#including the supervisor who's met you in person

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

the problem with autism is when getting a list and a little set of pictures showing what to look for isn't enough since one picture is too specific to show a pattern-

so you spend several hours on the meager official online sources before tentatively reporting your observations and suddenly your 1 hour a day volunteer job is you 24 source of stress (～￣▽￣)～

the problem with autism is sometimes you want to do something (brave) but you need someone to gently walk you through each step so you know what will happen. and people don’t like doing that

[gatheringbones]

[“Coming out was very lonely. I had very few friends. Most of the adult lesbians I knew were alcoholics, chronically unemployed, prone to violence, self-hating, apolitical, closeted, cliquish. Lesbians hated each other. If you found a lover you stopped going to the bar because you could not trust other lesbians; they would try to break up your relationship. My first woman lover went into the military, where she turned in other lesbians so she would not be exposed. One of my dyke friends got a job as a supervisor in a cabinet-making company and refused to hire lesbians because, she said, they were unreliable employees who were disliked by the other workers. The only thing that seemed worse to me than the apolitical lesbian community I came out in was the strangulation of pretending to be straight. I came out only because I could not go back; there was no place for me to stand in the het world. I was driven out.

Moving to San Francisco improved things somewhat. There was more public lesbian space there—six bars instead of one. But it did not alleviate the loathing with which my family viewed me. Nor was San Francisco in the early seventies any sort of gay utopia. We had no gay-rights law, queer bashing was a frequent event, and everyone had lost at least one job or been denied a place to live. It was a relief to be surrounded by other lesbian feminists, but only to a point. Bar dykes and feminists still had contempt for one another. Feminism rapidly became a way to reconstitute sexual prudery, to the point that it seemed to me that bar dykes were actually more accepting of and knowledgeable about the range of behavior that constituted lesbianism. In the bars or in the women’s movement, separatism was pretty much mandatory, if you didn’t want to get your ass kicked or be shunned. Separatism deteriorated into a rationalization for witch hunts in the lesbian community rather than a way for women to bond with one another and become more powerful activists. The lesbian community of that decade did terrible things to bi women, transgender people, butch/femme lesbians, bar dykes, dykes who were not antiporn, bisexual and lesbian sex workers, fag hags, and dykes who were perceived as being perverts rather than über-feminists. We were so guilty about being queer that only a rigid adherence to a puritanical party line could redeem us from the hateful stereotypes of mental illness and sexual debauchery.

What did I gain? I came a little closer to making my insides match my outsides, and that was no small blessing. The first time I met other dykes I recognized a part of myself in them, and knew I would have to let it out so I could see who I was. For a time, being a lesbian quieted my gender dysphoria because it made it possible for me to be a different kind of woman. That was an enormous relief.

For a long time, I hoped that by being strong, sexually adventurous, and sharpening my feminist consciousness, I could achieve a better fit between my body and the rest of me. Lesbianism was a platform from which I could develop a different sort of feminism, one that included a demand for sexual freedom and had room for women of all different erotic proclivities. I had a little good sex and discovered that I was not a cold person, I could love other people. It was as a lesbian that I began to find my voice as a writer, because in the early days of the women’s movement, we valued every woman’s experience. There was a powerful ethic around making it possible for every woman to speak out, to testify, to have her say. But there were always these other big pieces of my internal reality that lesbianism left no room for.

The first big piece of cognitive dissonance I had to deal with, in my second coming out, was S/M. I date my coming out as a leather dyke from two different decisions. One was a decision to write down one of my sexual fantasies, the short story that eventually became “Jessie.” At the time I wrote the rough draft of that story, I had never tied anybody up or done anything else kinky. I was terribly blocked as a writer. I kept beginning stories and poems that I would destroy. I have no idea if they were any good or not. My self-loathing was so intense, my inner critic so strong, that I could not evaluate my own work.

So I decided to write this one piece, under the condition that I never had to publish it or show it to another person. I just wanted to tell the truth about one thing. And I was badly in need of connecting with my own sexuality since I was in the middle of what would be a five-year relationship with a woman who insisted we be monogamous, but refused to have sex with me. So I wrote about dominance and submission, the things I fantasized about when I masturbated that upset me so much I became nauseated. Lightning did not strike. As I read and reread my own words, I thought some of them were beautiful. I dared show this story to a few other people. Some of them hated it. Some of them were titillated. Nobody had ever seen anything like it before. The story began to circulate in Xerox form, lesbian samizdat. I found the strength to defend my story when I was told it was unspeakable or wildly improbable.

In October of 1976, I attended a lesbian health conference in Los Angeles and went to a workshop there about S/M. In order to go to a workshop, you had to sign a registration sheet. I was harassed by dykes who were monitoring this space to see who dared sign up for that filthy workshop. On my way, I had to walk through a gauntlet of women who were booing and hissing, calling names, demanding that the workshop be canceled, threatening to storm the room and kick us all out of the conference. The body language and self-calming techniques I had learned when I had to deal with antigay harassment on the street came in very handy, but how odd it was to be using those defenses against the antagonism of other dykes. Their hatred felt like my mother’s hatred. I am so glad I did not let it stop me.

When I got home from that workshop, I knew that I was not the only one. Not only were there other lesbians who fantasized about sadomasochism, there were women who had done these things with each other. I decided to come out again. If there were other leather dykes in San Francisco, they had to be able to find me, so I had to make myself visible. This meant that I often did not get service at lesbian bars, or I was asked to leave women-only clubs and restaurants. I was called names, threatened, spit at. I got hate mail and crank calls. But I also found my tribe. And because I had already experienced my first coming out, I knew we were not going to be an ideal, happy family. I could be more patient with our dysfunctions, and see them as the result of being scared, marginalized, kicked around. Being a leather dyke took me another step closer to dealing with my gender issues. I could experiment with extreme femme and extreme butch drag; take on a male persona during sex play. I gave up separatism because I needed to take support from any place where it was available. Gay men already had a thriving leather culture, and I wanted to learn from them. I also wanted to have sex with them. It still wasn’t okay as far as lesbian feminism was concerned to be bisexual, to be transgendered, but I could bring those folks into my life and make alliances with them. I could defend them in print. There was even more good sex, and people who loved me and received my love despite the fact that it was dangerous for us to show ourselves to one another. I faced my sexual shadow, and she bowed to me and then danced beautifully in profile against the white walls of my consciousness. My writer’s voice was unlocked.”]

pat califa, from layers of the onion, spokes of the wheel, from a woman like that: lesbian and bisexual writers tell their coming out stories, 2000

[theweirdwideweb]

I reported my boss to HR for discrimination last week. Please tell me if I'm crazy.

My old boss got promoted so around October I got a new supervisor. We've been coworkers for about 5 years and had a friendly relationship. I'd been to her house, met her kids, we chit chatted a lot. When she started approving my time cards she noticed I was using about 3-5 hours of PTO per week at random times. I explained this was an informal arrangement I had with my previous supervisor due to my disability. I have C-PTSD and ADHD which honestly make it difficult to get through the day pretty much every day. Sometimes I need more breaks and if I'm using my PTO and being honest, who cares right? Well the new supervisor cared. She told me that if I couldn't be a full time employee they couldn't justify our headcount and my job was on the line unless I made this a formal arrangement. I was really hurt but I did it, I got all the doctors notes together and figured--while I'm formalizing it, I actually do need extra therapy so I'm gonna make my FMLA (family medical leave act) time include these sessions.

All this is approved obviously because one thing I'm not is self diagnosed. I've got medical records a mile high. So starting in January this official leave time goes into effect and I can use up to 7 hours of PTO per week. Before all this began my supervisor consistently praised me as a "rockstar" employee, saying I was the only person on the team who truly follows the rules. In general I was thought of as an excellent worker and had received a promotion. The team that I lead smashed our goals for 2023. But, strangely, once I start the FMLA my supervisor begins complaining about my lack of productivity. I kept a spreadsheet as a tool for my ADHD where I tracked how I was spending my time so I volunteered to let her see it so she could figure it out. Instead of sending the spreadsheet tracking my work in 5 minute increments once or twice, this woman has had me sending it every week for the past 7 months. Every Monday we have our 1:1 and she lets me know how poorly I'm doing. She also sends me an email on Mondays where she counts every email I have in my inbox, every claim I have across multiple programs, every minute of meetings I have scheduled and sends me the amount of time she expects it to take and if I don't make it then we have to talk about my "problems".

