#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!!!

[javert]

it is pretty funny to think about how far i have come wrt writing. like on some level writing doesn't exactly feel like a skill you can get better at <- absurd thing to say, but like idk when i am writing it feels so "intrinsic" of an act that it's hard to recognize the various trainable skills that go into it.

but haha oh my god. let my writing circa age 18 serve as a stark example that it is very much a skill that can be improved. it also helps to not be 18. i was not really a human being back then. i was some kind of larvae.

[amillionmagpies]

Jenka things?

(My main thought about her is that she feels like the person with the most complete view of everything that happened with Euphrosynia, and also the least likely person to ever reveal anything about it unless canon creates a situation where Agatha absolutely, objectively needs to know for some situation. Which could happen, but sadly I can't hold my breath about it.)

Ohhhhh boy, thank you for the ask! Jenka is fascinating to me because she's such a mystery.

She's probably fairly young, considering she still looks mostly human (yes, Andronicus pulled her fangs, but she's still a normal size and shape, and she doesn't have spikes or horns or anything), so it's possible that Euphrosynia was the first Heterodyne she served, but she literally never talks about her - the first indication we get that she even knew her is from Andronicus. She obviously hates him, but we have absolutely no idea how she feels about her former Mistress. If I'm remembering correctly, Andronicus calls her 'traitorous.' He probably means she betrayed him, but I do wonder if there's more to it.

She's one of the only female Jägers we know, and both of them seem to have very specialized jobs - Gkika is a General, obviously, but she seems to specialize as a sort of quartermaster and combat medic. Jenka is head of the Diplomatic Corps. I think, considering how few of them there are, the Jägers are very much "must be able to do everything the boys can do backwards and in high heels" about female recruits, which makes Jenka fascinating to me. She must have been incredibly competent at fighting to get in, and she's obviously got a lot of skill at diplomacy - everyone just accepts the giant bear at parties, which is a pretty good indicator that she's good at her job.

She was one of the detached Jägers, which means they thought she could keep herself alive on her own, and moreover, she seems to have been sort of in charge of Da Boyz. I really want to know why she was the one to come get Da Boyz out of Zumzum, and why they seem to have expected it. It's possible she was something of a commander for the detached Jägers, or at least for some of them.

Füst is interesting too - I think he's bigger than normal bears, (it's possible it's just an art thing, but I don't think so, since it's so consistent), and bears aren't usually trainable, so he's probably a construct. Who built/altered him? Was he a gift from a previous Heterodyne? Did she find him somewhere and just keep him? How did she train him, and what is he capable of? How smart is he?

What made Jenka decide to be a diplomat? What made her decide to be a Jäger? Which came first? What was her relationship to Euphrosynia like? What's the deal with F��st? I love her because of how little we know, and how tantalizing every glimpse of her is. I have so many questions about her and I want to understand them all.

[noneatnonedotcom]

shining squire further elaboration

so established character traits so far. kid about 13 to 14 ish, wasn't interested in using his natural born gifts at battle aura and his mana naturally being trainable until a new friend named mordred asked him if he could grab a certain sword for him. he was nearly killed and only saved by shining knight using excalibur to it's full extent for the first time in centuries he ended up destroying the fortress that it was held in before passing out. he learns that the lady of the lake will only take the sword from him if he gains avalon as well. stating she has no use for the sword with no scabbard. seeing as every magical entity in the world is gonna wanna steal that sword from him he says he'll find avalon and return it and the sword.

shining knight knows that he can't just let this boy keep drifting lest evil find it's purchase in his heart and tells him that he will train him and aid him in his quest to find the scabbard. little does he know that the scabbard will only reveal itself to the most chivalrous of knights and until the newly minted shining squire learns to be more than just an armored swordsman he'll be fighting for his life along side the boy.

