#my media aesthetics class definitely would that class was all about how the look of the shot reflects the meaning

[legal-poppy]

how to study in (and survive) law school, from a 2L who almost failed both 1L semesters

you may be asking, "why would i want study advice from someone who clearly doesn't know how to study?" but that's the point- i'm a first-gen law student. aside from my siblings, nobody in my extended family has even been in grad school since the late 90s. i didn't know how to study last year, and definitely didn't know how to study for law school classes and exams. i ended my 1L year with 3 Cs and was placed in a remedial course last semester for the bottom 25% of students. i worked, changed, and tried different study methods throughout the semester, to figure out what works best for me and the classes i was taking. and it showed--i got an A and 3 Bs and my GPA jumped from a 2.5 to almost 2.8.

#1- do not try to do anything else during class. no social media, no reading, no shopping, no games. seriously. pay attention to your prof, your classmates, and what you did and didn't understand correctly from the reading. make corrections, note additional questions, read and re-read the book and your notes to make sure you can follow along with any questions or hypos.

#2- nothing is optional. do all of the extra readings, practice problems, and hypos. go to your prof for feedback on what you did well, what you didn't understand or apply correctly, and what you can do to write a better answer next time.

#3- go to your prof's office hours or ask questions after class. in high school and college i was told to never bug a teacher outside of class and never, ever go to their office hours. but law profs love when students ask questions and seek help. it doesn't have to be some profound theoretical question- my business law prof learned my name just from asking her about stories and problems my family had with businesses/services recently. my evidence prof learned my name because i kept asking her evidentiary questions about crime shows i was watching. in addition to the typical questions about a subject i was confused on or misunderstood, those fun questions helped me better understand and apply both the law and practical effect of the law to questions on the exam.

#4- start your outlines early and ask your prof for feedback. this was my biggest problem last year because i was paralyzed just figuring out how to format and organize my outlines. instead of going for pretty or aesthetic or perfectly detailed, just start writing. make a mess, write everywhere, scribble and erase and tape things together if you have to. it will still help you relearn and cement your understanding of those subjects. ask your prof if they would prefer to email your outline to look over ahead of time or just pop in for their office hours, and ask them if you got anything wrong, if you're too focused on the wrong details, or if there's anything you won't need to know for the exam. they won't judge if your outline is a mess, it just shows that you're trying and really want to get better.

when i studied for my evidence exam (my A last semester), i had so much trouble with my word doc that a week before the exam i just took my reading notes, my class notes, and my casebook, and spent days filling out an entire whiteboard with every bit of info on a rule. i ended up with 14 photos of that whiteboard completely covered with rules, advisory opinions, cases, and hypos. rather than wasting more time to type all of that up and send it to my prof, i sent her those photos. she knew i was struggling to stay organized on my traditional outline and saw how much better i was able to conceptualize the whole class without touching microsoft. i apologized for my horrible handwriting but all she did was send back notes on every single photo- what i had wrong, what i didn't need to know, and what i needed more detail/clarity on. no judgment for the incorrect parts or my handwriting or that i used a whiteboard, because it worked!

#5- revise your notes after every class. i didn't literally have time right after class, but every day when i went home i tried to revise my notes before i forgot what happened in class. i wasn't successful every single day and often spent a few hours on the weekend rewatching lectures and trying to remember details, but it was more effective than waiting until november to even start revising and outlining.

#6- don't follow the crowd. a lot of "gunners" and people with superiority complexes will tell you to follow their perfect notetaking format, study method, class structure, or reading style. and it might work great for them (or they're probably lying about how amazingly smart they are to look better than everyone else and make you feel worse about yourself), but they're very clearly a different person than you are because i hope you aren't trying to subtly wage psychological warfare on your stressed classmates. if you need a place to start, try to utilize those resources, but you can and should make adjustments if it isn't working for you. take a different class, join a different study group, use a different study supplement, do whatever is most helpful for you, and ignore anyone who suggests you're going to fail if you don't follow their instructions.

#7- don't listen to the noise. there's always someone with their superiority complex and intro-level psychology class and jedi mind tricks or whatever. they want to brag about how smart they are, what amazing grades they got, how easy the exam was that everyone else cried during, and that they got the best internship opportunity because of all of that. odds are, they're (1) lying and (2) exaggerating. they're probably struggling and stressing and crying just as much as you. or they're just not self-aware. you're never going to escape them too, unfortunately. but don't fall for their trap. don't study with them, don't sit by them, don't ask them for help unless you have exhausted every other person and resource in the building, take everything they say with a grain of salt and throw it over your shoulder to keep the demons away.

the other noise to avoid is the worriers who want to vent to everyone about how stressed, stupid, worried they are about the class or exam. and this isn't to say that you can't vent to your friends about it--that's your safety blanket people who will feel your stress and try to help you manage it. but if you see that person that you barely know and don't really talk to and they want to randomly start venting like that, take a step back. leave if you can, and if not, try to keep your head. don't stress because they're stressing, don't start second-guessing yourself, and don't share your own feelings of stress with them because they just want to see how miserable other people are so they can feel like they're doing better than you. if you're one of those people that everyone wants to vent to, do not do that for every person or repeat offenders who only seem to talk to you about their stress. take them to the dean, academic support staff, or on-campus counseling staff if they really need someone to talk to and help them. it's not your job to mother-duck your classmates so don't let them distract you from what you're there to do.

i had a classmate who caused drama with anyone who so much as looked at him the wrong way. accused people of cheating, violating the honor code, sleeping around for study help and good grades, or just being generally stupid. he wanted to seem so much smarter and better than those people (out of the 2 people i know who suffered his bullying, one was because she took too long to respond to his text and the other asked him too many questions about materials from a class). he just wouldn't shut up about how he was going to do way better than them and they were going to fail and drop out because they have no other career opportunities (pretty accurate paraphrase too). but to nobody's surprise, he ended that semester with a D, C and 2 Bs. no judgment to him for his grades because clearly i'm not much better, but very much judging for his attitude. people like him caused me to lose 20 lbs and half of my hair between April-September 2024 because i was so stressed about what he would think if he knew my grades or saw me in our remedial course, which he took in an earlier semester but also referred to as "the stupid class" full of students who couldn't care less about their futures. don't be like me, don't listen to anybody's judgment--focus on yourself and doing the best you can.

#8-the moment you start to feel anxious or panicked or spiraling down the drain, shut it down. talk to your professor, advisor, academic support center, dean of students, school counseling center, or even a friend--anyone that you know has your best interest at heart and will do what they can to help you. tell them that you're overwhelmed and stuck on something. law school staff, especially professors, do not judge students who reach this point. i almost cried in a prof's office because i was so worried about our mock court debate with actual lawyers and judges serving as our judges. my prof didn't judge or scold me for being so emotional at law school, she asked me why i was so worried and told me something she hadn't told the whole class: none of our mock judges actually knew anything about our assignment or the case law. they had no idea if we were misstating something or even found the right cases, they were only judging our presentation and advocacy. another professor, took me off of the cold-call list for an entire unit when i told her i was having a hard time reading the cases and didn't think i would be able to answer questions in class about them because of the personal experience i had with that topic. if you don't think a prof will listen to you or it's something more serious like accommodations or certain behaviors, you can talk to higher-ups like the dean/student services office/accommodations office for better help. those resources exist to help, so use them and don't feel bad for doing so.

#9- seek opportunities even if you don't meet the requirements. i got an interview with a federal office as a 1L, with my mediocre grades, because i applied. i didn't think they would be interested in me because i have no lawyer family members and am not the smartest candidate at our school, but i was one of 10 (TEN!!) 1L interviewees and ultimately got that (paid) internship last summer. they never even asked about my grades, but i did use it during my interview to show how hard i was working to do better and actually put in the work to do that. ignore the firms that say they only want the top 50% or 30% and apply if that's what you're interested in. if they don't want you because you don't have the grades they want, it's a sign that they're also not going to be accommodating when the bar exam comes, and you maybe didn't pass the first time, and they decide to fire you rather than hire you as a first-year associate after 6 more months of studying for the next bar date.

#10- take breaks every day and every week. personally, i take 30 minutes after back-to-back classes before i start studying, i stop studying at 6pm on the weekends unless i have a serious deadline, and i try to go out at least once a month with a non-lawyer friend to touch grass with the regular world and bring myself back into perspective. having law-school goggles on all the time throws everything out of whack. mountains and molehills and all of that. talk to regular people, let them slap you back into shape to see the whole puzzle of what lies beyond law school. and don't forget that you are more than your brain. go outside, take a walk, do some yoga, meditate, pet your goldfish. cry if you feel it and stress if it's stressful, but it's not the end of the world--no matter what happens.

good luck on the new semester, whether you've already been back for a while or are starting soon. be proud of yourself no matter what your grades look like when you get them. pause, evaluate, and set a plan to do better this semester.

