#it is a very trainable skill!

[queenlua]

had an incredibly vivid & interesting (& uhhh extremely violent lol) dream involving Reyson last night, woke up at 5am, was like "hhhnggggh i should really write this down if i want to remember this" & failed to do so

i'm pretty sure i just had the same dream again while taking a massive post-birding nap on my couch... and once again failed to remember it

brain!!! what Good Content are you DRM'ing away from me!!! i demand access!!!

[risualto]

So I was talking, like I said, to @bragganhyl earlier about my boy Montgomery, and man...I don't talk enough about the fact that he's bisexual, but especially that he's bisexual in a specific way that makes him probably not very palatable to the internet.

Like. Okay, so here's this boy who was born to a noble house in a society where your worth is determined by magic, and he doesn't have any magic. No natural talent, no trainable skill; he literally cannot do magic no matter how hard he tries. So, because of this, he's become virtually useless to his parents as an heir except maybe as a tool for marriage, which would have to be to a woman (because there are no members of the nobility who are trans in his society--those who are fled for a better life well before feeling safe enough to come out).

Montgomery has one (1) friend growing up. One person in the whole world who is on the level with him in terms of social standing, so not having to navigate systemic power imbalances, and who is around his age, and who still cares about him despite his lack of magic (because the boy doesn't have any, either), and this person is also a boy, named Aesir. They go through everything together--every birthday, every playdate, every outing, every meeting, every lecture from their nursemaids when they get into trouble, even every scolding from their parents because they'll share everything with each other eventually. Montgomery barely has a concept of what romantic love is, but he knows very certainly that Aesir is his person, his best friend, his partner, the person Montgomery always wants at his side.

And then they turn 16, and Aesir commits the ultimate betrayal by making a warlock pact, turning to outside forces to gain magic, without telling Montgomery. He keeps Montgomery completely in the dark, shuts him out, and rips out half the bond they share, because now Aesir can do magic and Montgomery still can't. Because warlock pacts are sacrilege. If Montgomery and Aesir were nothing without magic, now Aesir has made himself the Hells incarnate, and Montgomery doesn't know whether to be in awe of his bravery or to hate him for leaving him behind. So he lashes out and rips what's left of their friendship to shreds as soon as he has the chance, because it'll hurt less than being reminded everyday that now he's not the same as the other half of his soul.

It's not until years later, after Montgomery has met a girl who leans on him as if he could be the pillar of something instead of the dust in the corner, that Montgomery realizes Aesir was his first heartbreak. It's not until he has the words to know that he's falling in love with the woman that girl has become, that he even starts to accept that maybe she's not his first love at all. And in the process of learning to love Lorelei, he learns to love himself enough to accept the place in his heart that belongs to Aesir. Montgomery still asks his friends to help him try to save Aesir from the power that cursed him, when it would be easier and probably safer for the many to simply sacrifice the one. He agonizes over whether he's the one who's betraying his friend by choosing Lorelei, whether it's fair of him to move on from the pain when Aesir is literally being eaten alive by it. He still hides from his friends, and it takes him half a decade to admit that what he felt for Aesir was even in the same vein as what he feels for Lorelei. There is always a part of him ashamed to be as fascinated by the male form as the female one, to know that it wouldn't have mattered at all what Lorelei looked like and he would have fallen for her in the end, regardless.

Montgomery's first love was a boy who he couldn't be with for a dozen reasons that were "more important" than his gender, a boy who broke his heart and who Montgomery moved on from, but ultimately chose to love platonically in the end, and then he married a woman who society would have accepted in the first place for literally all the reasons his first love "shouldn't" have been. He lives most of his life as a symbol of how the old ways of the nobility were wrong, because he becomes their greatest leader without an ounce of magic inside him, but he never brings his sexuality into the public eye. Not once. It definitely keeps him up at night sometimes wondering if he's betrayed his identity by following his heart.

[wilcze-kudly]

Random idea! What if Bolin was born blind? (or some other type of disability) Since Earthbenders can sense the ground, I think Bolin would have developed seismic sensitivity. And he would probably be very uncomfortable in the south and north poles. And in the tournament, if the opponents were waterbenders or firebenders.

Honestly, that would be very interesting and it would add another layer to his obsession and reverence of Toph, probably seeing her as an inspiration not only due to her skills as an earthbender but due to her managing to do so many things with her disablity.

Him developing seismic sense would be interesting, since it feels rather antithetical to his personality. It's a skill based around being mindful of your surroundings, focused and neutral jing. Things Bolin isn't really good at lol.

So I can see him developing seismic sense, but it not being as advanced as Toph's and that being a source of insecurity for him, as maybe he needs to use a cane in day to day life. I actually think he'd rely more on sound, especially in the probending arena, where it seems footseps and bending reverberate more.

It would make his potential relationship with the Beifongs more interesting too. For example Lin might try to train him more in seismic sense, and maybe feel more protective and attached to him due to remembering her mother lol.