with the origin story established and the end condition stated (being able to find avalon and return the whole kit and kibudal to the lady of the lake) we have some plot beats to establish. fist off. cross overs. option 1: teen titans, not long after his training begins shining knight realizes that his squire won't be able to learn the more social aspects of heroism and such following him around all the time and sends him to jump city for a solo mission where he happens to meet raven both of them being brought into the teen titans for all sorts of adventures. plot beats for this one shining squire keeps attracting magical foes to the city since he's staying in one place and worries that he's putting his new friends in danger by doing so raven and him discussing mana and his strange ability to train his mana to have bigger reserves as well as his instinctive grasp of battle aura.

beast boy and him having a knight and his mount style adventure where they are playing the knights errant and just having fun with combos ending with shining having to carry BB on his back as they head home. shining and robin training in martial skills since raw power isn't gonna cut it. shining being a "part timer" because he still follows shining knight around on their quest to find the scabbard Avalon.

the dragon raven meets in the book doesn't have as easy a time convincing her since shining squire is very chill and enjoy's the same hobbies she does so there's less of a space for him to insert himself into her life.

excalibur kills trigon after raven defeats him ending the multiversal threat once and for all. option 2: young justice, far later into shining squires training he's tapped to join young justice a covert black ops team made up of former sidekicks. plot beats shining is fine with killing when there's no other option, this upsets batman and robin while shining knight and the rest get the idea that he was trained as a knight and using a magical sword at sufficient power is gonna result in fatalities. shining knight using a sword that's magically enchanted to allow him to cut anything has already resulted in a few justifiable homicides in the line of duty. kid flash and shining hate each other since shining's entire world view is literally based on magic and kid flash won't accept it exists.

shining is pissed that his team mates are taking this as an after school club and not a mission passed onto a team of newly minted warriors. he wishes they'd take it seriously. they think he's taking it too seriously.

Artemis and shining have an archery competition for fun but his battle aura gives him an advantage and they discuss in a joking manner if it's cheating.

secondary plot points that will happen regardless of choices.

sir justin has to meet his squire's parents and explain his new apprenticeship to them. shining is gamer and has to be physically trained up to par before the knight and squire can even consider starting their quest.

monsters keep attacking trying to steal the sword this will be a recurring theme.

shining squire teaches a girl he likes battle aura, she too has a laplace factor though weaker than his own she quickly becomes stronger than him due to her devotion to training and dreams of being a superhero as well. her superhero name is Dame. shining squire tries to give her excalibur but the sword rejects her. it's not about power or even his ability to circumvent the rules of magic but his heart that allowed him to even pick it up in the first place.

shining knight learns battle aura from his squire to better help the league in harder battles. bonding moment for teacher and student.

shining squire meets a horse with kryptonian powers and takes it as his mount (it was exposed to platinum kryptonite which the entire story was about various factions fighting over before it hit the horse and the horse gained the powers)

sir justin and squire meet john constantine ... this is a problem for all parties.

excalibur kills darksied possibly right before shining squire offers the sword and scabbard back to the lady.

the lady reveals that now that he has both scabbard and sword he's the rightful user of both, and knights him on the spot. his new name is shining knight taking up the mantle of his predisesor who finds he enjoyed teaching and opens a school for magical knights.

@weatherman667 @howlingday @heliosthegriffin

anything you'd add? anything you'd take away? and which should I go with young justice or teen titans?

[beifong-brainrot]

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.

[mewos-laptop]

okay finally got around to like actially typing out my mini ramble cause i started fronting again recently and it’s been in mind as it usually is when fronting. is related to physical health stuffs recently mentioned again tho so like if that is uncomfy you can delete or anything. i just kinda wanted to ramble here because it just kinda feels right i think

a big thing i think would help us would definitely be an aid of sorts though. we would probably try meds first i think? there are definitely meds for pots (which i’m pretty sure we have so i’m focused on it being that as of right now as that what we research mostly after narrowing it down) i’ve heard they don’t always work (ie: only clear up or mask like a couple symptoms) and are very person to person varied as well. i do think maybe a mobility aid would be helpful but we also get physically tired easy so a cane might be too much work and don’t have great motor skills always and poor special awareness so i don’t know if like a rollalator would be good or not. plus these things would only really be support so we don’t fall rather than actually like help or do anything