[seonghwaddict]

★ NEVER SAY NEVER. [ 001 ] over my dead body.

synopsis. something about the eight most well-known boys of your campus just didn't sit right with you, so you never gave any effort to interact with them. but after a series of... interesting incidents, they can't seem to leave you alone. pairing. college students! vampires! ot8! ateez x fem! reader. genre. fluff, angst, eventual smut, college au, vampire au. chapter warnings. suggestive comments, swearing, wooyoung being an annoying piece of shit. word count. 1.1k

　　　　　　　　chapter i // chapter ii

"The groups have already been decided and the list can be found on the bulletin outside. See you all next week." And with that, your professor walked out of the studio and left your classmates scrambling to get out of class and find the list.

All things considered, your day could have been worse. Yes, you'd gone to bed at 5 am and woken up at 7 to your housemate blasting music in the bathroom as she showered. Though, that was a daily occurrence, being mad over it just didn't make sense anymore. Yes, when you got into the shower and turned on the water without paying attention to the heat dial, you pretty much burned off your skin. Yes, on the way to the art department you had dropped one of the paintings you've been working on for over a month, getting mud all over the bottom half of the artwork.

But, nevertheless, it could've been a lot worse.

As you gathered the used paintbrushes next to your easel, you thought about who could be your partner for this collaborative project with the dance majors. Professor Yun just spent about ten minutes informing you and your peers that the art majors were to pair up with a dance major to create an artwork. The specifics—such as whether it'll be a painting or collage or other media—were completely up to the students.

You holstered your bag on your shoulder, finally leaving the art studio to see who you were paired with. Maybe it'll be Suncha, possibly the most beautiful girl you'd ever seen. You could definitely see yourself working with her. She moved with grace and would probably be the best subject you could ever wish for. Maybe Daehyun—you'd always found his face and body aesthetically pleasing.

The crowd in front of the bullet slowly dissipated and people found their partners in the crowd, already making conversation and talking about the project. With a slight sense of dread but a pinch of anticipation, you stepped up to the list and scanned it, quickly finding your name next to-

Oh you've got to be kidding me.

Nevermind, this was definitely one of the worst days you'd ever experienced. Because right next to your name, stood a name associated with one of the eight most sought-after men on your campus.

Jung Wooyoung.

They'd never done anything to you personally, but you just weren't a fan of the way they'd go from girl to girl without being ashamed or being called out. Granted, you weren't sure if all eight of them behaved like that (though this particular Jung Wooyoung did), you still disliked them (except for one of them, but you'd never admit that). Maybe it was how they were practically handed everything they needed at any given moment on a silver tray. Or how ridiculously good looking they were. Either way, something about them just felt... off.

An arm being slung over your shoulder broke you out of your thoughts of just ending your life right then and there. Without even looking at the person, you already had a suspicion of who it could be.

"Hey there, partner," He stepped in front of you, hand lingering on your shoulder for a second longer than you'd like. A mischievous smile graced his features, "I don't think I've ever talked to you. What's your name, pretty?"

"It's on the paper right behind you." You deadpanned, resisting the urge to roll your eyes.

For a second, Wooyoung's eyes hardened before that playful glint returned. "I know, but I'd like to hear you say it. After all, I don't want to be pronouncing it wrong."

With a sigh, you gave him your name and he repeated it, testing the sound of it on his tongue. Seemingly satisfied, he returned to your side with a hum and once again slung his arm over your shoulders, steering you toward the exit of the arts department and practically dragging you with him.

Along the way, you passed multiple clusters of girls and boys, some of them watching Wooyoung with admiration and lust in their eyes while others simply glared at you out of jealousy. Feeling their stares, your head turned to the ground and you screwed your eyes shut, wishing it was Daehyun dragging you. Not this painfully pretty, charming man that you couldn't stand.

"So," Wooyoung started—though he never really stopped talking, "I was thinking, if you don't have any courses or stuff for the rest of the day, you can come over to my place and we can start working on whatever it is we have to do."

"I told my roommate I'd be back early to clean our apartment."

"Oh, then I can come with you, help you and then you can come to my place."

"Why not just do it at my place?"

"That's fine, too. Maybe you can show me to your bedroom?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and you had to hold back the urge to smack him right then and there.

"Over my dead body."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not really into necrophilia."

It was then that you noticed you were walking towards the campus' parking lot. You stopped in your tracks and waited for Wooyoung to turn.

"Ok, first of all, what the fuck. But I guess I'm glad that's not your thing. Second, what are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

He blinked. Once, twice. "I'm taking you to my car...?"

"Why?"

"To take you to my place so we can work?" He looked behind him and then back to you, his dark hair bouncing around and revealing the bleached layers underneath.

"But I have stuff to do." You crossed your arms over your chest, shifting your weight to your right leg as you looked up at him. He wasn't that much taller, but because of his proximity, it was hard to look him in the eyes without craning your neck just a bit.

A chuckle (though it sounded more like a giggle) escaped him. "The dishes and vacuum can wait. I'm only available for the next two hours, after that you're free to do whatever you want."

You took a second to mull things over before dropping your head and groaning. "Fine but–"

"Great!" Wooyoung grabbed your hand and resumed pulling you across the parking lot. "Let's get going, maybe the food Seonghwa-hyung made will still be warm when we get there and–"

"Wait!" You tugged on the hand that held yours harshly, making him stop to look back at you with a raised brow. "But... no funny business. Please."

He let out another high pitched laugh. "Oh, YN, my dearest darling YN, I don't plan on doing anything like that with you. Today, at least. Though if you'd like-"

"No!" You extended a hand to stop him from finishing that sentence, cheeks blushing dark crimson. "Please just- just lead the way."

That specific mischievous grin returned to his face as he whipped around and practically skipped to his black Mercedes with tinted windows. You didn't stop to appreciate the car, getting into the passengers seat and strapping the seatbelt on.

　　[ lilo's notes ... ] hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter!! any guess as to who the ateez member is that YN likes more than the others? hint: it's not wooyoung. also, i'm basing each of the mebers' looks off of different eras. in case you couldn't tell, we will be dealing with oreo wooyoung here.

　　ଘ(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭ taglist ... @atinytinaa @marievllr-abg @legohwas @moonsangie @kiss-hwa @cqndiedcherries @ateezourstars @r1kitti @sarahleighflora @kyukyustar

　　NEVER SAY NEVER　©　seonghwaddict, 2023

[m4iya]

ᝰ.ᐟ✮⋆˙ Matchup #11 @yukimiyaswiife ˙⋆✮ᐟ.ᝰ

My very last matchup for a while! This has been in the drafts for... so long.

So, I've decided to match you to Akaashi Keiji!

If you've read any of my other matchups, you'd probably know that I tend to match opposite personalities together; I've said this more times than I can remember. But in some cases, I find that many couples I know have very similar personalities, so it isn't all that rare.

Since we know how Akaashi can be hard on himself, he's relatively experienced in keeping himself in check, although he can let it get out of hand sometimes. I can see this as being something you and him can work on together, with him being able to point it out to you and tell you. In the same fashion, you might be able to calm him down when he's feeling a little out of it, using the advice he'd given you.

From what I can tell, you seem like the type of person who's sticks to themselves (which I might be wrong about!). This leads me to imagine that most of the hangouts between the two of you would probably take place at someplace quiet; one of your homes, a large park, small cafe or something like that. But every once in a while, you'd go somewhere else more open; an aquarium or an amusement park like what you mentioned. On that same note, I could see you two probably going to an escape room together, or even to one of those cafe's that you can do arts and crafts (cake decorating, keychain making, phone-case designing, painting e.g.,)

The reason why I mentioned my assumption is that I can see him a person who might be able to bring you out of your shell a little. Out of the two of you, he definitely seems more like the open type. I can see him indirectly telling you about different things that he thinks you might take note of; "I saw this Ad for a free outdoor theatre, what do you think?" Something a little different to what you might do, but he’ll change it up each time. I can see Akaashi as the type of person who really looks into the growth of another person. Though, he wouldn't force you to go to one of these new places if you're genuinely uninterested or uncomfortable.

I'm not sure if this is something that he does, but I can definitely also see him as a person who has his school items organised. (when I think organisation, I usually think of stationery, notebooks - stuff like that). From what I've seen, a glimpse into someone’s bag might be reminiscent of what goes on in their head. That might sound confusing or random, but it’s sort of an aesthetic thing I imagined that also matches between the two of you. That being said, I can see you two having some matching stationery items; pens, notebooks, erasers. It'd probably be because you two went to do your stationery shopping together and ended up picking similar items.

