And as for the MV, Mariah elopes with a lover in a car while wearing the same Vera Wang wedding dress she wore at her real-life marriage is as iconic as it gets.

3. “Emotions” Emotions

No. of streams: 41 251 987

MV views: 32M + 2.7M* + 9.9M**

*Includes the Club Remix

**Includes the MTV Unplugged live version, and the 1993 Here is Mariah Carey live version

There’s a reason “We Belong Together” didn’t crack the Top 3: It’s strictly a song about unrequited love. Mariah, alone, has quite a few of those in her catalogue. And there’s only oh-so-many occasions in which to bring back this song unless it’s already part of your daily repertoire. If Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You” takes first place for the most iconic use of whistle notes in a pop song, “Emotions” no doubt takes second; however “Emotions” has to take first for inspiring every pop singer and their grandmas to use whistle notes, from Christina Aguilera and Leona Lewis to Ariana Grande and Tori Kelly. Yes, “Emotions” is a love song, similar to “We Belong Together”, but it’s also a learning tool for many aspiring pop and R&B singers — this song is a resource. It’s like learning music theory and referring back to Mozart and Beethoven. “Emotions” contains those whistle notes, all the up to an E7, but it also contains low notes (several C3s), high belts (F5s and G5s), head notes (the “You” in G5), repetitive phrasing from C5 - E5, a couple of sustained E5 belts, and melismas. In the live versions, you really get to observe MC’s stamina as we goes through the song with ease. And if you compile all of the live versions of “Emotions”, Mariah demonstrates five full octaves from B2 to B7. Simply put, “Emotions” is an encyclopedia of vocal virtuosity for rising and seasoned singers.

2. “Hero” Music Box

No. of streams: 99 556 980

MV views: 236M + 5.7M*

*Includes a live version from the Daydream World Tour

There’s a thing about “Emotions”, and it’s best if I told you through an anecdote: I played this song in a classroom once, and one of the 5-year olds asked why she [Mariah] was screaming in the song. Blasphemous, I know. Arguably though, the whistle notes are more well-known than the actual song itself. But “Hero” is one of those instances where you know the song, even though you don’t think you do. Just listen to those opening piano notes; flashes of the entire song will surely follow. Not surprisingly, this is the first ever MC song I’ve ever heard; I heard it when I was seven because we had to perform an ASL version of it, but I didn’t know it was Mariah at the time. I didn’t know until possibly a decade later when I thought back on the signs, and the lyrics “And a hero comes along” popped into mind. Obviously, this list is tinged by my own biases; however, “Hero”, this song about loving yourself, and finding that hero within yourself, is special, not only to the fan base, but to anyone who needs a pick-me-up, even if they’re not Mariah fans. It’s radio-friendly; it’s singing competition-friendly (it only goes up to an E5, a mid-belt for Mariah; for reference Idina Menzel goes up to E♭5 in “Let It Go” and “Into the Unknown”); it’s graduation-friendly; and it’s concert-friendly, considering Mariah almost always ends her concert with “Hero”. It’s a sappy song, one that Mariah initially didn’t like, but she explains that she sings it every time because you never know who might need it.

1. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Merry Christmas

No. of streams: 595 428 506

MV views: 602M + 11M*

*Includes the alternative Black & White version, and Unreleased Video Footage version

Perhaps you can avoid unrequited love, high notes, and graduations, but in North America, can you really avoid winter? With winter comes holiday season comes Mariah Carey, Queen of Christmas comes “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. Released in 1994, this song has finally reached #1 on the Billboards Hot 100 after 25 years. MC released a handful of versions, including a re-recorded, Disney-sounding version in 2010, and another with Justin Bieber in 2011, but let’s make it clear that the version that makes a resurgence every year, and that we all hear on the radio, is none other than the original 1994 recording. The original recording which was never released as a single was not allowed to chart in ‘94, but ever since Billboard updated its rules to allow songs to re-chart in the Top 50 in 2012, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has made a reappearance every year. It broke into the Top 10 for the first time in 2017, then the Top 5 in 2018. It’s hard to best something when it’s already so close to perfection, if not perfect. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is such a definitive holiday-pop standard that it’s been broken down into a two-part formula. The formula finds it’s way into many of the new released Christmas songs hoping to make it big, which in some ways are their downfall because it sounds disingenuous, particularly in a season where sentimentality drives sincerity, or at least the façade of it. This two-part formula that it has inspired includes: (A) Wrapping up a unrequited love song to sound like an upbeat Christmas song; and (B) The “Wall of Sound” sound originally created by Phil Spector, which includes a underlying chorus line, a strong accompaniment, and the use of symphonic instruments. You’ll find at least one, if not both, pieces of the formula, whether it’s intentional or not, in recent holiday songs such as “Mistletoe”, “Underneath the Tree”, “One More Sleep”, “Santa Tell Me”, and even “Christmas Tree Farm”. Walter Afanasieff, the co-writer of this song, said, “Back then, you didn’t have a lot of artists with Christmas albums,” and with that he meant in the ‘80s and ‘90s, rising stars didn’t record an entire studio album's worth of Christmas songs. Whitney didn’t have one yet, Madonna didn’t have one (and still continues not to have one), Michael stopped doing them when he recorded under Epic Records in 1979; and y’alls are probably thinking of Wham!’s “Last Christmas”, but that was a single. Despite Mariah initially not wanting to do a Christmas album, and as pessimistic as this may sound, Merry Christmas has re-introduced the lucrative Christmas song business to pop singers.

We may remember this decade’s Mariah — a diva with shaky performances, but this two-dimensional image erases the gut-wrenching, tear-jerking efforts she put into the two previous decades. MC was a trailblazer, and continues to be one as you will see in the upcoming lists. To say that Mariah leans only on past achievements, and relies too heavily on titles like “Queen of Christmas” or “Queen of Memes” diminishes the fact that the upkeep of the legacy she’s built for herself requires time and hard work.

[sambinnie]

Over the summer, my quite-old-but-not-that-old phone ate all my text messages and became almost thrillingly unreliable. Ever since then, I pick it up not with the usual subconscious rat-excitement, but with something like dread — it’s so clearly an addiction to something which, beyond podcasts and the camera, offers me far more hassle than pleasure or use, as is the way with anything one becomes addicted to. (Oh, and maps, occasionally.)

I absolutely loathe it, and once I’ve submitted this current big project, my next fairly dull task will be to try and wean myself off it almost entirely. Keep it in the office, plug the landline in somewhere more accessible and use that more, not have to check before I leave one room and walk into another than my phone is in my hand. God, it’s horrible. (Yes, also, music on the phone, also good. Christ.)

I realised the other night that my own anxiety and weariness comes from a sense that absolutely every choice I make these days feels like a battle for my soul. (Ugh, and the period-tracking app is useful. UGH.) It doesn’t feel like merely existing, it feels like living, heavy with some kind of extra-gravitational moral weight: did I turn off the lights/should I turn on the heating/is this food environmentally damaging/can I recycle this/are the children growing up to be vocal about the right things/but not so vocal that they increase division in society/it feels right to keep them off the internet/but will they be prepared when they are free-range on there/it’s great they’re all keen readers/but modern popular children’s books are almost universally awful. This isn’t parenting, or being an adult. This is living in an era where we are facing mass extinction either through climate change or mass conflict, fuelled and fired by those agencies which benefit from conflict and fear: arms manufacturers, politicians, media companies, product-makers, internet figures fashioning themselves into products.

If you are the product, what does that do to your soul? If your daily life, your family, children, friends and colleagues are the backdrop and the context for your self, sold and packaged to consumers or employers, do you gain more than you lose? If your most passionate conversations and throwaway jokes are all equally public, equally up for scrutiny, how does that ensure a fair life for you? If everything you ever say can come back and bite you — my primary reason to wish all children and teens weren’t ever allowed to say or write or do anything on a screen — how does that shape your life?

If you are a female MP, trying hard to improve lives around you, do you deserve to get hundreds upon hundreds of messages describing brutal sexual assault and violence against you and your family? You’re a public figure! That’s the price! If you’re a beauty journalist, having months of harassment and bullying by vicious internet trolls, how do you find the strength to speak up in a moving instagram video?