Now I'm practically never making it. I've appealed to her and to her boss so many times that there is something wrong with this formula they've come up with to calculate my workload--and they both just think I'm lying. Long story short in May I started measuring my time not on the spreadsheet but by the individual tasks in the email and not only am I keeping up, but there's a full 5-6 hours of work every week that she hasn't been counting (including 3 hours talking on the phone---with her!). I bring this up at our 1:1 in late May and say, See there really is something wrong with your measurement. I'm right on track productivity wise with these tasks. She doesn't acknowledge at all the flaw I've found in her formula but DOES say, "I do think there's been an improvement in your productivity and I expect it will continue to improve as you get more therapy." Full on MASK OFF. So my "productivity issues" are improved by therapy, meaning she's been ascribing those issues to my disability. Incredible.

I go to HR the next day to have this interaction on the record. First time I've gone to HR about anything ever. They are so concerned that they are going to launch an investigation and I tearfully plead with them not to because my boss's boss is out on medical leave and I don't want to cause huge problems while she's away and can't moderate. I didn't realize it would automatically cause an investigation to report this. The lady takes pity on me and says they won't investigate for now.

The VERY NEXT DAY my supervisor tells us in a team meeting (other people there to witness) that she's got a funny story about her son. It's some innocent story about how he's grounded and can't go to a party, but she continues on by talking about how she has to be extra strict with him because he has ADHD. If she doesn't enforce consequences, he'll never learn! And he has to learn because when he grows up his boss isn't going to take his ADHD as an excuse. "Policies are policies" she said, "Your boss isn't going to accept an answer like I know I was supposed to do four things but I only got to three because...." She even went further talking about how he's having trouble learning to drive because of his ADHD and just laughing about it. When he has to do something, she says, she has to remind him multiple times and set timers and double check with him otherwise he'll forget.

So I'm fucking flabbergasted at this point, right? This whole time I've been feeling like this time tracking is discriminatory and here she is just spelling it out for me in neon letters: YES, IT ACTUALLY IS. So I'm biding my time until her boss gets back from medical leave. But after 3 weeks of showing her that her method is flawed she tells me I don't have to do the spreadsheet anymore. Her boss is back but cancelled our first meeting, so I figure: If the bullshit stops, for the sake of my career and mental health I'm gonna let this go. My supervisor goes on vacation for 2 weeks. I'm doing my work exactly as I want to without the added pressure and everything is going great.

Once she gets back though we have our 1:1 and she asks me where my emails were on the 2 past Fridays telling her if I got all my work done. Which she never asked me to do, btw. Reader---I mcfreakin lost it. I belligerently asked why this was still necessary, that I felt picked on and bullied, that she isn't doing this to anyone else on the team, and that I'm sick and tired of constantly being demoralized by her leadership. I told her that I was going to talk to her boss directly about this situation. She was pissed. She actually unfriended me on facebook which for middle aged women is like throwing a grenade.

Next day I talk to her boss. I bring my evidence because of course I've been taking notes. The situation is serious. HR has become involved. And just because there are anti-retaliatory rules for reporting protected concerns doesn't actually protect me from getting fired. Suddenly I'm fearful about everything. I'm afraid I'm going to lose my job and my health insurance, bye bye therapy,, bye bye surgery I need. I've been at this job 6 years and the animosity is at an all time high. Christ almighty.

[akutasoda]

Helllo! Can I request the obey me brothers with a Teen mc who’s like pm dazai?

different kinds of demons

synopsis - hardship after hardship had landed you here, perhaps it was the best scenario

includes - all platonic! - lucifer, mammon, leviathan, satan, asmodeus, beelzebub, belphegor

warnings - gn!teen!reader, fluff, angst w/ some comfort, pm!dazai stuff, some may be ooc, wc - 1.7k

lucifer ★↷

↪from the minute he saw, his only question was - why so many bandages? now he wasn't one to pry but for someone your age it seemed unnatural and a topic that may need to be addressed. but you were the exchange student, no-one personal so he didn't pry and thought he would stop wondering.

↪he observed over your first few days or couple of weeks you were in the exchange program how quiet you became. not talking to many people. but eventually you grew to become very loud and rather annoying, in his words.

↪it started when he had numerous complaints about you from other students yet no-one of them seemed to want to address you personally which was very unnatural for some demons in the school. but he could catch some glances you shot their way. rather unfriendly glances.

↪you were an awful influence on his brothers, mammon and satan specifically. always winding them up or teaming up with the and convincing them to go through with the dumbest plans. and no matter how much he felt he should be angry at you, he couldn't bring himself to be.

↪he could never seem to be angry at you. perhaps it was seeing all the bandages that made him care or maybe it was how you almost seemed confused at the room you were given. similarly refusing any help and or acts of kindness from diavolo.

↪it got to the point where the questions plagued his mindand eventually he re dug out your file and properly read it this time. he was met with a rather blank piece of paper but very few details made out where you had came from. he had a very long conversations with diavolo and barbatos.

↪and upon learning you had came from a mafia organisation, he became wary. outraged even at the idea someone with such a dangerous reputation could be chosen for this. but if anything the sympathy nagged at the back of his mind.

↪and from his conversation with barbatos specifically, he was able to calm himself. knowing that the butler was certain no problems would arise in the future. he started looking out for you. it was almost subconscious, perhaps from having 6 brothers, but he started treating you as one of his siblings.

↪it confused you at first, suspecting alterior motives but eventually it became almost comforting. much better than what you had before. perhaps you could stay longer than the program.

mammon ★↷

↪if he was being honest, he thought he looked rather cool. when he first saw you he didn't really question the bandages but he would later on. although you did seem to have a rather intimidating stare, not that he would care - he's the great mammon afterall.

↪he also definitely didn't find it creepy when you barely spoke to start with. due to him being assigned your 'supervisor until further notice' he was around you alot. your silence paired with that dead stare made him rather uneasy.

↪he chalked it down to initial nervousness because after a while he thought that you started getting confident. although he didn't know what he preferred - the silence or you constantly teasing him.

↪but eventually he started to really enjoy you being around. always being kind and helping him go through with whatever dumb idea he planned planned on the spot. even if he got told off.

↪but after a while he found out. and from however he found out, he still felt his heart sink but it made sense. and from that day you could notice how much nicer mammon became toward you but you knew he found out.

↪and as much as it terrified him at first he grew to think of you as one of his many siblings.

leviathan ★↷

↪he barely cared at first. sure you looked rather cool but you were a 'normie'. there was no way he could get along with you or no way you could understand him. so he barely cared at all for anything you did or even batted an eye toward you.

↪especially because you seemed so quiet at first. avoiding most of everyone and keepin interactions to a minimum. but eventually he noticed in your classed with him how you could get so confident and rather annoying to other students.

↪and he understood why none of them never did anything about you as he was also a victim of your hidden threats if he dared tell lucifer. but eventually you managed to work your way into getting him to be more open with you.

↪and that was made possible by all those times you'd spent in the arcade. connecting with the demon wasn't that easy but you managed. he eventually started letting you play games with him and therefore saw you as less of a 'normie'.

↪but that did little to stop the shock from finding out what you currently were involved in in the human world. at first he thought it was so cool but quickly gave himself a reality check and began feeling bad for you.

↪no-one you're age should be wrapped up in such things. this made him subconsciously start to look out for you more and more and eventually admitting that he did enjoy hanging around you - especially because most the time you could truly act your age.

satan ★↷

↪the first time he saw you he was very concerned. he knew how old you were and knew immediately no child your age should have that many bandages but that being said he also knew it was a sensitive subject. therefore because you hardly knew him there was no eay he would find out the reason.

↪he also mistook your silence at the beginning for nervousness. but eventually seeing how loud and rather problematic you became intrigued him for multiple reasons. one of which being how far would you be willing to go to annoy lucifer with him.

↪and if so he just found his new favourite person. you both became lucifers worst nightmare and satan absolutely indulged in that because each idea you had was so clever that it made his ideas seem common.

↪but he was bound to find out eventually. and when he did he felt nrage towards those thta allowed you into that position at such an age and sympathy for you and what you had yo go through.

↪he never brought it up but wanted to allow you to act your age, to feel comfortable around someone genuine and he loved that he was able to provide you with that. hos brothers had never seen him so considerate.

asmodeus ★↷

↪he wasn't trying to be rude but when he first saw you he was secretly jusging your outfit. especially all those bandages and rather rough hair. but then he realised how young you were and knew for an instant that something was up.

↪he did try and initially get close to you as he felt he could see something in you. but because you acted so quiet at first it made it rather difficult. so he respected your distance and didn't try much after.

↪that was until he noticed how loud you got. he assumed you gained confidence in the new environment and therefore regained his urge to try and get close to you. which seemed to work better this time. even if you were alot more problematic.

↪and eventually should you let him, when he got closer to you he started devising you skincare routines as you never really looked like you took care of yourself. especially with the bandages.