Heres a small scenario I've imagined:

The sound of raindrops hitting the roof filled your ears as you lay on your bed, eyes closed and taking in all the sound. All day, you were thinking of the moment you'd get to slump onto your bed. So the sound of the sudden rain soothed your fast-pacing brain as you prepared to wind down.

Your phone suddenly sounded from your bedside table. Shifting to the side, the light emitting from it shone brightly over your half lidded eyes, forcing them open. After turning down the brightness, you checked the notification that sounded moments before.

"Are you free?"

It was Akaashi; you had barely gotten to speak to him all day. You had your head down in the books during class, working away in preparation for exams. Sure, you had said good morning and spoken to him a handful of times, but you weren't able to hold a lasting conversation with each other even once.

'He'd probably be walking home by now.' You thought to yourself as you checked the time before responding.

"Yeah, just taking a rest"

You scrolled through social media, waiting for a response which arrived in the form a call. Answering the phone, his voice spoke, the sound of the trickling rain lingering in the background. He asked you about your day, if you had eaten properly, made sure you were resting comfortably, asked about how you were handling exam prep and so on.

He made plans with you to come over another day once it was sunnier. He offered to take you to a cafe, joking about being the subject of your photography.

You could've done all of that today. It wasn't as though you'd never gone anywhere in the rain together. But even without asking, he considered that you were probably tired.

He knew you wouldn't turn him down, but even if you were to go, you'd be half the person you usually were on a normal day. He was all about taking you new and different places, but he also thought of you and how you'd feel about it, especially when you were exhausted.

Suddenly the sound of rain emitting from the speaker alongside his voice, subsided.

"Finally got home." He chuckled.

"Are you going.. to have dinner..?"

You might not have noticed it, but your speech was slurring, your eyelids becoming heavier with each blink.

“..Yep.” He sighed.

Eventually, you stopped responding as he realised you’d fallen asleep on the other line.

Once you had woken up, you noticed the phone was still beside your head, in the same place you had left it before dozing off.

"..Hello?" You spoke, seeing that the call had lasted multiple hours without the line being closed.

Though, instead of a response, soft breathing was all you heard from the other end. Waiting for you to wake up, he too had fallen asleep.

other works

[blade-ranger-301]

Sorry about the bots!! I have the same problem on my main and side blogs. 🥲

So here is a normal question for ya! What are some of your favorite Blade HCs?

Ah glad I'm not the only one. They're so annoying 😭

And thank you for the ask! Means a lot and I'd love to be able to interact with others about our OC's and headcanons

I have a few of my own personal HC's for the angry helo 🚁:

- British. Despite the Planes 2 film being set in the US (I'm assuming), I'm writing my own fanfiction which is basically my own version of the film with added OC's, and it's set in the UK JUST for the sole reason that I can write Blade as a Brit 🇬🇧 (I have another post that support this lore: land, fire statistics, etc)

If Blade was British, he'd be from Northern or North-Western England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 He's got that vibe in him: Typical working-class, an unmatched taste in humour, down to earth, sarcastic, takes no shit, stubborn and incredibly stoic (especially this), and I would imagine he would swear.. a lot

I think another reason why this is fun for me is that I can show other non-UK followers what the UK is really like. None of that London aesthetics shit. Idk how others view my country but whenever you look at ✨️UK aesthetic✨️ pics online, it's either London or cute little countryside cottages. A lot of photos and posts on social media perceive the whole of the UK as one big "London" island. Blade is none of that, and I think it'll be fun to see what he brings to the table 🇬🇧

- another HC is that he's best friends with Bravo and Echo. I've not yet explored how he meets and befriends them

- Blade occasionally drinks on the job. Not intense drinking, but Maru would definitely make him a glass or two to prevent him from going on a rage induced murder spree on everyone when he's in one of his bad moods. It's even hinted in the film when Maru sarcastically replies to Cad via radio "Oh, he's out back sipping a Motojito". So Blade's definitely having a few cheeky mojito cocktails on the sly whilst on duty. Maybe that's why he's sometimes so calm and chill in the movie XDDD

- The biggest HC I'm exploring is a big self-insert in Blade's past. Nick is alive so there's a reason why he leaves filming, but he's dealt with another traumatic experience in the past.

For the entirety of 2024, I've been dealing with the aftermath of a best friend breakup. In all 24 years of life, this is probably the worst BFF trainwreck I've experienced to date. That person is also a member of the LM community (not here) and have since replaced me with a new best friend also in the LM community. So this year I've been processing the up's and down's in my mental health. It's been 1 year since it happened, and I'm still not the same and it still affects me, but I've survived and maybe I've come a long way since but it doesn't feel like it - but I'll keep on trudging forward *keep calm and carry on Brit energy 🇬🇧✨️*

I'm planning on Blade going through the same 'best friend betrayal' ordeal because I think that maybe this will help me in some way. Due to this event, Blade will be affected badly and will become depressed, withdrawn, melancholic and angry, and will actively isolate himself from his team and others. When my heli OC Toni comes along, she'll have a hard time earning his trust, but with time, patience and Maru's help, she will eventually break through his shell and he'll be a much happier character in future and they'll become a couple.

I'm not sure how the timeline and scenes will pan out, but I use quotes to take notes and ideas for now, but I struggle with motivation and creativity often. But I'm going to get the Planes 2 fanfic out the way before I can worry about this one XD

But anyways thank you for letting me ramble and I hope you all enjoyed the read ☺️

[film-score-simp]

OKAY FOOLS HOW YALL DOING IM BACK AFTER BEING DEAD FOR LIKE MONTHS-

See, I had a Thought which the Merlin fandom might be interested in. Especially the fanfic writers.

I was browsing Pinterest, as you do, and stumbled across a few tumblr posts instead of actually looking on the site… again, as you do.

And I came to a fun idea.

So y’know how with some pieces of fantasy media they go ‘oh with the amount of stupidity here this is totally a D&D game’?

Well… that, but Merlin.

Like we already have scenes that would totally fit the bill of a D&D game. The whole scene with old Merlin and the knights with the stepping stool onto the horse is just so unbelievably D&D, and I can imagine the scene with the “..reading poetry.” as just real bad persuasion/deception rolls from both Merlin AND Arthur.

Just imagine the chaos.

Here are my personal headcanons for their classes, but feel free to debate about it:

Merlin: Sorcerer. This man is too much of an idiot to be a wizard (though he DOES get hurt enough to be one), and I reckon being a wild magic sorcerer would totally fit the bill. He’s powerful, but hijinks must ensue- thus, the wild magic. Or perhaps not. People might assume it’s wild magic and turns out it’s just Merlin thinking he’s funny.

Arthur: Bard. Immediately. He’s got paladin energy as in like the ‘Chosen One’ and also he’s a knight, but he’s so stupid and also charismatic that he just gives bard to me. Like he’s so stupid and charismatic with literally everything, that Merlin ended up liking him. Like this man is a himbo that dresses brightly.

Morgana: Absolutely a warlock. She would have so much fun with eldritch blast, and being weird and spooky totally fits her vibe later in the series. She would probably be the one to sometimes have the braincell in the party and use her magic responsibly… but also eldritch blast. You gotta use eldritch blast-

Mordred: I don’t think he has chill enough vibes for the druid stereotype, but he definitely could be a druid. Giving funky nature powers to this kid would really be a hilarious idea. Like imagine Mordred with wild shape. I also think he has the possibility of being the Dionysus kind of druid… y’know, the greek god who turned people into dolphins just because? Yeah, him.

Gwaine: Barbarian. Or fighter. He may be a knight, sure, but with the amount of bar brawls he gets into? Absolutely. The fool definitely would fist fight someone in a dark alleyway at 2AM, it’s just what he’s like. He likes to hit people and drink alcohol- it just fits his whole MO.

Percival: Also a barbarian. His entire thing is strength, and the ‘little man’ comment just screams of a man with high intimidation. He may be a gentle giant and not going for the whole stereotype of angry rage beast, but this guy can totally scare without it.

Lancelot: Lancelot is a paladin. He’s the very epitome of ‘Good Boy.’ This guy is such a Righteous knight and just a generally cool person that I think that a god straight up WOULD get in contact to have him fight for the forces of good. I love this man so much. I also love paladins. Perfect combo.