But. What if the source of that latter bullying seems to be — unless the source mentioned was not correct, unless something else is going on, which is of course more than possible, because nothing can be trusted on the internet — fairly calm critiques of your working practices both on- and offline? What if the trolls who have attacked your children in fact only mentioned them once, in the context of you promising never to use them in your social media? What if those board users were asking questions about your transparency and correct use of Ad and Gifted tags, and only when you set the internet against them does that board start screen-grabbing your own systematic and extremely public bullying (sometimes over long, long months) of other women in the media, attacking their looks, abilities, work and parenting? What if all your friends suddenly start deleting their old tweets (as you have already done) because your accusations have shone a bright light on a forum that at worst, matches tonally exactly the conversations you and media friends have on twitter, and at best are supportive spaces discussing dementia, cancer, cleansing routines, and their own experiences of bullying and unpleasantness at the hands of blue-tickers?

How does that make those female MPs feel? How does that make the women and men, boys and girls who have been harassed, doxxed, bullied and intimidated feel? I wonder what that does to your soul, when every mistake is so public? 

Running to the river now is in the dark; even when we climb out we do so by torch light. I hope you can all find something like this for yourselves, something calm and quiet and personal and fulfilling.

I come home and peel off my cold wet clothes, and look forward to more moments without my phone. 

1. I really, really loved this essay on introducing hope back into a nihilist world. It captures my own struggles with the messiness of everything – if this, then that, so which is worse? – and how everyone seems to be struggling with genuine, literal existential crises. But hope! And weight-lifting! I’ve been doing weights since the start of the summer and every time I lift it’s like a fucking joy injection. If you can start lifting heavy stuff, I massively recommend it. 

2. I want to post a link to the Pop Culture Happy Hour review of Todd Phillips’ Joker film, but I also want to be a better person than that, so I won’t. But Ready or Not is great fun, so maybe watch that instead! 

3. Here are some excellent children’s books series, if you want them: The Dark is Rising series, His Dark Materials, The Murder Most Unladylike books, The Sinclair’s Mysteries, the Tiffany Aching books... is that it? Always looking for more suggestions if you have them, please. 

4. Next time I get an invoice paid I am 400% getting this for the pup. The cold is mean to these feeble, speedy hounds. She is extreme excite. 

[yetanotherramblingfangirl]

S, V, P?

S: What’s a headcanon you have?

Minerva McGonagall grew up reading classic novels and never really abandoned the practice of reading non-magical fiction.  In what limited spare time she does have, she likes to read fantasy novels because she enjoys critiquing the magical systems found within them.  She and her brother Malcolm exchange letters for the express purpose of doing this.

V: Do you have any 3-way ships? If so, what?

None that immediately leap to mind.

P: Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

Hackle Depression-Era American Circus AU.  

Ada is the third generation of her family to work as an animal trainer in the circus and is world-renowned for her skill particularly with large cats.  Her kindness toward her animals has led to a remarkable lack of accidents.

Hecate is a new performer, an aerialist, who’s just joined the circus.  She’s not from a renowned family and she’s come somewhat out of nowhere, but no one can argue that she’s not absolutely graceful and beautiful in her highwire and trapeze acts.

The two meet officially on the train as the circus travels from Wisconsin to Indiana for the first of its spring engagements.  They end up being the only passengers in the compartment when Dimity, a trick rider, leaves to ride with the clowns [saying something about a poker game with her name on it].  They spend most of the ride in silence, the only real conversation being about the book Ada pulls from her case to read.

Soon, Ada and Hecate begin to seek each other out during their free time.  They bond over books and a similar dedication to their work.  They complement each other.  Others think it strange that the quiet, severe aerialist and the gregarious lion tamer would be fast friends, but they are usually smart enough to keep the thought to themselves.  [Especially after that time Ada gave a blistering tongue lashing to someone who had the audacity to comment on Hecate’s suitability as a friend.]

Over time Ada and Hecate become something of a package deal.  Where one goes, you are sure to find the other.  No one comments, though anyone with eyes would notice how they look at each other when they think the other isn’t looking.

When Ada is accidentally injured by one of her lions, Hecate is the first one at her side.  She is distraught, but she refuses to leave, even when Ada points out that her injuries aren’t actually that severe and are the result of her own actions.  [Tobias has been with her since he was a cub and would never intentionally injure her.  He didn’t mean to knock her backward over the box, which she shouldn’t have left there in the first place.]

In mid-tirade, Hecate accidentally lets slip the depth of her feelings for Ada.  Embarrassed and sure that the knowledge of these feelings will lead to Ada never wanting to speak to her again, Hecate attempts to run away.  But Ada’s reflexes are fast and her grip on Hecate’s wrist keeps the other woman from escaping.  

Pulling her back, Ada forces her to sit on the edge of the cot.  She brings Hecate’s hand to her lips and places a gentle kiss on each of the calluses she finds there.  “I see no reason for you to run, not when I have felt the same way for quite some time.”

And that’s where my line of thought ends for now.  Honestly, I could keep going to awhile but that would make this entirely too long.

Send me a letter of the alphabet and I’ll answer a fandom-related question.

[lschmitt62]

Outlander?

I remember when I first read Diana Gabaldon’s best selling series, “Outlander”, 20+ years ago. The history, the settings, and yes, even though I know I am not supposed to say it, the romance.

Doesn’t everyone dream of that kind of love? The kind that you would sell your soul for, and never think twice. I remember that it enticed me to travel to North Carolina. Gave me a great fun filled weekend at Grandfather Mountain for their Highland Games. It introduced me to an awesome Celtic band, “Seven Nations”. Good times.

Years passed and they were a go-to read on my Nook, for long car rides and plane rides. I never tired of the story and a re-read gave you details that you might have missed before.

Imagine my surprise when I realized they made a TV series based on the books! I remember literally screaming in joy. Watched the first episode free and then signed right up for a pay channel to watch the rest. My husband and I, tolerant soul that he is, watched the first season with me filling in the blanks. Season 2 came along and I basically watched by myself. Hubby said it was too slow and confusing for him. Season 3 was the same. Solo.

I was in love with all of it. The beautiful way it was presented, and the actors. Sam and Cait were so good at portraying Jamie and Claire and oddly enough, they presented themselves as possibly a couple in real life. Signed myself up for a couple of events. Trained to NYC to the Apple event, and to the NYC Tartan Day Parade. I bought T-shirts that supported their charities. Gave generously as a matter of fact. After all, they asked us to.

Flew to Seattle for the ECCC. Bought autograph and photo sessions. Dragged the hubby with me. We spent 3 days having the time of our lives. Eating fabulous food and enjoying each other’s company. The comic con was secondary to the marvelous time I was having with my husband. It was also the time when I jumped ship, literally from standing on the shore, to the lido deck.

I am an observer by nature. And what I was observing seemed like a true involved real life relationship with the two lead actors. It made me start looking at videos and body language. I have been married to the same man for 34 years. But I surely remembered young love. And truly my hubby still looks at me like I was seeing Sam look at Cait.

I found on Tumblr that there were others who felt like me. I started following some blogs. It was interesting to see others observations. I found that I fit better in these blogs then some Facebook groups that I had joined. I am not a person who accepts double standards. I left those groups and never looked back.

What I found on Tumblr was some warm, genuine, and seriously funny folk. I never found the crazy ES that other fans seemed to call out. I found women that cared for each other. That took time out of their own crazy lives to form relationships with these friends. To send a message of support, to offer a shoulder to others who were hurting for reasons unrelated to “Outlander”.

I never really cared if Sam and Cait were truly together in the real world, and I still do not. I didn’t tweet them to tell them what exercise I did today, or didn’t do. Or tweet them to let them know I contributed to whatever the charity of the day was. Things that didn’t matter.

I watched as there was a blonde female introduced into Sam’s life as a possible girlfriend. Then I was confused as to what exactly her role was. This was just about the time the shine began to tarnish.

I am not a celebrity watcher. I follow a couple of them on Twitter, mainly the ones who make their voices heard socially. Celebrity lives normally don’t interest me. I felt that we were being sold a narrative, and I was unsure what exactly it was supposed to be.

I am still unsure of what I think. There are far too many unanswered questions, and far too many scenarios that you can just forgive. That doesn’t mean that I don’t wish the best to all parties involved. I do. Truly. I wish Caitriona the best. I wish her a man that loves her unconditionally. I wish her a man that catches her gaze from across the room and holds it. None of us know a thing about her fiancé. If it is Tony, then so be it. She owes none of us anything about her personal, and “just for her”life. My hope is that she removes her social media presence entirely. If she doesn’t then she opens herself up to all of the critiquing of her relationship.

I feel the same about Sam. I know what has been presented to us and obviously we are supposed to believe it was all for naught. I am not even including the blonde in this equation. I truly felt like I was watching a Monty Python episode with her. If the relationship presented, that some of us saw, the ones whose brains don’t turn off, who like to solve puzzles was not true, then where does that leave him? It leaves his sexuality questioned by some. Just another thing I don’t care about.

