#if nobody got me dictionary.com got me

[whitmore]

niki giving phil the flint and steel was cinematic poetry ok did you know every niki is fire she is her own match and own flame in every iteration. the association is always so ridiculously strong it literally writes itself— how likely was it that nobody else in the area had a flint and steel but her !!!!! in every metaphor in every universe etc etc

[mariana-oconnor]

The Abbey Grange pt 2

So, last time we had a woman who claimed to have been assaulted by burglars who then murdered her abusive husband and her stoic and devoted maid.

I think that she killed him and used the burglars, who had apparently been in the newspaper, as convenient scapegoats, but I also think that was a good move on her part, so I'm fingers crossed that she gets away with it.

And Holmes spotted something weird with the glasses the 'burglars' had been drinking out of, then immediately dismissed it and left Stanley Hopkins, who seems to work purely on cases where the victim is an old and violent man who nobody likes, to hunt down the burglars.

During our return journey I could see by Holmes's face that he was much puzzled by something which he had observed.

I may have been wrong about Holmes realising it was the lady of the house. This does seem at odds with that.

"...on my life, Watson, I simply can't leave that case in this condition. Every instinct that I possess cries out against it. It's wrong—it's all wrong—I'll swear that it's wrong. And yet the lady's story was complete, the maid's corroboration was sufficient, the detail was fairly exact."

Right, so no, he hadn't figured it out. The wine glasses do still vex him.

"...dismiss from your mind the idea that anything which the maid or her mistress may have said must necessarily be true."

That is, indeed, how you should approach every witness statement to every crime ever. Like, even if they're not lying, they might just be confused. The woman had a blow to the head (apparently) that discombobulates a person.

"Some account of them and of their appearance was in the papers, and would naturally occur to anyone who wished to invent a story in which imaginary robbers should play a part."

Precisely.

And my theory with the glasses is that she and her husband were having a drink. Or just her husband was having a drink. And she had to add a third glass to corroborate her story and that didn't match or hadn't been drunk out of. Maybe she drugged him so she could kill him, but that doesn't really fit with the way the body was found.

"The most unusual thing of all, as it seems to me, is that the lady should be tied to the chair.”

Really, Watson? Why?

I mean... that seems fairly self-explanatory to me. Is it just because you could never consider tying a lady to a chair, in which case, I guess we know more about your sex life than we did, but really?

Watson is baffling me here.

“Exactly; but there was bees-wing only in one glass. You must have noticed that fact. What does that suggest to your mind?”

wtf is beeswing?

beeswing. / (ˈbiːzˌwɪŋ) / noun. a light filmy crust of tartar that forms in port and some other wines after long keeping in the bottle.

(from dictionary.com)

Okay. I remember being told off for shaking a port bottle as a kid, so I guess that was what I was being told off about.

“That only two glasses were used, and that the dregs of both were poured into a third glass, so as to give the false impression that three people had been here. In that way all the bees-wing would be in the last glass, would it not?"

Three things:

That's what I said.

Would none of the beeswing stick to the glasses it came from?

Why not just pour some more from the wine bottle? It has been specified that it wasn't empty.

Sherlock Holmes, finding that Stanley Hopkins had gone off to report to head-quarters, took possession of the dining-room, locked the door upon the inside, and devoted himself for two hours to one of those minute and laborious investigations which formed the solid basis on which his brilliant edifices of deduction were reared.

He was crawling around on the floor like a worm again, wasn't he?

Then, to my astonishment, Holmes climbed up on to the massive mantelpiece.

Crawling and climbing. It's like a crime scene adventure playground. He must be having so much enrichment today.

“We have got our case—one of the most remarkable in our collection. But, dear me, how slow-witted I have been, and how nearly I have committed the blunder of my lifetime!"

Or maybe you could just... let her get away with it?

"Strong as a lion—witness the blow that bent that poker. Six foot three in height, active as a squirrel, dexterous with his fingers; finally, remarkably quick-witted, for this whole ingenious story is of his concoction."

Was the lady's height specified? I feel like if she was 6'3" someone would have mentioned it.

So she got a friend to come and help her kill her husband? Good for him, too, I guess.

THough she was sitting down through the whole interview, so maybe she is 6'3" and it's just that no one noticed because she was sitting down.

“Yes, sir, it is true that he threw the decanter at me. I heard him call my mistress a name, and I told him that he would not dare to speak so if her brother had been there."

Ah, there we are. The missing piece is a brother. That makes sense.

“I have told you all I know.” Holmes took his hat and shrugged his shoulders. “I am sorry,” he said, and without another word we left the room and the house.

Ah, I think that, right there... was the point of no return. If you'd just told him, he probably wouldn't have done anything about it.

But now he's gonna do something about it.

The first officer, Mr. Jack Croker, had been made a captain and was to take charge of their new ship, the Bass Rock, sailing in two days' time from Southampton.

Not the brother? A friend from the ship? Modern travel times have made me forget that the time since the marriage probably isn't long enough for a message to get to Australia, let alone for her brother to receive one then get on a boat and come to the UK.

Unless he was already following her before that.

“No, I couldn't do it, Watson,” said he, as we re-entered our room. “Once that warrant was made out nothing on earth would save him. Once or twice in my career I feel that I have done more real harm by my discovery of the criminal than ever he had done by his crime."

Aw, Holmes, you're a big teddy bear really.

“I am very glad if I have helped you.” “But you haven't helped me. You have made the affair far more difficult."

Yeah, he knows.

"The Randall gang were arrested in New York this morning.” “Dear me, Hopkins! That is certainly rather against your theory that they committed a murder in Kent last night.”

This entire conversation is gold.

“The time has come. You will now be present at the last scene of a remarkable little drama.”

Cliffhanger time.

[asukaskerian]

🌩️🌤️

🌩️ Share something funny/cracky from your WIP. ot4 still!

Goat: okay, picture this. nineteen, five months pregnant, sleeping under a bridge. 

Me: alone?

Goat: don't interrupt me. 

Me: who knocked you up

Goat: idk some jerk

Me: hn

Goat: grimmjow. >:(

Me: yeah fine ok. sleeping under a bridge.

Goat: suddenly, guy in a limo. 

Me: suspension of disbelief crashed

Goat: fuckin pick it up then! Guy. In a LIMO.

Goat: by the way it's also raining copiously and my tattered t-shirt is sticking to me like cling wrap.

Me: ................. ok how much thought did you put into this

Goat: ANYWAY guy brings me to his manor (shut up. Yes the manor is essential and also the bed the size of two parking spots.)

Goat: hot bath with bubbles, five courses dinner, etc etc etc. then comes the time to pay my rent with my body, BUT!

Goat: intimidated, i believe he will then ravish me!!

Me: and then you wonder why women take ten centuries to nut. If you gotta rewrite war and peace first 

Goat: shuuuut the frickfrack up 

Goat: it turns out! I am not for him! His beloved wife is in a tender condition (swooning, possibly also pregnant) and he, too vigorous and virile, etc etc

Goat: just saying, i would go down like the titanic.

Me: uh huh

Goat: very grateful and also very seduced etc etc, him looming sternly to ensure i do it right, her overwhelmed, never knew the touch of a woman, yadda yadda

Me: i'm still stuck on how SOME GUY got you pregnant and fucked off

Goat: OKAY FINE there's this sexy bad boy who knocked me up, condom broke, i didn't tell him BUT he finds out, comes to find me just in time to see the limo take me away!

Goat: climbs the wall to rescue me from my lascivious captor

Me: if i gotta keep dictionary.com open for this

--

🌤️Share your favorite piece of dialogue from your WIP. i have SO MANY???

"So. Yeah. Roommates suck. You pay more than them and it chafes your ass, you pay less and you can't open your mouth without being told you can also get the fuck out if you've got a problem, nobody but you will wash a single fucking plate, the TV's broken and nobody will fess up, then someone throws a fist."

Ichigo opens his mouth, closes his mouth -- and then apparently can't hold back any farther than that and says drolly, "Yeeeeah, I suspect that might have been the 'bunch of feral teen bastards raising each other' thing mixed with 'where's the money coming from tomorrow' stress." 

Nelliel chokes on a laugh she really wasn't expecting. "That's... Huh."

"... Sounds fake, but okay." Grimmjow squints. "You ain't gonna tell us being saddled with roommates as a married couple is awesome though."

... Now why did Ichigo clear his throat like that? 

He stands all at once, bussing his and Hime's glasses back to the sink, and starts the hot water to wash them, studiously not looking at any of them. Nel blinks. Okay, that's -- suspicious? Strange? 

"Honestly, I used to live with two sisters and my dad who has a really big personality, let's call it that, and my room was Grand Central for all our friends back in high school. It's quiet here, and that's cool, but we live too far from all of them to just drop by so we haven't really seen them in months. The neighbors are alright but we don't hang out either, so..."

Nelliel nods slowly, brow furrowed. His head's still bowed over his glass, scrubbing at nothing. "I guess. But that's visiting, not..."

"Visiting is good! And I..." Orihime tangles her fingers together, staring down at her hands. "After my brother died -- I was fourteen -- I lived alone, in a studio -- and it was... lonely." 

"Oh right, your bitch aunt." 

Ichigo's hand slips on the spigot; water splashes. He splutters, getting a faceful; Nel slaps a hand on her mouth. Fuck.

Grimmjow is staring, not even at Nelliel's sudden comment or at Ichigo being ridiculous, but at Orihime. "Didn't hear about that."

"Well! I still had my own place and all! It's pretty cool for a teenager! Serious street cred!" 

"You hated it," Grimmjow retorts, eyes gone narrow.

"I hated it," Orihime admits, voice quiet. "But I spent a lot of time at Tatsuki-chan's house and at Ichigo's, so it wasn't too bad. Then I got into a share-house for university! That was great." She takes a deeper breath, like she's bracing. "I like that Nel-chan is here during the day. I kinda -- otherwise, I just... I do chores, I guess." 

Stranded at the sink, Ichigo looks stricken, like he didn't know, didn't fully realize. 

"All my other friends work," Orihime adds, bowing her head. "And it's -- it's nice, keeping house! It's my house, I like doing it! But it doesn't take all the hours in my day, you know? And it's -- quiet."

Ichigo steps up to her, rests a hand on her back. She smiles up at him, bright like she said nothing of importance. He furrows his brow back; he's not buying it. 

Her smile shrinks, turns sadder. Nel turns her glass in her hands.  

Everyone is silent for a moment. 

"We should have had this conversation in the pillow fort," Orihime says all at once, eyebrows furrowed very seriously.

Nelliel cracks up.

[cacerescabreravaleria]

How did I save water yesterday?