↪that was probably how he found out. and when he did he swore his heart broke. he didn't immediately fuss over you fearing it may put you off but he started subtly showing more support.

↪you clocked on from the start and always seemed wary of him but after deciding he did i fact have no alterior motive you started allowing yourself to indulge in his company.

beelzebub ★↷

↪another one to worry initially upon seeing all those bandages. but the one that really got him was how dead your eye looked. he immediately started worrying for you even though he had literally only met you about five minutes ago.

↪he didn't mind you were quiet at first. he didn't even mind when you supposedly gained confidence and started acting out more. uncaring to whoever was around, seemingly unafraid of everything around you as he would also note some demons being too scared to approach you.

↪he subconsciously started looking out for you. so much so that you seeing and being around him became very normal. so you naturally over time saw him as someone to hang around. someone you knew never had alterior motives for you.

↪and then he found out. he became more protective of you as he felt nothing but sorrow - after slight fear. you shouldn't be associated with that kind of thing. especially your age. so he was very glad you chose to stay with them instead.

belphegor ★↷

↪from the minute he watched you enger the attic, was the minute he could tell something was off. you had something about you that actually managed to make him second guess using you to escape. but you were still the exchange student and he wanted out the attic.

↪and you knew his motives from the start. you could guess where it would lead and yet you went with it. it was something you hoped to achieve yourself anyway.

↪and if anything you were shocked you didn't. and belphie was shocked you still willingly spoke to him. acting as if nothing happened. this made him worry slightly but he always pushed away those thoughts.

↪and if anything it made him subtly look out for you. especially after finding out where you had come from. now he understood the bandages and why you were so unfazed. but he knew that shouldn't be natural for a kid like you so he did naturally worry.

↪he started seeing you as someone that wasn't actually that bad to be hanging around with - which further made him regret his actions. and in his own way he would always look out for you.

[yujeong]

are the timelines overlapping? because the scenes we saw is dome being alive (great rescued him) he's well at the hospital and then at the same time we see tonkla grieving for his brother which is dome so what is real ?!

because i believe the real one is the one dome being killed, right? because that is what really happened before great sees the future

now, we saw win knowing that tonkla is a suspect (so this time, he's still on the case unlike what we saw on the past episode) and then scene after was tonkla calling him. what timeline is that?

so it'll be like;

dome died, tonkla grieving, win & tonkla met, korn doesn't answer tonkla, win getting off the case, win & tonkla fucking, korn & tonkla ’break up’

dome is alive— (what do we know about this timeline?)

where in those timeline happening the one where win knew that tonkla was a suspect because he's (dome) still dead, but this time he was still working on the case

THIS IS SO MESSED UP IM SORRY JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IM SHOOK someone explain it to me please 😅

Anon, as I said in the previous ask, I'm not the suitable person to answer questions about the plot and what's really happening. I do, however, have to make one thing perfectly clear because I see a lot of people confused about it, you included: Win is NOT working on Dome's case. The beginning scene of Episode 4 hasn't happened yet! Same with all the previous episodes: all the scenes before the opening titles are from the future. This means that 1) Great and Tyme haven't died yet - or have they? (Episode 1), 2) Tonkla hasn't killed anyone yet (Episode 2), 3) the cops haven't found the second body yet, which is Tonkla's victim (Episode 3) and 4) Win hasn't been given the case for body No2, which leads to him finding out Tonkla's fingertips were on the rock (Episode 4). The phone call we saw at the end of the scene was a distraction - Tonkla did NOT call Win to help him with his brother's funeral then. Win is too nonchalant in the rest of the episode to have had the knowledge of Tonkla's involvement in any sort of serious crime. Seeing Win's supervisor being so demanding of Win to be quick and find out who killed victim No2 suggests they are of high importance. It strengthens the theory that the person Tonkla will kill is Title, after finding out Title killed Dome - another theory which is basically confirmed in the show, as we literally saw Title hit Dome with a rock repeatedly to the head before Great "went back in time/saw the future". And I say it this way because, even though Great says he "sees the future 4 minutes ahead", the show's presentation makes it seem as if he's going back in time 4 minutes in order to prevent stuff from happening. Or, everything Great has achieved with his power is an illusion - he never truly changed anything. In the "Dome is alive" timeline/reality/whatever it is, the only people involved are Great, Tyme, Den and Korn. Title too, since he fought Great after he saved Dome. Now, Korn is interesting, because he's in the middle of the two realities; he found out Dome died in Episode 4, but he's also hanging out with Great who's reality is that Dome survived. I'll be keeping my eyes on him and how the show will utilize this dichotomy. I will also be keeping my eyes on Tonkla, because of his scene in Episode 1 with the cat: that's Tonkla's cat without the collar on, which Tonkla keeps in his drawer. The significance of the scene, to me, is that Tonkla has a role to play in the whole timeline fuckery - which was also proven by the ending scene of Episode 4. By being able to sense his cat's presence and Dome's, he's the only one so far who has shown evidence of being connected to both realities somehow. And the cat is interesting to me, because it was killed YEARS before Great's powers "started" (we don't know that fully yet, the rest of the show will make a case for it being true or not). I'm just rambling at this point but this were important points to make in my opinion. I just can't wait to become even more confused with Episode 5.

[ingravinoveritas]

Did you see Neil's tumbler post about autism?? I never knew. Did he ever said anything about it before? My son was recently diagnosed, and Neil saying that he's autistic made me feel... I don't know, connection to him in a new way? Recognized? Hopefull? I don't have the words. Just wanted to hear your thoughts on it. I hope i didn't come off as offensive in some way. English is not my native language.

Hi there! I am slightly behind in Asks, so apologies to folks who have been sending them in over the past few days--trying my best to catch up now.

Firstly, you did not come off as offensive at all, so please don't worry! And yes, I did see Neil's Tumblr post (it's here, for those who might have missed it), and it's given me quite a lot of feelings, for reasons that would probably be expected.

I think what immediately came to mind when I read his post was a conversation I had with Neil when I met him back in November at a tribute to Ray Bradbury. I told him how much I was struck by the story he'd read, as it felt very much like an allegory for autism and resonated so much with my own experiences as an autistic person. He seemed to appreciate my comments and agreed with my observation, but never at any point in our conversation mentioned anything about identifying as autistic himself.

Does that necessarily mean anything? Of course not. I know that Neil does not owe me (or anyone else) a disclosure, and the decision to disclose is a very personal one that each person has to make for themselves. But thinking of Neil's post the other day, I'm also reluctant--for a variety of reasons--to say that it is a disclosure, or Neil definitely stating that he is autistic.

When I got your Ask on Friday morning, I was eager to answer it, though I knew I would have to wait because I was at work. Soon after, I had a difficult, emotionally draining meeting with my two supervisors. I ended up crying at work--which I have now realized is a trauma response--and by the time I got home and was starting to process everything, it was difficult not to look at Neil's post and flinch, particularly at the mention of "superpowers." That day, for the first time in a very long time, I could only feel the "kryptonite" part of being autistic. (My personal stance is that I have never considered autism to be a "super power," but something that is neither all good or all bad, and is part of who I am, yet not all of who I am.)

And from the conversation I had with my supervisors, I felt the responsibility and the pressure of other people seeing me in ways that I never intended--and regardless of whether I want to be seen that way. (For context: This was about my work as a professional speaker and people seeing me as an expert in autism/sexuality, when I never use the word "expert" to describe myself and always tell people I don't have all of the answers.)

The reason I mention this is because I feel like people read that post from Neil and--understandably, of course--saw something. They felt the connection that you described, and that sense of recognition. But what concerns me is that it's going to somehow turn Neil into a representative for an entire community, when that may not be something he wants or feels like he can be. If he is on a journey with autism--whether that means self-diagnosis, or a clinical diagnosis, or not having/seeking a diagnosis at all--that's something incredibly personal. As difficult as that journey is for people navigating it privately, myself included, Neil is possibly doing it in the public eye, which means that everything--every achievement and every misstep--is that much more amplified.

To that end, what I often see with Neil and social media is that he is either lavished with praise or torn to shreds (with very little in between). Being autistic means there is another possible dimension to who Neil is, but it can't be the only lens through which we see him. So I'm just hoping fans don't pin all of their dreams and expectations on him--not only for their sake and avoiding potential disappointment, but also for Neil's. To allow him the messiness and imperfection of being human, instead of a perfect role model.

I hope all of this makes sense. I'm still feeling a little raw from this past Friday, but I wanted to be sure I answered your question. Thank you for writing in! x

[5uwabbit]

"Testing testing..The mic seems well! What a nice morning to greet everyone, Welcome to Altru inc!"

“What are you looking at? Did you finish loitering around? We have a mission to do."

“That’s Kellie??”