Somewhere along the line, I lost my love for “Outlander”. If Starz was selling me the entire package, you lost me. You changed the books and as hard as that was, I accepted it. I unfollowed the author on social media, as some of her comments about being displeased with the series I didn’t care for. And to be truthful, I was mildly disturbed at the kiss she pulled Sam into on stage. I get it. Jamie was hers. But Sam is not Jamie, he is an actor playing a role. Nothing more. Nothing less. I have cancelled my subscription.

I wish these fine ladies on Tumblr peace. I wish them to forget what the others say about them. I saw the same things that you saw. I had the same questions. I just let you ask them instead of myself. I have never met a group of ladies that could make me spit my coffee out as fast as you. That made me literally laugh out loud at the gifs you made. I apologize that I left you take the heat for what I also saw, but was to timid to blog about. Thank you for all that you have done.

@sherrigamblin @widchadidcha @pissedoffsoka13 @manders1984 @

[hoyatype]

i replied earlier with: tiktok demands that political information be formatted as entertainment in order to be consumed by a mass audience…dystopic!!—but i want to expand on this further:

the format of tiktok is inherently at odds with the kind of reflectivity and depth that political thought demands. neil postman critiqued this same tendency—but in 1985, in reference to television—in amusing ourselves to death: public discourse in the age of show business, which i return to often because

i hate TV (and also my parents didn't want to pay for it so i never really had it growing up!!)

new technologies and new forms of communication rarely escape the norms and values of older ones, but build on top of them, and i find 20th cent. critiques of TV to be incredibly valuable for understanding the new forms of video production/consumption that we have now.

postman writes:

[O]n television, discourse is conducted largely through visual imagery, which is to say that television gives us a conversation in images, not words. The emergence of the image-manager in the political arena and the concomitant decline of the speech writer attest to the fact that television demands a different kind of content from other media. You cannot do political philosophy on television. Its form works against the content.

one of the most influential ideas from the book is postman's critique of the now…this! tendency in TV (and intensified by instagram stories/tiktok):

["Now…this"]: the phenomenon whereby the reporting of a horrific event—a rape or a five-alarm fire or global warming—is followed immediately by the anchor’s cheerfully exclaiming “Now ... this,” which segues into a story about Janet Jackson’s exposed nipple or a commercial for lite beer, creating a sequencing of information so random, so disparate in scale and value, as to be incoherent, even psychotic.

what does it do to our sense of scale and urgency if a 3-minute video about a human-rights catastrophe is followed with a 1-minute thrift flip video?

of course tiktok (and instagram, and twitter, and essentially every new medium we have today) can also a site of consciousness-raising, of disseminating social justice theories etc…i mean, i learned about intersectional feminism from…jezebel!!! but:

[E]very technology has an inherent bias. It has within its physical form a predisposition toward being used in certain ways and not others. Only those who know nothing of the history of technology believe that a technology is entirely neutral.

or, as the historian melvin kranzberg has said: "technology is neither good nor bad, nor is it neutral." technology can be subversive; it can be conservative. always, always, always it gravitates towards the existing power structures and fissures in our society.

this is getting vv long so i will close with a quote from amusing ourselves to death that @wildersage's post immediately reminded me of:

Disinformation does not mean false information. It means misleading information—misplaced, irrelevant, fragmented or superficial information—information that creates the illusion of knowing something but which in fact leads one away from knowing…when news is packaged as entertainment, that is the inevitable result. And in saying that the television news show entertains but does not inform, I am saying something far more serious than that we are being deprived of authentic information. I am saying we are losing our sense of what it means to be well informed. Ignorance is always correctable. But what shall we do if we take ignorance to be knowledge?

sometimes I see tiktoks that are aiming to teach some sort of political info (cross posted on other websites, I dont use tiktok) and sometimes theyre genuinely good and informative but even then they're limited to 1 minute which is... incredible limiting for anything you want to communicate and doesn't allow for ANY nuance or depth, but forces you to strip your message down and make it easily digestible. for this purpose it's even worse than twitter (because at least there you can make threads) and i am scared at the thought that many young people are having their politics informed by tiktoks

(edit: have been told that they're limited to 3 minutes now, not 1 minute)

[anthropolos]

How-To Guide for Aspiring Anti-Capitalists

I think it is easy to become involved in the proliferation of communist, anarchist, and socialist views on Tumblr and other social media platforms. In that same context, you may also be familiar with the critiques of this phenomenon, such as Tumblr’s intimate relationship with consumerism and materialism, let alone the notes companies get when they “clap back” on Twitter. You may be wondering, what do I need to do to contribute to the awareness of social issues? And to their connection to capitalism, fascism, nationalism, White supremacy, and many more? It is one thing to believe these ideologies, understand them, and share them with others. It’s entirely another to practice what you preach. 

You may think that the pervasiveness of capitalism necessitates your involvement with it, and sometimes that can be true. But if you are willing, and able, there are ways you can check your own consumption practices and make a difference. Below are resources and tips to help you analyze your daily decisions. Most of these will center on consumption because that is the easiest to control, others may be not within your capability. 

1. Actually understand the ideology. Go to your local bookstore and purchase a copy of the manifesto. I got mine for $5. You cannot base your assumptions on what some Tumblr blog said. Get informed.

2. Find easy resources that can help you understand why you should cut back on consumption. Here is a list of documentaries, and here are some books. (edit: to be created, looking for suggestions)

3. If you are to consume, consider the following about the good: who is hurt in the production of this good? This service? Can I buy it locally? Can I buy it from people who use fair trade/exchange? It is ethically sourced? Is the place I’m buying it from an ethical, local establishment? 

4. If you are to consume, consider the following about the store you buy it from: do I have to get this from Wal-mart? do I have to get this from Amazon? Can I avoid these monsters and shop at places that do more good than bad for the community I’m in? Are there grocery co-ops by me? Are there local farmer’s markets by me? Local organic food stores? Here and here are guides. 

5. If you are to consume, consider reducing waste: does the product I’m buying come with plastic packaging? Can I get this somewhere where I can bring my own bags and jars? This is a great guide for easily switching out some things in your life. Excessive waste contributes to climate change (which has shown to most severely impact those in poverty) and environmental racism (the waste you create is dropped off by people who can’t afford to move, and that impacts their air and water quality, leading them to have a shorter life expectancy). 

6. Now that consumption is out of the way, what are other ways you can help? Look for local organizations that are committed to your ideologies. If you are a student, your campus likely hosts a number of organizations focused on issues of feminism, socialism, LGBT rights, worker’s rights, habitat for humanity, even fixing bikes for people who don’t have transportation. I assure you, there are groups by you, right now, that work with anti-capitalist agendas. And if there aren’t any that appeal, make your own! The point of this is not just to stop consuming and pretend you’re changing the world, actually go out there and make a difference. 

7. Become involved in local politics. Register to vote. Vote. Find out who your county representatives are. Find out when they have open hours at their officers. Go and talk to them. Sign up for this service which emails you when you are able to vote in local and national elections. Tell other people to vote. Make it clear where you want your taxes to go. 

8. Evaluate your own situation. Do you work? Who do you work for? Are you a part of a union? Does your employer pay you fairly? If you’re a woman or poc, do they pay you equally? These are things everyone should investigate for themselves and others. 

9. What is your living situation? Are you a homeowner? Can you live in sustainable housing? Can you switch to solar power? Can you make a garden? A greenhouse? Can you compost? Even people in apartments can compost (I do!), or save their scraps to give to local compost collectors or farms. 

10. Everyday consuming is more insidious than we think. Besides the place you live, and the food you eat, even your guilty pleasure of stopping for fast food contributes. Find local restaurants, preferably farm-to-plate ones, and see if these can become your new favorite. 

11. Comment on what could be added to this list! What else can you do? What have you seen other people do? Let me know! This guide will be constantly edited. 

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: REWIND REVIEW: The Lion King

(Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures via wdsmediafile.com)

For an occasional new segment, Every Movie Has a Lesson will cover upcoming home media releases combining an “overdue” or “rewind” film review, complete with life lessons, and an unboxed look at special features.

THE LION KING

Anyone who seeks to own this version of The Lion King is doing so with a “how did they do that?” curiosity. The technical brilliance is its biggest selling point. That interest is answered very well by this disc release. Unlike its Pixar and Marvel offerings, Disney compiled a legitimate look into this re-imaginings wholly revolutionary bells and whistles. This movie will look gorgeous on your high-end television at home.