Yesterday, me and my family went to the beach and took a swim in the ocean. Afterward, we came back to the house to take a shower. Naturally, my bathing suit was wet and filled with sand. Instead of putting it into the laundry machine, I washed it while I showered to avoid doing laundry for just one piece of clothing.

Definitions

*Story: A description, either true or imagined, of a connected series of events.

*Tale: A story about imaginary events; an exciting or dramatic story.

*Science-fiction: A genre of fiction that creatively depicts real or imaginary science and technology as part of its plot, setting, or theme.

"Preserving the Flow: A Water Conservation Crusade"

A science-fiction short story.

It was 2085 when it happened. The year nobody thought would arrive. But, it did, bringing many issues to humankind. We were warned about the future and how we would end up if we didn’t start taking care of the environment and its sources. Yet, we didn’t listen. And it all came down to the terrible water scarcity the planet faced during that year when everything began falling apart.

My older self lived with her husband John and their AI helper, Seven. One morning, she turned the TV on and a hologram of the news was projected into the living room. A robot reporter from CNN was delivering a message that was about to change the world.

“Earlier, workers from the Global Groundwater Storage confirmed that the wells once filled with water are now completely dry. This was the only source humans had to access water. World leaders are now gathered at the UN to come up with solutions urgently. Stay tuned for further information”.

“Impossible” –she let out. However, she saw it coming. Just like everyone else did.

Despite the warnings we had received in the past, no one cared and now we’d have to deal with the consequences. She decided to fix it, otherwise, no one would survive.

She was able to get a time machine and carry out her plan: travel to the past to look for me, her younger self, then, we’d both show the world the unfortunate event that awaited in the future, in order to, create conscience among people.

The day we met I was 17 years old, and she was 79. I was in a café when she came in. And, somehow, I immediately knew, although I didn’t know what exactly. I came over to her.

“Hello”- she said.

“Hi”- my voice was shaking. “I think I know who you are”. – I was amazed this was happening.

“Then you know why I am here”.

“It finally happened, huh”

“Yes, unfortunately”. - Her eyes were tearful.

Seven screened the news they got earlier in the morning. I was shocked.

There was no time to lose since 2023 was the year the lack of water started. We let the message out via Instagram. It was hard, but we proved it was real. People freaked out. As a result, millions were campaigning for water and our well-being. The UN worked closely with every country to preserve water storage and from then, nature became our priority.

Time had passed by. This is 2085 and there hasn’t been any water issue. Our actions had worked. Hopefully, there will be no need to do it again.

This pictur was created using an AI image generator online, describing exactly how I wanted the picture to look.

REFERENCES

Story.(2023). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/story

Tale Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary. (s. f.). https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/tale

Mazurek, D. (2022). What is science fiction? The elements that define Sci-Fi. En Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/e/what-is-science-fiction-sci-fi/

VIDEO

[shaanks]

7, 11, 14, 50!

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which would you choose?

-- A selkie, I think. My kneejerk reaction is always vampire and that’d still be fine but there’s something in my heart that very much likes the idea of shedding human form and disappearing into the ocean tbh.

11. Who is a mentor to you?

-- This one is kind of difficult. I’m not sure I have one in the truest sense of the word right now. I’m in a transition period academically and I don’t have like. A trade or a hobby I’m passionate enough about to truly be mentored in that way. So in the dictionary.com sense nobody is my mentor right now, but like. I like to think that the people I look up to and care for mentor me every day on how to be human and how to be more present in the moment. I learn a lot of lessons about compassion and perseverance and the human condition from like. You and Rae and Rox and Megs and the gang, and for all of my family’s shortcomings we’ve been riding out this insane nightmare together and like. IDK. this is a long Holden Caulfieldy ramble but the tl;dr is my loved ones are my mentors even if the dictionary would disagree with my word usage. 

14. Do you consider yourself a romantic?

-- Y e s. I’m AWFUL. I’m filled with schmoop up to my eyeballs, I can’t read fic unless everything is soft and it’s v clear the people involved love each other and everything is gonna work out okay. I’m a SUCKER for soft sweet gestures and cuddles and the sappy meanings behind like. Early 2000s love ballads. I’m literally the worst, ironically it’s partially why I’ll never find love, nobody’s got time for all my hand holding and nose kisses and dumb pet names. 

50. Invent your own word. What does it mean?

-- Aeflouse. the sensation of falling down into oneself, comfortably so, while contemplating just how different you are compared with the expectations of your younger self. 

“She was aeflouse in the dying light of the evening, content to simply sit in the swing chair as the night settled in around her, quiet and still.” 

[xiaobaemoon]

Moon: A Taeil Au Part Four: Regret

A/N: This part is on the sad and serious side again, but I really wanted to continue the story like this. I am sorry  if you are here fore the romantic and happy parts, they will follow, I promise. I am thankful for your support and I wish you all a happy weekend and do not forget to tell me your opinion or to request me something. I am also here if you need someone to talk to.Bye

TW: violance,panic attacks,abusing relationship

Word Count:1.565 Words

“Regret: a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc”- Dictionary.com

It happened in the summer break two years ago. You had a part-time job at the local supermarket. It was not like you needed the money, you just wanted to gain some experiences. On your first day he explained everything to you. He showed you around and told you to turn to him, if any problems would occur. The boy was about five years older than you and worked at the supermarket for a long time now. He seemed reliable and it would be wrong to describe him as ugly. His jawline was sharp like a knife and his eyes seemed like they could look directly into your heart. His hair was black like the night and always messy, yet he managed to appear groomed. His name was John.You liked him.  Everyone did.He was the typical nice guy. He helped the older people carrying their purchases, gave free candies to children and talked in a sweet way to all people. But he was not as nice as you thought. You had to discover the truth later on.

 On a rainy day he offered you to drive you home and you said yes. Your heart was beating fast as you seated yourself into the small car. It smelled like deodorant and his after-shave. “You know, Y/n” he started with his raspy deep voice. You loved it when he said your name. “You do a really good job and…How should I put it?” A smile appeared on his face. What was he going to say? You felt your head getting hot. Don’t blush! He will see it! He cleared his throat and began a second time.” I think I like you. Do you want to be my girlfriend? I understand if you don’t want to.” You could not believe what you just have heard. Of course you said yes, but it was a mistake. It was a big one.

                                              “So, he basically was your first boyfriend?” Taeil interrupted you. You nodded and continued your story without looking away from your hand, which was laced with the hand of your current love. He was strong and you needed his strength.

Your relationship started of normal. The both of you went on dates, ate together and cuddled a lot. He loved being touched and he loved touching you. You were shy, he was your first boyfriend after all and you were not used to this kind of attention. You were happy, which you had not been for a long time. You felt save around him. Until the night he hit you. It happened four months into your relationship. John had a rough week, he was the manager of the super market and you knew that he worked hard, but this took you by surprise. His hand was shaking as it reached your face. He was strong, stronger than you had imagined. The tears were streaming down your cheeks but he apologized. He said that he would not do it a second time. He said that he had a rough week and a bit too much to drink. You nodded and hid the blue coloring of your pale skin with makeup. You believed him. You wanted to believe him. He was your boyfriend after all.  But once turned into a second time and a second time turned into a third one. He got more violent with every time. Your face was not his only target anymore, which made it easier to hide the marks he gave you. You felt ashamed. He was not your safe place anymore. He was not  the hero anymore, but the villain.

As soon as you closed your mouth Taeil let go of your hand and walked in front of the mirror. His back was turning towards you and you could see how his body was moving. His shoulders were tense. His breathing was fast. Why did he let go of you when you needed him by your side? Maybe he was not so different after all. Your tears fell onto your hands. You could not look at him and so could he.

“I read a story once” he started with a shaky voice.”The protagonist was in love with a girl but he was too shy to confess to her, so she married a different man. The man called his feeling regret. He described it as a hole in your chest you knew you could have filled. He described it as one of the strongest emotions a person could feel. You would know that the feeling would come but when it’s there it would hit you by surprise. I understand him now.” You looked at the reflection of your boyfriend and saw a person you have never seen before. His face appeared empty and the dark circle under his even darker eyes seemed like creatures who tried to imitate them. He looked dull and fragile. His chest was moving fast and his face was wet. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. The so soft mouth of him was facing the floor and seemed motionless while he spoke.” I am sorry, Y/N. I am so sorry. I should have talked to you earlier. I was in your class at this time. I…” the tears were stopping him from talking. Why was he apologizing? He did nothing wrong.

“Don’t apologize, Taeil! You do not have to regret anything. I can’t blame you for being like you are. I hid everything pretty well. Nobody knows of that. You are the only one I’ve ever told that. I trust you and I do not want to see you so down because of me. It’s me who should apologize for being such a burden.” You sniffed inside a tissue and took a deep breath. Taeil should not feel like this. Seeing your boyfriend cry made your heart sunk into a deep hole of emptiness. You cared about him and you hated seeing people you care about being down.You did not understand his feeling but you wanted him to smile at you and to comfort you ,but it seemed like it was your turn now to comfort someone. Again.

Before you could say another word he turned around and threw his arms around you which led you both falling backwards on the bed. His kissed your head and stroke your hair. The both of you rested like that for a while. Crying was exhausting, not only mentally. You wished you could  stay like this forever. Feeling the warmth of his body on yours, while his cold hand was behind your head to hold it. “I feel regret because I am just like the protagonist of the book” he whispered. “I’ve always admired you and I do it even more now. You are so strong, Y/n. I have always seen how you smiled at your few friends but when you sat alone in class I could see your real face. I could see the Y/n filled with insecurity and self-doubt, yet you always seemed to be so strong. You are not a burden for me. You are what makes me feel so many things. I wish I would have talked to you back then, maybe I could have helped you or even prevent a few things, but I did not and that’s what’s bugging me. You I’m not good with showing my emotions but it makes me upset to see like this and to hear about those injustices. ”  You cried for a second time. “I love you” was all you could whisper. How could you doubt him? Taeil always knew what to say. He was incredible.

After you stopped to cry the both of you just laid on your bed, your hands laced for a second time. The moonlight was making his face shimmer. Taeil was already asleep and you watched his closed eyes moving. He murmured something on his native language. He always did that while sleeping and you wondered what he was saying. He seemed to say the same words every time he was sleeping. Was it a prayer? You watched his lips moving. They appeared much familiar and softer now. Two big strokes of hair were falling into his face. You loved him with all your being. You wished you could watch him like this forever. Just him being peacefully and calm next by your side. Suddenly a heavy feeling hit you. Your chest tightened and you longed for a breath. Your head felt dizzy and your sight got blurry. You just realized that your precious angel, your moon-boy would have to leave in a few months and that you would be alone. You would never see his face again. You would never see him sleep again and  you would never feel his warm hand in yours again. Tears started to stream down your cheeks for a third time this night as you laid your head on your pillow and closed your eyes. You wiped your tears away and concentrated on the soft voice of your boyfriend. His voice was the most calming thing you knew of. You had to record it before he would leave. His language sounded so angelic too, you wished you knew what he was saying.