this kinda sparked me to end up somehow looking into service dogs which i think would benefit us a lot and wouldn’t be as hard from motor standpoints (you can have around the waist or torso leases instead of handheld). there’s like 7 tasks they can do that i think would definitely help us and 3 more than i am unsure on but are maybes. the tasks are med/heart rate alerts (not always able to get this one tho as some dogs just can’t do it and it’s not exactly trainable), item retrieval, item pickup, deep pressure therapy (dpt), position change assistance, elevate legs

however tho, we’re really nervous about it and to talk about it because we often feel like we’re not bad enough to deserve it because we don’t faint, just pre syncope. plus they’re expensive and hard to get and you need like doctor approval/reccomendation and at the rate we’re going i don’t know how that would happen because we’re not even considered a concern right now because we get too nervous to talk about our issues with parents and doctors out of fear of being annoying so it’s instead assumed we’re like. dehydrated or something. i dunno where i’m going with this ramble anymore tk be honest, i think i just needed to say stuff though sorry if this is/was annoying

also sorry this is long

-mars (doesn’t need to be answered priv unless you would like to^)

So sorry for the late reply, I've literally got no excuse besides the hyperfixation getting to me /gen, apologetic

We can 100% understand fearing doctors won't believe you or take you seriously with a medical issue

We're honestly not able to give you a lot of advice ourselves, because we're not terribly well-versed in coping and accommodations for POTS, but we really encourage you to seek other meds or a service dog or both if you think it'd help you. Your symptoms seem obvious enough to us that we doubt doctors would be able to brush it off if they did specific testing for it

We really, really wish we had more we were able to say, and we genuinely feel rlly bad for making you wait this long just for... us to give you some pretty bland supportive words, but if any of our moots have suggestions or input on this, feel free to add on as long as Mars and the others are fine with it

Again, we're so sorry for not having anything better to say about it, we're just... really not well versed in this area, and we wish we could give you more help in this /srs

[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.

[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.

[camipajami]

My Pet Legacy Challenge

Family Pet Legacy Challenge:

Rules: Play on medium lifespan, and follow each generation's rules! All color schemes are optional! Many different packs are used btw!! Enjoy!! 

Labrador Retriever: 

The classic family dog! Outgoing, loyal, and easily trainable makes for the perfect dog. You as a sim resemble this. You want a decent sized family and want a successful lineage! You love meeting new people and are easy to adapt to. You also have an intense loyalty for those you consider family! 

Traits: Loyal, Outgoing, Family Oriented 

Aspiration: Successful Lineage

Career: Stay at home parent 

Colors: Yellow, brown, black 

Objectives: 

Have at least 4 kids

Reach Level 10 of the parenting skill 

Own a dog

English Mastiff:

This big lazy dog who also had a touch of courage and protection. You as a sim resemble this! You don't care much for activities but rather watch a movie and relax. You have courage though and protect your children. Maybe even a little too much…

Traits: Lazy, generous, Skeptical 

Aspiration: Leader of the pack

Career: Secret Agent

Colors: Tan and black 

Objectives: 

Get to level 10 in your career 

Have a difficult relationship with one of your kids 

Marry a lazy sim 

German Shepherd: 

This hardworking and anxiety ridden dog makes a good career sim! You are a bit of a workaholic and value your career very much. You are not lazy like your parents and hate anyone who is. This causes you to have a difficult relationship with your parents. You are loyal just like your grandparent was and you have always admired them for that. 

Traits: ambitious, Genius, paranoid 

Aspiration: Body Builder 

Career: Detective

Colors:Black, brown tan, yellow

Objectives: 

Reach the top level of your career

Max out the pet training skill 

Max out fitness skill

Cocker Spaniel: 

This alert, smart, active and even sometimes snippy dog is you as a sim! Your parents were very focused on their career but you are more focused on the outdoors. The only thing you and your parents had in common was fitness! You love to run outdoors , fish and camp! You make sure your relationship with your kid(s) is strong! 