ANTICIPATORY SET AND PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:

Jon Favreau’s The Lion King stands as the biggest test to all of that progress and the attached criticism because of how little beyond the pristinely pixelated exterior is actually “reimagined.” So incredibly and, dare I say, unnecessarily much is nearly a shot-for-shot duplication of Disney’s most popular and most successful film of their Renaissance era. Duplicated enjoyment may have been the goal, but that makes one question a tangible purpose for truly needing any such update. Luckily, the shininess, so to speak, is an undeniably impressive and redeeming feature to a lack of implemented originality.

With around thirty minutes of extra marination here and there simplified by screenwriter and former steady Brett Ratner and Steven Spielberg collaborator Jeff Nathanson, the well-worn tale of The Lion King, with all of its hefty Shakespearean elements, is retold for a new generation. The habitat-sustaining balance of predator and prey on Pride Rock and the coming-of-age journey of an impatient young lion cub named Simba are derailed by the tragic death of his kingly father Mufasa (James Earl Jones). The pourer of snake oil and the engineer of this tragic royal coup is Mufasa’s rebuffed and cerebral younger brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his enlisted army of hyenas. Shamed to believing his idolized father’s death was his fault, Simba leaves the savanna and grows into an adult (Donald Glover) in a lush jungle far away under the practical tutelage and scrappy friendship of a meerkat named Timon (Billy Eichner) and a warthog named Pumbaa (Seth Rogen). When his former betrothed lioness (Beyonce Knowles-Carter) and a spiritual soothsaying baboon (John Kani) from his past discover Simba is alive, they urge him to return home and claim his birthright.

LESSON #1: KIDS, LET’S LEARN ABOUT FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS — Depending on your chosen educator in the movie, Timon or Mufasa, you either have a straight line (food chain) or a grander circle (food web) to describe linked survival. It’s like the duel between facts and “fake news” only sung as an anthem to help you remember. Everything that lives will die and become the ingredients to a future living thing. We all are the products of that matter ourselves. It’s just what order you observe or place you occupy in the chain or the web.

LESSON #2: CARRY NO TROUBLE OR PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE — Just as in 1994, the catchy “Hakuna Matata” comprises your specially packaged teachable nugget for the target demographic. The Swahili phrase meaning “no trouble” or “no problems” remains good advice for moving on from past mistakes and perceived failures with an attitude change to focus on the present and future.

MY TAKE:

The opening line of my review for Aladdin read “It is becoming increasingly tedious to both critique and enjoy these Disney “re-imaginings.” That hasn’t changed. Go back before that with Dumbo and I said “Audiences constantly question the values of duplicated enjoyment or tangible purpose for needing anything new and shiny made from something that worked just that way it was intended decades ago.” That hasn’t changed either. Now, when I go back two years to Beauty and the Beast and read my words of “Let them be different, whether that’s better or worse, because they are different. View them separately and independently. Judge them separately and independently,” I see where the situations have changed for me and for this line of movies. I can’t do that anymore.

It is the present entertainment landscape and the future dividends that have powered this 2019 presentation to an immense level of anticipation. There is no disputing this movie’s immediate and constant wow factor as a stunning visual and technical spectacle. The photo-real animation of The Moving Picture Company supervised by three-time Oscar winner Robert Logato, fellow Jungle Book Oscar winner Adam Valdez, and promoted top supervisor Elliot Newman add divine ethereal layers and qualities to every corner of Caleb Deschanel’s laboratory cinematography, right down to the wind, bugs, hair, and dust. The conjured natural beauty and animal physicality is easily some of the best-looking CGI work Disney has ever attempted of film.

The trade-off with the hyper-detailed realism is the loss of engaging and exaggerated personification of characters and performances from traditional hand-drawn animation. This happened for The Jungle Book as well. Nearly all of the expressive eyes, mouths, and other emotional facial features are flattened and reduced by limits of physiological accuracy. Cartoons, more often than not, will always do that better. It shows here and it is showmanship that is dearly missed.

Stellar voice work would supersede that weakness. However, this update lacks a standout showy performance, even with a “let’s do this” and “I got this” modern attitude sprinkled throughout the diverse casting. Now 88, the returning Jones has lost little timbre, but counts as another ingredient of replication rather than an opportunity for newness. Ejiofor is a less oily Scar than Jeremy Irons and his calculated line deliveries of sinister intent and ruthless edge are underplayed and too calm to a degree. Glover and Knowles feel like they are reading more than emoting and hitting high drama. The most zeal, naturally, comes from the characters with the most personality. The chicanery of Eichner and Rogen charms to embezzle each episode of their participation.

What gave 1994’s The Lion King its lasting importance is the trait of majesty. In my eyes, that always came from the music as much as, if not more than, the characters themselves. The songs composed by the famed Elton John with lyrics by Disney hitmaker Tim Rice brought magnetic appeal. Hans Zimmer’s percussive and choral musical score, which stands as his only Oscar-winning work to date, elevated the entire movie’s powerful presence for show-stopping impact. That memorable music, recomposed and reworked by all three men with the infusion and addition of Beyonce, is the smartest and, in the end, the most essential anchoring element of this carryover. That vital strength is successfully retained rather than lost. Now, the musical majesty has a matching and radiant visual one primed to stir both new and old amazement.

LESSON #3: BE A GIVING KING — The generosity of a ruler’s wisdom and actions gain more fealty among their subjects than any fear or oppressive control. Mufasa and Simba earned that loyalty. The other animals in their organic orb of influence genuflect in respect. Can the same effect be evoked from the watching audiences of Jon Favreau’s new achievement as they gain or lose trust in Disney’s reputation with these second comings? The regal resonance of this parable wins. No matter if the version of The Lion King being shown is sketched or coded, we too may bow to the grand splendor on display.

3 STARS

EXTRA CREDIT:

The centerpiece of this home media edition is 53-minute “The Journey to The Lion King.”  The presentation is divided into three chapters with director Jon Favreau’s ever-present finger in every pie.  This feature easily bests the miniature 5-15 minute attempts of its peers. Even the so-so fans for this remake will find creativity to be impressed by in the production process for this movie.  

The first segment is a 13-minute portion documenting the return of composer extraordinaire Hans Zimmer to the project that earned his only Oscar so far in his illustrious career.  With a second crack at The Lion King, Zimmer brought increases of drums and vocal force to the familiar.  Hearing Zimmer speak on his creative process and goals is fascinating.  To have him and Elton John return to curate the score and songs was a coup for the studio and filmmakers.

The middle segment is the best and is subtitled “The Magic.”  Here is where we see the extensive shooting process, led by six-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel.  The DP, the effects vendor MPC, and Favreau documented their “virtual camera” process. Ben Grossman of MPC built game engine technology where VR headsets rehearse and chart possible camera movements.  Those shots are merged with the settings created by Andrew Jones and his animation team from the original animatic storyboards. All involved really go out of their way to explain this very new technique and the conversations are very insightful.

To see more of this outside of “The Journey to The Lion King,” viewers can peruse the “More to Be Scene” selections.  Three of the major vocal set pieces (“Circle of Life,” “I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” and “Hakuna Matata”) are presented with side-by-side screen shifts of the four visual layers.  Starting with the storyboards and animation to the virtual camera shooting and final finished product, the progression is amazing to see.

Last of the three chapters, “Timeless Tale” brings forward the diverse voice talents of these animal characters and personas.  Favreau leads here to explain and defend how this cast of new performers were chosen. They, in turn, excitedly explain their connection to it all.  Many grew up as ardent lovers of the original and feel the Favreau opportunity is dream fulfillment and a large honor. The smiles are shared by all around.

Jon Favreau’s feature commentary takes all of this and goes even further with scene-by-scene breakdowns.  His complementary insights often emphasize the documentary and photo-realistic goals and desires of the movie and all those working on it.  The goal from the beginning was less anthropomorphic emotion to avoid cartooning, which addresses the contention of many for the lack of facial expressions.  Emulation came first, right down to the shot creations. According to the director, the more iconic the scene, the more the filmmakers adhered to the known memories without tinkering.  Changes were easier to make elsewhere.  

After that, the other bonus features are pretty short and simple.  Entertainment is the chief goal where the movie itself can be played straight or as a sing-along version.  For those who want to cut straight to the ditties, there is a Song Selection feature to pick any of the eight lyricized song scenes.  Music video inclusions are given to the two new original song additions, “Spirit” by Beyonce and “Never Too Late” by Elton John. Expect one of those to get an Oscar nomination slot come the winter awards season.