You tried to make similarities out, when familiar words caught your attention. They were Human and your name.

[littlemissmeggie]

all prime numbers for that ask meme?

oh my gosh, i had to google prime numbers because it’s honestly been about twelve years since i last had to think about what “prime numbers” meant and what numbers were actually prime numbers. 

anyway…

2. Favorite part of writing: i love when i have the big “aha!” moments when i think of a plot point or a scene or even a line of dialogue that fills in a gap i’d been struggling with, whether it’s a gap that really needed to be filled in or was one that nobody but me noticed. and i love when i think of little details to weave into my story that i feel add vibrancy to the story, whether readers notice them or not.

3. Least favorite part of writing: i hate when i get stuck in one spot and i can’t seem to get past it. like, i’ll know what’s supposed to happen next because i have it all outlined and even have specifics of the next bit sketched out but i can’t seem to get over the hump of the part i’m working on, either because i can’t turn my thoughts and ideas from the outline and drafts into words that actually flow together and sound nice or because i just keep staring at my computer screen without any motivation to write.

5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most: definitely j.k. rowling but mario puzo in a big big way. agatha christie probably, too. the godfather most definitely has impacted my writing style. 

7. Favorite author: mario puzo

11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish: drabbles and short oneshots often just start as a blank google doc, though i usually write at least a couple lines in my notebook; it’s usually the prompt or basic idea, i.e. cornerstone or high school golf!narry + artist!zayn. longer fics, like a little drop for me start as a page in my notebook with basic plot and story idea and then have a list of main characters, a list of settings and locations, and a list of scene ideas that came to mind as i was working through my first page of plot ideas. then i work through "character interviews" and identify the conflict/resolution, major plot points, and the main character(s) objective(s) and stuggles/obstacles achieving their goal. after all of that, i write a handwritten rough draft, outlining the entire story. i start with a typed first draft after that, filling in blanks and adding proper dialogue and adding descriptions of characters and settings from my "character interviews" and location descriptions. i go back through and work out plot holes and any parts i don't like or feel need to be reworked and then do a final draft with editing. the notes feature on google docs and post-it notes to add bits and pieces to my handwritten outline are my best friends when i'm writing.

13. How do you deal with writers block? with longer stories, i often go back to the beginning and reread what i’ve written. it sometimes helps me because, as i’m reading along and picturing the story and the characters and places, i can see what should happen next or gain more insight into what a character was thinking or feeling or find a little breadcrumb that i may have missed the first time around that can sometimes become the catalyst for what i’m missing. i also like to go back to my outline for the same reasons. if all else fails, i take a day off from writing or work on an unrelated drabble or short oneshot to get myself out of whatever universe i’ve been wrapped up in. 

17. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day? it really depends on my “real life,” unfortunately. sometimes i can only write 500 words and sometimes i can write 4,000 and sometimes i look blankly at the open google doc until i decide nothing’s going to come to me and give up for the day. at the height of writing my last fic, though, i was writing about 3,000 to 5,000 words a day.

19. First line of a WIP you’re working on: “Holy shit, Z,” said Niall, reaching out to smack his friend on the arm.

23. Single or multi POV, and why? i write in third-person omniscient. i don’t try to write in that style, it’s just what seems the most natural to me. i feel that i’m very much in each character’s mind and am considering every character’s emotions and thoughts when i’m creating my story so it seems natural to show insight into everyone’s, or almost everyone’s, point of view.

29. Who do you write for? me. i like to write stories that i enjoy going back to read. and i write because it’s an enjoyable hobby that challenges me and that i can improve upon.

31. Hardest character to write: i wrote several short stories that focused on my relationship with one of my cousins and were sort of “what-if” situations—fictionalized events in some sort of weird AU of my own life—that have and never will be posted or published anywhere. only one person has ever read them other than me. and i found that writing myself was the most difficult character to write.

37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you: really, just about anything robin williams ever said. but i’ve always been partial to one of his lines from the movie dead poets society. “no matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

41. How many stories do you work on at one time? i usually only write one story at a time, though i’ll sometimes write a drabble or a short oneshot while i’m working on a longer story. as i mentioned in question #13, i often try to deal with writer’s block by getting out of the story and focusing on something else for a bit.

43. Are you an avid reader? i used to be when i was younger; as a kid and teenager and young adult, i read a book a week. since my mid-20s, though, i’ve not read as much. my goal for the summer is to reread the harry potter series, the godfather, and the last don.

47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story? since i mostly write fanfiction, my characters already sort of partially exist anyway, so i start with my basic plot and storyline before going back to shape my characters to fit around the story. when i write non-fanfiction, i feel like my plot and characters sort of form simultaneously. 

53. What does writing mean to you? i went to school and got a degree and then a career in a profession that isn’t my true passion but is something i like well enough and am very very good at and knew i would always be able to find a job doing. but music and writing have always been my two biggest passions, as well as things i’m rather good at. so writing sort of gives me a sense of fulfillment, and engages my creative side, in a way that my “real” job doesn’t. and since it’s something i can constantly improve and, between researching topics for my stories and reading through thesauraus.com and dictionary.com and reading through writing blogs for tips on writing outlines and proper grammar and punctuation, etc, allows me to learn so much, it’s a welcome challenge that’s a much better “hobby” and use of my free time than just scrolling mindlessly through tumblr or watching television.

(sorry this took so long to answer! my real life has been a bit busy with my work schedule! and i try to keep my tumblr use to no more than 15 minutes at a time during the summer to keep myself from getting sucked in for too long. i work a lot from may to october and i don't like to spend all of my free time scrolling through tumblr.)

[abraxasrinbalt]

So I'm guessing you supple Cami with the whole thing going on over there?

-sips coffee- Cool, now I can actually talk about this without feeling like I’m jumping on a bandwagon! And hopefully I don’t sound like too much of an asshole while answering too… Sorry if it seems that way, honestly >w>;;

 Anyways, to the topic at hand:

My stance on what’s currently happening with Camila, all the hate shes getting both on and off anon, her behaviour and all that other shit was, still is, and always will be:

Why bother? What good does screaming at a screen or crying into a keyboard do for anyone? Specifically this new round of hate… It’s all seriously the most hilarious piece of “drama” I’ve seen in a good while. For those curious as to why this is so funny to me ((under a cut because boy fucking howdy this got long and wordy lmao)):

Ok so people are upset about Camila using the word “retarded”, yes? There are literally THREE! DIFFERENT! POSTS! that have the word “retarded” in them which came before THIS POST. 

Okay so she used the word “retarded” in it’s 2nd sense, which as defined by dictionary.com is:

You see that #2 under “adjective”? slang. 

What is “slang”?

So how about that first definition?

The proper definition of “retarded” as an adjective was, is, and always will be the first shown here, while “slang” can vary from place to place. There is no changing this. And personally? It shouldn’t be this big of a deal if someone uses slang. I myself am a person that will happily use offensive words towards close friends that are okay with it. IE: Greeting someone with “Hey loser” or “sup fgt”, shit like that. Because they know and understand that I’m joking.I will also not hesitate to call some shithead kid a shithead for doing something horrible, like stealing art from someone, or trying to ruin a person’s livelihood without justifiable reasons.

And newsflash: This is the internet. People can have all the opinions they want, nobody can really stop them on that front. But it’s hardly fair to go about shoving opinions down other’s throats, especially people that will most likely never be met in real life. I mean, all ya haters may as well start sending hate to MaxOutOfTen for using the word “faggot” as a form of friendly banter… wait, is “faggot” still a derogatory word? Pretty sure it is… Max has anons off though so better be ready man the fuck up and wear that hateful behaviour like a cheap suit. I lied he turned on anons last night while I was sleeping lmfao.

As Camila said in several easy-to-find posts, it’s all about context. And a lot of people are missing the context of her posts.

As a closing statement here, remember THIS POST? Yeah, if you read it… the thing that, from what I saw, reminded everyone that they had their knickers in a twist was… How do I put this nicely…

Camila calling her own work “retarded”. Everyone that is sending her hate is defending her work. This fact alone is what makes this “drama” so hilarious to me.

So yes, at the present time, I am leaning more towards Camila on this, though I still hold a strong air of “who fucking cares”. The sheer amount of hate she’s getting for this topic is completely unfair, not to mention how her livelihood is being ruined by some loser with too much time on their hands. There are a lot more productive things that could be getting done than sitting around whining because someone used a word you don’t like. Being honest here though, I really think this could have been dealt with better if Cami just simply… ignored the asks. What’s that expression? “Don’t feed the trolls.”? Pretty sure that was it.

Related, I spent two hours in bed drinking my morning coffee ((got a refill in between lmao)) and alternating between this answer and planning the next arc of my comic with my editors. Definitely productive use of time on my end! 

also just, my icon was a shitpost from a multistream i was doing with some friends last night and i just love it too much to pass up, the face is gorgeous and it was fitting for this situation.

Hope this answers ya question, friend!

[vocalfriespod]

Literally Exploding with Nerd Rage Transcript

Carrie Gillon   Hi, welcome to the vocal fries podcast the podcast about linguistic discrimination.

Megan Figueroa   I'm Megan Figueroa

Carrie Gillon   and I'm Carrie Gillon.

Megan Figueroa   So we always have to figure out who introduces the podcast each week. And it It feels like My Favorite Murder to me, where they never know who goes first.

Carrie Gillon   It's true.

Megan Figueroa   I just okay. So it also reminds me and I want to say thank you for all the well wishes on Twitter, I defended my dissertation without passing out

Carrie Gillon   but with passing

Megan Figueroa   with passing, and I tweeted that it was perfect because that morning I was listening to My Favorite Murder. And they were talking about how nervous they were to play the Orpheum in Los Angeles, their hometown. And I tweeted at them that I was like, so grateful that like these wonderful ladies were talking about how nervous they were. And that I have my dissertation defense that day and Karen Kilgariff have tweeted, replied to me and said, "Give them hell," and it was so awesome.

Carrie Gillon   I know. I was, I was so happy.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, she's so sweet. They're both amazing.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, they're very supportive. And I really like that.

Megan Figueroa   I know, it's very shine theory with them. They're like,

Carrie Gillon   yes.

Megan Figueroa   upliftin other women. Yes.

Carrie Gillon   Yes. Which we should all strive to do.