Traits: Intense as a baby, fussy trait as a toddler, mean, adventurous, goofball

Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiasts 

Career: Conservationist 

Colors: White, black, red, and brown

Objectives: 

Max out fishing skill

Reach level five fitness skill

Have good relationship with all of your kids

Take vacations once a year

Poodle: 

This smart and romantic dog resembles your personality. You love love! You felt so loved by your parents growing up you want others to feel the same. You use your brains and big heart to make others feel loved! You also love nice things! 

Traits: Love Bug, Music Lover, materialistic 

Aspiration: Nerd Brain 

Career: Romance Consult 

Colors: White, Black, red, silver/grey

Objectives: 

Marry your perfect match 

Max out logic skill 

Rescue stray cats 

Orange Cat: 

You never found the thought of love very appealing. You like to prank your friends and family. Hopefully you don't take it too far…

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Shady, childish 

Aspiration: Sticky Fingers 

Career: Criminal 

Color:  Orange 

Objectives: 

Max out the mischief skill 

Reach level 10 of the criminal career

Have a jokester relationship with at least one of your kids. 

Russian Blue: 

Your parents were very c childish and goofballs. You on the other hand are not. You are serious and deep like the ocean. You always got made fun of for it even by you siblings and your parents at times. Art is what you excel in! You love to paint and make pottery! So you own your own small business selling just that! You are curious but calm and very smart! 

Traits: Gloomy, Genius, Art lover, As an elder switch to the wise trait

Aspiration: esteemed Entrepreneur 

Career: Small Business owner 

Color: Blue and Grey 

Objectives: 

Get your business to a five star rating 

Get to level 5 in painting

Max lout the pottery skill

Marry an art lover sim 

Maine Coone: 

Your parents were art lovers and kept to themselves mostly. You on the other hand are extra extroverted! You love meeting new people and making new friends. You have been this way your whole life! People say you are calm even though you are very sociable! You become a Simtuber! 

Traits: Cheerful, Generous, Idealist 

Aspiration: Friend of the world 

Career: Sim Youtuber

Color: Black, White, Cream, Red

Objectives: 

Have 5 friends 

Have a best friend 

Complete your aspiration 

[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!

[rajatwebsmileindia]

Indian Dog Breeds: A Complete Guide to Native & Desi Dogs

India is home to some of the most resilient and intelligent dog breeds, perfectly adapted to the country’s climate and environment. While many people opt for foreign breeds, Indian Dog Breeds are often healthier, low-maintenance, and highly loyal. In this guide, we’ll explore the best native Indian dog breeds, their unique traits, and why they make wonderful pets.

Why Choose an Indian Dog Breed?

Indian dog breeds have evolved to thrive in local conditions, making them an excellent choice for pet lovers. Here’s why they stand out:

Adaptability – They are naturally suited to India’s climate.

Low Maintenance – Require minimal grooming and care.

Strong Immunity – More resistant to diseases compared to foreign breeds.

Loyal & Intelligent – Known for their protective and affectionate nature.

Top Indian Dog Breeds You Should Know

1. Indian Pariah Dog

One of the oldest and purest breeds.

Highly intelligent, friendly, and low-maintenance.

Excellent guard dog and adaptable to various living conditions.

2. Rajapalayam

Originally bred as a hunting and guard dog.

Recognized by its striking white coat and muscular build.

Very loyal but requires early socialization.

3. Mudhol Hound

A fast and agile breed known for hunting skills.

Sleek and athletic, requiring regular exercise.

Highly intelligent and trainable.

4. Kombai (Indian Bear Hound)

A strong and fierce guardian dog.

Excellent for security purposes and highly protective.

Requires an experienced owner for training.

5. Gaddi Kutta (Himalayan Sheepdog)

A large breed native to the Himalayan region.

Excellent herding and guard dog with thick fur for cold climates.

Requires space and regular activity.

6. Chippiparai

A royal hunting breed from Tamil Nadu.