Kincaid background is unknown (secret) but he actually have some sort of educational background. He’s still has a skill in spotting talents out of the ordinary. The first time he met Kat she was just a troublesome kid breaking a vending machine. What impresses him more was how her parents didn’t give her an output for this? This is wasting talent!! Anyways.. when her parents were giving her a lecture for doing unforeseen robotics, he told them she would be a genius in tech. By chance, Kat was already in the best school in the area, where Kincaid is in. He now actively sponsors her. (Then they all moved to Almia in via student exchange)

Of course, given that it is an exchange program Kincaid has to keep her in check. Unfortunately, Kat is the “well now I’m not doing it now that you told me type”. So she’s giving him trouble.

Kellie was also from Fiore. He’s the son of a very popular whatever.. just think they have big influence here. He was already in Kincaid class and of course.. Kincaid is trying to get him on board with this plan. However the biggest struggle is literally convincing the boy since he’s Very. Very. unmotivated. He’s a natural social genius yet doesn’t like any interaction that doesn’t interest him.

Kellie only followed Kincaid when he mentioned they’re taking him to ranger school. Kincaid here actually works as a supervisor because Kellie has actual work in Altru including and they know Kincaid from the inside, putting trust on him. He always lived a carefree lived and his motivation is way too vague to tell. (Kincaid thinks he’s actually more at risk of drifting away from their group than Kat is)

Both Kat and Kellie were separate project. He didn’t plan for them to meet. They first began interacting in Almia Ranger School. Kat actually wonders why Kincaid needed Kellie because of course “Kincaid doesn’t really need anyone else doesn’t he?” (This leads to her investigating the organization as a whole, realizing that it’s much bigger than just robotics privileges). However instead of breaking away this strenghtened both of the two bonds.

Kat: I know your evil plans old blondie

Kincaid: what (oh sh-)

Kat: I agree

Kincaid: (huh?)

After this the two have full transparency. Anyways.. Kat realized Kellie’s background and was more like okay we’re coworkers. “I guess Kellie does play a good role in the plan..” Although…. it was kind of unexpected given Kellie were more of the “carefree type”. They got closer later on. Kat thinks Kellie should rebel more because why aren’t you extorting Kincaid more. We in this together dude!

Dear god please do not. Inspire Kellie to be like you.

-Kincaid

Also Kat suspected Kellie had relation to Kincaid at first because “He isn’t the troublesome type but still here anyway”. (Referring to some sorta detention)

Kellie knew right of the bat that Kat and Kincaid were actually allies to each other by sheer observation alone. Even when both the Professor and Kat literally seems like they only got beef with each other (This is why Isa doesn’t suspect that Kat and Kincaid is in the same faction). There will be more children dramas between R!Rhythmi, R!Keith, R!Ponte and Isa but that’s a topic for another stuff..

(Note: I put name differences for easy filtering, it also provides nice detail)

TAGGING

If I said R!Kate that means it’s Kat, R!Kate=Kat

Kate -> Kat

Kellyn -> Kellie

Isaac -> Isa

Mr. Kincaid -> Prof. Kinz (Still spelled Kincaid but again, easy filtering)

I have yet to make name diff for some :p I would love if you try to hyperanalyses who is swapped with who whether in personality or jobs. Who mirrors who designs LOL.

My take in Reverse Universe is like

Sometimes they are completely opposing themselves. Sometimes two characters swaps personality or/and jobs. Sometimes they remain the same as ever but something is off.

[theo-decker]

My last job had lots of deranged personality types working with me, I took extensive notes while I was there and I have to save them for a short story or something (real emeryheads will remember my supervisor who was this mean butch---I nearly wrote hey mamas lesbian but that is a LITTLE unkind---who was always hitting on girls in the office. Well to summarise she ended up hiring her girlfriend and her girlfriend's friend to work with us. This managed to create like a voting bloc in the office against everyone else and the three girls would walk around like The Plastics except if one of them was a tiny butch with tufty hair). The current crop of people I work with are like... Kooky but basically don't hate my guts so I don't mind them, and include:

Current boss, an extremely horny bohemian mum whose major hobbies include belly-dancing, beer-tasting, and xianxia dramas. She is friendly but also likes to take contrarian positions on things to see what I will say. Like she will come up to me and be like, I support Donald Trump for president of the United States because there was no war when he was last in office. And I'll be like okay girl.

Supervisor, extremely neurotic and type A gay guy, he is very sweet, soft spoken and a gamer who loves cats but is always running around stressing and freaking everyone out. Naturally whenever we go to KTV he gets absolutely TRASHED and becomes very irritating. Also has a boyfriend who dresses and looks exactly the same as him, we have glimpsed him at KTV sometimes.

2 Hot Twentysomething Girls (TM). The first Hot Girl is our STEM teacher who has some of the most uncanny, effortless charm I have ever seen. I saw her at parents' night yesterday and was fascinated with her ability to pull people into her orbit. Everyone thinks of her as being "the one with the best English", which is why she has such a good job at this school even though she's more junior, but they don't realise it's literally just charisma. The second Hot Girl is the youngest, can't be more than 20, a bit dim and totally consumed by Xiaohongshu and IG. She is always grooming herself like a cat. She brushes her hair like ten times a day and does a whole teeth brushing and flossing routine everytime she eats anything (which is also rare because she is always on a diet).

+ But the actual reason I started writing this post is that I've just recently developed an inexplicable and vicious crush on my other coworker who is 10+ years older than me and married with two twin boys. Actually it's not THAT inexplicable, when we first met, Hot Girl 1 very accurately observed, "Although she is the oldest one here, she is clearly the cutest out of all of us." . This semester we are sharing a classroom. * ** ** **** * **** ** **** ** **** ***. No you cannot borrow a vowel.

[republicsecurity]

Teen Magazine Spotlight: Meet SIETE – The Charming Administrative Specialist with a Heart of Gold

Hey there, all you fabulous readers! Are you ready to dive into the thrilling world of paramedics and get to know someone who's not only an administrative whiz but also a heartthrob? Buckle up as we introduce you to SIETE, the charismatic administrative specialist who's lighting up the paramedic corps with his dazzling smile and incredible dedication.

🚑 Basic Training Sensation! 🚑

Prepare to be amazed, because SIETE isn't your average admin specialist! He embarked on his paramedic journey just like the frontline heroes, braving the same rigorous training and conditioning. Imagine spending three whole months immersed in high-pressure simulators, pushing his limits while being guided by unwavering determination.

"For the first three month I had the same rigorous training and conditioning in the simulators, the same medication and I was zonked out for weeks"

But it was not an easy path. Initially intended to become a fully qualified front line Rescueman, his Drill Instructors and Supervisors noticed the heavy toll the conditions took on his mind.

"Upon observing SIETE's dedication and the potential impact of continued intensive training, our drill instructors and supervisors made the thoughtful decision to guide him towards the Administrative Specialist track. It's all about ensuring a healthy and fulfilling journey for each paramedic, and SIETE's transition is a testament to our commitment to their well-being." Says his Training DI.

💼 Balancing Act – Admin Extraordinaire! 💼

Having initially embarked on the demanding path of paramedic training, SIETES's journey took an unexpected turn as he transitioned to the role of Administrative Specialist.

While some may view those who wash out of training with skepticism, SIETE's transformation stands as a testament to his resilient character and adaptability.

Rather than succumbing to discouragement, he embraced his new role with enthusiasm and positivity, showcasing that every path within the paramedic corps contributes significantly to our mission of saving lives.

🎉 Shattering Stereotypes about wash outs! 🎉

At the youthful age of 19, SIETE is not only breaking stereotypes but shattering them entirely. This dynamic admin specialist isn't just a pretty face – he's the complete package, including his six pack washboard abs. With his dazzling good looks and undeniable charm, he's captured the hearts of both admirers and admirresses alike.

💕 From Cadets to Corps! 💕

And guess what? Before his conscript service, SIETE was part of the cadet crew. That's right – his early days of discipline and camaraderie served as the perfect foundation for his remarkable journey in the paramedic corps. He's come a long way and is showing no signs of slowing down.

In his own words, "Like right now, the conditioning made me lean towards boys. An we have lot of fun here, but who knows? Maybe I'll be more open to girls once I cycle out."

⛑️ Adding Love to Admins ⛑️

During my encounter with SIETE, he stood before me in his distinctive red armor suit, a symbol of his affiliation with the paramedic corps.

The suit, a formidable blend of technology and protection, enveloped him, while his black tactical gloves held a stack of papers���evidence of his administrative responsibilities.

With a congenial smile gracing his face, he exuded an air of approachability and warmth. It was as if the visor of his helmet had been retracted not just to reveal his features, but also to provide a glimpse into his friendly and personable demeanor.