Megan Figueroa   Yes. So the internet really helped me and thank you all. You all uplifted me. So yeah,

Carrie Gillon   that also reminds me, B. Got an email a few weeks ago now, I think, from Olivia James, who is one of the cohosts of Super Serious Social Justice Podcast, which you should also all listen to. Because obviously, there's the social justice aspect that both of our podcasts have, so that's awesome. Anyway, so she sent us a message and she said, "Hey, ladies, you guys have been one of my favorite podcasts ever. However, on Grammar Nazi, you ask who other than classic majors thinks Latin is the best language. And I have to come forward and say, me, that's fucking awesome. Of course finding an old language cool doesn't mean you have to be a snob either. So thanks for fighting the good fight on the grammar sno front." And so I was wanting to say yes, Latin is cool.

Megan Figueroa   It is. On that episode did I mentioned, I probably said this, but like Rushmore, I'm thinking of Max.

Carrie Gillon   Yes, I saved Latin. What did you ever do?

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, exactly.

Carrie Gillon   Which I think is on there as well.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, I mean, you know, we'll rep it again.

Carrie Gillon   I just don't want it to be more important than other languages. I think all languages are very cool.

Megan Figueroa   Yes.

Carrie Gillon   That's the only thing.

Megan Figueroa   Yes.

Carrie Gillon   And she also, "I also wanted to thank you for mentioning the grammar policing is very, very ablest. I rarely hear folks mentioning ableism. And it's so embedded in language." So true. It's, it's, it's everywhere. And I know I still have some and I try to dig it out, but it's embedded really in there.

Megan Figueroa   I know, especially since so many times. I mean, not just linguists. I'm gonna call it linguists here a little bit, but other people forget about sign languages

Carrie Gillon   yes, everybody does. Yeah,

Megan Figueroa   it's, it's horrible.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, one of the things that most recently they came up about that was I can't remember who it was, but somebody did an analysis and showed that women speak far less than men do on screen. And so someone said, Well, you know, Shape of Water isn't going to help with that. And I was like, Well, okay, that's true. Speech different from Sign in that sense, but she's still using language on screen. And  I think we have to find a way to say that still counts. Like  still has lines. Right, right. Yeah.

Megan Figueroa   Right.

Carrie Gillon   So she's a very important character. And I don't want us to ignore that. So

Megan Figueroa   well, and I watched the Oscars, and of course, I was on Twitter. Seeing what the Deaf folks that I follow, were saying they were happy about the representation of the Shape of Water, at least the ones that I was following, and they were happy to see it win.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah,

Megan Figueroa   it would be it wouldn't be good to somehow represent that those. Those things are happening.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, it's still she's still using language and that matters.

Megan Figueroa   Right. Yeah, it kind of erases it. If we say

Carrie Gillon   Well, nobody said that.

Megan Figueroa   That's not language

Carrie Gillon   but it does still erase it in the sense of making speech more important than sign. And that's problematic.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, yes. We got to fight the good fight, but a lot of people that forget about sign.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah. And speaking of Well, not quite that but continuing on the same kind of topic. So the end of her email is "I'd love to hear you guys do an episode on language learning disability, for example, person first versus identity first language. Anyway, you're the best. Thanks for doing what you want to do." And I think we mentioned this before. We do want to get to that and we just haven't yet. But yeah, absolutely. It's important.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, definitely. There are several episodes that we can do about ableism.

Carrie Gillon   Oh, so much.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. And language around disability.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah. Yes. All right. And then we also wanted to thank dictionary.com for listing us as one of the language podcasts you should listen to.

Megan Figueroa   Yes.

Carrie Gillon   And if you don't know it, we will post it again. But you should listen to all the podcasts on there.

Megan Figueroa   It was just really exciting because I never thought that I would be able to like, you know, say, hey, the dictionary is talking about me.

Carrie Gillon   Me either! I never in a million years thought that the dictionary would talk about me, even though I have co-edited a dictionary. It just doesn't feel like yeah, quite the. I don't know. I just wasn't expecting it. So like that's a thank you dictionary.com

Megan Figueroa   I really felt like I made it because at 16 my AP English teacher who I loved, said her favorite book was the dictionary and I just like adored her and I wanted to be like her. So now I'm like, well, your favorite book talked about me.

Carrie Gillon   That is pretty cool. One last piece of housekeeping. We're going to have a bonus episode for March and it will be on Mr. doesn't-have-an-accent Mike Rogers. And how problematic that is. I'm sure you can guess part of what we're gonna say. But you know if you're interested you can get that by becoming a patron at the $5 a month level.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, it's pretty much gonna be like, nerd rage .com

Carrie Gillon   speaking of, that's what this whole episode is.

Megan Figueroa   It's nerd raging for like 30 minutes

Carrie Gillon   there's a lot of me sighing. like an excessive amount of me sighing.

Megan Figueroa   Not just sighing. Heavy sighing.

Carrie Gillon   Yes. I know.

Megan Figueroa   And then me being  flustered and not knowing what to say. Just too many feelings

Carrie Gillon   well

Megan Figueroa   boiling.

Carrie Gillon   Yes.

Megan Figueroa   Coming to the surface. All right.

Carrie Gillon   All right. Well, hope you enjoy this one.

Megan Figueroa   Nerd rage. Nerd rage, right?

Carrie Gillon   Yes. Yes, this episode is going to be nothing but nerd rage.

Megan Figueroa   Yep. And now I'm like, just now this reminds me of the thing that was going around the Modcloth shirt called the podcast cohost shirt.

Carrie Gillon   Mm hmm.

Megan Figueroa   Thinking about how it was sleeveless, just enough fabric or lack of fabric so that you could just gesticulate wildly with your nerd rage

Carrie Gillon   Everyone was complaining about it, but I was like, but it's kind of a cute shirt.

Megan Figueroa   Cute shirt. Yeah. I mean, they have some ridiculous names for their clothes.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah. And they always have right when they first started, so

Megan Figueroa   yeah. calling it a cohost, a podcast cohost shirt. They were just like, what should we call this one thing that came up.

Carrie Gillon   Well, one reason why I actually kind of liked it was because I mean, women are podcasters, which is kind of nice. Because that's not the stereotype.

Megan Figueroa   That's true. That's a good point.

Carrie Gillon   So I didn't hate on it at all.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. But I really think is they need like a podcast cohost like sweatshirt, or like,

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, I know.

Megan Figueroa   Something really comfy.

Carrie Gillon   It's true. I mean, you know, you can wear your pajamas when you're podcasting. Yeah, you don't have to be wearing such cute clothes. But I still liked it. Well, so today, we're talking about this Time article that kept being sent to us. And I just wanted to say that actually, it's kind of an old article from the Muse from 2015. And I think I'm pretty sure this is a list of words that I was asked to speak about for The List the TV show. So I've already spoken about this list before, but I think we need to speak about it together.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. And I, I realize now that I mean, the fact that this was from 2015, and that Time can like retweet it or up it again speaks volumes. This is just a thing like people are clicking on this.

Carrie Gillon   Yes, like total clickbait.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, like, I mean, the people that shared it with us on Twitter, of course, we're like, look how ridiculous this is. But there are other people on Twitter sharing it like, mmm-hmm, people should listen to this or you know, like they're legitimate people out there that are like, we'll read this and be like, "Okay, wow, I shouldn't use these words anymore."

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, people take it seriously. Who is this person who wrote this list? Jenny Haskamp who is she, why is she an expert to you?

Megan Figueroa   Right?

Carrie Gillon   Nothing wrong with her. But you know,  she's not a language expert any more than most people are so. Why take her more seriously than us? Who actually are.

Megan Figueroa   literally, literally, experts on language, thank you.

Carrie Gillon   I mean, if you're gonna listen to other people about stuff, make sure they actually are experts of what they're talking about. And even then, you should still obviously take things, you know, somewhat skeptically. Make sure that you have, like, you're not just taking what everyone says. verbatim, right? Like Think for yourself, but like, anyway,

Megan Figueroa   yes. And it actually coupled well with another thing that we were sent at the end of January where this asshole bar owner in the East Village of New York or Manhattan, the owner of the Continental posted a sign on his door that said, "Sorry but if you say the word 'literally' inside continental you have five minutes to finish your drink and then you must leave. If you actually start a sentence with 'I literally' you must leave immediately!!! This is the most overused annoying word in the English language and we will not tolerate it. Stop Kardashianism now." Heavy sigh.

Carrie Gillon   It's just so packed with bullshit.

Megan Figueroa   Yes, packed with bullshit

Carrie Gillon   like the the Kardashianism thing. That's that's an attack on women, especially young women.

Megan Figueroa   Yep. Yeah, I mean, we've mentioned it before, and we'll say it so many more times, I'm sure because people are hanging on to this. When you're attacking the Kardashians for the way they speak. It's not you're not attacking. I don't know.

Carrie Gillon   Wealth, or celebrity you're attacking women, you really are.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah.

Carrie Gillon   Like if you were talking there them that you wouldn't really talk about the way that they speak or the words that they use, you would talk about the message that they're sending. If you want to say that they're problematic in some way or other, of course you can and you might be right. But you need to actually say what's problematic if all you're doing is using Kardashianism as a shorthand for young women of a certain class, like, it's not okay. Be specific.

Megan Figueroa   Yes, be specific in your critiques of, I mean, they might be very legitimate critiques, but we can't take you seriously if what you're attacking is the way that people speak.

Carrie Gillon   Right.

Megan Figueroa   And I mean, oh, This. I have no words. I mean, I do I have tons of words. I just can't like, I hate this. I hate. I will never go to the Continental. that's not a thing that's gonna happen.

Carrie Gillon   No, definitely not. Yeah, I mean, this guy is a real piece of work. So first of all, his name is Trigger Smith, which is an amazing name. He also hates "it's all good." "You know what I'm saying?" And "my bad." Which, okay. I think we know what that's code for.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah.

Carrie Gillon   But even worse, the bar became notorious for banning saggy jeans, a policy that he's defended by saying, "if you have a problem with that, open up your own bar with no dress code or door policy and see how long it lasts. That crowd will alienate and scare away your mainstream crowd until that's all you have left."

Megan Figueroa   That is a that is seeping with racism.

Carrie Gillon   Right now. No other way to interpret that.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, like, scare away mainstream. Like, I mean, it's all coded like

Carrie Gillon   coded language for black. Yeah. it's horrible. So not only is he sexist, he's also racist. And, you know, this goes along with my interpretation of the world where I think a lot of the isms and phobias go together. You know, some people only have one maybe, but I think most people have a good package of them. So if they, you know, show themselves to be racist, and you're a white woman, beware, they're going to also be sexist at some point, and vice versa.