I think Bolin being blind would make Mako like 10x more stressed lol. I think he'd be even more overprotective of Bolin, which would cause more of a rift between tham as Bolin wants to prove that he can handle himself.

Also could Pabu be Bolin's 'seeing eye' ferret is that possible because that would be cool as fuck. He already seems highly trainable so it wouldn't be a stretch. He could for example, help Bolin find things or warn him of incoming dangers and stuff, some of which he already does in canon.

Fun fact,I already do headcanon Bolin with a visual condition, farsightedness. He has very good aim and seems able to hit far off objects spot on, like he did with Wei and P'Li.

But he has awful handwriting, seemingly didn't recognise his own wanted poster as a wanted poster until Mako pointed it out, and didn't seem to recognise two toed Ping until he spoke up.

Sure, all those things might just be for comedy/Bolin being his dense self, but i do find this an interesting concept. Especially that Bolin might not be even aware of his own condition, simply thinking it's like this for everyone (which could lead to him feeling bad about himself). Since he wasn't exacly in a place to get diagnosed as he developed and grew, since he never went to school or a doctors office as a kid.

[sergle]

Now I’m curious, what breeds are on your list?

✨Golden Retrievers✨ Pomeranians Samoyeds Rottweilers Irish red setters German Shepherd (I like the black ones) Rough Collies and Shelties Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dogs Cocker Spaniels St. Bernards Borzois and probably more that I forgot to list!! These are all dogs that I Especially want to cry when I see them, and that I could see myself loving / being able to meet the particular needs of their breed. I've expanded my Range a little in the two years since I brought Hugo home, since he's taught me a lot about dogs, and I could potentially take care of a baby with very different needs from the ones that he had. I'm still by no means a dog expert but. Yanno. You learn small things over time! In the end, when I was searching for a dog a few years ago, I had a few qualifications I didn't want to budge on. I needed a dog that's trainable, but not stubborn, a dog that's gentle and considerate with my cats and my niblings, a dog that's not too reactive, a dog with soft fur, and a dog that is affectionate. So... Hugo is all of those things!!! He picks up skills quickly and listens (I gotta work on his Recall though), he takes extreme care around the cats and is so careful that he can be left alone with kittens and baby chicks, so being sat on / bothered / tugged on by small kids isn't even a challenge. He has never growled at anyone or anything in Irritation in his life. He's never bared his teeth. He doesn't bark at strangers or at odd noises, he doesn't snap as a response to being surprised. He's extremely pillowy soft, and his fur doesn't irritate my skin or pierce my clothes. He is extremely, extremely sweet and loving, frankly to the point that he would easily fall in love with a new owner if he was kidnapped lmao. You can maybe see why I like goldens so much. I got REALLY close to adopting a Pomeranian, which I'll continue to Think About, basically forever... but as someone with a predisposition for migraines, I don't want to set the dog up for failure if I'm not ready to hear bark bark bark bark bark bark bark all day. That's the ONLY downside. Maybe I invest in some noise cancelling headphones? They're beautiful dogs though, I love an animal that looks like a little rat. You ever see one of them after a bath? My god.

[canisitsnotlupus]

Feel free to ignore this but why is the burrito method bad? A lot of people at my animal hospital do it when a cat is upset and it always seemed like a good thing? I don't wanna hurt any cats so I'd appreciate the explanation, I tried looking it up but all I found was stuff abt how to do it

Again, no pressure to answer, I was just super surprised when I saw that in your latest post

burrito method is, in my opinion, okay for things that are absolutely necessary (vet checks, etc.) however, grooming AND vet care can be made a hell of a lot easier through co-op, which many people simply won't fucking do with their cats. people largely - LARGELY - steal autonomy from their cats and this is really prevalent with vet and grooming care for cats. i see vets who will take time with dogs, let them sniff and get comfortable, then immediately burrito a cat and give no time for it to warm up. and i get it, cats can cause diseases, but.. it's literally flooding and shutting down an animal. that large amount of stress is NOT good. now, it is better to make sure your cat has their shots/vet care/etc. but like grooming? you know the cat is going to need to be groomed when it's a kitten (so obviously, adopted/bought as kitten cats, not adults but you can also train adult cats), and you can train it to be more accepting of those things without the need of flooding.

burrito method is literally teaching a cat that x is bad (going to the vet, groomer, getting in a carrier, etc) and has a large chance to make it worse. this talks about using it as a bmod for cats, which is not the same, but has some good points related and burritoing is expressly mentioned:

now these ARE about socialization, again, (which imo burrito absolutely shouldn't be done, ever) but people are just.. not counter conditioning and teaching co-op to their cats for their cats CAN be groomed and vetted in methods that are not highly traumatic usually (i am not sure i agree with it is safe and humane, if the handler is skilled... no offense but most vet assistants and groomers are underpaid, rushed, and NOT skilled in applying it and most think it requires no skill whatsoever and thus, it is usually traumatic for the cat). because burritoing is SO widely accepted in the pet industry as the 'way' to deal with cats, many people just don't fucking care about teaching their pet better ways. however, co-op is very new in dogs and cats (like.. last decade it really picked up speed?) so there's hope it will be done more and we will see burritoing put to the dark ages. basically, it's a complicated topic, but using burritoing as an 'out' as to why groomers should accept cats is ridiculous due to the problems it, too, brings and the fact it is still risky to the groomer... and it's hard as frick to groom a burritoed cat. sorry i got rambley with this because it's a Hot Topic for me. i absolutely understand using less humane methods to Get The Job Done on necessary care. it sucks, but you have to do what you have to do. the problem is we SHOULD be looking for other methods, SHOULD be training our cats to not need these things for basic care, because we know damn well a cat is going to need grooming at some point, to go to a vet, get shots, etc. so why not make the experience pleasant and not traumatic for the cat? it should not simply be accepting 'well you can just burrito the cat' as the goal. no. educate the owners to training their cats to accept care easier. promote co-op. tell people cats ARE trainable and can be taught to enjoy bathing and care without the use of a method that entirely removes autonomy from the animal.

[moon7jay]

I got back to thinking of Cherry!Heeseung's behavior of trying to do his level best to keep OC with him.

And he must have gotten this trait from somewhere? So this spawned this fan made spinoff outtake from Cherry, dedicated to you from me 🫶 (my writing style may not so justice to it though, so I'm making it a bullet point scenario)

----------

- You're at a part-time job in one of the new cafes that opened. This was your little rebellion after a fight you had with Heeseung. It was a bit silly, but he really can't keep bulldozing you, can he?

- One of the guests a distinguished older gentleman, in a suit had a little accident, in the midst of a very important business meeting.

Coffee had pulled over his laptop, causing his system to crash, and his frustration was obvious.

- he's surprised to see the round eyed cashier approaching him timidly, asking if she could take a look at his system.

- there's magic in your hands as you compute your way through errors, bringing his spluttering, dying laptop back to life.

- he's back on his meeting in under an hour, ending with a beaming smile and a very generous tip to you.

- it's been a good day, you think. Maybe you'll buy something for Jihoon, and Heeseung too if he behaves....

-------

- Heeseung is having the opposite of a good day. He's been hauled back to his palatial family home, slumped grumpily in front of his disapproving parents

- they're disappointed he's not ready to inherit their carefully built company, and he's heard this spiel over and over again by now.

- but this time, they're threatening to cut off his cards. His CARDS. The one thing he had to provide for you with. What else could he offer?

- He fixes them with an angry stare that belies the panic rising in his gut

- his parents are masterful negotiators after years in the industry. They wait till he stews and sweats in discomfort.

- then his mother quips " Don't even bother coming back home unless..."

- "Unless what?" He growls out.

- "You bring back that little girlfriend of yours with a ring on her finger. If you don't, you can kiss your inheritance goodbye" his father finishes.

- Heeseung's not surprised they heard of you. After all, they've run background checks on kost of his flings and past drama.

- but this is new.

- this he can get behind.

- He relaxes. "It's a deal"

- he leaves his family home with a spring in his step.

- after he leaves, his parents smile at each other at having found the perfect future CTO for their company, who can even keep their son in line.Sweet intelligent and a little rough around the edges, very trainable, but there's no price on skill and human relationships, is there?

Okay wowziesss it's the first time someone has made a spin off of my character I'm so glad that cherry heeseung really got you thinking so much 😭 thank you, thank you for dedicating this to me my love<3

Also the bullet points are so GOOD?? You're an amazing writer, I love how you described heeseung's family situation and y/n's rebellion. Although in my universe, heeseung's family condition is a little different (I was thinking of exploring that in my epilogue), but the one you gave him suits the storyline too, I love the insertion of parents‼️wow. And y/n would definitely go back to the cafe just to spite heeseung omg that was so accurate 😭that's her way of taking control back. This was so amazing, thank you again 🫶

[obeetlebeetle]

wondering if you’d be willing to share any insight on whether it’s worth even entertaining the idea of getting into the library and preferably archiving or information management field, everything i’ve heard is pretty bleak and people recommending not pursuing an mlis, but i’m in the museum field rn and want something with a slightly more tangible skillset

hi! good morning! um i am maybe not the best person to ask, bc i am such a library school hater, but here's my honest opinion: if u are in the museum field and u are making enough money to get by AND you can envision a career path rn, it may not be worth it to go back to school. like it's a crazy amt of debt to take on. and my personal experience in my program was like, resoundingly disappointing, but i went in knowing that i was jumping thru a stupidly expensive hoop bc i wanted to qualify for the librarian job.

that being said! i also didn't do a lot of research on the different programs available or on where i was relocating to. so i went into a program that i hated and came out of it into an area that's wildly oversaturated w mlis degree holders. some of my negatives can be chalked up to poor planning. generally speaking, tho, library jobs ARE widely available. and yes it's very competitive, and yes the job hunt is terrible, but you could definitely land a librarian gig.