Slender, fast, and extremely loyal to its owner.

Ideal Dog for active families and spacious homes.

Care Tips for Indian Dog Breeds

Proper Diet: Feed a balanced, protein-rich diet suited to their energy levels.

Regular Exercise: Most Indian breeds are active and need daily walks and playtime.

Minimal Grooming: Short-coated breeds require occasional brushing, while long-coated ones need regular maintenance.

Veterinary Checkups: Though they have strong immunity, regular checkups ensure overall well-being.

Early Training & Socialization: Helps in developing a well-behaved and obedient pet.

Explore More on Creature Companion

For more insights on pet care, training tips, and Indian dog breeds, visit Creature Companion, your trusted source for pet-related news and expert advice.

By choosing an Indian dog breed, you not only get a loving companion but also support the preservation of these incredible native dogs.

[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."

[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.

[cogitoergofun]

At a time when there are more than 85,000 job openings in the industry, equipment manufacturers are grappling with a sober reality: In many parts of our country there simply are not enough Americans to fill all the open jobs. Immigration reform would help us fill these positions and keep farmers farming and construction projects moving forward.

With immigration reform, the flash points are always the same: Republicans prioritize border security and deportations of immigrants who entered illegally, while Democrats place greater importance on paths to legal status for those who entered the country illegally. In 2013 the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” U.S. senators unveiled comprehensive immigration reform legislation, which passed the Senate with 68 votes but never became law after the GOP-controlled House refused to consider it. In 2009-2010 immigration reform failed even though Democrats controlled both the executive and legislative branches.

The repeated failures to reform immigration are felt firsthand in Iowa, which is home to more than 130,000 equipment manufacturing workers. Most of them live and work in the state’s rural counties. Between 2020 and 2022, most of Iowa’s population decline occurred in rural areas — and by as much as 3 percent. It is the same story across the industrial heartland.

Immigration hard-liners overlook the fact that immigration and refugees help sustain rural areas, while domestic migration has drawn people away. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio lost population, while another six Midwestern states experienced growth below the national average, according to the Council of State Governments. This is a significant problem for equipment manufacturers, who rely on the Midwest to supply 1.7 million workers, or roughly half of the industry’s total labor force.

The impact of worker shortages is not only felt in rural areas. Equipment manufacturers across the country are struggling to find skilled workers such as welders, machinists and parts finishers. According to Chip McElroy, president and CEO of Tulsa, Okla.-based McElroy Manufacturing, the company is currently struggling to fill 40 manufacturing jobs. Pat Weiler, president and CEO of Weiler, is looking to hire 50 to 100 skilled or trainable welders and machinists in Iowa and another 40 to 75 workers in Georgia.

The problem is the same for our customers. American farmers and ranchers struggle to find people willing to harvest and process the food that feeds our country. The Department of Labor projects an average of more than 140,000 job openings for agricultural workers each year this decade. According to the Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction industry must hire an additional 545,000 workers this year alone to meet expected demand.

Large margins of Americans support immigration reforms that strengthen border security, increase nonimmigrant visas and temporary programs, and offer a solution for immigrants brought to the United States as children. But our elected officials remain hopelessly caught in a partisan doom loop. Meanwhile, businesses pay a very real price for their inaction.

When done right, immigration not only helps manufacturers fill open positions but allows us to live up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. Last year, Waukesha, Wis.-based Husco hired more than 30 Afghan refugees, filling critical sub-assembly and material handling positions. Equipment manufacturers need to attract and hire from the widest labor pool possible, and immigration significantly expands that labor pool.

Congress must increase high-skilled and shopfloor-skilled immigration, prioritize applicants based on workforce demands, and allow businesses to efficiently hire and keep students graduating from American universities. Equipment manufacturers need Congress to significantly increase the number of available H-1B visas for current workforce needs, and reform H-2A and H-2B programs to ensure greater flexibility for employers and workers and allow for longer-term temporary workers. Congress also needs to strengthen border security and provide a pathway to legal status for individuals brought to the country illegally as children.

[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.