Megan Figueroa   Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's intersectional isms. intersectional. phobias. Yeah, they they do not discriminate with who they discriminate against.

Carrie Gillon   Right? They really only like one kind of person

Megan Figueroa   Oh, so fuck you Trigger. Fuck you.

Carrie Gillon   wow. All right. So "literally," I think the reason why people pick on literally not in setting aside the gender stuff, although that's obviously part of it is because people have this idea that literally has to only mean in a literal sense. But there's two things wrong with this one, originally literally referred to letters, like, of the alphabet. We don't use literally in that way any more. And also that's related to literacy, you can you can see the connection there. So if we're going to use it the original way, then we should be taught using it to refer to literacy or something like that. We don't. The second problem is literally has been used in in a more intense way like as an intensifier for at least since 1708. So Alexander Pope, who is not exactly known for being loose with his language, use once said in a letter to Henry Cromwell in 1708, "everyday with me is literally another yesterday." That does not mean in a literal sense.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, it just cannot. It cannot be literal sense. No.

Carrie Gillon   So so you're wrong. This use is very, very old. And people only started complaining about it relatively recently. I think it was last hundred years. It might have been more recent than that. But it's not been for the whole time. So back in the 1708, no one was complaining about literally being used in this intensifier way.

Megan Figueroa   And, I mean, I hate to go back to sexism, but I have to think about how how much I love the character Chris Traeger and Parks and Recreation played by Rob Lowe and how they've written him to be this like adorkable character who always uses literally as an intensifier

Chris Traeger   Pawnee is LITRALLY the greatest town in the country.

Megan Figueroa   And it didn't hit me until when we were talking about doing this episode that I find it so charming that Chris does this all the time. And I don't know if I find it as charming if it was a female character that they had written to do this. Yeah, so this is my like internalized misogyny at play here, and it's horrible. It's frustrating.

Carrie Gillon   It is very frustrating and I'm pretty sure they knew what they were doing, I'm pretty sure they were like, okay, we can have a male character do this but we can't have a female character do this.

Megan Figueroa   And we're not like questioning his intelligence or anything or his competence at his job because he's like the city manager, right. He has this important job. And and of course, this is like, in contrast to Leslie Knope, who has to be perfect all the time. And they do talk about like, there's a lot of storylines about how she has to You know, work harder and everything because she's female. So yeah, they probably did it on purpose.

Carrie Gillon   I'm pretty sure that they did. They're very clever writers. I think they knew what they were doing. And I also want to point out that a lot of people talk about how literally means figuratively and so you're misusing it because you're using it with the opposite interpretation. But that is not what it means. It's an intensifier, not figuratively, so again if we change "everyday with me is literally another yesterday" if I say "everyday with me, it's figuratively another yesterday" that sounds really bizarre

Megan Figueroa   spiritual,

Carrie Gillon   that's not what it means.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah,

Carrie Gillon   it just means it's like another yesterday to a great amount. Like it's REALLY like another yesterday and that is also another case of something changing into an intensifier "really." So really used to mean in a real sense, just like literally

Megan Figueroa   Ah, of course, yeah,

Carrie Gillon   over time became an intensifier, and nobody complains about really, truly did the same thing. Very did the same thing. If you look at the etymology, these things all just mean real.

Megan Figueroa   Oh,

Carrie Gillon   and they've all become intensifiers and no one gives a shit.

Megan Figueroa   And now it makes me like feel like literally it's my baby and I want to protect it. Like why is why is everyone bullying literally when you see that really is the same way and all these other ones?

Carrie Gillon   I think it feels more contentful I mean, it's a slightly longer word. We can feel the literalness still in it, whereas with very I mean, that's been an intensifier for so long. We don't really think about ver- is like real, but we are we should we should so real. We really should and we don't so anyway,

Megan Figueroa   but it's like "veritas." Like it's very like that kind of is that Really?

Carrie Gillon   That's where it comes from, yeah.

Megan Figueroa   Oh what?!?!? See, I don't see that immediately.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, so veritas is related to very, yeah,

Megan Figueroa   WHAT. Okay, see,

Chris Traeger   that idea is literally the greatest idea I've ever heard in my life.

Carrie Gillon   So I should also mention that Ben Zimmer is the one who did all the work on this and showing like just how old literally is and how very and really and truly have also equally undergone the same change over time. So yeah.

Megan Figueroa   Oh, thanks, Ben.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, props to Ben. so anything else you want to say about literally?

Megan Figueroa   I just I fucking like I love literally, like literally my favorite word.

Carrie Gillon   Samsies.

Megan Figueroa   I mean, yeah. Yeah,

Carrie Gillon   and just get over yourself guys if you think like it's like the worst thing ever. Really? Like it's okay to dislike it if you just like it. You just like it, but to like complain about it publicly? I think. you're just trying to make yourself seem cool, but it's not really cool if everyone kind of semi agrees with you anyway.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. And yeah, and you might be loving your sexism show or something else.

Carrie Gillon   Definitely. I definitely don't get sexist. So, yeah. All right. So let's look at some of the other words on this list.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, I was saving myself here. Because, right when I read the first word, I was like, Oh, god, this is terrible.

Carrie Gillon   That?

Megan Figueroa   that!

Carrie Gillon   "That" is a useful, useful word. And there are two different "that's" and so which "that" are you talking about? And both of them have uses.

Megan Figueroa   And guess what? She probably doesn't know because she's probably not an expert on language.

Carrie Gillon   Nope.

Megan Figueroa   I'm sorry, Jenny, or whatever your name is, but

Carrie Gillon   well, so in this case. So her example is I have several friends that live in the neighborhood and she said, No, you have several friends who live in the neighborhood. we've already talked about this one. Both are fine.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie Gillon   And she says it's superfluous. Most of the time. It is superfluous sometimes like you don't absolutely 100% need it. You can delete some uses of "that." "I said that he left" or "I said he left." But sometimes, even where it's sort of like, optional, I think it's easier to read if you add the that. But anyway, whatever that's not unimportant. You use it. You don't like it, don't use it.

Megan Figueroa   And this is another thing where it's like different when you speak versus when you write like, Yeah, when I'm writing, and I have to follow the rules of like society. I'll be like, I'm editing and I'm like, Okay, yeah, I can see how I should probably, like, delete this. But when you're speaking, if it comes out, it comes out, like, no one's gonna go back and correct themselves with the word that. It's just a ridiculous thing to ask me.

Carrie Gillon   Right. And we do want to point out that the title is the 15 words you need to eliminate from your vocabulary, not from your writing. Like, maybe this is a different conversation with writing, although I still have some problems with it. But yeah, you can't get rid of "that" from your vocabulary.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah.

The next one!

Carrie Gillon   No.

And then we went.

Megan Figueroa   Oh god.

Carrie Gillon   So this is this is a style question, right? So she's saying, I went to school, if you should consider drove skated, walk around, flew or whatever. And if you're writing, especially if you're writing something more evocative, I could see how you want to want to use a better verb.

Megan Figueroa   But this is writing again, right?

Carrie Gillon   Mm hmm.

Megan Figueroa   I mean, she's saying vocabulary. I feel like she must mean in writing.

Carrie Gillon   Probably maybe the headline that might not be her fault. But "went: is sometimes the right verb. Sometimes you don't know.

Megan Figueroa   Um, oh, the next: honestly and absolutely she does not like these adverbs, eh.

Carrie Gillon   I mean, they are sometimes overused and sometimes I think people use honestly when they're like trying to obfuscate but I don't think it's always the case. Her point is the minute you tell your reader that this particular statement is honest, then you've applied the rest aren't. Yeah, I don't think it's quite that strong. But you have you're saying like this is more important than what the rest of what I've said is Yeah, and you know, sometimes you might not want to do that, but I just honestly is fine.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. And absolutely "adding this word to most sentences is redundant." Ah, I mean, again this is Yeah, this is just so much more relevant in writing it seems like she sounds like she's talking about writing.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, yes.

Megan Figueroa   oh look our friends very and really.

Carrie Gillon   Okay. So in writing I do delete. So if I edit some on part of what I do for a living is edit. And I do take out a lot of berries because they do seem superfluous. However, in speech, not even noticed. I would never notice them

Megan Figueroa   right. And listen to what she says about really, unless you're a valley girl visiting from 1985. There's no need to use really to modify an adjective or a verb or an adverb. Pick a different word to make your point.

Carrie Gillon   Bullshit.

Chris Traeger   You're literally the meanest person I've ever met.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, so ah hi sexism? Um, you're still here. You're always here, aren't you? Oh,

Carrie Gillon   yes. sexism and ageism.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah.

Carrie Gillon   And I do think this is the most hilarious point. I don't remember who pointed this out on Twitter but someone was like, oh, but woebegone is okay. So very is bad, but woebegone, that's a better option. No, no. I'm not saying woebegone is always wrong. But in many cases, in many instances, that's the wrong word choice.

Megan Figueroa   Oh, yeah. cuz she's saying it. What is she saying? If you're very happy, be ecstatic. If you're very sad, perhaps you're melancholy or depressed, woebegone even. Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah. I mean, anyway, it's fine, you know, to play around with vocabulary to like, find a better word, that  piece of advice is not necessarily wrong. It's just eliminating from your vocabulary. redonkulous

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, yeah. And and the fact that anyone would tell anyone to do anything like that. okay. Listen, our whole podcast.

Carrie Gillon   That's true, but this is basically don't like, yeah, don't listen to these people. do what you want to do.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. I mean, the only time I would ever tell someone not to use a word is when it comes to slurs.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, you know. So I definitely say stay away from slurs.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, but I mean, now that number seven is amazing. Listen, I love the word amazing.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, I mean, it's overused. Sure, but come on. It's fine.

Megan Figueroa   Oh, always and never. Okay, she doesn't like those.

Carrie Gillon   That makes no sense because sometimes you really need to say, this never happens or This always happens. Now. Often people use it when that's not true, but it's sometimes true. And so you have to use them and you should not be eliminating these very important words - Haha very - from your vocabulary.

Megan Figueroa   Oh, there's literally literally number 10. I'm surprised it's not number one.

Carrie Gillon   We've already talked about that. And we could talk about it for ages. So if you wanted to hear us talk about it more, just let us know. Because

Megan Figueroa   I know there's so much more to be said. And I can just talk about how much I love it.

Carrie Gillon   I could give you more examples from literature where literally is used as an intensifier, not as figuratively, ah,

Megan Figueroa   and I use it as both.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, of course, of course we use we use literally literally, of course we do. But, it's had these two meanings since 1708. At the very least, side by side, because words do that words often have more than one meaning and we don't really worry about it that much.