Elyan: Elyan’s a cleric. He’s caring and loyal, as well as not bullying Merlin regularly. He’s also pretty cunning so possibly rogue there as well? I’d be more inclined to lean towards cleric the most though, cause he’s one of the most chill knights and also balances out the chaos of Gwaine and Percival as a duo… they’re nuts-

Leon: Also a paladin. Less of a ‘pure and true soul’ guy like Lancelot, but more of a ‘stands for what’s right and upholds the law’ kind of paladin. Like he’s totally a follower of chivalry with all the traditional ways of doing things- always respectful and polite but just kinda a little at arms length.

Guinevere: Stereotypical druid. Totally a tree-hugger and loves plants. Also she gets to be a Disney princess now and talk to animals in forests. Living out her best life in the forest with her whole cottagecore aesthetic. Even with her becoming queen, she’s totally still a druid. Albeit a royal one now.

Gaius: Oh he’s so gonna be an artificer. But specifically an alchemist artificer. He can make healing potions and mix weird medicines together, sure, but jesus christ the old man gets into just as many shenanigans as the main group. I mean, the whole possession fiasco with the goblin is enough proof for that-

(And before anyone tells me a character’s missing, it’s been a while since I watched the series, I’m trying my best hhhh-)

[thatsparrow]

post-honor among thieves thoughts

a delight!!

truly, a fun fantasy film with all the right blends of serious stakes and goofy missteps that is so emblematic of playing dnd

one of the things I was most curious about going into it was—given that so much of dnd is a) collaborative storytelling and b) ultimately determined by dice rolls, how would those elements of unpredictability translate to a scripted story? (which I suppose is not new to dnd-based media, there have been novels and the 80s show, but those aren't things that I've consumed.) and like. yes the story was pretty predictable overall, but I did like that there were moments of abject failure scattered throughout that really captured the vibe of rolling a nat 1 (it was also very fun to half-watch it through a lens of, oh, this person would be rolling a deception check right now. this person is succeeding then failing on a bunch of acrobatics checks, etc.)

it is. so very fun to me that bards are categorically also spellcasters, and yet they did not let chris pine do one damn magical thing, that lute was a melee weapon only

michelle rodriguez barbarian my beloved (also like, in terms of balancing references to the game with still making the movie accessible, part of me was expecting/hoping to see some visual indication of her going into a rage, but I did like that they didn't tip the hand quite that much while still making clear during fight scenes that, oh, she definitely has some rage-fueled strength right now that is allowing her to yeet a dude across a courtyard)

seeing all the spells and wildshaping was incredibly fucking cool!! that may have been the bit I was most excited about, and it did not disappoint—doric's whole infiltration and then escape of the castle was so good. the displacer beasts. the mimics!

sir that's just a portal gun

the comp het was so funny. look, I really loved both justice smith and sophia lillis but cmon guys. there was nothing there

although speaking of, edgin and holga as determinedly platonic best friends raising a child together was an absolute delight—the bit when edgin says to kira like 'I'm not trying to bring back your mom but my wife' bc yeah!! kira's mom is already right there!!

halfling bradley cooper having a clear type of 'women twice my size who could break me in half' is so valid

god paladin regé-jean page be still my heart (although yeah, the paladin as a straight-laced LG humorless type is not the only way to interpret the class, but I thought it did make for a nice contrast w the rest of the party)

but also his armor! I thought the costumers did a great job of giving them all designs/looks that spoke to their classes. truly, the visuals of the whole movie were so cool—not just in terms of the aesthetics, but the framing and movement of the shots, too. very dynamic, very fun to watch

overall, a genuinely good time!!

[katesprocessblog]

Week #1

Introduction

In class I had explored the topics of Belonging, Movies, and the Uncanny Valley. After doing the mind mapping exercise, I decided that for this week I will explore the idea of belonging and nostalgia in unsettling media. I don't have a particular destination in mind with my research, so for this week I want to expand upon those ideas and just go wherever the internet took me.

Research

Beetlejuice (1988)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

With the sequel coming out, I thought it would be interesting to rewatch the original which I haven’t seen since I was a kid and then watch the new one in theaters. After watching them both as well as looking into the reception of the new movie, I realized how Tim Burton occupies a very niche place in Hollywood. And I think it makes sense to research him because I guess I am interested in exploring things that are unsettling, but I am not a fan of typical horror.

What I found out was that Burton got his start as a Disney Animator but slowly transitioned towards things that were more “spooky”. Here’s a list of all of the spooky movies he’s done: Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, Frankenweenie, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Hansel and Gretel, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more. Looking into his background, Burton grew up in Burbank, California. Burton said that growing up there left him deprived of seasonal change, and the spooky holiday was a time he could experience that without actually having it.

Now knowing his background, it makes sense that most of his work is about a young outsider “suspicious of adulthood's normalcy”. I loved learning about his work. Going into this I actually was not a fan of Beetlejuice. I just thought it was too creepy as a child, but being able to look back as an adult now I was able to relate a lot more to the themes behind the films. While researching him, I also checked out some work from an art exhibit of his. I think the aesthetic in Beetlejuice is not for me, but I enjoy some of his other work a lot more.

"Untitled (Ramone)," 1980-1990.

"Untitled (Romeo and Juliet)," 1981-1984. 

Room of installations at the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA

I Saw The TV Glow (2024)

Another movie my research made me think about was I Saw The TV Glow.

The director Jane Schoenbrun uses nostalgia and horror tropes to portray the feeling of queerness but that can be expanded to feeling alienated in general as a kid. In the movie, the main character Owen is introduced to this one show that he becomes obsessed with called the Pink Opaque. We see many clips from it throughout the movie. There’s a really powerful scene near the end of the movie where many years later he rewatched an episode from the show and it looks nothing like it used to be. It was far more childish. I think the movie really captures the feeling of rewatching something and your perception of that media being completely different from what you had in your mind. Sometimes a memory of something from your childhood persists far past the actual thing itself if that makes sense.

Don't Hug me I'm Scared

Salad Fingers 3: Nettles

Going down a bit of a nostalgia trip, I remembered some videos on YouTube that went viral when I was younger. I remembered how my brother liked to show me things like Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared and Salad Fingers because he always liked to freak me out and scare me.

These series were huge for my generation and they tap into this like collective cultural fear of unsettling dangerous things that are hiding “beneath the facade of normality”. It goes into the idea of the uncanny valley, the phenomenon whereby nonhuman objects or creatures’ resemblance to a human creates a feeling of unease and fear. You definitely feel this when watching these videos, where the characters depicted are seemingly harmless because they’re 2D or animated and resembling kids toys that should be safe. But then it devolves into a more sinister world and nature. While these examples don’t go super deep into a meaning or explanation, I thought it was a good starting point due to their huge popularity.

Other Sources

DeSalvo , Robert. “Exploring Tim Burton’s World of Outsiders and Misfits.” AV Club, www.avclub.com/tim-burtons-world-of-troubled-misfits-1850735603.

Southern California Public Radio. “Last Chance to See Tim Burton’s LACMA Exhibit.” Southern California Public Radio, 14 Oct. 2012, https://archive.laist.com/programs/madeleine-brand/2011/10/31/21195/talking-with-tim-burton-lacma-exhibit-winds-down/.

“‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.’” Spotify, The Big Picture, 6 Sept. 2024, open.spotify.com/episode/4vC26kGPTqJmboI8nJIZ1E?si=0968e62393964919.

Reflections

I think I explored some really interesting ideas pertaining to the topics that I started with. I like how this eventually led to where I am now. I also like how a lot of the media I watched and researched centered around the idea of not belonging and the feeling of being alienated. Going forward I’m not sure if I want to continue down such a creepy path and I might explore the topic of belonging through a different lens.

[xtrablak674]

Finding Your Tribe

Initially I had come across the image during my morning Tumblr'ing, and as I was wont to do I was doing a reverse image search to find a higher quality version of the image. I mean if I am going to download smut, better have a good-looking version of said smut. During my search I had come across the young man's Twitter account and prayed to my goddess that I wouldn't have to scroll long to get to the image I was looking for.

The thing about scrolling through someone's social media is you get a sense of the person, even if it's a highly curated and polished version. Its the version that they would like the world to see. One thing that became immediately apparent to me is that this curly-haired light-eyed sort of middling looking young man had found his tribe.

His "friends", because I am not sure what the kids are calling them these days, especially when the lines between plutonic and sexual were so clearly blurred, were clearly of the same tribe. Young people and others who had similar sexual interest and also loved documenting their merry-making in photographs, gifs and videos. Celebrating their lust and loves in a very public fashion. It had me very curious what these misfits did for work, because clearly they didn't care that their faces with dick in mouth were on very open display for all to see.