The final minor bit is “Protect the Pride.”  It is a tidy 3-minute PSA on lions highlighting the beneficial Lion Recovery Fund efforts supported with a bucks from Disney’s fat checkbook.  The organization’s goal with this partnership is to double the formerly endangered lion population in the wild by 2050. Helpful and harmless, it represents a positive message and kissed ring at the same time.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#833)

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[comm302strickland]

Fall 2019: DRAFT of Syllabus

COMM 302-002 Research Methods (Fall 2019) 

Instructor: Strickland, Michael, M.A. Class Time and Location: 3:00–4:15 pm (T/TH) at Multipurpose Classroom Building Room 203 Office: C-217 (T: 426-4328) E-mail: michaelstrickland@boisestate.edu Office Hours: Before/After class, or by appointment 

COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES 

This course is designed to shed light on the foundations and applications of scientific research in communication. In this class, students will learn new ways of asking and answering questions that will alter your approach to our mediated world. In particular, this course’s objectives include: 1) understand scientific research methods and basic concepts of research evaluation; 2) learn when to use the most appropriate method to investigate a certain research question; 3) learn how to design and conduct communication research; and 4) learn how to interpret the meaning of numerical results. Students will practice some basic statistics to learn how to interpret data tables and statistical relationships. 

This course has three sections: the nature of social science research in general, quantitative methods (e.g., survey, experiment, and content analysis), and qualitative methods (e.g., observation techniques, interview). Once you learn diverse research methods and related concepts, your critical thinking and reasoning to see communication research in terms of how it is done, how it could be done better, and how it can be done to answer specific questions will all be enhanced. Some of you may have reluctant feelings about this course because you think that this course has little to do with your career goals. However, I want to remind you that all areas (e.g., communication, journalism, public relations, management, and marketing) begin with a solid foundation in research, and all areas are consistently related to the research process. 

COURSE READINGS 

REQUIRED: 

Stacks, D.W. (2016) Primer of Public Relations Research, Third Edition. ISBN: The Guilford Press; Third edition  9781462522705

RECOMMENDED: 

Keyton, J. (2015). Communication research: Asking questions, finding answers (4th ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill.

Pyrczak, F., & Bruce, R. R. (2011) Writing empirical research reports (8th eds.). LA: Pyrczak Publishing. American Psychological Association (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).  Washington, DC. 

 SUMMARY OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 

Your final grade is based on scores obtained in all graded work you do for this course. Grading scales are: A+ (above 97%); A (94 – 96.999%); A- (90 – 93.999%); B+ (87 – 89.999%); B (84 – 86.999%); B- (80 – 83.999%); C+ (77 – 79.999%); C (74 – 76.999%); C- (70 – 73.999%); D+ (67 – 69.999%); D (64 – 66.999%); D- (60 – 63.999%); and F (59% and below). 

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS (400 POINTS) 

Class Participation ................................................... Quizzes .................................................................. Library Resources...................................................... Literature Review Critique .......................................... Data Analysis ......................................................... In-class Exam ......................................................... 

20 100 50 30 100 100 

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS (600 POINTS) 

Group Contract ......................................................... Peer evaluation ......................................................... Group Participation ................................................... Research Critique Papers and Presentations .................. Applications of Research Designs ................................. Research Project Paper and Presentation ........................ 

P/F P/F 50 120 80 350 TOTAL 1,000 POINTS 

* Total points and assignments are subject to change at instructor’s discretion. Students will be notified of any change. REQURIEMENTS FOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS 

All assignments in this course should be original, NOT a recycled topic submitted for another course. All writing must be presented in clear, compelling, and grammatically correct papers and be typed in 12 font size and double-spaced with one-inch margins. Also, students are required to follow the APA writing style (6th ed.). The guide and samples of the APA writing style will be made available on Blackboard (BB). Each student is responsible for knowing and following the format requirements. All writing assignments should be uploaded to BB in time AND submitted as a hard copy of your paper at the beginning of class. If your paper fails to follow the requirements noted above, 3% to 20% of the assigned grade will be deducted. 

General Tips For Writing: 

• All sources should be listed in paper and references following the APA writing format. 

• Periods and commas go inside quotation marks (“." or “ ,"). Please adhere to this convention. 

• Use direct quotes sparingly. Direct quotes should comprise no more than 5-10% of the total word count of the essay. If the use of direct citations is considered necessary, note the page number with the author’s last name and publication year (Thomson, 2012, p. 237). 

• Write from the third-person point of view (he, she, it). Do NOT use the first-person (I, we) or second-person (you) point of view unless specifically allowed in the assignment. 

• After you give an author's full name once, then use the author's last name in the remainder of your paper. Do not use the author's first name alone. 

• For in-text references, when first noted in paper, all authors’ last names should be presented (Thomson, Kang, Shipka, & Kim, 2011). For sources with more than three authors, note the first author’s last name and use “et al.” for others (Thomson et al., 2012) from the second. 

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS (400 POINTS) 

Class Participation (20 points) The instructor reserves the right to give you in-class exercises without a notice. Your class participation will be evaluated based on consistent attention and contribution to in-class activities including lectures and discussion. 

Quizzes (100 points) The quizzes will be given anytime during class. You should complete each chapter/lecture and come prepared to take the quiz. You will take 10-12 quizzes during the semester (10 points each). Only the best 10 scores of them count toward your grade after the TWO LOWEST scores are dropped. Quizzes are based on the lecture, assigned readings, and in- class exercises for that particular class period. The format of the quizzes will vary: short answer, T/F, fill-in-the-blank, and/or multiple-choice questions. 

ONLY ONE missed quiz can be excused if you submit official documentation (e.g., a doctor’s appointment slip, prescription, etc.) stating a legitimate reason for your absence on the date of the given quiz. This documentation must be submitted within one week of the missed quiz date. Excused quizzes will be not counted in the calculation of your final quiz grade, so that you will still be able to drop your lowest quiz grade. 

Library Resources (50 points) Regardless of the type of research, good library skills are essential in this course. This assignment is designed to familiarize students with the resources available through Albertsons library. A specific guide will be provided in class. 

Literature Review Critique (30 points) To learn how to write a literature view of research paper, you will analyze and critique the literature view of one research paper provided by Dr. Kang. A specific guide will be discussed in class later. 

Data Analysis (100 points) To learn how to analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative data, three assignments will be required: TWO of quantitative data (70pts) and ONE of qualitative data (30pts). You will able to learn how to run SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) with real-world data provided by Dr. Kang and how to analyze qualitative data such as fields notes and analytical memos. Specific guides will be provided later. 

In-Class Exam (100 points) There will be ONE in-class exam. Examination date and time will be toward the end of the semester. Check your schedule. Exam is a mixture of multiple-choice, T/F, fill-in-the blank, and essay format. Most of the questions will come from lectures given in class, the text book, and in-class activities. A make-up exam is offered only under dire and verified circumstances (i.e., serious illness or accident, family crisis, etc.). In such circumstances, you are expected to notify me via email prior to the exam time with some form of documentation. If an adequate notification is not done before the scheduled exam time, a penalty of one full letter grade is applied to the subsequent make-up exam. 

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS (600 POINTS) 

Each student will be assigned a group. Each group will design and conduct a research project throughout the entire semester. The project will involve a variety of assignments including research critique and presentation, applications of research methods, and a final research project. Every member of a groups is required to actively participate in and contribute to group projects. Sixty percent of the total points for the class come from group projects. Students are expected to work closely with one another, and behave responsibly. 

Group Contract (P/F) Each group is required to create a group contract and submit the contract all group members signed. The intent of contract is all group members are valuable contribute to perform all tasks necessary for the completion of this course. Failure to follow the contract will result in a lowered grade for the class. 

Peer Evaluations (P/F) After completing each group assignment, group members will evaluate each group member’s performance, including themselves. Students will rank each participant on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. The evaluations will be reflected in each group assignments grade. Failure to submit peer evaluations ON TIME will be applied to the group participation grade. 

Group Participation (50 points) This course requires each student’s active and close collaboration with group members. Student’s performance on each group project will be graded based on group members’ evaluations as well as my observation (10 pts per project). Group participation will include each student’s complying group contract, attending at group meetings, completing each assignment on time, behaving in an appropriate manner, demonstrating supportive attitudes, and ultimately making valuable contribution to each project. 