Megan Figueroa   Right. Okay, so the word just, she describes it as a filler word, which is true for some instances of "just" but it's not always the case that it's a filler.

Carrie Gillon   Well, she does say if you're using it as a synonym for equitable, fair, even handed or impartial, then you can use it, but otherwise you shouldn't use it. And I do think that just can be overused again, in writing - in speech doesn't matter. But in writing it can be and again, I will sometimes edit those out because they  don't really help but again, you can't eliminate it. And I just keep making the same point over and over again. So I will stop.

Chris Traeger   that literally went on forever. I thought you were never gonna stop talking.

Megan Figueroa   Okay, so we have number 12 is maybe 13 is stuff 14 is things, stuff and things. Listen, sometimes. I just, ah, again, same point. I'm not going to get rid of saying stuff and things while I'm speaking. It's a ridiculous thing. And yes, when you're writing, if you go back to like, your English class in high school, of course, your teacher is gonna circle it and say, use another word, use what you are talking about or whatever. But

Carrie Gillon   yeah, most of the time, you do want to have a better, more evocative word. But again, yeah, it's fine. And I forgot to mention with just the only people who get picked on for that are women.

Megan Figueroa   I was gonna say, I, and I use just a lot to ask for things. And I realized that I mean, it's kind of hedging, or I'm like, when I need to ask for something, I like to soften it. And it's because of how we as a society, want women to be, I mean,

Carrie Gillon   and what's wrong with being nice when we ask a question?

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, I mean,

Carrie Gillon   there's nothing wrong with that.

Megan Figueroa   Right.

Carrie Gillon   So like, Yeah, sure. We socialize women to be nicer. And sometimes that's bad, but in this case, it just don't think that's bad. Men should be more like women in this case,

Megan Figueroa   yeah. Yeah, everyone should be more like women.

Carrie Gillon   In this in this case. Yeah, I don't want to say across the board because there are some things that we are socialized to do that I think are problematic, but

Megan Figueroa   it's true.

Carrie Gillon   I dont' think asking in a nice way is bad.

Megan Figueroa   So the last one is irregardless, which is always a fun one.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, I mean, I I just think it's a fun word, and I will use it sometimes. I mean, obviously, you wouldn't use it in a formal setting. Well, unless the whole point was to talk about words that are constructed differently than we might expect, but people complain about it. Because regardless and irregardless mean the same thing, but there are so many examples of this in English so for example, flammable and inflammable. mean the exact same thing. So, if your complaint is well, regardless, is redundant. Well, so is inflammable. So. and?

Megan Figueroa   Also she says this about it. This doesn't mean what you think it means hefe, which is really weird to me that she decided to all of a sudden coda mix here and say hefe instead of boss. Um,

Carrie Gillon   well, I would think it doesn't this doesn't mean what you think it means boss would sound kind of weird. So she would have to say something like, I don't know homie or I don't even know what would be a closer equivalent. Because it's like, I don't know. It's You're right. It's weird that she borrows a word from Spanish. to I don't know what bond herself to the reader.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, I have no idea what she's trying to do there. Because I don't know enough about her. To know why she would use a Spanish word there.

Carrie Gillon   I mean, she might be a Spanish speaker. I really don't know but it does feel a little like pandering. but to who?

Megan Figueroa   But in a weird way, I know. to who

Carrie Gillon   That's the thing. Like, maybe pandering is even the wrong word because it's like, I don't know. I just don't understand.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, so um, and also she ends the article by saying "these 15 words are a great place to start trimming the fat from your prose: bonus, you'll sound smarter." So,

Carrie Gillon   I mean, okay with the stuff and things, if you use better nouns, like nouns that actually describe what you're talking about, then yeah, of course, that's gonna make you sound smarter, but I don't know.

Megan Figueroa   But the idea that I mean, it's problematic to me that there's this idea that the words that we choose to use, define whether we're smart or not. I mean, that goes back to so many isms, right?

Carrie Gillon   It's true, but she does say sound smarter not makes you smarter. And this is all about presenting yourself to a public and when you present yourself in a certain way, then yeah, certain people are gonna judge you. So basically what she's telling you implicitly is you will be judged if you use these words, which is true.  that part is true.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. But she, like doesn't want to offer up any like statement. That's like, even though it's fucking unfair. You're gonna sound smarter if you use these words and get rid of these, or you'll sound smarter if you don't use these 15 words. So unless people are like, you know, couching things, in terms of like, oh, there's systemic reasons why we don't like these 15 words, so maybe get rid of them. And you'll sound smarter. I'm like, uh, goodbye.

Carrie Gillon   Right. You have absolutely have to make explicit what is going on. And she doesn't do that because she buys into it.

Megan Figueroa   Exactly. Yeah. So I think that's the biggest problem I have with these 15 words kind of lists and they come up all the time, and it's always by people that do buy into it. It's not.

Carrie Gillon   And no one ever asks a linguist, well, except for The List. So thank you The List for asking me.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah. Maybe they don't ask linguists because it would just be a bunch of nerd rage spilled onto the paper. It's gonna be like this podcast or this episode. We're like, all over the place with our anger.

Carrie Gillon   Hulk Smash.

Megan Figueroa   Hulk Smash. Exactly. Yeah. And of course, like, as we're going down the list, there's not much more to say,  we have the exact same thing to say about all of these words that she uses because it's the same point over and over again, you know, like there's no reason to eliminate there words from your vocabulary. When you're speaking.

Are there any other words that we can think of the people complain about? I mean, literally, it's just so picked on it and irregardless too. One of the things people say about irregardless is it's made up well, I hate to tell you, but all words are made up at some point.

Yeah, there's a whole I mean, it's a it's a can of worms. So I maybe shouldn't even bring it up but Latinx is a thing that everyone's like, it's a made up word. And like, I always want to say

Carrie Gillon   That's true, but like again,

Megan Figueroa   exactly.

Carrie Gillon   All words are at some point and many have been made up in the last 20 years that we don't complain about.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, exactly. I don't it's always something that's like, there's something deeper going on when you're like it's a made up word. I don't want to use it.

Carrie Gillon   It's an excuse if you don't want to actually directly attack what you want to attack because I know that that will make you look like a shitty human being. So instead, you attack the word or the language that the person uses because then you can be sneaky about it, but we see you we see what you're doing.

Megan Figueroa   Yeah, and this is a huge problem for singular they, you're being a fucking asshole. When you like if you're saying oh, I just it's so hard for If you're really gonna dig in deep and say, I can't use singular they, because of like, my grammar or whatever, you're being an asshole about something else. if you're not willing to make an effort with that, and I know it's gonna be hard.

Carrie Gillon   It's not that hard though. I mean, people have been using singular a since at least Shakespeare's time. What are you're talking about?

Megan Figueroa   I was trying to give them a little bit of credit because I was just shitting on them. But yeah, it's not that hard.

Carrie Gillon   But I mean, out of all the things that they complain about that is not hard, like so a lot of people get confused because they think when you use singular they you're supposed to use singular agreement on the verb, like "they is." Which if that is your dialect, that's fine for those of us that that's not our dialect. No, you still use "they are" just like with you. It doesn't matter if you is you singular or you plural, you still use "you are" and it's fine. But if we had to switch to "they is" is then I would be like okay, that's hard. Yes, you're that's a grammatical distinction. Really hard to break. so I've got another list because I want to keep on raging. So again, many of the same ones come up again like really, but for some reason this person doesn't like "you."

Megan Figueroa   Okay?

Carrie Gillon   Because I don't want you to use like to speak directly to the reader, I guess when you're like writing

Megan Figueroa   Oh, of course it goes back to writing.

Carrie Gillon   Yeah, this one is specifically about writing Okay, I'm gonna shit on that. Like, that's really what it is. So yeah, but there are times when "you" is acceptable still, I think. "Feel" and "think" you should, you know, find different words for those of course because they're not good enough, I don't now.

Megan Figueroa   Um, when I was a English tutor, I was tutoring students that were in AP English High School, AP English, and their AP English teacher didn't want them to use the word "be" or any of its forms.

Carrie Gillon   Oh, it's so bizarre. Like a lot of people have this bugaboo about "be." Because they think it they think it doesn't mean anything or doesn't do anything.

Megan Figueroa   Oh, it's so important.

Carrie Gillon   we we can't do present tense without it in English for most things,

Megan Figueroa   yeah, so I was like, as a linguist, as I was seeing this, I was like, Oh, this is so frustrating, but I have to like, tutor like help them get a good grade in the class and like, you know, rework, rework the sentences to help them not use "be," but it was so frustrating because I was like, really hard to do because "be" its just everywhere, and it's so important

Carrie Gillon   It’s so bizarre, although I there is one place where I have this weird hatred of it. and it's the hashtags #amwriting and #amediting. Why not just #writing, #editing? what's the am doing there? I hate it. And it's so stupid. And I know it's just me. And I'm not saying anybody should stop doing it. Because no, that's dumb. But like, that is what I'm thinking. I'm like,

Megan Figueroa   I totally do hashtag #amwriting and I have no idea why I saw it once and that's the only reason I use that hashtag

Carrie Gillon Cuz that’s what people use! But if it was just me, I would use #writing or #editing. why do you need the am? Anyway it’s silly, it’s my pet peeve that is not a real thing.

Megan Figueroa Yeah, I’m trying to think, I used to give my students the assignment of “tell me your linguistic pet peeves” and “literally” always comed up - “comed” haha!

Carrie Gillon Oh my.

Megan Figueroa That’s a remnant from my dissertation.

Carrie Gillon Oh my, that’s a little dirtier than I was expecting.

Megan Figueroa I’m sorry. Comes up. “Literally” always comes up. I can’t think of any other words that they really hated. But it’s always like 5 or 6, like enough people in each class that hate “literally.”

Carrie Gillon This person also hates “as.”

Megan Figueroa Yeah, try to get rid of that. Try.

Carrie Gillon There are two kinds of “as”es. One that introduces a whole clause and one that is more like a preposition, like “as a linguist, blah blah blah.” They’re talking about the first one. “As you write this word, poke out your eyes.” That’s literally the example they gave. First of all, that’s a totally fine use of “as” but they think you should use “because” instead.

Megan Figueroa Oh ok.

Carrie Gillon But that doesn’t make sense. “Because you write this word, poke out your eyes.” No. That means something different. Ask a linguist!

Megan Figueroa Yes #AskALinguist. I feel like anyone listening should totally tweet at us words that they heard people hate that make no sense, cuz I’m so interested in this.

Carrie Gillon Yes. Me too. And the same words keep coming up again and again. “Just” came up. There’s obviously things that trigger people.