also, any program should give u enough technical skills that, if u wanted to pursue info management, u could convince a hiring committee that u have foundational knowledge and are plenty trainable. that's mostly what they want. and u probably know this if it's already on ur mind, but info management can take u a LOT of places outside the library. my program focused on its corporate possibilities bc of the things that were wrong w my specific program, but there are plenty of other fields where those skills could get u hired, and u could take it back to museums if that's what u need/want to progress there.

if u think that you would definitely prefer an archival gig, i would recommend setting up some informational interviews w ppl in that field. archives are their own thing. you'll hear that archival jobs have all the same issues as library hiring except even more competitive, but really, talk to someone who does it. two of my mlis buddies went archives and they both have current archival jobs, so it IS possible.

which is all to say: EYE think master's programs are awful scams that create artificial requirements for careers where the job would be better performed if we all did apprenticeships. but i can acknowledge that that is a hater mindset, and the debt issue is something you'll have to answer for urself. meanwhile the field itself is OF COURSE scary given the state of the union but so is everything, and i dont think it's a uniquely precarious job to take on, especially if ur already in museums. hope that that was at all helpful!

[pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop]

Absol

Absol (#359)

Absol absol

The following information is only available to Pokémon Rangers of sufficient narrative achievement.

Absols have an uncanny ability to foresee disasters with a combination of heightened senses and incredible intuition. They average in at 3’11 feet tall (1.2 M) in both their normal and their mega forms, and weigh on average 103.6 pounds (47 kg) in their normal state and 108 pounds (49 kg) in their mega form.

Habitat: Absol are found on all continents except Antarctica. They seem to have a particular fondness for alpine forests, especially deep wildernesses far away from human civilization—such as the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness.

Life Cycles: Absols reproduce rarely (about once a decade), and when they do, they pair up for the 4-5 years it takes to raise a juvenile Absol into an adult. Typically, they will have one baby at a time, though twins occur on occasion. Their mating rites seem to elude most, but the sparse documentation that exists indicates that Absol Courtship is a complex matter. An Absol will be at least a decade old before it reproduces for the first time. Infant and juvenile mortality rates seem to be exceedingly minimal thanks to the excellent parental care, and Absols are the epitome of a K-selected species in ecological terms.

Behavior: Absols are shy, elusive creatures that hide far away from human civilization. They are, however, incredibly brave, and will warn others of impending doom as is their nature. They are skillful parents in large part because of their ability to foresee disaster. However, they are ultimately pacifists who hate fighting, and only battle if they deem it necessary to uphold peace.

Diet: Opportunistic omnivores, in this context meaning they can be found munching on leaves and berries just as well as they may be found eating a Deerling that they scavenged.

Conservation: Unknown.

Relationship with Humans: Absols are Pokémon of lore and old wives’ tales that describe them as the harbingers of doom. As anyone who plays the games or watches the anime would know, an Absol is actually trying to warn people of impending danger or even help them. Unfortuntately, most folks don’t see it that way, and many cultures and people the world over have believed for generations that Absols are the harbingers of doom was described in folklore.

However, Pokémon Rangers are taught that this is very much not true and in fact they rely on Absol friends to aid them in times of crisis. Many try to educate others about the goodness of Absols, but these efforts regularly fall on uncaring ears.

Many folks don’t even believe Absols actually exist and treat them as cryptids. A fringe minority of Pokémon Activists are working on bettering Absols’ public image, but again, these efforts largely fall on deaf ears.

While Absols are catchable, trainable, and even breedable if you really want to try for that, please be aware that they are incredibly rare and hard to find. There are some trainers that exist out there with Absols of their own, but showing up to a tournament or gym match with one is the real-world equivalent of showing up to a horse show with a kelpie. The overwhelming majority of the time, a trainer with an Absol is also a Pokémon Ranger. Absols do not thrive in captivity so they are not kept in zoos, and the most an Absol will be retained by humans (outside of a mutually agreed partnership) is in wildlife rehabilitation facilities. They are mysterious creatures that few ever meet, with little about them known to science.

Mega Absol imagery has a niche following in the heavy metal scene!

Classification: The exact placement of Absols in the Tree of Life is confounding to many, so it is given its own clade and species name Absol absol. It is the only species of its kind currently known.

[balioc]

Have there been any studies on how literally teachable/trainable IQ is? Because I would naively expect every single skill tested by IQ tests - including weird ones like eye saccading - to be things that can be trained if you drill down far enough.

I am not an expert in this field.

I know enough to know that there have been studies, some of which claim that small IQ gains can be achieved with the right kind of intensive special training, a few of which claim that (relatively) large IQ gains can be achieved with the right kind of intensive special training. See, e.g., this. I am skeptical in the way that I am skeptical of pretty much all social science results at this point. (Sample sizes are small when they're not tiny, etc.)

I think it's pretty clear that IQ is -- at the very least -- not trainable by teachers using ordinary teaching methods, in ordinary classroom environments, while they are doing the things that teachers are ordinarily expected to be doing.