I could map the similar aesthetic between them, artsy but alternative, definitely not the main-stream gays that colour places like Chelsea but the on-the-edge queers who would exist in places like Bushwick barely boarding on being hipsters but divergent enough to be their own sub-genre of gay. Whereas a Manhattan gay may brag about wearing Prada and Louis Vuitton these ones would thrive in a new piece thrifted at L Train Vintage, never caring for those luxury brands but finding solace in their grandfather's old boots or jacket, paired with their grandma's pearls.

After watching the twelfth episode of Tracker last night where Colter finally met up with his wayward and possibly murderous older brother Russell, this made me think of the last time I had a tribe to speak of. And it would be back when my mom was still alive and I lived with my two younger siblings. It was the only time in my life I had a true connection to someone else around me, and albeit after her passing and our separation I would never truly find anything remotely the same.

In college I had a "crew" of sort largely based around the terraces where I lived my freshman year at this private college in upstate New York. They were gay, like I was at the time, some were lower-class like I thought I was, and would only later find out I was actually middle-class. None were of color, which then made me a novelty of sorts. I recall quite often being quizzed about how to use the language these upper-class queers had just learned from Jennie Livingston's infamous documentary Paris is Burning.

Ms. Trevor how do I say FIERCE? And what exactly is shade? Girl, teach me how to vogue! I mean I did my best to hobble together bits an pieces from my short-lived foray in the queer culture of New York City, which I had only really begin to explore the peaks of in my last two years in high school right in the middle of Manhattan. But this didn't feel exactly like my tribe, I seemed to be torn between allegiance to the HEOP Black kids on campus and the LGBT queer kids, not totally fitting in with either because of either class, orientation, how I preformed gender or how I performed race.

Post-college I continued the activism I had started moving into HIV/AIDS education through GMHC. Joining their youth program which was made up of primarily of other post-college kids but unlike upstate was more diverse having more woman, Black and people of color in its ranks. I can say I felt a connection to these young people as we tried our best to educate others our age and younger about how to navigate the complexities of trying to stay safe while being a young queer.

I have always had very mixed feelings about work relationships and albeit there are some people I met at my first advertising agency job that I would connect with an be friends with years after I left that company. I am not sure any of those relationship had a tribal feel to them.

My next significant connections would be to small or micro-business owners I had associated with through a non-profit that was out to help us with micro-loans. I was never really interested in the loans having long had an aversion to debt, but I did like the fellowship with the mostly Black business owners and using my own brand design business to help these folks out, at least with the visual aspects of their own brands.

But like all things that passed too.

The last fifteen years I have been a loner, most of my friendships drifting a part for one reason or another. I even stopped dating and then sexual relations too. It is a popular platitude to say to young people that you will find your tribe, I just haven't found that to be true. It has felt like all throughout my life I have had to partition pieces of myself to be accepted in certain areas. Even my fifteen year stay on Flickr seemed to be primarily based on folks sexual desires towards me, not really seeing me as a whole but just parts of a whole.

At this point I have let it all go, and find solace and comfort in my own company or in having parasocial relationships with the characters in my comics, books or television shows. If a tribe is a thing, its a thing that has always eluded me, maybe my not being able to compromise my values to 'group think' and allow folks to make me feel less than I am has not allowed me to assimilate into a group dynamic. Maybe my strong sense of self and moral aptitude and not ever being one to succumb to peer pressure or other ill-conceived notions has left me adrift. I am not sure I will ever understand how to be a part of a group.

My nephew was talking to me last week about this group chat, and I thought I have never been in anyone group anything. Even my attempts to start them have failed, like the group I created on Facebook for my fellow grand jury members. I thought we had an amazing eighteen month together, but I think afterwards we became the strangers that we were before. This has been the rhythm of my life since my mom died and I truly don't think it will ever change, and curiously I am okay with that.

Albeit our society loves to preach about how important relationships with others are I have found I think the most important relationship you can have is one with yourself, one unbound by pretense, pretensions and falsehoods. One unencumbered by expectations, animosity and aggression. One that lies in seeing who you are and appreciating all aspect of whom that person is and what they bring to the table never asking them to select which pieces are the most suitable for acceptance. But embracing, loving and encouraging them to come as they are and be welcomed.

[Photo by Brown Estate]

[smokeringsofmemory]

Hey ladies just popping in bc I have been seeing waaaaay too much content on “high value men” on my already narrowed + selective media platforms, so I just wanna drop a few things here:

Looking fantastic won’t put you in the same class. -This is a lesson that I learned inadvertently, and then explicitly when I realized that those around me who came from well-to-do backgrounds or Ivy-League universities were looking for someone to match their lifestyle— not just aesthetically, but intellectually as well. I’m not just saying “read a lot of books”; there is a cultural fluency that is expected (even if it’s entitled) that they expect you to know (and definitely respect!!!!!) in their spaces. Please don’t be too enamored with the high-quality man who might notice your pretty face, take you out, and then not speak to you again— or only expect sex. These men will step out of their statuses for flings but not for futures.

Yes: family matters. And I think it’s really sad and unfortunate and *extraordinarily unfair* but the reality is that they want to know where and from who you come from. I’ve seen this to be the case because those in good social standing rely on the continuation and support of that to happen with whoever they decide to bring home/marry. I know that insane/awful/devious stuff happens to rich people too, but if they feel as though your family isn’t a “fit” then it might be a bust.

They expect you to know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m in a very loving relationship right now and although I’m not dating anymore, this lesson still stays with me— and I oftentimes share it to warn my girlfriends. *The top 10% of men know that you’re competing to have them, and they’re moving accordingly.* So I ask you: if this is the tier that’s in your vicinity and that you’re looking to date, mark your priorities. A faithful man can be hard to find, *but a faithful man making 6 figures and up*? Don’t be surprised if he doesn’t stick around and/or expects the world from you. These men do believe that they have the world to give, and many women treat them as such. A faithful man was my biggest non-negotiable, and I started realizing just how insane the numbers are. Call it misogyny or whatever you want, but if you want high-value men, you’ve got to be top of your game. You should take excellent care of yourself (non-negotiable), have great characteristics, and know that men who want you will do anything for you. There’s no need to worry about that.

Many men won’t keep their word. One of my girlfriends said to me: “I’d pay you $100 to date an American.” I’m black + my man is Kurdish, but my pattern of dating Eastern European men has long since been established… but anyways, something that would make me insane would be men who wouldn’t keep their word with me. I found it traumatic. I found it condescending. But more often than not, I KNEW THAT IF HE DIDN’T KEEP HIS WORD FOR HIMSELF THAT HE MOST CERTAINLY WOULDN’T KEEP IT WITH ME. Ladies: pay attention. If a man commits to something, he’ll follow through. Even if it’s hard, even if it takes time… he’ll make it happen. These are the men who will make you feel safest and re-assured. Why? *Most women associate money with stability and security and most men find it burdensome.* The men who find it burdensome are typically the ones who have (or have had) a lot of it and know the hardship it can bring: such as everyone expecting so much more out of you (including women). It’s a weird thing that men have explained to me, and I can tell that having money makes them even wearier of women, but *know that men who can exhibit his abilities to commit to his word is a man who can yield you the safety and protection you are looking for and also propel you and him both into the life of your dreams.* -That’s all for now, ta-ta ladies!!! xoxoxo

[scoutlyons]

Scout Lyons Blog 1

How would I define social media? Well, I do agree with the textbook's definition of social media. I do think it of course varies among the users. I’d say social media began as a tool for connecting people, but has grown into more of a business endeavor. My boyfriend for instance,  is a ghost hunter (no, I’m not kidding) and he has gathered quite the following on social media. He uses his social media accounts which include Instagram, Tik Tok, Youtube, and Facebook to gain sponsors, revenue, and of course get his content seen. My friends mainly use social media for leisure. Their posts often include lots of "artsy" photos, snaps of people, and of course selfies. I myself am an actress/ singer-songwriter, as well as a podcaster, so social media is a must in the industry in which I work. Obviously different people have different uses for social media.

For me, social media is a fantastic business tool. I wouldn't necessarily say I’m an influencer, because to be honest the term annoys me since everyone who does a silly dance on Tik Tok stakes their claim on that label (no offense to the Tik Tok dancers of the world), but I am a creative person using social media to get their art out there. My content is mainly promotional.  It’s something I use to promote my music, whatever acting project I’m working on, along with my new podcast episodes. I mainly use instagram, with Tik Tok being a close second. My most viral video reached over 1.5 million views on Instagram Reels. It was a podcast clip with Bobb'e J Thompson; a former child star from “That’s So Raven”. I’m a very lighthearted, goofy, colorful person, and my social media definitely showcases that.