💪 Strength to behold 💪

Meeting SIETE was an electrifying experience that left me eager to uncover every inch of his persona. Clad in his renowned red armor suit, he radiated an air of enigmatic confidence that intrigued me from the moment we met. I couldn't help but wonder what might be concealed beneath those layers of high-tech protection.

"Yep, you see, this MARK III suit isn't just about looking cool and protecting us—it's also got some serious functionality. Everything's sealed tight. And don't worry, my personal bits are tucked away in our trusty corps-issued chastity device, safe and sound. It's all part of the package when you're in the Paramedic Corps"

In my quest to unveil the allure behind SIETE, I turned to his fellow paramedic friends for insights into the mysteries beneath the armor. Their animated descriptions of chiseled abs and admirable strength painted a vivid picture, further fueling my intrigue.

"Let me tell you, it's not just about saving lives around here. SIETE's six-pack? It's like a motivational poster for all of us. We might be in the business of emergencies, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate a good set of abs while we're with him in the sleeping pods!"

And though my quest to inspect those six-pack abs remains unfulfilled, the stories and admiration of his colleagues only add to the mystique that surrounds SIETE.

[populationpensive]

As someone who works in hospital/critical care, do you have any advice on when to walk away? I’m an ICU RPh. I love the work that I do, I love the nurses and docs I work with, and speaking as objectively as possible I’ve always gotten great feedback from coworkers and admin. But my immediate supervisors (manager and director) are some of the worst people I’ve ever met.

They have huge egos and will not consider any process improvements that they don’t come up with. They’ll change the workflow and schedules on a dime to punish people and are pretty blatant about retaliating when folks try to speak up. They actively suppress reported med errors by turning into an at-fault event of whoever is reporting vs implementing process improvement. They refuse to do any kind of departmental education or training (“you’re here to work not to learn”), but then blame pharmacists for not staying “up to date” when the department is called out for following outdated guidelines. But they’ve been at the hospital 40 and 20 years respectively so despite multiple HR complaints from other staff, nothing ever seems to stick.

I hate the idea of leaving a place and coworkers (and patients!!!) that I love, especially given I don’t interact with them directly too much lout on the unit most of the day. Plus my family lives here and I’d hate to have to move away from them. But these two can and do make my life miserable when they feel like it, and I don’t know at what point it’s time to draw the line. Critical care is already such an emotionally draining field and I just feel more and more burned out each day. Idk if you have any experience dealing w something similar?

Hi nonnie,

I am so sorry you are experiencing this. I think it is fair to say that every hospital has some bullshit. Actually, a great pharmacist on my unit left for similar administrative concerns. The medication error suppression is SUPER concerning, though. That's just irresponsible and endangers patients. Also, the retaliatory component is also extremely concerning. That is something worth escalating to HR tbh.

Does your hospital have an ombudsman? Most hospitals do and they are meant to be a kind of liaison between the public (including employees) and the institution. If your hospital doesn't have one, your state surely does. This might be a good avenue for escalating your concerns if you feel compelled but feel limited by institutional roadblocks.

When reflecting about my job, there are definitely a lot of things I would want to change about my institution and unit. For me, I have to assess what I can change and what I can't. Of the things I can't change, what am I able to tolerate? (and by tolerate I mean literally just co-exist with an issue and focus on patient care.)

I had a co-worker quit 2 years ago because they hated our unit director. I mean, I'm not a fan of the dude either but as far as unit directors go, I would rather have someone who is lazy or laissez-faire as opposed to micromanagey. I have experienced WAY worse leadership, so for me, having this individual in this role isn't the worst thing ever. Is the unit director worth leaving a job I love? To me, it isn't.

If you enjoy your job, enjoy your co-workers, and get what you want out of that job, I personally don't see a reason to leave. But, you are the only one that knows what you can handle. If your job is taking up your thoughts outside of work and becoming a negative experience, then maybe it is best to move on.

-Poppi

[exhaustedpirate]

we ain't kids no more

inspired by adele's "send your love (to your new lover)" includes a not nice depiction of neal/swanfire but nothing too much (it's a small thing too) banner art by me rated G | 1180 words Also on AO3

Her hand was just cooling down when she heard his voice.

“Ems? Is that you?”

Emma was startled by the flashbacks this surprise appearance brought - reminiscing about the man who failed to appreciate you was not one of her favorite pastimes and she was thankful it didn’t happen often. Not when she was so happy.

“Neal!” Her tone was controlled, her smile polite. The same tone and expression she used on her CIs - friendly but not too friendly. “I didn’t know you were coming to this. You don’t look like a Miner’s Day type of person.”

“Oh, well, I’m in town for the weekend so it’s kind of mandatory to come to these things.” He gestured around them without taking his eyes off her. She was definitely not amused by the overt way he looked her up and down. “You look good.” 

“I know.” Her smile starts losing more of its friendliness as she crosses her arms, bringing his attention back to her. “What are you up to these days, Neal?”

“I’m still working at the construction office, I’m a supervisor now though. Got promoted last summer.” 

He had such a proud smile. It shouldn’t make her so disappointed, promotions were generally a good thing. However, in the 5 years they were together, he had been working for that office and only now, almost 4 years later, was he getting his promotion.

Same old Neal.

The same Neal who proposed on a whim and was satisfied to watch life pass in front of him. Emma wasn’t happy to be stuck when all her life, she had had no control over her life. She wanted more and Neal wasn’t going to help with that. Emma nodded, letting out a quiet chuckle that was thankfully drowned out by the music. The approaching woman quickly made her presence known, wanting to commandeer their attention. 

“And I’m so proud of him. He was waiting for that promotion.” Neal tossed a half-surprised glance towards the woman before wrapping his arm around her, clearly happy to have her there.

“Emma, this is Tamara, my fiancée.” He introduced but there was really no need, Tamara’s arm was mirroring Neal’s around his waist and she was practically shoving her left hand on Emma’s face.

Emma was thoroughly amused now.

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Emma Swan.” Emma extended her hand but was completely ignored when Tamara turned to look at Neal.

“This is the Emma you told me about?” Emma’s eyebrow rose at Tamara’s high-chinned look once Neal confirmed it. “Hmm. We got engaged two months ago.”

Emma flustered at the unprompted information and it caused her to take a second look at the still-presented ring and- oh. Emma’s smile was earnest now.

“I can see. Nice ring.” The teasing tone in her voice went unacknowledged by Tamara who was admiring the ring that had once been in Emma’s finger for more than a year. 

But not Neal, who blanched before stammering out. “You were going to tell me what you were up to, Ems.”

“Right,” Emma couldn’t help smiling at just how amused she was at this whole situation. “I’m a detective in Boston, took my Sergeant’s exam last Friday and I’m feeling confident.”

“Oh,” Neal was surprised and she expected it. “I never thought-”

“I know.” Emma interrupted with a smirk. She expected it too. Because she knew Neal Cassidy had never believed that she’d be able to do it. Her eyes were defiant when they met Neal’s and he seemed to retreat to himself a bit.

“And are you alone here?” Tamara didn’t seem too impressed with the looks they were sharing and decided to interrupt it with a very pointed question.

“No, my parents stopped to talk to Granny,” Emma decided to ignore the pitying look on her face to add, “and my boyfriend went to get us some hot chocolate.” She looked back in the direction he had left, only to be pleasantly surprised to see him two steps away.

“With cinnamon, just as m’lady likes.” His eyes stayed on her and she couldn’t help sharing in his wide smile when he handed her the hot cup with an over-the-top move. Neal let out a pointed cough catching Killian’s attention. 

Emma ignored his weird jealousy and the look of surprise on Tamara’s face while Killian directed his attention to them. “My apologies, I didn’t see you there. I’m Killian Jones.”

His hand went ignored by Neal, who simply nodded while muttering a “Neal Cassidy” with a side-glance, but vigorously shaken by Tamara who seemed transfixed with him before Neal squeezed her hip to bring her attention back to him.

“Where did you two meet?” Neal asked glancing at Emma who simply smiled and took a sip of her drink.

“We work together, I met her when she started as a detective. It took some time but she finally agreed to go out with me.” Killian’s arm found its home around Emma’s shoulders. “A year later, here we are.” Their eyes locked and Emma had to take a deep breath at the love in his eyes. It was still surprising.

“Oh, so you’re a sergeant? Emma mentioned taking the sergeant’s exam.” Tamara asked and Emma noticed how she nestled herself in Neal’s chest making sure her left hand laid on his chest.

Killian had to force his attention back on his new acquaintances - she knew the feeling. “No, I’m still a detective.”

“And it doesn’t bother you that she’s going to be in a higher position than you?”