We could have a discussion about whether it would make sense to replace (e.g.) the thing we currently recognize as "English class" with some kind of verbal-IQ-boosting regimen, but at the very least we haven't done that, and if a given teacher tried to do it on his own recognizance we would regard him as extremely derelict.

I also think it's pretty clear that, however trainable IQ may be, it is much less trainable than something like "knowledge of a particular corpus of facts and references."

[vampiricgf]

congrats on getting the job kita!! if ur comfy enough to share, any tips on how to get a job w no experience whatsoever? ive been having so much trouble getting one and its saddening ngl lol, no pressure though!

hm I would focus on making sure your interview skills are solid, even with no experience personality can carry you a long way. I don't have a lick of office setting experience but the lady that interviewed me today really didn't care because I was personable, easy to speak with, and pretty willing to learn how to do certain things. And not having specific job experience isn't automatically a strike against you, there could be other things that give you applicable skills that you can bring up like specific courses if you're in a degree program or any certifications you might already have (like those hybrid work programs some high schools do where you learn a trade while also going to school so sometimes those people will have like welding certification or nursing/caregiving experience)

I always try to keep my posture relaxed, ask follow up questions especially if they're giving you info on job specific things because it shows your engagement, ask them about what a typical day looks like in that role, don't be afraid to butter your interviewer up (people like compliments! I always try to complement outfits or specific accessories like rings or bracelets, it puts people in a good mood), if they're chatty match the vibe because it helps with rapport and if conversation is flowing then you're both relaxed and the experience feels positive which is really good for their impression of you! I've always been a personality hire tho, i come across very bubbly and gregarious irl and that works to my advantage most of the time because people are comfy around me and speaking to me automatically. But if you're demonstrating interest and a willingness to learn most employers love that for first time workers, it means you're moldable and trainable you don't have any bad habits ingrained from other jobs or something like that

[burnwater13]

Grogu looking up at Miggs Mayfeld (out of frame), when the door to his cabin is oped during a fight between the Mandalorian and Burg, who was trying to remove Din Djarin's helmet. Image from The Mandalorian, Season 1, Episode 6, The Prisoner.

Grogu didn’t know if he should be horrified or happy. Yes, he was safe and sound right now and everything was going to be fine according to the Mandalorian. But… how long was it going to last? Five minutes? Five hours? Five days? These people the bounty hunter had hooked up with weren't the nicest folks Grogu had ever met.

Apparently the Mandalorian had known them 'back in the day', whatever that meant. Grogu couldn't imagine this Mandalorian knowing anyone like these people. He must have really changed since then and real change was hard. The masters at the Jedi temple had said that a lot. Fortunately it was mostly directed toward his friend Ian, but he’d found some changes very hard to deal with since he’d met the Mandalorian. 

First, Mandalorians were both early birds and night hawks. Grogu really needed his protector to be one or the other. It was hard enough to use that complicated multi-species privy on the Razor Crest under the best of conditions, but it was never the best of conditions when he had just sorted things out and he heard the tall human thump on the door and ask him to hurry up. Next time Din Djarin could use the Force and try to levitate while he was readjusting his second layer. 

Second, Mandalorian cuisine, as generated by their bounty hunting elite, seemed to consist entirely of heated ration packs. Due to that fact, anything that wasn’t a ration pack, but was food, was still treated like a ration pack. It was heated until it was hot and then it was consumed. That meant that the delicate flavors of most fresh ingredients were obliterated. A disappointment for Grogu certainly, but what was worse was that Mandalorians seemed to understand that, so they smothered everything, absolutely everything in hot sauce. Good by nuance and feeling anything in your mouth for the next eight to twelve hours.

Third, Mandalorian bounty hunters were sticklers for cleaning, maintenance, updates, practice, training, and getting stuff done. They didn’t play. They didn’t read for pleasure. They didn’t tell stories. They didn’t smile. Their laughter was almost always sardonic. Grogu was sure that if a Mandalorian ever found something delightful they will shoot it, over cook it, and smother it in hot sauce. It would never occur to them to just lay back and watch the clouds float by. They would never just throw stones in a pond to hear the ‘thunk’ and watch the ripples. They had no idea what a game was that didn’t teach a skill and produce winners and losers. They were exhausting. 

Grogu tried to play games with his tall protector but often found himself being lifted up by the collar of his coveralls and put back in his pram. Honestly, that’s one of the other reasons he wanted the bounty hunter to pick a set time to sleep. Then he could play some games on his own and have a reason to laugh and smile and the Mandalorian wouldn’t interrupt them.

He’d considered running away, but that change was too dramatic. There might be tears. At least, Grogu would probably cry. He had slowly been getting used to how Mandalorians did things, even if he didn’t always, or even mostly, care for those things. Learning a new person all over again wasn’t what he wanted to do either. That was too much work and he didn’t really want to invest in someone who wasn’t as potentially trainable as the Mandalorian. 