I feel my strengths in understanding social media come from my strengths in knowing people, specifically my audience. I’m also an incredibly quirky and goofy person and post some wacky things on my social media, which I think makes me really stand out. I’m not really tied to a specific aesthetic. I’ve also acted in many feature films and post a lot of celebrity content when I’m on set which in turn gets me followers who follow the person I'm posting with. My most viewed Tik Tok has over 1 million views and it’s a video of me dancing with Billie Eilish. Almost half my Tik Tok followers are because of that post. My biggest struggles with social media are understanding things like the infamous algorithm. I’ll post one day and get crazy engagement on the post, the next day… nada. It’s quite frustrating. I’m of course still learning things about this ever changing cyberspace world we’re living in and I’ve got a lot to learn.

I was incredibly eager to take this class because social media has become such a huge part of the career I’m pursuing, and I want to know all I can. Most talent agents these days won't even take a look at you if you have less than 10,000 on Instagram. I’m hoping I can gain a better understanding of social media as a whole and have more tools in my toolbox to go viral (yes, I know that sounds annoying). There’s some kind of science to it, there's a formula to it, and I’m fascinated to learn all I can and apply it to my social media and future business endeavors!

[garrettwrites]

Hi, how's it going? Anything new and exciting in your life?

I see you're obsessed with vampires, who are your favourites? 👀

Sorry for the 3day delay I had to think on this. Picking favourites is hard. Reminder that I welcome all sorts of asks! Especially vampire and Worldbuilding ones!

Life's hard, gotta study the hell out of roman fish productions while simultaneously making art for social media and my portfolio, but what's life without a little stress.

Onto your question (which I ended up rambling on, sorry), lore wise I have two absolute favourite pieces of vampire media:

VtM: Bloodlines (2004 game). My love. I like how they write vampires and set their powers, clan divisions and hierarchies. The aesthetic of the game is also early 2000s late 90s, which is nostalgic. It's more fantastical than straight forward, a vampire DnD in fact, so it offers a lot of liberty and flexibility for whatever story you want to tell. It also works well as inspiration for original works, since the more you look into it the more you can pick what to use for your own vampire stories.

Second one is the netflix series Vampires (2020). It's french. It is an... incredibly fresh take on vampires. The series unfortunately only has one season with six episodes. It follows the life of this poor vampire family, but the twist is that vampirism is biological and vampires are born as such, and can die of old age (they just age much slower). Their weaknesses, their biology, their social structures and the way the series explores them through the eyes of a teenage girl slowly coming into her vampire disease (because it is kind of an illness), the way the series IS NOT AFRAID of pushing forward extremely embarrassing moments (such as the girl, still unable to control herself, biting the boy she loves IN CLASS and being viewed as a weirdo for it - refreshing when many writers are afraid of such realistic moments due to how cringe they may come across as for general audiences.... It's pretty solid. The scenes with the girl's mother walking into the sun covered in scarves and pieces of cloth is also really good, more series should do that - makes sense that a vampire would still go outside during the day, they'd just need to look absolutely out of place while doing it. Which they should. Vampires don't belong in daylight.

Honorable mention: Interview with the Vampire. Of course. Especially the new TV series. I love the psychological exploration of vampirism in there. However, I think the series is good because of the characters themselves rather than the blood sucking of it all. Vampire wise I don't care much for the lore, it is there to solidify the fact they're all monsters.

Extra 2: Unironically? I know this might sound cringe, but if you ignore the main storyline and exclusively look at the lore... Vampire Diaries is kinda good. The writers clearly did their research and included ideas from all over the world in their social structures, vampiric powers, etc. One of my favourite aspects is how they utilise the concept of "vampries can't enter a house without consent" to its absolute fullest. There's even a character who is turned into a vampire, and gets locked out of his own home because he lives alone and no one is in there to allow him in. Hilarious.

CHARACTER WISE...

Lestat is definitely one of my all time favourites. He symbolizes what a vampire should be for me, but is still multi faceted enough to be a person rather than a caricature.

Olrox from Castlevania: Nocturne (animated series). I miss drawing him. I wrote two whole ass fanfics about him, but they were romantic rather than focused exclusively on him.... A shame. I think he's pretty interesting. Depending on where Nocturne goes, he might surpass Lestat in the future. He's charming, but dangerous. Tragic yet with a chance of rising above the rubble. He's also native american, and possibly a god - all really fresh concepts. I really love Olrox. Top tier vampire dude, sorry Alucard but you're just not as cool.

Talking about Castlevania... Carmilla. She's not even that original as a character, but she's what people nowadays call a "Girlboss" except she's actually well written. You feel for her. You love her. You hate her. And she's a vampire that knows she's a monster and wants to keep being one. None of that "oh naur I'm immortal but must... commit the sin of drinking blood" bullshit. She, much like Olrox, steals every scene she's in.

Jonathan Reid from Vampyr (2018 game). A very... text intensive game. But I like reading, so I don't mind. He's a doctor, and was a soldier during WW1. He's the main character of the game and you can take his path in multiple directions. He's a favourite of mine because I like the concept of a doctor vampire, plus I genuinely love Vampyr.

The cast of The Lost Boys. No explanation needed,

Least favourite vampire: Astarion because 1) he took over my dash, can't talk about vampires anymore without that man being there and 2) people can't tag his fucking name properly and I'm over here trying to find minotaur content (AstErion) and I see that kind of muscular kinda lean white haired small fangs elf taking over the tags. Please people. Learn how to tag.

[therk900]

🎄December TC Challenge (Day 1-31)🎄

1. Have you ever had any TCs before? If yes, describe them very briefly Yes. I have 4. S is tall and really cute. He is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. B is taller than me but not as tall as S and is handsome. He is there when you need him and he is so lovely. M is so fun he teaches. A is just so sweet and adorable.

2. What is the main thing that attracted you to them? Their personality and looks

3. In an ideal world where you’re similar ages, they’re not your teacher and they return your feelings, how far would you like your relationship with them to go? (Friends, dating, marriage., etc.) MARRIAGE ALL THE WAY 

4. How much of your attraction to them is sexual, romantic, platonic, aesthetic or admiration? Great question for my birthday! i guess in a romantic way

5. Have you found them on social media? If yes, have any of their posts caught your attention? I have found S and M on lots of different social media pages but it’s all private. I haven’t told both of them yet that I have found them. I may ask to follow them when I graduate though. i am still on the hunt to find A & B's social media. i know they have it!

6. What is one song that makes you instantly think of your TC? A song that reminds me of B is “here with me” by d4vd. For S, that song would be “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift. For A, maybe “Hard for me” by Charley. For M, it would be “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers

7. At this current moment in time, what is your relationship like and how close to them are you? With S, we are SO FUCKING CLOSE to the point that I know I can’t turn back now. With B, We are close but not as close as S and I. M and i are also really tight! It's the same with A

8. If they hugged you, how do you think you would react? I would definitely hug them back while my heart would be absolutely melting, and i would be going feral

9. Have they ever said or done anything which gave you the ick? S decided to cut and bleach his hair at the start of the school year. My friend didn’t even recognise him. That didn’t stop me loving him though since it's back to normal now!

10. How do other students generally see your TC? Are they well liked or seen to be disliked a lot? S, M and B are liked by students. Some students even give S nicknames (This includes me. I have a little nickname for S and I call him by it all the time. He doesn't mind at all!). If A taught at my school, i'm guessing he would also be liked by students!

11. Have you ever felt jealous when you saw them with another student? If so, why? No. I know it's their job to help other students

12. How do you think they see you? Do they appear to have a good opinion of you? Hopefully they all see me in a positive light. They have a good option of me, I think. A said that i was his favourite student. i also think that M sees me as a good student since i participate in his class lots!

13. If your TC had to teach something else, what subject would you choose for them? I feel like B would teach Humanities and S seems like the guy to teach some sort of art subject

14. What do you think a typical evening looks like for them? S plays a sport outside of school on some nights, so he plays that then goes home to do some marking or chill. For B, I think it would consist of him marking work. A seems like the type of person who would go to a bar sometimes with his mates. M may just be sleeping or spending time with his family

15. Has your TC taken any holidays which you know about? If yes, where did they go and what did they do? I know that S recently went to Tokyo. I think he went to Disneyland while he was there. I recommend that he went there during Halloween since it’s all Halloween themed. He also went to Cairns in Australia. He visited the Great Barrier Reef which he said was really cool!