Nothing Neal Cassidy did or said surprised Emma anymore.

She had never felt so grateful to have accepted Killian’s love. They had had that discussion before. Emma’s fears had come barging in an hour before the exam until Killian steadfastly put all those fears to rest. Yet, his devotion still made her heart race.

“Not at all, I always knew she was going to be my boss one day.” And if the words didn’t make her swoon, the lingering kiss he deposited on her temple certainly did.

“Right, well,” Neal interrupted. “We have to find my dad, he’ll be looking for us.” 

Emma turned back to the engaged couple with an unwavering smile. “Maybe we’ll see each other again. I wish you two all the happiness.” 

That didn’t seem to be the answer Neal was hoping for but she realized she didn’t really care. She had been sincere. There was a time when all she wanted was Neal’s approval and love. She was different now, for the better.

Emma watched as the man who broke her heart and the woman who Emma wished would be treated better make their way through the crowd. Finally giving into her desires and leaning against the chest of the man who tore down her walls and appreciated her. The man she loved.

“Who was that?” His tone was conversational as his arm instinctively brought her closer, his lips on the top of her head and his thumb stroking her hip casually.

“Nobody important.” 

And that had never felt so true.

[obscureobsidiandraws]

MY OWN BOY MEETS WORLD REBOOT - WHO'S WHO (II)

JOHN ADAMS HIGH'S FACULTY AND STAFF

After the first post I made for the characters in my hypothetical Boy Meets World reboot, in which I focused on Cory’s family and friends. It’s time to talk about the teachers and the rest of the employees at the school Cory and his friends attend. Which you know what that means. It’s time for Mr. Feeny and Mr. Tuner.

George Feeny. John Adams High’s history teacher, and Cory and Eric’s next door neighbor. In the latter seasons he becomes John Adams High’s principal. Cory and Eric initially see him as the grumpy teacher who hates his students, although as they grow up they see that people, including him, are more complex than that.

Jonathan Turner. The most recently hired teacher at John Adams High by the time Cory and Shawn start seventh grade. He ends up becoming a father figure for Shawn, and eventually in later seasons officially adopts him. Feeny is initially quite hostile towards him because of his methods, which he seems as opposite to his and inefficient; the fact that he sees Mr. Turner as someone inexpert and naive with too much confidence; and because he was hired by Principal Gómez Arguello without his approval, something that, by Feeny’s experience, doesn’t have a good track record, with most teachers hired by the principal being so because of their looks instead of their actual credentials. But they eventually warm up to each other, especially when they realize they’re actually quite similar, with both of them coming from wealthy family backgrounds who decide to work teaching in the public school system, and even being alumni of the same private school, Rutledge Academy.

Eli Williams. Jonathan’s best friend since they met in college, he’s later hired to teach at John Adams High too.

Audrey Andrews. (@oceangirl24’s OC, used with her permission) John Adams High’s school counselor, Jon and her knew each other back in high school, with Audrey being able to attend it thanks to a scholarship. She’s Tuner’s main love interest, and eventual wife as well as Shawn’s adoptive mother. Everytime Turner and Feeny disagree on something, she tends to be the one who manages to make them, if not agree, at least swallow their pride and find a middle ground.

Ryan Gómez Arguello. John Adams High principal during the first seasons. An incompetent buffoon who got the job over Feeny, he loses it thanks to a combination of his own incompetence finally catching up to him and Coach Sylvester’s scheming, this last one pretty ironic taking into account he was the last remaining person working at the school who liked her. After this Feeny becomes the new principal.

Ava Allemand. The school’s new academic coordinator, of whom Feeny isn’t exactly fond of initially, because of her evident lack of credentials for the job and overall unfamiliarity with what a school curricula even is in the first place. Feeny finds out later that the reason she got the job was because she blackmailed the superintendent, but because by that point Ava has shown a willingness to improve in both her job and as a person, Feeny helps her to keep the job when she can’t no longer blackmail the superintendent. After Sally Sylvester gets fired, she becomes the new cheerleading coach. She also calls herself the school’s PR assistant, despite the fact that anyone tells her such a thing doesn’t exist.

Stuart Schuester. John Adams High’s theater club’s supervisor during the first seasons, until he gets fired by Feeny when he finds out he planted firecrackers and a lighter on Shawn’s locker to blackmail him into joining. During his time as supervisor it is made evident that he’s doing it mostly to relive his high school days, showing unfair favoritism towards certain members, while he blatantly ignores others. He’s unhappily married to the girlfriend he had back in high school, and he has a crush on Audrey, despite the fact that she has no interest in him whatsoever. After losing his teaching job he leaves his wife, moves to Los Angeles and sells a script with a very twisted and caricatured version of his story, in which he paints himself as a hero. 

Eric Sikowitz. An old friend of Feeny from college, he’s hired to be the new art teacher as well as supervise the audiovisuals + theater club’s activities after Mr. Schuester gets fired, mostly because of his experience as a professional actor and a stage director, and because, as manager of his own theater company, Feeny hopes the club would have access to better materials. He also moves in next door to Emilia, and despite his odd and eccentric personality, he becomes a mentor figure for her in a similar way to how Feeny is for Cory and Eric, being able to give her pretty good life advice.

Sally Sylvester. The cheerleaders coach, disliked by almost all of the faculty and staff, Feeny and Turner included, except a few, Principal Gómez Arguello among them, not only because of her tendency to act mean and haughty towards her coworkers as if she was still in high school, but also because she enables and encourages bullying and toxic behavior among the student body, even bullying some of the students herself. She’s also Cassie’s aunt. She gets fired after Feeny, with Emilia’s help, proves she planted evidence on his office so he’d get fired and she could become the principal. After this she gets hired at Sherman Edwards High as the new cheerleading coach.

Barbara Bouvier. Alongside Melissa, one of the oldest teachers at John Adams High after Feeny, who she actually met back in college. Outside the school she’s good friends with Robbie’s grandmother, being the one who convinced her to send her grandson there instead. Like Ethan, she also comes from Missouri.

Melissa Fontana. Alongside Barbara, one of the oldest teachers at John Adams High after Feeny. She’s also the school librarian, and because of the school’s scarce budget in regards to books, she has to be very picky with which books make it into the library. Because of this, she never purchases a book until she has read it and judged it to be good enough for the students to read. As a way to let her opinions and recommendations about books out, she decides to open a blog to post reviews, which has led her to deal with rabid fan bases whenever she posts a negative or unfavorable review to a popular book. To earn some extra money to purchase those books that the school can’t afford with the school budget alone, she moonlights as a translator of foreign children’s literature. She has also had to deal with the PTA regularly every time they try to ban a book from the school library.

Duncan Sorrell. A Chemistry teacher, who has been working on John Adams High for almost as long as Mrs. Bouvier and Ms. Fontana, but unlike them, he has lost all passion, faith or hope on his job, acting extremely apathetic towards both the school and his students, ‘til the point that him not caring about his job at all to extreme levels is a recurring gag. The other teachers treat him as a cautionary tale of what can happen if a teacher burns out.

Lizzie Norbury. Math teacher. She’s very self-conscious about how unpopular her subject is among students, so she always tries to find ways to make her students not only pass their tests, but also appreaciate math. Mrs. Griffith and her started working at John Adams High around the same time, so they are very close to each other.

Patty Griffith. Biology teacher. Mrs. Norbury and her started working at John Adams High around the same time, so they are very close to each other. She tends to clash with the PTA for wanting to teach about evolution, environmentalism or quality sex education.

Janelle Brand. One of the youngest teachers working at John Adams High, she teaches English and Spanish. She has a very idealistic view on life, which tends to end up involving her in numerous shenanigans. In later seasons she becomes romantically involved with Audrey's friend Charlie.

Jake McFadden. Like Janelle, one of the youngest teachers working at John Adams High, he teaches both American and World History. With similar views on life, he tends to go on board with whatever plan Janelle comes up with. Being gay himself and noticing many parallels to how it was for him when he was in high school, he takes something of a mentor role for Kurt. He also supervises the chess club and the academic decathlon team.

Alice Yung. Alongside Jake and Janelle, one of the youngest teachers currently working at John Adams High, she teaches Philosophy and Social Studies. She tends to play the straight woman role whenever Janelle or Jake come up with new plans to improve the school, having a more skeptical and pessimistic outlook on life. Unlike them, when she was in high school she basically joined a clique of mean girls because she didn’t want to get bullied.

Kat Tompkins. A female teacher that Jonathan dates for a while in the early seasons. Things initially seem cool between the two of them, but once Shawn is allowed to stay at Mr. Turner’s apartment after Chet left, she’s less than pleased with having Shawn around, even acting hostile towards him, with her breaking up with Jon soon after, although she makes several attempts to take him back after Shawn goes back to live with Chet. She’s also extremely apathetic towards her job, serving as kind of Janelle’s antithesis.