Yes, Din Djarin was trainable. Grogu knew it. The Mandalorians who raised him had already proved that. ‘Mando’ was nothing like Ian. He didn’t back talk the Armorer. He didn’t steal or take things without permission… with the exception of taking Grogu back, that is. He didn’t call everyone ‘kid’. That was a nickname that the bounty hunter only used for Grogu. Grogu could enumerate more differences between the two of them, but he didn’t need to. Ian had not been found by the Death Watch and raised to be a Mandalorian anything after he left the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. That would have been too convenient. 

Now the question was which thing did Grogu want to train the Mandalorian to do first? Grogu had been able to handle the food quality by sourcing his own provisions and hiding them from the bounty hunter. He didn’t have enough to share and he really didn’t want them smothered with hot sauce. 

He had no hope that he would be able to train the bounty hunter to keep regular sleeping hours. Their time on Sorgan had shown him that irregular hours were just a thing bounty hunters needed for their own protection. So that wasn’t very promising. 

Grogu wondered, if he grabbed that flight control stick knob, could the Mandalorian be trained to play a game? At first it would be finders, keepers. If Din Djarin was successful at that, they could move on to hide and seek, eventually reaching a level of comfort with each other that allowed them to just toss it back and forth. That would be quite a triumph in helping the human to change. 

A worthy cause, Master Kenobi would have said. Grogu agreed with his once upon a time instructor. Of all the things he knew he didn’t need to change about the Mandalorian, he didn’t have to change his character. He was worthy and that’s why Grogu was willing to invest so much time and effort into his education. This was the Way.

[ethereousdelirious]

God okay so I've been trying to write a sort of 'personal reflections of Sicktember' type post because i do sort of view writing as my primary chosen craft and I would like to keep improving at it but I keep not having time but I think I have time now

(Nobody has to read this lmao it's not necessarily "for" something)

So I've tried to participate in a few month-long community writing challenges over the years (Sicktember, Whumptober, Emetovember) and for the most part. Okay I'm trying to avoid the word "failed" because that implies there's a right and wrong way to participate, but uh. I guess quit? I failed to meet my own expectations.

Okay, wait.

I'm a completionist. That is the manner of participation in these events that is fun for me. So if I make another reference to "failing," I mean I failed to complete the challenge in my preferred way.

So yeah anyway I repeatedly failed these challenges. And Sicktember 2023 is the first year I was able to identify why I failed, remedy it, and succeed. (Though it is worth noting that I did complete Whumptober 2019, which was my first attempt at a challenge. We'll get to that.)

Let me chalk it up to 3 interconnected factors: Burnout, Skill Issues, Adverse Events

Burnout

On the surface, it seems simple. Read the prompt, get an idea, write a fill.

Yeah, it's not that simple.

For the longest time, I would just pursue the first idea that popped into my head, regardless of whether I would actually enjoy writing the fill. I would write for fandoms I wasn't really feeling at the moment because I thought they fit the best, forcing my ADHD brain through boring torture for no reward because "oh, but I used to like this thing and it just fits so well."

So when I finished, I would get no dopamine reward. Plus, my challenge fills have historically garnered very little attention (which is fine; I'm not entitled to that), which means that I also received no external reward.

The result is a string of short, dry, passionless fills that no one rightly should want to read. Why would anyone want to read something that I didn't want to write?

And that, my friends, is a recipe for burnout. So obviously I would get discouraged and quit.

That's why my Sicktember 2023 fills are so often repetitive. I forced myself to stick with the thing I really wanted to write even if i felt like I "should" have been writing something else.

Although I have to say, I did start running into problems at the end end where I started getting bored with my own self-indulgence, so I'll have to find a way to counter that next year.

Of course, being unable to write something to your own satisfaction is also a......

Skill Issue

I recently learned that the nebulous concept of "creativity" is a trainable skill. In fact, over Sicktember 2023, I honed my ability to come up with a tiny plot, creating a formula to help me come up with fills. These ideas can come in any order, but the idea is to identify a character, a want, and an illness/obstacle. All the fills I like use this formula and most of the fills I hate do not.

Incidentally, I think that coming up with a different obstacle or changing the way a character's illness impedes them is the key to writing the legendary "slowburn sickfic with plot," but that's a pursuit for another day.

Anyway, yeah, part of the reason I had to be so dependent on the first idea that popped into my head was because I didn't have the skills needed to develop a story.

If the prompt was "stitches" and the first thing that popped into my head was for a fic where Thor has to do field medicine on Loki, that's what I would write. Never mind the fact that I haven't cared about the MCU since 2012. Even though I'm really feeling Ace Attorney right now, past!me lacked the ability (or honestly, the confidence in my abilities) to develop a plot I would have actually cared about.

Also, because I was nervous about my ability to meet the challenge deadlines, I would focus on writing as quickly as possible, leading me to trip up in the face of...

Adverse Events

I don't know if this is confirmation bias or what, but something heinous always happens to me when I'm prepping for a writing challenge. It's been a variety of things over the years, each one legitimately upsetting and sometimes actually clinically traumatic.