Megan Figueroa And they’re reinforced in our English classes and in public school. Not just public school, all schools.

Carrie Gillon Yeah school.

Megan Figueroa School.

Carrie Gillon Alright, unless there are any other words you wanted to discuss?

Megan Figueroa Ahh… I don’t think so.

Carrie Gillon Ok. Me either. Alright. that was us nerd-raging on lists of words you’re not allowed to use anymore. And don’t forget: don’t be an asshole!

Megan Figueroa Do not be a fucking asshole. Do not be an asshole and use whatever words you want to use that aren’t harmful to other people. Alright bye

Carrie Gillon Bye

Carrie Gillon The Vocal Fries podcast is produced by Chris Ayers for Halftone Audio. Theme Music by Nick Granum. You can find us on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @vocalfriespod, you can email us at vocalfriespod@gmail.com.

[adailyaffair-blog1]

Is Tumblr a social media site or a blog?

Well if you had asked me this question last week, I would have honestly said “I have NOOOO idea, what’s the difference between the two anyway?!”.

A social media site technically refers to a site that allows people to "share content quickly, efficiently, and in real-time” (Hudson, 2018) whilst a blog is technically a website where an individual talks in a conversational style, almost like a journal but for everyone to read (Evan, 2017).

After much research (scrolling through Wikipedia and dictionary.com) I have come to the conclusion that in fact, Tumblr is both a social media site and a blog. In other words, it’s a microblog - a platform where blogging and instant communication is enabled all in the one space (Nations, 2018). And when it comes to microblogs, Tumblr is the best of the bunch. The icing on the cake. The espresso martini of cocktails. Why you might ask? Well where to begin…

Tumblr allows users to post what they want, when they want. Want to write an overly emotional lengthy journal entry under a name that no one knows is you? Tumblr has got you covered! Tumblr allows users to create their own social identity, or multiple for that matter, with their option to create multiple ‘blogs’ under one username. This feature allows users to imagine themselves however they wish.

Have an incessant desire to post funny gifs non stop? Tumblr has got you covered! Tumblr allows users to follow pages and repost other people’s content. Users are allowed to be passive or active (Mousavi et al, 2017) without worrying about the peril that may come from their decision. Being surrounded by individuals who express the same thoughts and desires is undoubtedly good for ones ego (you think I look good in this? WOW! So do I!) and encourages sociality through shared collective identities (Dholakia et al, 2009).

Want to get hungry looking at photos of delicious cakes and abundant cheese boards? Tumblr has got you covered! (Ok so maybe this isn't one of Tumblr’s many positives - but hey! Nobody’s perfect) 

So there you have it, Tumblr: a social media site and a blog! Two for the price of one, hey who doesn’t like that? 

[diagnosis-humanity]

Society and Empathy

We as a society are systematically filtering out the trait of empathy and instead promoting a society of apathy. Empathy can be defined in several different ways:

·       Merriam Webster defines empathy as “the action of (or capacity for) understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner”

·       Psychology Today defines empathy as “the experience of understanding another person's thoughts, feelings, and condition from his or her point of view, rather than from one's own”

·       Dictionary.com defines empathy as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”

Some individuals are naturally more empathetic than others, but every person has at least the capacity to empathize with another. It very simple to empathize with someone close to you, such as a friend or family member, and people with similar experiences and backgrounds to your own. Exceptional individuals, leaders of civil rights movements for example, have an enormous amount of empathy that stretches to an entire race or country or culture of people. It is sometimes easier for many individuals to develop and act on their empathy through times of struggle and hardship, but it is significantly harder to sustain that empathy when the “hype” of a disaster fades away into every day experiences.

In America, a timely and relevant example of this are found in the issues regarding the inexplicably controversial topic of gun violence. When a mass shooting occurs (and unfortunately, “when” is now a more accurate conditional than “if”), there is appropriate outrage and call for reform in the hours and days, even weeks following the incident. Yet for people not directly affected by the trauma, when the initial shock of that tragedy fades from the public eye, it is too often that public support and motivation for change fades with it.

This phenomenon of fickle attention is not generationally exclusive; a few weeks ago, I (a Millennial) was talking to my mother (a Baby Boomer) and grandmother (The Silent Generation) about the devastating tidal wave in Indonesia and hearing about the ordeal really shook me to my core. My heart immediately went out to those that were suffering, and for a split second, I really, truly felt their loss (not assuming I’ve been through the same hardship, but still genuine human empathy). And then we promptly moved on from the conversation and didn’t give the topic another thought. I was unnerved by the speed and casualness of our dismissal of the discussion. It boggled my mind that at one moment we had been made aware of the suffering that these people were going through, physical, mental, financial, emotional, suffering in every way one could think, and the next moment we had shrugged and begun a speculation about what time the grocery store would close.

I live in America and it is perhaps a very common thing for my people to feel removed from experiences of tragedy and trauma in other parts of the world. But nobody is able to chalk their apathy up to being so far removed from places where traumatic incidents happen. Human rights violations consistently happen on every continent in the world and natural disasters are geographically indiscriminate in their wreckage. Not one person in all of humanity is exempt from or immune to any of the death, violence, tragedy, natural disasters, etc., that are rampant today. And yet government heads, policy makers, and even average citizens act as if we can afford to be indifferent towards them.

I used to be one of those people who didn’t engage in politics because I didn’t think it affected me. I thought I was able to remove myself from the discomfort and awkwardness of difficult conversations and difficult topics because it wasn’t directly happening to me. But that doesn’t change the responsibility that I have to those it does affect. I did not get to choose my ethnicity or sexuality or skin color or any biological/socioeconomic factors that contributed to my status in the society I was born into; nobody got to choose. The position or status that we are born into is completely out of our control, and we could just as easily have been born into a position that is significantly worse off in our society than the one we are in currently.

John Rawls was an American philosopher in the 1970s who coined the term “veil of ignorance,” referring to the following thought experiment in political philosophy:

A person in charge of making political decisions imagines that they know nothing about what their particular talents, abilities, race, gender, social class, etc., will be within a social order. When selecting the principles for distribution of rights, positions, and resources in the society in which they will live, this "veil of ignorance" prevents them from knowing who will receive a given distribution of rights, positions, and resources in that society.

The general idea is that with this concept in mind, people would make decisions based on moral integrity instead of self-interest. Another way to think of it is that one would theoretically create policy, laws, procedures, etc., that would benefit those in society who would most need aid because one would have no way of knowing if they will be that person.

This thought experiment essentially ingratiates empathy (albeit still somewhat derived from self-preservation) as the driving factor of creating policy in society. It eliminates any presumptions that we are inherently separated from the struggles of one another. If we act with empathy, if we are somehow able to create a society with empathy at its core, then we might just start fixing the world.

[mrmichaelchadler]

I Was Ghosting Jobs Back When Ghosting Wasn’t Cool

Who says there’s no such thing as “fake” news?

This goes through my head whenever I read about how the “ghosting” trend (people skipping job interviews, failing to show up when they get hired, or bailing from a new job with no warning) is disrupting recruiting and hiring, because the more I hear about it, the more I’m convinced that ghosting is nothing more than overblown media BS.

I’m not denying that it’s happening, a little, but there have been people ghosting jobs and job interviews for as long as I can remember.

How do I know this? Well, if confession is good for the soul, mine will be better off fessing up to the fact that I ghosted at least three jobs way back in my early college days.

Yes, I was ghosting jobs back when ghosting wasn’t cool.

Does anybody have any hard evidence?

This all came back to me as I read this LinkedIn post that seemed to just discover the ghosting trend (see Candidates Are Ghosting New Employers — Here’s How You Can Avoid This). It grabbed my attention because I found it had the same problem I seem to find in just about EVERY story or blog post trumpeting ghosting as some terrible new workplace trend.

The problem is this: None of these stories seem to have any hard evidence — no data or research or hard numbers — to support the notion that ghosting is causing extreme havoc for recruiters and hiring managers in the American workplace.

What all these stories seem to have in common is that they’re built on anecdotal evidence, second-hand observations, rumor, and hearsay.

For example, the LinkedIn article cites The Washington Post as the source of their information, writing that, “The Washington Post reports a 10% to 20% increase in candidate and employee ghosting over the past year. ‘Applicants blow off interviews,’ the Post reports. ‘New hires turn into no-shows. Workers leave one evening and never return.’”

Ok, that sounds pretty credible … until you dig into The Washington Post story and find that The Post doesn’t cite any hard numbers or data either. Their only evidence to support the notion of increased workplace ghosting comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s December Beige Book — and it’s anecdotal too..

A long time “trend”

To its credit, The Washington Post goes on say that:

National data on economic “ghosting” is lacking. The term, which usually applies to dating, first surfaced in 2016 on Dictionary.com. But companies across the country say silent exits are on the rise.”

This is what I find in every story I read about ghosting — the people mentioned in the media say it’s a big problem, you get a few examples of it happening here and there, but there’s no data to support the contention that ghosting is a big, bad workplace problem.

A USA Today article I wrote about last summer (see Candidates “Ghosting” Job Interviews?Just More Proof of a Bad Candidate Experience) was the first that really tried to dig into the workplace ghosting trend. But even that story merely cited what happened at a few companies and then used that to support their contention that ghosting was a big trend and workplace problem despite having no real data or broader evidence to support the claim.

Some might call this fake news, but I call it sloppy journalism based on thin evidence — and that has been going on for a very long time.

I know this because I ghosted three jobs while in college, although nobody called it ghosting then. We called it “ditching” a job, a term The Washington Post has resurrected in it’s ghosting coverage.

I ghosted before I even knew what it was

This was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I was 18, had moved out of my parents’ house and into an apartment with a friend, and I found myself struggling to pay the rent. So, I churned through three jobs that I “ghosted” in less than a year.

Here are the ugly details:

Job No. 1 was as an overnight cook at a Sambo’s Restaurant. There’s a whole story around what happened to Sambo’s, a 24-hour diner that once rivaled Denny’s. It had more than 1100 units in 47 states before its name became a huge problem in the 1970s. There is a single Sambo’s left today — in Santa Barbara, California.

I had never, ever been a cook when I was hired, and the manager promised me that I would get great on-the-job training and catch on in no time. So, I started on a Friday night and worked the 10 pm to 6 am shift.

Big mistake. I was overwhelmed by the crowds after 2 am when the bars closed, and I simply couldn’t learn fast enough to handle the load. I survived for three nights and never returned when I walked out at the end of my shift on Monday morning. I never got paid, but I didn’t care. And, I had “ghosted” my first employer and didn’t even know it.