Research Critique and Presentation (120 points) Each group will select TWO of research articles provided by the instructor, for a 4-to 5-page paper (50 pts per) and 5-10 minute in-class presentations (10 pts per). Specific guides and presentation schedule will be discussed at the beginning of the course. 

Applications of Research Designs (80 points) The primary aim of this assignment is to practice research designs which students will learn in class. Each group will work on two research design assignments (40 pts each). Specific guides will be provided later. 

Research Project Paper and Presentation (350 points) Final research project is designed to lead students to do their own research from reviewing the literature, collecting and analyzing data, and discussing findings. The project will involve a variety of assignments, including research proposal (P/F), research prospectus and in-class presentation (100 pts), final paper (200 pts), research poster (30 pts), and presentation (20 pts) at the poster session. Detailed instructions will be discussed later. 

GROUND RULES/EXPECTATIONS: 

Class Attendance Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Your class attendance will be considered based on attendance sheets, which will be circulated at the beginning of class. Any excuse absence will be considered only based on official documentation such as the case of a documented emergency or documented student illness (certified by a physician’s signed statement that the student was too ill to attend class at the designated time on the designated date), death in the student’s immediate family (verified by a newspaper obituary or equivalent document), or participation in an official event sponsored by BSU (again, verified with the appropriate documentation). An excuse for official events also should be presented to me in advance. In the event of an illness or family death, I should be contacted and the verified excuses presented as soon as possible. 

I will present materials in class that is not discussed in the reading, and you will be responsible for that material on examinations. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get lecture, DVDs, and/or exercise notes for that day by checking Blackboard. As for group assignments, your group members rely on you to attend team meetings and turn in your best effort for the project. 

Deadlines One of the critical expectations of this class is that you meet your deadlines. All assignments must be submitted and/or uploaded on BB on the due dates. You should be responsible for any work lost due to technical problems (e.g., computer or printer problems). 

Penalty assessments for late submissions begin once the assignments have been collected. A deduction of 10% off the assigned grade is applied to late submissions turned in within the first 24 hours (for example, from the time that assignments are collected on Tuesday until the same time on Wednesday). Assignments submitted within the second 24 hours will result in a deduction of 20% off the assigned grade. After that (a total of 48 hours), the grade is a 0% (much worse than an “F”). For late submissions, emailed assignments are acceptable considering the possibility you could not meet the instructor after class. 

If you are medically unable to submit the assignment in class, please email it to the instructor before the class by 4:00 p.m. of the due date with an explanation. Official documentation stating a legitimate reason for an emailed submission is required within one week. 

Academic Honesty This course will strictly adhere to the University policies regarding individual integrity, and students are expected to conduct themselves professionally at all times, demonstrating highest levels of respect for the instructor and other students at all times. Any work done for this class is assumed-and required-to be your own. Cheating, plagiarism, or  any form of academic dishonesty is not acceptable. Academic plagiarism is a serious offense. Any student violating the policy will receive a grade of F in this course. Just to be clear, this includes every unacknowledged use of materials written by others (even sentences or obvious paraphrases without quotes). More information to avoid plagiarism can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/. Any incidences of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://osrr.boisestate.edu/scp-fa/). Please see the University’s guidelines for further information on this matter (http://osrr.boisestate.edu/scp-codeofconduct/). 

Classroom Courtesy Classes will start on time. If late to class, students should enter the room as quietly as possible. Regarding electronic devices, students should make their cell phones silent before class. In order to excel in this course, students are allowed to use a laptop for note-taking purpose. However, students who will use their laptops should turn off Wi-Fi capacity in class as noted in class participation. 

Class discussion will occur in an environment of mutual respect for opinions, ideologies, and points of view. During class discussion please treat others with respect. Monopolizing classroom discussion, side conversations, reading the newspaper, text messaging, preparing for another class during this class, writing a letter to your significant other---these are all examples of classroom disrespect. Disrespecting your fellow classmates or your instructor will NOT be tolerated. 

Blackboard (BB) and Email All information in this course including lecture slides and instruction for assignments will be made available on blackboard (https://blackboard.boisestate.edu/webapps/login/). You should check BB and emails as frequently as you can. Questions concerning course content are always welcome during class. Please raise your hand and when called upon, you may ask your question respectfully. Also, please feel free to meet me before or after class or by making an appointment. 

Special Needs If you have special conditions, such as physical or learning disabilities, which will make it difficult to complete class work in the time, format, quantity, or quality required or which will necessitate special academic accommodations, you must let me know within the first week of the semester so that an appropriate plan of action can be implemented in conjunction with the Educational Access Center (https://eac.boisestate.edu/new-eac-students/). 

. 

Final Research Paper by 11:59 pm on Dec. 12 (S); Peer evaluation #6 

*This syllabus provides a general guideline for the course; deviations may be necessary. It is the student’s responsibility to attend class and regularly check Blackboard to be aware of announced schedule changes.

[blackboyblogx2-blog]

The Nutrisystem Food plan And Its Effects

Nutrisystem is a convenient and simple to make use of weight reduction system that first established in the mid 1970's. Nutrisystem would probably profit dieters that wish to have their complete consuming schedule planned out for them each day like in The 80/20 Food plan and other books that outline wholesome eating. Most firms like NutriSystem have packages the place they provide coupons for their merchandise which can be good for a sure period of time. Of more than one hundred critiques, this specific Nutrisystem meal kit earned four.6 out of 5 stars. An train plan will get suggestions on the proper means of performing the strategies. I learn this review and all the nutrisystem guide comments, then I read it once more earlier than I decided on Nutrisystem for men. A quick-fix weight loss program isn't sometimes profitable in the lengthy-run for either males or girls. You get hold of Nutrisystem meals on the web as well as your order is likely to be totally customized to your preferred meals. Nutrisystem encourages customers to incorporate at the very least half-hour of exercise day by day. The food regimen plans include two further snacks you possibly can eat throughout the day between meals to assist when you really feel hungry between meals. In keeping with the official web site, Nutrisystem does work if you happen to adhere to the plan. Though it is suggested limiting your consumption of alcohol, your guide can work with you to suit some alcohol into your menu plan. Hello, I'm 3 weeks by means of my first month on Nutrisystem core mens and I'm doing nice. I feel that particular person is a troll because they sound like they're utilizing your comments as a sounding board trigger they didn't drop a few pounds on a weight-reduction plan that is so darn easy they usually feel dangerous. Yes, Nutrisystem provides vegetarian plans, however vegan options aren't accessible right now. I must lose about 24 pounds and I hear loads of individuals who seem to be able to lose that quantity on this weight loss program. I also lost 7lbs so far which has gotten me fired up and motivated to realize my 30lb objective in 3 months on this weight-reduction plan. I was having bother in my first month on Nutrisystem when I began last October. She's a senior (82) and will not prepare dinner a lot so eats what ever she will be able to seize from the fridge and it is a very unbalanced weight-reduction plan. I mixed the two kits and did the meal plan for 10 days (weekends on my own). While they're not gourmet, I've not found anything that I actually couldn't eat (The potato dishes are flaked, and that was concerning the worst grievance I had) The portability and convenience of the meals was the largest plus for me. I did get a pack of shakes to complement the diet as well, and those were not dangerous both. Ready food plan meals might help with portion management and so they may also help hold you in your weight reduction journey in case you are inclined to only grabbing the simplest factor in the cupboard or fridge because you really do not feel like cooking. More tips and meals reviews to return after Week 4 is complete since at that time I will have eaten the entire meals I selected for the 3 weeks after the Turbo Takeoff. As a part of the package, customers on the Core plan are in a position to get private recommendation from counselors and dietitians. Learn on for explanation why aligning your nutrition plan along with your exercise routine will show you how to get the physique you need. NutriSystem Nourish: This puts the diet in your palms, as it's a ebook the outlines a one-month program for preparing your individual meals whereas following the NutriSystem tips. Free Weight-reduction plan claims that Medifast is among the most successful eating regimen programs that has been used at Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, and that Medifast has confirmed to work. When you get Nutrisystem from , typically occasions they've a sale and also you get $a hundred.00 worth Nutrisystem gift playing cards for $59.00. I used one in all these every month to supplement my Nutrisystem order. The Nutrisystem Weight-reduction plan - Nutrisystem has a tried and true eating plan that is effective at serving to individuals reduce weight over time. And Nutrisystem listens to its customers, phasing out some products based on feedback and introducing new ones and reformulating previous dishes. The SPRINT diet has ranked as the #1 General Diet by US News & World Report for five years in a row and is advisable by the USDA, the National Institutes of Well being (NIH), and the American Coronary heart Association (AHA). But you may have to be ready to stick with this for four months, in the event you plan to lose 20 pounds. I did the QVC deal and acquired the plan for less than what it might cost me to do sensible ones or lean delicacies. I began the weight-reduction plan three weeks in the past I lost eleven pounds the first 2 weeks and nothing this week. All Nutrisystem meals are created to depend your energy, carbs, and fat in a properly-balanced, nutritious mealalbeit some say not always the tastiest. The average cost per thirty days is predicated on the program plus minimal costs for additional required groceries. I add weight loss program soda to the vanilla for a distinct style and blend it with ice to make like a milk shake sort of drink. The opposite day, I received an email from someone who had been doing a little analysis on each the Nutrisystem and zone weight loss program packages. Possibly: It does not value a lot, but you aren't getting as a lot help as with Weight Watchers or eDiets. Mediterranean Diet - Consuming a Mediterranean eating regimen can have a wide variety of health benefits. However, the mice already on a high-fat food plan that had been fed aspartame ended up gaining weight compared to people who did not consume the sweetener. Nutrisystem offers a 14-day free trial whereby the shopper can cancel and receive a refund (much less delivery costs). Per week, in line with Free Weight-reduction plan and Greatest Eating regimen for Me. Medifast additionally provides plans for diabetics. If you happen to will not go to meetings, the perfect on-line-only deal is the three-month $sixty five plan (with computerized month-to-month renewal at $16.95 thereafter). Different behavioral supplies have been developed for the Nutrisystem for Teens program. That is one of the explanation why there are a lot of people who're into Nutrisystem. The plan I chose, which is the Core plan, solely consists of the shelf foods as an alternative of the frozen varieties. Nutrisystem not solely is right here to help in making our lives better however in addition they really care about our lives and what we are dealing with in everyday life. I would like things to be easy and simple to arrange and Nutrisystem is nice for people who like comfort. What Nutrisystem has made me realize about my prior consuming habits is that 1) my portions have been TOTALLY out of whack, and a pair of) I thought I was eating sufficient greens in my old life, but I probably wasn't. You're additionally inspired to lift weights and get together with different Nutrisystem clients in your area for sports activities activities. I didn't lose any weight on Nutrisystem even whereas pared with day by day train because my body went into starvation mode. In a Nutrisystem weight-loss plan, you must follow the packaged meals and healthy foods suggested in a plan, to shed extra pounds. The weight-reduction plan plan takes care of the vast majority of grocery buying, cooking and portioning by delivering meals and snacks which are calorie-controlled and pre-prepared. Nevertheless, regardless that NutriSystem could have a stronger benefit with regards to their NutriSystem Meals, consultants still agree that with a view to shed weight on a everlasting basis, proper weight loss plan or good diet should all the time be coupled with regular exercise. Ladies who are pregnant or nursing, those with well being circumstances, anyone taking prescription medicines or underneath 18 years of age should contact a healthcare professional before using any weight-loss program, together with Nutrisystem. At the end of the research, the scientists found that mice on a high fats weight loss program that also drank eating regimen soda gained weight.