Val Ruiz. The new school nurse who comes to work at John Adams High, after the previous retired. She attended the same high school as Alice, but their respective cliques acted as if they disliked each other. Having Val now as a co-worker is one of the events that force Alice to reexamine her life choices when she was a teen.

Jeffrey Johnston. The school janitor. A man almost as old as Feeny, he has worked a wide variety of different jobs before being John Adams High’s janitor, which means that he has a lot of unexpected skills that come very handy to save the day several times.

Víktor Olesha. The coach of the school’s water polo team, whose members include Brandon. After Emilia’s adoptive father Patrick divorces his husband Jeremy, he’s one of the many boy toys who he takes to live with him. Initially Emilia tries to not get invested in him, knowing from experience that she won’t see him again once her father gets tired of him, but surprisingly he turns out to last longer than the rest, and he even turns out to be an actually more caring and healthier father figure than either Patrick or Jeremy ever were. Unfortunately, after Patrick leaves, he’s kicked out of the house by Jeremy. He tries to become Emilia’s legal guardian so she won’t end up on the street, but finds out that Patrick’s parents have already done that. In later seasons he dates Jim Yoshida, a teacher from another school.

Charlie Ndiaye. Audrey’s friend she met in college, at the start of the show they live together, which made Turner initially think they were a couple, but they’re actually just friends. He becomes John Adams High’s school counselor while his friend is on maternity leave. During his time there he develops romantic feelings for Janelle.

[psychhound]

hi! i really hope this doesn't come across aggro or anything but tbh it's a little concerning, ethically, for you to promote the life coach company you work for and services you provide professionally to your pool of tumblr followers/internet friends/ttrpg fans and customers. surely these are spheres that should remain separate, right?

if it's concerning to you, feel free not to engage. its pretty easy to figure out where i work, as i have my name on my games and have said i'm a social worker. i've had people reach out before looking for resources, including spaces to meet other neurodivergent gamers. i wasn't advertising the company itself, but a group hangout for ttrpg players to talk to each other in a safe and moderated space. we met yesterday and had a lovely chat about character backstories, roleplay vs shenanigans, and religious classes. there wasn't any sort of coaching involved whatsoever. advertising work-related things on your social media is incredibly common on the internet, and i was not doing it to sell a product or for literally any personal financial gain (i don't get paid for the number of people who show up, just for me being there). in fact me posting my paid ttrpgs on this page is more me advertising a business for personal profit than posting about our group was. i also am not taking on new clients and will be leaving client work entirely to only be a supervisor once i go to grad school in two months, so no one can even seek my personal services at this point if they wanted to. my motivation was to help nd gamers find community and only that. but if that makes you uncomfortable, as you have a right to your own personal limits, you can ignore the (probably one-off) post, or choose to unfollow. you should take steps to make your dash more comfortable for you!

[phdresearchblog]

Time Management for phd students

Time Management for PhD Students: Getting More Done with Less Stress

The pursuit of a PhD is a rich and intellectually demanding endeavor. However, it takes a lot of time and energy. Whether you are doing experiments, analyzing data, writing papers, attending conferences, or teaching classes, the secret to successful PhD students lies in mastering time management. Effective time management can assist one to stay organized, minimize stress, and ultimately succeed both in academics and personal life. This blog explores strategies and tools that can help PhD students manage their time more effectively.

Understanding the Challenges of Time Management for PhD Students

A PhD is not a series of academic tasks but an all-consuming project that blurs the lines between personal dedication and professional goals. Challenges in time management during a PhD program arise from several factors:

Flexible Schedule: Unlike undergraduate or graduate courses, where your schedule is more rigid, a PhD program offers more flexibility but less structure. You may find yourself juggling multiple tasks that do not always fit neatly into a predefined timeline.

Great Expectations: There is much at stake: the pressure to conduct novel research, write manuscripts, present at conferences, and handle reviewer comments are some of the tasks where deadlines have to be met, but these tend to be self-imposed or long-term goals yet to be reached.

Balancing Act: A PhD student had to don many hats in one go: researcher-author-teacher-mentoradministrator. This role sometimes tends to feel like juggling roles and responsibilities.

Isolation and Self-Motivation: The research isolation might lead to procrastination or low motivation at times. Unlike the classroom environment where professors and peers constantly provide feedback, the PhD process often seems too slow, with a long and uncertain road ahead.

Why Time Management is Critical for PhD Students

Without proper time management, it is very easy to become a procrastinator or someone who burns out. Important advantages of good time management include:

Less Stress: You reduce the anxiety caused by leaving everything for the last minute or worrying about the workload.

Efficiency: It helps you focus only on the most important things to get things done with maximum effectiveness, hence your time usage is quite great. You are not allowed to waste your hours of work on less important works but can put all effort in where it is supposed to be given.

A better work-life balance: With PhD students, it is very challenging to strike a balance between your academic commitment and your private life. Good time management puts you in a position whereby you can strike the same, and therefore, you shall not compromise your mental sanity or personal relationships to pursue the said program of study.

The success of your academic achievement: Time management upsurges your research output, which helps you in meeting the paper deadlines; you have enough time therefore to revise it and generally improve your work.

Strategies for Effective Time Management

1. Create a Long-Term Plan

A PhD takes several years to complete, and it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day tasks. A long-term plan is thus essential for keeping track of your progress. Here's how you can start:

Set clear milestones- Major ones could be a literature review completion, data collection, and submission of the research paper, and final dissertation presentation. These give you the direction and the purpose to strive for. Divide the whole PhD journey into phases - initial research, data collection, writing, and revisions. Each of these should have specific goals and deadlines.

Align with your advisor: Make sure your long-term plan aligns with your supervisor's expectations. Periodic check-ins will ensure that you do not come up with a surprise that can be bad news in the long run.

Short-term Goals and Priorities

Even though long-term planning is crucial, it is day-to-day tasks that actually form your PhD journey. Set short-term goals and prioritize them.

It has to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound-often referred to as SMART. Example of SMART would be something like "Read 5 papers on X topic and summarize them by Friday" and not "Work on literature review." This list shall then be prioritized. Some of the things listed down may be important and others urgently needed. You'll not lose focus from what needs priority attention. Be guided in this by deciding if this is urgent and important by means of the Eisenhower Matrix. With this, you won't procrastinate. Limit the number of goals you give to yourself in one day or even in a week. Sometimes it's more important to complete fewer things and do them right than it is to leave many as incomplete.

3. Time Blocking and Scheduling

Time blocking is arguably one of the most productive ways to manage time. Allocate blocks of time to specific activities. Here is how you can implement this method:

Create a weekly schedule. Start the week by making a list of what you are going to do and then break it down to how many hours you will spend on which activity. For example, you can spend your Mondays writing, afternoons doing some data analysis, and a Tuesday for meetings and the administrative work.

Time estimate reality check: Avoid overestimation of work that could be completed in a day. Also, schedule breaks and unavoidable interruptions, deep thinking, and work.

Block your personal time: Time for personal exercise, relaxation, or even socializing needs to be blocked out so that one does not feel exhausted and the mind fresh.

4. Do Not Procrastinate: Gain Momentum

One of the major hurdles to effective management is procrastination, for, often, PhD work makes students feel overwhelmed; procrastination becomes a normal action. Here are a few strategies to overcome this particular procrastination:

The 5-Minute Rule: If you really, really can't get going commit to working on that item for just five minutes. Often, the toughest thing is getting started and it's easier to stay underway once you have. The use of the Pomodoro Technique. Work for 25 minutes; then take a 5-minute break. After every four Pomodoros, take a longer break. The Pomodoro Technique helps you to keep focusing, even when battling mental fatigue. Prepare an environment to perform the work. Remove whatever distracts you. Close social media; use site blockers; get to another quiet room to work

Make use of tools and Apps to organize.

There are various tools that may help keep you organized, and track what's due to be done. Below are some that might be especially useful to PhD students:

Task Management Tools: Apps like Todoist, Trello, or Asana allow you to create and track tasks, set deadlines, and prioritize them. These tools also provide a visual way of tracking your progress.

Time Tracking Tools: Use tools such as Toggl to track how much time you are spending on different tasks. It can also help you identify where your time is being wasted, thus adjusting your schedule to improve productivity.

Reference Management Software: Use tools like Zotero or Mendeley to manage your research papers and citations. Keeping your references in order will save you so much time during the writing and revision stages.

6. Set Aside Time for Research and Writing

Research and writing are the backbones of your PhD. But most PhD students cannot manage to find time for it. Here is how you can make sure they remain at the top of your agenda:

Set specific writing goals: Whether it's writing a specific number of words per day or completing a section of your dissertation, setting concrete writing goals will help you stay on track.