Job No. 2 was working in the paint department at The Treasury, a discount chain store owned by JCPenney. I had previously worked in the paint department at a Sears store, so I knew my way around a paint mixer. But, Sears was always pretty busy; The Treasury never seemed to have anybody shopping there.

One week in, I was dying of boredom and the pay wasn’t all that good. I made it through my first shift of Week 2 and decided I just couldn’t take it anymore. I left after that shift and never came back. They mailed me my first, last, and only paycheck a month later. I had ghosted again.

Job No. 3 was short and sweet. I was hired at a Carl’s Jr. franchise in California to train as an assistant manager. I had previously worked as an assistant manager at a McDonald’s, so how much different could this be?

It was another big mistake on my part, because while the McDonald’s I managed always had enough staff, this Carl’s Jr. didn’t. It became clear on Day 1 that this was a job where managers ended up having to do a lot of non-managerial duties because the place was chronically shorthanded. That wasn’t what I had signed up for, so I left after my first shift and never came back. Like with Sambo’s, I never got paid, but again, I didn’t care.

I had “ghosted” all three new jobs, quitting without any notice and without telling anyone. Who knew I was a trendsetter and more than 30 years ahead of the curve? Yes, I was ghosting jobs before anyone knew that ghosting was trendy and cool.

That was my “young and dumb” period, and I got past it pretty quickly. I moved back home, went back to college, and got my life together. An MBA, a long career as an editor, and married life have all followed.

A quirk in a candidate-friendly job market

But here’s my point: I haven’t found anyone who keeps statistics on “ghosting” jobs or job interviews. They didn’t way back in my ghosting days and they don’t seem to now.

Ghosting isn’t a new trend. I’m living proof of that. But until somebody starts tracking the numbers and shows that it’s more than just bad behavior by dumb people like I was way back when, consider it just an odd quirk that gets attention when you have more of a candidate-friendly job market.

It’s happening, but until there’s more hard evidence to prove that the number of people ghosting jobs and job interviews has dramatically increased, consider the big ghosting trend to be nothing more than overblown media BS.

As a veteran ghoster, I ought to know.

The post I Was Ghosting Jobs Back When Ghosting Wasn’t Cool appeared first on Fistful of Talent.

from Fistful of Talent http://bit.ly/2FRETwm

[latestnews2018-blog]

Kim Kardashian Defends Kylie Jenner’s ‘Youngest Self-Made Billionaire’ Label

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/kim-kardashian-defends-kylie-jenners-youngest-self-made-billionaire-label/

Kim Kardashian Defends Kylie Jenner’s ‘Youngest Self-Made Billionaire’ Label

There’s no doubt in Kim Kardashian’s mind that her little sister, Kylie Jenner, is deserving of Forbes magazine’s “self-made” label. 

Kardashian defended the Kylie Cosmetics founder from backlash that followed Jenner’s appearance on the magazine’s Aug. 31 cover, which touts her as on track to be the youngest self-made billionaire ever.

Many people ― and Dictionary.com ― complained that Jenner was born into a wealthy famous family, so she had an advantage in many ways. 

“I really didn’t get it, because she is ‘self-made’ — we are all ‘self-made,’” Kardashian told Refinery29 in an interview published Friday. “What, because we came from a family that has had success? To me, that doesn’t really make sense. … I know so many people like that [who] haven’t turned out to be as successful as Kylie. If anything, I’ve seen the complete opposite.” 

Kardashian added that the same was true for her successes ― and those of her family. 

“Me, Kylie, not one [the Kardashians or Jenners] has ever depended on our parents for anything besides advice,” she said. “That’s how I lived my life with my dad [Robert Kardashian]. He never gave me anything. We might have the opportunity, but I’ve seen it go the complete opposite way. Nobody works harder than my sisters and my mom.” 

FORBES

Kardashian recently spoke about her work ethic ― and lack of financial backing from her parents ― in an interview with Wealthsimple.  

“My parents didn’t give me financial help when I was starting out. Nothing. I got a job when I was 16,” she told the site. She admitted that if she wanted to buy something, her dad would allow her to use his credit card, if she signed a written agreement to pay it back. 

She added: “They never gave me money for rent or anything. Nothing. I always was working. I never asked people for money. That was never really my thing. I always just figured it out. The way that my parents taught me was, hey, when you’re 18, you’ve seen this lifestyle, I’m sure you’re going to want to upkeep it. If you’re going to want to live this way you’re going to have to get a job.”

But the reality star said things may be different for her three children with Kanye West: North, Saint and Chicago. 

“I don’t know if it will be the same for my kids. It’s a different time,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m going to do that. I’d have to discuss that with Kanye.” 

Look for their own Forbes covers in a few years. 

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[mrmichaelchadler]

I Was Ghosting Jobs Back When Ghosting Wasn’t Cool

Who says there’s no such thing as “fake” news?

This goes through my head whenever I read about how the “ghosting” trend (people skipping job interviews, failing to show up when they get hired, or bailing from a new job with no warning) is disrupting recruiting and hiring, because the more I hear about it, the more I’m convinced that ghosting is nothing more than overblown media BS.

I’m not denying that it’s happening, a little, but there have been people ghosting jobs and job interviews for as long as I can remember.

How do I know this? Well, if confession is good for the soul, mine will be better off fessing up to the fact that I ghosted at least three jobs way back in my early college days.

Yes, I was ghosting jobs back when ghosting wasn’t cool.

Does anybody have any hard evidence?

This all came back to me as I read this LinkedIn post that seemed to just discover the ghosting trend (see Candidates Are Ghosting New Employers — Here’s How You Can Avoid This). It grabbed my attention because I found it had the same problem I seem to find in just about EVERY story or blog post trumpeting ghosting as some terrible new workplace trend.

The problem is this: None of these stories seem to have any hard evidence — no data or research or hard numbers — to support the notion that ghosting is causing extreme havoc for recruiters and hiring managers in the American workplace.

What all these stories seem to have in common is that they’re built on anecdotal evidence, second-hand observations, rumor, and hearsay.

For example, the LinkedIn article cites The Washington Post as the source of their information, writing that, “The Washington Post reports a 10% to 20% increase in candidate and employee ghosting over the past year. ‘Applicants blow off interviews,’ the Post reports. ‘New hires turn into no-shows. Workers leave one evening and never return.’”

Ok, that sounds pretty credible … until you dig into The Washington Post story and find that The Post doesn’t cite any hard numbers or data either. Their only evidence to support the notion of increased workplace ghosting comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s December Beige Book — and it’s anecdotal too..

A long time “trend”

To its credit, The Washington Post goes on say that:

National data on economic “ghosting” is lacking. The term, which usually applies to dating, first surfaced in 2016 on Dictionary.com. But companies across the country say silent exits are on the rise.”

This is what I find in every story I read about ghosting — the people mentioned in the media say it’s a big problem, you get a few examples of it happening here and there, but there’s no data to support the contention that ghosting is a big, bad workplace problem.

A USA Today article I wrote about last summer (see Candidates “Ghosting” Job Interviews?Just More Proof of a Bad Candidate Experience) was the first that really tried to dig into the workplace ghosting trend. But even that story merely cited what happened at a few companies and then used that to support their contention that ghosting was a big trend and workplace problem despite having no real data or broader evidence to support the claim.

Some might call this fake news, but I call it sloppy journalism based on thin evidence — and that has been going on for a very long time.

I know this because I ghosted three jobs while in college, although nobody called it ghosting then. We called it “ditching” a job, a term The Washington Post has resurrected in it’s ghosting coverage.

I ghosted before I even knew what it was

This was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I was 18, had moved out of my parents’ house and into an apartment with a friend, and I found myself struggling to pay the rent. So, I churned through three jobs that I “ghosted” in less than a year.

Here are the ugly details:

Job No. 1 was as an overnight cook at a Sambo’s Restaurant. There’s a whole story around what happened to Sambo’s, a 24-hour diner that once rivaled Denny’s. It had more than 1100 units in 47 states before its name became a huge problem in the 1970s. There is a single Sambo’s left today — in Santa Barbara, California.

I had never, ever been a cook when I was hired, and the manager promised me that I would get great on-the-job training and catch on in no time. So, I started on a Friday night and worked the 10 pm to 6 am shift.

Big mistake. I was overwhelmed by the crowds after 2 am when the bars closed, and I simply couldn’t learn fast enough to handle the load. I survived for three nights and never returned when I walked out at the end of my shift on Monday morning. I never got paid, but I didn’t care. And, I had “ghosted” my first employer and didn’t even know it.

Job No. 2 was working in the paint department at The Treasury, a discount chain store owned by JCPenney. I had previously worked in the paint department at a Sears store, so I knew my way around a paint mixer. But, Sears was always pretty busy; The Treasury never seemed to have anybody shopping there.

One week in, I was dying of boredom and the pay wasn’t all that good. I made it through my first shift of Week 2 and decided I just couldn’t take it anymore. I left after that shift and never came back. They mailed me my first, last, and only paycheck a month later. I had ghosted again.

Job No. 3 was short and sweet. I was hired at a Carl’s Jr. franchise in California to train as an assistant manager. I had previously worked as an assistant manager at a McDonald’s, so how much different could this be?

It was another big mistake on my part, because while the McDonald’s I managed always had enough staff, this Carl’s Jr. didn’t. It became clear on Day 1 that this was a job where managers ended up having to do a lot of non-managerial duties because the place was chronically shorthanded. That wasn’t what I had signed up for, so I left after my first shift and never came back. Like with Sambo’s, I never got paid, but again, I didn’t care.

I had “ghosted” all three new jobs, quitting without any notice and without telling anyone. Who knew I was a trendsetter and more than 30 years ahead of the curve? Yes, I was ghosting jobs before anyone knew that ghosting was trendy and cool.

That was my “young and dumb” period, and I got past it pretty quickly. I moved back home, went back to college, and got my life together. An MBA, a long career as an editor, and married life have all followed.

A quirk in a candidate-friendly job market

But here’s my point: I haven’t found anyone who keeps statistics on “ghosting” jobs or job interviews. They didn’t way back in my ghosting days and they don’t seem to now.

Ghosting isn’t a new trend. I’m living proof of that. But until somebody starts tracking the numbers and shows that it’s more than just bad behavior by dumb people like I was way back when, consider it just an odd quirk that gets attention when you have more of a candidate-friendly job market.

It’s happening, but until there’s more hard evidence to prove that the number of people ghosting jobs and job interviews has dramatically increased, consider the big ghosting trend to be nothing more than overblown media BS.

As a veteran ghoster, I ought to know.

The post I Was Ghosting Jobs Back When Ghosting Wasn’t Cool appeared first on Fistful of Talent.

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