I placed my order for NutriSystem products utilizing the A La Carte option on their web site, and selected the 1 week possibility for $79.ninety nine plus transport, for a grand total of $ninety.99. I'm a choosy eater, and wished more control over my meal choices. The experts discovered the Abs Eating regimen reasonably efficient for fast weight loss and center of the road in most different respects. And, as one of the people who have been successful (which was extra surprising to me than anyone else,) I can let you know that the method is not as exhausting as you would possibly suppose in case you perceive the design of the program and how it works. You don't have to be slowed down with finding a freezer to store a frozen meal whereas on this system. That is by sticking to this system and not consuming anything unless it is strongly recommended by Nutrisystem. While there are not any recognized health risks associated with this plan it's not useful for managing or stopping diabetes nor does it have any direct link to benefits for the guts. They have addressed this in recent times and prospects can expect round 2000mg/day sodium if on a Nutrisystem plan. The bottom value offering is NutriSystem Flex , which is a model new program that lets you be on the program for five of seven days through the week. Nutrisystem not runs walk-in facilities, but they do have an intensive on-line community and Nutrisystem counselors can be found by cellphone too. There's a 1st month low-price deal accessible for signing up for auto-supply, however after that first month, subsequent monthly deliveries revert to the common value relying on the plan. I completed 2 months on Nutrisystem final October after shedding 14lbs I was thrilled as you may think about. One of the vital widespread subject matters is the cost of some of men's packages, which I will go over under. For example, the Peanut Butter bars, the chili cheese nacho and parmesan cheese puffs, and the honey mustard pretzel sticks are by far the tastiest of the weight loss plan food, in my view. How Much Is The NutriSystem Food?: First off, there isn't any membership or joining payment. That is the diet's maintenance program that many people go for when they're trying to transition off the weight-reduction plan and preserve off the weight that they have lost while on the program. No less than with Nutrisystem, you get food that tastes great and makes you are feeling fullwhich aren't assured with every food plan plan you try. Weight loss plan to Go is another food plan delivery service that has been round for fairly some time (1991), but I truly was unaware of it till this yr. The Lean13 program will provide help to to lose as much as 13 kilos plus seven inches (general) in your first month. Diets in Assessment concludes that this program is revered and has helped many males drop a few pounds. Lastly, women who're pregnant or breastfeeding shouldn't comply with the Nutrisystem weight loss system, as they typically have increased calorie requirements than the food regimen provides. I was very profitable on Nutrisystem 25 years in the past, again if you had to go to the store weekly to weigh-in and get your food. You're doing just nice and as long as you persist with the plan and keep up a mean 2lb per week any further, you must see higher than 25lbs lost after one other 9 weeks you are giving your self. I plan on upping the amount of exercise this week to help with the weight loss and give the physique a bit kick-begin. The Flat Stomach weight loss plan landed in the course of the pack as a result of most of its scores from the consultants have been proper round common. Contact with a program representative and visitation to a neighborhood middle are encouraged.

[gabbysurpblog]

i’VE HIT A WALL

Sorry for the caps, but that’s where my research has taken me to at this moment. Albeit I have not physically run into a wall (yet), after a rather pleasant day spent sightseeing and conversing with my close friend Hope and her boyfriend Ryse, I came to a rather scary realization. What if I am doing my research completely wrong? This is a fear many a student researcher may have at the beginning, in the middle, or even towards the end of endeavors made “in the field” so to say (we wouldn’t be students, or frankly human beings, if not). That being said, I have not Web-mb’ed my symptoms to assess the accuracy of this feeling or the likelihood that many student researchers go through this... But what I will say is that it came as a surprise. 

Coming to O’ahu, I had no idea what I was in for. The trouble with research, especially when you’re a history major who loves to read and could be surrounded by dusty old books, artifacts, newspapers, whatever old and decrepit article of reading one may desire, is the promise, no the absolute certainty, of having just too much material and information to read on and write about. I alone cannot synthesize the entire historiography of the Pacific, even narrowing down further to O’ahu and Guam, into a neat little package based on two broader terms my project was formerly known as: “Environmental History & Ethnography.” First of all, what does that even mean? These two terms are too generic in form, admittedly lacking any indication whatsoever as to what type of ethnography will be conducted or which aspect of the environment and its subsequent history I would focus on. So then I narrowed it down; my first week, people would ask 1) what are you here for/why are you here? and 2) oh, what kind of research? In all honesty, I had no idea. Although supported remotely by my overseeing professor, I was practically alone. In a foreign locale, on an island paradise I was primed and prepped to respect but ultimately to critique as a settler-colonial project at play, to appreciate and be receptive to my hosts and what they desired to show me and share with me whilst here, and to try and figure out what the heck I’m doing all the way out in the Pacific instead of going back home and just spending another summer back home. There were, and still are, a multitude of factors that led me here and continue to inspire my journey. 

As to why I’m here, I was granted a paid research assistant job by Pomona College’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), which allowed me to spend 10 weeks conducting research under Gender and Women’s Studies Professor Aimee Bahng, as we articulated what kind of research I would conduct on behalf of her and myself as well, deciding I would spend the month of June on Oahu, HI and the month of July on Guam. As for what kind of research and how it will be conducted, this has taken many forms, directions, and different ways of articulation. The generic description would be “I’m here to explore and understand how Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) on Oahu and Chamorros (those native to Guam) on Guahan/Guam relate to their islands as indigenous peoples, how they take care of and connect to their specific environment despite the presence and encroachment of settler colonialism and their current imperial occupiers (America).” This is a lot. I would continue, “I will be doing so by conducting archival research and oral interviews.” 