Create a writing schedule: Some people like to write in the morning, while others prefer the evening. Find your best time and set it aside for focused writing or research.

Block distractions while writing: Freedom or Cold Turkey can block distracting websites and apps during your writing time so that you can focus.

7. Learn to Say No

You tend to be asked for help by fellow students, members of the faculty, or other colleagues. So you should be cooperative to that extent, but still have to watch over your time. Saying no is one of the major ways of handling time very effectively.

Say no politely but firmly: If someone asks you to help them with something that you cannot do due to an earlier commitment, explain as you are busy and cannot assist them.

Evaluate how much capacity you have for new tasks: Before putting your hands to a new activity, determine if this new task fits in well with the things prioritized and whether you have enough time and energy left for the task at hand.

8. Regular Review and Adjust Your Plan

Nothing ever goes as planned, no matter the good plans that are drawn up. Life catches up; the priorities may change too. This is why it becomes so essential to review regularly and adjust your time management plan in order to continue along the path.

Weekly reviews: Review the end of every week on how you met your goals and where challenges arose. Use this self-reflection to adjust plans for the following week.

Flexibility: When things aren't working out, change your approach if needed. If a strategy isn't working, do something else until you find what fits your workflow.

Conclusion

The time management skill is absolutely critical, making the difference between success and burnout when undertaking a PhD. Thus, it will be quite essential to set long-term goals and break them into smaller, manageable tasks so that one can maintain balance in being productive and feeling well. Time blocking and use of productivity tools will make sure that one stays on track, and regular review with flexibility will keep things flexible. Remember, it's not about doing more; it's about doing the right things at the right time.

In the end, it all comes down to strategy, discipline, and being of sound mental health. With a clear plan and proper structure of approach, you are going to achieve something.

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Effective Construction Management: Strategies for Success!

Are you thinking of a career in the ever-changing field of construction? Then, enrolling in a Construction Management Course would be the most strategic step. According to the Construction Global Market Report 2024, the construction market has grown significantly during the past few years. It is expected to reach $15971.45 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1%.

With these figures, the demand for skilled professionals in this field is skyrocketing. This blog will explore what Construction Management is, the key roles and responsibilities associated with this sector, and the significant skills required to excel.

Understanding Construction Management

Construction management entails the process of planning, designing, budgeting, coordinating, and supervising a construction project from its initiation to its finalization. The practice ensures that the finished product meets all quality criteria.

Roles and Responsibilities

Construction Management includes key roles, each of them having properly defined responsibilities.

Project Manager: The individual who looks over the entire project, manages various stakeholders, and ensures that the project is running smoothly.

Site supervisor: An individual responsible for day-to-day construction management on-site, ensuring that work is executed in full accordance with the plans and programs.

Estimator: Someone who collates data, appraises it, and then gives cost estimates right at the very beginning of a project.

Safety Officer: The person who oversees compliance with safety measures to minimize risks at work and to protect the workers.

Quality Control Manager: The job of the Quality control manager is to ensure that work is done according to the specified standards and parameters of quality.

Key Stages of Construction Management

Anyone who participates in the building industry needs to understand Construction Management’s major stages. These can be divided into three main categories: Pre-Construction, Construction, and Post-Construction.

Pre-construction Phase

Project Initiation and Feasibility Studies: This includes establishing the feasibility of the project based on initial screenings and market analysis. This study aims to locate potential problems or opportunities in the future.

Planning and Scheduling: Successful projects begin with proper planning and scheduling. Construction Managers create timelines, allocate resources, and set milestones among others as a way of ensuring that all aspects of the project are organized.

Budgeting and Resource Allocation: Proper budgeting is important for the success of any project. Therefore, Construction Managers have to estimate costs for materials like labor and other expenses, thus making a budget consistent with its objectives.

Construction Phase

Site Management and Supervision: Site supervisors make sure that team members understand their roles as well as monitor progress compared to the planned timetable.

Quality Control Measures: In Construction Management quality comes first. Routine inspections are carried out according to guidelines to make sure that these standards are met throughout the development process.

Safety Protocols: Implementing safety protocols including training employees is critical to prevent accidents and ensure a secure work environment.

Post-construction Phase

Final Inspections and Handover Process: After completion, final checks are conducted to confirm everything meets the required standards before it is made available for client use.

Maintenance and Warranties: At this stage, the client should be given the necessary documentation for future maintenance together with warranties on completed works.

Project Closure and Evaluation: At last, projects undergo an evaluation to capture lessons learned and also determine performance against objectives thus leading to improved future projects.

UniAthena’s Diploma In Construction Management

This Online Construction Management Course will equip you with the changing and complex nature characteristics of Construction Management. It will equip you with the knowledge of four key core functions, including Project Management, EHS Management, Building Services Engineering Management, and Energy-Efficient Buildings. By offering a comprehensive blend of these critical areas, the course equips you with conceptual frameworks, tools, and practical insights to help you confidently navigate modern construction challenges.

Whether you are a beginner or a professional looking to upskill, this free online course is an ideal starting point. The best part? You can complete this flexible, self-paced course in just 1–2 weeks of learning. Plus, get a chance to boost your credentials with a paid Blockchain-verified certification upon completion. Enroll now and begin working toward a more rewarding professional future!

[allhomecaring]

What Is Aged Care?

Aged care services are provided in people’s homes, in the community, and in residential aged care facilities (nursing homes). People must undergo an assessment before they can access subsidised aged care. These assessments are conducted by a qualified assessor.

When choosing an aged care home, it’s a good idea to ask friends and family for recommendations. Also, check if the facility offers lifestyle and leisure programs.

Aged care homes are designed to suit evolving needs

Many aged care homes have systems in place to ensure the safety of their residents, including security alarms and checking-in reception systems. In addition, many of them have staff on hand 24/7 who can respond to emergency situations quickly.

In addition, most aged care homes offer a range of additional services for their residents. These can include Foxtel, newspaper delivery and visiting hairdressers. Some also have guest accommodation and kitchenettes. It’s important to discuss these options with the home before settling in.

Aged care homes are designed to suit the individual needs of their residents, with most offering private rooms and a variety of activities. These homes are led by expert carers and medical staff who are dedicated to ensuring their resident’s wellbeing. Many of these homes offer a wide range of activities that help combat social isolation and loneliness.

They offer a place to live

Aged care is a way to help your elderly family member live their final years as comfortably and happy as possible. It also gives you peace of mind and the opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time with your loved ones.

Although there have been improvements on perspectives of aged care, the Royal Commission report suggests that providers need to do more to make their homes feel more like home. This involves addressing a number of issues, including the appearance and cleanliness of communal areas.

Most residential aged care homes have lifestyle and leisure staff who organise social and recreational activities. They also encourage your family to visit you regularly and go on trips if you’re healthy enough. They can also help you to put together an advance care plan and make a will.

They offer medical care

Aged care homes offer a variety of medical services to their residents, including nursing, general health, and physiotherapy. They also offer short-term restorative care for those recovering from a hospital stay or setback. Some provide specialised dementia care.

Staff at aged care homes are trained to recognise changes in a resident’s condition, and they track progress over time. They notice when a client’s mobility is decreasing or they are becoming withdrawn, and report it to their supervisor.

They are also trained to respond to a client’s emergency call and take them to the hospital. In addition, they can give medication and help with dressings and nappy changes. The government-owned Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission monitors aged care providers for compliance and quality. They also handle complaints from the public.

They offer social activities

Ideally, aged care homes will have bright, comfortable common spaces for concerts, art classes, and other social activities. They will also offer regular outings and leisurely entertainment options, which are vital to a person’s mental and physical health.

Aged care workers must be aware of changes in their clients’ physical and mental state. They need to notice if their clients are unable to get in or out of bed without assistance or are experiencing depression and anxiety.

A good aged care home will have a team of caring staff who will be trained to recognise these changes. They will be able to respond quickly to these changes and ensure that their clients’ needs are met. They will also know when to refer them to a doctor.

They offer a team of caring staff

A caring staff is vital for the wellbeing of elderly people. They help to maintain a person’s independence, and can also offer respite for family members who cannot care for their loved ones. They are able to help with daily tasks such as taking medication, washing and dressing, and eating.

Aged care homes provide medical and personal care for residents 24 hours a day. They have registered nurses on site to look after any health concerns. In addition, some facilities have lifestyle and leisure staff who organise social and recreational activities.

The aged care system is designed to meet the needs of older Australians. This includes people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those who are homeless. There are also specific programs for disadvantaged groups such as veterans, people who live in rural or remote areas, and care leavers.