Not to mention all the mundane stuff like trips, hangouts, parties, etc. I'm hyperactive and ambiverted, I have a bustling social life and a full schedule.

Regardless, if I missed a few days of writing, I would spiral. That was it, I was too far behind, I was never gonna make it, I should just give up.

Combine that with burnout as well and I really had no good reason to push through. Why should I grind on a project that wasn't even fun in the first place?

Something world-shatteringly horrible happened to me this Sicktember (being vague because it's still really hard to think about), and I did take a few days off because I was a traumatized mess-- crying, flashbacks, dissociation, the whole shebang.

And then, the craziest thing happened. After letting myself off the hook and taking care of myself, I regained some stability and wanted to come back.

So I did, and I just kept chugging away at the prompts. And I finished despite the setback!

Conclusion

I dealt with all the above shit and, for the first time ever, managed to complete a challenge to my satisfaction!

There are fills I'm less fond of based on prompts I don't really care for, but that's the nature of a challenge. I'm not ashamed of anything I wrote (unlike my past Whumptober fills *shudders* Those were all aggressively mediocre at best).

I'm happy! I enjoyed this challenge and I'm excited to take a crack at Whumptober.

[moonlight26posts-blog]

In Baltimore City, MD: 8-month-old, 90lb Mastiff mix is looking for rescue after being abandoned in yard - BARCS, Baltimore MD

Ichabod- 8 months, unaltered male, 90lbs

Meet 8-month-old cutie, Ichabod! This young fella was brought to BARCS by Animal Control officers after being left behind in a rear yard when his owners moved out.

Ichadod seems to have grown big very suddenly, as he is still surprised and overwhelmed by this big body he has to manage. Unfortunately, it seems he has not had the chance to really learn anything yet - not even the basics, like how to walk on leash or sit. He's strong and reactive to other dogs, but is also super treat motivated and young, so is definitely trainable! He's starting to learn that if he can be redirected, he will be rewarded with a treat. He is hesitant to be leashed up and needed lots of treats to persuade him, but has been easy to unleash.

When tested off-leash in the shelter's play yard, Ichabod was reactive and tense at the barrier with other dogs, more so with another male than a female, but was calmer once loose in the yard. He's a little awkward and conflicted at this point, but has shown some play behavior at times and took corrections well.

Due to his general behavior, Ichabod is not yet available for adoption through BARCS and can only be placed with an approved partner rescue. We're hoping that through rescue, Ichabod will be given the skills and training to finally learn 'how to dog' and gain some confidence.

Please let us know if your organization can help!

Thank you,

The BARCS Rescue Team

Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) ​New Address! 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225 rescue@barcs.org| (410) 396-4695

Rescue pick-up hours: Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m

Adoption hours: Monday-Friday: 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS) | 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225

[space-pegasus]

Humans do not exist in the main Space Pegasus universe. But they do exist in the Falconry Pegasus spin-off world. In this world humans would classify Pegasus based on their flight type. They can be grouped further into sub-types but there are typically 4 main types of wings recognized.

??? Wings: Typically seen as the most balanced in terms of flight, while not as fast as Swifts they are still powerful fliers, and have decent soaring abilities. Their flight style is good for saving energy as it doesn’t contain much high activity. Typically seen as the best parters for learners as most are easily trainable and do not require high skill level, however there are always exceptions as some species are very high strung and require high level expert skills to handle.

Swift Wings: As the name suggests very fast and agile fliers, their flying style is very high activity and they have some of the best maneuverability, they are not recommended for learners as they are often as high strung as they are good at flying. Frantic crashing into things and damaged feathers are common with these pegasus under an untrained hand.

Glide Wings: These pegasus are not very fast fliers and lack any qualities that would make them good hunting partners, most are soaring type fliers that either have vulture or seabird like lifestyles. They are not used for falconry or really anything else as their habits mean they often don’t hang around areas humans live, and their temperaments mean they don’t stick around either.

Ground Wings: As the name suggests most of these pegasus are flightless, those that can fly prefer to stay on the ground and have poor or limited flight capabilities. To compensate they are typically very huge, powerful and belligerent. They aren’t used for falconry and it is well known to stay away from them.

[note everything is still in concept stage, names of the wing types featured in this post could always be subject to change in the future]

[haseebansari561]

6 Popular Aussiedoodle Mixes You Should Know

A Perfect Balance of Brains and Beauty Belgian Shepherd:

The cute Aussiedoodle is a cross between the Australian Shepherd and the Poodle and has lately risen in popularity among dog lovers. Their sharp brilliance, devoted nature, and smart appearance make them happy to be with and bundles of energy. For that ready family looking for a devoted pet or an energetic individual, the Aussiedoodle could be your ultimate pet.