So far, I have spent many hours in the archive, the 5th floor of UH Manoa’s Hamilton Library, to be exact. My time slot is usually 9:00 am-5:00 pm, sometimes earlier like one day I left at 3:00 pm. I try to spend majority of the week, about 3 weekdays, at the archive and then accompany whoever or meet up with whoever is hosting me or on island on other days. I haven’t burnt out yet, but I realize how fast time flies when I am doing something that piques my interest and without time constraints or class/assignments in the way to focus on. That’s why I think I might become a librarian after chatting with UH’s Pacific Collection archivist Stu Dawrs (thanks Stu, you rock!), I’ve photocopied (for free I might add), PLENTY of material. Too much maybe, very diverse in content early on, but I think I’ve narrowed my scope mostly in terms of my original intent (how native Pacific Islanders relate to the environment/the impact settler colonialism and its other arms of control impact island environments).

However, here’s the issue. My identity as a Chamorro woman is something I pride myself on and something I can never just leave at the door. On Hawai’i, everyone has the potential to become a “local” but the social mobility/racial capital ladder is quite apparent; it’s something I find both fascinating and confusing, but what I determined early on is that it is not my place to speak on behalf or for the Native Hawaiian people, because that is not my identity. It’s uncomfortable to acknowledge but necessary to make personal progress: I am a settler, I am a tourist, I am a visitor, I am hosted, but I am not native to here and I did not grow up on island either. There are things I will never fully conceive of, but I take that in stride and aim to try and understand; I have asked more questions here than I’ve probably asked in any and all classrooms I’ve ever been in combined (mostly because I pride myself on being able to figure things out alone in an academic setting and asking questions in class is something no one ever truly feels comfortable with). This is partly due to curiosity, but mostly because I am being surrounded by my Native Hawaiian friends who allow me to feel comfortable asking about anything and everything, including the difficult conversations that may not be desired but humor me as their guest (mahalo Kawai and Hope, you and your families gave me so much comfort and support when I needed it the most). So, with all this contained yet tangential rambling in mind, I decided within the first week that I would solely focus my efforts and attention on Guam in terms of archival research. UH is a great resource for Hawaiian Studies (obviously Gabby), but also in terms of Pacific/Greater Pacific Islander Studies. In doing so, I found so many great sources and ideas. But I am left with this residual feeling, halfway through my third week on O’ahu, that I should have devoted my time to Hawaii and its people as they relate to the environment. Even the people I have connected with and whom I intend to interview next week (extremely grateful for as well), are both Chamorro male professors at UH, neither of which are Native Hawaiians. So I have to wonder, is my role and place here, the way I’ve worked to frame my research and ultimate thesis, harmful or beneficial? Beneficial as in Native Hawaiian stories are not being told by another outsider coming in, someone who is also Pacific Islander but understands the struggle for representation by another Hawaiian person... And yet, it feels like a punch in the gut, a slap in the face to not even contribute or highlight the cultural resilience and revitalization made by the people of the land I have been and continue to be hosted on. 

All of this sounds very theoretical but tangible in my head... I want it to make sense, I want to comfort myself by acknowledging my intentions were good but one cannot accomplish everything they set out to... But that’s not enough for me; hopefully I will be having at least a phone conversation and potential face to face meet-up with a Hawaiian lady my dad hooked me up with randomly (outrigger paddling my friends), potentially my friends and their family? I just didn’t think of all this until now, hence the brick wall. I already have concepts and frameworks from the teachings of my dear Kumu Dr. Kehaulani Vaughn and my other valued mentor Professor Alfred Flores in terms of Hawaiian beliefs and strategies of survivance (survival via resistance) in their separate classes (Community Health and Race & U.S. Empire in the Pacific Islands), so I don’t worry about that... If anyone actually read this entire thing, comment or personally message me your thoughts. Would love to hear ideas, thank youuu.

[nordstlige-blog]

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[milkshakedoe]

It is thus not surprising that since the end of the 1990s grand theo­retical narratives have been en vogue again, such as Empire, by Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, Manuel Castells’s The Information Age, or the recently published Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber. Such books, although very different politically and in terms of content, em­ploy Marx’s categories to a greater or lesser extent: partly they are used to analyze contemporary developments; partly they are criticized as ob­solete. It is obvious that today one cannot avoid Marx’s Capital if one wants to fundamentally understand capitalism. However, common not only to these three books but also to a lot of other publications is their somewhat superficial treatment of Marx’s categories: they often appear only as empty phrases. An engagement with the original is necessary, not only to criticize such superficiality, but above all because Capital, writ­ten more than a hundred years ago, gives a more comprehensive analysis of capitalism and is in many ways more contemporary than many of the pompously packaged works written in the present.

If we begin to read Capital, we encounter certain difficulties. Particularly at the beginning, the text is not always very easy to under­ stand. The three books’ mere girth is also likely to act as a deterrent. Under no circumstances, however, should one be satisfied with reading only the first volume. Since Marx represents his object o f inquiry on dif­ ferent levels of abstraction that mutually imply and complement each other, the theory of value and surplus value dealt with in the first volume can only be fully understood at the end of the third volume. What one believes to be understood after reading only the first volume is not only incomplete, but in fact distorted.

It is also somewhat tricky to understand the claim expressed in the subtitle of Capital and which Marx also used to characterize his entire scientific project: Critique of Political Economy. In the nineteenth century, political economy broadly referred to that which we today call economics. By using the term “critique of political economy,” Marx suggests that he is not interested only in a new presentation o f political economy, but rather in a fundamental critique of all established economic science. Marx wants a “scientific revolution,” albeit with a political, social revolutionary interest in mind. In spite of all these difficulties, one should read Capital. The fol­ lowing Introduction cannot replace reading the original; it is only meant to offer an initial orientation. (A detailed commentary on the first two chap­ ters of Capital amended by commentaries on other Marxian texts dealing with value theory can be found in Heinrich (2009). A continuation of this commentary (covering chapters 3-7) will appear in 2013.)

In this, readers should be aware that they are bringing to this text cer­tain assumptions about the nature of capital, crisis, and also of the purpose of Marxian theory. These assumptions, which have been formed automat­ically by schools and media, through conversations and conflicts, have to be critically interrogated. The point is not only to engage with something new, but also to investigate that which seems familiar and obvious.

This interrogation should begin with the first chapter. There we develop, on the one hand, a preliminary definition of capitalism that is different from many everyday understandings of the term. On the other hand, we discuss the role of Marxism in the workers’ movement. The point is to show that there is in fact no such thing as “Marxism.” There has always been disagreement as to what the core of Marx’s theory really is—not only between “Marxists” and “critics of Marx,” but also among “the Marxists” themselves. After the second preparatory chapter (chap­ ter 2), which is dedicated to a preliminary characterization o f the subject matter of Capital, the proceeding chapters roughly follow the structure of the argument in the three volumes of Capital: chapters 3 to 5 treat the content of the first volume, chapter 6 the content of the second, and chapters 7 to 10 the content of the third volume.

Marx planned but never managed to carry out an analysis of the state that would proceed as systematically as his analysis of the economy. In Capital, we find only a few scattered remarks on the state. However, a critique of capital without a critique of the state is not only incomplete, it actually invites misunderstandings. Chapter 11 will therefore briefly develop some points for a critique of the state. The concluding chapter 12 contains a short discussion of what socialism and communism mean for Marx and what they do not.

Particularly over the last few decades, many of the reductionisms of traditional “worldview” Marxism ( Weltanschauungsmarxismus) (on this term see chapter 1.3) have been subject to critique. This critique has read Marx not only, as the traditional perspective did, as the better economist, but primarily as a critic o f a social structure that is mediated by value and thus “fetishized.” This “new reading” of Marx’s work on the critique of political economy forms the basis of the present Introduction. My pre­ sentation thus builds on a particular interpretation of Marx’s theory, while others are dismissed. However, to remain within the scope of this Introduction, I had to largely refrain from engaging with other interpreta­tions. I explain my understanding of the critique of political economy in more detail in Heinrich (1999). A discussion o f the relevant literature can be found in Heinrich (1999a).

Chapter 3 engages with Marx’s theory of value. I suggest that this chapter be read particularly closely, including by those who already be­ lieve they understand the theory and only want to inform themselves about topics that build upon it such as credit and crisis. This chapter is not only the basis for everything that follows; the above-mentioned “new reading” of Marx’s work is also particularly apparent here.

[fielddaylondon-blog1]

Deepika Padukone

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