16. If you got the opportunity to have a date with them, where would you go and what would you do together? B: Going down to the beach when there is a sunset S: Out to a fancy restaurant most likely A: Watching a movie at a cinema M: Chill out at a park maybe

17. What’s the weirdest dream you’ve had about them? this is the weirdest one i've had so far, i guess. So, S and I were somehow riding a Penny-farthing together and we went to this massive fair thing. I then saw a teacher I had for 2 years in one of the tents. He yelled “what’s that?” While running over to it. He ran behind a wall of a tent and then I yelled “there’s this instead” while pulling out a pineapple. He crazily ran back while grabbing it. He then walked out as if nothing happened. Later on, we witnessed B fall down a MASSIVE staircase and just walked off like nothing happened like the other teacher. S and I wondered how in the world he didn’t die. Then we just chilled out for the rest of the time and sadly that's where the dream ended

18. What do they usually sit like while teaching? S sits with his back completely straight and his legs closed while he is mostly on his laptop doing work. B was more chill. He leaned back in the chair and sometimes his legs would be open a tiny bit. A is kind of similar to B, but the only difference is that we sit closer together! He also does the leg bounce thing like i do! I personally haven't seen M sit down that much while teaching since he is always up and about, but i have seen it once. He usually leans in while he lets his head rest on his hand!

19. If known, how long have they been teaching for? B taught at my school for 2 years and S has teaching for 3 years. M has been doing it for 4 years at my school.

20. Have you got any pictures of them? If yes, how did you get them? i have got pictures of all of them and I get them from our school website and social media pages

21. If you could tell them one thing with no limits, what would it be? i would tell them all that i like them!

22. How are you dealing with your feelings for them? Are you pulling away or getting closer to them? I’m getting closer with them in some way. But now that B is gone, i feel like i'm semi pulling away from him, but there will still be that part of me that will still like him

23. If you heard your TC was now famous, what do you think it would be for? For B, he may be working in politics. For S, maybe a scientist and maybe curing something. A and M would most likely both be mathematicians

24. If you could get them anything as a Christmas gift, what would you choose and why? I would most likely buy chocolate for all of them, since you can't go wrong with that 99% of the time.

25. Does your TC like Christmas? Merry Christmas everyone! I’m pretty sure they all like Christmas!

26. If known, what are your TCs political beliefs? I have no idea about their political beliefs

27. Does your TC set much homework? B and S did set a tiny bit of homework. M kind of did! A doesn't

28. Do you know if any other student has a crush on your TC? I’m HOPING that no other student likes them the way I do 

29. Is your TC currently dating anyone to your knowledge? Well, i know that M is married. i'm not sure of the others

30. If your TC was a colour, what colour would they be and why? B would be green because green is a calm colour and B is calm 99% of the time, and green is known to be a calming colour. I feel like A, M and S would be yellow because they are bright!

31. In the new year, how would you like your TCs class to progress?  In a positive way, I guess

[sadgirllbbadgirl]

Process Note (part 1)

This time around researching for me was way more specific and tedious compared to last time during the creation of the podcast script. At that time I used articles that you had linked for us and since I was familiar with them and the concepts they had I used them thinking it would be easier to speak about my idea. This time around I found that I almost had more flexibility because of the fact that I found articles directly pertaining to my specific idea. My idea didn't really change as I mentioned I wanted to stick with the same idea but dive deeper into it. What was helpful about the scholarly articles was that it made it easier for me to understand the breakdown between certain negative emotions and mental illnesses that people experience and the link artists are creating between the two. Unfortunately I did struggle quite a bit with finding scholarly articles and had a tough time trying to not only understand what the difference is between a scha;rly article and a typical magazine or news outlet article. This is due to absences that caused me to miss out on informational class work. Because of that it definitely held me back from completing this project sooner than later. Thankfully I was able to find out and emerge myself to distinguish what a scholarly article is but still unaware of how to find out how to know if it is peer reviewed. When it came to locating visual text I went to a website that I'm familiar with, that being pinterest. I know they hold this angsty and aesthetic collection of images somewhere on the site so it was my job to find them. I had searched into the search engine sadness, sad girls, and glamorization so see what exactly come up. It took some digging for the first two images. I think they do make the theme of glamorization quite well though. As they are alms directly doing that highlighting this emotion of sadness in a  literal glamorous way. Upon submitting my draft a new note of the tv series Euphoria was mentioned. It made me want to not only try to find new articles about the media and also how they play into sad girl troupes but also help find additional visual texts. The next time I began looking for images I wanted to see if I could pull any from the television series. I searched for euphoria on Pinterest and came across the next two images which I think also fit well. Since I also know the stories behind the two of their characters and they’re life predicaments it adds onto this idea I speak about which can be more relatable or understandable to the audience in my tumblr post. Attached one of the photos I included a link to a youtube video. That was the exact clip that the image was taken and I think it gives an additional understanding and context to the image. It really shows the distress that the Euphoria character Maddie was facing how even through the front she puts on in the show of this content popular girl she is even in sad situations as we all are. However, like I mentioned, since her character is this popular perfect girl in times of sadness she's still surrounded by this fabulous pink room in sad moments like this. Almost glamorizing this feeling of pretty girl sadness. Now when it came to creating my drawing for this project it was a bit spontaneous. It's not a style that I'm familiar with and it was quite the quiet drawing so I don't think I executed it to the best of my abilities either . But I was trying to show a girl who is visibly sad or upset with these flowing tears drawn coming down from her eyes but also around the page. I wanted it to hold similar ideas as the visual text I picked but it came out a bit confusing to me.

[zongyiwang]

Week11 Summative Preparation

 The official definition of "Manifesto" is a written statement that declares the intention, motives and views of the issuer.For designers, manifestos help us to translate our design believes into words. This reminds me of the week 2 topics of CTS B: This Is How You Connect Theory and Practice, where we learn to connect our identity with design, because we are using our own voices to express what we believe in. Below is a picture of our group’s manifesto

The one that says “Your Surroundings Are Free Inspiration” is very true, because for a designer, the best inspirations are hidden in our daily life. For example, during the summer holiday, I was travelling in a city called Yushu, it is a Tibetan region, so there are a lot of beautiful patterns that have Tibetan characteristics, just like this one:

The style of the patterns are very inspiring, so I decided to use a similar style to my own project.

 If I were to change our groups’ manifesto, I would remove the parts where it says “We design useful things”. Just after class today, I was involved in an argument with a designer on social media. Our argument was about “ Does design always need to be meaningful?” My statement was yes, but the designer had refuted me with an example of meaningless design from a Japanese designer: Kenya Hara. Almost all of his designs communicate an idea of “ the beauty of meaningless things”. If we look at the elements of his designs, we might think they are simple and boring. Below is an example of his poster design for Muji.

When we look at the elements of this poster, we might get confused by the character in the middle because although it looks aesthetic, it doesn’t have any meaning, and the only element that is meaningful is probably the text. But on the other hand,“meaningless” is also the idea that Kenya Hara is trying to communicate through his works, and his works are successful because of the unique style and the way he communicates the concept with his style . Therefore I would change the manifesto from “We design meaningful things” to “ We design communicative things'', and I would like to add another manifesto based on this one, which is “Be inclusive to any forms of designs”. This is my own manifesto, the reason for choosing this as my manifesto is because I believe that by accepting different forms of designs, it will not only open my views to the wider design world( such as the example of Kenya Hara, I didn’t know him in the first place), but also help me to adapt to different customer needs. For now, my lecturers are my customers, every semester we will have a different lecturer, therefore by being inclusive to any forms of designs can help me to understand what my lecturer is looking for. For example, in Image and Materiality, we have a different lecturer this term. I remember showing my lecturer what I did for the UIUX for Digital Skills, and he told me to change the typography because he thinks it is too simple and boring, and he showed me this website that has a lot of fancy typography and told me to use one of it. I showed him my collage as well, and he told me to add in a grain layer, because he thinks my college is too clean.  From there I understand what style he is interested in, and I start to know what style I should apply to my summative submission. 

(596)

“Definition of Manifesto.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manifesto#:~:text=manifesto%20%5Cman%2Duh%2DFESS,or%20views%20of%20its%20issuer.

“把无聊发挥到极致的，除了原研哉，还有他？_康广_铃木_作品.” Copyright © 2017 Sohu.com Inc. All Rights Reserved., www.sohu.com/a/571616484_611151.

[demadogs]

Honestly I find it really telling that every person I see that is a professional writer or studied/studies film like you is convinced of Byler endgame but none of them support milkvan...

i am so dead serious when i say this, byler WILL be taught in professional film lectures and classes for years after its canon. they do so many things with film alone, other than just dialogue and actions.

a lot of film/video/editing classes bring up things that you wouldnt even think were something that was studied or analyzed that seriously. in one of my classes we watched the twilight baseball scene. in an editing class im taking right now we watched the happily never after disney videos by jon cozart. so if you think this wouldnt be something talked about in film classes youre so wrong.

in pretty much all of my film classes stranger things has been brought up for multiple different lessons. after byler is canon everything like the closet framed kiss, the aesthetics of the mlvn breakup compared to the rain fight, blue and yellow symbolizing mike and will, framing will in the middle of el and mikes reunion, the fact that will is in the shot when mike says he loves her. all of these will be in slideshows and used as examples of how you can film your subjects in ways that foreshadow whats to come. i wouldnt be surprised if it already is being used in lectures.

if i asked any of my professors if they think byler is happening i think all of them would say yes.