Origin and History Samoyed:

Although the young hybrid breed of the Aussiedoodle is only a relatively new breed, both parent breeds come from long histories. The Australian Shepherd, despite having the name "Australian", comes from the US originally bred to herd cattle. Ranchers soon fell in love with the Australian Shepherd - an intellect and work ethic driven breed. Conversely, the Poodle - originally from Germany and later perfected in France - was specifically bred to retrieve water. Poodles make an excellent breed to crossbreed due to their hypoallergenic coat and quick-wittedness. Crossing these two breeds gives a dog that is extremely intelligent, highly trainable and, on the most part, has a low shedding coat, thus ideal for allergy sufferers. Physical Characteristics Aussiedoodle Aussiedoodles come in various sizes, depending on the size of the parent Poodle. This can be standard, miniature or toy. The weight of the animal usually lies between 10 and 70 pounds, while the shoulder height is between 10 and 23 inches. They also vary with lots of colors and patterns such as black, white, blue merle, red merle, and curly, wavy, and straight. Because of their different appearances, each Aussiedoodle is unique.

Their beautiful expressive eyes often in blue, brown, or even both enhance their attractiveness. General appearance of an Aussiedoodle very often manifests the desirable qualities of both breeds involved, integrating the elegance and athletic expression of the Australian Shepherd and the splendor of the Poodle.

What's an Aussiedoodle known for?

Australian Doodles are extroverts, friendly, and warm. The parents gifted them with an above-average IQ, so they have a brilliant mind for catching new skills and orders. They require at least one play session or brisk walk in a day because they love being active.

Temperament and Personality:

One of the most lovable characteristics of the Aussiedoodle mixes is its temperament. These bow-wows are known to be actually friendly and in addition generous. A wonderful family pet because they are all about gregarious love when interacting with people. Aussiedoodle are known for accommodating children, frequently showing a kind and tolerant temperament.

is its temperament. These bow-wows are known to be actually friendly and in addition generous. A wonderful family pet because they are all about gregarious love when interacting with people. Aussiedoodle are known for accommodating children, frequently showing a kind and tolerant temperament.

However, since children are energetic and very innovative, they do require intellectual and physical play. It, therefore, ensures that the kids are kept busy with something like puzzle toys, obedience training, or even agility drills, since if they become bored they end up destroying things. Aussiedoodles are equally trainable as a result of their tendency to please, and they actually pick learning new things quickly. They have an array of abilities and are interested in gaining more; there is simple commands and complicated behaviors.

Exercise and Care Needs

An Aussiedoodle requires some isometrics every day in order to live happily and healthily since they are living busy lives. You can fulfill this exercise need by walking them every day, letting them play around the yard, or you could take them to the dog park. Besides that, they do great in dog sports such as flyball, agility, and obedience, which would be the best to provide them with the exercised need.

Even though they shed very little, the coat still needs brushing regularly. Regular brushing keeps their coat in its best condition and helps avoid matting. Depending on the type of coat, they may need regular visits to a groomer for trims.

Despite their generally good health, aussiedoodles can develop some of the same conditions as their parent breeds- allergies, eye disorders, and hip dysplasia. Healthy eating and regular check-ups by a veterinarian can also be keys to avoiding such problems over the lifetime of your dog.

Is an Aussiedoodle Right for You?

It is a perfect choice for a perceptive, loving, and energetic friend. Provided that their grooming and exercise needs are met, they make excellent pets for the elderlies, singles, and families alike. They are such a joy to train and to reside with, simply because of their amiable nature and desire to please. What sets the Aussiedoodle apart, in any case, is its unique appearance and charm. If you intend to bring an Aussiedoodle into your household, then prepare to have a lifetime of love, devotion, and more laughter. Indeed, these pets are more like members of the family who constantly bring endless happiness in your life.

[unfocusedwill]

Neuroplasticity

One thing that repeatedly surprises and frustrates me during prog (and into farm) is and how much difficulty many raiders have with adjusting to a new strat or cooldown timings, and how that translates into raid leaders being unwilling to try what could possibly be a better, more consistent strat for the long run. How can moving a single assigned cooldown result in poor awareness and confusion across the whole fight? But it does happen, and I've seen it happen with many different people in many different guilds.

I posit that the ability to stay flexible and focused about what you're doing during a pull is also a skill - and it is hard to quantify until you see someone struggling with it. Learning curve and developing muscle memory the first time are one thing, and both are important for prog, but maintaining "control" and agency over your actions is also very important to avoid falling into a rhythm of going through the motions to the point where rather than learning the fight from a top-down level, you've only succeeded in engraving a habit.

This is also one of the differences between raiding at RWF level - trial and error and changing strats on the fly are common, unlike later guilds that most likely are arriving at a boss with a game plan already mapped out long in advance by copying further progressed guilds' logs.

Is this a trainable skill? I don't know, but I would start by playing multiple different playstyles/roles in raid. Even doing so in a lower difficulty is still helpful. Each spec and role has different things they need to pay attention to, and together they will provide a fuller understanding of an encounter. In theory you want to know a boss well enough where you can be dropped into any pull, with your abilities at any amount of cooldown remaining, and be able to know both what you should doing right then as well as when you'll use your cds next.