[mariel-mallana]

Waist Over Mind

Philippine Beauty Standards

What is beauty? Beauty is different in every person. We appreciate the beauty in different ways, but when we set our definition of beauty in a standard, that's when insecurities and discriminations begin. Beauty standards in the Philippines are changing. We can't deny the fact that we are influenced by other countries' standards, mostly Americans and Koreans.. Filipinos usually tend to imitate other countries' fashion and trends. As I have observed over the past years and up until now, our beauty standards are to have fair skin, a skinny body for both sexes, , a pointed nose, straight hair, and a lot more aesthetics.

Having a skinny body is a big deal in the country. Many people lose their confidence because they are bullied and judged about how their body looks. If you're too skinny, people will still judge you. But most people that are being discriminated are those who are fat or gaining so much weight.

Growing up, I used to not care about how my body looked, but because of the people or celebrities I saw, I set my standards too high. It affected my mental health, and I felt so conscious. I tend to always look at how many calories of the food I eat and have the mindset that I can gain weight by eating. I have observed many people attempting to conform to beauty standards. They tried many products they didn't know were unhealthy and dangerous. You will never notice, but one day you will wake up and want to be skinny like K-pop idols and cry if you fail. You begin to build insecurities and set your standards too high, to the point that you also begin to judge other people around you. Setting too many standards is like putting gas on the fire; everything will make you struggle, especially loving yourself.

- Mallana

Insecurities and Discrimination About Weight

Ever since I was a kid and until now,

For my 20 years of existence, I have experienced and still experiencing discrimination from other people because of my weight, and my insecurities have grown bigger and bigger. Being big is not unusual in my family since it is in our genes to have big hips, big thighs, and big arms. And apparently, I have taken it all. Since they are my family, I should feel supported, right? But no, unfortunately. They were the first ones to tell me that I am fat and call me names like "balyena" take note, I was only a kid then. Because of my family and other people, I became shy, insecure, and conscious and felt uncomfortable with my body.

When I was in elementary I was what you call "obese," and I was the biggest in my class. I was called ugly and fat because that's how my classmates saw me. When my puberty came in grade 5, I lost weight but was still fat. Growing up, people around me and the media instilled that being thin is pretty and sexy while being fat is ugly and could only result in bullying. That's why my insecurity about my body developed, there was a time I would come to class without eating breakfast, and while the teacher's having a lecture, I was sitting there dizzy. When it was break time, I would only buy some biscuits just for me to lose weight. But still, in the end, I am fat.

During junior high school, I met many people and made friends. I gained confidence because I knew I had them, and they supported me. In my BMI, I am normal, but because of my body build, many still consider me fat just by looking at me. Still, I am called many names, such as "baboy" and "taba," but now that I have people around me who I know support me, I have become more confident with my body. Even so, there will always be a time when I wish I was thin and fit the beauty standards. And because of this, I did everything: I jogged after class every day, drank slimming tea, didn't eat breakfast before going to school, and even tried consuming only water for days. I lost weight, and some noticed it and told me that I lost weight, yet, it is still not enough. I am still fat. Every time they saw that I had lost weight, they would continue the sentence with "kulang pa, papayat ka pa" I got tired. I stopped. Also, I stopped because someone told me I looked ugly because my face got thinner.

Now, I am in college, where everything could make or break you. College is very stressful; whenever I got stressed, my only coping mechanism was eating. I eat every time I get stressed with my studies, and because there is a pandemic, I don't have someone to talk to, so food is the only one that comforts me. I gained weight. Everyone noticed that I gained weight, and every time they say something about me gaining weight, I smile, but I am still hurt. And because I got annoyed and hurt, I did intermittent fasting and lost weight, but stopped. Do you know why? My family noticed that I don't eat; every time I eat, it is only a small portion, so they were alarmed by my eating pattern. But, they were the ones who told me that I was getting bigger and bigger, calling me again "balyena".

I am still insecure about my body and still experience discrimination. Nevertheless, I admire it for being strong when I am not.

- Mariel

Things We Did To Lose Weight

SLIMMING TEA

I drink this at night, and the morning the next day, I would excrete waste. It would be best to use slimming tea every other night and make sure you have a full sleep. Once I drank slimming tea, and after I discharged my waste the next day, I got dizzy and fainted. It is because of dehydration and lack of sleep. Slimming tea is effective if you want to lose weight faster. It's just that you have to be careful.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

It is an eating pattern where there is time for eating and time for fasting. It depends on how many hours your eating and fasting period will be. It is effective, but you must be strict with your calories. Intermittent fasting is unlike slimming tea, where you can lose weight faster. It takes time and discipline. Also, it could be more effective if you also do some exercise.

WORKOUT

What else is best to lose calories but to exercise and sweat off? I've tried a home workout and made my workout plan. I did it every day, and it made me feel good. I did become consistent but stopped it because I became so busy with school, and I started to binge and stress eating, which made me gain weight again. My workout plan is composed of what I want to focus on, like losing belly fat, building abs, and losing thigh fat. Before my workout, I eat a banana so I won't feel dizzy. It's hard at first, but I always remind myself why I started it.

AVOIDING SWEETS AND SODA

Avoiding sweets and soda is something that isn't hard for me. I experienced a severe UTI back when I was still in junior high school, so I got traumatized from drinking too much soda. When I feel stressed and on my period, I want to eat sweets, but I don't like to eat sweet foods on normal days. This method has a lot of good benefits, and it also protects your teeth from cavities.

Why Should We Love And Be Confident About Our Body

Loving and being confident with our bodies means we are free. We are doing what we want and enjoying ourselves because we don't care about the judgment of others anymore. We can focus on our goals more and improve our mental health. Loving and being confident with our bodies is hard at first, especially with what others say, but I know we will in time. We must be strong and surround ourselves with positive and supportive people. We only have one body, and let's appreciate it for the fantastic things it has done for us; it is unique, and you are unique.

-Mariel

I can say that the most challenging thing that you can attain is confidence and loving your flaws, but there are millions of reasons why we should start loving our bodies' flaws. Start hating it first, and say everything you want about your body. Feel sad and cry about it, but promise yourself that tomorrow you are ready to get out of your comfort zone. Don't be scared to be proud of yourself. Don't be scared to make a slight change or even a massive step out of your comfort zone. Loving means you're giving attention and being appreciative of things; start by giving yourself affirmations after waking up every morning.

1. I am beautiful

2. I am loved

3. I am capable

4. I am going to be successful

5. I love myself

6. I love my body

Being confident means you love yourself, and when you show it to people, you're helping them to love themselves too.

-Mallana

A Letter For You

Hey, how are you feeling? I want you to know that your feelings are valid. You can be mad, disappointed, tired, and sad. When you receive comments that may hurt you, smile them out, but don't ever doubt yourself. At the end of the day, you only have yourself. You'll be the one who can make yourself loved and secure. Take note that those words will destroy your peace, but you're brave and prioritizing your mental health. Just cry it all out, take a walk, and listen to your favorite music. It's not good to focus on how people will look at you. One thing that will help you is not always looking in the mirror. Think of doing things that will make you healthy instead of being skinny and getting praised. Battling with your mind is hard, don't overthink too much. Be with people that you're comfortable with. Take time to listen to different podcasts about self-love, meditate and enjoy your life. Look at your surroundings, and there's so much to pay attention to rather than focusing on people that are probably bored talking bad things for fun. Maybe today you feel down, but there's always tomorrow, don't be scared to grow and learn as a person. Don't be scared to take small steps to improve yourself; drink healthy juices, avoid unhealthy foods, and praise yourself for your progress. Self-love is hard to work for, but there's nothing wrong if you start now. This is a letter to say you are beautiful and you are loved because God created you.

A Letter For Everyone

Judging is normal and can also be helpful in certain situations. But judging someone without knowing anything about that person is something we should not do. We should be mindful of what we say and be sensitive and considerate of what other people might feel, especially if we only know very little about them because we might cause more and more profound problems to that person than helping them. Let us all practice the 5-second rule where you can comment on someone's appearance, and they can change it for 5 seconds and then do it, but if that person cannot, then don't. We should apply to be empathetic; let's try to put ourselves in other's situations.